Moonlit Reunion [子夜归]

Chapter 8

Mei Zhuyu didn't notice her intentions. Worried the small pouch might get snagged by the cat, he tied it securely around his waist, stood up, and moved over to the desk, distancing himself from Wu Zhen.

But Wu Zhen wasn't one to give up so easily and followed him over to the desk.

Sitting down properly by the desk, Mei Zhuyu began to grind ink, preparing to write something. Seeing the cat approach, he remembered the tabby that once dipped a paw into the ink. Not knowing if this was the same cat, he moved the inkstone to the other side, away from the cat.

Seeing that he had no intention of shooing her away, Wu Zhen jumped onto the table, her gaze fixed on the slight slenderness of Mei Zhuyu's waist and the pouch containing the Implacable Bone on it. After a moment, she suddenly realized what he was writing.

He was preparing a marriage proposal document, the kind with his birth date and time written on it, to be used in betrothal negotiations. Wu Zhen felt conflicted, glancing at the young man's waist, then his face.

Hadn't she only just received the message from her father and elder sister yesterday? How come today, this young man was already preparing this sort of thing? Wasn't marriage supposed to be discussed at length? Wu Zhen thought back to her past experiences and found nothing had moved this fast before. Perhaps her father and sister felt it best to settle it quickly, lest any complications arise.

But she hadn't decided yet. This young man was four years younger than her, lonely and with no family support. As the infamous Cat Master, she couldn't force him to marry her just by relying on her family's influence and her sister's position as Empress.

Wu Zhen was well aware of the rumors circulating about her: wild and unrestrained, indifferent to gender norms, lacking in decorum and education—the gossip was relentless, with not a single good word. Eligible young men of appropriate standing had no wish to marry her; well, most of them were simply afraid. Judging by Mei Zhuyu's manner, it was clear they were not of the same ilk, and he likely looked down on someone like her and would hardly be willing to marry her.

That made things a bit boring.

Wu Zhen had always enjoyed peace and freedom, but her father and sister were somehow always worried about this issue. Occasionally, she thought she might as well find someone to marry, if only to appease them. After all, unlike most daughters who had to worry about being mistreated, she was the one doing the mistreating. If things didn't go well, she could always kick him out and return to the Duke's residence.

Her disinterest in marriage stemmed mainly from laziness; she couldn't be bothered to spend time with a stranger. But what troubled her the most was that if she were truly married, it would be difficult to sneak out at night without her bedmate noticing.

That was simply too much hassle.

Feeling a headache coming on, Wu Zhen decided it was pointless to stay here without obtaining the Implacable Bone, so she hopped off the desk, preparing to leave for now.

Silently, she slipped out the window, jumped onto a rock beside the pond outside, and spotted a few red fish in the water that she hadn't noticed earlier, hidden beneath the lotus leaves and water plants. Because of these fish, the lush greenery of the courtyard suddenly seemed more vibrant.

She couldn't help but turn back to glance inside at Mei Zhuyu, who was seriously and solemnly writing the marriage document. With that, she turned away and vaulted over the wall.

Staying in her cat form, Wu Zhen made her way to Pingkang District. Fortunately, it wasn't far from Changle District, and at her pace, she arrived in no time. Pingkang District was home to many brothels, and though quiet during the day, the person she was looking for, Huzhu, lived in a small, exquisitely decorated mansion in the eastern part of Pingkang District.