Li Zhongqian slept deeply and sweetly. When he woke, the room was pitch dark.
The gauze curtains hung low, the light dim.
In the darkness came the soft rustle of silk garments. A graceful figure sat cross-legged before a low table, facing sideways to him, chin propped in both hands, lips slightly curved upward, intently focused on a fragrance box on the table.
It was a gold-inlaid mother-of-pearl box decorated with carved phoenix patterns. The lid was half-open, faintly revealing threads of pale blue light.
The young lady was so entranced that she couldn’t help but gently brush open the lid.
Instantly, soft luminescence poured out like water, filling the room with light as bright as candlelight.
Inside the box was a night-gleaming jade from the Fulin Kingdom, round and lustrous, as large as a pigeon’s egg.
Li Zhongqian sat up and rubbed his shoulder.
“Do you like it?”
He asked with a smile, looking somewhat pleased with himself.
The night-gleaming jade was also called the Bright Moon Pearl. When he saw this pearl, he immediately thought of his sister—her childhood name was Bright Moon Slave, given by Xie Wuliang.
Li Yaoying nodded with a bright smile, her dark eyelashes thick and beautiful: “I like it.”
Jewels and jade were common, but this Bright Moon Pearl was rare for its smooth luster and beautiful shape.
The shimmering light reflected on her snow-white face, already quite lovely, and in the hazy pearl-light she appeared even more beautiful, soft, and enchanting.
Li Zhongqian stared for a moment, as if waking from a dream, his phoenix eyes narrowing as he carefully observed Yaoying.
Yaoying disliked heat, so her black hair was pinned up high, adorned with a peony-patterned green silk crown. She wore a green jewel between her brows, her lips spring-pink, dressed in a cyan-colored gossamer robe thin as cicada wings, underneath which was a five-colored gold-threaded eight-panel long skirt. Over her arms was draped a white silk scarf embroidered with birds and flowers, her delicate brows slightly drawn together, eyes glancing sideways, one hand propped on the low table as she sat there smiling.
She was always like this in private—lazy and casual, sitting if she could avoid standing, leaning against something rather than properly kneeling, her posture completely lacking the grace and dignity expected of a noble lady.
Li Zhongqian had reminded her several times.
Yaoying would be utterly obedient, promising to change each time, but soon she would secretly shift from her kneeling position, either rudely crossing her legs or simply falling back to lean against the armrest in laziness.
When scolded, she would smile carelessly, and properly kneel again, but soon revert to her old ways.
Li Zhongqian doted on Yaoying and didn’t try to correct her.
She was his sister; she didn’t need to suppress her nature.
In his eyes, Yaoying was still an innocent, pampered child, trembling as she followed behind him, asking him to carry her to pick ripe plums from the courtyard trees.
At this moment, looking at Yaoying bathed in pearl light, Li Zhongqian suddenly realized: that without him noticing, his sister had grown up.
She was still casual, sitting cross-legged, but it wasn’t crude at all. In her glances and movements was a perfectly measured, indescribable charm.
Her face was beautiful, her bearing noble, yet deep within she exuded a boneless, bewitching allure.
Moreover, in the prime of their youth, her beauty was fresh and bright. She needed no powder or rouge—just a slight curve of her brows, a smile, and she could make half the young dandies in the capital weak at the knees.
Li Zhongqian’s brow furrowed slightly as he suddenly recalled Xue Wu’s poems.
“Her manner deep, her intent distant, virtuous and true; her skin delicate, her form perfectly proportioned.”
He should have broken Xue Wu’s other leg back then!
Li Zhongqian’s eyes darkened slightly, anger rising within.
Since his teens, he had lived a wild life, frequenting the entertainment districts. He knew what kind of women men found most irresistible, and he knew what Xue Wu and his ilk were thinking.
Yaoying gave Li Zhongqian a puzzled look and asked with concern: “Brother, is your head hurting?”
Li Zhongqian grunted vaguely.
Yaoying lightly patted his arm: “I told you to drink less, but you never listen!”
She called out Chunru’s name.
The palace maid responded by lifting the gauze curtain, bringing hot water and towels to attend to Li Zhongqian’s washing, and lighting the gilt lantern trees in the four corners of the room one by one.
Yaoying carefully put away the night-gleaming jade and ordered the servants to bring food.
She had already eaten but had wanted to wake Li Zhongqian to dine together. Seeing his brows furrowed in sleep, appearing very tired, she had let him rest.
The soup had been kept warm on the stove, the lamb stewed until very tender. Li Zhongqian ate two bowls in silence and then asked about Mondattiva.
Yaoying had already considered this earlier and didn’t tell him about the Brahmin immortality elixir, only saying that Mondattiva couldn’t cure Xie Noble Consort’s madness either.
Li Zhongqian didn’t ask further, instead questioning: “Did he check your pulse? What did he say?”
Yaoying smiled: “The master said I was born physically weak, but with proper care and regular exercise, there’s nothing serious to worry about.”
When Xie Noble Consort was lucid, she had watched over her constantly, caring for her.
She was always kept clean and fresh.
Later, when Li Zhongqian took her under his care, he searched far and wide for famous doctors. Whenever physicians wrote prescriptions, no matter how strange the formula or how expensive and rare the ingredients were, he would find ways to gather them all, having the doctors compound them into pills for her to take.
She had been very well cared for, and her health was much better than when she was young. She could run, jump, and ride horses, and she had grown tall quickly.
Li Zhongqian, still worried, had someone bring Mondattiva’s prescriptions and sat in the lamplight to examine them carefully.
They were just some gentle tonics for strengthening and balancing the body. He read through them all and nodded.
“Mingyue Nu, come here.”