Chapter 59: The Intruder in the Bathtub

Xiangyu Restaurant, second floor private room.

Liu Changning sat by the window, with the Jia siblings seated on either side of her.

Exquisite dishes were placed on the dining table.

During the meal, the three ate in silence, making it particularly quiet for a time.

Even though Young Master Jia had other thoughts in mind, at this moment, he kept his usually chattering mouth shut.

By the time they finished lunch, it was already around 3-5 PM.

A waitress was called into the private room to clear away the leftover dishes from the table.

Jia Ziyun turned her head and sighed at her brother, who was staring longingly at Liu Changning beside her.

Pointing at the silk shop outside the window, she said gently, “Young Master, didn’t you really like the cicada-wing gauze in the color of ‘sky after rain’ from that silk shop in the west of the city some time ago? I heard the silk shop recently got a new batch of satin, even softer than the cicada-wing shirts. Would you like sister to have Axing accompany you to take a look?”

Though it was phrased as a question, her tone left no room for refusal.

Young Master Jia’s lively eyes rolled, and he pouted before obediently nodding his head.

He wasn’t a unreasonable young master. His father had taught him that it was fine for men to throw small tantrums from time to time, but they shouldn’t make unreasonable demands.

Knowing the proper limits was the foundation for a young master to establish himself in life.

This was also why everyone doted on him. Even his senior sister, who had such a distaste for men, still gave him some leeway.

Because he was well-mannered and knew his limits.

Young Master Jia, with a hint of a smile in the corner of his eye, glanced at the woman by the distant window. Seeing her unmoved, he turned away dejectedly.

“Wait!” The white-clad woman sitting by the window suddenly spoke up. Her slender finger, as white as a spring onion, pointed at the [mask] on the table.

She turned to Jia Ziyun and reprimanded, “Your brother is still young and doesn’t know better. But why are you so careless? The eyes of noble families are all over Jinling City. It’s bad enough that you recklessly brought your brother out of the mansion today, but what if he forgets to bring his [mask] and is seen by someone in Jinling City? What then?”

Her voice was extremely cold, but also contained three parts of concern.

Young Master Jia had a pure and kind nature, and was physically weak since childhood. The entire Jia family doted on him. He was unfamiliar with the treachery of human hearts.

Three years ago, he was supposed to have died in that big fire. Master Jia’s allowing him to enter the capital was already a risk. If he wasn’t careful and cautious himself, and was recognized by someone, it would be a huge problem.

Back then, Pei Yuanshao had paid a great price and lost many people to rescue him… If something were to happen to him again!

Jia Ziyun lowered her head with an embarrassed look, glaring fiercely at her brother not far away.

She picked up the cicada-wing-light [mask] from the table and quickly handed it to him, scolding, “You little monkey, if it weren’t for your senior sister’s reminder, you would have dragged your sister into big trouble with you this time.”

Young Master Jia’s eyes sparkled. Peeking over his sister’s shoulder at the white-clad woman by the window, he stuck out his tongue and said, “Thank you for your concern, senior sister. Young Master will remember and be careful!”

After speaking, he put the mask on his face. His originally handsome and lively face instantly changed to an ordinary appearance.

Pulling up his veil, he left, looking back two or three times. Seeing that the woman by the window was no longer looking at him, he finally pushed open the door and left.

Jia Ziyun watched her brother walk out of the restaurant, a look of helplessness appearing on her face. For the sake of the Jia family, Young Master had been sent to the palace back then. Who would have thought it would tarnish his reputation for life? That’s why everyone in the Jia household indulged him… because her brother could never live openly and honestly in this life!

Jia Ziyun suppressed the helplessness in her heart and sat back down by the window. She picked up the celadon teapot on the table and poured a shallow cup of Maojian tea.

Smiling, she said, “Tomorrow is the day the results are posted. Who does Changning think will be the top scholar?”

Liu Changning’s hand paused as she was lifting her teacup: “Liu Cangyun… there should be no doubt!”

“My dear sister is so confident? If someone with ulterior motives heard this, they would surely accuse you of being conceited!” Jia Ziyun’s smile deepened as she teased.

“It’s not confidence. The noble families of Jinling City have been exceptionally cordial to me recently. Why do you think I’ve been hiding in Nanhua Temple and refusing to go out?” Liu Changning said slowly after taking a sip of tea.

Jia Ziyun thought of the scenes in recent days of groups of noble ladies and gentlemen in the capital begging her to pass on invitation cards to Liu Changning.

A look of understanding flashed in her eyes. She laughed to herself for a while, then said lightly, “The Dingyuan Marquis’s mansion has really fallen, Changning!”

Liu Changning put down her teacup and exchanged a glance with her good friend, immediately understanding what she meant. A very subtle smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she said meaningfully, “Ziyun, how about you take a position in the Ministry of Revenue? With the Zhou family’s downfall, the position of Minister of Revenue is now vacant. Among the Three Dukes and Six Marquises, only Marquis Yu has no real power now. She will certainly try her best to secure the vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue for herself. You know well the character of Marquis Yu. A good-for-nothing who can’t make decisions. If you go to the Ministry of Revenue and start as an assistant minister, you should be able to climb up quite quickly.”

Jia Ziyun looked at her in surprise and praised, “Mother’s letter yesterday said exactly the same as what you cunning one are saying now. No wonder you took out so many case files from the Ministry of Revenue for me to analyze before… Wait, that’s not right!”

She looked at the steaming tea and suddenly realized something as she was speaking. Her eyes widened abruptly as she asked, “The Ministry of Revenue! The Ministry of Revenue! Cangyun, don’t tell me you had your eye on this fat piece of meat in the Ministry of Revenue from the very beginning? Was the Dingyuan Marquis’s mansion in your calculations from the start? I never expected this. I thought you were an otherworldly person who wouldn’t know how to adapt to officialdom, but I didn’t expect you to be so well-versed in the ways of officialdom. You’re getting worse and worse!”

Liu Changning smiled without speaking. She liked people of pure and kind thoughts, not because she herself had pure and kind thoughts, but precisely because she didn’t, so she appreciated them in others.