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"Yan Niang. They all call her Yan Niang."
"Yan Niang?" Xing Ruyi's mind flashed with the image of a stunningly beautiful face. "What do they mean by calling her Yan Niang?"
Chang Tai slightly curled his lips, revealing a bitter smile. From this, Xing Ruyi could conclude that Chang Tai had feelings for Yan Niang, but it was a case of unrequited love, with one being infatuated and the other too afraid to respond due to other reasons.
"Her given name is Yan Yan. Father Xiao Shengyuan was once a renowned bodyguard in our area, and my family lived next to hers, so we naturally got to know each other. The reason I am able to serve as a Constable in Luoyang today is largely because I learned some skills from Master Xiao when I was young." Chang Tai gazed into the distance, seemingly reminiscing, and a hint of joy appeared in his eyes, only to be quickly replaced by another emotion.
"When Yan Yan was nine years old, Master Xiao went out on an escort mission and never returned. The villagers feared he must have been ambushed and lost his life. A year later, a man came to the Xiao family and took away Yan Yan and her mother. He was Yan Yan's uncle. Later on, I left home to become a Constable in Luoyang and unexpectedly encountered Yan Yan again, but she had already become the Yan Niang spoken of by others. Do you know about Xun Huan Lou? When I met Yan Yan there, she was the top courtesan. I asked the madam, and she told me that Yan Yan was sold there when she was ten years old; it seems that the person who sold her was indeed her uncle."
"Xun Huan Lou?" Xing Ruyi blinked. This establishment had once been the most prosperous brothel in Luoyang, but it had fallen into decline over time, especially after the Empress moved the capital; it had lost all its former glory. When Xing Ruyi first arrived in Luoyang, she had asked Fox to take her there, but Fox dismissed the idea with a roll of her eyes.
"Yes, Xun Huan Lou. It used to be Hua Lou, but Yan Yan has long since left there. She bought her freedom and acquired a residence of her own. However, due to her previous reputation, there are still some idle people who disturb her, so she rarely goes out."
"I have seen her," Xing Ruyi suddenly said.
Chang Tai was taken aback and asked in return, "You have seen who?"
"I have seen Yan Niang. She came here with Madam Liu to buy Rouge and Face Powder before; I even sold her a box of eye powder. That box of eye powder is called Floating Life Like a Dream."
"Floating Life Like a Dream, life is but a dream." Chang Tai recited as if recalling Yan Niang's words from before, then smiled faintly: "That name suits her perfectly."
Xing Ruyi refilled Chang Tai's cup of tea but did not speak. After finishing the second cup of tea, Chang Tai's expression returned to normal before he finally spoke: "To diagnose a patient properly, one must observe, listen, inquire, and examine before prescribing medicine. Although I have seen Yan Niang once, I cannot rashly prescribe for her without understanding her condition. How about this: I will visit Yan Niang later to find out the reason for her discomfort before preparing any medication for her."
"Thank you, Sister Ruyi," Chang Tai said as he stood up and cupped his hands in gratitude.
"Brother Chang, your thanks come a bit early. The Fox Demon is just someone who sells Rouge and Face Powder and has a basic understanding of pharmacology. If it's just a common remedy, it might work, but if it’s a real illness, I’m afraid Brother Chang will still need to invite Lord Liu and Lady Liu. However, since Yan Niang has a good relationship with Lady Liu, if there is something difficult to say, she would likely seek Lady Liu's help privately. Therefore, Brother Chang need not worry too much. Moreover, matters of the heart require heart medicine; if Brother Chang truly has intentions, you will need to make some other efforts."
Chang Tai was momentarily taken aback but replied, "Sister Ruyi seems to be overthinking. Yan Yan and I are just fellow townsfolk; she sees me as an older brother, and I see her as a younger sister."
"Knowing Brother Chang has shown me what it means to speak contrary to one's heart. Well, you can handle your matters with Yan Niang yourself, but I must remind Brother Chang that no matter how good a girl is, she won't wait forever. Brother Chang should not let caution cause him to miss out."
Chang Tai nodded and left. Xing Ruyi rearranged some flowers and plants; seeing that the fox had not yet returned, she changed her clothes and headed to Yan Niang's residence.
Yan Niang's house was an old property bought from someone else. Although it was not large, she kept it exceptionally clean. What surprised people was that most of the plants in the courtyard were vegetables; even the few flowering trees were all non-blooming varieties with only green leaves. For example, there were bamboo in the corners, banana plants on either side of the corridor, and seasonal greens.
Compared to that day, Yan Niang was dressed more simply; even her clothing was made of ordinary fabric. Her black hair was held up with a bamboo stick, which looked somewhat awkward but gave her a unique charm.
Upon meeting her without any pretense, Xing Ruyi conveyed Chang Tai's request and the purpose of her visit. Hearing this made the corners of Yan Niang's eyes glisten slightly as she said, "Brother Chang is a good man; I hope he can meet a worthy girl in the future. As for me, I already have someone in my heart; Brother Chang's feelings can only be repaid in another life."
"Is Yan Niang truly willing to let go?" Xing Ruyi asked with a smile. "A man as sincere as Brother Chang is hard to come by. Moreover, when it comes to love between men and women, as long as the heart belongs somewhere, why should one care about past entanglements? Yan Niang is also a wise woman; why make things difficult for yourself and others?"
"Does Ruyi have someone she belongs to?" Yan Niang countered with a question instead of answering, her gaze sparkling yet adding an extra touch of allure.
"Someone I belong to?" Xing Ruyi bit her lip and thought hard. A white fox jumped in front of her, causing her to shake her head dismissively. A fox is an animal; it cannot be considered a person.
"Looking at the young lady's appearance, it seems there isn't anyone? Since there isn't anyone, how can you understand the feelings involved?" Yan Niang sighed lightly. "Yan Niang and Brother Chang are fated in this life but lack connection; I hope we can fulfill this connection in our next life."
“Love is indeed troublesome. Fortunately, I haven't gotten involved yet. Well, well, I'm really just acting as a medical assistant, fulfilling someone else's request, not here to be a Matchmaker.” Xing Ruyi said, forcefully placing Yan Niang's hand on the table.
Yan Niang was caught off guard and let out a soft exclamation. However, Xing Ruyi suddenly felt the room grow dark, even the light overhead swayed slightly. Looking up, she noticed that a shadow had appeared behind Yan Niang, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a figure.
“It seems it's not a disaster but a ghostly misfortune,” Xing Ruyi glanced at the shadow and then carefully checked Yan Niang's pulse before withdrawing her hand.
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