Moving on from Ye Zhao’s affairs, Jiang Ziqi let out another long, melancholy sigh. "Ye Zhao, I’m already twenty-one this year."
Ye Zhao looked up. "Oh..."
"Miss Li is twenty too."
*When will I ever be able to marry a wife?* Although Jiang Ziqi didn’t say it outright, the look on his face made his meaning crystal clear to Ye Zhao.
Ye Zhao offered some comfort. "It matters not. You are unmarried, and she is unattached. One day, there will be a resolution for the two of you."
Either he would win the beauty’s hand, or the two would go their separate ways in peace without ever having caused a ripple. Given how this coward didn't even dare to strike up a conversation with her, the second possibility seemed highly likely.
Jiang Ziqi was indeed Ye Zhao’s brother-in-arms of many years; even though the words were ambiguous, he caught the underlying implication. He said gloomily, "But what should I do?"
Having encouraged him many times to no avail, Ye Zhao retorted in a flat, monotone voice, "What are you afraid of? Just keep being a coward. You’ve managed just fine all these years anyway."
Jiang Ziqi shot him a sorrowful look, then turned his head away in silence, his face the very picture of dejection.
After a while, he finally squeezed out a sentence. "This time is different. I heard her father is going to find a husband for her this year..."
Ye Zhao’s movements paused. Only then did he understand why Jiang Ziqi was so disheartened today.
He wiped his hands clean, untied his apron, and sat down across from Jiang Ziqi. "Look up."
"What for?" Jiang Ziqi looked up at him.
Ye Zhao’s face was set in a mask of gravity. He asked seriously, "Do you truly like Miss Li?"
Jiang Ziqi wanted to roll his eyes—did he even need to ask? Then, he heard Ye Zhao’s voice drop an octave. "Answer me honestly!"
Startled by the sudden intensity, Jiang Ziqi turned serious as well. "I do."
"How much? Is it her and only her for the rest of your life?"
Jiang Ziqi blurted out almost without thinking, "Of course! In this life, I only want her!"
"Truly?"
Seeing the doubt in Ye Zhao’s eyes, Jiang Ziqi slapped the table and declared solemnly, "Truly!"
The air in the teahouse fell silent for a moment.
Ye Zhao’s expression returned to normal. His gaze suddenly shifted to the men sitting near Jiang Ziqi, and he asked, "Do any of you have a spare blank notebook? Give me one..."
Ye Zhao smiled amiably.
The Yulin Guards he addressed: "..."
What did this have to do with them?
A short while later, a small notebook was in his hand.
Ye Zhao immediately pushed it in front of Jiang Ziqi. Meeting Jiang Ziqi’s confused gaze, he said, "From now on, if you truly don't want to become a stranger to Miss Li for the rest of your life, listen to me."
Jiang Ziqi perked up instantly, sitting bolt upright and fixing his eyes on Ye Zhao. "Tell me! Whatever way you have, I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever you say!"
"Very well." Ye Zhao nodded with satisfaction. "Take this. Starting today, no matter what channels you use, record as much as you can about Miss Li in this book. Include every little detail of her life—but remember, do not let her find out."
Ye Zhao cautioned him earnestly.
Jiang Ziqi’s eyes were full of confusion. "Huh? And then what?"
Ye Zhao drew out his folding fan and tapped it lightly against his palm. He looked at him sideways and said leisurely, "Then? Then comes what comes next. Everything must be done step by step. Do what I’ve assigned you first."
Jiang Ziqi was dazed, only half-believing Ye Zhao’s words, but for now, Ye Zhao was his only hope. "Fine! When do I give this book to you?"
Ye Zhao made a mental calculation. "Give it to me in half a month."
He wasn't sure how much information Jiang Ziqi could dig up about Miss Li in such a short time.
"Don't worry! I’ll definitely give it my all this time. I won't back down no matter what!" Jiang Ziqi promised vowedly.
If he didn't work hard now, his wife would fly away!
However, Ye Zhao didn't have much faith in how long this coward’s confidence would last. After all, he had been spineless for years. Even if he was spurred on this time, who could guarantee he would follow through to the end?
Ye Zhao thought much, but on the surface, he showed nothing, only offering encouragement: "Good luck."
"?" Jiang Ziqi didn't quite understand what Ye Zhao meant by that, but after a moment of confusion, he ran off with high morale.
In the teahouse, only one manager and a group of bodyguards remained.
"Sigh..." Ye Zhao suddenly let out a faint sigh. His gaze swept over the Yulin Guards and Hidden Guards. "You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"
Everyone: "..."
You mean the part where you're helping a friend plot to abduct the daughter of Minister Li?
They had been watching Ye Zhao for so long that while they hadn't made much progress on their official business, they had learned the ins and outs of the people around him quite thoroughly.
"We will not," the leader replied.
But a note would still have to be made in the records. As for who would see it once the report was submitted, that was none of their concern.
"That’s good." Ye Zhao felt somewhat relieved.
Ye Zhao’s life continued to glide forward, both peaceful and unpeaceful. Xie Yusong and Su Jinzhou had both visited him several times, but seeing the Yulin and Hidden Guards sitting prominently to the side, whatever their original intentions were, every visit turned into a perfectly harmonious chat between friends.
In the time that followed, Ye Zhao didn't see Jiang Ziqi again, presumably because he was busy with the task Ye Zhao had assigned.
On the first day of the new term at the academy:
*Thud—*
Ye Zhao stared at the thick stack of booklets Jiang Ziqi had piled in front of him. It was at least as thick as three account books stacked together.
"What is this?" Ye Zhao was dumbfounded.
Jiang Ziqi gave a suave smile. "The things you asked me to check! Everything is written down in exhaustive detail."
Ye Zhao was a man of the hour now, drawing attention wherever he went. Hearing Jiang Ziqi blabbering like this, he looked left and right. Not many in the classroom had noticed Jiang Ziqi’s words yet. He lowered his voice. "Keep it down! Don't let word get out."
Jiang Ziqi’s expression tightened, and he indeed stopped talking. He sat down in the seat in front of Ye Zhao and asked with genuine curiosity, "What if people find out?"
Ye Zhao gave him a cool look. "Don't worry, you won't die either way. It’s just that if too many people know, and it accidentally reaches Minister Li’s ears, it will be even harder for you to get close to Miss Li."
"Furthermore, the news that Minister Li intends to choose a husband for Miss Li has already spread. You have no shortage of competitors."
Jiang Ziqi: "..."
His face fell, and he lost the desire to speak.
Then he heard Ye Zhao offer a word of guidance. "Keep a low profile and reap the rewards. Do you understand?"
Jiang Ziqi: *I hadn't heard that before, but I understand now!*
He looked at his brother with full trust, waiting for Ye Zhao to devise a strategy for him.
Ye Zhao opened the top booklet. He was thinking that Jiang Ziqi’s efficiency was actually quite impressive.
He saw a page that read:
*Year X, Month X.*
*One day, Miss Li went out without an umbrella and happened to encounter rain. She and her maid, Hongying, took shelter under the ** Building at the bridgehead. A gentleman kindly lent her an umbrella. She accepted it, but upon stepping out, she gave the umbrella to an elderly woman on the street and continued to wait for the rain to stop before going home.*
*Miss Li truly has the heart of a Bodhisattva, so kind...*
A long string of adjectives followed.
Ye Zhao: "..."
He flipped the page.
*Year X, Month X, Day X. Miss Li lost a jade bracelet at home. She found it in the cabinet the next day.*
*This is truly wonderful; that bracelet was Miss Li’s favorite at the time.* This was Jiang Ziqi’s personal reflection.
Ye Zhao’s brow twitched. "..."
He flipped again.
*June, Year X. A centipede entered Miss Li’s room and nearly bit her. Fortunately, it was a false alarm and she avoided it.*
Jiang Ziqi’s personal reflection: *One should have burned insect-repelling herbs in the room early on to prevent danger.* This was followed by a long list of names of herbs for repelling insects and mosquitoes...
Ye Zhao flipped directly to the last page of this book.
*Winter Month, Year X.*
*On this day, Miss Li personally cooked wontons. She accidentally cut her finger, but luckily it was only a small scratch. Then, she made too many wontons. In the evening, Miss Li ate too much and had a stomachache, not falling asleep until midnight.*
Below was another of Jiang Ziqi’s personal reflections: *Sigh... if you can't finish them, just don't finish them. Why force yourself to eat them all and get a stomachache? You only made yourself suffer.*
*But if I were there, I would have eaten them all no matter how many! I wonder what Miss Li’s wontons taste like...*
*Snap—*
Without reading to the end, Ye Zhao slammed the booklet shut.
His expression was difficult to describe. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he saw Jiang Ziqi’s enlarged face, eyes full of expectation as he watched him.
"..."
Ye Zhao wiped his face hard and spoke with difficulty. "Jiang Ziqi, I asked you to record Miss Li’s affairs in exhaustive detail, and you certainly did an outstanding job!"
*This could damn well be published as a stalking diary!!*
*And how do you know the happenings inside her private chambers so clearly?!!!*
*And this thick air of a lecherous creep is practically hitting me in the face.* Ye Zhao thought: *Are you a perverted stalker?!!!!*
Jiang Ziqi didn't catch the heaviness in Ye Zhao’s voice and said proudly, "Indeed!"
Ye Zhao felt that his life was truly too hard; the task was monumental. The next moment, Jiang Ziqi gave him a surprise. "The one you just looked at is for events. This one is for recording conversations, and this one..."
Right in front of Ye Zhao, he sorted the five booklets into categories. There were those specifically for events, and those specifically for recording who Miss Li had interacted with and what had been said.
Finally, he presented the small notebook Ye Zhao had given him—it was essentially the condensed essence of those five booklets. It listed Miss Li’s preferences, habits, travel routes, past experiences, and so on, all without a single word of nonsense.
Ye Zhao flipped through it; this was exactly what he wanted!
Looking at the other five booklets again, they truly documented every bit of Miss Li’s life, making it even easier for Ye Zhao to understand Li Yunrong as a person based on the summary.
He had misunderstood! He couldn't help but praise, "Jiang Ziqi, you are truly amazing!"
He had completed the task with flying colors!
Though he didn't quite understand the slang, Jiang Ziqi knew from Ye Zhao’s expression that he had done a good job and offered a few humble remarks.
He then asked, "So, what do we do next?"
Ye Zhao quickly scanned the core notebook. After a moment, he saw an entry and, after a brief thought, said, "It just so happens that the day after tomorrow, Miss Li is going to Quelou to find someone to compete in zither skills. We shall go that day as well."
"Huh?" Jiang Ziqi asked. "To do what? To see her?"
Ye Zhao was speechless for a second. "No, it’s not time for the two of you to meet yet. I am going for reconnaissance." He shook the small notebook in his hand. "I need to see her in person to verify the data you’ve recorded. Only then can I begin to formulate a plan and take action."
???
Jiang Ziqi’s head was full of question marks; he didn't quite follow his friend’s train of thought.
Xie Yusong had long noticed that something was happening between Ye Zhao and Jiang Ziqi. He walked over slowly. "Ye Zhao, what are you two chatting about?"
Ye Zhao flashed a smile, calmly putting away the booklets on the table as he replied, "Oh, I’m discussing with Jiang Ziqi which lady at Quelou plays the zither best."
Xie Yusong naturally saw the movement, but his expression didn't flicker. Hearing this, a look of faint contemplation appeared on his face. After two seconds, he replied, "When it comes to zither skills, Lady Su Rao is undoubtedly the most outstanding in Quelou. It’s a pity..."
As if remembering something, his expression turned regretful, and he didn't finish his sentence.
"Su Rao? A pity for what?" The name was unfamiliar to Ye Zhao, so he asked casually. It was mainly because every time he went to Quelou, he mostly just looked around and drank tea; he wouldn't spend money to hire a lady to play the zither. That was usually something young literati and scholars did.
"Yes," Xie Yusong nodded. "It’s a pity... her reputation has declined now. Hardly anyone seeks her out for her music or artistry anymore."
"Oh... so that’s how it is."
Having heard this, Ye Zhao indicated his understanding and chatted with Xie Yusong for a few more moments.
As Xie Yusong walked away, he brushed past Su Jinzhou. Su Jinzhou’s cold voice rang out, "Heh... so even the great Eldest Young Master Xie meets with failure sometimes?"
He then chuckled softly. "But it’s not surprising. After all, Ye Zhao isn't like those many fools who are led around by the nose by a certain someone."
Xie Yusong turned his head slightly, a half-smile on his face, and walked away without saying a word.
Su Jinzhou gave a disdainful snort, withdrew his gaze from Xie Yusong, and looked toward Ye Zhao and Jiang Ziqi from a distance.
During this period, countless people had tried to get close to Ye Zhao, but no matter who it was, Ye Zhao maintained a distance that was neither too far nor too near.
***
