Xie Jiayan watched her fetch a stool and sit in a corner of the desk, concentrating intently. He decided to leave her be.
Xie Jiayan was more cautious when it came to peeling paintings.
He had succeeded on his first attempt at the age of five. He remembered his father praising his talent, saying he could earn a living by repairing paintings in the future.
He hadn't understood then why his father always made him learn skills for self-preservation and earning a livelihood.
He later understood his father's good intentions.
Xie Jiayan glanced at Yu Mingyue beside him. Sunlight streamed through the gauze window, falling on her in a warm, soft, pale yellow glow, creating a scene of peaceful tranquility.
If only…
Alas, his life was not filled with such "if onlys."
Yu Mingyue finally peeled off a complete sheet of paper. She was both surprised and delighted, but seeing Xie Jiayan carefully mixing colors, she quickly quieted herself.
She had almost forgotten; she couldn't disturb him at this moment.
Xie Jiayan seemed to sense her gaze and looked over. She cupped her small hands over her lips, her expression adorably innocent.
"What do you want to say?"
Seeing him speak, Yu Mingyue lowered her hands and said, "Brother Jiayan, I peeled it! Look!"
Yu Mingyue held up the Xuan paper she had peeled. It was almost transparent under the sunlight, and she displayed it with obvious pride.
Xie Jiayan smiled. "You learn very quickly."
"Really?"
"Someone else took two months and still couldn't do it!"
"Am I that smart?"
Hearing this, she felt a little puffed up.
Yu Mingyue looked at him with her bright, clear eyes, her smile unhidden, and her voice filled with undisguised triumph.
"Yes, you are that smart." Xie Jiayan's voice was clean and light, his eyes brimming with amusement, his expression unusually gentle.
Yu Mingyue covered her face with her hand. "Haha… Don't praise me anymore, or I'll get too proud."
"However, peeling it once isn't enough. You need to practice until you can do it without fail." While praising her, Xie Jiayan, as her teacher, had to responsibly tell her that this was just the beginning.
"Don't worry, Brother Jiayan, I definitely can do it." Her clear black and white eyes held complete trust in him.
The two of them continued their work, neither disturbing the other. They were so engrossed that they didn't even notice when Kong entered to light the lamps.
"Young Master, dinner is ready," Kong announced from outside.
Yu Mingyue looked up from the pile of paper, seeing the lit candles. "Ah, is it so late already?"
Yu Mingyue got up from her chair. The candlelight cast her shadow on the window gauze, appearing indistinct and hazy.
Granny Fan entered with dinner. "My lady, would you like to try this old servant's cooking? I've prepared plenty today."
Just as Xie Jiayan was about to object, Yu Mingyue had already smiled and agreed. "Then thank you, Granny. I am indeed hungry."
Granny Fan quickly set out the dishes and retreated, deliberately ignoring her young master's slightly somber expression.
"Should I send someone to inform your manor?" Xie Jiayan asked.
This was not proper etiquette. Yu Mingyue was a child, but he was not.
"No need. The maids in my courtyard know I'm here. My mother never bothers with such small matters," Yu Mingyue said with a smile.
Although Yu Mingyue didn't manage the household affairs now, she still had the final say in matters within her own courtyard.
Yu Mingyue was indeed a little hungry. She ate a piece of glutinous rice cake, sweet and soft. "Granny Fan's cooking is truly excellent."
Yu Mingyue truly hadn't expected Granny Fan's culinary skills to be on par with those of chefs trained in noble families. Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance.
"Then eat more."
"Has Uncle Xie not returned yet?" Yu Mingyue asked, as if casually.