Such Auspicious Moments Must Not Be Wasted

Seeing that Yu Ziqi had paused with his chopsticks, Ning Qian asked in confusion, "Master, why have you stopped eating? Are these dishes not to your liking?"

"It's not that," Yu Ziqi replied with a faint smile. "I was just lost in thought. Go on, eat."

Halfway through the meal, Ning Qian suddenly thought of something. "Master, are we not returning home tonight?"

"No, we’re not."

"But... isn’t that improper? I didn’t have the chance to let Mother know before I left. Perhaps we should go back after all. Even if it’s late, at least we’ll be home."

Ning Qian did not wish to invite trouble at such a time.

"It’s fine. Since we’ve come out, there’s no need to worry so much. The scenery here is beautiful—a perfect place to relax. What’s wrong? Do you not like it here?"

"I do like it. It’s just that I don’t want Father and Mother to be angry at you because of this. We can come here any time. Next time, if we let them know beforehand, it would ease my mind."

To put it plainly, she was timid and did not want to stir up any trouble.

Yu Ziqi waved his hand. "No need to worry. I’ve already spoken to Father. Today, I only brought you for a brief tour of the manor. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the back mountain. Though it’s not large, it’s a wonderful place. I’ve planted many fruit trees there, and some are still bearing fruit this season. Tomorrow, you can pick some yourself and have a taste."

Knowing she could not persuade Yu Ziqi, Ning Qian fell silent. She could see, too, that within this grand estate, Yu Ziqi’s smile was genuine—warmer than the sun, more dazzling than anything she’d seen in the old house. In her heart, she wished to see that warm smile a little longer.

After dinner, Ning Qian accompanied Yu Ziqi to his study to deal with business matters. She sat across from him and, as she observed, discovered another side of him.

Yu Ziqi was intensely focused when handling serious affairs. People often said that a man was most charming when at work; Ning Qian had never believed it until now. The occasional arch of his brow or wrinkle of his nose all projected an irresistible allure. Yet, when she remembered what Yu Ziqi had done that day, her fondness for him diminished by half.

After a while, Yu Ziqi noticed her gaze—how could he not? Setting down his brush, he smiled and asked, "Have you seen enough?"

Ning Qian quickly lowered her head, thoroughly embarrassed to have been caught so openly.

"Have you seen enough?" Suddenly, Yu Ziqi was in front of her. "Silent? That’s not like you."

"Who would want to look at you," Ning Qian muttered under her breath.

Yu Ziqi burst out laughing. "Hahaha... My wife really is something special. Good, I like it, I like it."

Ning Qian was stunned. Wasn't Yu Ziqi quite peculiar himself? One moment refined and gentle, the next wild and uninhibited. Which was the real him? Unbidden, an image of the masked man flashed in her mind. This uninhibited Yu Ziqi bore a striking resemblance to that man from her memories.

She didn’t know why she had such thoughts, but the feeling was vivid and real. Yet, how could it be? He was the third young master of the Yu family—how could he possibly have been involved in that forced marriage? Besides, she’d seen those bandits with her own eyes; they were real.

After his bout of laughter, Yu Ziqi glanced over to see Ning Qian lost in thought. He reached out and pinched her cheek. When she finally returned to herself, he smiled, "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing. I’m just a bit tired and feeling sleepy."

"Perfect, I’m tired too." Seeing Ning Qian offer no reply, Yu Ziqi took it as acquiescence. Without warning, he scooped her up into his arms and laughed, "Such a lovely night must not go to waste." With a mischievous grin, he carried her into the inner room.

The next morning after breakfast, Yu Ziqi took Ning Qian up the back mountain. Looking out over the hills covered with fruit trees, Ning Qian exclaimed, "There are so many fruit trees!"

"The land in Huizhou is poor and barren—only fruit trees can bring any profit. Although the trees on this mountain aren’t here for money’s sake, after supplying the estate, the rest still fetch a decent sum."

"Master, is this whole mountain really yours?"

"Of course. Would I lie to you? I bought it for a hefty sum because I loved the scenery. And looking at it now, I don’t regret it one bit."

At these words, Ning Qian suddenly felt something amiss. Such a large mountain, with a vast estate at its base—how much money would that require? Could Yu Ziqi really have had that much at his disposal?

She remembered how the eldest young master was exiled to a distant manor over just a thousand taels of silver by the old master. How could he have allowed Yu Ziqi to amass such a fortune?

"What are you thinking about?"

"Um... I’m not sure if I should ask this," Ning Qian hesitated. By now, they could be considered like grasshoppers tied to the same string; whatever happened, she needed to know the truth. She didn’t want to be implicated for nothing.

"If you have something to say, just say it. We’re not strangers—there’s no need to be so reserved."

"I was just thinking... a manor like this must have cost a fortune, right? But from what I know, Father controls all the family’s finances. How did you manage to get so much money?"

Yu Ziqi smiled faintly. It seemed the rumors were true—she was indeed a clever woman. "You guessed correctly. Father would never have let me have that much money."

Ning Qian was taken aback and nervously grabbed his hand. "You... you didn’t steal it, did you?"

He drew her down to sit beside him, holding her close, resting his head on her shoulder with a soft sigh. "Wife, would you like to hear a story?" he suddenly said.

"A story? Uh, sure." She didn’t know why Yu Ziqi wanted to tell a story now, but she nodded. From his tone, it seemed he truly had something he couldn’t say directly.

"Once upon a time, there was a little boy—the third son in his family. As the youngest, he ought to have been cherished, but reality was different. Not only was he not loved, he was met with coldness at every turn. For reasons he never understood, none of his family liked him. Aside from the respectful servants, he received no warmth at home."

"And then?" Ning Qian couldn’t help but ask.

"And then? That’s all. He slowly grew up, but his heart could never hold any warmth again. Never again—never."