This person and his words, Fang Jinxiu was no stranger to them. From Yangcheng onwards, Ning Yunzhao had made many coincidental visits.
Although since Miss Jun left the capital, the number of times Ning Yunzhao stepped into Jiuling Hall could be counted on one hand, yet every visit was because of Miss Jun.
In this world, is there truly such a thing as coincidence? It is always deliberate.
"Looks like the news has already spread," Fang Jinxiu said.
The first one to come was him, even faster than the Jinyiwei.
Ning Yunzhao smiled without saying a word, neither denying nor explaining.
"I want to see her," he said. "Is now appropriate?"
Fang Jinxiu looked at him, recalling the scene from Yangcheng when Ning Yunzhao first visited—how similar it seemed. Then, it was deep into the night; now, it was broad daylight. But what remained unchanged was the person he wished to meet, who was now with her spouse.
Though the wife remained, the husband had changed.
Appropriate? By conventional reasoning, it truly wasn't, but at this point, was there anything about Miss Jun that required abiding by conventional reasoning?
Fang Jinxiu chuckled.
"Appropriate indeed." She stepped aside to make way, gesturing in invitation, "What's inappropriate about it?"
Ning Yunzhao entered with a smile. Seventh Chen shot him a glance and briskly pushed open the door leading further inside.
"Miss Jun, Mr. Ning is here," he shouted loudly.
Ning Yunzhao followed him to the back door, where, because of his shout, everyone in the rear courtyard seemed momentarily frozen.
Servants carrying medicinal herbs, maidservants holding trays of unsorted blooming flowers, and the young maid Liu'er standing under the corridor with a melon seed pinched between her fingers near her lips—all came to a halt.
Meanwhile, upstairs, the summer windows were wide open, and a woman leaned by the window.
Clad in apricot robes, with raven hair, gently fanning herself.
Amidst this moment of stillness, only her eyes flowed with light, and a faint smile appeared.
Ning Yunzhao also smiled, and the stillness dispersed, with voices quickly rising.
"Noble Son Ning is here," called out Seventh Chen once more.
"Why is Noble Son Ning here?" Liu'er exclaimed in surprise.
"Please,"
Miss Jun said with a smile.
Ning Yunzhao bowed respectfully from a distance and strode towards the hall.
A cough echoed, and Ning Yunzhao's steps faltered. He looked and saw a young man standing under a tree nearby, his hand placed on a wooden post, studying him.
"Lord Heir," Ning Yunzhao promptly offered a formal bow, "You're here."
He had been here all along, but Ning Yunzhao had missed seeing him altogether despite his presence.
Zhu Zan's face was filled with ridicule.
Lost in infatuation.
In his eyes, besides that woman, nothing else was visible.
Zhu Zan didn't answer, instead striking the wooden post with a steady and forceful move, his hands swift yet deliberate.
"Noble Son Ning."
Miss Jun was already standing inside the hall, addressing him.
Ning Yunzhao bowed once more to Zhu Zan before stepping into the hall.
The tea had already been poured.
"Please," Miss Jun said with a smile, sitting down first herself.
Ning Yunzhao sat down, took the tea, and sipped lightly.
"You are truly remarkable," Miss Jun remarked.
The events outside the Imperial City and Ning Yunzhao's responses at the banquet had already been relayed to her by the Duke of Chengguo.
Ning Yunzhao smiled.
Once again, she opened the conversation, still just as fitting. Even after so long apart, there was no sense of unfamiliarity, nor any hint of formality.
Moreover, those simple words of praise—"remarkable"—filled him with great joy.
In truth, he wasn't someone who did things for compliments from others. Whether it was studying, chess, painting, or writing, he did it purely for his own enjoyment. Thus, others' praise held little significance for him.
But in this moment, hearing her compliment stirred a happiness from deep within, blooming like spring flowers.
"You are remarkable too," he smiled and said.
Miss Jun raised her teacup.
"Here's to celebrating how remarkable we both are," she said.
Ning Yunzhao laughed heartily, raised his teacup, and they lightly clinked glasses.
With the hall doors wide open, the two sat across each other, drinking tea and chatting, visible to those outside.
Seventh Chen watched with great interest, even clicking his tongue twice.
"No matter how you look at it, they are the perfect match," he muttered quietly.
"Stop gawking. Go outside and stand guard," Fang Jinxiu snapped.
Seventh Chen chuckled, then raised his eyebrows at the other side.
"Why are you so anxious? Even the Lord Heir hasn't rushed in," he whispered with a grin.
On the other side, Zhu Zan focused steadily on striking the wooden post, his movements not showing a hint of urgency. It seemed he didn't even care about the guest who had arrived or that said guest was chatting and laughing with his fiancée.
Fang Jinxiu's expression remained calm.
"It's only a matter of time," she said.
This was nothing extraordinary; she had seen it before. There were people who didn't rush but caused chaos elsewhere—and what was the result? Now, they could only stew in quiet frustration.
Thinking about this, she chuckled again, a hint of mischief coloring her laughter as she turned to beckon the maidservants.
"Prepare a banquet to entertain the guest," she said.
This gathering of new and old loves at the same table would definitely be entertaining.
"Don't make trouble. Sitting together would be so awkward," Seventh Chen said in a low voice.
Awkward?
"I doubt these three could even define awkwardness," Fang Jinxiu said with a faint smile.
...........
......….
One cup of tea was finished, and Miss Jun lifted her sleeve to pour more.
Ning Yunzhao felt he should initiate something to say this time but also felt there was nothing to say.
He'd already heard about what happened to her. Should he have her recount it again? For someone who disliked talking as much as she did, such a request would be tedious.
Should he offer a comment about her hardships or ask her if it was difficult? That too felt pointless. For people like her and him, doing things was never about whether they were hard or not—they simply gave their all. If someone were to remark on their efforts, a simple "remarkable" was sufficient.
The compliment had already been given.
Perhaps he could inquire about the situation in the northern lands, as this was crucial to what steps needed to be taken next. The current court appeared tranquil and settled on the surface, but beneath lay turbulent undercurrents.
As his fingers swiveled the teacup, Ning Yunzhao looked up.
"So, this upcoming wedding… is it real?" he asked.
Miss Jun was in the middle of refilling her teacup and didn't lift her head at his words.
"Of course it's fake," she answered breezily, as if it hardly required thought. Then she raised her head to glance at him, "Didn't you know?"
Her meaning was that, as someone as clever as Ning Yunzhao, he should have already deduced this.
Yet her casual reply led to a sliver of unease for Ning Yunzhao.
Indeed, he should have known. Not to mention being able to deduce it, Seventh Chen had even hinted it to him.
Nonetheless, he still asked. Despite the certainty of the answer, he needed to hear it directly from her to believe.
Was that perhaps… a bit too… jealous?
And yet, he felt a faint delight.
It indicated that she knew he clearly understood her actions, which implied trust.
And her retort—was there perhaps some trace of annoyance?
Making him clarify something so obvious—could that imply doubt or confusion?
Was that not a subtle complaint?
Who complains about someone? Only those who matter to them.
Ning Yunzhao made an ambiguous sound, unsure if it was a question or an answer, and lifted his teacup to drink.
"Don't tell anyone," Miss Jun instructed casually, as if remembering something.
If he wasn't "anyone," that meant he was somebody special to her.
"Of course," Ning Yunzhao replied, trying to hold back a laugh. "I'm not stupid."
Miss Jun laughed aloud.
"Of course you're not stupid. You're incredibly smart," she said with a grin.
Ning Yunzhao laughed as well.
"You're smart too," he said.
Did that really need saying? He regretted his words almost immediately; they sounded overly foolish.
Miss Jun didn't seem to mind, nodding with a smile.
"Of course I am. I'm incredibly smart," she said.
Standing by the wooden post, Zhu Zan was struck with a wave of disgust.
Is this how she talks to comparatively less intelligent people? It's both idiotic and tedious.
Apparently, he was too smart, which forced her to put in extra effort when dealing with him, using enough irreverence to suppress his wit.
Zhu Zan smirked slightly, with a hint of pride, and struck the wooden post with a heavy blow.