“Stop right there!” Miss Shen shouted. Seeing that Lu Zhidao continued to ignore her, she commanded the page boys around her, “Block her.”
The group swarmed forward, barring Lu Zhidao’s path. Seeing that Chu Ning had already walked far away, Lu Zhidao felt a surge of anxiety, staring impatiently and coldly at the servants in front of her.
“You want to fight?” Lu Zhidao turned to ask Miss Shen behind her.
“The most important thing in business is integrity. You agreed to the deal; do you think you can just leave whenever you want?”
“I’ll be back in a moment. I’m not running away.”
“No. The three days have already begun. If you leave now, don’t expect to see a single copper.” Miss Shen then turned to address the crowd. “Remember her face. None of our family’s shops are allowed to hire her.”
Lu Zhidao gripped her sword hilt, staring at her with irritation. “What do you want me to do if I stay?”
“Nothing in particular. I just want to look at you; it’s easy on the eyes. When I’m free, I’ll have you perform some swordplay for me.”
“I need to explain things to Chu Ning first.”
“That won’t do. I never come second to anyone else.” Miss Shen snapped her folding fan open with a shwa and began to fan herself slowly.
Lu Zhidao ignored her and tried to give chase again.
But simultaneously, the page boys swarmed her. It wasn’t that Lu Zhidao couldn’t beat them, but considering her sensitive identity, she couldn’t afford to be too flashy. Doing so would only attract more trouble for Chu Ning.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhidao stopped her steps, her heart full of impatience. She reasoned that Miss Shen couldn’t possibly watch her all night; she would simply find a chance to slip back to the inn tonight and explain everything to Chu Ning then.
Still, she felt an uncomfortable knot in her chest—she couldn’t tell if it was because Chu Ning had left, or because she had lost those candies once again.
Chu Ning walked away feeling a profound sense of loss. The streets were filled with a bustling but irrelevant crowd, just like that fan and Lu Zhidao—they looked close day and night, but upon closer thought, they had no real connection at all.
After walking for a long time, a sliver of hope rose in her heart. She turned back, but there was no sign of Lu Zhidao chasing after her.
As expected, it was all just my wishful thinking. The small ripples and emotions felt so ridiculous now. Unable to find that familiar figure on the crowded street, Chu Ning pursed her lips and mocked herself for placing too much importance on Lu Zhidao. After all, she was just her guard.
Once they reached the capital, they would go their separate ways.
Back when the escort party was intact, she had barely even noticed her, hadn’t she? Chu Ning reasoned that it was only because they were alone now that she had the chance to learn more about her, leading to this over-dependence.
She was still holding the xing candy she had specifically gone to buy; now, it felt redundant.
She returned to the inn in low spirits, only to find the little beggar from yesterday already crouching at the door.
Seeing the child, Chu Ning forced a smile. “Why are you here? Have you been waiting long?”
“No, no…” The little beggar waved her hands hurriedly and stood up, opening her tunic-pouch to reveal another hoard of mulberries.
Chu Ning led her into the room. “I haven’t even finished yesterday’s yet. This is too many.”
The little beggar stood on her tiptoes and dumped the berries onto the table. Seeing the berries from the day before, she said dejectedly, “You didn’t eat them at all…”
“I did,” Chu Ning replied with a laugh. “They were very sweet.”
Only then did the little beggar clap her hands in relief, turning to say goodbye.
“Take these.” Chu Ning handed all of Lu Zhidao’s candy to her.
“How come you guys always have so much candy?” The little beggar smiled, clutching the sweets.
“It’s not mine.”
The little beggar finally noticed someone was missing from the room. “Where’s the Cold-Face Freak?”
“Cold-Face Freak?”
“You know…” The little beggar mimicked Lu Zhidao’s mannerisms setting her face into a stoic mask, crossing her arms, and leaning against the door while eyeing Chu Ning sideways.
“That’s actually quite accurate.” Chu Ning burst into laughter, explaining helplessly, “She’s out.”
The little beggar opened the paper parcel to take a candy.
“Wash your hands first.” Chu Ning pointed to the tall washstand.
Hearing this, the little beggar obediently put the candy down and ran to the basin. Chu Ning followed, leaning against the stand. “I still don’t know your name?”
“They call me Little Beggar,” the child replied, hands soaking in the water.
“That’s not a name. That’s just a label to tell you apart from other beggars. Do you have one?”
The little beggar thought for a long time before answering hesitantly, “Then… does ‘Mu Shuanzi’ [Wooden Bolt] count?”
“Mu Shuanzi?” Chu Ning repeated, bewildered. She handed her a towel.
“I don’t have a ‘proper’ name…” the little beggar said nonchalantly as she dried her hands. “What’s Sister’s name?”
“Chu Ning.”
The little beggar murmured the name to herself and smiled. “That sounds so nice. That’s a ‘proper’ name.”
“Names aren’t ‘proper’ or ‘improper’; they’re just labels,” Chu Ning said with a wave of her hand.
The little beggar popped a candy into her mouth, and the two began to chat and laugh. The child forgot about leaving, and Chu Ning was happy for the company. Having someone to talk to while she painted made things much easier; it kept her from overthinking.
On the other side, Lu Zhidao had mentally prepared herself for the sake of the money, but Miss Shen didn’t seem to have any dire plans for her.
After the inspection at the docks, she led her large entourage back to the manor. She forced Lu Zhidao to ride in the carriage with her, ruining Lu’s plan to slip back to the inn while they were traveling.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. I won’t give you the chance,” Miss Shen said casually, playing with her fan.
The carriage was very spacious. Lu Zhidao sat stiffly on one side, maintaining as much distance as possible.
“Is the person in this painting you?” Miss Shen finally couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes,” Lu Zhidao replied flatly. Unlike Miss Shen, she only cared about the hundred taels. “Can the hundred taels be paid daily?”
“No,” Miss Shen refused immediately. “Did you paint this? What were you thinking, painting yourself on a fan?”
“I don’t know how to paint.”
“Then who painted it?”
Lu Zhidao gave her a cool look, unwilling to drag Chu Ning into this, so she remained silent.
“‘One can be snapped inch by inch, but cannot be bent into tenderness,’” Miss Shen mused, looking at Lu Zhidao playfully. “It’s a good sentiment, but inscribed next to a beauty, it feels like the writer has a lingering resentment or a troubled heart. Looking at you, I think I understand.”
“What does that mean?”
Lu Zhidao had thought it was just a poem Chu Ning had written randomly; she had assumed it was a verse about a sword and hadn’t thought much of it. Prompted by Miss Shen, she took the fan and stared intently at the two lines of small characters.
She felt the handwriting was graceful and elegant the script truly resembled the person. Lu Zhidao couldn’t help but stare a little longer.
“What does it mean?” Lu Zhidao pressed.
“You really care, don’t you…” Miss Shen pulled the fan back. Looking at Lu Zhidao who clearly wanted to know but was trying to act indifferent she laughed. “It’s very fitting.”
The carriage arrived at the Shen Manor. Lu Zhidao leaped down and followed Miss Shen through the main gate. They hadn’t walked far before switching to a sedan chair. Three or four well-dressed servants stepped forward to carry it. Lu Zhidao walked silently beside the chair, winding through countless gates and courtyards until they reached a veranda. The sounds of operatic singing and rhythmic gongs began to drift over.
Miss Shen led Lu Zhidao past quickly, but they were called over by Boss Shen, who was reclining on a lounge chair nearby listening to the opera.
Lu Zhidao was left to wait on the veranda. As she was surveying the layout of the Shen Manor, she saw two men dressed as servants approaching; one looked like a steward.
The steward was holding a rolled-up portrait, giving instructions as they walked toward the exit.
“Deliver this to the docks tonight. Only the people in charge need to know; don’t make a scene,” the steward said, handing the portrait to the younger servant.
“Yes, sir.” The younger servant, unable to contain his curiosity, unrolled the portrait to peek at it. At that moment, the two were walking up the steps onto the veranda.
Lu Zhidao was standing to the side. Looking down from her vantage point, she caught a glimpse of the portrait and her hand instinctively tightened around her sword hilt in shock.
The person in that portrait was, almost certainly, Chu Ning.
Lu Zhidao immediately grew alert. She calculated rapidly: had Centurion Jia already arrived, or was there a new group of people with ill intentions?
She wanted a closer look, but the steward barked at the servant, “Put it away! Don’t look at things you shouldn’t.”
“Yes, sir!” the servant hurriedly rolled it back up.
“Go on.” The steward dismissed the young man.
Seeing Lu Zhidao standing there, the steward walked up and asked a few cautious questions. Lu Zhidao blamed everything on Miss Shen’s whims and acted completely ignorant of anything else. Eventually, Miss Shen returned and led her away.
They walked to the end of the veranda to a small, private courtyard. A side room was arranged for Lu Zhidao to stay in.
“Don’t think about running off tonight; there are night patrols. Get some rest. Tomorrow, I want to see you dance with the sword.” Miss Shen smiled and pointed her fan at the image on the surface.
Lu Zhidao’s mind was occupied by the portrait and the steward’s words. They were delivering Chu Ning’s portrait to the docks tonight. She didn’t know their goal, but she was certain the docks were no longer safe. Her heart filled with worry.
She didn’t hear a word Miss Shen said. She was even suspicious of the woman herself—she couldn’t be sure if she was brought into the manor for the fan or for something else.
She hated that she couldn’t be in two places at once. Ideally, one Lu Zhidao would go tell Chu Ning tonight, while the other stayed to gather information.
Now, she had to prioritize. She figured Chu Ning wouldn’t go to the docks at night, so she should be safe for now. She decided to investigate the Shen Manor first. “Bright spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to defend against” she couldn’t afford to be blindsided.
That night, both Lu Zhidao and Chu Ning were destined for a sleepless night.
Once it was late and the night watchmen had extinguished most of the lanterns, Lu Zhidao carefully slipped out of her room in the dark. She nimbly used a pillar to vault onto the roof. She planned to find Boss Shen’s room or study to see if she could find any clues.
However, the Shen Manor was massive, occupying half a street with all its courtyards. Checking room by room was time-consuming, and she had to dodge the night patrols and the watchmen calling out the hours.
The pitch-black night was the best cover, but it also made one feel exceptionally isolated and helpless.
It wasn’t just the one running through the night who felt isolated; the one staying safely at home felt it too.
Chu Ning tossed and turned all night. When it grew late and there was still no sign of Lu Zhidao and no news, her heart grew heavy.
They had agreed to always give an account of their whereabouts, yet she had seemingly forgotten again. At first, Chu Ning was filled with anger, but that slowly turned into worry. As the night deepened, her heart raced for her companion.
And then there was that folding fan—the one with Lu Zhidao on it. She didn’t know how it had ended up in Miss Shen’s hands, but the image of the two of them smiling over it made her deeply uncomfortable.
Too many unnamable emotions were left with nowhere to go.
Each struggled through the long night in their own way.
Lu Zhidao worked through the night, searching many rooms to no avail. As the sky began to turn grey, she slipped back into her room. She grabbed a brief moment of rest; this was the first time she hadn’t woken early for sword practice.
As for Chu Ning, as soon as the first light of dawn appeared, she could no longer stay in bed. After a night of chaotic thoughts, she finally decided to go find Lu Zhidao.