Chapter 14

As the winter chill set in, Ning Qingxi became increasingly adept at the game. By the end, she was covered in sweat, and even as the sun set, she was still reluctant to stop playing.

Huo Yanci handed her the water bag and laughed, "What? Miss Ning is having a blast?"

Ning Qingxi hadn't drunk any water all afternoon and was quite thirsty. She took a big gulp and said, "Yeah, now I know why you guys love coming here to play."

Exercise is the easiest way to vent emotions, but Ning Qingxi considers herself not a diligent person. She usually struggles to walk even a few extra steps, so spending an afternoon playing is a rare occurrence for her.

The price of suddenly exercising after a long period of inactivity was that Ning Qingxi's whole body ached when she got up the next day, as if she had been beaten up.

She rubbed her arm and wandered into the courtyard. Ning Qingyuan and Ning Qingshan had already gone to study with their teacher, and she was feeling rather bored by herself. Just then, she saw Zhang Fuhu and, on a whim, decided to go and have some fun with him.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Zhang, to run into you here," Ning Qingxi said with a smile. "How have you been lately?"

Zhang Fuhu: "...Get to the point."

Ning Qingxi immediately became serious and said, "Here's the thing, I've found a courtyard I like, but I'm not sure about the price. I need your advice."

Zhang Fuhu was an expert at spending money. He knew exactly how much each courtyard in the capital was worth. Now that he had finally found someone knowledgeable, he immediately patted his chest and guaranteed, "Don't worry, I'll definitely arrange everything perfectly for you. Just tell me where that courtyard is located."

Ning Qingxi pondered for a long time before realizing with a start that she hadn't remembered the place!

After racking my brains for a long time, I finally remembered: "On the street opposite Zhu's Noodle Shop."

Zhang Fuhu: "...You're new here, so you probably don't know that there are at least eight hundred or a thousand Zhu family noodle shops here. You need to be more specific."

Ning Qingxi pondered for a long time before asking, "Do you know where Huo Yanci lives?"

She spoke without thinking, nearly scaring Zhang Fuhu half to death: "My goodness! How dare you just say these people's names like that?"

Ning Qingxi clicked her tongue impatiently.

Zhang Fuhu immediately got back to the point: "I know, the land near his house is all top-notch, it's incredibly valuable."

Ning Qingxi said, "This house isn't far from his place. Just turn left and walk about a mile to the main street. It's a courtyard, and he wants 50 taels of silver. Do you think I should buy it?"

Zhang Fuhu immediately exclaimed, "Such a good thing is possible?"

All morning, Ning Qingxi listened to Zhang Fuhu's spiel, which could be summed up in one sentence—she had struck gold!

Looking across the entire capital, basically every place that could be built has been built. Although the layout of the capital is orderly, in some deserted alleys, all sorts of buildings have been constructed in a chaotic manner. Although seven people would fight if they went into a house, the good location made the prices rise accordingly.

The house Ning Qingxi mentioned was in an unparalleled location—it was simply expensive!

But forget about demolition and relocation, and it's not suitable for doing business. It can only be used for living, but even so, she still made a fortune.

Zhang Fuhu repeatedly urged Ning Qingxi to make a connection with him if he didn't want the house, since the good stuff shouldn't go to outsiders.

Ning Qingxi waved her hand and started thinking again. After thinking for a long time, she made a decision and went to the Prince Jing's mansion to find Huo Yanci after lunch in the afternoon.

There were guards at the entrance, and they wouldn't even open the side gates. Ning Qingxi sent someone in to call Huo Yanci out and said, "That courtyard house you introduced to me, it hasn't been sold yet, has it?"

Huo Yanci had lived a long life and seen all sorts of situations. But this was the only one who asked for his help and acted so self-righteously. It was truly an eye-opener for him, and he was so angry that he laughed: "Ning Qingxi, you've been yelling at me for so long, but you haven't brought me a single fruit. You came empty-handed?"

"Fruit is so expensive now," Ning Qingxi said without batting an eye, painting a rosy picture for him. "When I have money tomorrow, I'll give you a bag of good tea."

"Okay, what did you just say? You want that courtyard?"

Ning Qingxi nodded repeatedly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him: "Are you still there?"

Huo Yanci pulled her cloak tighter, didn't answer her, and only said, "It's cold outside, let's go inside and talk."

This time, Huo Yanci didn't lead her to the back; instead, she went into the reception room and had tea served.

Ning Qingxi took a sip without hesitation and commented, "Hmm, good tea."

“The land deeds and house deeds for that courtyard are all here with me. If you really want them, let’s go to the government office together tomorrow to register them.” Huo Yanci took a sip of tea, looked up and saw that Ning Qingxi’s cup was empty. She paused for a moment, then said honestly, “You drink tea too fast, you can’t taste the flavor.”

Ning Qingxi humbly asked, "Then how should it be drunk? Should it be with some snacks?"

Huo Yanci: "..."

This really stumped him.

From childhood to adulthood, he was taught everything by a dedicated person. For example, he was taught not to talk while eating or sleeping. His etiquette was so perfect that even a ruler couldn't find any fault with him.

But if you ask him what he should do, he really doesn't know. To him, this is as natural as a person using chopsticks to eat.

While he hesitated, Ning Qingxi had already drunk another cup, staring at him as she drank: "If you really can't remember, let's not make things difficult for ourselves."

Huo Yanci readily accepted the advice and stopped making things difficult for herself.

Having finalized the house arrangements, Huo Yanci asked, "Has the start date for the garden been set?"

“No, I reckon it will have to be after spring. Starting construction now would be inefficient and costly, not worthwhile,” Ning Qingxi said. “Besides, it won’t make a difference if we start construction soon. Even if we do start construction, I won’t need to do anything in the early stages. We just need to clear out that piece of land first.”

The area is overgrown with weeds, so construction can't start right away.

Huo Yanci nodded, her index finger unconsciously circling the rim of the cup: "Speaking of which, what do you think about me going with you to supervise the construction? Zhang Fuhu is a rough man and hasn't considered it, but you have to think about your own safety."

Ning Qingxi nodded: "If I said I agreed to let you come with me, wouldn't that make me seem like I have a lot of influence? Who am I to be able to get you to come?"

Ning Qingxi's tone, half serious and half teasing, made Huo Yanci feel uncomfortable all over. He clicked his tongue and said, "I know you have a lot of face. You've done this several times before. Why are you suddenly so thin-skinned now?"

Ning Qingxi smiled but remained silent, lowering her head to drink her tea.

"On another note..." Huo Yanci tapped the table lightly with her knuckles, "What you said yesterday, I've already found someone to draw up the design according to your wishes. As for the payment... I'm broke, I'll settle the debt with something else."

I'm so poor...

Ning Qingxi felt that this person was making fun of her, but she was really curious about what it was. She was caught up in Huo Yanci's curiosity and craned her neck to look. She saw Huo Yanci take out a small wooden box from his sleeve pocket. It looked exquisite.

Huo Yanci deliberately kept her in suspense, then reached out and handed her the box. Ning Qingxi looked at him suspiciously for a long time before walking over and looking at it herself.

The wooden box was exquisitely crafted, with a groove inside the top edge that perfectly held the lid in place. It opened with a simple slide, and Ning Qingxi saw a light green hairpin—the very same lily hairpin.

Ning Qingxi was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and said, "You still kept it?"

"Of course, how about that, is that sincere enough?" Huo Yanci reached out and took out the hairpin. "Shall I put it on you?"

Ning Qingxi nodded.

To be fair, this hairpin is obviously a fine piece, and logically it should be paired with other nice items. However, looking at Ning Qingxi, her entire outfit is not as expensive as this hairpin, making her look somewhat top-heavy.

After putting it on, she hurried to find a mirror. She didn't notice a strand of hair slipping from her fingertips. Huo Yanci's eyes darkened as she muttered to herself, "Ugh, it's all your fault. I didn't want to buy clothes, but this outfit really doesn't match this hairpin. To match it, I have to buy another outfit, and to match that, I'll have to buy a pair of shoes. After buying all these things, I'll be broke."

Huo Yanci withdrew her hand and leisurely sipped her tea: "Buy if you want, don't make excuses to blame me."

Ning Qingxi wasn't annoyed when she failed to shift the blame; she just chuckled and admired herself in the mirror.

A few days later, rumors spread like wildfire throughout the capital.

It is said that there was a young lady in the capital who was learned and talented, and attracted countless infatuated men. Among them, the most talented and beautiful was Prince Jing, Huo Yanci. Talented men and beautiful women have always been a beautiful story. The story had only just begun when various versions appeared out of nowhere.

They even wrote out sketchbooks and plays, and the token of their love was a hairpin.

Ning Qingxi was completely unaware of this—she had never known where to see these things before—she only knew that in the past few days, everyone in the Zhang family courtyard had been looking at her strangely, and even when she went to the government office to register the transfer of the house, it was particularly odd.

She learned about this when Huo Yanci invited her to tea after she had completed the registration.

Many people in the capital have leisure and refined tastes, enjoying eating and drinking while listening to music. Even teahouses have storytellers. The story I'm telling today is a recent romantic tale.

Ning Qingxi was completely unaware, sipping her tea while glancing sideways at Huo Yanci. Even if she was slow to notice, she knew that the name "Prince Jing" mentioned in the tea was Huo Yanci.

The storyteller said, "Originally, there were only a few noble ladies in the capital. The noble ladies and gentlemen looked at each other again and again, and it was all boring. Just then, a woman suddenly appeared. This woman was exceptionally talented and had outstanding literary skills. She was an unstoppable force from the very beginning..."

The storyteller and the narrator on stage were engrossed in their narration.

Huo Yanci, who was being ridiculed in the audience, didn't react much. She even remembered to throw the peanut skins she had rubbed into the plate.

Ning Qingxi suddenly felt bored and listened half-heartedly, but the more she listened, the more she felt something was wrong.

The man mentioned the Lantern Festival, and how Huo Yanci bought lanterns to give to her beloved.

Ning Qingxi pondered for a long time, carefully recalling the events.

That day, Huo Yanci seemed to have been shopping for lanterns with their group, and she did indeed buy a lantern as a gift, which I think was given to Ning Qingyuan.

Ning Qingxi: "..."

She pointed at Huo Yanci's nose: "You beast."

Huo Yanci looked completely bewildered: "?"

The surrounding onlookers felt the same way, making Ning Qingxi's face burn. She immediately lowered her voice and said, "So that's what you were thinking when you gave my sister the rabbit lantern that day? Let me tell you, don't even think about it! How old are you? You could have given birth to my sister if you were born earlier!"

"..." Huo Yanci sighed, her tone quite helpless, "What are you thinking? My sister, so talented in writing? I remember your sister had trouble even writing her own name."

Ning Qingxi: "..."

Huo Yanci said, "The person they're talking about is you."

Ning Qingxi: "..."

Huo Yanci continued teasingly, "So, what are your thoughts after reading this, Miss Ning?"

Ning Qingxi sighed: "I don't even dare to think about it."

Huo Yanci chuckled softly: "Ambitious? I dare to dream."

Ning Qingxi instinctively felt that the topic could not be continued, so she laughed it off and praised Huo Yanci as a man of principle, then drank the tea in one gulp.