That evening, Lin Daiyu spoke to Lin Ruhai about becoming Annie's disciple. Lin Ruhai readily agreed, and immediately planned to choose an auspicious day for the ceremony. He also intended to host a grand banquet and invite relatives and friends, as well as the nearby cultivation clans and sects around Yangzhou, to witness it.
However, Annie flatly refused.
She hated trouble more than anything and had no desire to make such a tiny matter into a huge production. After she repeatedly insisted—and since his daughter had only just recovered and shouldn't be made to attend an elaborate event—Lin Ruhai had no choice but to give in.
Still, he picked an auspicious time two days later, burned incense, and prayed to Heaven and Earth. With only himself, Jia Yucun, and a handful of people from Lin Manor as witnesses, he had Lin Daiyu offer a cup of tea. That was enough to count, more or less, as the completion of the apprenticeship ceremony.
Afterward, Annie showed no hurry to teach Lin Daiyu. That very day, she went off to amuse herself, and from then on she came and went at all hours, staying out late and returning late every day. No one knew what she was up to.
Her explanation to Lin Ruhai was, "Your daughter has only just recovered. There's no need to rush things by a few days. Let her rest properly for a while first."
Lin Ruhai found this perfectly reasonable, so he neither urged her nor kept an eye on her. He simply let things be.
And so!
After Lin Daiyu had spent nearly half a month recuperating, and a certain troublesome little girl had spent nearly half a month roaming around Yangzhou and its outskirts, causing no end of trouble, the evening finally came when Lin