Lin Shanyue chatted with Liu Niang for quite a while while Huo Yi listened quietly the entire time.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t actually see what was happening on the other side.
Only after Liu Niang excused herself to attend to some business did Huo Yi ask Lin Shanyue to take out the mirror so he could look around.
Lin Shanyue simply assumed that the Mirror Demon Young Master had been sealed away for so long that he was curious about everything around him.
What she didn’t know was that, in Huo Yi’s eyes, every ancient object filling the room was nothing less than priceless antique treasure.
Only now did it fully dawn on him—
He was sitting on top of an unimaginably vast antique market.
“When you have time,” he said, “help me ask around and see where they sell good jade. I need a pair of jade pendants.”
Jade pendants…
Anything the Mirror Demon Young Master wanted, Lin Shanyue naturally intended to help him obtain.
The only problem was…
Jade pendants were expensive.
“Alright,” she replied. “I’ll ask.”
Earlier, Liu Niang had stepped out to meet another supplier who had come specifically to deliver bolts of cloth to Huayue House.
When she returned, Lin Shanyue casually asked,
“About jade pendants…”
Liu Niang answered immediately,
“Just go to a silver house. They sell jewelry there—they’ll have everything.”
Lin Shanyue quietly memorized the advice.
“Thank you, Sister Liu.”
Just as they finished discussing business, one of the maids hurried over.
“Sister Liu! A carriage from the Xie Residence has arrived!”
Liu Niang froze for a moment.
Then overwhelming delight spread across her face.
“What a wonderful day!”
“Hurry and prepare two of the finest rooms!”
She stood up herself.
“Forget it, forget it! You girls are too clumsy. I’ll handle it personally.”
Then she turned back to Lin Shanyue.
“I’m sorry, Sister Shanyue. I won’t be able to entertain you today. I have honored guests.”
Lin Shanyue nodded.
“It’s alright. Go ahead and attend to them. I’ll sit for a little while longer before leaving.”
“Good. Make yourself at home.”
The Xie family…
There were plenty of families with the surname Xie in the capital.
But one capable of making Liu Niang this excited…
…must be someone truly extraordinary.
Lin Shanyue immediately thought of the Wei State Duke’s Manor—the Xie family Jiang Wan’er had once mentioned.
If it really was someone from the Xie household…
…their status was even higher than yesterday’s Zhao family.
Both the Duke’s Manor and the Marquis’s Estate held hereditary noble titles.
During the time Lin Shanyue had lived at the Marquis’s Estate, the person she had heard discussed most often was the heir to the Duke’s Manor—
Xie Wuling.
It was said that the twenty-year-old young man was the dream husband of nearly every noble lady in the capital.
Despite his youth, he already served as Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
His future was boundless.
Still…
Surely Xie Wuling wouldn’t actually visit a place like Huayue House?
Lin Shanyue only entertained the thought briefly.
It had nothing to do with her.
After letting Huo Yi take another quick look around through the mirror, she prepared to leave for the jewelry shop.
Just as she descended the stairs, she ran straight into the arriving members of the Xie household.
Liu Niang was personally greeting them.
Lin Shanyue immediately stepped aside to make way.
The entire Huayue House fell silent.
Out of the corner of her eye, she stole a discreet glance.
The young man truly looked every bit the graceful noble youth she had imagined.
Is that really Xie Wuling?
Standing beside him was an elderly gentleman who carried himself with the bearing of a great scholar.
Liu Niang greeted them respectfully.
“I wonder what fortunate wind has blown Young Master Xie to Huayue House today.”
“And this honored gentleman is…?”
A cool, pleasant voice answered,
“This is Elder Pei, Instructor of the Imperial Academy.”
Pei?
Lin Shanyue’s heart skipped a beat.
She couldn’t help raising her head to look.
But the old man possessed an imposing presence, and his gaze was exceptionally sharp.
The instant she looked up, his eyes swept toward her.
Startled, she quickly lowered her head again, not daring to offend such distinguished guests.
The Imperial Academy was the highest institution of learning in the capital.
It educated the sons of the great aristocratic families.
As one of its instructors, Elder Pei’s status was naturally exalted.
There was no possibility he could be an old friend of her father.
Suppressing her thoughts, Lin Shanyue quietly withdrew.
Only after leaving Huayue House did she finally let out a long breath.
“Chunlan, let’s go to the silver house.”
Huo Yi had also heard Liu Niang mention the silver house earlier.
Now he was positively excited.
He couldn’t wait to see what an ancient jewelry store looked like.
The capital’s largest silver house stood in Changxing Ward beside Vermilion Bird Avenue, not far from Pingkang Ward.
After passing through Xuanyang Ward, they soon arrived.
Since it had been recommended by Liu Niang, it certainly lived up to expectations.
The building rose six stories high—
One of the tallest structures in the entire imperial capital.
Lin Shanyue suddenly lost some of her confidence.
In a tiny voice, she said,
“Young Master… I really don’t have much money with me.”
“Even if you find something you like here…”
“…I won’t be able to afford it.”
Huo Yi clicked his tongue.
“Look at how timid you are.”
“I won’t make you spend your own money.”
“Just take me inside first.”
Lin Shanyue softly agreed.
She handed Little Bao over to Chunlan before entering alone.
She really wasn’t someone with much nerve.
After stepping inside, she didn’t even dare browse.
Instead, she directly asked one of the attendants where the jade section was and was led to the third floor.
It was…
A dazzling sight.
Everywhere she looked were exquisite jade ornaments in every imaginable style.
An attendant soon approached her with a warm smile.
Hearing that she wanted jade pendants, he promptly laid out several trays.
“Please have a look, Madam.”
“These all arrived recently.”
“Hetian jade, Lantian jade, jadeite, the finest mutton-fat white jade—we have everything.”
Lin Shanyue glanced over them.
Every single piece was beautiful.
She quietly placed the silver mirror beside her.
The shop assistant naturally thought the young lady wanted to use it to see how the jewelry looked on her.
He didn’t ask any questions.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mirror, Huo Yi had a perfectly clear view.
The longer he looked…
…the faster his breathing became.
Lin Shanyue cleared her throat.
“Could you tell me… how much these cost?”
The attendant cheerfully quoted the prices.
Wonderful.
She couldn’t afford a single one.
Trying to hide her embarrassment, she smiled.
“Do you have any tea? Sorry to trouble you.”
The shop assistant slapped his forehead.
“Oh dear! I was so busy I completely forgot.”
“Please wait just a moment, Madam.”
As soon as he left to fetch tea, Lin Shanyue hurriedly whispered to Huo Yi.
“Young Master… this…”
“The Hetian jade one.”
“And the mutton-fat jade one.”
“Buy both.”
Lin Shanyue’s eyes widened.
“I…”
“Catch.”
Without warning, something flew out of the mirror.
She hurriedly caught it.
Looking down—
She froze.
It was…
A lump of gold.
An actual solid lump of gold!
Her eyes went round with shock.
She had no idea how to react.
Huo Yi, meanwhile, was immensely pleased with himself.
How could I have forgotten about gold?
Money from his own era wouldn’t circulate here.
But gold…
Gold had been hard currency throughout history.
Who wouldn’t recognize gold?
He had even gone through the trouble of shaping it to resemble the gold ingots used in this era.
“Any more problems?” Huo Yi asked casually.
Lin Shanyue’s cheeks flushed bright red.
“N-None!”
“I’ll buy them for you right away!”
More than “no problems”—
At that moment, she felt incomparably confident.
She even had the sudden urge to sweep an arm dramatically across the room and buy out the entire store.
Just kidding…
She mischievously stuck out her tongue.
The adorable little gesture made Huo Yi laugh.
“You poor little girl,” he teased.
“Look how easily satisfied you are.”