Ning Xuan gritted his teeth in frustration. Early in the morning, Yi Xuan had already dragged him all over the place to familiarize himself with the routes. Before, just going from the Library Pavilion to the servants’ quarters in the rear courtyard and the dining hall—along with all those winding twists and turns—had already made him wish he could be reborn. And now, adding this pond, that courtyard, this lake, that pavilion, Ning Xuan felt like all the days he’d lived before had been for nothing. He had been perfectly content as a frog at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the world.
Bent over, one hand bracing his knee and the other on his hip, he raised his head and flicked aside the bangs stuck to his forehead with sweat, silently cursing that ancient people were just too troublesome—shaving it all off would be so much cleaner and easier. But when he caught sight of Yi Xuan, who wasn’t even flushed or out of breath and was instead looking at him like he failed to live up to expectations, Ning Xuan snapped back without hesitation.
“If I could actually lay eggs, then sure, I’d hatch them!”
Hearing this, Yi Xuan burst out laughing, sizing Ning Xuan up from head to toe with a meaningful look. “Fair point.”
Ning Xuan nearly exploded with anger. He really was regressing—now even an old-fashioned ancient person could leave him speechless.
“Alright, alright, stop showing off your endlessly expressive face,” Yi Xuan waved a hand dismissively, clearly unwilling to argue. “So far I’ve only taken you to a few places we usually go—like the kitchens and such. And places the master might visit on a whim to admire flowers or scenery. They’re just parts of the estate meant to give you a general sense of direction, so you won’t keep saying you don’t know where anything is.”
Changing tone, Yi Xuan frowned slightly. “We don’t usually serve in the front courtyard, so just familiarize yourself with the main hall and similar areas. As for the rest, that’s the guards’ responsibility. What you saw just now was the central courtyard and the rear garden. Those are manageable. What comes next is the real lesson.” He gestured toward the picturesque surroundings. “The rear residence is a place full of trouble. Even if you serve close to the master and won’t be targeted too much, you still have to be careful.”
“You need to know which madam or young master lives in which wing, which courtyard within that wing, their exact locations, the head maids and servants in each residence, and the preferences of whichever madams or young masters are currently favored. Of course, the more you can remember, the better. If you serve the master and all his consorts well, at least you won’t offend too many people.”
Yi Xuan spoke casually, but Ning Xuan’s head was already spinning. After all, he had absolutely no sense of direction. Even back when the place was much smaller, he still got completely lost. That ridiculous incident of accidental eavesdropping had left him with nowhere to cry. He had clearly been the one at a disadvantage, yet somehow others thought he had taken advantage instead. And now—with all these winding corridors, courtyards, and pavilions, a maze perfect for hiding people—just thinking about it gave him a headache.
But compared to all that, another vague realization weighed heavily on his chest.
“Don’t look like your whole family died. It’s not that complicated. As long as you don’t want to die and put in a bit of effort, no one fails to remember,” Yi Xuan said, assuming Ning Xuan’s misery came from the tangled relationships. Taking on the air of a senior guiding a junior, he even patted Ning Xuan’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s actually easy to remember. The eastern wing houses the madams, and the western wing houses the young masters. I’ll take you around—just remember the routes, the courtyard names, and the names of the madams and young masters. As for the maids and servants… with your scatterbrained personality, I’m sure you’ll get scolded plenty anyway.”
Though he acknowledged Ning Xuan’s naturally optimistic personality, Yi Xuan didn’t forget to mock him mercilessly.
Yi Xuan went on lecturing earnestly, but Ning Xuan only stared at his moving lips. Whatever was being said went in one ear and out the other. The only thing he cared about was—
“Are there a lot of madams and young masters in the residence?”
Hearing this, Yi Xuan gave him a strange smile that made Ning Xuan’s skin crawl.
“Well, it’s not too bad,” Yi Xuan leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Our prince has always been romantic and unrestrained, with quite the reputation. How many people he has outside isn’t something servants like us can figure out. But officially, within the residence, there are only six madams in the eastern wing and five young masters in the western wing. And as for whether more will be added in the future… that’s inevitable.”
Yi Xuan smiled meaningfully, but Ning Xuan felt a bitter discomfort rising in his chest.
Having grown up with modern values and monogamy, Ning Xuan saw polygamy as a tragedy for women and a blessing for men. But if it was truly a blessing, why did it sound so harsh to his ears?
Six madams, five young masters—that meant a single prince already had eleven people in his inner residence, and there would be more in the future.
He couldn’t quite describe the feeling. Only that it was suffocating, heavy, making even breathing difficult.
“Alright, stop standing there like a statue. Aren’t you hot under this sun?” Yi Xuan grabbed Ning Xuan, who hadn’t moved despite being called several times, shielding his eyes from the light. “Look, it’s almost noon. The master has probably returned. We need to hurry back after this and attend him before lunch.”
With that, he quickened his pace, practically dragging Ning Xuan along.
Meanwhile, Feng Xuanyi, who had grown bored sitting indoors and on a whim decided to stroll through the courtyard—half-hoping to run into that lively troublemaker—walked with Yi Guang and Yi Quan behind him. At a fork in the path, what he saw was Ning Xuan and Yi Xuan chasing each other, laughing and chatting happily, their hands tightly clasped together.
Feng Xuanyi suddenly stopped, causing Yi Quan, who followed closely behind, to nearly crash into him. Fortunately, Yi Quan halted in time, patting his chest in lingering fright, cautiously glancing up in hopes his lapse hadn’t been noticed. Yet his master, who moments ago had seemed relaxed, now wore a grave expression, his sharp gaze fixed on something ahead.
Yi Quan followed his line of sight—but by then, Ning Xuan and Yi Xuan’s lively figures were already gone. Still puzzled, Yi Quan saw that his master had already turned and left, even Yi Guang moving ahead of him by half a step. Yi Quan hurried to catch up, thinking that the fleeting severity he had seen earlier might have just been his imagination.
Dragged from courtyard to courtyard, Ning Xuan still felt a dull heaviness in his chest, yet his face maintained a bright smile. He dealt with those who once held their heads high and ignored him—a mere library servant—but now, because he had become a personal attendant to the prince, spared no effort in flattering and currying favor.
In just this small prince’s estate, the fickleness of human nature and the rise and fall of fortune were already so stark—it was hard to tell whether to laugh or cry.
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