Chapter 19: The Heartbreaker
The next day, it rained.
He Yan had He Yunsheng take some money to hire craftsmen to repair the dilapidated roof. Spring was nearing its end, and summer was about to arrive. The rain would only increase, and among the He family's houses, only the roof of her room was intact. Both He Sui and He Yunsheng's rooms had copper basins placed inside to catch the dripping water. Stepping into their rooms felt like walking into a shop selling basins.
The roof was quickly repaired with sturdy blue tiles. He Yan considered replacing the worn-out quilts and pillows in the house next—they were so tattered that cotton was spilling out.
He Yunsheng stepped into her room and said, "He Yan, come take a look!"
Puzzled, He Yan watched as He Yunsheng pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and said, "Yesterday, I wrote down all the decent academies in the capital. Should we go take a look today?"
"Now?" He Yan asked. "You want me to go with you?"
A hint of flustered embarrassment flashed across He Yunsheng's face, and he turned away. "I was just letting you know!"
"Oh, alright, I'll go with you," He Yan replied.
The boy was a bit awkward, but still rather endearing, with no ill intentions. When He Yan stepped into the courtyard, she saw the horse Xiao Jue had given He Yunsheng the day before huddled in a corner. He Yunsheng had even built a simple stable for it.
The He family was poor and couldn't afford to keep horses. The courtyard had only ever housed chickens and ducks, so the sudden presence of such a large creature felt indescribably odd. The horse was lowering its head to eat grass, the fodder neatly cleaned and arranged—clearly He Yunsheng's doing.
Noticing He Yan's gaze on the horse, He Yunsheng proudly declared, "Xiangxiang is beautiful!"
He Yan nearly doubted her hearing. "What did you call it?"
"Xiangxiang!" He Yunsheng answered matter-of-factly. "I checked yesterday—she's a mare. Since she's with me now, I had to give her a new name. Girls would definitely like the name Xiangxiang."
He Yan: "...As long as you're happy."
She had long advised He Yunsheng to study more, but he never listened. Xiao Jue was such a picky person—if he found out the horse he casually gifted had been given such a name by He Yunsheng, it would undoubtedly become the greatest humiliation of his horse-giving career.
Oblivious to her thoughts, He Yunsheng couldn't hide his excitement, no matter how hard he tried. He Yan couldn't be bothered to interfere.
The He family had never owned a horse before, let alone a carriage. So He Yan and He Yunsheng walked through the streets under umbrellas. He Sui had left for the training grounds early in the morning. When He Yan woke up that day, she noticed the bruise on her lip from the previous night had faded almost completely, so she didn't bother with a veil and went out directly.
There were benefits to going out without a veil. Now that her identity was different, she had fewer reservations and could observe the capital's scenery more closely. He Yunsheng's list included four academies, all carefully selected. He Yan glanced at them and noticed they all emphasized martial arts.
That was fine. Judging by He Yunsheng's demeanor, he didn't seem inclined toward civil service—of course, given his ability to name a horse "Xiangxiang," he clearly wasn't cut out for scholarly pursuits either.The two of them strolled leisurely, stopping now and then to buy snacks and eat as they went. In just one day, they had visited all four martial arts schools. After some discussion, He Yun Sheng and He Yan decided on the one closest to their home. This particular school had more martial arts instructors and a well-structured curriculum. After classes, He Yun Sheng could even head to the training grounds to practice with weapons. The tuition wasn’t too expensive either—just one tael of silver per year. The money He Yan had won was more than enough to cover several years of his education.
Though He Yun Sheng didn’t say it aloud, he was clearly overjoyed. On their way back, he even skipped a little in excitement. Passing by a tailor’s shop, He Yan remembered how she had torn He Yun Sheng’s clothes that day at Letong Manor and said, “I promised to get you new clothes. Since we’re here, why not do it today?”
Most of He Yun Sheng’s clothes were hand-me-downs from He Sui, patched up repeatedly to last another three years. New clothes were a rarity, and he had never been to a proper tailor shop like this one. Hesitating, he replied, “It’s fine, I can just wear whatever.”
“If you go to school dressed poorly, people will laugh at you,” He Yan said, pulling him inside. The tailor was an elderly man with a kindly smile. He asked, “Will it be for the young lady or the young gentleman?”
“For him,” He Yan pointed at He Yun Sheng. “Two sets for spring and two for winter, preferably long robes with collars. Something stylish, fitting for a young man like him. The colors shouldn’t be too dark or too light, and the patterns can be simple.”
The old tailor smiled warmly. “Very well.”
“Aren’t you getting any?” He Yun Sheng stood up in surprise. “I don’t need that many. It’s too much.”
He Yan pushed him back onto the chair. “Your sister has more clothes than she can wear. How can you compare? With such a handsome face, it’d be a waste not to dress you up properly.”
He Yun Sheng’s face flushed red. “What nonsense are you spouting?”
Hearing this, the tailor’s smile grew even warmer. “Young master, your sister truly dotes on you.”
Dotes on him? He Yun Sheng was momentarily stunned. He never imagined he’d one day banter with He Yan like any ordinary siblings. Yet… she had helped him so much. She was reluctant to spend money on clothes for herself but had no qualms getting so many for him. And to think He Yan was someone who loved dressing up the most.
Unaware of He Yun Sheng’s inner turmoil, He Yan simply found the original Miss He’s clothes unbearable. Those garments were alluring and ornate, with intricate designs that dragged on the ground. She kept tripping over the hems or snagging the delicate edges, leaving her utterly exasperated.
Even when she was the First Madam of the Xu family, her clothes had been simple and elegant. The original Miss He’s wardrobe was completely unsuitable for her, let alone for martial arts practice. She thought about secretly commissioning a tailor to make a couple of men’s training outfits for herself—but definitely not in front of He Yun Sheng, or she’d have to explain endlessly. She’d have to sneak out and do it when he wasn’t around.
While the tailor took He Yun Sheng’s measurements, He Yan wandered around, browsing fabrics to pick out a couple of bolts for him. Just then, someone called her name.
“He Yan?”
She turned to look.The one who called her was a young nobleman, dressed in extremely luxurious and opulent attire, with a somewhat delicate and refined appearance. However, the faint dark circles under his eyes and his unfocused gaze made him seem rather listless. Behind him trailed a few servants. When He Yan turned to look, his eyes lit up, and he suddenly stepped forward, reaching out to grab her hand.
He Yan sidestepped, avoiding his grasp.
It seems the Eldest Miss He is quite famous in the capital, He Yan thought wryly to herself. Why is it that wherever she goes, there’s someone who knows her? First, it was Wang Jiugui, and now this fellow.
Seeing He Yan evade his hand, the young nobleman paused, then immediately put on a wounded expression, clutching his chest as he lamented, "You... are you still angry with me?"
What did that mean?
He Yan was still puzzled when the bull-like youth rushed out like a whirlwind, shielding her.
"Fan Cheng, how dare you show your face here!"
Fan?
He Yan suddenly understood—this must be the legendary "Young Master Fan," the heartbreaker of Eldest Miss He.
(End of Chapter)
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