He saw that Dou Yan's long brows swept toward her temples, and that though young, her fine eyes were black and white in perfect clarity, brilliant as cold stars, her beauty so striking that she was like pearl and jade at one's side, making him feel utterly ashamed of himself. His lips moved soundlessly, and he could not think how to put the fullness of his heart into words.

Dou Yan's original intent had been to help the Bie sisters. If Bie Suxin and Chen Lanxu were fond of each other, there was no harm in making a match of it, and then Chen Lanxu could simply take up some small trade under the Dou family name. There was no need for the Bie sisters to enter the manor to pour her tea.

As she was leaving, she asked Bie Sulan, "Is Chen Lanxu very close to your family?"

Bie Sulan gave a soft "Mm," and said with some dejection, "His father was a boxer too, and died when he was seven. My father took pity on him and made him his disciple, and even recommended him as an instructor in the capital. But he feared no one would look after his mother and sister if he left, so he went to the Shan household as a guard. Ah—if he hadn't gone to the Shan household, how would all this trouble have come about?" She looked deeply troubled.

Dou Yan smiled. "You two were very close before, weren't you?"

Bie Sulan nodded. "He's like an older brother to us..." The moment the words left her mouth, her eyes went wide. "Fourth Miss, you're not thinking of matchmaking him with my sister, are you? Whatever you do, don't agree to it! My father says he's a hotheaded fool who changes his mind at the drop of a hat—otherwise my father would have betrothed my sister to him long ago!"

Dou Yan was a little taken aback.

Still, if Bie Gangyi thought so poorly of him, there must be something about Chen Lanxu that made him unsuitable for Bie Suxin; she certainly would not presume to judge for herself.

"Rest easy. When you and your sister marry, it will be your own choice."

Bie Sulan blushed.

Back home, Dou Yan went first to pay her respects to her grandmother and told her about the visit to the Bie household. Her grandmother listened with relish. "That Bie Suxin knows martial arts too? Bring her to see me one of these days!" She was full of curiosity.

Ganlu, who had always stood in awe of Dou Yan and was painfully careful in her presence, could not help laughing when she heard the old lady mention the Bie sisters. "Bie Sulan knows martial arts as well."

"Really?" Her grandmother's interest only grew. "What do they look like? Are they great strapping girls, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted?"

Seeing Dou Xin sitting there smiling and listening, Ganlu and Sujuan both took heart. One laughed, "Wait till you see them!" The other said, "I guarantee they'll give you a fright."

They chattered away, livelier and more open than before.

This was their true nature.

Dou Yan sighed to herself, thinking that bringing them along had been the right decision after all.

After supper she went to her third cousin's quarters.

"Silver sitting idle is silver wasted—better to put it into some small trade." Dou Yan gave the scented powder she had brought back from Zhending Prefecture to Shiujie, and drank tea with her third cousin and his wife in the reception room.

At this her third cousin exchanged a glance with his wife, who said rather cautiously, "What sort of business does Fourth Sister have in mind? And who would manage it?"

Dou Yan pretended not to notice. She smiled and said, "I see how much paper, brush, ink, and inkstone our household goes through every year, so I thought of opening a shop selling writing supplies. As for who would manage it, I haven't decided yet—when the time comes, I'll ask Third Uncle to recommend a good head clerk."

So it seemed this was simply a whim of Dou Yan's, and no one had put her up to meddling in the family's holdings.

Her third cousin relaxed and asked with a smile, "How much silver will you need?"

"Ten thousand taels ought to be enough!" Dou Xin said.

Dou Xiuchang was so startled that his hand shook, and the tea he was holding splashed onto his clothes.

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Dear sisters, my apologies for yesterday's update. Starting today I'm washing my hands of all those tiresome family matters and devoting myself wholly to writing! These past couple of days may feel a little slow to you, but the scenes are necessary—I'll pick up the pace and get the male lead onstage.

o(n_n)o~

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