Yudie had a bathing tub prepared, filled with water, and scattered petals over it.

Ning Chen undressed and stepped into the tub. It felt wonderful.

Then, all at once, a sound of stifled sobbing.

Ning Chen turned to look, and found Yudie with a hand over her mouth, tears falling like a broken string of pearls.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Yudie said, choking, “Ning, dear’s shoulder.”

Ning Chen turned his head to look. It was the blade wound.

It had healed, but left an ugly scar behind.

“Ah, well… on a battlefield, blades and swords have no eyes. Next to the men who lost an arm or a leg, or their lives, I’m a lucky man.”

Yudie ran her fingers gently over the scar. “It must have hurt terribly.”

“Healed long ago. My greatest talent is forgetting the pain the moment the scar closes over it…” As he spoke, Ning Chen pulled Yudie into the tub with him.

They had played the game of opening clams underwater many times before, and knew the steps by heart.

Yudie’s crying quickly turned into moaning.

The water had gone a little cold, so Ning Chen stood, gathered Yudie up, and carried her toward the bed.

“Wait, Ning, dear, there’s still the gift.”

Yudie snatched up her clothes to cover herself, went over, and opened a bundle, taking out a set of garments.

The outfit was mostly black, trimmed in gold, and looked handsome and rich.

“This girl sewed it with her own hands for Ning, dear’s birthday. Try it on and see if it fits? If it doesn’t, I’ll alter it for you.”

Ning Chen was startled for a moment—he hadn’t expected Yudie to remember his birthday.

Something warm moved in his chest. He took the garments and put them on, then walked over to the bronze mirror and nodded, pleased.

Yudie’s needlework was good; the fit was exactly right.

Ning Chen was no longer the weak, sickly boy he had once been. Long training, and food to match, had left him a different man altogether.

He now stood taller than five foot nine, and though lean, he was hard with muscle—not exaggerated, but well-proportioned, full of coiled power.

His face had opened up too: sword-straight brows over bright eyes, features cut as fine as carving, a set to his brow that spoke of endurance, the whole of him looking confident and strong.

In the clothes Yudie had made, he looked every inch the man of quality, restrained and composed.

Ning Chen turned around, his eyes gentle. “Well? Do I look good?”

Yudie gazed at him, entranced, and nodded faintly. “Ning, dear is the very finest man in this world.”

“Ning, dear, does it fit properly?”

Ning Chen nodded, a wicked smile at the corner of his mouth. “It fits perfectly. Seems like Yudie knows my body better than I do myself.”

Yudie’s small face went red.

Ning Chen suddenly turned and walked toward the outer room. “Wait for me a moment.”

He went out, picked up the clothes he had worn earlier off the floor, emptied everything out of them… then came back in carrying a small, flat wooden box.

“This is for you. See if you like it.”

Yudie took the box, opened it, and found inside a finely made gold hairpin.

These things all came from the Left Chancellor’s treasury.

Yudie could hardly bear to put it down. “Thank you, Ning, dear. This girl loves it!”

She pinned it into her hair as she spoke. “Does it look good?”

Ning Chen nodded. “It looks good. But I still think Yudie looks better with nothing on at all.”

Ning Chen came forward, picked Yudie up, and carried her in long strides toward the bed.

The clothes she had just put on flew off through the gap in the bed curtains.

“Lie down, Ning, dear. This girl will see to you tonight.”

“Hsss…”

A while later, Ning Chen sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

“Where did you learn this?”

Yudie said, shy and blushing, “From Sister Nanzhi.”

“Fuck… Old Pan’s a lucky man, and so am I.”

The next morning, Ning Chen could hardly bring himself to climb off Yudie’s soft, warm body.

He should have gone to report to the Inspectorate the moment he got back yesterday, but he hadn’t.

He needed to go to the Inspectorate today, and on top of that His Majesty had told him yesterday to come into the palace.

“Ning, dear, let this girl help you dress.”

Yudie sat up, her willow brows creasing faintly. She had barely slept the whole night—Ning Chen had been like a wolf that could not get its fill.

Ning Chen pressed her back down. “You rest. I can manage on my own.”

He got out of bed, got dressed, dawdled a good while longer with Yudie, and only then went out to the outer room.

After he had washed up, Xiaoxing brought in food.

The flush on Xiaoxing’s face hadn’t faded at all, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at Ning Chen—she had stood watch outside all night, and the bed inside had shaken without stopping.

Some performance!

Still, the poor girl in there—what a state she must have been left in.

Ning Chen ate and drank his fill, said his good-byes, and left.

Coming to the second floor, he told Jiang Daniu and Tian Jiang firmly to keep a close watch on Xiaoxing.

Then he left the courtesans’ quarter, mounted Diaochan, and rode straight for the Inspectorate.

Not long after Ning Chen left, Yudie got up, dressed, and called Xiaoxing in.

She held the gold hairpin tightly in her hand, hesitated a long while, and at last, reluctant to let it go, held it out to Xiaoxing. “Take this to Lord Zuo.”

Xiaoxing looked at it, curious. “This hairpin is so lovely. I’ve never seen Miss wear it before.”

Yudie’s large eyes glistened with tears. “Ning, dear gave it to me last night.”

Xiaoxing hesitated, then said, “Miss, why don’t you ask Young Master Ning for help?”

Yudie shook her head. “Ning, dear has a bright future ahead of him. I can’t be so selfish as to put his prospects at risk.”

“Ning, dear treats me with real feeling and doesn’t look down on where I came from… I’m too lowborn to be any use to him, but I absolutely must not stand in the way of his future.”

“This case is already settled beyond appeal. Even Ning, dear couldn’t do anything about it. Let’s not burden him with it… hurry and take the hairpin to Lord Zuo.”

Xiaoxing’s eyes reddened. “But Young Master Ning gave this to you himself, Miss. I know how much it means to you. If he ever asks about it…”

Yudie’s eyes swam with tears, unable to look away from the hairpin in Xiaoxing’s hand. She said softly, “Go on. If Ning, dear asks, I’ll find some way to explain it.”

Xiaoxing nodded, put the hairpin away carefully, and turned to go.

Ning Chen rode up to the Inspectorate.

He swung down off his horse and tossed the reins to a red coat at the gate.

Several red coats stared at him, startled.

“Ning the Silver Coat, when did you get back?”

“Yesterday. How’s everyone been?”

“Thank you for asking after us, Ning the Silver Coat. Everyone’s been well.”

Ning Chen took out two gold beans and tossed them to a red coat. “This isn’t for you—call the other lads together and go get drinks when you’re off duty.”

“Thank you, Ning the Silver Coat!”

The red coats thanked him together.

Ning Chen smiled and walked into the Inspectorate, heading toward a familiar part of the building.

“Who are you looking for?”

A silver coat came out carrying a stack of case files and happened to spot Ning Chen coming in.

Ning Chen had gone considerably darker and wasn’t wearing his fish-scale coat, so this man, who knew him well, didn’t recognize him at first.

“Since when did you go blind?”

The man started, looked more closely, then dropped the case files he was carrying and lunged forward. “Ning Chen?”

The shout brought everyone else running.

All at once they came swarming around him.

“You little bastard, you got back to the capital yesterday and you’re only coming to see us today?”

Pan Yucheng and Feng Qizheng had come straight to the Inspectorate after leaving the palace the day before, so everyone already knew Ning Chen was back.

“Damn, you’ve gone dark, but you’re a lot more solid than before—I really didn’t recognize you just now.”

“Our Great Xuan’s great hero is back! Drinks are on me tonight, at the courtesans’ quarter… nobody goes home sober.”

“Thanks, sworn father!”

A crowd of men surrounded Ning Chen, all talking at once, but every one of them made sure to get a bear hug in first.

Men’s friendship really is that simple.

Before the meal: sworn father, at your service. After the meal: you old scoundrel.

(End of Chapter 291)