Chapter 123: Want to do it, then just do it

The moon was bright, the stars sparse. Under the night sky, the midnight bells chimed. Jiangning City was ablaze with lights, outlining its contours and skeletal structure. Carriages sped by, and pedestrians carrying lanterns moved along the roads, some fast, some slow, like the flow of blood through veins. On the Qinhuai River, light shimmered on the water, and between the passing pleasure boats, the lights formed pathways like small glowing boxes.

People who had been enjoying the nightlife were now heading home. From the large and small residences throughout the streets, occasional knocks on doors and warm calls could be heard.

As midnight passed, the city lights gradually began to fade, like drifting duckweed, thinning from the periphery towards the city's heart. The lights of some brothels and teahouses were still on, but a sense of desolation had already set in. Pleasure boats and painted barges slowly docked, their lights dimming one by one, leaving only a scattering of rooms still illuminated.

As the night wore on, a misty haze began to float in the dark areas. Hour after hour passed, and at the city's quietest moment, a warm yellow glow emanated from the windows of a stilt house located in an unassuming river bend on one side of the city.

This appeared to be a somewhat disheveled woman's bedroom. While the original furnishings might have been relatively simple, the room now contained many items clearly brought in recently: strange potted plants, several oddly shaped small cabinets, and several strings of interesting knotted ornaments hanging on the wall. There were also several wrapped bundles of unknown objects, some left on chairs because there was no other place to put them. The dressing table was piled high with cosmetics. As the light came on, a woman's voice drifted out.

"Mmm, Sister Yunzhu, just a little more sleep..."

The mosquito net was half-lifted, and a soft, murmuring voice came from within. Nie Yunzhu, dressed in a bellyband and silk trousers, reached out to put on her thin undergarment. The woman on the inner side of the bed turned over and snuggled closer.

"Alright, you go back to sleep..."

Yunzhu smiled, buttoning her clothes and putting on her cloth shoes adorned with small flowers. She then took the oil lamp and flint to a round table that was a bit emptier than its surroundings. The small building only had one guest room, which was ultimately given to Kou'er. As for Yuan Jin'er, she brazenly used the excuse of sisterly affection to share a room with Nie Yunzhu.

They were indeed good sisters, and sleeping together was not an issue. In the past few days, Yuan Jin'er had somehow, little by little, brought in so many strange items, filling Nie Yunzhu's originally simple and elegant bedroom, making it a bit cluttered. Fortunately, Nie Yunzhu was not the type to be truly cold and aloof, unwilling to let others interfere. Since Yuan Jin'er enjoyed herself, Nie Yunzhu let her be.

"That Ning Yi... he wouldn't dare come today," the woman on the bed mumbled sleepily, slowly rolling over. "Isn't he afraid of being scolded by me?"

Hearing her tone, Nie Yunzhu smiled faintly. When she went out, Hu Tao and Kou'er were already awake, boiling hot water in the kitchen, and she went to help them. After washing her face, she returned to the dressing table in her room and began to apply simple makeup and comb her hair. During this time, Yuan Jin'er on the bed mumbled a few more incomprehensible words.

After a while, the woman finished getting dressed. She had changed into a formal outdoor dress, her attire still simple and plain, appearing ordinary. In reality, she spent a good deal of effort in her room each morning. Afterwards, she went to sweep the steps outside the door for a while. Once finished, she carried a tray with a teacup and teapot and sat down on the steps.

The sky was still dark, and the moon was visible in the night sky. Far to the east, dense mountain mist revealed faint, floating contours. The wind blew, sighing over the Qinhuai River. With the light shining from behind her, she brewed herself a cup of tea and waited quietly.

After a while, a casually dressed Yuan Jin'er emerged, rubbing her eyes. Her figure was actually slender and graceful, with the flexibility and beauty suited for dance, and she was not short. However, at this moment, she looked a few years younger. In the past, when Nie Yunzhu sat here waiting for Ning Yi, Yuan Jin'er would either be sleeping or leave after saying a few words. But today, she plopped down beside Nie Yunzhu, leaning on her to continue dozing, seemingly with no intention of leaving. Yunzhu put an arm around her shoulder. The morning breeze tends to clear one's head, and before long, Yuan Jin'er sighed deeply, then leaned over Nie Yunzhu's lap to reach for a cup and pour herself some tea.

"Ugh, when he comes over, I'm definitely going to scold him! It was too humiliating!" Yuan Jin'er declared. Yunzhu, sitting beside her, chuckled, "Still angry? What's there to be angry about? He already gave you five hundred taels. You did very well."

"But how could he do that? He cobbled it together! Everyone will know he had to scrounge for it. Where will I put my face? How can I live with myself..."

"But he reacted quickly, and not many people would know."

"Nonsense, lots of people saw it! It was so embarrassing back then..."

Yuan Jin'er felt unbearable just thinking about last night. She had gone up to give him face and ask for a tip, but he only had four taels. It would have been fine if he just didn't have the money at the moment, or even if he wrote a poem for her. But in the end, Ning Yi still turned back and told the girl behind him, "Five hundred taels." He didn't produce the money himself but had the Su family gather it a moment later to give to Swallow Green Tower. At least the Xue family group must have known, and many others must have noticed too...

This was the first time she felt so disgraced. No, wait, it was the second time. The first time was when she ran out to scare him but ended up being scared by Liu Qingdi. This time, she disgracefully pulled out four taels of silver to tip herself... and having to cobble together five hundred taels was even more humiliating...

Since leaving Swallow Green Tower with Yunzhu last night, she had been complaining and vowing revenge over this incident. Now, she was still muttering to herself, having drunk several cups of tea. Finally, shortly after the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky, the morning breeze gradually thinned the mountain mist. The figure with his left hand wrapped in a bandage finally appeared not far away. He maintained his usual running pace, only stopping when he got close, then exchanged glances with Yuan Jin'er for a moment.

"You still dare to come here..."

"You still dare to say that!" Ning Yi raised an eyebrow. "Not chaotic enough for you, is it?"

"What do I have to be afraid of saying? One tael of silver! Four taels of silver!"

"What could I do? I only had four taels of silver. Did you consult with me beforehand? You brought this upon yourself!"

"I was just covering for Sister Yunzhu! You messed up, that's your problem!"

"Cover? Is that how you provide cover? By tonight, Jiangning will be buzzing with gossip, do you know that?!"

"The buzz will be about me anyway!"

"Without you, it wouldn't have been such a commotion. Yunzhu's performance would have had limited impact; at most, people would have been curious for a moment. But with your fuss, it'll never end... people will just blindly stir up trouble..."

"I helped you save face, for Sister Yunzhu's sake, and you say I'm stirring up trouble! How many people beg me to stir up trouble for them?!"

"Thanks, thanks for helping me save face. Did you see the look on that guy Liu Qingdi's face when you came up? He almost swallowed me whole! And after you and Yunzhu left, he kept hinting at things."

"So what did you say?"

"I just said I didn't know who Yuan Jin'er was. I'd never met her, and I had no idea why she came up with me. If he wants to ask, he should ask you."

"So, you're saying I offered my warm face to your cold backside..."

"Anyway, he's got his eyes on me now, and it's all your fault."

"I'm not that familiar with him..." In fact, there wasn't much real disagreement between them. But an argument, after all, is about not losing face. After a brief verbal sparring match, Ning Yi sat down by the tea tray and poured himself a cup of tea. Yuan Jin'er continued to argue for a bit longer, seeking arbitration from Nie Yunzhu. Nie Yunzhu merely smiled, adopting an impartial stance, and Yuan Jin'er stomped off angrily.

As the first rays of morning sun appeared in the east, Ning Yi sat quietly drinking his tea. Nie Yunzhu hugged her knees and remained silent for a long while before finally lowering her head and chuckling. "What happened last night, I was actually being willful. Jin'er's stirring up trouble was also a result of my willfulness. She's naturally a mischievous person. Liheng, please don't blame her."

"It's fine, I found it quite amusing," Ning Yi said, smiling as he looked in the direction Yuan Jin'er had disappeared. He was a man accustomed to handling significant affairs. While he could be meticulous about small details and calculate gains and losses, he was also often daring. Whether he cared about this situation now was simply a matter of a shift in thought. "However, when she went on stage, I wonder how much she promised Swallow Green Tower."

"Jin'er and Mama Chen are old acquaintances. I heard she'll be helping the girls at Swallow Green Tower rehearse their dances, and I'll go help a bit too. It's no trouble."

Ning Yi nodded then. "As long as it's not too outrageous."

"However, things might get more troublesome now..." Nie Yunzhu thought for a moment before saying softly, "Regarding the matter with Elder Qin, would it be better if I went to apologize and declined the offer myself...?"

This was the most important matter to discuss. Ning Yi looked at her for a long time. "You thought about this before going on stage?"

"Yes," Nie Yunzhu nodded. "I thought a little, but not too much."

She sounded slightly apologetic: "In the end, I still caused trouble for Liheng..." "It's nothing major," Ning Yi shook his head. "I'll handle it."

"But that matter, in the end, it's not very good..."

"Indeed, it's not. I'll go speak with him."

"I also know Elder Qin, and he's been very kind to me. It might be better if I go..."

Ning Yi thought for a moment and smiled. "How about this: in a few days, I'll find some time, and we can go together to apologize. We should decline the offer of becoming adopted father and daughter; after all, we shouldn't cause too much trouble for him. I'll handle everything else, so you don't need to worry."

"Mhm," Nie Yunzhu replied, nodding. This time, she didn't say sorry or mention being a burden. The ability to do this together simply made her feel happy and at ease.

Before going on stage, she had considered a few things and knew that Liheng, who was on the second floor at the time, didn't care about trivial matters. But once she stepped onto the stage, controversy might once again cling to her. She had once greatly feared such things. After finally enduring and escaping that place of entertainment, for two years afterward, she was even afraid to go out too much or approach those areas unnecessarily. She was truly tired and unwilling to get entangled in such disputes.

But this time was different. Liheng didn't care, but she did. Only then did she realize how much she truly cared. Her former fears now seemed insignificant. Her heart had found something to rely on. Yes, she would perform for him on stage; only this was clear.

She wanted to do it, so she did.

"The city has been a bit tense lately; they might close the city gates again," Yunzhu said as Ning Yi prepared to leave. "Liheng, perhaps it's best not to come out so early in the mornings, just in case it's not safe?" Ning Yi nodded.

"After the city gates close, I won't come out this early to run in the mornings. I might visit during the day occasionally. But you ladies are the ones who really need to be careful. While the public order might not truly deteriorate, the atmosphere itself can easily lead to problems."

"Mhm."

Nie Yunzhu nodded, waving as she watched his figure disappear into the distance. When she turned back, she saw Yuan Jin'er, Hu Tao, and Kou'er all peeking through the gaps in the room's window sill, watching her. She sighed and smiled, feeling a mix of slight disappointment and satisfaction, knowing that in a few days, Liheng would take her to apologize together.

Meanwhile, when Ning Yi returned home, breakfast was already prepared in the room. Su Tan'er smiled when she saw him. She had already learned about what happened at Swallow Green Tower last night.

"I heard my husband made quite a splash last night..." She said this, but the smiles on Su Tan'er's and the three maids' faces were truly mischievous. Clearly, they had just been discussing it and were still finding it amusing, unable to hold back their laughter.