Ding-dong, ding-dong—the sound of clinking bowls and utensils. At dawn, Chan'er and Juan'er set the table, placing bowls and serving porridge. Following Tan'er's instructions, they also sat down nearby. In the morning light, the five of them gathered around the table for breakfast.
Last night, Su Tan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er returned home late. After Chan'er had finished crying, she sat in the pavilion with Ning Yi, sharing her worries tearfully. The poor girl had initially been worried that Ning Yi might have gone to meet some vixen, then became anxious upon hearing the banging of gongs outside, fearing he'd encountered trouble. Later, she even worried that if he was meeting such a woman, he hadn't taken her along and would be without money…
"If Master went there without any money, those people would look down on him. Honestly, all those women who say they're so wonderful—it's all an act; they're the most shallow…"
Sitting in the pavilion, the young girl wiped her tears, earnestly worrying about him being shamed if he had no money. Ning Yi's heart warmed, and he comforted her. The two exchanged idle chatter under the starlight, and Chan'er finally managed to set some of her worries aside.
Su Tan'er, having come back late last night and not slept long, seemed tired at breakfast. Although she'd experienced such situations before, she still looked somewhat weary. After washing her face, she tried her best to put on a spirited appearance, as did Juan'er and Xing'er.
"On the way back to the city last night, we were stopped and saw strict checks for anyone leaving. They said an official was assassinated, so the courtesan contest today likely won't take place on Bailuzhou as planned. We don't yet know what the arrangements will be… There's also the dragon boat race this morning…"
Sipping her porridge, Su Tan'er mentioned a few matters out of habit. Ning Yi shook his head. "Get some sleep this morning."
"Huh?" Su Tan'er looked up at him.
"You, and Juan'er and Xing'er as well. Sleep for a bit this morning. Leave the matters in the courtyard to Chan'er. The rest can wait until noon."
"Yes, yes!" Chan'er immediately puffed out her chest and nodded vigorously. "Leave it to me. Miss, you should rest a bit longer."
"Then I'll listen to my husband." Su Tan'er smiled and nodded. Juan'er and Xing'er also smiled happily from the side. "Thank you, Master."
"Though it seems you'll have to watch the dragon boat race alone this morning…"
"I'm not going to watch the boats. I'll head over to the academy."
"Aren't there no classes today?" Su Tan'er asked, puzzled.
"I have no other plans. I had some thoughts yesterday that I want to test out. I'll be back by noon."
They chatted casually afterward. Su Tan'er asked about the contest from the previous day and about what had happened in the city before she returned. In truth, aside from the fatigue of insufficient sleep, Su Tan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er seemed a bit down. Likely, the technical breakthrough on their end had once again failed. But failures were common in such matters—success might come after nine failures out of ten. It was no cause for too much disappointment.
After breakfast, Su Tan'er, Juan'er, and Xing'er went back to their rooms to sleep. Ning Yi said goodbye to Chan'er and left, driving the carriage from the Prince Consort's residence through the marketplace. Today was the Dragon Boat Festival, and the streets were lively and festive, with many people gathering along the Qinhuai River to watch the dragon boat race. The fragrance of rice dumplings filled the air from both sides of the street. However, there were also many vigilant soldiers, likely causing the Jiangning government some headaches. Such festivals made it hard to take strict actions that would disturb the people, so they could only heighten their vigilance and inspections, carefully controlling the city's population to trap the assassin inside.
As he turned toward the academy, there were fewer people on the road, though the sounds of firecrackers and gongs could still be heard. Along the way, he exchanged greetings with a familiar resident. When his carriage reached the gate of the rented courtyard, Ning Yi took a bundle from the carriage. He went inside, through the courtyard and the rooms, and only upon opening the door to the inner chamber did he find no one there. He walked in, observing small clues here and there. He noticed that the window he had closed last night was now open, then turned around and closed the door as he exited.
About three or four meters above ground on the crossbeam, a woman wrapped in a long robe sat, watching Ning Yi as he closed the door, before turning around and jumping down. The man's robe she wore flared in the breeze, briefly revealing her bandaged torso and her long legs as she descended. She pulled the robe's collar to wrap herself tightly, her fair calves and bare feet still visible. She tapped her long sword against a nearby shelf.
Hearing the sound, Ning Yi waited a few seconds before opening the door again. With a clang, the sword hilt pressed against the door, holding it closed. He passed the bundle through the opening, and as he closed the door, he caught a glimpse of the woman's pale wrist and her side profile, cold as frost, as she took the bundle.
"Clothes and food. Lunch and dinner are also prepared, though it may not be very nutritious. I'll try to get some better supplies. Since you're injured, if you need any medicine, you can let me know. Don't worry, I'll buy everything separately to avoid drawing attention. If you want, you can give me your blood-stained clothes and anything else that might cause trouble, and I'll handle it."
There was silence from within for a moment. "You can handle it?"
"I know a bit."
He replied as he picked up a chisel and hammer nearby, tapping at a brick that had been pierced by a sword last night. A reaction came from inside—she was probably changing clothes.
"What are you doing?"
"That's too obvious. It's clear that a sharp weapon made that mark. Just need to fix it a little."
With a series of knocks and taps, he distorted the gap, then charred it with kerosene, polished it, and burned it again. After repeating the process several times, he knocked on the door and entered the inner room, performing the same procedure there. The room was empty, and the blood-stained cloth strips from last night had been placed in the bundle on the table.
On the beam, the woman sat in light green clothes, watching the man finish his work. She seemed to inspect the blood-stained items on the table. Among these were not only outer garments but also intimate personal belongings, which made her feel slightly vexed. Then she heard the man's voice below, saying, "Sorry, I forgot to buy you shoes. I'll bring them tomorrow." He picked up the bundle and turned to leave.
The feeling of annoyance gradually faded. The woman curled her legs on the beam, where her pants barely reached her ankles, and her delicate feet remained exposed. Instinctively, she reached down to cover the tops of her feet but then let go and curled herself up further.
Outside, various experimental devices filled the space. There was a stove built by Ning Yi, with a strong flame burning coal inside. He threw the bloodstained cloth and various tiny fragments into it, and soon, they were reduced to nothing. While the items burned, he casually commented on the outside patrols, then fell silent.
In the quiet, he continued his work, preparing solutions or scribbling odd symbols on a chalkboard. Once, a porcelain jar exploded, and he quickly tidied up. Outside, the sunlight filtered in; it wasn't too hot. Wild flowers and grasses swayed in the yard, while the festive sounds of Dragon Boat races from the Dragon Boat Festival echoed in the distance. Yet, in this small courtyard, the atmosphere of calm grew more pronounced. Lu Hongti sat on the bed, holding her sword, eating the meat-filled buns Ning Yi had brought. She occasionally glanced curiously through the slightly widened gap at the strange experiments being conducted, her gaze lingering as the man focused intently. Occasionally, he jotted something down in a notebook.
Some time later, the door to the courtyard was pushed open. The soft sound of footsteps belonged not to an adult but to a young servant girl, who busied herself collecting items before jumping up again, holding her breath and listening intently. A small voice came from the other side: "Master, I've come!"
It was the little maid, sounding quite cheerful.
"Be careful over there. There might be shards of porcelain. Don't touch the water on the table."
"Yes, yes, I know..."
"How come you're here so soon?"
"Miss Xian'er woke up already and asked me to find you, Master. Oh! Oh! I also bought two little bells on the way! Look, I hung them outside. Do you think they look good?"
"Go ahead and hang them."
"Okay."
The sweet ringing of the bells echoed, and the little maid seemed to be carrying a chair out and hanging the bells under the eaves.
"Master, when I was coming, I saw lots of soldiers in the streets. Everyone was talking about the assassin from yesterday. They said she was really strong. Have you heard about it?"
"I've heard."
"Really? What did you hear, Master? They say it was a female assassin, isn't that like the female thief Yuanxi?"
"Yes, they say it was a female assassin. On my way here, I even heard someone say they saw her last night. They were describing it vividly…" The man casually continued, "They said this female assassin was incredibly skilled, about eight feet tall and with a waist that was also eight feet around, holding a golden-silk large ringed blade. She cut her way from Zhuque Street to Changye Street, with the world turning dark, the sun and moon losing their light. The officer Song Xian used a set of Buddhist martial arts called the Rulai Divine Palm, almost perfected, but this woman's terrifying strike was even more powerful. They fought for 120 moves with no winner..."
The little maid burst out laughing: "That's not true! Master, you're making things up again! Eight feet tall? And her waist is also eight feet? Isn't that just a block of wood?"
"Well, the waist means the circular part. So, it should be a pillar-shaped assassin wielding a golden-silk large ringed blade. How powerful would that be?"
"What's a golden-silk large ringed blade like?"
"Uh, it's probably like the one the guard Tang uses at home. It has several rings on it that clink when you move it..."
"…Master, stop telling stories."
"I can't tell stories all the time."
"Oh…"
"Alright... Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, there was a scholar named Ning Caichen. It's said that he failed the imperial exam and went back home, where he took up a job collecting debts for others..."
A stream of light poured through the roof tiles, and the woman, holding her sword, sat against the beam, watching the light and listening to the sounds outside. The little maid was busy in the yard, picking a few wildflowers, while the man continued his strange experiments, occasionally telling more odd stories. The morning was exceptionally quiet.
By noon, they were about to leave. They were likely heading out to see the Dragon Boat race or to attend the beauty contest with their families. The flames outside were dying down, and things were being tidied up. The door opened and closed again.
"The bells are really pretty."
"I bought them."
"Alright, alright..." The voices of the two faded, and then the man casually added, "The bells will see us again tomorrow."
The little maid also called out, "The bells, see you tomorrow."
Finally, the courtyard gate was closed, and the carriage departed. The woman quietly stepped out and looked at the wind chimes hanging under the eaves. As the distant sounds of the Dragon Boat Festival faded away, she thought about the strange story titled A Ghostly Woman's Love, and how it was far more fascinating than anything the storytellers had ever told.
The ending was still untold...
At noon on the fifth of May, Lu Hongti stood beneath the eaves, eating the cold meat-filled buns, listening to the chimes, and absentmindedly thinking...