Chapter 17

Tao Sheng took a step back, collecting herself, noticing not only Ji Yanming but also an unfamiliar young man.

The young man’s eyes lit up when he saw Tao Sheng: “Brother, you never told me you had such a beautiful sister hidden away!”

Ji Yanming calmly said, “This is my sister.”

The young man smiled at Tao Sheng. “If she’s Brother Ji’s sister, she’s my sister too. My name is Yin Tong, and I’m the same age as your brother. We’re childhood friends. Brother Ji drank with my second brother, and he got a bit drunk. My second brother asked me to bring him home. Your brother can really hold his liquor, though. He’s younger than my brother by four or five years, but he was still standing while my brother was crying in the room. Isn’t that impressive?”

“Really?” Tao Sheng replied. “I always thought my cousin was just a good student, but I didn’t expect him to be a good drinker too.”

The original story rarely mentions Ji Yanming drinking. When officials invited him to dinner, he usually sat at the head table, not smiling or raising his glass much. Tao Sheng had assumed it was because he wasn’t much of a drinker, but Yin Tong’s words suggested otherwise.

Ji Yanming saw the surprise in Tao Sheng’s eyes. Her expression was so captivating that Yin Tong was stunned. Ji Yanming frowned and said, “Yin Tong, stop talking.”

Curious, Tao Sheng asked, “Why were my brother and your brother drinking during the day?”

Yin Tong looked frustrated. “I just got out of school and saw them drinking. I overheard that it had something to do with their fellow student, Senior Brother Su, being imprisoned.”

Because Prime Minister Ji Yanming is so popular, the author wrote a special chapter about his past. It described this incident in detail.

While studying abroad, Ji Yanming was a student of Mr. He, who later became a government official.

Two years later, their Senior Brother Su passed the imperial exam and was placed in the same department as Mr. He.

However, when factions formed in the department, Mr. He betrayed Senior Brother Su to protect himself. He even bribed the chief judge to have Senior Brother Su executed.

Ji Yanming and Tao Sheng are the same age, but Ji Yanming, born earlier in the year, is only 15 now.

The betrayal of a classmate by a mentor was shocking for anyone. Though Ji Yanming would become a powerful official, controlling the winds of politics, he couldn’t help but feel saddened by this and sought someone to talk to, leading him to drink with Yin Tong.

Ji Yanming stood straight, but Tao Sheng could see from his unfocused eyes and tight jaw that he was drunk but trying to hide it.

There was no need for them to keep standing in the cold, so Tao Sheng turned to Yin Tong and asked, “Mr. Yin, would you like to come inside and sit down?”

Yin Tong waved his hands repeatedly and said, “No need, I just sent Brother Ji back. The teacher assigned homework, and I have to go back to review it now. I’ll go back first.”

Tao Sheng saw him out, and when she came back, she found Ji Yanming still standing there. His posture and expression hadn’t changed; he looked as calm as could be.

Tao Sheng sighed. She had been in the art circle before and had seen many people get drunk, even taking care of many seniors who were drunk. However, Ji Yanming was the first one trying to prove he wasn’t drunk by staying calm after drinking.

Tao Sheng walked up to Ji Yanming and said, “It’s windy outside, cousin. Please go inside and rest.”

He took a long time to respond, then gently nodded, “I can walk by myself; you don’t need to help me.”

Tao Sheng smiled, “Okay, you go by yourself.”

She followed Ji Yanming back to the study and saw everything was fine after he sat down. He even found a book and started reading it.

Feeling relieved, Tao Sheng said, “I’ll go to the kitchen to make you some hangover soup. Cousin, please wait here for a while.”

Tao Sheng went to the kitchen to ask Mrs. Liu to make sobering soup for Ji Yanming. When she returned with the soup, she found Ji Yanming had fallen asleep at the table, a book in his hand.

Tao Sheng walked over and saw the veins bulging on his clenched right fist, his handsome brows furrowed tightly—clearly, he wasn’t sleeping well.

In this era, a teacher was seen as a lifelong father figure. Mr. He’s actions were like a collapse of faith for his students. A former classmate, once full of joy, had lost his life, framed by the teacher. For a 15-year-old like Ji Yanming, this must have been a heavy burden.

Tao Sheng remembered Mr. Wei, her old music teacher, who had trouble sleeping after leaving Beijing. She once composed a piece called “Dream Song” to help him relax and sleep better. Now, it seemed perfect for Ji Yanming.

This piece was originally used as background music for night scenes in a large ancient-style game she worked on. Compared to typical calming songs, it had a more mysterious, ethereal feel. Tao Sheng had been under stress at the time from exams and job hunting, but after traveling back in time, she revised it to create today’s final melody.

She played the piece for more than an hour, only stopping when Ji Yanming’s expression relaxed and his furrowed brows smoothed out.

Whether in real life or in stories, Ji Yanming’s early life had been difficult. As she looked at this boy, only fifteen now, Tao Sheng hoped his dreams would be free of stress and filled with peace.

_

When Ji Yanming woke up, it was already bright outside.

After learning about Senior Brother Su’s misfortune yesterday, he and Yin Tong drank a lot. Eventually, Yin Tong brought him back home.

He remembered Tao Sheng had gone to make him hangover soup, then came back and played the zither for him. The sound of her playing was ethereal and beautiful.

He had fallen asleep on the table for a long time, making one side of his body go numb.

As Ji Yanming gently moved his stiff arms, he noticed something on the table—a pearl hairpin belonging to Tao Sheng.

He had a sharp memory, even while a bit drunk. He recognized the pearl hairpin that Tao Sheng had worn on her right temple as decoration.

Though the hairpin wasn’t made of expensive materials, the silver chain stringing the tassels was finely crafted, and the Ruyi Begonia pattern was vivid. The pearls, although ordinary, were round and delicate.
Tao Sheng must have removed it while playing the zither to avoid disturbing the rhythm, but she had forgotten to take it with her.