Chapter 74 The poor male protagonist has to get up early to go to work.

As dusk settled and darkness fell in the courtyard, lanterns were already hung under the eaves. Xue Han and Shan Chun had not yet returned. Yu Man leaned against the window, peering out several times, a hint of worry in her eyes. Pei Ji came out of his study and saw her standing in the wind. He took a thick cloak and draped it over her shoulders, saying, "It's cold outside. Go inside and wait." He added gently, "I'll go prepare dinner."

Yu Man followed him to the kitchen, still feeling a little weak, and walked slowly. Pei Ji slowed his pace and turned to look at her: "Need any help?"

"I'll watch you do it." Yu Man leaned against the kitchen door, watching him wash his hands and put on a plain apron—a apron she had casually sewn before leaving the capital last time; the stitches weren't particularly fine, but he had been using it ever since. In the candlelight, his profile was calm, and he deftly and efficiently processed the ingredients, washing, chopping, blanching, and stir-frying them, all in an orderly fashion.

Before long, several dishes were served. Although it was only for two people, there was a good variety of dishes: a bowl of clear red date and black chicken soup with a few goji berries floating on the surface; a plate of steamed sea bass with snow-white flesh topped with finely shredded ginger and scallions; a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, bright green and fresh; and a dish of stir-fried yam, wood ear mushrooms, and sliced ​​pork, nourishing and warming. There was also a small bowl of soft, steamed purple rice.

Yu Man glanced at it, somewhat surprised: "This... can you finish it?" Her appetite wasn't very good today.

Pei Ji ladled a bowl of soup and placed it in front of her: "These are all new dishes I learned. Try them out."

Yu Man's heart skipped a beat. She took the soup spoon, scooped up a small spoonful, and found the temperature to be just right. The chicken soup was rich and flavorful, the red dates were perfectly sweet, and the black-boned chicken was stewed until tender and melted in her mouth. "Delicious," she exclaimed sincerely, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

When I looked up, I saw that my rice bowl had been piled up like a small mountain—fish meat with bones removed, yam slices, wood ear fungus, seasonal vegetables, and several pieces of stewed chicken, all stacked up to the brim.

“?” She looked across at the other side.

Pei Ji then picked up his first bite of vegetables, his expression calm: "Eat more. You've gotten so thin."

“Nonsense.” Yu Man chuckled. “Before I left home this time, my mother made me a summer shirt and even made sure to leave it a finger’s width too big.” She pinched her cheek. “I’ve clearly gained some weight.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Ji put down his chopsticks, raised his eyes, and looked at her intently for a moment. His gaze traced her face carefully, from her slightly furrowed brows to her somewhat pale lips, and finally he said with certainty, "You've lost weight."

Yu Man: "..." She finally understood. In this person's eyes, she would probably always look "thin and needing to eat more." Fine.

She picked up a piece of yam from the "little hill" and put it in her mouth. The yam was soft and glutinous, with the crispness of wood ear mushrooms and the savory aroma of meat slices. The seasoning was light and palatable, and there was nothing wrong with it. But as she chewed, a clear stinging pain came from a spot on the inside of her lower lip where her teeth had inadvertently bumped against it—it was the subtle mark he had left behind in the courtyard that afternoon when he couldn't help himself.

Her brows furrowed slowly.

"What's wrong?" Pei Ji immediately put down his chopsticks, his expression slightly tense. "The taste is off? Spit it out quickly." He reached out his hand, palm up, gesturing for her to spit it out into his hand.

Yu Man shook her head and swallowed the food. "It's not the food," she said, her voice lowering, her cheeks burning uncontrollably. "It's... the pain."

Pei Ji was still confused, his eyes filled with questioning.

Yu Man bit her lower lip, steeled her resolve, and decided to go all out: "...My mouth hurts."

She had previously thought that after such a long separation, he would still appear calm and composed, but now she suddenly understood—some people's feelings cannot be spoken or hidden, and can only be expressed through the friction between their lips and teeth and a hidden pain.

Clearly, she overestimated herself and underestimated the shamelessness of the person opposite her.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then, Pei Ji's low voice, tinged with understanding and apology, rang out: "...It was my fault. Next time..."

"Eat!" Yu Man immediately interrupted him, picked up a large piece of steamed sea bass with her chopsticks, and placed it steadily into his bowl. Her movements were swift, and her tone was decisive. "This fish is delicious, you should eat more too!"

Pei Ji glanced at the fish that had suddenly appeared in his bowl, then looked up at the person opposite him whose ears were flushed red, a faint smile flashing in his eyes. He obediently picked up a piece of fish and softly replied, "Okay."

Sure enough, he stopped teasing her.

After the meal, Yu Man felt she had eaten a bit too much and decided to take a walk in the courtyard to digest. Pei Ji carefully wrapped her in a cloak, tucked a small hand warmer into her hand, and accompanied her as they strolled slowly. The moonlight in the courtyard was cool and clear, and the glow of the lanterns cast two intertwined shadows on the ground.

The time was almost up, and the medicine had already been brewed. Pei Ji brought it from the kitchen, watched her drink it, and then handed her some candied fruit. Yu Man's mouth was full of sweetness, and her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the tightly closed courtyard gate.

"Are you worried about them?" Pei Ji asked, taking the empty bowl.

“Yes,” Yu Man said, “after all, they are new here and don’t know anyone. The capital is prosperous, but it’s also a melting pot of all sorts of people. What if they run into trouble…”

Pei Ji naturally raised his free hand and ruffled her hair: "Don't worry. Gu Qiu went out with her this morning."

Yu Man looked up at him, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration: "You're so thoughtful."

Pei Ji smiled slightly, said nothing, and simply helped her straighten the collar of her cloak that had slipped down: "It's getting windy, let's walk a little further and then go back inside." With that, he turned as if to leave.

How strange. Although they had been separated for months, and there was longing, she seemed able to suppress it. But now, just watching his retreating figure, Yu Man suddenly felt a slight pang of reluctance, as if gently tugged by a thin thread. She blurted out, "Where are you going?"

Pei Ji stopped, raised the empty medicine bowl in his hand, turned to look at her, and said calmly, "The kitchen hasn't been cleaned yet. Also," he paused, then added in a flat tone, "there's still laundry to do."

Yu Man was about to ask, "What clothes are you washing?", but then suddenly remembered something and stopped talking.

Pei Ji looked at her suddenly flushed face and sparkling eyes, deliberately took a step forward and leaned slightly forward: "Want to come with me?"

A warm breath brushed against her earlobe, and Yu Man shuddered. She quickly took a half step back, shaking her head vigorously, but trying her best to look sincere and earnest: "No, no need! Lord Pei, you've worked hard!"

Pei Ji chuckled softly.

Not long after he left, noises and laughter could be heard outside. Xue Han and Shan Chun entered the courtyard carrying large and small bags. Xue Han was radiant, with a satisfied smile on her face after shopping. Even Shan Chun, who was usually silent, had a faint blush on her face and was holding a newly bought purse embroidered with delicate orchids in her hand.

"Finally home." Yu Manying went out to help take a few packages and joked, "I thought you were so dazzled by the prosperity of the capital that you forgot to come back."

Xue Han put her things down and looked at her with concern: "Are you feeling better?"

"Much better." Yu Man nodded and pulled her to sit down. "Did you enjoy your shopping? You bought so much."

"Enjoy!" Xue Han's eyes sparkled as she proudly pulled a small silk pouch from a brocade bag, unfolding it layer by layer to reveal a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets. The jade was warm and lustrous, with a soft sheen. "Look at these! I bought them for you! Look at the quality, the clarity. If this were in Laizhou, they would cost at least twice as much! The capital is truly the capital; there are so many good things here, and the prices are much more reasonable." She gestured to the prices, her face beaming with the joy of having found a treasure.

Yu Man took the jade bracelet; it was warm to the touch and indeed of superior quality. She tried it on her wrist; the size was perfect, making her wrist appear even more slender and fair. "It's so beautiful. Thank you so much, Sister Xue. You've gone to so much trouble."

“Why are we talking about these things between us?” Xue Han waved her hand and began to talk enthusiastically about what she had seen and heard that day: which street was the most lively, which pastry shop had a long queue, and which silk shop had the most novel designs… Shan Chun occasionally added a word or two in a low voice.

After chatting and laughing for a while, Xue Han remembered her business and sighed, "I've looked at no less than seven or eight shops, and I've been to both the East Market and the West Market, but I haven't found a suitable one. Either the location is okay, but the shop is too small, or the shop is spacious, but the location is remote, or the rent is outrageously high. I never thought that in the capital, the hardest thing to find would be a shop that suits my taste."

Yu Man had anticipated this and comforted him, "It's alright. We didn't expect to finalize it in just a few days anyway. Land in the capital is expensive, and good shops are even rarer. Tomorrow, I'll ask Young Master Gu to recommend a few more reliable brokers. They have plenty of resources and are well-informed. We can take our time and look around; there's no rush."

Xue Han nodded in agreement, looked around, and asked in a low voice, "Where is Young Master Pei? Today, we were fortunate to have Brother Gu Qiu secretly looked after us, otherwise we..." The smile on her face faded, revealing a trace of lingering fear.

Yu Man's heart tightened: "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Xue Han said, trying to sound relaxed. “It was just that outside the Treasure Pavilion in the West Market, I ran into some clueless rogue with a few servants. Their language was… not very clean, and they blocked my way.”

Shan Chun added coldly, "He's not an ordinary scoundrel. That man is dressed in fine clothes, and his attendant walks with a steady gait and sharp eyes; he's a trained fighter." She paused, her tone unusually tinged with frustration, "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have been entangled with him for so long."

Yu Man's expression darkened slightly: "Do you know who they are? Did they give their names?"

Xue Han shook her head: "No. That man was very arrogant. Fortunately, Brother Gu Qiu appeared in time and subdued those servants in no time. When the playboy saw that things were not going well, he said a few harsh words and ran away." She held Yu Man's hand, "Don't worry, Brother Gu Qiu acted with restraint and didn't make a big fuss. That playboy didn't get away with it either. Let's just let this matter go and not worry about it."

Seeing that Xue Han's expression had returned to calm and she really didn't want to talk about the matter anymore, Yu Man suppressed his anger and said, "It's good that she's alright. You must be tired today, go back and rest."

After seeing Xue Han off, Yu Man sat alone under the lamp for a while.

The door opened softly, and Pei Ji entered, carrying a hot water bottle refilled with hot water, still carefully wrapped in a thick cotton cover. "It's time to sleep." He walked over, placed the hot water bottle in her arms, and then checked the temperature of her hands.

Yu Man held Nuanyuan in her arms and looked up at him. In the candlelight, there was a hint of weariness between his brows. "Tomorrow... are you going to court?" she asked.

"Hmm." Pei Ji responded, walked to the window to check the latch, closed the window, leaving only a small crack for ventilation. When he turned around, he saw Yu Man looking at him with a rather peculiar gaze—it wasn't reluctance, but rather... pity? And something else mixed in.

He knew that she was probably thinking some strange ideas again, and feeling a little helpless, he walked to the bedside and pulled the quilt up for her: "Close your eyes, I'm going to blow out the lamp."

Yu Man obediently lay down, watching his tall figure standing beside the bed. She couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy: even the male lead had to get up early for work; what pitiful working people! Then she thought, wasn't she also trying to find a job? Starting a business is tough, and she felt the same way. Alas, all beings suffer.

Her eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, could vaguely make out his silhouette, still standing in the same spot. She suddenly spoke, her voice unusually clear in the silence: "Then... when you come back from court tomorrow, could you bring me some exquisite shrimp dumplings from Songhelou? I've heard their morning tea snacks are exceptional."

From the darkness came his low, indulgent laugh: "Okay."

Yu Manxin smiled contentedly and announced, "I'm going to sleep now." The implication was clear: you can leave.

He closed his eyes, but felt a warm, soft touch on his forehead; it was a light touch, then it was gone. His voice softened:

"This is the payment."

The next day, Yu Man felt much better and went out with Xue Han and Shan Chun. The broker recommended by Gu Chengling was surnamed Qian, in his forties, shrewd and capable. He didn't say much, but only asked about their requirements for the shop—location, size, layout, and budget—before leading them to look at the shops starting from the bustling main street of the East Market.

The shops in the East Market were indeed impressive, with spacious storefronts, but the rents were staggering, and they were mostly occupied by large businesses, making the competition fierce. Turning west, through the bustling market area, the broker showed them several shops in the West Market. One was by the river with a good view, but it was a bit out of the way and sparsely populated; another was located at the intersection of two streets, with a lot of people coming and going, but unfortunately the shop was narrow and long, not deep enough to be suitable for a food stall; and yet another had small courtyards in the front and back, with a regular layout, but the previous tenant had run a dye shop, and the smell inside had lingered for years, and the walls also needed major repairs.

They had walked almost the entire West Market, their legs aching. Just as they were starting to feel discouraged, the broker led them into an inconspicuous but impeccably clean alley—Yulin Alley. The alley wasn't wide, but the cobblestone path was smooth, and locust trees lined both sides, their green leaves just beginning to appear. Several calligraphy and painting shops, antique stores, and quiet teahouses already existed in the alley, creating a refined atmosphere.

"This is it." Qian Yaren stopped in front of a black lacquered wooden door. The storefront wasn't grand, but the doors and windows were intact, and an old plaque hung above, the characters faded. He took out his key and opened the door.

The interior was more spacious than I had imagined, with about three bays, sturdy beams and pillars, and a level floor. Most wonderfully, the shop connected to a small courtyard at the back, with a well in the middle and two small huts in the corner that could be used as storage or staff quarters. Sunlight streamed in from the high windows facing the street and the courtyard, providing ample light and good ventilation.

Yu Man and Xue Han exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction in each other's eyes. The location was quiet despite being in a busy area, the layout was practical, and the courtyard was an unexpected delight.

“This shop is excellent.” Yu Man nodded and asked the broker, “How much is the rent? Who is the owner? Can we meet to discuss it in detail?”

Qian the broker looked troubled: "To be honest, Madam Yu, the owner of this shop is surnamed Fang. He was originally a Hanlin scholar, but he has now retired and returned to his hometown to enjoy his old age. He entrusted the shop to his nephew in the capital. Unfortunately, Fang's nephew left the capital a few days ago for business and will probably not be back for another two days. The rent and the items are negotiable, and the owner is sincerely willing to rent it out, but... we need to wait for him to return before we can finalize the contract."

Although it was a bit of a disappointment, a good shop is worth the wait. After discussing it with Xue Han for a few moments, Yu Man said to Qian the broker, "Then please ask Mr. Qian to convey our interest in this place. We will arrange a time to discuss it in detail when Mr. Fang returns to the capital."

The money broker readily agreed.

With two days of free time, Yu Man remembered something. She packed up some local gifts she had brought from Laizhou—a few kinds of durable pickles made in her own shop, two bolts of thick cotton cloth woven by Deng San Niang herself, and a plain silver hairpin made for Granny Hu, carefully wrapping them in a cloth bundle.

Upon reaching the alley entrance, I could see from afar that the familiar cloth banner was not up, and the stall was deserted. As I got closer, I saw a note pasted on the wooden door, the ink crooked: "Due to some family matters, we will be closed for two days."

The door was ajar.

Yu Man gently pushed the door open and went in. The room was dimly lit, and the stove was spotless. Old Hu was sitting on a small stool with her back to the door, kneading a large lump of smooth dough with her head down. She was petite, but her arm strength was astonishing, and her kneading movements were steady and powerful.

Hearing the door open, Old Woman Hu didn't turn her head, but bluntly said, "We're not open today. Come back in two days."

Yu Man placed the bundle on the bench beside him, deliberately making his footsteps heavy as he walked to her side. He bent down, leaned closer, and said softly with a smile:

"Master, are you not even going to entertain me, your guest?"

The old woman's kneading motion abruptly stopped. She slowly turned her head; her gray hair was meticulously combed, her face deeply wrinkled, yet her eyes remained clear and sharp. Upon recognizing Yu Man, the corners of her usually taut lips twitched almost imperceptibly, then quickly straightened again. She turned back to continue kneading the dough, letting out a soft snort.

"Who do we have here? It's you, girl. Didn't you go back to your home? Why are you back in the capital again?" Although her tone was sharp, the force with which she kneaded the dough unconsciously softened.