[Jiu: Where are you?]
Xu Qi An stared at the mirror’s surface, dumbfounded for a while. Did the mirror just speak? Was it a treasure with self-awareness?
What did “Jiu” mean? Was that the mirror’s name?
No, if it were the mirror’s spirit, it wouldn’t have asked “Where are you?” After all, we sleep in the same bed every night.
Xu Qi An gazed at the mirror, deep in thought.
He was contemplating four questions:
First, what kind of treasure was this mirror? Besides storing items, could it also receive messages?
Second, was this a message? If so, who sent it?
Third, who was the old Daoist priest, and why did he gift me this mirror?
Fourth, should I respond?
To err on the side of caution, Xu Qi An adhered to the philosophy of “If I pretend it didn’t happen, then it doesn’t exist.” He quietly put away the mirror, deciding not to respond.
Besides, he didn’t know how to respond anyway.
Stepping into the courtyard, he dunked his head in the water vat, then dried off with a towel before leaving the small courtyard.
He had already joined the Night Watchmen, but his official start date was the day after tomorrow. The Night Watchmen’s office was preparing his uniform and bronze gong.
It was still early, about half past noon.
Xu Qi An first went to the Changle County Office to inform his colleagues and Magistrate Zhu about becoming a Night Watchman.
Magistrate Zhu had already received the news, as the Night Watchmen had retrieved Xu Qi An’s household registration from the Changle County Office in advance.
Xu Qi An arranged with his colleagues and Magistrate Zhu to have dinner together that evening. It would serve as both a farewell dinner and a celebration of his promotion.
The venue, of course, was the Xiaoyue Pavilion, not far from the county office. For official socializing, brothels were the top choice.
Before that, Xu Qi An planned to visit a performance house to enjoy some music while having lunch.
…
The farewell dinner started at 4 PM and lasted until 7:45 PM.
During the meal, Magistrate Zhu sighed, “Ah, Ning Yan, you came from our Changle County Office. Becoming a Night Watchman is a blessing for our Changle County. I always saw potential in you…”
He paused and drained his cup in one go.
If I can continue to climb the ranks… Magistrate Zhu might become my first reliable connection in official circles… Xu Qi An understood the implication and also emptied his cup.
After the dinner ended, the county runners didn’t leave. The madam called in a group of young and beautiful girls, bringing them to the private room for the officials to choose from.
They’re quite attractive. In my previous life, they’d be like the fresh faces at high-end clubs… Xu Qi An shook his head. After tasting the sweetness of a beauty like Fu Xiang, he found ordinary girls somewhat lacking.
After arranging for Magistrate Zhu and his fellow runners, Xu Qi An left the Xiaoyue Pavilion and headed home.
Arriving at his courtyard gate, he found the lock open and candlelight shining from inside the house.
Did Second Uncle come to find me?
Xu Qi An pushed open the gate and entered the house.
In the twilight candlelight, a young woman in a plain long dress sat at the table, her chin resting on one hand, her head nodding slightly.
Xu Qi An immediately glanced at the cabinet by the bed, seeing no signs of it being opened, and felt slightly relieved.
“Hmm, perhaps I should consider writing my diary in English,” he mused.
He walked over and gently woke Xu Lingyu.
“Where did Big Brother go…” Xu Lingyu opened her eyes, looking confused for a moment before joy spread across her face.
Her delicate oval face in the candlelight looked like a piece of warm, flawless jade. Her eyes sparkled.
“My little sister is truly beautiful,” Xu Qi An sighed.
Xu Lingyu lowered her head shyly, her cheeks flushing a breathtaking red.
She said in a soft voice, “Why didn’t Big Brother come home for dinner? Father said you must have gone to the brothels.”
My second Uncle really… knows me well!
Xu Qi An said, “No, no, it was just normal social obligations. I went to the Night Watchmen’s office, so I treated my colleagues to dinner.”
But it was normal for Second Uncle to think that way. A typical martial artist, finally reaching the Qi Condensation realm after being pent up for ten or twenty years, would naturally want to indulge until completely spent.
“Big Brother has been drinking… Since you’ve already eaten, I’ll head back now. There’s still hot food in the kitchen,” Xu Lingyu said, smiling a bit, having believed her brother’s explanation.
Xu Qi An felt touched. In this family, besides the Second Uncle, this sister treated him the best.
“Hmm… it’s dark now, and it’s not safe for you to walk alone at night. Let me escort you,” he offered.
Xu Lingyu didn’t refuse. From the small courtyard to the main gate of the Xu mansion was about two or three hundred meters, and it indeed wasn’t safe for a weak woman to walk alone.
But she didn’t expect Xu Qi An to lead her to the corner of the courtyard, wrap an arm around her slender waist, and leap over the wall.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she hurriedly pushed Xu Qi An away, both embarrassed and angry. “How can Big Brother be so frivolous?”
Men and women should keep their distance after the age of seven. She was already seventeen. How could a brother embrace his sister like this? Holding her hand at the Yunlu Academy was already overstepping boundaries. The Xu family wasn’t a strict scholarly household, so it wasn’t necessary to be overly concerned.