The next day was a rest day, and Lu Nianfu noticed early on that Situ Yan was in a remarkably good mood. She couldn't help but remind him, "It's fine to laugh like this at home, but you need to restrain yourself outside."
"Why?"
"Situ Jue is nearing his end. Our father is grieving immensely. Do you think a brother can just grin and be happy? Didn't you say yesterday that the Crown Prince was overjoyed but still wore a sad face? Can't you learn from him?"
"What's there to learn from him? He's just not showing his happiness too obviously." Situ Yan rubbed his face, composing himself. "Let's go, I'll take you to see Ah Jin."
Lu Nianfu had also heard about Ji Jin's situation. She said, "Wait, I picked out two maids yesterday. They're both nimble and capable. I'll send them with him."
"No, that'll just be a hassle."
"Huh?"
"You'll understand when we get there."
Lu Nianfu looked puzzled. Even more puzzling was Situ Yan taking her to climb Ji Jin's roof in broad daylight.
Of course, her confusion vanished the moment she saw Feng Xinyao feeding Ji Jin medicine. She nudged Situ Yan's arm, "Do you really want to set them up?"
"Alas, it's because Ah Jin likes her. But this still depends on Feng Xinyao herself."
"Is it appropriate for Xinyao to stay in the capital?" The identity of the owner of De Yi Lou was not important, but she also carried the title of Ning Wang's companion. While she didn't need to observe mourning rites so strictly, it would still have some impact on her reputation. More importantly, Ning Wang's death was closely linked to her.
Situ Yan waved his hand, "What's the big deal? We can just change her identity. It just so happens her brother is coming to the capital, so we can sort them both out together."
"Little Zhang Ning is also coming to the capital?" As a frequent visitor to Prefect Feng's mansion, Lu Nianfu naturally remembered Feng Zhangning. She gestured, "The last time I saw that child, he was this tall. Calculating his age, he must be fourteen this year, right?"
"Yes, around that age."
"It's a pity. Zhang Ning passed the Tong Sheng exam at ten. If something hadn't happened, he might be a Xiu Cai by now. Is he coming to find Xinyao?"
"Yes, neither of these siblings is easy to worry about." Despite his words, Situ Yan clearly admired the siblings' courage. A faint smile played on his lips as he spoke, "If he really wants to pursue officialdom, it's not impossible. We just need to be more careful when forging his identity."
Lu Nianfu nodded. Ji Jin, inside the room, had finished his medicine.
Feng Xinyao tidied up her basket. "I'll be going now. Rest well, and I'll come back at noon."
Ji Jin nodded. "Thank you, Miss Feng."
Situ Yan, disappointed, said, "You're just letting her go like this? Can Ah Jin even handle it?"
"I think it's quite effective. It's like boiling a frog in warm water. Otherwise, wouldn't you scare her away if you acted too quickly?"
"Wife, from a woman's perspective, do you think Ah Jin has a chance?"
"There is certainly affection. Otherwise, why would she be personally attending to his soup and medicine? But..."
"No 'buts'. As long as there's a willingness, even if it's just a spark, Ah Jin has a chance." Situ Yan chuckled happily. After Feng Xinyao's carriage drove away, he carried Lu Nianfu down from the roof and swaggered into Ji Jin's house. "Ah Jin, I've come to see you!"
Ji Jin retorted unhappily, "If you had come now, I would have starved to death in bed long ago."
"A dog biting Lu Dongbin, ungrateful. If I had sent two maids the moment I got the news, do you think it would have been them feeding you and giving you medicine?"
Ji Jin understood immediately. "No wonder! How could you and Ouyang get news later than Xinyao?"
Lu Nianfu glanced at Situ Yan subtly. So, it was all a scheme. She recalled that he had used similar step-by-step tactics to trick her back then.
Their conversation continued. "Tsk, tsk, you're already calling her Xinyao. Brother, she hasn't agreed to you yet."
"One day, she will."
Situ Yan scoffed and then asked, "Has Father suspected you?"
Ji Jin shook his head. "Don't worry, I have no enmity with Ning Wang. The Emperor won't suspect me."
"That's good. For the sake of our many years of brotherhood, I'll give you a piece of news. Your future brother-in-law should be arriving in the capital tomorrow or the day after. Your great revenge has been served. I think he'll want to take his sister away."
Ji Jin calmly replied, "There's nothing to miss in the capital anyway. If she leaves, I'll leave too."
"You're giving up being an imperial physician?"
"Yes."
"And you're not going to research the medical texts inside? You're willing to leave all those good medicines?"
Ji Jin sighed. "I can't have both fish and bear's paw. However, I've learned a lot theoretically over the years. I still need more practice. After leaving the palace, I can open a small clinic and treat people."
Situ Yan was surprised by his nonchalance and paused. "Have you been contemplating this for a long time?"
"When would I have had the time? I was busy thinking about how to kill Situ Jue. I only started thinking about the future these past couple of days."
"But you are the Emperor's personal imperial physician. It's unlikely Father will let you go easily."
"We'll take it one step at a time. Besides, I still have you."