Nie Huiming smiled slightly but did not answer.
Seeing his smile, Xu Yu didn't dare ask more, and said quietly, "My lord, may I talk about what happened yesterday?"
"We'll talk about that when we get back. You may speak of other things."
"Alright." She paused, feeling that staying silent would be awkward at a moment like this, and added, "My lord, do you have any siblings?"
"I had an elder brother, but he died young, before I was even born. Other than that, none."
"I thought a family like yours would have many children—the more, the better."
"My mother's health was poor, so after having me, my parents had no more children."
Xu Yu asked curiously, "Your father was a high official too. I thought men with such power and influence always had wives and concubines galore. Did your father never take a concubine?"
"At least since my grandfather's time, there has been a family rule: unless the lawful wife was truly unable to bear children, no concubines were allowed. My father upheld this family tradition, always upright, and held the collateral branches of the clan to the same standard."
"Then by that measure, your father was a good man."
Nie Huiming chuckled softly. "That alone makes him a good man?"
Xu Yu's cheeks flushed slightly, and she said in a low voice, "I've seen many lecherous nobles at the side courtyard, so I feel that being able to abstain from lechery counts as good character in itself."
"My lord, we're about to enter the gate. The carriage will jolt—please be careful." Zhanlu reminded from outside.
"Sit tight." Nie Huiming opened his eyes and warned her.
Xu Yu immediately returned to her seat, gripping the carriage walls tightly, but the carriage only jolted slightly.
"We're entering the gate?" she asked curiously.
Nie Huiming smiled. "Yes."
She nodded and asked again, "Is your headache any better, my lord?"
"Much better," Nie Huiming said. "The carriage has stopped. Get out."
Xu Yu ducked out the door first and climbed down from the carriage.
Nie Huiming glanced at her, his lips curving slightly, then stepped down from the carriage with ease, saying softly, "You didn't rest well last night, so you needn't come to serve in the study today. Go rest."
"Yes." She yawned and headed toward her quarters.
Qin Rusu watched from behind, hurried to catch up, followed her through the small door of her quarters, and said with a smile, "Did you not rest well last night, little sister?"
She paused slightly and burrowed into the blankets. "I am a bit sleepy. Whatever you have to say, tell me after I wake up. Where did you sleep last night? Would you like to rest a while too?"
Qin Rusu sat down at the edge of her bed, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered, "Last night, you and my lord…"
She buried her face in the quilt, feigning shyness. "Rusu, I'm really tired. Wait until I've rested before we talk, alright?"
Qin Rusu covered her lips and laughed softly. "Fine, then. Once you've slept and woken, I'll come find you for a good chat."
Hiding under the covers, Xu Yu heard her leave the room and let out a long breath, sleepiness gone entirely.
She didn't know why Qin Rusu had come probing about these things, or what she planned to do afterward. Xu Yu's heart was somewhat unsettled. She tossed and turned for a while, and only when the covers had grown warm did she finally fall into a deep sleep.
She slept until dusk. No one was in the room. She got up quickly and glanced outside—Qin Rusu was nowhere to be seen. She immediately hurried over and knocked on the study door.
"Who is it?" Nie Huiming's voice came from within.
"It's this servant," Xu Yu answered softly.
"Come in."
She glanced back, hurried inside, and knelt before the desk, frowning as she appealed to him for help: "My lord, when I came back at noon, Qin Rusu asked me whether last night I had… done that with you? How should I answer?"
"Done what?"
"That is…" Xu Yu was about to explain when she caught the amusement in his eyes. She frowned and said indignantly, "Please stop teasing me. Just tell me—what should I say?"
"No hurry, no hurry." Nie Huiming soothed her with a smile. "Simply tell the truth."
"But you carried me down from the carriage like that yesterday—wasn't that for some purpose? If I tell them the truth today, wouldn't all that effort have been wasted?" Xu Yu muttered under her breath.
Nie Huiming asked, "You think I had some ulterior motive yesterday?"
Xu Yu's heart rose. "Didn't you?"
"If I did, then my actions today must have their reasons as well."
"Then that is how I shall answer." Her lifted heart sank back down.
"Anything else?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. I'll take my leave first."
Nie Huiming set down the bamboo scrolls in his hand. "Then stay and dine with me. Didn't you say you had something to tell me in the carriage today? You can tell me while we eat."
"It's nothing, really—just my own curiosity."
"That's fine all the same. Go ahead."
Xu Yu paused, then said, "Yesterday, my lord, you were drinking and laughing with those people—were you putting on an act for them?"
"I was."
"Good."
"Why? Afraid they'd lead me astray?"
Xu Yu's brow knit as she said quietly, "I've noticed my lord is especially fond of joking."
"Are you angry?" Nie Huiming raised a hand, signaling the maids to lay out the food and withdraw. Picking up his bowl and chopsticks, he added, "There's no need to be so tense. If you're on edge day after day, it wears on the heart and mind. Eat."
Xu Yu took small bites of food, not daring to raise her eyes.
So—his lordship joked with her because he was afraid she was too nervous?
She nodded and said softly, "I understand."
By the time the meal was finished, the sky had darkened. Just as she was leaving the study, Nie Huiming spoke again: "Water pierces stone not in a day's work. Haste breeds mistakes—carry on as if those things never happened, live each day as usual, and wait patiently."
Xu Yu hesitated a moment, then nodded gently. "I understand, my lord."
"Go on."
She left the room and made her way along the corridor back to her quarters.
Qin Rusu was waiting in the room. Seeing her arrive, she immediately pulled her down to sit. "His lordship kept you for dinner again today, little sister?"
"Yes. Will you be angry with me over that?" she asked deliberately.
"What are you saying, little sister? Why would I be angry over such a thing? Even if you said before that you had no such intentions, if his lordship insisted, what other choice would you have?" Qin Rusu smiled kindly. "Little sister, did you… with his lordship last night—?"
Xu Yu countered, "Do you want the truth?"
Qin Rusu answered at once, "Of course."
"Then I'll tell you the truth: his lordship and I did nothing at all last night."
"Nothing? Why? Was his lordship drunk?"
"No, he wasn't drunk. He even went to bathe. But he simply had me fetch an extra blanket, and I slept on the footstool at the foot of the bed. That's why I've been so sleepy since I came back today—because the footstool was cold, and I slept poorly all night."
Qin Rusu studied her for a moment, and having confirmed she wasn't lying, frowned and murmured, "But why? The Lord was clearly so close to you at the banquet yesterday—why wouldn't he touch you at night? Could it be he was putting on an act yesterday?"
Xu Yu glanced around and said in a low voice, "Could it be that he's… incapable?"
Qin Rusu gave a light laugh. "Sister, you really are naive. Even if a man can't perform in that regard, he'd still want to kiss and hold you. He certainly wouldn't make you sleep on the floor. It seems the Lord was very likely putting on an act yesterday."
"Then why would he act like that?"
Qin Rusu's eyes darted about. "That I wouldn't know. I was only curious, that's all."
Xu Yu smiled at her. "So, knowing the Lord didn't share my bed last night—does that make you happy?"
"What are you saying? If you had really shared his bed last night, that's what would make me happy. If you could win the Lord's favor, you could look out for me in return. But now I don't know what to make of it."
"I'm too dull to read the Lord's mind, and I can't influence his thoughts either. I'll just take things as they come."
Qin Rusu chatted with her a little longer, then blew out the lamp and returned to her own bed.
It seemed Qin Rusu had gotten the answer she was looking for.
Xu Yu lay down in the blankets, pondered for a while, and fell into a deep sleep. Early the next morning, upon entering the kitchen, she didn't hesitate to relay their entire conversation to Nie Huiming.
Nie Huiming listened, saying nothing.
Xu Yu looked at him anxiously. "My lord, was I right to tell you all that?"