For some unknown reason, the manager of Fan Lou "conscientiously" found a new room for Yang Ruoning. The new room was a small, inconspicuous room tucked away behind a lush grove in the courtyard. At the same time, the head manager also moved Yang Ruoning to work in the tea room, specifically serving water and tea to VIP customers in private rooms. Although it was a bit tiring to climb up and down every day, Yang Ruoning felt satisfied.
Qing Ye would visit Fan Lou from time to time, requesting a VIP private room, ordering a table of food and drinks, and then asking for Yang Ruoning to be sent to him.
Yang Ruoning solemnly declared, "I'm just here to serve tea, and I have the right to refuse any other requests."
Qing Ye rolled his eyes, "What do you take me for? A mating cat? I just want to chat with you."
Yang Ruoning was also speechless. "Why do you insist on chatting with me?"
"Because you're interesting," Qing Ye said.
"Hmm, if that's the case, I charge for chatting too!" Yang Ruoning protested. "By the way, when are you planning to repay my money?"
Qing Ye chuckled at her, then lowered his head and fumbled in his sleeve for a long time, finally finding a small pouch. He opened the pouch and poured out a few copper coins. He counted them in his hand, then grabbed Yang Ruoning's hand and placed the coins in her palm. "Here, this is for you."
Yang Ruoning looked at the few copper coins in her palm, feeling a bit speechless. "I lent you fifteen taels of silver."
Qing Ye apologized, "It's been difficult for me to get money lately. The State Preceptor... my uncle isn't giving me any money... I even had to ask Xiao Guizi for these."
Yang Ruoning gave him a look of exasperated disbelief, "Are you kidding me? You're the Emperor of a nation, and you have to borrow money from your junior attendant? Do you expect me to believe that?"
Qing Ye's mouth dropped open in surprise. "You... you know?"
"Yeah, I know. I thought the Emperor would never renege on a debt, but it seems you're even poorer than I am," Yang Ruoning felt both exasperated and amused.
Actually, Qing Ye was partly right. There was a natural rapport between them. Yang Ruoning felt a genuine liking for this young emperor from the bottom of her heart. She found him interesting, like a child who never grew up, and his tragic eventual fate made her pity him uncontrollably.
After nightfall, Qing Ye was hurried back to the palace by Xiao Guizi. As usual, after everyone had gone to sleep, Yang Ruoning waited by the stone table in the courtyard for Susu. However, it wasn't Susu who arrived today, but him.
Yang Ruoning was lost in thought as Luo Yuan walked past the corridor carrying a stack of Xuan paper, a brush, and an inkstone. She was thinking about how she had posted many lost-item notices over the past month with no success. Occasionally, people would come looking, but they had misunderstood the item in the painting. Should she think of other methods?
As she was thinking, she saw a tall and straight figure approaching from a distance. His black hair, unlike that of other men, was not tied up but fell loosely over his shoulders, the ends subtly fluttering with his steps. His features appeared even more profound under the hazy glow of the moonlight and lanterns.
He walked straight towards her, bringing with him a hint of fresh scent. He sat down beside her, spread out the items he was carrying, and began to grind ink while saying, "Susu has something to attend to today and cannot come, so she specifically asked me to bring these things to you."
"Oh," Yang Ruoning responded. It was the first time she was alone with Luo Yuan, and she felt her brain momentarily short-circuit.
Once the ink was ground, he held up his sleeve with one hand and dipped the brush into the inkstone with the other, then handed the brush to her. Yang Ruoning awkwardly said thank you and took it.
She began to draw a camera on the paper. He, meanwhile, took out a book from his sleeve and began to read beside her. As she was nearing the end of her drawing, Yang Ruoning suddenly remembered that Susu wasn't here, and how she would write the address. She looked up at Luo Yuan, who was reading beside her, and hesitated whether to ask him for help.
Luo Yuan seemed to guess her hesitation. He smiled slightly, put down his book, and naturally took the paper and brush from her hand. Yang Ruoning gazed at Luo Yuan, who was writing, and found herself staring blankly.
His chin was cleanly shaven, his eyes were clear black with upward-slanted corners, framing a pair of arched eyebrows that swept towards his temples. He had a straight nose with a slightly downturned tip, and his thick black hair cascaded down his shoulders like a waterfall. He was truly a handsome man.
At this moment, he looked up and met her gaze. She immediately turned her head away, pretending to look at what he had written. Luo Yuan's bright eyes gazed at her, seeming to envelop her completely.
His handwriting was truly beautiful, neat and tidy just like him, Yang Ruoning marveled in her heart, being illiterate.
"Has Miss Yang's item been found yet?" Luo Yuan asked, returning the paper to Yang Ruoning.
She shook her head. "Not yet."
"Miss Yang, when did you meet that man from Hui Niang's courtyard the other day?" he suddenly asked.
"Oh, Qing Ye. I met him on the boat when I came here from Youzhou City," Yang Ruoning replied casually, still admiring the line of small characters he had written.
"Does Miss know who that man is?" he asked again.
Upon hearing this, Yang Ruoning put down the paper in her hand. She looked at him. In the prophecy, he would seize the throne and kill Qing Ye. When she heard Luo Yuan asking about Qing Ye, she instinctively became somewhat wary.
"Just a friend I met on my journey," she replied, meeting his gaze.
"My mansion happens to be short of a handyman. Would Miss consider working at my mansion?"
She thought for a moment. She didn't know why he would suddenly propose that she work at his mansion. She felt that although working anywhere was the same, his mansion would surely be less free than Fan Lou. Besides, another important reason she was here was the free wine she got every day. So she said, "Thank you, General, but I'm only here in the capital temporarily and won't be staying for too long."
He looked surprised. "Oh? Miss is only here temporarily?"
"Yes, to be frank, General, I've come from very, very far away," Yang Ruoning said, gesturing vaguely in the air in one direction. "I'm here to find something, and I'll go home once I've found it." She tidied up the things on the table. "It's getting late, I'll go back to my room to rest." With that, she turned and left.