The young girl's voice was crisp and ethereal, exuding genuine kindness.
Meeting her clear gaze, Fu Guang exhaled deeply, her thoughts racing.
She wanted to live, but didn't want to rely on her sister's support, becoming a burden.
She thought, she should be self-reliant.
Since Miss Qi appreciated her embroidery, perhaps she should bravely try this opportunity.
After sorting out her thoughts, Fu Guang nodded firmly.
She was willing!
"In a few days, I'll have the shopkeeper draw up a contract for you, along with style designs, threads, and fabrics, which will be delivered to you by Tao Su."
"When you finish, Tao Su will deliver them to the clothing shop, and the shopkeeper will calculate your wages per piece. The amount will depend on the difficulty of the style, but the shop will offer a fair price, you can rest assured about that. If any issues arise during our collaboration, you can tell Tao Su, who will communicate with the shopkeeper."
Fu Guang nodded again, tears glimmering in her eyes.
...She could finally earn clean money.
Having settled this matter, the system awarded Qi Huan one point.
Not long after, it suddenly added fifty points.
Qi Huan was secretly surprised: "Fifty points represents saving a life. Would Fu Guang have died if I hadn't helped her?"
"The host misunderstands. These fifty points are unrelated to Fu Guang."
"This is the score for saving a person with tuberculosis."
Regardless, another person could continue living because of her help, continue basking in sunlight, feeling the breeze, and living harmoniously with their family. Qi Huan couldn't help but feel genuinely happy.
Humming an off-key tune, she cheerfully returned to the Song mansion.
Passing by Qingfeng Court, she thought, "Song Jingche" should naturally be cured by now.
When she knocked on the door, Zhu Yan's bright eyes quickly scanned around her.
Huh?
Where's little Tao Su?
Seeing through his thoughts, Qi Huan smiled gently: "No need to look, Tao Su hasn't returned yet. She took her sister to view a house."
"Thank you for informing me, Miss Qi. The young master is inside secretly eating. You can go in directly."
Zhu Yan made way, and after she entered the courtyard, he quickly turned back to his room and flipped open his little notebook.
13th Year of Longshun, May 21st, the Master said when he gets married, he'll sponsor a house for me, to thank me for throwing out a maid who reeked of rouge and tried to climb into his bed.
After this sentence, he had noted at the time: The Master said to get this house, first you need a wife.
At that time, Ximen Ye thought this condition would stump Zhu Yan for life.
...
Looking at the crooked handwriting, Zhu Yan's mouth split into a wide grin, revealing a row of neat white teeth.
Now, not only was he about to have a wife, but he was also ahead of the Master!
Pride! Glory!
He picked up his little notebook, ready to go find the Master to fulfill his promise, buy a house to present as a borrowed flower, and please his future wife and sister-in-law.
Just as he was about to enter the room, he suddenly heard the crash of a jar falling to the ground.
Zhu Yan halted his steps, shrinking his neck and retreating.
He'd go after the Master finished venting his anger.
Sitting in the courtyard, he began to let his imagination run wild again.
Tao Su cared a lot about Miss Qi, and Miss Qi's thin arms and legs couldn't take much beating. What if the Master hurt Miss Qi? Wouldn't Tao Su be heartbroken?
So, he gritted his teeth, feeling brave again.
Putting on his knee pads and hat, he knocked on the window: "Young Master, do you need a sobering soup?"
"Get lost!"
Inside the room, Ximen Ye coldly spat out a word, the icicles in his voice nearly piercing through Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan was terrified. Judging by this tone, Miss Qi was in danger!
He stretched his long legs and went to fetch help.
However, what he didn't know was that at this moment, Ximen Ye hiccupped from the alcohol, tightly gripping Qi Huan's sleeve, two streams of silent tears rolling down his cheeks.
Qi Huan swung her knife, cutting off her sleeve, but just as she was about to run, he grabbed her wrist.
"I grab your sleeve, and you cut it off."
"Pah, you're the one cutting sleeves!"
"Hic—" Ximen Ye's face was flushed red from the alcohol, a hint of smugness rippling in his beautiful eyes: "Now I'm holding your wrist. If you have the guts, chop off your hand too!"
Qi Huan couldn't be bothered to respond to a drunkard and didn't reply.
She never imagined that "Song Jingche" would be such a bad drunk!
When drunk, he just kept crying without making a sound, perhaps afraid others would laugh at him?
His beautiful face was smeared with tears, apart from looking comical, there was also a kind of broken beauty, inexplicably making one feel he was very desperate and sad.
The rich aroma of Du Kang Wine filled the room, lingering around Qi Huan's nose.
Unable to break free from his grip, she quietly took out an anesthetic needle with her other hand, preparing to give "Song Jingche" a prick and send him off to dreamland.
Unexpectedly, even when drunk, Ximen Ye was exceptionally alert.
His slender fingers caught the needle, his hazy eyes narrowing dangerously, comparing it to Qi Huan, as if considering where would be best to prick her back?
Qi Huan quickly tried to deceive him: "Cousin! Quickly throw away that little silver snake in your hand!"
Hearing this, Ximen Ye looked at the needle, hazily judging: Silver! Long and thin!
Little silver snake?
...Maybe so.
He obediently threw it away, his glimmering eyes blinking: "I'm very obedient, can I have a reward?"
"What?"
"I want you to appear earlier, to save Che."
Qi Huan was stunned.
What did he mean by saving Che?
Wasn't he Che himself?
Seeing she wouldn't agree, anger quickly rolled up in Ximen Ye's eyes. He pressed her against the wall and questioned:
"Why didn't you appear earlier?"
After asking twice, he once again buried his face in her shoulder and began to cry.
"The medicine you gave really cured the tuberculosis..."
"If you had appeared earlier, would Che still be alive..."
That was the first ray of light in his life.
Although he was the only young master of the Misty Rain Pavilion, his father was never lenient with him, only telling him over and over again, either be strong or be killed.
The elders of the Misty Rain Pavilion only recognized strength and money. If he wasn't strong enough, he would eventually die in the struggle for power.
He was forced to practice swordsmanship day after day, and began taking on missions after the age of seven.
In an accident, he hid in Song Jingche's courtyard after being injured.
At that time, the moonlight was bright.
Like a little wolf, he bared his fangs at the frail and delicate Song Jingche: "Treat my wounds, or I'll kill you!"
Song Jingche quickly covered his nose and mouth, opening his innocent big eyes and said: "Leave quickly, I have tuberculosis. If you get infected, you'll die like the nannies."
"I'm immune to all poisons, I won't die!"
"Really?"
Then, Song Jingche's eyes lit up like falling stars, and he carefully asked: "Since you're not afraid of tuberculosis, can you be my friend?"
The young Ximen Ye at that time, raised his eyebrow disdainfully: "What's a friend?"
"A friend is someone who helps apply medicine when you're hurt!"
"And they'll blow on it too, you know. Blow on it and it won't hurt anymore!"
