Chapter 42: One Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (7)

In Yuan Jin'er's room behind Jinfeng Tower, Kou'er was vividly recounting the events that had just unfolded at Jiuyu Tower.

"...And then, when that Young Master Ning wrote that ci poem, everyone was dumbfounded. Xue Jin, who had initially tried to make things difficult for him, even asked, 'Didn't you say that "Shuidiao Getou" was written by a Taoist priest?' Then Young Master Ning told him... hahahaha... Young Master Ning said that on that day, the Taoist priest... *chuckles*... recited... recited two poems... hahahahahaha..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Yuan Jin'er, who was listening from her bed, burst into laughter, doubling over. "Sister Yunzhu, this person is truly witty..."

Yunzhu was looking at the slip of paper. She knew Ning Yi, and the scene Kou'er described naturally came to mind. Remembering Ning Yi's unconventional nature, it truly seemed like something he would do, and she couldn't help but smile.

Kou'er had always been somewhat supportive of Young Master Cao Guan. While she enjoyed telling the story, a moment later she became a little uneasy: "Miss, Sister Nie, is this ci poem... really that good? Young Master Cao and the others had such strange expressions earlier. Miss, you used to say there are no fixed rules in poetry competitions, and Young Master Cao is the best. Could it be that he really couldn't surpass it...?"

Yuan Jin'er smiled, glanced at the poem again, and after exchanging a look with Nie Yunzhu, she shook her head slightly. "According to what you said, Kou'er, after tonight, the title of Jiangning's foremost scholar will likely be bestowed upon Young Master Ning. It's a pity... he's a live-in son-in-law to a merchant family." She then frowned. "Why would such a person agree to be a live-in son-in-law? Could he have been forced by the Su family...?"

Previously, due to his status as a live-in son-in-law, there had been suspicions that Ning Yi's poems were plagiarized. But after this, it seemed no one would dare to doubt him again, and of course, no one would believe his jest about the Taoist priest reciting two poems. As Yuan Jin'er mused, Hutao, who had been hesitating for a long time beside Nie Yunzhu, tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Miss, is this Young Master Ning truly *that* Young Master Ning?"

Her voice was soft, but Yuan Jin'er and Kou'er, who were nearby, heard clearly and widened their eyes. "Sister Yunzhu... you know Ning Yi?"

Yunzhu pondered for a moment, then casually plucked the strings of the guqin nearby, producing a few notes. After a brief pause, she said, "If I were to tell you he's the composer of that song we just heard, what would you think, Jin'er?"

"Ah..." Yuan Jin'er was stunned for a long time. She thought of the peculiar yet pleasant melody, struggling to reconcile her thoughts. Looking at the "Qing Yu An" in front of her, it was truly refined and grand to the extreme, yet the imagery of 'outside the long pavilion, by the ancient road' felt truly unconventional and rebellious. "If it's really as Sister Yunzhu says, then that's... quite strange..."

"Sister Nie, you really know Young Master Ning? What kind of person is he? Please tell us..."

Kou'er leaned closer to Nie Yunzhu. Nie Yunzhu looked at the ci poem in her hand, thought for a moment, then slowly raised her head, her gaze drifting towards a corner of the room.

Yes, what kind of person was he, exactly...?

Thinking about it now, she found it hard to describe him. When they first met, she had fallen into the river, dragging him down with her. After saving her, he received a slap, yet he didn't argue. Their subsequent interactions were equally casual; he would run around every morning, and they'd have brief conversations when he paused. Although she had long heard of his talent, his actions never suggested he considered himself a scholar. What he cared about daily were always strange and unusual things.

"It's just killing a chicken; no need to thank me."

"Charcoal pencils... for writing..."

"Just exercising... scholars are useless."

"If I could learn some martial arts... the kind that makes you a really skilled wanderer..."

"Jialan Yu... it's not suitable for refined halls, but I like listening to it."

"Preserved eggs... you can call them 'wealthy eggs' or 'jade eggs,' whatever you like..."

If she were to tell others about these things, they might think he was arrogant. But in her interactions with him, she simply felt at ease, a different kind of ease from all the other refined scholars. Arrogance usually stems from extreme pride in something, yet she sensed that he truly wasn't boastful or disdainful of others. It was just a lighthearted feeling; he didn't dislike what others enjoyed, but he also didn't take particular pleasure in it. Nevertheless, over the past few months of their acquaintance, although he had never truly shown his literary or romantic side to her, and she had never brought it up, she couldn't deny that she secretly harbored some expectations.

"When will the bright moon appear, I raise my cup and ask the sky..." How profound must the talent be of someone who could compose such a poem? Nie Yunzhu secretly harbored a small hope. Even though she felt relaxed interacting with Ning Yi's casual and unrestrained side, she also believed that this might be his more authentic self. Still, she looked forward to the day she might witness his other, more scholarly side.

It wasn't until she saw "Qing Yu An" at this moment that she envisioned him writing the poem: the mockery, the obstruction, the challenges from the crowd, and his calm smile as he faced them. *If only I had been there at that time...*

Listening to Kou'er's question and looking at the poem, such a strong thought suddenly arose in her mind. Outside, the Lantern Festival night was as bright as day. He had said he had urgent business at the tavern, but she didn't know what it was or where he was now. Suddenly, she wanted to know all these things.

A moment later, Nie Yunzhu suppressed these emotions.

After the midnight bells chimed, Ning Yi and Xiao Chan were walking on their way back. Xiao Chan repeatedly chanted "Qing Yu An," occasionally asking, "Young Master, Young Master, what was that about 'golden threads'?" Ning Yi would answer her.

He felt a little bored because even after writing the poem, he had still lost track of the person.

When he started writing the poem, he had thought it was quite fitting, especially since he was tracking the female assassin. But he wondered if it was *too* fitting. Perhaps the last line, "Suddenly looking back, that person is there in the dim light," had caught the female assassin's attention. When he and Xiao Chan followed, after circling the area a few times, he discovered that the female assassin had completely vanished from his tracking range.

Perhaps the very aptness of the poem had backfired, exposing his presence. This was truly unexpected. He wondered if it would have been better if he had changed it to "Suddenly looking back, that person is *not* there in the dim light..." he thought with a slight grimace.

If the female assassin had truly become wary of him, persistently searching for her would be more harmful than beneficial. Since the plan didn't work out, he decided to let it go. After strolling for a while with Xiao Chan, they turned back. Along the way, Xiao Chan was still excited about what had just happened, constantly talking about Xue Jin's stunned expression, even putting her hands on her hips and laughing triumphantly: "Hmph, now no one will dare to speak ill of Young Master, will they?"

Ning Yi chuckled, "Ah, it's useless to speak ill of me anymore..."

"Why?"

"Because the Taoist priest only recited two poems."

"Hehe..." Xiao Chan giggled.

In any case, the issue of people accusing him of plagiarism was, for the most part, resolved.

Some events—like tonight's—appeared to be accidental, but might not have been without calculation. From the start, Ning Yi felt that the ideal solution to such matters lay in a similar direction. He wasn't particular about such things; the poems he knew were a strategic resource here, potentially useful for future needs. However, there was no immediate need, and merely gaining some vanity was uninteresting. Since Xiao Chan had revealed the matter, there was no need for him to deny it and shoulder an undeserved reputation when the issue could be resolved.

Engaging daily with those scholars and gaining fame was never something he considered. If he was going to do something casually, it had to be simple. He had kept silent about the entire matter for five months, thinking there would always be times it couldn't be avoided, and then it could be resolved. Today, he genuinely wanted to pursue the female assassin, as in his heart, the reputation of a scholar was truly expendable—something he'd accept if offered, but martial arts were entirely different. Who knew such an unexpected turn would occur? Since Xue Jin, Su Chonghua, and others had pushed the matter to that extent, he didn't mind going along with it.

His considerations for these matters might not have been so detailed, nor had he ever truly planned them meticulously. However, past experiences had formed habits; during games or leisure, he might relax and be a bit unrestrained, like chatting with Elder Qin, Elder Kang, Nie Yunzhu, and others. But as soon as he perceived a threat, no matter how small, these seemingly casual responses might have already been replayed and refined countless times in his subconscious. At times, bored, he would just laugh and curse himself for being unable to escape calculation his entire life.

There was still no hope for martial arts for now, but resolving the poetry issue was somewhat of a gain. After walking for a while, Xiao Chan suddenly said, "Young Master, Xiao Chan doesn't like this poem..."

"Hm?"

"And 'searching for him a thousand times through the crowd'... Young Master, you were just chasing that female thief."

Ning Yi froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. Xiao Chan pursed her lips. "Young Master, I'm going to tell Miss later, and you'll be in big trouble..."

"Mhm, I know." Ning Yi nodded and walked forward, smiling. Xiao Chan followed from behind. "Young Master, I really am going to tell Miss..."

"I know..."

Xiao Chan genuinely liked Ning Yi, but she couldn't possibly hide something like this from Su Tan'er for him. Furthermore, she didn't want any rift between Ning Yi and Su Tan'er. For a moment, she wavered between "loyalty to Miss" and "concealing for Young Master's sake and family harmony." Seeing Ning Yi's nonchalant demeanor, she felt her distress was rather superfluous and wished she could pounce on him and take a bite.

"Oh, Young Master..."

"I know, I know... The poem is written that way, but it's not about searching for her. Besides, I didn't find her in the end, did I...? Come on, let's go, quickly..."

While the master and servant seemed to be playfully chasing each other on the street, in the small teahouse, Su Tan'er, having concluded her business, also received the "Qing Yu An" poem and learned of everything that had transpired at the Pu Yuan poetry gathering. She sat there, chin in hand, gazing serenely into the air, lost in thought. Seated at one side of the square table, Xi Junyu's fingertips lightly touched, and he looked at the paper on which the poem was written, his gaze quiet. Only those particularly familiar with him might have noticed the hint of gloom in his eyes.

With the business already settled, Su Tan'er was waiting for Ning Yi and Xiao Chan to return. He could have used this time to discuss future business plans with Su Tan'er; it was the Lantern Festival, after all, and they could have also chatted about other small matters. Regardless of Ning Yi's character, he and Su Tan'er had collaborated for several years, forming bonds that couldn't be easily diluted. He had felt the atmosphere was quite pleasant. However, once this poem arrived and Xiao Juan relayed the rumors she'd heard, Su Tan'er quieted down, and he knew everything had been scattered into disarray. Anything more he might say, though Su Tan'er might still feign earnest listening and smiling replies, would truly be meaningless.

Before long, Ning Yi and Xiao Chan ascended from that direction. Su Tan'er smiled and nodded at him. "Husband, you're here. If there are no other important matters, Shopkeeper Xi, please return for now. You've worked hard today."

"Then I shall take my leave," Xi Junyu said with a smile, bowing respectfully. He then greeted Ning Yi. As he prepared to descend the stairs, he glanced back and saw Su Tan'er pressing her lips together firmly, then vigorously pointing at the paper on the table in front of Ning Yi. The amusement in her eyes was palpable, a gesture like that between close friends who share a deep understanding. He and Su Tan'er also had a rapport, but it was strictly professional. Su Tan'er, though seemingly gentle and refined, was terrifyingly serious at times, and collaborating effectively on certain business deals brought a strong sense of accomplishment. However, he had never witnessed such a smile from her before.

Ning Yi picked up the paper slip and chuckled as he looked at it, explaining something. Perhaps noticing that his clothes were a little disheveled, Su Tan'er smiled and reached out, gently straightening the collar of his long robe.