Chapter 29 Three months to go, I'll bet you can make me like you...

The moon over Jiangnan, like a mirror reflecting a hook, made Qian Yingyi's heart pound uncontrollably.

Qin Lizheng held her hand the whole way, but skillfully avoided everyone else. He probably knew she was afraid.

Qian Yingyi struggled to break free, only to be met with his increasingly tight grip.

Reaching the outside of Yunteng Pavilion, she peered at him through the moonlight, her expression anxious, her soft voice low, "Let go of me! Let go of me!" as if afraid of being discovered.

Qin Lizheng turned his head, stopped abruptly, his gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and then suddenly pulled her forward, "If you're so open and honest, what are you panicking about?"

Qian Yingyi hurriedly met his eyes. His pupils were very deep, pitch black. Before, she had only felt that he always looked at people indifferently, but now, with the moonlight and lantern light reflecting off them, his eyes were unusually bright, and she saw herself reflected in them.

She turned her head to the side for no reason, and when she saw that he wouldn't let go, she simply raised her foot and kicked him!

Fortunately, he finally let go of her.

Under the moonlight, Qin Lizheng leaned closer to her. In the distance where their breaths mingled, he said, "Go to sleep early, and don't hold a grudge."

He wanted to kiss her face again, but fearing he might frighten her further, he gently pushed her shoulder and urged her to go inside.

He knew he had acted impulsively and hadn't been respectful enough to her tonight. But he couldn't control himself. Only today did he realize that jealousy and resentment were enough to destroy his rationality in her presence.

Seeing Qian Yingyi rush inside as if her life depended on it, Qin Lizheng withdrew his gaze from her, smiled, gently touched the bite mark on his lip, and turned away.

Under the clear moonlight outside, Qian Yingyi soaked herself in hot water. The dampness made her face flushed, but whether it was from shyness or heat, who could say?

Open and aboveboard, huh? He's certainly open and aboveboard! How dare he?

After a while, Xia Ling knocked on the door and urged softly, her voice weak, "Miss..."

Qian Yingyi snapped out of her daze and turned her head, her voice weak: "Leave me alone."

He suddenly took a deep breath and plunged his head into the water, determined to wash away all the chaos, wetness, and terror of the night.

The next day, the sun shone brightly, and the scenery was beautiful once again. Qian Yingyi woke up and, as usual, sat silently in her tent. After a while, she heard people talking outside, and in their voices, she seemed to hear the voice that made her heart tremble involuntarily.

Qian Yingyi was stunned as she put on her shoes and got off the bed. She reached out and pushed open the window, and sure enough, she saw him from a distance outside the courtyard.

The young man, dressed in a silver, subtly patterned round-necked robe, stood under the dense shade of trees, talking to someone. As if sensing something, he turned slightly and glanced in her direction. Qian Yingyi had the illusion that he seemed unusually spirited today.

Xia Ling was fiddling with the colored threads used for making nets under the eaves when she heard a noise. She let out a soft "Ah!" and quickly put down what she was doing. "Miss is awake."

A moment later, the main room door was pushed open, and Xia Ling and Chun Tang came in carrying a copper basin. Qian Yingyi also slammed the window shut.

As Qian Yingyi carefully wiped her face with a warm handkerchief, she noticed Xia Ling's expression as she tried to avoid embarrassment, and her movements paused.

Only now did she belatedly realize something.

It's no longer important how Xia Ling guessed that the note was his; the fact that he no longer hid it from her was enough to prove that he had given himself away before, which is why Xia Ling noticed it.

She must have had a bright red face and lips when she came back last night...

Qian Yingyi tilted her head to look in the mirror, her gaze falling on her own lips, and unconsciously pursed them.

Xia Ling knew that Little Tortoiseshell had also unexpectedly broken in last night, and that it was a lie to say he hadn't seen anything. Little Tortoiseshell knew that Chuntang might also...

Qian Yingyi suddenly covered her face with a wet handkerchief and remained silent.

How embarrassing!

Half a day later, Qian Yingyi finally emerged, all dressed smartly. She held her delicate chin high, her gaze lingering on him for only a moment, so that he would understand that she hadn't been avoiding him.

Seeing him approach, Qian Yingyi looked directly at his face, her eyes scanning him up and down, and asked softly, "Why are you back? Don't you need to go to Jiangning anymore?"

Qin Lizheng smiled, "There's no need to go anymore. The case was closed yesterday."

"It's over so quickly? Could it be that they're just trying to trick me again?" Qian Yingyi looked at him suspiciously, trying to make conversation. "Oh, then tell me about it."

Immediately, two maids moved bamboo chairs to the courtyard.

Qin Lizheng nodded slightly, but did not approach her. He simply stood there and replied.

It turned out that farmers from the Jiangning area had jointly sued the landlord. Even though Nanjing was a prosperous and extravagant city, its wealth was limited to officials and merchants. The common people still suffered the most.

In the Jiangnan region, taxes are heavy, and land taxes are even more so. Last autumn, when the grain was collected, two shi of grain were levied for every ten mu of land, and the farmers were already resentful. When it came to this year's summer tax, another order was issued, and the amount to be paid was more than three times that of last year.

In addition to grain, farmers were also required to pay in silk, cotton, and other goods. The landlords even offered to exchange these goods for silver, which sparked public outrage. One farmer, having heard rumors that the governor of Jiangnan had arrived in Nanjing, joined forces with other farmers and took the landlords to court.

Qian Yingyi frowned upon hearing this. "You mean, all those extra taxes were embezzled by the landlords themselves?"

Qin Lizheng stared at her cheeks, which were lightly rouged, and remained silent for a moment.

The landlords are backed by the Yan family, a fact that he and Yu Cheng had already ascertained in the past few days.

Although the Yan family did not appear in person, the headman of the yamen met with the landlords in private and, taking advantage of the farmers' honesty and law-abiding nature, fabricated clauses out of thin air.

The landlords weren't short of money, but they lacked protection. Therefore, the extra money they paid was converted into silver and went into Yan Yu's pocket.

The Yan family acted swiftly and ruthlessly. Yan Ruheng was forced to stand trial in court, but he always argued eloquently, bringing up all the landlords and implying that if they implicated the Yan family, they should be careful with their lives.

To avoid alerting the farmers, Yu Cheng dropped the matter and gave them an explanation, immediately setting them three days to return the overpaid amount.

Seeing him staring at her, Qian Yingyi glared at him and said, "Speak!"

Qin Lizheng withdrew his gaze, clearing away any confusion, and simply told her the result.

Qian Yingyi gave a soft "Oh," a hint of unease flashing in her eyes, and then asked, "Then...you don't need to go to your brother-in-law's place anymore?"

A smile played on Qin Lizheng's lips. He probably didn't even realize that his words sounded far too provocative. His voice suddenly softened, so soft that only she could hear it, "I'm not going anywhere."

Inevitably, Qian Yingyi hesitated again under his gaze. What did he mean by that? It was as if she was ordering him to stay.

Just then, Qian Yingyi glanced towards the courtyard and caught sight of a familiar maidservant, the one who served Ren Yuqing. She quickly called out, "Sister-in-law, what's the matter?"

The maidservant walked quickly over, curtsied properly, and said, "Miss, our young mistress had a good appetite this morning and said she wanted to eat the hawthorn milk drink that the eldest young master brought her a few days ago, but she can't remember which restaurant it was from. Since you know Jinling well, Miss, I came to ask you."

What a coincidence! Qian Yingyi really liked that hawthorn milk syrup, which was exactly what she had told Qian Linye. She immediately waved her hand and said, "Hey, did your sister-in-law ask you to buy it? You came all the way from the capital and you don't even know the way. I have nothing to do today, so I'll go out and buy it."

The maid was flattered and hesitated slightly, "How can this be?"

Qian Yingyi had already gotten up from the bamboo chair, and casually took the paulownia leaf fan that Xia Ling handed her to shield herself from the sun, saying, "It's alright, we're family, we don't care about these things. You can go and tell your sister-in-law."

The maid thanked her profusely, praising Qian Yingyi from head to toe, making Qian Yingyi beam with pride. She immediately beckoned to her two maids, "Xia Ling, bring Chun Tang over here, let's all..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qian Yingyi looked at the guard who was still standing there, paused, and then changed the subject, "Xia Ling, no need. Have him come with me today."

She immediately grabbed her skirt and walked outside.

Qin Lizheng smiled inwardly and silently followed.

As soon as she stepped out of the side gate, Qian Yingyi lifted the curtain and entered the carriage. Just as she was feeling smug about blocking his view, she didn't expect that as the curtain rose and fell, he would also get in.

Qian Yingyi looked as if she were facing a formidable enemy, her thin shoulders pressed tightly against the car wall. "What are you doing?"

Qin Lizheng lazily closed his eyes, not approaching her, and leaned back like her, "Miss didn't let them follow, only calling me, didn't you already have a plan?"

Alone with him in the cramped carriage, Qian Yingyi felt as if she had returned to the previous night. She quietly lifted a corner of the curtain to let in some fresh air, and after a while, she looked up at him.

A ray of warm sunlight fell on his waist and abdomen, on the gleaming leather belt, reminding her of the sensations she felt under her hands. What was wrong with her? Why was she thinking about these things?

Qian Yingyi closed her eyes for a moment before saying, "Three months."

Qin Lizheng suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her.

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice soft, "Three months. Consider it a bet. I'm betting whether you can make me fall in love with you within three months. If you can't, you're never allowed to appear in front of me again."

"As for the three rules," she said, "first, you must listen to me in everything, big or small. If I say go east, you are not allowed to go west."

"Secondly, you must not deliberately set a trap for me like you did yesterday."

As she finished speaking, Qian Yingyi's ears turned red, and the rouge on her cheeks became even redder. "Thirdly... you are not allowed to kiss me without my permission."

Qin Lizheng nodded slightly, "That's all?"

"That's all." She was always decisive.

There was a moment of silence in the carriage. The next moment, Qian Yingyi saw him lean over and lean in, his gaze burning as if he wanted to devour her. His eyes glanced at her forehead, then slowly swept down, staring intently at her mouth.

His voice was deep, "Just one kiss, okay?"

Qian Yingyi's heart skipped a beat. She slapped his face away, avoiding his teasing. Although she seemed displeased with his actions, the force she used was as light as a feather compared to last night. "Who, who gave you permission to take advantage of the situation?"

Qin Lizheng was still in a good mood, so he sat back down and said, "Didn't you say that I need your permission before I can kiss you?"

The bright sun, fiery red, cast an ambiguous and alluring glow inside the carriage, even tinging the light yellow curtains with red. From the side gate came the voices of several old women and maids. Qian Yingyi shuddered slightly, her foot peeking out from under her skirt as she kicked his shin, muttering, "Shameless! Get down!"

She didn't kick him hard, just pretended to, and Qin Lizheng didn't go too far. He lifted the carriage curtain and got out.

The eatery selling hawthorn milk stood on the riverbank, and within the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, the waiter had already delivered the food box.

Qian Yingyi was thinking that Ren Yuqing was in a hurry to eat, so she was about to turn back after buying the food. Just as she was about to speak, Qin Lizheng suddenly put the food box back in the carriage and then said to her, "Come with me to a place first."

Qian Yingyi looked at her suspiciously, "What do you want to do?"

Qin Lizheng chuckled, "What do you think I could do in public?"

Seeing her hesitate, he remembered his promise to her and didn't want to take her hand, so he turned around and walked in one direction first, saying, "Follow me."

Qian Yingyi paused for a moment, then followed him, stepping on his shadow.

After walking through two alleys, Qin Lizheng stopped in front of the shop. The warm sun was dazzling, and Qian Yingyi squinted to look at him. "He Family Blacksmith Shop?"

She turned to look at him. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Of course, it's to retrieve something."

The shop assistant at He's blacksmith shop still had a fawning smile on his face. As soon as he saw Qin Lizheng, he rushed over and said, "Oh, we were just saying why you hadn't come to pick it up yet. What a coincidence!"

In a fleeting glance, he spotted Qian Yingyi hiding behind Qin Lizheng, and his smile widened. "The sun is strong outside, Grandma, please come inside and sit down. I'll make you some tea."

The word "Grandma" made Qian Yingyi feel embarrassed. She wondered what the guard was up to. Seeing him walk inside, she had no choice but to follow.

Before long, the waiter brought over two cups of tea. He then deftly lifted the curtain and went to the back. In the blink of an eye, he returned with a square sandalwood brocade box in his hand.

"Your husband had these made by our shop's blacksmith about ten days ago. Take a look, do you like them?"

“Oh, he and I are not…” Qian Yingyi became increasingly embarrassed, thinking to herself that the shopkeeper had misunderstood the relationship between the two because the guard had not explained clearly. She glared at him and was about to explain herself when her gaze fell on the open brocade box, leaving her speechless.

Inside the brocade box was a set of enamel silver ornaments with a peony pattern. A bracelet as wide as a finger joint and a pendant about half the size of a palm were both polished to a bright shine, with pink peony petals as embellishments, exquisite and dazzling.

She also wore a pair of earrings, each a small peony flower. And a lucky charm necklace to hang around her neck.

Seeing that she clearly liked it, the shopkeeper smiled, closed the brocade box tightly, and handed it to her, saying, "Please keep it safe."

Qian Yingyi stared at the brocade box for a long time, then her gaze fell on the man's profile. The two sat facing each other, and he smiled at her, "If you like it, keep it."

A guard only earns a few taels of silver a month? Qian Yingyi knew perfectly well. Half an hour ago, she found his smile scheming and utterly repulsive, but now, gazing at the smile on his lips again...

Qian Yingyi lowered her gaze silently, a slight stinging sensation in her eyes.

She paused, then grabbed the brocade box and hugged it to her chest, walking away on her own. "Hmph, I don't like it, but it's not good to waste something the blacksmith worked so hard to make."

Qin Lizheng smiled but remained silent, gazing at the half of her skirt standing outside the door, before reaching into his robes and placing a whole ingot on the table.

"Alright," the shop assistant grinned from ear to ear, and said mysteriously to Qin Lizheng, "After you settle the payment, I won't say a word. Don't worry, Master He from our blacksmith shop is highly skilled. The outer layer of silver is tightly wrapped. Unless it's scratched hard, no one will ever discover that it's gold inside."

At this point, the waiter couldn't help but be curious. He peeked outside and whispered, "But sir, since you're so rich, why don't you just give me gold directly?"

Qin Lizheng glanced at him indifferently, "If you're paid to do something, don't ask questions you shouldn't ask."

He immediately got up, lifted the curtain, and went out.

On the way, Qian Yingyi carried the brocade box and couldn't help but steal glances at him out of the corner of her eye. Unable to bring herself to say anything sarcastic, she could only say, "Judging from your familiarity with that shop assistant, was that hairpin repaired at He's blacksmith shop last time?"

A golden stray dog ​​crouched at the far end of the alley. Qin Lizheng stepped in front of her to block it, then casually picked up a pebble and tossed it to the other side. "Yes."

The stray dog ​​was attracted by the noise of the stone being thrown and disappeared in no time.

Qian Yingyi seemed oblivious, her slightly pouting lips moved, and she asked again, "All the money is spent on me, don't you use it on other days?"

Qin Lizheng cleared his throat, feeling guilty, and changed the subject, "Let's hurry up, don't we still need to go back and deliver something to the young mistress?"

Qian Yingyi secretly rolled her eyes and muttered, "If you hadn't interrupted me, I would have gone back long ago."

As she spoke, her pace quickened unconsciously. It was as if she could leave that slight flutter of excitement behind her skirt.

Once inside the carriage, Qian Yingyi fell silent. Qin Lizheng leaned against the carriage wall, guiding the horse. The shimmering waters on both banks of the Huai River subtly reflected his guilty conscience.

He didn't know how to answer his companion's question. He had considered revealing his identity to her, but that day he had heard her express strong dislike for the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If she knew, it would be merciful of her not to send him away, let alone talk about any rules or a three-month period.

With a heavy heart, Qin Lizheng returned to Pipa Lane. He temporarily put aside these thoughts and secretly planned to find a suitable time to confess to her.

With a light tap on the carriage wall, Qian Yingyi stepped down from the carriage.

He carried everything, while Qian Yingyi simply held a fan and waved it lightly. Just as she stepped onto a stone step, she caught sight of two figures emerging from the gatehouse next door. She paused, then softly called out, "Yingniang?"

Yingniang's pretty face was flushed. When she bumped into Qian Yingyi, she looked as if she had been caught red-handed. As she approached, she spoke apologetically, "Miss Qian, Master Pei invited me to his house, saying he wants to change the opera troupe..."

Changing troupes is just a pretense; perhaps their mutual affection is the real reason. Qian Yingyi's eyes fell on Pei Ji behind her. She had her own thoughts and wouldn't argue with her about such things. So she smiled kindly and said, "Why say such things? It's your freedom to choose which troupe you want to perform at."

Yingniang's anxiety gradually subsided, and she quickly looked up and smiled back at her.

Ever since she was publicly humiliated last time, she had been resentful. In the end, those wealthy people were just taking advantage of her because she had no money or power.

Power was far beyond her reach. But Pei Ji was wealthy, within her reach. If she could capture his heart, she would have a way out.

Only Miss Qian treated her differently.

Yingniang's apology was sincere, but she hesitated for a long time without speaking, fearing that Qian Yingyi would think she was trying to curry favor with the wealthy and powerful.

Fortunately, Qian Yingyi didn't like meddling in other people's private affairs. She winked at her and said with a smile, "Someone is still waiting for you. I have something to do at home, so I'll go in first. Come to my house to sing some opera when you have time later."

He then gave Pei Ji a slight bow from a distance and went into the house on his own.

Qin Lizheng lagged behind, slowing his pace slightly. He glanced casually at Pei Ji before disappearing into the room.

Watching Qian Yingyi go inside, Yingniang looked away, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She grabbed her skirt and ran towards Pei Ji, calling out, "Master Pei!"

As she drew closer, she looked up at his handsome face and said with a smile, "I'll come talk to you about the opera troupe again tomorrow, okay?"

Pei Ji chuckled and pinched the tip of her nose, his voice gentle, "Okay."

A faint blush instantly appeared on Yingniang's face. She mustered her courage and stood on tiptoe towards him. Pei Ji looked down at her, only smiling as he poked her forehead and coaxed her, "The sedan chair we hired has arrived at the alley entrance. You go back first. I still have things to do."

A hint of sadness flashed across Yingniang's eyes. Thinking of her own scheme, she had no choice but to do as he said, turning back every few steps, and leaving reluctantly.

Once the sedan chair she was riding in was out of sight, Pei Ji's expression suddenly turned cold.

After a half-day delay, he turned around and went inside, saying to the steward beside him, "The people we sent to investigate the Qian family's movements were all injured in the hands and feet by that guard next to Qian Yingyi. He's quite capable."

The butler said, "Then should we..." He gestured with his hand across his neck.

“If Yingniang comes to the manor in the future, there is no need to stop her,” Pei Ji said instead of answering. “She is a good person to be used. You saw it just now. She and Qian Yingyi have a fairly good relationship. According to her, when she was slandered last time, it was Qian Yingyi who spoke up for her.”

"Let's appease her first and be patient. After all, among the entire Qian family, Qian Yingyi is the easiest to get close to."

Pei Ji lowered his eyes and analyzed, "My guess was right. The Qian family's power is indeed greater than that of the others in Yingtian Prefecture. Have you heard about the case in Jiangning where they sued the landlord?"

He sneered, "No matter how perfectly the top official of Yingtian Prefecture acts, he'll be like a mouse before a cat when he sees the governor. No matter how powerful they are, they can't be as powerful as the Qian family. They want to treat my silk as a hot commodity, as something in their hands, but I might not even give it to them."

“My cousin-in-law, Wang Yi, has been urging me to transport goods lately. Aren’t they afraid of ruining themselves by trying to do too much?”

"Have you hidden the ledgers we copied earlier?" Pei Ji glanced at the steward.

The butler hurriedly replied, "It's hidden very well."

Pei Ji nodded in satisfaction, looked at the steward, and let out a sigh, "As long as I can use the Qian family's influence to gain a foothold in Jinling, we won't need to cooperate with Wang Yi anymore. He is greedy and looks down on me as just a merchant. I have long wanted to break ties with him."

As the two were talking, the servant who had gone to the escort agency to retrieve the letter returned. As soon as he entered and saw Pei Ji, he handed him the letter, saying, "Master, it's a letter from Sister Man."

Although Pei Ji came from a merchant family, his family was considered a prominent one among the merchants in Huai'an.

Besides his first wife, Pei's father also married four concubines. Later, his first wife died of illness, and Pei's father hired another woman as his second wife.

Pei's father was absurd; Pei Ji was still young, and his youngest concubine was only eighteen years old.

Pei Ji was the only son of the woman who died of illness.

His father was a womanizer, and his family's romantic affairs were widely known in Huai'an Prefecture. No one could have imagined that Pei Ji would inherit his father's womanizing ways and would already be having an affair with the fourth concubine, Shen Man, in private.

The two disregarded human ethics and were having a great time. Pei Ji, who was naturally fond of excitement, secretly made love to Shen Man day and night behind his father's back, and he actually had some genuine feelings for her.

Knowing that the letter came from her, Pei Ji's expression softened slightly. He opened the letter and carefully read it. Seeing that it contained some love poems and words expressing her longing for him, he couldn't help but smile.

When he saw Shen Man being targeted by the other concubines, he gradually frowned.

It was probably the tender sentiments expressed in this letter that stirred his ridiculous protective instincts, making him eager to gain a foothold in Jinling so that he could bring his nominal mistress over. Pei Ji carefully put the letter away, his expression gradually becoming serious again.

The house was bright and airy. He looked up at the clouds in the sky and said, "This Jinling must accommodate me."

Suddenly remembering the steward's earlier gesture, she beckoned to him, "Go and inquire about experts in the martial arts world. That guard next to Qian Yingyi is too much of an eyesore."

"Kill him."

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Author's note: Silver wrapped in gold, Qin Lizheng even secretly gave away gold.

Having written this far, I'm almost at two hundred thousand words, and I'd like to add a few words in the author's notes.

Qin Lizheng could actually reveal his true identity to Qian Yingyi, but he was conflicted.

The Yan and Lin families wanted to make money freely, and they targeted Qian Yingyi in order to get Yu Cheng to protect them.

Wang Yi, who never showed up, was essentially working for the two above him, and he also secretly pocketed a considerable amount of money.

Then there's Pei Ji, who stands at the bottom of the food chain. He had been relying on Wang Yi and had helped the Yan and Lin families embezzle a lot of money. He was a businessman who loved money. His purpose in getting close to Qian Yingyi was to gain a foothold in Jinling and completely get rid of Wang Yi and the bloodsuckers like Yan and Lin.

The relationships in this food chain are complex, with everyone vying for their own benefit.

If Qin Lizheng confesses now, it would be tantamount to exposing the entire conspiracy to Qian Yingyi.

His brother died in a conspiracy, which he still can't accept. So when he sees Qian Yingyi as someone he needs to protect, he subconsciously avoids her and then gets caught in a dilemma.

Before I started writing, I was so confident that I would write a purely sweet story. Ugh, I just can't shake my habit of writing melodramatic stories. Am I just born to write melodramatic ones?! [Crying]