After school, Shen Yue walked up to Shen Miao with a smile and said, "Today, Miss Yi has invited Elder Sister and me to her residence, so we won't be returning with you. Fifth Sister, you may go back first."
It was only natural that Yi Peilan and Shen Yue were close, and it was a common occurrence for invitations to exclude Shen Miao. Hearing this, Shen Miao showed little reaction, merely acknowledging with a simple response.
In recent days, the Shen family had been unusually warm toward Shen Miao, which clearly indicated they were up to something. Shen Miao couldn't be bothered to engage with their schemes—her priorities lay elsewhere.
On the way back, the carriage passed through the busiest street in Fixed Capital. Gu Yu remarked, "Ahead is Osmanthus Lane. Didn’t you always love the pastries from there, Miss? Shall I go buy some for you?"
"Go ahead," Shen Miao replied with a faint smile.
After Gu Yu alighted, Jing Zhe lifted the carriage curtain to look outside and suddenly let out a surprised sound. Following her gaze, Shen Miao saw that the carriage had stopped beside Osmanthus Lane, next to a pawnshop surrounded by a crowd, seemingly embroiled in some dispute.
The pawnshop clerk’s impatient voice was loud enough for Shen Miao to hear clearly: "I said ten taels of silver—take it or leave it! It’s just a sword, young master. Don’t make things difficult for us."
"Seems like they couldn’t strike a deal with the shopkeeper," Jing Zhe observed.
Shen Miao understood the situation—pawnshops naturally lowballed prices, and the seller clearly found the offer unacceptable but was unwilling to walk away, leading to this standoff.
"Nothing worth watching," Shen Miao said, shifting her gaze away. Jing Zhe lowered the curtain. Moments later, Gu Yu returned with two large paper parcels. As Jing Zhe lifted the curtain to let her in, Shen Miao’s eyes caught sight of the man who had been arguing with the pawnshop clerk. He turned away from the crowd, still holding his sword, his expression dejected—it seemed the deal had fallen through.
As Gu Yu was about to close the curtain, Shen Miao stopped her, her gaze fixed intently on the sword-bearing man. He was a young man, plainly dressed and unremarkable in appearance. Seeing their young mistress staring so intently at a stranger, both Gu Yu and Jing Zhe were baffled.
Shen Miao frowned. Why did this person seem so familiar?
The young man shook his head with a sigh, gave his sword a long look, then gritted his teeth and turned back toward the pawnshop, as if finally resigning himself to the unsatisfactory deal.
"Gu Yu!" Shen Miao suddenly called out the moment he turned. "Go down and stop him. Tell him I want that sword!"
"Miss…" Both Jing Zhe and Gu Yu stared at her in astonishment, utterly confused by her actions.
"Now!" Shen Miao commanded coldly.
Seeing her stern expression, Gu Yu dared not question further and immediately jumped out of the carriage, heading toward the plainly dressed young man.
The young man had barely taken a step when he heard someone call from behind, "Young master, wait!"
Turning, he saw a maid smiling at him. "Are you planning to pawn that sword at the shop?"
The young man hesitated briefly but answered honestly, "Yes."
The maid continued, "As it happens, my mistress is interested in your sword. Would you be willing to make a deal with her?"
The young man studied her, finding no deceit in her expression, yet he shook his head. "This sword isn’t particularly ornate—it’s more suited for practical use. If your mistress wants one, she’d be better off commissioning a new one from a weaponsmith." He was puzzled—what young lady would be interested in a sword? Likely just a passing fancy. But his blade was dangerously sharp, and he feared she might accidentally hurt herself.
Gu Yu’s expression softened slightly, inwardly impressed. Despite his urgent need for money, the young man still considered the buyer’s well-being—a mark of integrity. Her initial misgivings about Shen Miao’s sudden interest in the sword eased somewhat; at least the seller wasn’t a bad person.
With this in mind, Gu Yu spoke more gently, "My mistress sincerely wishes to make this deal. Would you mind stepping aside to discuss it further?"
The young man seemed taken aback by her persistence. After a glance at the pawnshop, he reluctantly nodded. "Very well."
They moved to a secluded alley where a carriage stood waiting. Gu Yu approached it and said softly, "Miss, he’s here."
The young man hesitated before the carriage but eventually clasped his hands in salute. "Miss, this sword truly isn’t suitable for a lady. It’s heavy and overly sharp—you could easily hurt yourself. So—"
"What’s your name?" A voice from the carriage interrupted him. The speaker sounded young, yet her tone carried an inexplicable weight, as if she had weathered life’s storms from a position of power, making it hard to gauge her age.
"Mo Qing," the young man answered after a brief pause, saluting again.
Silence followed. Just as Mo Qing and Gu Yu grew puzzled, the voice spoke again: "I have no interest in your sword. A piece of scrap metal means nothing to me."
Mo Qing’s face darkened with anger. "Are you mocking me, Miss? This sword may not be exceptional, but it was forged by a renowned smith and has been with me for years. If you called me here just to insult me, I’ll take my leave."
He turned to go, but before he could step away, a sigh drifted from the carriage—light yet laden with unspoken emotion, tugging inexplicably at his heart.
"Mo Qing, you’re in dire need of money, aren’t you?" the voice said.
Mo Qing froze. For some reason, the way she said his name stirred a strange familiarity within him, though he couldn’t place it. Yet, at her words, his feet rooted themselves to the spot, as though he couldn’t bring himself to ignore her.
"Your sword means nothing to me, but your swordsmanship is worth a hundred—no, a thousand pieces of gold."
Mo Qing was stunned. "You flatter me, Miss. I’m just an ordinary man." He was baffled—how could she know about his exceptional skill?
"Even a hero can be brought low by lack of money, forced to sell the sword that’s been with him for years. Such a life does no justice to your talent." The carriage curtain was suddenly drawn aside, revealing a young girl in a purple robe.
Her face was youthful and delicate, yet her bearing exuded an uncommon nobility and authority.
"Mo Qing, would you sell your martial prowess to the Shen family, a house of generals?"
She smiled as she asked, her eyes holding a faint joy, as if greeting an old friend.
Mo Qing, the former captain of her guards in her past life—it had been so long.
...
Author’s Note:
The cool enforcer has arrived! From now on, we can resort to violence~ (≧▽≦)/~
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