A cup of tea later.

Suddenly, a shadow appeared.

A figure dressed in black emerged from the dungeon.

Dressed for the night, the figure moved swiftly to the palace gates, paused for a moment, and gestured toward the people inside.

A maidservant pretending to pass by happened to notice the gesture and nodded in acknowledgment.

The two then split into separate paths. The figure in black disappeared into the night outside the palace, while the maidservant hurried toward the inner palace, returning to the Jingxiu Palace of Empress Jiahe.

Inside the palace, only two people remained after the serving maids had been dismissed. The Empress and the Fourth Prince sat together, the Empress nervously rubbing her jade ring.

The old momo swiftly entered, leaning close to the Empress’s ear, whispering. “The matter has been handled. Your Majesty need not worry.”

Having served the Empress for many years, Ji momo was one of her most trusted confidantes, and the Empress had absolute faith in her.

She exhaled slowly, though her brow remained deeply furrowed.

The Fourth Prince, observing the Empress’s demeanor, asked. “Aunt, is there something else that concerns you?”

Empress Jiahe pressed her fingers to her forehead, her tone irritable. “I find this matter suspicious. How is it that Wang Zhou’s crimes were suddenly uncovered?”

The local authorities in Ye City, from the county magistrate to the constables had all been well-paid and carefully arranged by her.

These officials had taken her money, so even if they received Rong Ting’s accusations, they should have suppressed them, not acted on them.

Rong Ting had no power, he could barely afford medical care, let alone bribe people. With such arrangements, everything should have been foolproof, yet there was still an oversight.

Unless someone was secretly helping Rong Ting…

The Fourth Prince’s thoughts aligned with hers. “Aunt, do you think someone is aiding him?”

Empress Jiahe gave a slight nod before suddenly raising her head, her eyes cold and venomous as she turned her gaze to Ji momo.

Ji momo understood immediately, her eyes sharpening like a seasoned hawk as she swiftly responded. “Your Majesty, don’t worry. I’ll have someone investigate right away!”

…

The next day.

Before the trial of Wang Zhou, news arrived that he had committed suicide in the night, driven by guilt.

…

As the lights of the city began to glow.

Ye City was especially lively that night.

On the bustling Peach Creek Road in the business district, the number of small vendors was several times greater than on ordinary days. The night market shimmered with lights casting a hazy golden glow over the new buds of the willows which still bore traces of the unmelted snow but had already sprouted fresh green leaves.

During the festive season, Fourth Master Jiang who rarely indulged had rented an entire painted boat today for the occasion. However, he couldn’t find Jiang Rao anywhere. So, he asked Madam Jiang Qin. “Where is Nian Nian?”

Madam Jiang Qin knew exactly where she was and smiled, saying. “She’s been cooped up at home all winter. She’s practically turned into a mushroom. It’s rare for her to get a chance to celebrate the holiday let her go out and have some fun. She’s got her maid and Jiang Ping with her, so don’t worry.”

Fourth Master Jiang’s expression remained dark.

Madam Jiang Qin: “Are you still upset about what happened today?”

“I’m not upset.” Fourth Master Jiang countered. “It’s just… I feel uncomfortable inside.”

Earlier that morning, not long after Nian Nian left the house, a guest arrived at the manor. It was a wealthy family from Ye City, the Yang family, with relatives holding second-rank official positions in Jinling. They were a prestigious and well-known family. Fourth Master Jiang had expected this visit to be a casual, holiday-related social call but unexpectedly, as the conversation went on, this man had started bringing up his Nian Nian.

The conversation had also included mention of his legitimate son, who would turn twenty in two years.

The words hinted at a desire for the two children to become acquainted and possibly form a marriage alliance between the two families.

Fourth Master Jiang declined citing his daughter’s young age and after sending the guest off, his mood remained dark for the rest of the day.

He was utterly distressed.

With furrowed brows, Fourth Master Jiang said even though he claimed not to be angry, his expression clearly showed his irritation. “Don’t they have daughters in their family? Don’t they know how abrupt it is to suggest marrying someone else’s daughter on the first visit?”

Madam Jiang Qin shared the same opinion, as she didn’t think much of the Yang family’s patriarch who came today. He only had a relative serving as a second-rank official in the capital and a modest amount of wealth yet he carried himself with an air of self-importance. However, his meager family fortune was insignificant compared to the prestigious Jiang family and her own noble lineage.

Moreover, Old Master Yang was quite unremarkable in appearance, and if his son inherited his looks, it would be even less impressive.

However, Madam Jiang Qin didn’t react as strongly as her husband. She had, after all, been courted by suitors while still in her early teens. “If that Old Master Yang isn’t simply rushing things, and if he’d taken the time to become acquainted with you first, then perhaps you would have thought him flattering, rather than assuming he was just trying to take advantage of your daughter. If that’s the case, you’d be ready to spit out a mouthful of blood.”

Fourth Master Jiang fell silent.

He felt that his wife’s words were spot on.

“I understand.” Madam Jiang Qin said softly. “No matter how you look at it, anyone who wants to marry Nian Nian will make you unhappy.” She spoke calmly, adding, “Nian Nian can’t stay with you forever, or she’ll become an old maid, and that will make you anxious as well. I think the young man from the west side of the city is truly a good match. If we were to invite him to marry into our family, wouldn’t that align perfectly with your desire not to marry off Nian Nian?”

Fourth Master Jiang hesitated for a moment. “But his leg…”

“His leg can still heal, it’s not hopeless.” Madam Jiang Qin reassured him.

“Still, it’s not right.” Fourth Master Jiang frowned. “Even if we’re considering a marriage by adoption, we need to take a good look. I haven’t even met that boy from the west side of the city. Besides, I’ve heard he’s an orphan with an unclear background. If we don’t investigate carefully, what if bringing him into the family brings trouble?”

Although Madam Jiang Qin was fond of appearances, she agreed with her husband’s cautious approach. “Send more people to investigate, if their family background is clean and respectable, we can discuss it further. Besides, when it comes to marriage arrangement, we also need to see if their family is willing.”

….

Jiang Rao stopped in front of a small stall and bought two masks.

Behind her, the street of Taoxi Road stretched wide and straight bustling with pedestrians. The sounds of silk and bamboo music from the tall buildings on either side mixed with the laughter and chatter from the street, creating a lively atmosphere.

Sitting in a wheelchair, Rong Ting waited on the stone-paved path watching Jiang Rao happily hold a few masks in her hands—green, red, black, of all colors. She turned to him, asking. “Which one would you like to wear?”

All the children along the street wore scary demon masks. Jiang Rao thought for a moment and figured that perhaps Rong Ting had never worn one before, so she decided to buy them and let him try.

Though she wouldn’t be able to see his handsome face with the mask on, she thought it was okay since this was a fun outing for him, and his happiness mattered most.

Rong Ting, however, appeared indifferent. “Anything like yours will do.”

Jiang Rao chose one green and one red, both demon masks with sharp tusks. She gave him the red one and wore the green one herself.

After putting hers on, she looked at him and asked. “Why aren’t you wearing your mask?”

Rong Ting glanced up and replied. “I have too many things in my hands, I can’t free a hand.”

Jiang Rao: “…”

They arrived at Taoxi Road an hour ago and came across a street vendor selling rare toys and trinkets which made Jiang Rao want to buy them all.

Having grown up without worrying about food or clothing, with more than enough money to last for generations, she didn’t tend to spend extravagantly, but when she saw something she liked, she didn’t hesitate to indulge herself.

At the time, she didn’t think much of it but after buying one item after another, she found herself with quite a collection. All of them were now piled up in his arms.

Jiang Rao felt a pang of guilt. She didn’t even remember when these items ended up in his arms. He was in such a frail state, yet he still had to carry so many things she bought.

It felt like she wasn’t accompanying him on this holiday, but rather, he was accompanying her on a shopping trip.

Guilty, she wanted to take the things from his arms and hold them herself. But then she heard his calm voice, his tone gentle, saying. “I can manage.”

“What about the masks…?”

Rong Ting glanced at her.

Jiang Rao seemed to understand his meaning. She extended her hand to pick up the mask, asking tentatively. “Do you want me to help you put it on?”

Her tone was uncertain as if she wasn’t quite sure.

Rong Ting noticed that same timid, rabbit-like look in her eyes.

He nodded, but the hesitation in her gaze didn’t fully dissipate. It was as if she were afraid… afraid of getting too close to him.

A slight flicker of displeasure and confusion crossed his eyes, but it was quickly masked by the red demon mask he was wearing.

Jiang Rao carefully tied the strings of the mask behind his head. The mask pressed gently against his cheek, leaving just enough of his jawline visible, hinting at the beauty of the face hidden beneath.

Her close proximity to him made the distance between them feel even smaller. Their breaths barely separated, only the two layers of masks between them.

Rong Ting’s cheek grew a little warm, yet he continued to watch her wondering why she seemed… afraid of him.

Once she adjusted the mask, she quickly withdrew her hands, saying softly. “There, done.”

Rong Ting watched as her fingers swiftly pulled away.

She was indeed afraid of him.

Jiang Rao twirled her fingers nervously.

When she had placed the mask on him just now, her fingers had tensed, stiff and awkward, almost mechanical.

It was because in her dreams, she had been his maid for so long, she knew his habits.

In those dreams, he only allowed her to serve him closely—dressing him, bathing him—only her. But she was never permitted to touch his body and every time she accidentally brushed against him, she was met with a cold, terrifying look as if he wanted to chop off her fingers…

Just thinking about it made Jiang Rao curl her fingers slightly.

Although she couldn’t see his expression beneath the mask, she felt relieved. She hadn’t touched his cheek at all, and while it might not have pleased him, at least it wouldn’t have angered him either.

As she relaxed, she noticed the things she had bought now resting in his lap. A wave of guilt washed over her, and she said. “Ming Shao and Jiang Ping must have already bought the Kongming lanterns. Let’s go to the Zhuque Bridge and join them to release the lanterns.”

When they reached the Zhuque Bridge, they could already see the Kongming lanterns dotting the night sky from a distance, their lights like golden sparks blooming in the dark, incredibly radiant.

Jiang Rao let out a soft “Wow,” pushing Rong Ting’s wheelchair toward the bridge.

The bridge surface wasn’t flat; there was a slope, and Jiang Rao found it much harder to push the wheelchair. Her breathing became faster, she had to remove the mask to wipe the sweat from her brow before continuing to push upwards.

Rong Ting remained silent but quietly withdrew his hand from under the pile of small toys in his lap, discreetly helping by pushing the wheels of his wheelchair.

Just as Jiang Rao felt the wheelchair become noticeably lighter, a voice suddenly interjected beside her, and a pair of hands rested on the wheelchair. “Miss, do you need help?”

Jiang Rao turned to look.

A young man, dressed in fine clothes and looking elegant, smiled at her. “My name is Yang Tao, courtesy name Xiuzhu. Today, my father just had a meeting with your father.”

He smiled gently. “My father came to your residence today and, rather abruptly, mentioned the matter of our marriage. I apologize for his forwardness.”

Jiang Rao was taken aback.

Rong Ting’s expression quickly darkened.                   

=^_^=