The buzzing sound lingered in her ears, and Li Furong suddenly felt an itch at the back of her neck. She reached up to scratch beneath her collar.
Just then, on the skin usually hidden by her collar, a faint red birthmark resembling a plum blossom became visible.
Fang Songhe hastily averted his gaze, silently reminding himself of the principle—"what is improper, do not see."
"Isn't porridge made from rice too plain? Let’s add something else to it."
Li Furong opened a nearby bag and grabbed a handful of flour.
She truly had no common sense about cooking!
Fang Songhe wanted to stop her but found himself powerless.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the window, scattering the flour in Li Furong’s hand into the air, as if it had become omnipresent.
A sneeze echoed from the rafters.
Li Furong tensed and looked up. "Who’s there!?"
Her maid also heard the presence of a third person and screamed in fear, "Miss!"
Li Furong shielded the maid behind her and shouted, "Guards! There’s a thief!"
In the haze, she caught a glimpse of a shadow darting past. Without knowing where her courage came from, she hurled the spatula in her hand and heard the man’s muffled groan.
She saw a figure trying to escape through the window and reached out, managing to grab a leg. But her hand slipped, and all she pulled off was a shoe as the thief vanished into the night.
As night fell, a few stars twinkled in the sky.
Ninth sat with her legs dangling, swinging them idly. The jingling sounds of her movements filled the air. "So slow, you stubborn ox."
Chu'he leaned against Ninth, covering a yawn with her hand.
Suddenly, the clamor of a thief hunt erupted from Li Mansion. The two exchanged glances, instantly alert.
A figure hurriedly leaped over the courtyard wall, but his steps were unsteady, and he stumbled upon landing.
Ninth, holding Chu'he, descended from the tree and looked at the man before them. She pretended to cover her mouth but couldn’t suppress her laughter.
Fang Songhe, the dashing young lord adored by countless maidens, was now a disheveled mess. His entire body was dusted with white flour, his robe bore the imprint of a spatula, and his left shoe was missing, leaving only a dirt-stained white sock exposed.
In one word—utterly humiliated.
Chu'he was surprised. "Brother Fang, what happened to you? Could there be a legendary master in the Li family?"
Fang Songhe flushed with embarrassment. "Just… an accident."
Hearing the commotion from Li Mansion still ongoing, he cleared his throat. "Let’s leave this place first."
The uproar over the thief lasted until midnight.
"Stupid little thief! Because of you, I almost got caught by Father for sneaking around. But luckily, I’m clever and managed to talk my way out of it!"
Li Furong brought the now-cold food to the elderly man and said generously, "The physician said you mustn’t go hungry while recovering. Eat up!"
The frail old man, his wrinkled face marked with strange black patterns, looked at the offering with a complicated expression. "What is this?"
"Porridge."
The old man fell silent for a moment. "This black, burnt paste… is porridge?"
"Of course! It’s different from ordinary porridge because I added a little twist."
That "little twist" was entirely unnecessary.
The old man pushed it away in disgust. "If it’s inconvenient for you to bring food from the mansion, you could always buy something from outside."
Li Furong gasped. "Oh! Why didn’t I think of that?"
Spoiled and naive—how could she have thought of it?
She waved her maid over and instructed her to secretly buy food from a street vendor. Then, she leaned closer to the old man. "Are you feeling better?"
The old man, aware of his terrifying appearance, was taken aback when she didn’t recoil. He turned his face away, uncomfortable.
"Don’t worry, I won’t die. Once I recover, I’ll leave."
Li Furong’s eyes brightened. "Your injuries were so severe, yet you’re healing so quickly! Do you have some secret remedy?"
"Why do you ask?"
"My brother is frail. I want him to get better soon."
The old man’s tone turned cold. "How touching, this sibling devotion."
"I saved your life, didn’t I? If you know any life-saving methods, teach me!"
A shadow flickered in the old man’s murky eyes. "There is one way. Outside the city lies Xiaosui Mountain—steep and treacherous. At the cliff’s peak grows a white flower called Tidebloom, a miraculous herb that can cure all ailments. However…"
"However what?"
"That flower is a spirit blossom. Ordinary people cannot see it. Only if a sincere person climbs the mountain alone and moves the mountain god’s heart will it bloom before their eyes." The old man spoke slowly. "I was fortunate enough to obtain one once, which is why even grave injuries heal swiftly for me."
Li Furong lowered her gaze, clutching her handkerchief as she murmured, "Alone… with a sincere heart?"
Seeing her interest, the old man merely smiled without another word.
Sending her away was for the best—less risk of her revealing his whereabouts. After all, when she failed to find the Tidebloom, she’d have no choice but to return.
Perhaps out of shame, Fang Songhe kept silent about his misadventure as a "ceiling gentleman" in Li Mansion the previous night. Chu'he tactfully refrained from prying, but Ninth had no such reservations.
"You had quite a scare yesterday. I made a calming incense—just a whiff will soothe your nerves."
Fang Songhe, now dressed in clean robes, was stopped at the gate. He eyed the vial in Ninth’s hand warily. "Aside from calming nerves… does it have any other effects?"
Ninth smiled sweetly. "After taking it, you’ll answer anything I ask."
Fang Songhe sighed. "I’ll pass."
Ninth produced a second vial. "This is Mistshade Incense. One sniff, and unpleasant memories vanish."
Fang Songhe: "Let me guess—another hidden benefit?"
Ninth’s lips curled into an innocent grin. "Every night in your sleep, you’ll confess those unpleasant memories aloud."
After a pause, Fang Songhe replied, "Still passing."
Ninth grumbled, "You’re so picky. I even made a third medicine—"
"I found out! Painter Gao usually sets up his stall in the street around this time!" Chu'he ran over, eyeing them curiously. "What are you two doing?"
With Chu'he’s arrival, Fang Songhe exhaled in relief and quickly strode ahead. "Let’s go find that painter now."
Chu'he tugged Ninth along, whispering, "Were you trying to cause trouble again?"
"Of course not." Ninth’s eyes shone with pure innocence, her demeanor serene and well-behaved. "I just noticed the stubborn ox seemed unsettled, so I kindly offered medicine to steady his mind. A helping hand, that’s all."
Chu'he remained skeptical. Before Ninth could react, she snatched the vial of calming incense and opened it. A delicate fragrance wafted out, leaving both girls momentarily dazed.
Chu'he blinked. "It just smells nice. No other effects."
Ninth nervously swallowed and snatched the bottle, hastily putting the cap back on. "Perhaps the calming incense I made was a failure."
Chu'he tilted her head, utterly baffled.
Calming incense—whatever one was asked, the answer would be nothing but the truth.
Ninth stole glance after glance at her, unable to hold back any longer. Clearing his throat, he called softly, "Chu'he."
She responded, "Hmm?"
"Who do you like the most?"
Without hesitation, she replied, "You."
The corners of Ninth's eyes curved with delight. "Then, every time you see me, do you want to kiss me?"
She nodded. "Of course."
The boy's crimson eyes sparkled with flecks of light. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging sky-high. Intertwining his fingers with hers, his joy was impossible to hide.
"In Chu'he's eyes, I'm flawless, right?"
Chu'he shook her head. "No."
The smug grin on Ninth's face froze. "What about me doesn’t satisfy you?"
Without thinking, she blurted out, "Every night—maybe you should reduce the frequency and focus on quality instead."
As if struck by lightning, Ninth's expression darkened.
Ahead of them, Fang Songhe paused mid-step before continuing as if he’d heard nothing.
Further down the street, gongs and drums clamored as a dense crowd gathered, buzzing with excitement.
Fang Songhe glanced over, and this time, it was his turn for his expression to shift.
A servant from Li Mansion announced, "Recently, a thief sneaked into our estate, attempting to steal valuables! Fortunately, our young mistress caught him in time. The scoundrel fled empty-handed, scrambling over the walls!"
Seated comfortably in a chair, Li Furong enjoyed the shade of an attendant’s parasol, nibbling on snacks fed to her by a maid. A delicate round fan fluttered in her hand as she basked in leisure.
She gave a sidelong glance to the guard beating the gong, signaling him to continue.
The guard declared, "Though the thief escaped quickly, he left behind evidence!"
A man’s boot was displayed on a tray, paraded before the onlookers.
"Anyone who provides clues leading to the owner of this shoe will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!"
A thousand taels?
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
"Dissatisfied? Chu'he, dissatisfied? Chu'he, Chu'he, are you unhappy with me? Chu'he..."
Chu'he pushed away the incessantly chattering boy’s face as it drew near. Watching the lively spectacle, she couldn’t help but remark:
"Well, well—a modern-day Cinderella’s lost shoe story, huh?"
