Since the end of the year, Ning Yi and Su Tan'er's relationship had become increasingly natural. Of course, it wasn't the kind of "natural" one might expect from a husband and wife of this era—it was more like the interactions between two "strange people."
After they laid everything on the table before the year's end, Su Tan'er, for the first time, found her own sense of balance in their relationship. With this newfound stability, many things became easier. In the past, she would go out of her way to uphold a traditional "family" dynamic, always trying to make small talk at the dining table, considering which topics were safe to discuss, which might interest him, and which might need to be avoided to keep the peace—it almost felt like negotiating business. But now, there was no need for such efforts, and they even ended up having more to talk about. Conversations just flowed naturally; they found things amusing without having to force it.
Although Ning Yi still went jogging every morning, they would often have breakfast at home together before setting out for the day. Their paths diverged afterward—Su Tan'er would travel by carriage, while Ning Yi walked. Xiao Chan was typically faced with two choices: accompany the young mistress or follow her lord. Of course, she could also stay home, but the other two options seemed more worthwhile. Following her lord was an opportunity to listen to his "lessons" and hear his stories, and every time he spoke in his casual, engaging way, Xiao Chan would marvel at how truly knowledgeable he was.
Lately, however, Su Tan'er had been particularly busy, as was always the case in early spring, so Xiao Chan ended up accompanying her. Though Xiao Chan was simple and sincere with Ning Yi and Su Tan'er, she was also surprisingly dependable when it came to work. One time, Ning Yi witnessed her sternly scolding a few servants with fierce dedication. She even pointed out the petty conflicts and backstabbing going on among them: "Don't think I haven't noticed!" After setting things straight, she waved a short ruler in her hand as though she might start hitting them. Then, pausing and staring at the ruler in her hand, she suddenly remembered, "Oh no, this is the ruler the young mistress needs…" She then turned to the group, "Well, why are you still standing here? Get going!" And off she ran to deliver the ruler, leaving Ning Yi laughing behind her. Xiao Chan was being groomed for a managerial role, but this was simply part of her personality.
Ning Yi would return home around noon or in the afternoon, sometimes accompanied by Xiao Chan, who would sneak away to find him before her midday lessons ended. If she wasn't around, he'd come back alone. By midday, Su Tan'er was usually home as well, either in her room, the living room, or sometimes relaxing in the courtyard gazebo. Juan'er and Xing'er sometimes stayed with her, though they often had household tasks to handle elsewhere.
When Su Tan'er was deep in thought, she had a habit of biting her hand, sometimes her fist, sometimes just a fingertip—a gesture she would only show when no one was around. One evening, as the sun was setting, Ning Yi returned home to find Su Tan'er dressed in a soft yellow dress, seated in the gazebo reading a ledger, her pearly teeth gently nibbling on her thumb as she turned a page. Ning Yi walked over, intending to say hello, but just as he was about to, she turned around and looked at him, thumb still at her lips, her large eyes meeting his with an innocent, slightly puzzled gaze before she quietly turned back to her ledger.
Feeling a little ignored, Ning Yi shrugged and walked off, thinking how calm and composed she was. But after he had taken a few steps, Su Tan'er called out behind him, "My Lord! You scared me to death!" When he turned, she looked at him with puffed cheeks, lightly patting her chest. After a moment, Ning Yi spread his hands in mock exasperation, and Su Tan'er broke into a soft, amused smile.
From the time they got home, through dinner, evening entertainment, and finally bedtime, everyone would gather, chatting and sharing bits of news or gossip. Sometimes Ning Yi felt that Su Tan'er, in her own way, was not so different from his past self. The challenges she faced were unique to her, of course, as were her hopes and confusions. He sometimes thought that Su Tan'er's struggles were even more daunting than his own. She was a woman, after all, and if there were a man in the Su family who was a bit smarter or more capable, things would be easier. If she were a bit less talented, life would also be simpler. But instead, she was wedged between these extremes and had no choice but to press forward, often confronting issues that arose precisely because of her gender.
Occasionally, they would "accidentally" meet by the column on the second floor, overlooking the Su family estate every few days. Su Tan'er would bring up all sorts of trivial matters, some of which were unsuitable to mention in front of others—not even in front of Xiao Chan or Juan'er—since they were of little importance or were simply some clever business schemes she'd come up with. She would also talk about family affairs, like how a cousin recently swindled a few hundred taels from her, claiming he'd seen a rare piece of porcelain that would certainly increase in value. Su Tan'er handed over the money with a sweet smile, only to turn around and tell Ning Yi about it, biting her finger and saying, "Now I can use this against him. If he gives me any trouble, I'll just tell his wife and let her raise hell…"
Su Tan'er was very smart and also gifted in business, but after all, she was only nineteen. Many times, the pressure she faced had nowhere to go, and Ning Yi was perhaps the only person who could give her a space to relieve it. To her, it seemed he understood part of what she said, though not necessarily everything. Occasionally, Ning Yi would say things she didn't fully understand, but she would listen anyway. In moments like these, no matter how strange his choice of words was or how incomprehensible the things he said were, she wouldn't find it odd.
There was something rather peculiar about it—perhaps it was because the first time they chatted, he had given her a century egg. After their second conversation, Su Tan'er seemed to have something to say but hesitated, and then she asked, "My lord, didn't you bring anything to eat?" She followed that by saying, "Next time, bring some food, please."
From then on, he would bring her some snacks—a small bag of candies, peanuts, or candied dates. The Su family wasn't lacking in wealth, so providing these things was no burden, and sometimes he'd even bring pears, which were hard to find at that time of year. On one occasion, Ning Yi casually brought a large flatbread, but with the cold weather at the end of winter, it was as tough as beef jerky. Su Tan'er didn't mind, though; she took it and slowly tore off pieces with her teeth, eating until she was completely satisfied. Then she said, "You did this on purpose, didn't you, my lord?"
By February, their conversations became even more casual. They appeared to be like strange friends of this era—one a merchant, the other always coming up with some unorthodox inventions. One day, Su Tan'er asked Ning Yi, "My lord, why do you never go to those brothels or accept invitations from those scholars?"
Ning Yi shrugged, "I only know two poems—I'm not charming enough to win any ladies…"
Su Tan'er thought about this for a while before roughly grasping what he meant, and she laughed. "Just throw money at them! Those cousins of mine, every time they borrow a few dozen taels from me, they only ever go to the famous ones. If my lord brought a few hundred taels and your reputation for talent, I'm sure you could see famous girls like Qi Lan or Lu Caicai several times without a problem… Oh, that reminds me—after the Lantern Festival, I heard that Qi Lan girl seems to have developed quite an interest in you. For a few nights, she's sung your 'Qing Yu An' with such lingering, sorrowful notes… Who knows? Maybe something romantic could blossom between you two…"
She gave Ning Yi a sidelong glance with a playful glint in her eye. Ning Yi thought for a moment and then nodded, "Is that so? Then I suppose I should visit her tomorrow night… After all, it can't be easy for her."
That evening, Su Tan'er was eating broad beans, and she cast a cold look at him before crunching down on a bean for a long time. Then she gave a little huff of laughter, "Then, my lord, you'd better take Xiao Chan with you."
Ning Yi didn't lack money, mostly because he could always ask Xiao Chan for it. He didn't spend much, and Su Tan'er had no objections to this arrangement. But even though Xiao Chan was sweet-natured, if Ning Yi really went to hire a courtesan, it was clear which side Xiao Chan would be on. Even if she didn't say anything openly, she'd certainly find ways to make trouble for him. Ning Yi sighed, "Women and petty people are hard to deal with… You, woman, are all honey-tongued with a dagger in your heart, no sincerity at all. Hand over the broad beans! You're not allowed to eat them anymore!"
Su Tan'er held her small bag of beans, took a step back, and smiled like a fox, "Tan'er has been doing business for years, and I've never heard of a merchant who's truly sincere. My lord will just have to bear with it."
February passed for Ning Yi in these seemingly ordinary days—students, Nie Yunzhu, Xiao Chan, Su Tan'er, his chemical experiments, and occasional meetings with Master Qin or Master Kang, sharing a few words with them, sometimes catching updates about the Song Xi'an or Wu Lie army. He occasionally thought back on the martial arts skills of that woman, but after the Lantern Festival, the female assassin seemed to have vanished completely.
In early March, business at the Su family was bustling, but Su Tan'er still took a day off to go on an outing outside Jiangning with Ning Yi and three maids. That afternoon, they returned and went to a tea house, where they overheard a few scholars at the next table discussing century eggs. They mentioned that the woman running the century egg business was a talented beauty who insisted on supporting herself, having developed the recipe for century eggs on her own. Apparently, an admirer had been courting her for years, and with just a small trick, he helped her find a market for her novel creation within less than half a month.
In truth, though Nie Yunzhu was indeed busy, it was unlikely her century eggs had spread so far yet. The scholars were specifically discussing the "small trick" that Ning Yi had asked Li Pin to arrange. Ning Yi chuckled inwardly, wondering how Li Pin had involved Nie Yunzhu in this story. The whole bit about years of pursuit—he'd been too careless; this was going to get Li Pin into trouble. But as he continued listening, he realized things were more complex than he'd thought.
"Gu Hong, also known as Gu Yanzhen, has been famous in Jiangning for years. This time, he returned from Tokyo specifically for her. Now that he's established himself with honors, his continued devotion is quite admirable…"
"His method was clever—he solved the problem in just a few days… A talented man and a beautiful woman. Given time, they're sure to have a happy ending."
"I, however, think differently. For a woman to be so openly involved in such a business is hardly a fitting match…"
After listening for a while, Ning Yi realized that all these people were talking about a man named Gu Hong, also known as Gu Yanzhen. Recalling the somewhat meaningful questions Nie Yunzhu had asked him a few days ago, he pieced a few things together and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.
Before dawn the next day, when he arrived in front of the small building, Nie Yunzhu was, as usual, sitting on the steps waiting for him. Upon seeing him approach, she gave him a smile no different from any other day. Ning Yi looked at her for a moment, gently rubbed his forehead, and asked, "Been tired lately?"
"Huh?" Nie Yunzhu blinked, then shook her head slightly, looking a bit confused.
Ning Yi sat down beside her, choosing his words carefully. "Why… didn't you just tell that Gu Yanzhen to… stop doing what he's been doing?"
The morning breeze carried a chill in the darkness, and silence enveloped the area in front of the small building. After a moment, Nie Yunzhu's voice came from beside him, "Liheng… why would… Liheng… why are you asking this…"
"Uh, I just heard… about that Gu Yanzhen…" Ning Yi spread his hands, not sure how to express himself.
"I… I, I have nothing to do with that Gu Yanzhen… They're just talking nonsense… Liheng… I…"
Her voice seemed a little off. Ning Yi turned to look at her, but in the darkness, only a faint light from one of the rooms illuminated her face. Her expression held a hint of frustration, as if she wanted to clarify something but couldn't quite find the right words. Ning Yi looked at her for a while, feeling somewhat puzzled, and slowly said, "Mm, I understand…"
Nie Yunzhu looked at him, her brows furrowing, as if she were on the verge of tears. But after taking a deep breath, she met Ning Yi's gaze seriously and spoke, emphasizing each word clearly.
"I have nothing to do with that Gu Yanzhen."