The man respectfully placed the invitation down. Ning Yan glanced at it; it was an embossed golden invitation, quite formal. He hadn’t expected that Ning Zhao, this young man, had managed to make a name for himself in Xuan City. He was no longer the same kid who used to cry behind him every day.

Ning Yan casually asked, “Which family sent this?”

The man scratched his head. “It seems… the Duke of Ying’s household. The Duchess is hosting a birthday banquet. They don’t usually invite many people, but Lord Xiao Zhao probably has some connections with the Bai family after his previous visit. I was quite surprised myself.”

Ning Yan lifted his head, his eyes once again resting on the gold-embossed invitation. He slowly squinted, staring at it for a long while without speaking. The silence made the man tremble, his voice faltering. “M-Master?”

“Just one?”

“Huh? Yes, just… one.”

Ning Yan reached out, grabbed the invitation, and opened it. Inside was only Ning Zhao’s name, written in delicate, elegant handwriting—clearly from a woman.

“Leave it here.”

The man quickly complied, turning and leaving. Inside, he wondered if the master wasn’t in a good mood. He’d have to warn his brothers to be extra cautious and avoid any socializing for a while; bad luck seemed to be on the horizon.

Once the man left, Ning Yan looked over the invitation several more times, his back teeth seeming to grind together before he set it aside. When Ning Zhao, sweating profusely, returned and collapsed onto the floor, Ning Yan gestured for him to take a look. “This is for you.”

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Ning Zhao climbed up. “Which family? I’ve been busy, no time for socializing… Duke of Ying’s house?”

He blinked, suddenly seeming to remember something, his tone turning mysterious. “Uncle, the last time the Bai family’s young lady came looking for me at the yamen. It seems the rumors were true—she’s really quite beautiful… Look…”

Ning Zhao silently shut his mouth, hurriedly backing away on all fours, tilting his head in confusion. “Did I say something wrong?”

Why did Uncle suddenly get angry?

Ning Yan's expressionless face slowly broke into a smile, gentle and soft. Ning Zhao, however, felt his hairs stand on end. “I... I should go get punished again…”

“You have a good relationship with the Duke of Ying's household?”

“No, no, no, I’ve always upheld my duties impartially and never get too close to any family. Please, sir, you can see that for yourself.”

Ning Yan’s gaze slowly traveled down from his head, finally landing on his waist, where a pale yellow sachet hung, clearly from Suiyun Pavilion’s standard collection.

“The Bai family’s young lady came to find you, and then what? Did she give you a sachet?”

“Sachet? Why would she give me a sachet?”

Though Ning Zhao was afraid, he still mustered the courage to speak. As soon as he finished, he could sense the suffocating atmosphere easing just a little, enough for him to breathe again.

“Don’t worry, sir. We receive invitations like this every day at the yamen. I never attend them. I’ll have someone send a reply right away.”

Ning Zhao spoke the truth. Mainly, he was just avoiding trouble. These events were full of flattery and insincere words, most of which he couldn’t even understand, so he simply turned them all down. Over time, the invitations gradually stopped coming.

“Go.”

Ning Zhao looked up. “Huh?”

Ning Yan withdrew his gaze from the invitation and said lightly, “I told you to go. It’s not right to refuse such a kind gesture.”

“Well, alright then.”

Ning Zhao didn’t think much of it. Since the master told him to go, he’d go. But for the next few days, during morning training, Ning Yan singled him out and relentlessly beat him, leaving him feeling like his bones might fall apart.

The other officers in the yamen looked at Ning Zhao with sympathetic eyes, but he just got more and more into it, feeling like his uncle was just trying to toughen him up. Not everyone had the chance to spar with their uncle!

Uncle really cared for him.