School let out that day.
Tong Aning heard that the Eight Treasures Pavilion had new pastries. Before she could say anything, Tong Fengye resigned himself to his fate. "Let's go."
Tong Aning's eyes lit up, but since she had only just fleeced her third brother, she still knew to show some restraint. "Is that really all right, Third Brother?"
Was his sister putting on an act for him now?
How could Tong Fengye not know her little schemes? Ruffling Tong Aning's hair, he said, "Yes, yes, it's really all right."
"Then let's hurry. If we're late, they'll be sold out."
Tong Fengye: "..."
Even turning down New Year's money called for three rounds of refusal and insistence. Why was once enough for his sister?
Tong Aning had no idea what Tong Fengye was thinking. Her head was full of the Eight Treasures Pavilion's new pastries.
When Tong Fengye climbed into the carriage, she was working out how many boxes to buy.
As she counted, Tong Fengye sucked in a breath. She wasn't showing her third brother the slightest mercy.
A Shu drove the carriage. The Eight Treasures Pavilion was two streets away from the Imperial Academy, and they arrived in no time.
A Shu asked, "Third Young Master, Fourth Young Miss, shall I go buy them?"
He had barely finished when the curtain lifted, revealing the Fourth Young Miss's fair little face.
Her eyes sparkled as Tong Aning said with a smile, "No need. I'll go myself."
With that, Tong Aning jumped down from the carriage.
Tong Fengye pressed a hand to his forehead. He had meant to get out first and help his sister down, but... who had they all learned this from?
Tong Aning often visited the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
Its shopkeeper already recognized this Fourth Young Miss, who was as beautiful as a celestial maiden yet sweet and gentle.
"I knew you would come, Fourth Young Miss," the shopkeeper said. "I set aside two boxes especially for you. Will that be enough? If not, I'll have a few more sent to the marquis's residence tomorrow."
Tong Aning nodded. "That's enough."
A Shu took the pastries the shopkeeper handed over, while Tong Aning took money from her own purse and paid him.
Tong Fengye was rather disgruntled that he hadn't managed to pay. There happened to be a teahouse opposite the Eight Treasures Pavilion, so he said, "Let's go listen to storytelling. Your third brother will pay."
"All right."
Tong Aning loved two things most.
One was pastries, and the other was listening to storytelling.
Even now that she had that little person called the system, her interest in storytelling hadn't diminished.
The teahouse was packed. Tong Aning said regretfully, "Third Brother, how about another day?"
Tong Fengye nodded. "Another day, then. I'll still pay."
Tong Aning laughed. "Third Brother, are you that afraid you won't get to spend your money?"
Watching Tong Aning beam, Tong Fengye huffed. "And just who am I spending it on?"
The two turned to leave when a voice suddenly called out to Tong Aning.
Tong Aning looked over. Someone on the second floor was waving at her.
It was the prime minister's daughter, Lou Yingyu.
Tong Aning and Tong Fengye went upstairs. Tong Fengye sat on the other side, with A Shu standing behind him, while Tong Aning sat beside Lou Yingyu.
Tong Aning used to play with Lou Yingyu often.
This daughter of the prime minister was the youngest girl of the prime minister and his wife. She had grown up steeped in honey, so spoiled that she knew neither law nor restraint and held her eyes above her head.
She thought nothing of any of those young ladies from aristocratic families, yet she loved spending time with Tong Aning.
That was because Tong Aning was a beauty rarely seen in the capital, and she liked beautiful people. Tong Aning could simply stand there doing nothing, and just looking at her would put Lou Yingyu in a good mood.
Lou Yingyu had originally attended the girls' school with Tong Aning, but she was so unruly and talked back to her teachers so often that every teacher at the Imperial Academy had complained to the libationer in exasperation, saying they could no longer manage the prime minister's daughter.
The prime minister had no solution either.
He could only take Lou Yingyu home and hire teachers to instruct her at his residence.
Counting back, Tong Aning had last seen Lou Yingyu the day after she fell into the water, when Lou Yingyu had accompanied the prime minister's wife to visit her.
Seeing that Tong Aning and Tong Fengye had arrived late, Lou Yingyu filled them in on the earlier part of the story.
Her brows danced and her face shone with excitement. Clearly, she had been sitting here listening since the storytelling began.
When Lou Yingyu finished, Tong Aning couldn't help asking, "Did you skip lessons again?"
Lou Yingyu pursed her lips. "What do you mean, again? This is my first time this month, all right?"
Tong Aning was shocked. "How many more times are you planning?"
"Ningning." Lou Yingyu leaned into Tong Aning's arms and twirled her hair. "Don't bring that up. When you do, you're not even beautiful anymore."
Tong Aning: "..."
Tong Aning gave a light cough and listened to the storytelling with Lou Yingyu.
Tong Aning and Tong Fengye had arrived late, so they only listened for an hour before the session ended. The three headed downstairs together, while Lou Yingyu's maid went to pay.
Lou Yingyu suddenly caught Tong Aning's wrist and pulled her aside to hide, only to discover that Tong Fengye had moved even faster.
Lou Yingyu: "?"
"Tong Fengye, what are you hiding from?"
Tong Fengye pointed ahead, and Lou Yingyu saw Feng Chu walking toward them.
She raised her brows. "Oh, so you're hiding from Feng Chu."
That remark drew Feng Chu straight over.
Feng Chu's eyes lit up when he saw Tong Fengye. "Fengye."
Tong Fengye's whole face scrunched up. Lou Yingyu asked quietly, "What's going on with those two?"
Tong Aning summed it up. "After cutting their robes and severing their friendship, their bond is stronger than gold again."
"Hahahahaha!"
Lou Yingyu laughed until her stomach hurt. Clapping her hands, she said, "It looks like Ningning has a talent for storytelling too."
Tong Aning straightened proudly. "Then what were you hiding from just now?"
"My second uncle, of course. He argues with my second aunt every day. It's not just me-even my parents avoid them now."
Lou Yingyu rolled her eyes. "I really don't want to see him."
What they dreaded came straight to them.
When they left the teahouse, they discovered that Lou Yingyu's second uncle was buying pastries at the Eight Treasures Pavilion across the street.
Lou Yingyu ducked out of sight again, musing, "Has my second uncle finally come around and decided to buy pastries to coax my second aunt?"
Tong Aning nodded. "Maybe."
[Host, there's gossip.]
[What? What?]
[Lou Yingyu's second uncle is actually going to meet his lover in secret.]
Wow.
Lou Yingyu's mouth fell open. If her second aunt found out, wouldn't she tear her second uncle apart with her bare hands?
Just thinking about it was exciting.
Never one to fear the world descending into chaos, Lou Yingyu said excitedly, "Ningning, let's follow him and see what's going on."
Tong Aning had exactly the same idea. "Let's go!"
The two crept along, then glanced back to find Tong Fengye and Feng Chu following them too.
Tong Fengye asked Feng Chu, "Why are you following us?"
Feng Chu shot back, "Does this street belong to your family?"
He had already swallowed so much to accommodate him, yet Tong Fengye still refused to be his friend. Whatever. He wasn't going to bow and scrape anymore.
"You..."
With that interruption, the man vanished.
"Oh no," Lou Yingyu said regretfully. "We lost him."
She looked reproachfully at Tong Fengye.
Tong Fengye: "..."
He stepped back. "It's all Feng Chu's fault."
Feng Chu: "..."
"It's fine," Tong Fengye said. "I can find him."
Tong Fengye surveyed the street. Ahead was a corner leading onto the busier North-South Street, while residential homes stood to the side.
"He must have gone into the residential area," Tong Fengye said.
Everyone agreed that made sense and followed Tong Fengye.
Then they chose a house, and all four poked their heads over its eaves.
Lou Yingyu whispered, "How lucky. We picked a house at random and got the right one."
In truth, the system had told them.
Tong Aning felt that something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it, so she could only focus on eating melon.
It was a small courtyard, and the pastries Lou Yingyu's second uncle had just bought sat on its stone table.
Well, well. Her second uncle was enjoying the good life outside, hiding a beauty in a golden house.
Though their arms ached and their legs felt weak, all four watched the courtyard with shining eyes.
Before long, the door opened, and a man and woman emerged in each other's arms. Lou Yingyu muttered, "Let me see just who..."
Then she suddenly froze.
Her foot slipped, and she nearly fell.
Fortunately, Tong Aning reacted quickly and caught her.
"Who's there?"
Lou Chang looked over. The four hurriedly ducked down. Only when he saw an orange cat strutting past with its head high and chest out did Lou Chang stop looking.
Beneath the eaves, Lou Yingyu held the orange cat and murmured, "How could it be her?"
Tong Aning asked, "Who?"
Lou Yingyu said miserably, "My second uncle's daughter-in-law."
Tong Aning: "?"
Tong Fengye: "?"
Feng Chu: "... Good heavens."
Even if someone dug open Lou Yingyu's brain, she could never have imagined that those two would get mixed up together.
[Host, Lou Chang actually fell in love with his daughter-in-law at first sight.]
[Huh???]
[To be precise, Lou Chang met his daughter-in-law first, but that very evening, his son told Lou Chang that he wanted to marry her. As a father, how could he steal the person his son loved? So then he...]
[I get it. He couldn't steal her openly, but he could do it in secret.]
[Exactly, Host. You're so clever.]
Beside her, Lou Yingyu retched.