Chapter 11 – I’ll Come Sleep with You When I Have Time

“What a magnificent black horse! I’ve lived for decades and have never seen such a fine animal.”

“Is that one of the legendary Ferghana horses?”

“No, the Ferghana horses are chestnut red.”

“With my years of trading experience, even if this one isn’t a Ferghana steed, it’s far rarer—worth at least a hundred thousand taels of gold.”

Hearing the chatter outside, Mu Nanjin rose from her seat and went to the window.

Under the sunlight, a pure black horse shimmered with a dark, glossy sheen.

It stood tall and proud, its body sleek and perfectly proportioned—slim head, high neck, long legs, and a fine, lustrous coat. Its movements were graceful and fluid, its bearing regal and commanding. Every other horse nearby seemed dull and ordinary in comparison.

“What a stunning horse.” Even Gong Xiurong, who was accustomed to luxury, couldn’t help but praise it.

But Mu Nanjin’s eyes were not on the horse—they were fixed on the man leading it.

The man looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, clad in a black robe. His long, jet-black hair hung loose behind him, a dark headband tied across his forehead. His features were sharp and severe, his gaze cold, his presence powerful and intimidating. People instinctively kept their distance.

Gong Xiurong also noticed him and narrowed his eyes slightly—there was something familiar about the man.

【Crap! Of all times, why did he have to come back now? No, he mustn’t see me in Xiaoqing Tower, or I won’t even know how I died!】

“Young Master Xiurong, something urgent just came up. I’ll take my leave now. I’ll come sleep with you again—ah, I mean, see you again—when I have time!”

Mu Nanjin slipped out of the room in a hurry.

“Sleep with me…” Gong Xiurong repeated, laughing uncontrollably. “You really dare to say anything, don’t you?”

Downstairs, the officials who had been secretly observing started to panic.

“Who’s come back? Why didn’t she finish her sentence?”

“Must be someone she knows.”

“Whatever the case, we’d better get out of here!”

“Use the back door!”

The Right Vice Minister of Rites and his colleagues tossed down their silver and fled toward the exit, leaving the young courtesans staring in bewilderment.

【I need to get back to the Tang residence before Mu Qinyi returns.】

The officials froze in place.

“Mu Qinyi? Who’s that?”

“I think… her uncle? Some low-ranking officer from the Six Gates Bureau.”

“…”

If word got out that a group of high-ranking officials had been frightened off by a mere minor officer, they’d be laughed out of the capital.

“Damn it! Let’s just keep drinking!” the Right Vice Minister of Rites fumed, unwilling to waste his silver. The group returned to their seats, grumbling but soon losing themselves in wine and laughter again.

After leaving Xiaoqing Tower, Mu Nanjin took a shortcut and slipped back into the Tang residence, just in time to bump into Tang Jingrui, who had just returned from duty.

He frowned and looked her up and down. “Didn’t you say you weren’t coming back for dinner?”

A flicker of guilt flashed in Mu Nanjin’s eyes. “I finished my errand early, so I came back.”

“Finished already?” Tang Jingrui scoffed coldly. “You’re certainly efficient.”

Mu Nanjin nodded seriously. “Yes, it went faster than expected.”

【I was planning to stay out all night and win over Gong Xiurong, but Mu Qinyi’s return completely ruined my plan.】

Tang Jingrui nearly choked on air.

He’d always thought she was clingy and annoying, but he hadn’t realized she could be this infuriating.

The rhythmic clatter of hooves sounded from a distance, growing closer.

Both turned their heads to see Mu Qinyi riding one horse while leading another—an all-black stallion.

“Nannan!”

At the sight of her, the man’s cold expression broke into a bright, genuine smile. Like a proud child presenting a treasure, he brought the magnificent horse before her.

“Nannan, I brought this black horse back for you. From now on, you won’t have to walk to and from duty.”

Mu Nanjin raised an eyebrow. “This is for me?”

“Of course,” Mu Qinyi said, stroking the horse’s mane. “Our Nannan deserves only the best.”

“What a beautiful horse,” Tang Jingrui said enviously. “Master, where’s my gift?”

Mu Qinyi shot him a disdainful glance. “Have you reached the Eighth Rank yet?”

“…No,” Tang Jingrui admitted sheepishly. He had only recently broken through to the Seventh Rank—he wasn’t some martial prodigy.

“Then what are you asking for gifts for?” Mu Qinyi sneered.

Tang Jingrui: “…”

Mu Qinyi ruffled Mu Nanjin’s bangs affectionately. “I’m starving. Let’s eat and talk inside.”

The butler’s voice rang out in excitement: “Old Master! Old Madam! The son-in-law has returned!”

“Ah Yi—!”

A gust of wind swept past as Tang Liuzhao came running from the hall, throwing herself straight into Mu Qinyi’s arms.

Out of his sight, she lifted her head slightly to glance at Mu Nanjin, her eyes clearly saying— Don’t you dare take what’s mine.

【Why is Tang Liuzhao looking at me like a jealous lover? I’m his niece, not his woman. That’s a ridiculous thing to be jealous about.】

Tang Jingrui caught the look in his aunt’s eyes and felt a chill down his spine. But he quickly brushed it off, assuming she was just envious that she couldn’t have children and that Mu Qinyi doted so much on his niece.

Mu Qinyi, oblivious to the undercurrents, gently set Tang Liuzhao aside and handed her a small box from his bundle. “This is for you.”

“Thank you, Ah Yi.” Tang Liuzhao opened it and found a golden hairpin shaped like a phoenix. She put it on immediately, smiling triumphantly at Mu Nanjin as if to flaunt her prize.

Just then, Tang Wenzong appeared at the doorway. “Stop chatting outside—you’re keeping everyone waiting for dinner.”

“Let’s eat, Ah Yi.” Tang Liuzhao tugged Mu Qinyi’s hand and led him into the hall.

Old Master Tang and Old Madam Tang, though impatient from waiting, swallowed their temper the instant Mu Qinyi entered.

It was strange—he was only a minor officer, a live-in son-in-law, yet his presence alone commanded awe.

Even Jiang Zhenru, who had earlier planned to show Mu Nanjin a portrait album of potential husbands, quickly hid it away before Mu Qinyi could see it.

“Let’s eat,” Mu Qinyi said simply.

No one dared argue.

For someone with such an aura, it was hard to believe he was just a small-time official.

After dinner, Mu Qinyi called Mu Nanjin over.

“Nannan, I’ll be leaving again tomorrow. I’m not sure when I’ll return, but I promise—when I do, you won’t have to stay in the Tang residence and suffer any longer.”

Mu Nanjin obediently nodded, as the original body would have.

After a brief hesitation, Mu Qinyi added, “Tang Jingrui isn’t worthy of you. Your uncle will find you someone better.”

Mu Nanjin: “…”

Wasn’t that a bit harsh on his own disciple?

“I gave you that horse—keep it with you at all times, understand?”

He seemed about to say more, but seeing Tang Liuzhao waiting by the doorway, he swallowed his words and went back to his room.