Chapter 38: Secrets and Shenanigans

Wen Zhixu produced the embossed stationery. Mo Hu understood his intention and approached, sniffing it lightly several times to memorize its scent.

To ensure the dog wouldn’t fail the task, he sent for Mo Hu’s favorite dried meat.

“Only search for this item. You are not allowed to touch anything else.”

When Mo Hu successfully retrieved the embossed stationery from the pile of scattered objects, he was rewarded with an entire meat-filled bun, his tail wagging so vigorously it became a blur. But when he mistakenly picked up the ordinary rice paper meant to distract him—

He received a cold glare from his master.

“Second Young Master, this is…?” The sudden scolding of the dog made Wen Ba, who had caused the trouble, uneasy.

Wen Qi glanced at him. “The master’s thoughts are not for us servants to speculate about.”

Wen Ba immediately fell silent.

He was genuinely afraid the Second Young Master might whimsically order the servants to imitate the dog, barking while searching for objects.

Night fell.

A ghostly shadow flitted past Yinquan Pavilion. Faint sounds echoed through the dog hole, passing through the passage before quickly disappearing without a trace.

Wen Zhixu tightened his sleeping robe, allowing the night breeze to tousle his unbound hair. Beneath the flowing locks hid a tense face.

He mocked himself inwardly: This act was truly unbecoming of a gentleman, resorting to such despicable means.

If she claimed the annulment was his idea, he could calmly retort, “Where is the proof?” Thinking of Lin Xihe’s expression when she couldn’t find the letter of annulment, he suddenly felt justified: Tonight’s venture was truly worthwhile.

A maid carried a wooden bucket into the room. The clever Mo Hu followed behind, using his snout to nudge open the door crack before squeezing through and sneaking inside.

The room was filled with the faint fragrance of pomelo. Lin Xihe was soaking her feet while fiddling with a large pomelo.

She had learned this from Huixin—making a lantern from a pomelo. When a candle was lit inside, the entire room would be filled with the scent of pomelo.

Lin Xihe loved this fragrance.

Mo Hu crouched beside the daybed, his dark, gleaming eyes fixed motionlessly on her.

Lin Xihe picked up scissors, poking and carving at the pomelo. Without proper tools, even a craft expert could only stare helplessly.

“Miss, what are you making?”

“A pumpkin lantern,” Lin Xihe said, looking at her failed creation. “For carrying around to ask for candy on Halloween.”

“Halloween?”

“Mhm.” Lin Xihe answered naturally.

As someone out of place in this world, she often said things others couldn’t understand. The only person who could understand and respond to these words… Lin Xihe turned the thought over in her mind, seemed to be Wen Zhixu alone.

He had even learned simplified characters, writing them more properly than her, this “escapee from nine-year compulsory education.”

Lin Xihe set down the mutilated pomelo, her gaze drifting downward when she suddenly noticed a dark shadow curled in the corner.

The shadow’s tail kept wagging, like a crouching creature stealthily approaching. Seeing Lin Xihe showed no fear, it tentatively inched closer.

Mo Hu grinned, baring his teeth.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

The one who screamed was actually Qingwu, renowned for her bravery and ability to wrestle tigers barehanded.

As the scream erupted, the doors of Yinquan Pavilion swung open with a crash, candlelight flooding the room blindingly bright.

Wen Zhixu personally carried a lantern, ghosting his way to the backyard.

“Mo Hu?” he called out in a hushed, thief-like voice, but didn’t see the dog he had sent on this thieving mission.

Wen Zhixu’s heart sank: It’s over. Not only did we fail to steal the item, but this stupid dog has alerted Lin Xihe.

He bent down to look at the dog hole—but there was no opening to be seen.

Someone on the other side had inexplicably moved a massive rock, thoroughly blocking the passage.

Wen Zhixu could already picture the scene: Mo Hu caught red-handed by Lin Xihe during his failed burglary attempt.

Qingwu dusted the mud off her hands and complained irritably, “Look, Miss! Second Master’s dog keeps digging holes everywhere and pretending to be a ghost to scare people in the middle of the night!”

Lin Xihe crouched down, gently stroking the dog’s head as she asked softly, “Why did you come here? Did you have a nightmare?”

Mo Hu nodded vigorously: “Whimper whimper…”

The servants who had gathered due to the commotion in Tinghe Courtyard were all speechless. The young lady was truly indulgent with this dog.

.

Early the next morning.

While having breakfast, Wen Hongyuan noticed his grandson’s absence—the young man never missed his daily morning greetings, despite his unconventional behavior. The rituals of morning and evening respects were always observed.

Having lost his beloved dog overnight, Wen Zhixu paced outside the Lin residence as morning dew still clung to the ground.

When the gatekeeper opened the door for cleaning, the steward recognized him: “Second Master Wen?”

Wen Zhixu turned around, maintaining his usual aloof expression though his tone carried a hint of uncertainty: “Is your young lady at home?”

At this hour, how could the eldest young lady be out? Everyone in the Lin residence knew she loved sleeping in, often staying in bed until noon. She had only ever paid morning respects to her father twice before giving up altogether. And the doting father had now reversed the tradition—his first action upon returning from court each day was to visit his daughter’s courtyard to pay his respects.

Just who was the parent here?

The steward couldn’t very well say the young lady hadn’t risen yet, so he carefully hedged: “Might I ask which young lady of the residence you refer to?”

After all, Lin Zhirou also counted as a young lady of the Lin house.

Wen Zhixu’s face darkened as if the name “Lin Zhirou” were some plague-ridden curse that would give him festering sores: “The one who remains abed long after the sun has climbed high.”

“Ah, this…” The steward was momentarily lost for words. So the secret of the young lady’s sleeping habits was already common knowledge outside the residence?

Wen Zhixu had never waited this long before. The weeds beneath the Lin residence’s stone lions lay flattened under his pacing feet, and he had counted hundreds of ants moving house beneath the elm tree when the gate finally creaked open a crack.

A dark black dog’s nose emerged first.

Indeed, that incompetent thief of a dog had been thrown out.

“Fine then.” Wen Zhixu resigned himself and stepped forward to reclaim the dog.

Unexpectedly, following closely behind Mo Hu through the threshold was a sleepy-eyed Lin Xihe.

In her drowsy state, she held a leash whose end was fastened to Mo Hu’s unusual leather collar—a style Wen Zhixu had never seen before, with a tiny bronze bell hanging beneath that jingled cheerfully with the dog’s excited steps.

The sleep-deprived girl led his dog out the gate and immediately complained: “Hey, control your Xiao Hei. What’s the meaning of sneaking into my room in the middle of the night playing ghost?”

Her tone made it clear that Mo Hu had been discovered before even catching a whiff of the Letter of Annulment. All that training wasted on this useless creature.

Countless thoughts raced through Wen Zhixu’s mind before he finally uttered a meaningless pleasantry: “I thank Miss Lin for taking care of Xiao Hei.”

His distracted state had let Lin Xihe lead him astray, causing him to mistakenly use the dog’s wrong name too.

The newly renamed Mo Hu whimpered, unable to contain his grievance.

Lin Xihe gave a light scoff but didn’t correct him, instead letting her gaze linger on him for a few moments.

The morning light sculpted his defined facial contours and lightened his pupils to a pale amber hue. When he closed his sharp mouth and spoke calmly, his every movement naturally exuded the refined elegance of an aristocratic family.

This meticulously groomed, sculpted nobility inexplicably reminded Lin Xihe of the golden needle pines she had seen at a bonsai exhibition.

Yet the distinguished gentleman before her was currently entertaining thoughts far removed from nobility.

“Here, returning Xiao Hei to you. I’ve had the dog hole sealed…” Lin Xihe raised the leash higher.

Wen Zhixu made no move to take it, merely saying, “Then I must thank Miss Lin again.”

Lin Xihe’s fingers grasped empty air in the morning light. Gazing at Wen Zhixu’s formally clasped hands, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind: Was he doing this on purpose?

Observing his excessively proper manners, she couldn’t help thinking: Ancient etiquette was truly too elaborate. All this back-and-forth thanking would surely delay her return to bed. Thus she said, “It was nothing worth mentioning. Second Young Master needn’t stand on ceremony.”

Hah, clearly trying to dismiss him, but he wouldn’t comply with her wishes. Wen Zhixu gestured toward Mo Hu: “This collar design is quite exquisite.”

“Ah?” Lin Xihe’s attention was successfully diverted. She lightly tapped the bronze bell with the end of the leash, producing clear chimes. Studying Wen Zhixu, she noticed he chuckled softly with each ring.

Lin Xihe: Had he been poisoned with laughing half-step madness?

Wen Zhixu continued: “Xiao Hei was separated from his mother at a young age, traveling with foreign merchants all the way to the capital before I adopted him. He hasn’t properly experienced the capital’s bustle. Now that he has the collar you gifted, it would be fitting to take him for a walk along East Street.”

Lin Xihe had a soft heart and couldn’t bear hearing such backstories. Her footsteps unconsciously turned toward the street entrance following Wen Zhixu.

With Mo Hu leading proudly ahead, Wen Zhixu turned to Lin Xihe and extended his hand: “Let me take the leash.”

“Then I’ll head back?” Walking dogs was too exhausting – Lin Xihe was still thinking about her morning nap.

“I heard a new breakfast shop opened on East Street with excellent food.”

“…Really?”

From his peripheral vision, the young lady’s steps noticeably lightened. She must indeed be hungry.

Wen Zhixu: “The leash.”

“Here.” She blinked, suspecting herself of being too gluttonous – why did she lose all restraint at the mention of food?

Sunlight suddenly flooded over, casting two long and one short shadow upon the white wall.

Wen Zhixu’s fingertips trembled slightly, his hand secretly tightening around the leash. Just moments ago, when the young lady handed over the leash, her fingertips had lightly brushed against his.

Seated before the breakfast shop, Mo Hu lay under the table, his tail sweeping across the young master’s shoes before brushing against the young lady’s skirt.

Noticing her wandering eyes frequently glancing at neighboring tables’ food, Wen Zhixu ordered the server to bring one of every dish.

Their small square table was instantly covered with various morning meals.

Lin Xihe looked up from the white steam, her expression troubled: “This is too much.”

“Just take a small taste of each to sample the flavors.”

Wen Zhixu had expected her to say something like “this is too wasteful” or “we should bring some back for the maids,” and was contemplating how to respond when he saw Lin Xihe already picking up her chopsticks, clearly preparing to feast.

“…” Her nickname “Glutton” was truly well-deserved.

The appearance of two of the capital’s most talked-about figures at a morning meal stall naturally attracted attention.

The common folk rarely had opportunities for close contact with nobility, so even after receiving their soybean milk, they lingered unwilling to disperse.

Lin Xihe placed a green lotus vegetarian dumpling in her mouth. Noticing the surrounding stares, her jaw stiffened slightly: “Why are they watching me eat?” Could it be because I ordered too much?

Seeing how much she enjoyed the food, Wen Zhixu naturally picked up a vegetarian dumpling and placed it in her bowl: “Perhaps seeing Miss Lin eat so heartily has made them crave some too.”

Heartily? Is he complimenting me? Given his usual demeanor, shouldn’t he be teasing me for being a glutton instead? Lin Xihe was deeply suspicious.

To test her theory, she accepted the dumpling and popped it into her mouth. This only made matters worse—both her cheeks now bulged with food.

Wen Zhixu fell momentarily speechless upon seeing a young lady eat in such a manner for the first time. As Lin Xihe deliberately made loud chewing sounds, he nearly blurted out: With such an appetite, Miss Lin, have you hidden a refugee in your stomach?

Yet as the words reached his lips, memories of all the times he had angered her suddenly surfaced. Wen Zhixu abruptly changed his tone, swallowing his original remark and forcing out instead: “Like a squirrel storing nuts.”

“?” Lin Xihe grew even more puzzled. Had he joined some “compliment cult”?

Since Wen Zhixu was treating her to this meal, Lin Xihe felt obliged to hold back her usual sharpness. Considering how he’d been cheated when buying a dog, tricked when purchasing a bird, and now his personality had shifted so drastically that he was even praising his archrival…

She offered a friendly reminder: “Hey, have you joined some Sun Moon Holy Cult or something? You seem pretty gullible, so listen to my advice: Shua Dan rebates are traps, high returns should raise alarms, never carelessly share personal information, guarding your wallet is paramount.”?

Wen Zhixu: “…”