The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Lu Mingzhao accompanied her husband Zhou Ningchuan to the palace to attend a banquet.

Zhou Shili is on leave and staying home to be with his wife.

Zhou Shixu went out after lunch, wanting to find his friends to drink and have fun, but found that with the New Year approaching, his friends were all confined to their homes.

Zhou Shixu had no choice but to wander around alone. When he reached the riverbank, he suddenly had a whim, found a small boat, boarded it, and drifted aimlessly on the river.

He was used to being surrounded by compliments and lively chatter, and now that he was suddenly alone, he felt quite uncomfortable.

He stood at the bow of the boat, looking up at the clusters of snowflakes falling from the sky. Although this winter was not particularly cold, he still felt a sense of melancholy.

He is already sixteen years old, and after the New Year, he will be seventeen by the traditional Chinese age reckoning.

An'an has grown up, and he can't talk to her as often as he used to.

Aunt Chu has moved away from the mansion again.

There are almost no people in his family who can talk to him.

Recently, when the whole family ate dinner together, he saw his older brother and sister-in-law being a loving couple, and he would think of himself every time.

He's reached the age where he should get engaged. I wonder if his parents have considered him for a while, and if so, which girl they're considering?

But when he thought about this, he felt that he had no achievements or accomplishments and was not yet qualified to start a family.

After all, compared to his older brother, who held an official position, was mature, and cared for his family, he was nothing short of a playboy.

Without his father's title, he would never have been able to live such a comfortable life on his own.

Even so, he couldn't help but fantasize about meeting a girl to spend his life with, just like his parents and brother and sister-in-law, knowing each other, promising each other, and sharing joys and sorrows.

Zhou Shixu drank a few cups of wine on the boat and disembarked in a daze. As soon as he landed, he suddenly heard several cries for help in the distance.

"Help! Young master, save me!"

Zhou Shixu, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, turned his head and saw a woman dressed in a blue dress being surrounded and pushed by several men.

He couldn't see the woman's face clearly, but he was certain that she was asking him for help.

Zhou Shixu, now mostly sober, rushed over with his servant, shouting, "Let her go!"

Zhou Shixu punched the leader of the group and knocked him down. The servant quickly showed the group the sign of the Marquis's residence.

"Outrageous! How dare they harass a woman in broad daylight!"

The group of men who were about to rush forward exchanged a glance, spat viciously, and helped their leader escape.

The woman in blue collapsed to the ground, her body trembling.

Zhou Shixu quickly took off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders: "Miss, are you alright?"

"I'll take you to report to the authorities. Did you get a good look at those people's faces?"

Zhou Shixu was worried that he was too drunk to remember what the others looked like.

He raised his hand to help her up, but the woman looked up slightly, and her stunning beauty met his eyes.

For a moment, Zhou Shixu stopped breathing.

His father and elder brother were strict with him, and he never went to brothels or red-light districts. He also rarely had contact with women when attending banquets.

This was the first time he had ever been so close to a woman outside his family.

It's... the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful woman.

The woman's eyes were full of spring, her skin was whiter than snow, and her slender hand resting on Zhou Shixu's hand was incredibly soft.

As he raised his hand, a delicate, fair arm was revealed. Suddenly, the poem came to Zhou Shixu's mind: "The woman by the wine shop is like the moon, her fair wrist like frost and snow."

Isn't it the woman right in front of me?

"Thank you for your help, young master. I am not feeling well and I am afraid I cannot go to report to the authorities."

The woman withdrew her hand after getting up.

Zhou Shixu was stunned for a moment before remembering something: "Then, shall I take you home?"

What if she encounters danger on her way home?

Moreover, she is so thin and frail, and she just fell down. Zhou Shixu was really worried about letting her go back alone.

The woman's eyes showed gratitude: "I sprained my ankle, and it's really inconvenient for me to go home by myself, so... I'll have to trouble you, young master."

"No trouble at all."

Zhou Shixu shook his head repeatedly, his earlobes turning red.

He hired a donkey cart from nearby and put the woman inside, while he and his servant sat outside. Before long, they arrived at the destination the woman had mentioned.

He helped the woman out of the car, and she unlocked the door and pushed it open.

It's a simple little courtyard, but it's kept exceptionally tidy.

Zhou Shixu glanced at her a few times before politely turning his gaze away. Just as he was about to take his leave, he saw the woman preparing to boil water for tea.

Zhou Shixu hurriedly said, "Miss, there's no need to trouble yourself. We'll be leaving now."

The woman tilted her head and asked, "Young master, do you find my tea unpalatable?"

"No! How could that be..." Zhou Shixu's face flushed red, and he had no choice but to sit down. "I just didn't want you to waste this firewood boiling water."

Ordinary families live on the basics of firewood, rice, oil, and salt, with firewood being the most important. Although Zhou Shixu hadn't experienced the lives of ordinary people much, he still knew these things.

The woman seemed surprised that he would consider this, paused for a moment, then chuckled lightly, "Judging from your attire, young master, you must have come from a wealthy family. How could you even think of something like this?"

"But don't worry, young master, since you saved me, I can afford to treat you to a cup of tea."

Zhou Shixu smiled and said nothing more.

Before long, the woman served tea. Zhou Shixu calmed down and realized that the woman had a methodical way of reversing the car, and seemed to know a lot about tea ceremony.

Hearing the woman's calm and composed demeanor, Zhou Shixu couldn't help but ask, "When will your parents return?"

Upon hearing this, the woman paused, and her sadness became visibly apparent.

Zhou Shixu realized he had misspoke and apologized repeatedly, saying, "I was being presumptuous."

"...It's not your fault, young master. I'm just unlucky. My parents passed away early, and I've been wandering for years, never finding a place to stay. You may find this kind of life miserable, young master, but I'm content with the best I can have."

Zhou Shixu couldn't help but exclaim, "What a kind heart this young lady has!"

The two chatted for a while longer until the servant coughed lightly to remind him, and Zhou Shixu realized that he had been there for too long.

He hurriedly got up to say goodbye.

The woman smiled and said, "I was saved by you today, young master, and we got along very well. If you don't mind, please come and talk to me more often in the future."

Zhou Shixu cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for the tea, young lady. May I ask your surname?"

The woman slowly lowered her eyes, concealing the fleeting light in them: "This humble servant..."

"His surname is Yu."