Who said the eldest daughter is crazy? She's clearly a woman of high rank and influence in the

Xi Yueli glanced at him through the veil, then swept her gaze across the faces on the street that were peering toward the carriage.

Several tea drinkers were sitting idly by the window on the second floor of the teahouse, looking down. Across the street, a vendor selling hair accessories was holding a bronze mirror and pretending to organize his goods, but the mirror was pointing directly at the direction of the carriage.

She placed her hand in his palm.

Helian Jing took her hand and helped her down, his thumb lightly brushing against the back of her hand before releasing it. He then led her into the silk shop, saying, "Since we're here, let's pick out some fabric."

In the silk shop, various brocades and silks were laid out on the counter, and the lamplight shone on the satin surfaces with a soft glow.

Helian Jing stopped in front of the counter, casually picked up a piece of smoky blue fabric, the satin surface shimmering with fine, dark silver lines, like the rippling surface of water under the moonlight.

He unfolded the fabric and held it up to her shoulder. As his fingertips brushed across the fabric, they lightly touched the side of her neck, and even through the veil, he could feel the warmth of the touch.

"Do you like it?" he asked her, looking down at her, his voice very soft, almost whispering in her ear.

Xi Yueli lowered her eyes, the veil concealing her expression, but the subtle shyness in her voice was perfectly controlled: "What Your Highness chose is naturally good."

The shopkeeper smiled with narrowed eyes and nodded repeatedly, praising, "Young lady, you have good taste."

Helian Jing folded the fabric neatly and handed it to the shopkeeper: "Wrap it up and send it to the Xi residence."

His movements as he paid the money were unhurried, enough for the two people on the second floor to clearly see the hidden Tian Shu Si pattern peeking out from his cuffs.

Xi Yueli stood beside him, her head slightly bowed, the veil hanging down, everything was just right.

As she stepped out of the silk shop, the same few eyes on her were still there. Xi Yueli boarded the carriage.

The moment the carriage curtain fell, she released the hand that had been loosely resting on Helian Jing's arm, moved half a foot further into the carriage, creating a clear gap between the two of them.

She lifted the veil of her hat and folded it up to the brim, revealing a face that appeared particularly indifferent in the afterglow of the lamplight.

"Thank you for your help, Your Highness," she said, her tone polite yet distant, as if the gentle and shy person from the silk shop had been replaced by a different soul.

Helian Jing leaned against the carriage wall and looked at her, his gaze fixed on the half-foot distance she had just moved away from.

"That piece of fabric," he said, "I've already bought it, might as well take it."

Xi Yueli glanced at him, but didn't reply. She just shook her head slightly.

She pushed open the carriage door, bent down and got off the carriage. Standing on the bluestone pavement in the back alley of the Xi residence, she looked up at him through the half-open carriage door.

Dusk slanted in from the alley entrance, outlining her profile with a faint golden line, and her almond-shaped eyes shone astonishingly in the dimming light.

"Your Highness's things are too heavy for me to carry. Next time there are spies watching you, Your Highness only needs to pass by; there's no need to pretend to be at the silk shop."

She took a half step back, bowed slightly, and then turned and walked towards the side gate of the Xi residence. Her back was slender and straight, and her steps did not falter.

Helian Jing sat in the carriage, watching her push open the dusty corner door, slip inside, and as the door closed, he saw a glimpse of smoky blue satin peeking out from her sleeve.

She said she "couldn't afford it," but when she got off the carriage and took the bolt of fabric from the silk shop owner, she gripped it tighter than anyone else.

He lowered the carriage curtain, leaned back against the carriage wall, and slowly curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.

When Xi Yueli returned to the courtyard, Qingdai was already restless from waiting. As soon as she saw Xi Yueli return, she rushed over, grabbed her arm, and looked her up and down.

"Young lady, you're finally back! The servant came back with the news that you're receiving acupuncture at the clinic for a full hour before you can leave. The master hasn't asked any further questions. Where have you been? Why have you been gone for so long?"

"I took care of something." Xi Yueli took off her veil and handed it to Qingdai, then went into the room, sat down, and poured herself a cup of cold tea.

The assassin will come tonight, but before that, she needs to let Madam Fang know that she has moved to Jingxin Pavilion, so that Madam Fang can send Zhang Mama to urge the assassin.

"Qingdai, do something for me tonight." She put down her teacup and lowered her voice.

"Go to the courtyard tomorrow morning and tell them that I had a lot of nightmares last night and felt uneasy staying in Jinxian Courtyard. I asked my grandmother for permission to move to Jingxin Pavilion in the west wing for a few days tomorrow night. It's quiet there, and I can rest and rejuvenate."

Qingdai blinked: "Jingxin Pavilion? Miss, that courtyard is very secluded; you can't even hear someone calling you at night—"

"That's exactly what you want it to be. Just spread the word, the wider the better. Especially make sure the people in the Fang family's courtyard hear it."

Although Qingdai was naive, she had seen everything her young mistress had done these past few days, from climbing over the corner bricks to exorcising the spirit in the ancestral hall to returning alone from leaving the mansion tonight. Each and every one of these things was beyond the comprehension of a mere maid like her.

She nodded vigorously, clenching her fist, and said, "This servant understands! This servant will definitely pass on the message to the lowly maids in Fang's courtyard tomorrow morning."

Xi Yueli leaned back in her chair, tapping her fingers lightly on the edge of the table. She left the assassin matter to them; with Jingxin Pavilion as bait, the Fang family would naturally take the bait. She just needed to wait to reel them in.

The following evening, Xi Yueli moved into Jingxin Pavilion with Qingdai.

Only two light chests were carried inside. The lamps were lit, the door was ajar, and the bed curtains were hanging down. From the outside, it looked as if the room had just been settled and was ready to rest.

She then took Qingdai and hid in the abandoned storage room next door. The storage room had a half-open ventilation window that faced the courtyard gate of Jingxin Pavilion and the window of the main house.

After dark, Xi Yueli leaned against the window of the storeroom, holding the black iron token in her hand, her eyes fixed on the half-closed door of the Jingxin Pavilion across the street.

Qingdai huddled in the corner behind her, hugging her knees and shivering, but despite her shivering, she still held onto the piece of hemp rope tightly.

"Girl...when...when is he coming?"

"Soon," Xi Yueli said. She raised her hand to look at the web between her thumb and forefinger. The skin she had scraped when she climbed over the wall at the back door of the clinic yesterday had already scabbed over and didn't hurt anymore.

Just past midnight, a dark figure scaled the courtyard wall of Jingxin Pavilion. The movement was a beat slower than before, the outline of the right shoulder was stiff, and there was a noticeable hesitation when raising the hand. It was the same person, whose injury had not yet fully healed.

The assassin crept along the wall to the window of the main room, pried open the window with his thin blade, and slipped inside.

The lights were on in the room, and the flame of an oil lamp on the table flickered slightly. There was no one in the chair beside the table. The assassin's gaze swept around the empty room, and just as he was about to turn around and leave, the courtyard gate behind him was pushed open.

Xi Yueli walked in, carrying a small lamp in her hand. The lamplight cast a warm yellow glow on her face. There was no one behind her, and she was not carrying any weapons. The only thing she held was the black iron token, which she had turned over and was clutching in her palm.

"Sit." Xi Yueli raised her chin, gesturing to the empty chair opposite him.

The assassin stood still, his hand holding the dagger slowly lowering. He looked at Xi Yueli, then at the token, remained silent for a few moments, and finally walked over and sat down opposite her.

He wisely placed the dagger on the table, the tip pointing towards himself.

Xi Yueli placed the token on the table and pushed it in front of him. "Do you recognize this?"

The assassin's gaze lingered on the token for a moment: "I recognize it."

"Knowing him makes things easier." Xi Yueli leaned back in her chair, her hands folded on her knees, her posture relaxed, but her gaze was scrutinizing when it fell on the assassin's face.

"I'm just letting you go through the motions. Leave your badge and the form, and I'll let you go without harming you."

The assassin looked at her, his eyes, which were used to capturing subtle movements in the darkness, slowly narrowed. He had never seen a seventeen or eighteen-year-old young lady sitting under the lamp, negotiating a deal with an assassin who broke into his house in the middle of the night, speaking as if she were picking out cabbages at a market.

She really is the Pavilion Master!