60 Enter the Inner Sanctum

n Meng added.“That old fool!” Yun Qianyue was annoyed.Cai Lian stifled a laugh; she thought that Old Master and Young Miss were really entertaining. She felt as though Old Master just enjoyed bullying...Chapter 60: Entering the Inner Sanctum

Rong Jing reached out to receive the clothes and smiled as he glanced at them. He called out to the carriage driver, "Xian Ge, head back to the residence! We won't be going to the imperial palace today. The Emperor is busy with state affairs every day; recently, he has been overexerting himself. We will discuss this matter another time!"

"Yes!" Xian Ge's lips twitched strangely as he answered and turned the carriage away from the direction of the imperial palace, continuing on toward the Residence of Honor.

Rong Jing calmly unraveled the crumpled clothes. He untied the silk ribbons and unfastened the interlocked clasps before removing the sheer outer garment. Without appearing to exert himself much, he quickly arranged the clothes in good order within a short while. He looked at Yun Qianyue who sat there with an unsatisfactory expression on her face. It seemed as if she smiled slightly, then leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Yun Qianyue's body, whispering warmly, "Reach your hands out."

Yun Qianyue obediently extended her hands.

Rong Jing dressed her in the clothes, tied up the ribbons, fastened each clasp individually, and finally wound a strip of silk around her arms. After completing all these tasks, he took out a wooden comb to brush Yun Qianyue's hair.

Yun Qianyue stiffly let him handle her without resistance.

Rong Jing then retrieved a hairpin from the compartment of his carriage and inserted it into Yun Qianyue's hair. Looking at it with satisfaction, he praised, "Not bad!"

Yun Qianyue ignored him and didn't say anything.

Rong Jing was indifferent to her silence; he retreated a little and leaned back against the carriage wall, closing his eyes. But if one looked closely at him, they would notice that his lips were slightly curved upwards, indicating that he felt quite good about things.

The two of them did not speak further; the carriage was silent.

Soon after, the carriage stopped in front of the Residence of Honor. Xian Ge's voice sounded again, "Young Master, we have arrived at our residence!"

Rong Jing responded and opened his eyes to glance at Yun Qianyue before slowly reaching out to lift up the curtain slightly and stepping down from the carriage first.

Following him, Yun Qianyue jumped lightly out of the carriage. The moment her feet touched the ground, she heard several gasps. Looking in the direction where they came from, she saw many people standing at the Residence of Honor's entrance. Apart from the guards posted there were Rong Linglan and two unfamiliar but elegantly dressed women, as well as two young men and an elderly man. The two young men she had seen earlier that day at the Temple of Spirit Platform; they seemed to be collateral brothers of Rong Jing’s. That old man was also someone she met after being rescued from the Temple of Spirit Platform, in the North Mountain Villa. Judging by his attire, he appeared to be a senior steward of the Residence of Honor. The gasps came from these two young men.

Yun Qianyue scanned all present briefly and her gaze swept past those two young men who were staring at her in amazement without pausing, before she calmly withdrew her attention.

"Brother, how come... why is she here" Rong Linglan looked at Yun Qianyue as she asked Rong Jing.

"She will be staying for a few days," replied Rong Jing.

When did she say she would stay at the Residence of Honor Yun Qianyue glanced at Rong Jing and was about to speak, but when he turned and looked back at her, raising an eyebrow, "Could you manage to rush to the Residence of Honor in the middle of the night like that And then return to Cloud Manor before midnight every evening"

Yun Qianyue immediately fell silent; naturally she couldn't!

"Then does this mean she will be staying for a few days" Rong Jing asked again.

Yun Qianyue reluctantly nodded her head.

Rong Jing withdrew his gaze, scanning the people at the entrance. His eyes rested on those two young men and he said in an indifferent tone, "I received a letter from Tian Snow Mountain yesterday stating that Rong Feng will be arriving in the capital within a couple of days. I need to rest due to my health condition and also have been entrusted by Old Lord Cloud with teaching Miss Yun Qianyue of Cloud Manor literacy skills. Therefore, I do not have the energy to entertain him. Thus, it would be kind if Second Brother and Third Brother could arrange for his lodging here! He has just returned from a long absence. This time he came for the martial examination conference. Since we share the same lineage, offering hospitality is only right. The old residence of Wenbo Manor has fallen into disuse; let's have him stay in this estate instead!"

After Rong Jing spoke, neither of those two young gentlemen responded. They had been staring at Yun Qianyue and missed what Rong Jing said completely. Both of them were thinking to themselves that wasn't this the Cloud Manor Miss Qianyue who was an embarrassment in the capital for being illiterate Now seeing her standing gracefully with a regal purple robe, clear eyes and a refined demeanor, they couldn’t connect these traits to what she had been talked about previously.

Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue whose face remained expressionless. He hid his cold gaze behind his eyelashes and turned back to the two gentlemen: "Let's have him stay in the Green Jade Hall."

The two men nodded absentmindedly.

Rong Jing turned around and walked into the residence, Yun Qianyue following closely behind.

"Young Master, Old Lord says he’s waiting for you to visit his study," the senior steward of the Residence of Honor, Rong Fu, said hesitantly. He had seen this Miss Qianyue before and thought her not like she was today.

"Tell Grandfather to wait a moment. I will go see him once I arrange for Miss Yun Qianyue," Rong Jing replied without turning around.

"Yes!" The senior steward, Rong Fu bowed deeply in acknowledgment and fell silent.

"Brother, you're actually teaching her to read She... she's staying at our residence This doesn't seem quite right..." Rong Linglan stared at Yun Qianyue who was following closely behind Rong Jing. For a long time, she could not understand this situation: How did Yun Qianyue deserve such attention from Young Master And why would she be allowed to stay in the Residence of Honor

"There's nothing wrong with that! Cloud Manor cares for the princess, and since no one oversees her, Old Lord entrusted her to me," Rong Jing turned around briefly to look at Rong Linglan and said coolly: "When I went out earlier today, I saw Little Princess of Xianqin Prince’s Palace heading toward Chancellor's Mansion; she likely is visiting Miss Qin. If you have nothing else to do, why don’t you go there too"

"You're quite concerned about her!" Yun Qianyue softly grunted.

"The Chancellor's Mansion is quite close to the Crown Prince's Manor, they are just down the same street," Rong Jing smiled as he glanced at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue immediately understood. So that was it!

"Yes, Young Master Shi is right. I should go see Yu Ning." Upon hearing this, Rong Linglan immediately stopped pestering Yun Qianyue about letting Rong Jing teach her or stay at the Glory王府 (she didn't actually say "stay in the Glory王府", but to be accurate and keep the original meaning, it would make sense if she's referring to staying there rather than just teaching. However, I'll stick to your instructions of only translating text within HTML tags). She was afraid that Leng Shuli wanted to go not to the Chancellor’s Mansion, but to the Crown Prince Manor. How could she let her steal the heart of the Crown Prince殿下 That day when she rode in a carriage with the Crown Prince, he had been much friendlier towards her than before. Of course, she would take advantage of that.

"Second Sister, didn't you say you were going to take us shopping I heard there's new high-quality rouge at the胭脂鋪 (Cosmetics Shop) on West Street. Aren’t you going to buy some" A woman standing beside Rong Linglan immediately asked. She was the fourth daughter of the Glory王府.

"Indeed, not only did the Cosmetics Shop on West Street get high-quality rouge, but also the Jade and Green Shop on East Street got new exquisite jewelry!" Another young lady said quickly. She was the fifth daughter of the Glory王府.

"We'll go tomorrow!" Rong Linglan had no interest in buying anything at all now; she waved her hand dismissively at both women, "If you're eager to buy, go on your own."

The two sisters knew their sister's mind and pouted.

Rong Linglan paid them no heed. Seeing that the carriage was prepared, she immediately got into it; the carriage left the Glory王府 gates heading towards Crown Prince Manor quickly.

"Auntie Second doesn't manage Second Sister either Just letting her run to the Crown Prince's place every day" The fourth daughter said.

The Fourth Daughter was the legitimate daughter of Third Lord of the Glory王府, and was called so according to the ranking in the Glory王府.

"Fourth Sister, Auntie Second wouldn't manage such matters naturally. She wishes for Second Sister to marry into the Crown Prince Manor!" The fifth daughter said with a slight pout. She was the legitimate daughter of Fourth Lord of the Glory王府.

"I think the Fourth Prince is better than that Crown Prince," The fourth daughter remarked.

"Fourth Prince indeed isn't bad, but you haven’t seen Seventh Prince yet! If you did, you wouldn't say so. To me, Seventh Prince is more outstanding than the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince!" Fifth Daughter replied.

"Seventh Prince The one who was exiled to Northern Frontier five years ago due to his mother's crime" Fourth Daughter asked.

"Mm-hmm, that’s him. It’s said that when Seventh Prince went north five years ago, a rebellion broke out there. Many officials died and the situation seemed hopeless, but he managed somehow to stop it and was highly praised by the emperor who then pardoned all charges against him and allowed him to stay in Northern Frontier for further training. Each year since, he has achieved military successes which made the emperor promote his rank again and again. Last year when a drought hit Northern Frontier, Seventh Prince led people to dig tunnels to bring water to alleviate the disaster, and was promoted three ranks at once by the emperor. It's said that Emperor now has approved him to return to the capital city yet he refused it saying that he prefers guarding our Heavenly Saint Dynasty in the frontier than returning here." Fifth Daughter lowered her voice but couldn't hide her admiration.

"So that’s how it is! Seventh Prince must be truly outstanding!" Fourth Daughter was also impressed and asked, "When did you see him How do you know so much about his story"

Fifth Daughter blushed saying in a low voice, "Five years ago when he left for Northern Frontier."

"Oh, that day you secretly went out to play and nearly got your leg broken by Auntie Fourth upon returning." Fourth Daughter recalled it.

Mm-hmm!

Fourth Sister looked at Fifth Sister, realizing she might be infatuated with the Seventh Prince now. Although she also admired his achievements, she said dubiously, "Even if he has military success and is praised by the emperor, what does it matter His mother’s crime means his clan all suffered punishment too, leaving only himself alone now. Moreover, how can his status surpass that of Crown Prince or Fourth Prince who come from prestigious families taught in Empress Dowager's name"

Fifth Daughter bit her lip and remained silent.

Fourth Sister continued, "Besides, Seventh Prince is too impractical. The Emperor has approved him to return to the capital but he refuses stubbornly saying he prefers staying north forever He’s in such a cold place, isn’t his brain damaged or something Even if he's talented, what future does he have there"

Fifth Sister turned pale at that and didn't speak.

"Fifth Sister, I know your feelings but even if you like him, what good would it do to marry into the north where hardships lie Forget about him. The northern frontier is no place compared with this bustling capital city. Even if Seventh Prince’s brain isn’t right, yours shouldn't be damaged." Fourth Sister lowered her voice and advised gently, "Among us sisters in the manor, I’m closest to you so I speak my mind frankly. If you still cherish him like crazy, I worry that you’ll suffer for it."

"I understand," Fifth Sister nodded sadly, murmuring, "If Seventh Prince would come back..."

"He’d face competition with Crown Prince and Fourth Prince as well as other princes if he returned. There's no good outcome awaiting him. I advise you to forget about it. Besides our Young Master Shi, there’s also Little Prince of the Dyeing Manor, Crown Prince, Fourth Prince, Cloud Manor’s Young Lord, Third Nobleman from Filial Respect王府, Chancellor’s son, and Secretary-General’s son... so many eligible bachelors with good backgrounds to choose from, we’ll find a suitable match for sure. Why fixate on Seventh Prince who has nothing You’re only seeking trouble. If Auntie Fourth finds out about your feelings, she'll be furious." Fourth Sister whispered again.

Fifth Sister’s face turned pale as she looked at her sister, "Second Sister and Third Sister haven’t married yet either. We don't need to rush on marriage matters,"

"You aren’t anxious but your Auntie is!" Fourth Sister reproached her with a nudge.

Fourth Sister smiled as she said: "Let's go, Second Sister didn’t want to go to the Cosmetics Shop or Jade and Green Shop, we can do something else."

Mm-hmm!

The two sisters had just finished their chat when they noticed that their brothers were still standing at the gate staring blankly into the courtyard. Fourth Sister was startled and followed their gaze but saw nothing strange. She asked them, "Second Brother, Third Brother, what are you looking at"

One of the young men was Second Lord’s eldest son Rong Yi; the other was Third Lord's eldest son Rong Zhe. Hearing Fourth Sister’s question, they turned and Rong Yi asked her first: "Is that girl who went in with Young Master Shi really Miss Yun Qianyue from Cloud Manor"

"Yes," Both sisters nodded at once.

“But... but why does she seem different from what people say” Rong Zhe asked.

"Is there a difference I don't see it! Isn't she still herself" said the fourth Miss.

"Mmm, I do feel that Miss Shallow Moon is different from before!" The fifth Miss thought of the woman she had seen earlier and chose her words carefully: "She seems to have become more beautiful."

"Right, that's it!" Rongyi clapped his hands.

"What are you talking about I didn't see where she became beautiful. How can a woman who doesn’t even know a single character be beautiful anywhere Come on, let’s go to the street." The fourth Miss pulled the fifth Miss along and started walking.

"Fourth Sister, it seems that our Eldest Brother is treating this Miss Shallow Moon differently!" said the fifth Miss softly as she was being dragged by her sister.

"What difference" The fourth Miss had fresh rouge and jewelry on her mind at all times.

"Have you ever seen our Eldest Brother treat anyone else like that Even among men, he doesn’t show special favor to many." The fifth Miss looked back but saw nothing. She whispered: "She was just in our Eldest Brother’s carriage! In recent years, which woman has come close to him Forget about sharing a carriage."

The fourth Miss stopped walking and said, "It seems that your Eldest Brother is treating her differently."

The fifth Miss nodded. She thought it was more than just different.

"Hmph, haven’t you heard Our Eldest Brother only took care of her because of Old King Yun’s face. Does she deserve to be treated specially by our Eldest Brother If that were the case, then Qin Yuceng from Prime Minister’s Manor would have been more deserving." The fourth Miss sneered and said: "Forget about her, let's hurry up! We might miss out if we get there late."

The fifth Miss nodded. Although she didn’t agree with what the fourth Miss was saying, she kept quiet.

The two quickly left Rong王府 (Rong Mansion).

Rongyi and Rongzhe exchanged glances and went back into the mansion together without a word, heading towards Purple Bamboo Courtyard where Rongjing stayed.

At this moment, Rongjing and Yun Shallow Moon had already turned around and passed through the front yard of Rong Mansion to reach its rear garden.

Rongjing walked as he usually did—lightly and slowly. Every step was light yet steady; not once did his head turn back towards them. Following behind him, Yun Shallow Moon strolled leisurely while admiring the scenery in Rong Mansion.

The front garden of Rong Mansion looked similar to that of Yun Manor but the rear garden presented a striking contrast: it was unadorned with artificial hills or stone carvings and lacked rare flowers. The layout was simple, exuding tranquility rather than grandeur like Yun Manor. Especially the path Rongjing led her through—beyond this road lay a large, wide lake dividing the front and back gardens. An octagonal pavilion stood on the lake, connected to both sides by a suspension bridge that could barely fit two people walking side by side. On one side of the lake was a dense purple bamboo forest, whose trunks and leaves swayed gracefully in the wind.

Yun Shallow Moon immediately fell for this view and couldn't help but comment: "Purple misty clouds, picturesque scenery."

Rongjing glanced back at her and said, “You still have such taste to appreciate beauty”

Yun Shallow Moon glared at him. "Of course I do!"

"Indeed," Rongjing turned his head around and said warmly: "Just like your horse and the new carriage you rode in just now! That carriage, once it’s on the street, people know who is sitting inside without a signboard."

Yun Shallow Moon's face darkened. Before she could retort, she recalled that Cai Lian was still in her carriage and immediately turned back to look for her but didn’t see anyone around. She stopped walking abruptly: "Hey, my maid and the carriage must have been left on the street."

"If you hadn't remembered them, your maid would have already baked under the sun along with the carriage. Don't worry, I've arranged everything; she's back at Yun Manor." Rongjing said.

"Already" Yun Shallow Moon frowned: "I’ve been here all this time, when did you arrange it"

"When I was dressing you," Rongjing replied calmly without even blushing.

Yun Shallow Moon's face darkened. She couldn’t help but feel angry whenever she thought about how Old King Yun and this black-hearted man might have conspired behind her back, taking advantage of her dislike for Night Tianqiong to threaten him.

The two didn't speak further as they passed the suspension bridge and approached the purple bamboo forest.

Yun Shallow Moon saw a stone ahead with words carved on it: "No Entry Without Permission." The writing was messy but visible due to its size and red color against the high stone. She curled her lips, asking sarcastically: "Why not write ‘Die if you enter illegally’"

"It means the same thing," Rongjing said. “Those who enter without permission will meet their end.”

Yun Shallow Moon rolled her eyes and asked: "Do you really think of yourself as a recluse"

Rongjing suddenly stopped walking, turned around to see Yun Shallow Moon’s eye roll. He raised an eyebrow, smilingly asking: "Why don’t you try it See if you can get in."

"I don't want to die early," Yun Shallow Moon said as she stood still and urged him on: "Lead the way quickly! It's time for lunch; I'm hungry."

Rongjing looked up at the sky, rubbed his forehead, and started walking again. “Indeed, the day is too short. Getting you to read characters from three in the morning was a wise decision.”

"Can you get up at the third watch of the night If you can, I'll also get up; if not, don't ask too much of me." Yun Qianyue harrumphed and stared at Rong Jing's steps. In her past life, she had learned mechanical skills and divine art from a mastermind, but this Purple Bamboo Grove’s array formation was quite extraordinary. Without martial arts now, she naturally didn’t dare to attempt it easily; if not for the loss of her martial arts, she would have definitely tried it out. She could only follow Rong Jing's footsteps.

"I can get up. Therefore, you also need to." Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue harrumphed again and didn't say anything more.

The Purple Bamboo Grove appeared dense from the outside but was actually not very large. Soon after, Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue left the Purple Bamboo Grove. She originally thought that it would just be a small corner somewhere, but with a grove of bamboo in front blocking the view, Rong Jing living here for so long didn’t seem to mind being cramped; unfortunately, she was mistaken. Not only wasn't this a small corner, but instead, there was an open area more than one li wide. And on this open land were various medicinal herbs filling up everywhere. Even before getting close, she could smell the medicinal fragrance.

Yun Qianyue tsked twice, "If someone didn’t know, they would think you sell herbal medicine for a living!"

"Yeah, that’s not far from the truth; most of our family's income comes from these herbs." Rong Jing nodded.

Yun Qianyue fell silent and turned her eyes to look at the courtyard. The main gate of the yard faced directly towards her, allowing her a clear view inside. Even after seeing his sandalwood carriage, eating his Tian Shan snow lotus, and enjoying a platter of steamed fish made with one hundred taels of silver, she still couldn’t help but be stunned now. She gaped for quite some time, staring at Rong Jing with eyes no longer looking at a person but rather at an oddity. After a long while, she uttered words of amazement, "You actually use jade to pave the ground and white jade as fences! Coral as hanging vines, ink jade as tables, agate as stone benches, turquoise for steps, purple quartz curtains... You’re too outrageous!"

Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue with a faint smile, "It's rare that you recognize such treasures!"

Yun Qianyue’s heart twitched; she barely managed to pull her gaze away and sized up Rong Jing. “No one has dared to dig up your courtyard three feet deep You can still sleep soundly” The place he lived in wasn't a mere yard—it was clearly a gold mountain!

"So far, no one dares! I sleep very well." Rong Jing stepped into the courtyard.

Yun Qianyue stared at his back and shook her head after some time. People killing people with envy!

The two entered the courtyard in succession, where the view became even clearer. Yun Qianyue kept muttering praises while criticizing Rong Jing as unhuman.

In the yard, a gardener, a maid, and a young boy were busy with their work when they saw them come in, all made respectful greetings to Rong Jing. Seeing Yun Qianyue rudely scolding his son, who merely smiled lightly without paying any attention, three of them showed expressions of astonishment, looking at each other as if confirming something. They had heard that their young master treated Miss Yun Qianyue from the Yun王府 differently; now they saw it firsthand and knew that she was truly unique. Who would dare to scold him in front of his son Even the emperor gave way three steps to the heir apparent. They all thought this Miss Yun Qianyue, no matter how many times you give them courage, they won’t dare offend her.

Yun Qianyue went on for a while scolding Rong Jing before she turned her eyes onto the only three people in the yard. Their clothes were all very ordinary: an old gardener holding a shovel and pruner, about sixty years old; a maid of sixteen or seventeen years; and a young boy with delicate features around thirteen or fourteen years old. She took careful looks at them, finding their breathing light and shallow, especially the old man’s, who seemed to not even breathe. They all had martial arts skills, some extremely high-level. She looked away in thought that it was no wonder nobody dared lay a hand on this place! Outside there were intricate array formations, one wrong step leading to death without burial ground; inside these three people could fight off hundreds of men. Why should they be afraid This black-hearted fellow wouldn't sleep soundly if he did.

"No justice in the world," Yun Qianyue thought about her past life's hard work and saving money, which couldn’t match the value of this small area here. She was deeply shaken. Then she recalled those twelve Buddha statues hidden in Lingtai Temple with great effort—only worth buying a square foot of ground here The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. To Rong Jing, she said angrily: "Why didn’t you tell me your family had so much money earlier! If you did, I wouldn't have hidden those stupid Buddha statues and come to live in your home long ago. Would I still be exhausted like an old dog over that thing"

Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue with a smile, looking extremely innocent. "I told you my family had lots of money and even asked if you wanted to count it all up; but you said no and kept it as your savings for the coffin. How can you blame me now"

Yun Qianyue choked on that thought, recalling he did indeed say so when he picked her up at Yun王府to go to Lingtai Temple that day, thinking he was just saying they were rich. She never expected him to be this wealthy. After a while of choking back words, she harrumphed: "How could I know you had enough money for ten thousand coffins and still have leftovers!"

"Now knowing isn’t too late; you can count it up if you want." Rong Jing smiled faintly and lowered his voice: "Who would mind having more money If you hadn't taken those twelve golden Buddha statues back then, Ye Tianqiong would have got a good deal. Hiding them was the right thing to do."

"That's true!" Yun Qianyue nodded her head with some relief, remembering that the dozen Buddha statues were still hidden in Lingtai Temple underground. She frowned: "But how to bring them out"

Rong Jing looked at her frowning face without saying anything.

"This matter is on your shoulders; you need to get them out for me." Yun Qianyue felt she could neither lift nor carry things, was new here and powerless. Even if she managed it, hiding them would be impossible—she had no choice but to rely on him.

"Alright!" Rong Jing agreed readily.

“Oh my! I’m starving, let’s eat!” Yun Qianyue didn’t want to waste effort anymore. She walked straight into his room over Rong Jing without the slightest sense of decorum.

The gardener, maid, and boy were all startled by Yun Qianyue's behavior, watching her stride in majestically before turning their heads to look at Rong Jing. Seeing him smiling with a warm expression on his face, they felt as if the long-frozen ice was melting away. Everyone lowered their head, feeling both happy and heartbroken for his change in demeanor. Their respect for Yun Qianyue rose another notch.

"Qingshang, have you finished cleaning the room" Rong Jing asked the maid.

“Yes, Your Excellency; I’ve already tidied it up.” Qingshang nodded.

“Good. Yun Qianyue will stay in the Honor王府these days; take care of her.” He instructed.

"Yes, I’ll definitely take good care of Miss Yun." Qingshang nodded vigorously.

Rong Jing seemed to smile and shook his head: "No need to try too hard. Just treat her like an object in this yard; sweep the place every day, she’s here for reading, not enjoying herself."

Qingshang “Ahh”ed softly, nodding obediently: "Yes!"

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes inside. He was really flattering her—she even felt that the objects in his yard were more valuable than she was; no need for servants.

Rong Jing turned to ask the boy, "Qingquan, have you arranged my study as I instructed

Qingquan immediately nodded, “Your Highness Shizi, everything has been prepared according to your instructions."

Rong Jing nodded. Then he turned toward the old man and said, "Old Medicine Master, her body is extremely weak due to blood and energy deficiency, and she also lost all of her internal strength. I will rely on you for the medicinal cuisine in her meals these days."

The old man immediately chuckled and nodded. "Relax Your Highness Shizi, even if I don’t do anything else, I’ll make sure Miss Qianyue’s and your body condition improves as soon as possible."

"Mm-hmm, naturally I trust you," Rong Jing smiled and no longer spoke much more. He turned around to enter the room.

The three of them looked at each other before quickly throwing down what they were holding in their hands and smiling widely as each went about their business.

Rong Jing pulled back the curtains and entered the house where he saw Yun Qianyue sprawling on his jade bed. He raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "What are you doing Do you want to sleep"

"I’ve never lain on such a high-class bed before; I’ll just try it out," Yun Qianyue felt warm and comfortable under her body. She sighed in contentment.

"Want me to give this bed to you" Rong Jing asked.

"Give it to me" Yun Qianyue suddenly sat up, looking at him doubtfully.

"I’ve been sleeping on this bed since I was seven because of my injuries. Otherwise do you think I could have survived for more than a decade Now that I don’t need it anymore, if you like it, why not give it to you" Rong Jing walked in and sat down slowly. The ten years of suffering from his illness passed by as lightly as clouds in the breeze.

Yun Qianyue touched the jade bed and suddenly remembered that he had slept on this warm bed because he suffered from an extremely cold body after being poisoned with the Cold Toxin Pill to suppress his lust. She pouted, "I don’t want it! All you do is think of yourself; I’m afraid sleeping in it will turn me into someone like you."

She jumped off the bed and sauntered over to a table where she sat down lazily.

"There’s an old saying that goes, ‘near vermilion turns one red, near ink turns one black.’ You’ll be spending every day with me. Even if you don’t sleep in this bed anymore, it won’t change anything," Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue with a meaningful look.

"I’ve only spent these days learning characters from you! Don’t worry; I can resist your influence!" Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and poured herself some tea. She took a sip, then exclaimed, "This is the best Ma尖 (a type of high-quality green tea)! Never expected that there would be Ma尖 in here as well; it’s really my favorite!"

"You never know what will happen," Rong Jing’s clear eyes flashed with an unusual emotion. He raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Ma尖"

"Is it not" Yun Qianyue asked curiously.

"This is a new type of tea that Old Medicine Master discovered at Yúnwù Ridge this year, thinking it was tasty so he picked it. It has yet to be named," Rong Jing met Yun Qianyue’s eyes and explained slowly: "It’s said that the process for picking this tea is extremely complicated; only one tender bud from a single plant can be used, and then it must be protected from light and heat after being picked. Especially if collected early in the morning or after rain, it tastes very fragrant. Old Medicine Master brought it back here to ask me to give it a name. I haven’t yet named it; you’ve just called this Ma尖, which fits its characteristics best."

Great! So this tea was actually given this name by her Yun Qianyue twitched her mouth and did not speak for some time.

Rong Jing observed Yun Qianyue’s expression closely. Seeing that she seemed slightly disappointed, his eyes flickered, glanced at the cup of tea in his hand, and was lost in thought.

"Where is Yúnwù Ridge" Yun Qianyue asked after a moment of silence.

“It’s located on Yúnwù Mountain about 100 miles away,” Rong Jing poured himself a cup of tea and sipped it slowly.

"What is it like Have you been there" Yun Qianyue inquired.

"The mountain rises thousands of feet high, with clouds enveloping the entire year. Valuable herbs grow all over, but wild beasts often appear as well; if one isn’t careful, they may fall off a cliff. Thus, it’s almost uninhabited," Rong Jing explained in his gentle voice.

"Mm-hmm!" Yun Qianyue nodded and looked at the tea leaves in her cup: tightly rolled and green, fragrant and full-bodied. Since it grew in dense fog, this had to be Ma尖 for sure. She stared intently at the tea leaves and water, a layer of mist clouding over her eyes. She loved drinking this tea because of someone. That person also enjoyed this kind of tea; during vacations they both went up to Yúnwù Ridge to collect it themselves. But after that person left on one mission and never returned, she started consuming twice the amount alone, hoping to drink their share as well. Even now in this world where she thought all her old connections had been severed, she found Ma尖 again. Some people were destined to be remembered for a lifetime; even if they died, their souls would still recall them. She sighed softly.

Rong Jing observed Yun Qianyue’s expression carefully and listened to the inaudible sigh. His delicate brows furrowed slightly as he smiled at her questioningly: "What person or matter could cause such melancholy"

She was that obvious Yun Qianyue cleared the mist from her face, returning to her usual self. She slouched onto the table and glanced at Rong Jing with indifference, “Is there anyone or anything in this world that would make me sentimental”

Rong Jing stared deeply into her eyes for a moment but said nothing more.

Yun Qianyue sipped the tea slowly. "Spring Ma尖 is green and bitter first, then sweet. Summer Ma尖 has a rough taste and dark color. After Bai露 (a harvest festival), it’s autumn Ma尖. Your Ma尖 must have been picked in late spring to early summer, so it tastes both bitter, sweet, and astringent."

"Miss Qianyue truly knows about this tea It was exactly one month ago when I picked it," an old voice came from outside, clearly excited as if he had found a long-lost friend. "I have several types of tea that I’ve collected; would Miss Qianyue recognize them"

"Old Medicine Master Bring them in!" Yun Qianyue waved her hand out the window, where she could see the old man’s excited expression. She smiled at him.

“Alright!” The old man went down immediately.

Rong Jing lowered his head to sip tea without objecting; his long lashes covered his eyes as he thought deeply about something.

Yun Qianyue also stopped talking, cupping her tea cup with both hands and gently swaying it. The tea leaves mixed with water circled inside the cup, forming green ripples that looked rather pleasing.

Soon after, Yaolao entered the room carrying several exquisite boxes. He placed them on the table and looked at Yun Qianyue with anticipation in his eyes.

Yun Qianyue put down her tea cup and opened each box one by one. After looking through all of them, she shook her head hard when meeting Yaolao's expectant gaze, "I don't recognize any of these except this type of tea."

Yaolao's hopeful old face immediately fell.

Rong Jing chuckled and lifted his eyelids to look at Yaolao, saying, "Do you really think she knows everything If she did know everything, why would she need to be forced into learning She only recognized this type of tea because she got lucky."

Yaolao nodded. His fallen face immediately brightened and he quickly put away the brocade boxes. He then said to Yun Qianyue, "Miss Yun Qianyue recognizing this kind of tea is already remarkable; most girls don't even recognize it." With that, he left with the boxes.

"Rong Jing! You don't need to speak so crudely. Aren’t you a gentleman How can your mouth spew such words" Yun Qianyue saw Yaolao leave and solemnly reminded Rong Jing. Could she say she recognized those kinds of tea leaves She wouldn't even if she could. They weren't her favorite anyway; she just wanted to see them.

"You’re still the legitimate daughter of the Yun王府! As a lady, aren’t you also quite crude" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

"How can I be like you" Right after Yun Qianyue spoke, she smelled a waft of food aroma and immediately sniffed deeply. "It smells so good; I smell the scent of steamed mandarin fish."

"Did you also smell the scent of money" Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianyue with a smile and said leisurely, "Last night, Grandpa Yun sent me some silver coins for your meals. When I saw how much it was, I made this steamed mandarin fish for you. I hope it will last several days. If not enough, Grandpa Yun said to get more from him when needed. I agreed."

"You…" Yun Qianyue opened her eyes wide and pointed at Rong Jing; she couldn’t say anything for a long time.

At this moment, Qing Shang’s voice came from outside, "Young Master, lunch is ready!"

"Alright, bring it in," instructed Rong Jing.

Qing Shang brought the lunch in, and indeed the first dish was steamed mandarin fish. As soon as Yun Qianyue saw the steamed mandarin fish, she instantly forgot everything else. That old man could give that heartless fellow some money if he wanted to; it wasn’t hers anyway. In any case, Yun Wangfu’s legacy would never fall into her hands. If anyone was to feel sorry for this, then it should be Yun Muhuan. With this thought in mind, she immediately ate the fish happily.

Rong Jing looked at her with a smile and picked up his chopsticks.

The two of them stopped talking; only the aroma of food lingered in the room.

After lunch, Yun Qianyue threw herself onto Rong Jing’s soft couch and lay there sprawling, feeling so sleepy after eating to her heart's content. Before she could close her eyes, she heard Rong Jing instruct outside, "Bingquan, take Miss Yun Qianyue to my study!"

"Yes, Young Master!" The boy named Bingquan immediately answered.

"No, I want to sleep," Yun Qianyue shook her head at Rong Jing.

"Do you still want to eat steamed mandarin fish tomorrow If not, then just go to bed," said Rong Jing looking at her.

She had already eaten today; she could skip it tomorrow. Yun Qianyue shook her head and replied, "No!"

"By 'tomorrow', I mean the future. This steamed mandarin fish is only made by one person in this world. Are you sure you want to sleep instead of going to my study" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

Lying on the soft couch, Yun Qianyue was conflicted and sat up after a while. She said with bad humor, "Not eating it won’t kill me. You make me sound so greedy that I can't live without this steamed mandarin fish!"

"Even if you’re not greedy, such delicious food isn’t something anyone can eat whenever they want," Rong Jing looked at her with a half-smile and tapped the table gently with his jade-like hand, making soft sounds accompanying his gentle voice, "Think about it; life is so long. Not eating tomorrow won't be an issue, neither will not eating the day after that, but would it be a pity to never have steamed mandarin fish again in your lifetime" Seeing Yun Qianyue still hadn’t moved, he instructed outside, "Alright, you can do other things now! Don’t bring her to my study as she doesn't want to."

"Who said I don't want to go" Yun Qianyue got up and walked out. After a couple of steps, she turned back looking at Rong Jing, "Didn't you say that you'd teach me So why are you not going with me to the study"

"You can go first; I need to visit my grandfather's study," replied Rong Jing.

Yun Qianyue stopped talking and walked out of the room.

Qingquan saw Yun Qianyue come out and bowed deeply, then led her towards Rong Jing’s study.

Rong Jing looked through the window at Yun Qianyue walking behind Qingquan with a smile. He then turned his gaze to the tea she had drunk earlier, looking at it intently for some time before turning indifferent; no emotions were visible on his beautiful face.

Thank you guys for holding our votes steady; I feel they are still a bit shaky in this stormy climate. If there are any of you who still have votes, please send them over so that I can see the numbers and be inspired to write!

Thanks to the following for sending diamonds and flowers!d the old emperor with visible anger: "Since you’re here, go in and look at her. Your auntie is waiting for you!"Yun Qianyue nodded and took a couple of steps forward, shouting softly inside, “Auntie,...