Tao Yu breathed a sigh of relief after hiding in an empty room, pausing when she saw the bronze mirror on the table. She found a rope to use as a belt, then looked at her face in the mirror, troubled for a moment. She took out cinnabar and ink and worked on her face for a while. Looking in the mirror again, a massive birthmark now covered most of her original features.
She found a veil hat, put it on, and secretly left through the temple’s back courtyard, heading towards a remote clothing shop outside the city. Since she wanted to properly torment the city lord, she first needed to conceal her body and appearance. This time, she would be the one plotting in the shadows, making him anxious and restless.
She headed towards the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, Yue Linze heard the news about Niannian’s fever and hurriedly returned to the city lord’s mansion.
The steward was already waiting far from the mansion’s entrance. Upon seeing him, he rushed over anxiously, “Miss Niannian refuses to take her medicine and insists on waiting for you.”
Yue Linze’s brow slightly furrowed, though his eyes showed little emotion. He simply nodded in response. Wearing a monk’s robe with prayer beads around his neck, he looked completely detached from worldly concerns, though his slightly hurried footsteps betrayed a hint of inner turmoil.
As he entered the courtyard, he heard Niannian’s hoarse crying before even reaching the door. A flash of displeasure crossed his eyes as he abruptly pushed the door open, seeing the wet nurse standing helplessly by the bed, softly trying to console her.
Niannian was crying uncontrollably, her face red and purplish, sitting in only a thin garment. The floor was scattered with things she had thrown, and the entire room was in complete disarray.
“What’s going on?” Yue Linze asked coldly.
Seeing him, Niannian immediately stretched out her hands to reach for him. Losing her balance, she nearly fell off the bed. The wet nurse was startled and momentarily forgot to catch her, but Yue Linze rushed forward and caught her just in time.
“Daddy… Daddy…” Niannian hiccupped, clinging to Yue Linze, her chubby hands sweaty.
Yue Linze looked displeased at the wet nurse, who quickly explained, “The doctor said Miss should take her medicine on time. I tried to feed her, but she absolutely refused and was crying and making a fuss… I was at my wit’s end…”
“Why is she dressed so lightly?” Yue Linze felt Niannian’s hand, finding it wet and cold.
The wet nurse stammered, “Miss wouldn’t wear more…”
Yue Linze glanced at her and said, “You may go.”
“…Yes.” The guilt-ridden wet nurse quickly responded and almost fled.
Once she was gone, Yue Linze gently patted Niannian’s back, “Niannian, be good. Stop crying, okay?”
As soon as he spoke, Niannian’s crying subsided significantly. The steward, who had followed, breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps due to their natural father-daughter bond, Niannian had always been close to the city lord. Whatever he said, she would surely obey. He believed that after the city lord’s consolation, she would surely take her medicine obediently.
With this thought, he closed the door, giving the father and daughter some private time.
Inside the room, Niannian was still whimpering, her round, chubby face wet, her big eyes swollen and looking pitiful. Yue Linze patiently comforted her until she calmed down, then tucked her into bed with a blanket.
“Would you like some candied fruit?” Yue Linze asked.
Niannian looked at him pitifully and nodded after a moment. Yue Linze smiled softly, “How about you drink your medicine first, and then we’ll have some?”
“Bitter…” Niannian pouted, about to cry again.
This time, Yue Linze didn’t try to console her, just quietly watched her. The three-and-a-half-year-old had learned to read the atmosphere and, feeling something was off, softly said, “Will drink medicine.”
Yue Linze laughed, pinched her chubby cheek, and brought the medicine. He helped her sit up and gave her the medicine. After she finished, he fed her a piece of candied fruit, and Niannian immediately smiled, forgetting the bitterness.
After chatting for a while, Niannian, already tired from her earlier tantrum, quickly became drowsy after the medicine. However, she didn’t want to sleep, blinking at Yue Linze and mumbling, “Daddy don’t go.”
“Yes, sleep now. Daddy won’t go,” Yue Linze said gently.
The little girl pouted, “Always lying…”
“This time I really won’t go. Sleep, Niannian,” Yue Linze said helplessly. Niannian, with her limited life experience, knew this was her closest daddy, but this closest daddy always seemed to lie to her.
Despite her resistance, she eventually succumbed to sleep. Yue Linze sat quietly beside her for a long time, only leaving after her sleep stabilized, covering her with a blanket.
Stepping out, he saw the steward sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought. Hearing his approach, the steward quickly came over: “My lord, it’s so late. Please stay home tonight and return to the temple early tomorrow morning.”
“No, I’m going back now,” Yue Linze said flatly.
The steward paused, then forced a smile and agreed, following him to see him off. They walked silently to the gate. Before boarding the carriage, Yue Linze glanced sideways, “Find a new wet nurse for Niannian tomorrow. Send today’s one away.”
“Yes,” the steward responded, bowing his head. Soon, he heard the sound of carriage wheels. When he looked up again, only a tiny shadow remained in the darkness. The steward stood there for a long time before sighing and turning back.
In the night, Yue Linze’s carriage headed towards the monastery in the suburbs. A passing ox cart crossed paths with his carriage. Yue Linze seemed to sense something and turned his head but saw nothing.
Tao Yu lay in the ox cart, nodding off, her eyelids growing heavy. Before she could fall asleep, the cart owner called out, “Miss, we’ve arrived.
Tao Yu dazed for a moment, wiped her mouth corner after seeing the inn ahead, got off the cart and thanked the cart owner, then took out a few copper coins from her pocket as payment, and headed towards the inn. By the time she checked into a room, it was already late at night.
She lay on the bed for a long time before getting up to check her newly acquired package, looking at the few remaining silver coins on the table and sighing heavily. Her jewelry had all been pawned, and while the remaining silver would be enough to support her for a long time, she had spent a lot on various items, leaving her with very little money.
Fortunately, she planned to sneak into the city lord’s mansion tomorrow, where food and lodging would be provided, so she wouldn’t have to worry about her livelihood. As she was about to fall asleep, she suddenly wondered: what if the city lord’s mansion wasn’t hiring?
This thought made her shudder, but she was so exhausted that she fell asleep anyway.
She slept for several hours. When she woke up, it was already bright outside. She hurriedly got up to wash and dressed in the thick cotton clothes she had bought, layering a thin outer garment to create a realistic barrel-like waist.
After looking in the mirror, she felt her neck was too slender, so she wrapped a scarf around it. Then she applied a special eye makeup that made her large eyes appear smaller, completely changing her appearance.
Tao Yu was quite satisfied. After applying some rouge and powder, a chubby girl with a flat nose and small eyes appeared in the bronze mirror. Even she herself could hardly recognize her reflection. She had considered adding a birthmark but thought the city lord’s mansion staff seemed proper, and an overly dramatic disguise might prevent her from entering.
This look was just right. Tao Yu stood up and turned around, then went downstairs, planning to try her luck at the city lord’s mansion.
