“Achoo—”
Qiao Yin sneezed, wrapped herself in a quilt, downed a bowl of ginger soup, and then began to sob uncontrollably.
She cried over her misfortune, her miserable fate, and the glimmer of hope she had finally seen, only to have it snuffed out by her clueless older brother.
Qiao Mo stood by the bedside, his hands hanging at his sides, his face filled with guilt. “Sister, I was wrong. When I heard you fell into the water, I thought you were just following the plan again.”
Bizhu wiped Qiao Yin’s tears and couldn’t help but defend Qiao Mo. “Second Miss, you can’t really blame the young master. It’s mainly because your previous enthusiasm for Lu Shizi was so deeply ingrained in everyone’s minds that we couldn’t believe it.”
Qiao Yin sniffled and, in a fit of frustration, declared, “Then let me tell you one last time: I don’t like Lu Jinzhi anymore. I like Xie Yu’an. If I don’t marry Xie Yu’an within a month, I’ll die. Do you understand? Do you understand?”
Qiao Mo and Bizhu were still utterly confused. “Why Xie Yu’an? And why must it be within a month?”
Why?
Because of a System bug!
Qiao Yin couldn’t explain it. She flopped back onto the bed, sprawling out. “I’ve spent four years chasing after Lu Jinzhi’s cold indifference. Can’t I suddenly regain my self-respect and stop being so pathetic?”
The room fell silent. Suddenly, Qiao Mo clapped his hands. “I’ve always disliked that Lu Jinzhi! What kind of person is he? If it weren’t for your affection for him, I’d have beaten him up long ago! It’s the wisest decision for you to stop liking him! I support you, sis. I’ll go find out about Xie Yu’an’s character and preferences right now!”
Qiao Yin sat up abruptly, but Qiao Mo had already rushed out the door.
Bizhu brought over her favorite candied fruit and popped a piece into her mouth. “Second Miss, your taste is excellent. That General Xie Yu’an, in my opinion, is far better than that Lu whatever. When you fell into the water earlier, General Xie jumped in to save you without a second thought. How responsible! Since General Xie saved you, it wouldn’t be too much for you to offer yourself in marriage. I’ll go take stock of your dowry right away.”
Qiao Yin quickly stopped her. “There’s no need to be in such a hurry.”
“Bizhu, did Xie Yu’an say anything after he saved me?”
Bizhu shook her head. “After General Xie handed you over to me, he left directly without saying a word. He didn’t look too happy either.”
See? See? She had upset him.
Tossing and turning all night, she finally waited for daybreak. The moment Qiao Yin opened her eyes, she wanted to go find Xie Yu’an.
“Miss, shouldn’t we learn from past mistakes and be a bit more reserved?” Bizhu asked nervously.
She admired the Second Miss’s relentless determination, but it seemed a bit reckless.
“I can’t wait any longer.” Her life was on a countdown, and she couldn’t afford to waste a single second.
“At least have breakfast first? And wait for the young master to return with news. As they say, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.’”
Qiao Yin thought it over and agreed it made sense.
In her efforts to please Lu Jinzhi and become the refined, scholarly young lady he preferred, Qiao Yin had brought back many books. Though she hadn’t read many of them, Bizhu’s knowledge had skyrocketed.
The two of them went to the dining hall, where the servants brought in breakfast.The Qiao family had a simple household. Qiao Fu, who came from a military background, had fought on battlefields for half his life, earning the title of Jing’an Marquis. He was still leading troops on campaigns away from home, leaving only Qiao Mo and Qiao Yin in the household at present.
After finishing breakfast, Qiao Yin didn’t wait for Qiao Mo to return, but she did receive an invitation card delivered by the gatekeeper.
“It’s an invitation to the literary gathering at Star-Gazing Tower, Miss. Haven’t you always wanted to attend this gathering? You can go today,” Bizhu said excitedly.
Qiao Yin glanced at it and tossed it aside. “Not going.”
In the past, she had wanted to attend this gathering because Lu Jinzhi liked it.
Lu Jinzhi had established the Begonia Poetry Society, whose members were all noble youths from the capital. For each gathering, the society would book the most elegant Star-Gazing Tower in the city.
She had tried several times to join, but before anyone else could say anything, Lu Jinzhi was always the first to reject her. Over four years and dozens of gatherings, she had never attended even once.
She had no idea what whim had struck them today to send her an invitation.
“To General Xie’s residence.”
Qiao Yin took a carriage to the entrance of Xie Yu’an’s residence. The gates of the Xie Family were tightly shut, and no matter how long she knocked, there was no response—just like the situation yesterday.
Yesterday, she had knocked for a long time with no answer, which was why she ended up climbing over the wall.
Seeing no one answer the door, Qiao Yin made her way to the corner of the wall from the day before.
Xie Yu’an truly was a man of his word.
Yesterday, he said he would open a small door in the wall, and he really did.
However, it wasn’t for people—it was for dogs.
Looking at the small dog door in the corner of the wall, Qiao Yin felt an unprecedented sense of mockery.
Once again, Qiao Yin felt a pang of regret. If not for yesterday’s mishap, she might have already successfully opened Xie Yu’an’s “home door.”
Once the home door was opened, the room door would follow soon after. And how far could Xie Yu’an’s heart door be then?
“Woof, woof—”
Just then, a dog’s bark came from inside the wall—it was the sound of the little puppy, San Er Yi.
Qiao Yin was greatly encouraged. She glanced at Bizhu and said, “Three strips.”
Bizhu shook her head. “Miss, you’ve gained a lot of weight now. It’s not that price anymore.”
Raising prices on the spot—what a black-hearted profiteer.
Gritting her teeth, Qiao Yin said, “Add two more strips.”
Bizhu held out her hand. Qiao Yin couldn’t wriggle out of it and poured five small silver fish from her purse into Bizhu’s hand.
Once she received the payment, Bizhu immediately stood at the base of the wall and assumed a steady horse stance.
Qiao Yin stepped onto her shoulders and slowly climbed up.
Perched on top of the wall, she scanned the surroundings but couldn’t find any trace of Xie Yu’an. Just as she was about to give up—
A clear, cheerful laugh came from the courtyard, and a young girl in a pink dress walked over from under a tree, holding the little puppy San Er Yi in her arms.
“Sister, are you here to look for Xie Yu’an?”
The girl blinked her big eyes, looking at her curiously, as adorable as a porcelain doll.
Why was everyone in the Xie Family so good-looking?
Qiao Yin, still perched on the wall, replied, “Yes, how did you know?”
The girl in pink smiled brightly. “Xie Yu’an has gone out. Before he left, he left a message. He said if a girl came climbing over the wall looking for him, to tell her he went to Star-Gazing Tower.”
Hearing this, Qiao Yin couldn’t help but curl the corners of her lips into a smile.
“Thank you. You’re really adorable, and your whole family is adorable. San Er Yi is adorable too.”
As she climbed down from the wall, Qiao Yin couldn’t resist complimenting her.
The girl inside the wall looked at the little puppy in her arms, her smile growing even brighter.She turned to the maidservant under the tree and said, “Quickly bring me brush and ink. I must write a letter to my uncle and aunt to tell them that the iron tree in their home is about to bloom.”