Chapter 230: Chapter 196: The Flustered Xiao Wan’er

Of course it did.

It wasn’t just his current change in temperament. When he had previously disguised himself as men like Liu Wu and Black Tooth, his expressions, movements, and even the look in his eyes had been uncannily lifelike.

No one else could spot a single flaw.

He ate a couple of pastries.

Chen Yi went to the study to check on the mounting progress. The second piece of calligraphy had just been finished.

When Boss Dai saw him approaching, his previously mercenary attitude was gone. He bowed and spoke with great solemnity, as if this wasn’t merely a mounting job but a matter of life and death.

He was most likely thanking him for letting him handle that piece of calligraphy.

Chen Yi smiled, offered a few words of reassurance, and then told Xiaodie to stay and assist before leading Xiao Wuge toward Jiaxing Garden.

Xiao Wuge went reluctantly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He clearly hadn’t forgotten that Xiao Wan’er and Chen Yi had refused his request yesterday.

"Brother-in-law, can I come with you to Fengchun Building?"

Chen Yi’s refusal was blunt. "No."

Xiao Wuge was exasperated. "Brother-in-law, you were always on my side before. Why won’t you help me this time?"

’He just wanted to slack off; he didn’t want to go to his etiquette lesson!’

Chen Yi patted the boy’s head and said with a smile, "It’s not that I won’t help you, but the circumstances are special."

"What’s so special? Is there a problem with Sister Liu from Jing State? Her family is definitely bad news."

Seeing that Xiao Wuge had more or less guessed the truth, Chen Yi avoided a direct answer, simply offering a vague platitude to comfort him:

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is in a few days. I’ll take you out to have some fun then."

"You promise?"

"A gentleman never goes back on his word."

Perhaps she had overheard their conversation, because Xiao Wan’er, who was already waiting in Jiaxing Garden, smiled as soon as she saw them and asked:

"What’s this about a gentleman’s word?"

Before Chen Yi could reply, Xiao Wuge chimed in, wise beyond his years, "That’s a secret between me and my brother-in-law. Right?"

Chen Yi chuckled and nodded, spreading his hands toward Xiao Wan’er. "The Young Master has spoken. I dare not disobey."

Hearing this, Xiao Wan’er looked at Xiao Wuge with mock reproach. "So you’re all buddy-buddy with your brother-in-law now? Have you forgotten who used to take you out to play every Mid-Autumn Festival?"

"Big Sister, times have changed."

"Oh? I was your sister last year, but I’m not today?"

"That’s not..."

"Hm?"

"Yes! No, I mean... Ow! Big Sister, you’ll pull it off! Brother-in-law, help, help, help..."

Given their strong sibling bond, Chen Yi, the "outsider," certainly wasn’t going to intervene.

Only after Xiao Wuge had been sent off to the study with his etiquette tutor did Xiao Wan’er signal for Chen Yi to leave with her.

Before long, a carriage departed from Jiaxing Garden. It left the Marquis’s Mansion and turned onto Kangning Street.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wan’er sat side-by-side inside the carriage. Up front, the fellow disciples Shen Huatang and Xie Tingyun were at the reins.

However.

Perhaps because she was alone in an enclosed space with a man, Xiao Wan’er had kept her head lowered ever since getting into the carriage.

Beneath her red cloak, her hands rested in her lap, her fingers twisting together without her realizing it.

She knew she ought to say something.

The silence in the carriage was becoming oppressive. It would make Chen Yi think something was wrong, and besides, it wasn’t like her to be so quiet.

But every time she thought of something to say, the words died on her lips.

Perhaps she worried she wasn’t prepared and her tone would sound forced.

Or perhaps she feared that any topic she chose would be too dull and only make the atmosphere more awkward.

And so, Xiao Wan’er’s head sank even lower, leaving only her bright eyes visible, staring at the tips of her shoes.

「A moment later.」

Xiao Wan’er puffed up her cheeks, then quietly tilted her head. She glanced at Chen Yi out of the corner of her eye and saw him looking out the window, which made her relax slightly.

’At least he didn’t notice my fidgeting.’

But her relief was tinged with a hint of resentment.

’Why won’t he say anything?’

Chen Yi, of course, had no idea what she was thinking. He had lifted the curtain and was studying the scene outside.

It wasn’t that he was intentionally avoiding conversation; as the carriage sped along, he had noticed something unusual about the streets.

For example, just after leaving the Marquis’s Mansion, they had passed more than twice the usual number of City Guard Army soldiers.

Just off Kangning Street, several Imprisonment Officers were scrutinizing pedestrians.

On top of that, various ranks of government officials were periodically stopping people for questioning.

As they passed, Chen Yi faintly overheard snippets of conversation.

"...Last night, some men from the Imprisonment Department were taken down again. Lord Thousand Households is furious..."

"...Several Evil Demons spotted outside the West Market. We can’t let them escape..."

"...The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here! Tighten security!"

Chen Yi put the pieces together. He thoughtfully lowered the curtain.

He now had a rough idea of the current situation.

He turned his head, about to say something, but froze when his eyes met Xiao Wan’er’s playfully resentful gaze.

"Big Sister, what’s with..."

Startled at being caught, Xiao Wan’er jumped. Before he could finish his sentence, she turned her head away and cut him off in a flustered rush.

"I, I... I was just looking at all the people on the street."

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. Second Sister should be coming back, and Grandfather, and Wuge..."

She herself barely knew what she was saying.

She was just trying to act casual.

Unfortunately, her attempt backfired. After just a few sentences, her face was beet-red with mortification, and she wished she could be anywhere but in that carriage—perhaps even under it.

Chen Yi had been watching her with an amused smirk, but when he saw how red her face had become, he knew he had to say something. If he didn’t, he was liable to embarrass her so badly her old ailment would relapse.

"Never mind the Mid-Autumn Festival for now. I see you’ve prepared gifts for Miss Liu today, Big Sister. What are they?"

His simple questions were enough to get Xiao Wan’er’s blank mind working again.

She paused, putting a stop to her earlier rambling, and replied softly, "Some personal effects for a lady’s chambers, like a rouge box and so on."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Chen Yi said, "Wow."

"Big Sister, you truly are as wise as you are beautiful—so well-read, so proper, and so thoughtful. That level of consideration..."

He was clearly running out of compliments and just forcing it.