Chapter 6 Qin Lizheng only touched a thin piece of shoulder…

As the night deepened, the Yun Teng Pavilion fell silent. Because she had eaten rice cakes several times during the day, Qian Yingyi curled up on her side in the quilt, trapped in a nightmare from which she could not get out.

Strangely enough, while other people's dreams usually end abruptly when they encounter obstacles or dangers, Qian Yingyi's dream seemed to have several nails stuck in it, trying to firmly pin her hands and feet down.

In her dream, a pair of pale, withered hands covered her eyes, and she wandered back to a dark, sunless forest.

The owner of those hands was very gentle, and a soft voice drifted into Qian Yingyi's heart through her ears: "Yingyi, come with me."

Whenever she has this dream, Qian Yingyi can't help but ask in the dream, "Where are you taking me?"

Those hands stubbornly kept her eyes covered, supporting her as she walked forward, step by step, ever forward. The damp, foul air always carried a faint smell of rice cake...

Qian Yingyi struggled under the covers, her body twisted to one side. A dim light shone through the yellow gauze covering the canopy bed, making her small face even more covered in cold sweat. Large beads of sweat streamed down her forehead, mingling with a few wet drops from the corners of her eyes.

Let's leave that aside for now.

After Qin Lizheng returned to his bedroom, he washed up and collapsed onto the hard bed. He and Xiao Daimao had been on duty for the first and second half of the night, and now they had a little free time.

It is an undeniable fact that the Yan family deliberately sent Yan Ruheng and Yan Wenying to get close to Qian Yingyi. Qin Lizheng stared at a sturdy beam on the roof and couldn't help but think about what Chu Zhiyan had said during the day.

A marriage alliance? It's not impossible.

Although Qian Lanting requested to be transferred back to Jinling, his eldest son, Qian Jinnian, remained in Shuntian Prefecture as its prefect.

He only served the emperor in the capital and rarely interacted with Qian Jinnian, but he knew him well as a shrewd man.

As Qian Jinnian's second daughter, Qian Yingyi, judging from her pampered demeanor, must have grown up in a life of luxury. If Yan Ruheng were to marry her...

She has an older brother and sister. Her eldest brother is now an editor in the Hanlin Academy and is married to the daughter of a Hanlin lecturer. Her sister is married to Yu Cheng, the son of Marquis Yu.

Yu Cheng? Qin Lizheng suddenly stood up, a ripple appearing in his usually calm eyes.

No wonder.

Qin Lizheng smiled coldly, got up and walked to the simple desk under the west wall. The lamp was dim, and he did not light another one. He quickly laid out paper and pen and wrote down the names of the Qian family and the Yan and Lin families one by one.

It turns out that Yan Yu's ultimate target was Yu Cheng.

Yu Cheng was born into the Marquis of Zhongyi’s family and had always studied the art of weighing power. At a young age, he had already entered the Ministry of Revenue.

Last year, the Emperor gave Yu Cheng an important position, promoting him to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and concurrently in charge of the Thirteen Bureaus of Officials. Because of his family's noble lineage, officials in the Bureaus of Officials in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces also flattered him.

If Yan Ruheng were to marry Qian Yingyi, he would become Yu Cheng's brother-in-law. At that time, not only the Qian family, but the entire Zhongyi Marquis's mansion would be in the same boat.

What a clever scheme!

As the night fog gathered, the single candlelight gradually dimmed, casting a mottled and hazy light on Qin Lizheng's face. Qin Lizheng casually pushed open the window, and a cold wind rushed in. His shadow, cast on the wall by the candlelight, swayed for a moment before finally settling into stillness.

Standing in the pitch-black night, Qin Lizheng looked up at the sky over Jinling. He felt as if a hole had been torn open in the sky, and he could glimpse that in the near future, all sorts of conspiracies and schemes would spill out from that hole.

After a while, he closed the window, lit another lamp, and burned the papers with those names written on them.

The pen he had just used was still lying quietly in the pen rack on the desk. Thinking that he hadn't written any notes today, he reached into his pocket and took out the small book that he kept close to his body.

The paper was laid out on the table, clearly meant to contain what I had just been thinking about, but the pen tip hovered over the paper, leaving a black ink dot.

It was at this moment that Qin Lizheng remembered Qian Yingyi. Not long ago, she had stood by the wall, looking at him with disdain, as if mocking him for knowing nothing.

Why should he need to know these things?

Despite his disdain, Qin Lizheng was still trying to win him over in his mind.

If he hadn't known that he needed to please her to get her to go out, and that this would give him more opportunities to get closer to the Yan and Lin families, why would he have gone back to buy rice cakes?

They ate his food and then looked down on him.

Qin Lizheng stopped writing, hastily jotted down some notes, and then started a new line, writing:

This young lady's temperament is rather unstable; she is sometimes happy and sometimes angry. You must be patient with her and not argue with her to avoid making things worse. Remember this.

After putting away the notes and blowing out the lamp, Qin Lizheng leaned against the bed and dozed off for the first half of the night.

Just past midnight, Little Tortoiseshell, still half asleep, pushed open the door and went straight to her bed, lying down on it. Her voice was weary as she said, "Lin Zheng, it's time to change shifts. I was so cold in the first half of the night that my hands and feet were stiff. I made a nest in that crooked tree outside the yard. You can go now."

He was met with the sound of someone getting up, and then the door closed gently behind him.

Qin Lizheng walked through the corridor and soon arrived outside Yunteng Pavilion. Instead of going to the hideout that Xiao Daimao had mentioned, he climbed onto the roof and lay down on a few bricks to rest.

The selection process for the Embroidered Uniform Guard was rigorous. Qin Lizheng first rose to power by stepping on the corpses of others, and then often did things for the emperor that were not convenient to be made public. It was just cold; there was nothing he couldn't endure.

Compared to the work of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the job of a guard serving the young lady in the Qian family was really easy. Qin Lizheng closed his eyes, put his arms behind his head, and was about to calm down when he suddenly heard a sob coming from below.

Like a kitten, the sound was very low and thin; if it weren't for his exceptional hearing, it would have been swallowed by the rustling night wind.

Qin Lizheng waited quietly for a moment, then rolled over and landed. His gaze fell on the window of the outer room of the bedroom. The light was on in the outer room, and the shadow under the window paper was nodding and dozing off. It was Chuntang, who was taking over the night watch.

Unfortunately, she couldn't hear.

The night was deep and the dew was heavy, with the wind howling. Qin Lizheng finally made a decision. He didn't want to bother with the sign language she didn't understand. He turned and silently approached the bedroom window. With a flick of his finger, he nimbly climbed into the boudoir.

Because he climbed over the side wall, Qin Lizheng only caught a glimpse of a corner of the boudoir. On the west side was a cabinet with eight treasures, a dressing table, and several cups and saucers on the round table were neatly upside down. Next to a pot of clivia was a long table, and the items on the table were still neatly arranged.

When Qin Lizheng's gaze fell on the beaded curtain in front of him, he realized that even the beads on it were the same color.

Behind the beaded curtain was a landscape embroidered screen. Behind the veiled screen, the sound of sobbing was instantly swallowed by the quilt.

Qin Lizheng paused slightly as he took a few steps forward. The next moment, he raised his hand and lifted the beaded curtain. As he walked around behind the screen, the soft voice became clearer and clearer.

A pink and yellow woven gauze curtain hung outside the canopy bed. Qin Lizheng lifted a corner with his slender fingertips, his gaze revealing a hint of inquiry.

She's always been aggressive and unruly, but it seems she's dreaming, because she's soaked her pillow.

Qin Lizheng couldn't see Qian Yingyi's face, but he could glimpse a wet patch on the pillow through the dim light of the bedside lamp.

What kind of dream can be so confusing?

Seeing that she was still crying under the covers, Qin Lizheng leaned forward, trying to wake her up.

He had barely opened his mouth when he thought of her boisterous nature. If she found out that he had entered the room without permission, she might scream in fright before the nightmare had even faded.

To ensure she was in good spirits and had the energy to talk to Yan Ruheng, Qin Lizheng lowered his fingertips from lifting the curtain, slowly bent one knee at the foot of the bed, and gently patted the quilt with his palm.

The quilts were soft and fluffy, having been aired out during the day. As a result, the air of wealth and nobility was tinged with a touch of worldly dust.

The body under the quilt seemed to be curled up, and Qin Lizheng could only touch a thin shoulder.

After a few moments of filming, the sobbing gradually subsided, and within a few dozen breaths, the breathing under the quilt returned to calm.

Qin Lizheng withdrew his hand in time, brushed aside the gauze curtain draped over his shoulder, stared at the quilt for a while, and then turned to leave.

Before any movement could be made, the person under the covers turned over, and a snow-white arm emerged from under the covers, unconsciously reaching out to grab at the air.

...That's really troublesome.

Qin Lizheng took another half step closer, staring down at the half-smooth arm.

A hint of impatience flickered in his usually calm eyes. It was as if she was sent by heaven to test him; he had to serve her when she was awake, and now that she was asleep, he still had to serve her.

He slept with the fragrance of brocade curtains, and when he came out, Qin Lizheng stood there for a long time before blowing away the Lingling fragrance on his body.

Looking back at the flickering lights inside the window, Qin Lizheng raised his hand and gently rubbed his temples. He didn't leap onto the roof again, but instead chose another open space to lean against.

If it weren't for the fear of delaying his plans, he thought he would never have cared about her, no matter what kind of rich young lady she was.

The next day was sunny and breezy. Qian Yingyi got up early and had breakfast. Chuntang tied up her long, black hair, and she remembered the commotion from the night before. She turned to Xia Ling and asked, "Who came in to tuck me in last night?"

Xia Ling was a little confused, so she turned to ask Chun Tang. Chun Tang shook her head when she saw her gesturing.

Seeing this, Qian Yingyi blinked lightly and did not ask any further questions. Instead, she said softly, "That was a dream I had while sleeping. I was sleeping too soundly and was still half asleep."

Xia Ling was startled and quickly asked, "Miss, are you having another nightmare?"

Qian Yingyi sat in front of the bronze mirror with her head down. After a long while, she said, "Xia Ling, I dreamed of my elder sister again."

This older sister was not Qian Yingyi's biological sister. She was a woman Qian Yingyi knew when she was still in the capital. She ran a rice cake shop in the alley behind the corner gate of the Qian family. Unfortunately, she died young.

For this reason, Qian Yingyi often felt regret and dreamed about her all these years.

Xia Ling had been with her since childhood and knew the whole story. She quickly stepped forward to comfort her, "Miss, it's alright. I'll cook you a calming soup later."

When Qian Yingyi woke up, she was full of energy. She hugged Xia Ling's arm with a smile and gave her a curt smile. "Good Xia Ling, I knew you cared about me. I'm fine. You and Chuntang go and prepare paper and pen. The weather is nice today. I still owe Boss Chen the second volume of the story, so let's write it now!"

Xia Ling was tripped up, so she could only force a smile and pull Chun Tang to the outer room.

Qian Yingyi sat alone in front of the mirror, staring at her delicate face in the mirror and wondering to herself. Last night, she was trapped in a dream and couldn't get out. The dream was also very cold and damp, as if a pair of warm hands had finally pulled her out.

After much deliberation, unable to come up with a solution, Qian Yingyi simply gave up on the idea and put it out of her mind.

A rich fragrance filled the Yun Teng Pavilion. At noon, Qian Yingyi put down her pen, picked up the paper, and looked at it in the sunlight. She was very satisfied with the ending of Yu Niang and her man.

Xia Ling leaned closer for a few glances, but was still horrified by the bloody description. She chuckled awkwardly, "Miss, isn't it too cruel that Wang Xiuli's vengeful spirit cast a spell that put Yu Niang into a hunger illusion, and actually ripped open her man's stomach?"

Qian Yingyi glanced at her dismissively, "What's so cruel about it? They, the couple, harmed people. Wang Xiuli's actions can be seen as revenge for the women who were previously victimized."

"Her husband was also caught in a hallucination. So, cutting off her arm wasn't cruel?" Qian Yingyi leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and chuckled. "Husbands and wives are supposed to be birds of a feather, but when two wicked people become husband and wife, they should kill each other."

Perhaps because she was also a woman, Xia Ling nodded her chin, half-understanding, and said, "That's true, but this man is really no good. He takes advantage of his strength to make a move on my wife."

Qin Lizheng had lunch and came over with Xiao Daimao at this time.

From a distance, with the servants of Yunteng Pavilion going back and forth to work, he could only vaguely hear that "strong men" were "not good people."

He heard what she said next, and when he looked up, he saw Qian Yingyi sitting behind the west window, laughing uncontrollably.

She said, "It's not good for a man to be too strong. He's a threat to women. Yan Sanlang is better. He's handsome and pleasing to the eye. He's not too strong either. He has a graceful and elegant demeanor."

Qin Lizheng gripped the sword, glanced down at himself, and chuckled coldly twice.

After a while, he stepped forward, but not too close, keeping a distance of about 30 feet from Qian Yingyi. His tone remained cold as ever, “Miss, lunch is ready in the front hall. Madam is waiting for you to come over.”

Qian Yingyi tilted her head and looked over. Seeing the guard's expressionless face, she was quite disappointed. She pouted and said, "I understand."

While tidying up her manuscripts, to prevent him from discovering her secret as Jinling Little Red Bean, Qian Yingyi waved her hand at him, "Lin Zheng, stand further away."

Qin Lizheng glanced at her and saw that she was staring at him like a thief. He didn't say anything and took a step back.

Qian Yingyi and her two maids tidied up the manuscript, then slammed the window shut. A moment later, she came out, clutching a piece of her skirt.

As they passed each other, Qian Yingyi noticed with her sharp eyes that the sword tassel was hooked on the guard's belt, which must have been accidentally caught on during their movements.

She felt a tickle in her heart, paused beside him, pointed at his waist, and commanded, "Pull it out."

Qin Lizheng glanced down and realized she was referring to the sword tassel. Recalling what he had seen in her boudoir last night, he finally realized her strange habit.

Seeing that he hesitated to pull it, Qian Yingyi frowned slightly and urged him again.

Qin Lizheng remained silent for a few moments, but still pulled out the sword tassel.

The young lady in front of him then showed a satisfied expression and walked towards the flower hall with her back straight.

Little Turtle and Qin Lizheng often followed her from a distance. Seeing that she was dressed more beautifully today, Little Turtle suddenly laughed and said, "The weather is nice today. I wonder if Miss will go out?"

Qin Lizheng paused, turning to look at the little hawksbill turtle.

Little Tortoiseshell thought he was thinking the same thing as her, winked at him, and gave him a mysterious smile, "Do you think, if Miss goes out today, she will mention that Yan Sanlang?"

Once that was the beginning, Little Tortoiseshell became more talkative, discussing everything from their ages to their birth dates and social standing.

Finally, Little Tortoiseshell, wanting to secretly facilitate this marriage, pointed back and forth between the two with a finger and sighed, "However, if Miss and Yan Sanlang take a liking to each other, it won't be appropriate for the two of us grown men to keep following them around. Firstly, it's inconvenient, and secondly, what if Miss is too shy to be seen by so many people, given our awkwardness following her around like wooden sticks?"

Seeing that Qin Lizheng didn't speak, Xiao Daimao reached out and pulled his arm, "Hey, tell me, is that reasonable or not?"

The young man's expression was always indifferent. Hearing this, he only glanced over before crossing his arms and following the figure that was about to disappear around the corner.

"Before you and I disturb the young lady's budding romantic feelings, aren't you going to follow us?"

A note from the author:

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Oops, I'm late. I'll update this chapter after it's on the charts.

So, did the guard actually put the young lady's arm back in? [doge] The answer is obvious.