Yuna felt a bit awkward when Yan Gongzi lightly raised his hand and touched her forehead. His cool fingers brushed across her skin, and she froze in place. It was oddly comfortable—almost too comfortable.
"You're not being thought of by someone. You're sick. You've got a fever," Yan Gongzi said as he shook his head. Then he turned back and said, "Mute boy, go call a doctor."
"It's not that serious. I'll just drink some ginger soup and sweat it out," Yuna replied, confident in her health. After all, during military training, she was the only girl who completed ten laps around the field.
"Then go rest." Yan Gongzi didn't think much of it. Boys weren't usually so delicate, so he simply let her go rest.
Yuna nodded. Only a fool would refuse the chance to rest. She went to the kitchen, made herself some ginger soup, drank it, and then lay down in her room to sleep.
She slept deeply. It wasn't until lunchtime that Enhua came to wake her up.
Her head still felt a bit foggy, but nothing else hurt. She knew she couldn't stay lazy, so by dinner, she was already in the kitchen helping out.
She was only in charge of starting the fire that night, but when she stood up, she nearly fell over. Luckily, Enhua caught her in time. He frowned and said, "Never seen anyone this weak before. Like a girl—you even faint."
"Uh…" Well, she was a girl, wasn't she? Even if this place wasn't bad, it still didn't compare to her real home. She slept on wooden boards and used an old blanket. Sure, the Yan family treated their servants well, but they weren't exactly pampered like nobles.
She had to adapt. She kept thinking this as she chopped firewood. Though she could only manage the smaller pieces. The bigger logs were impossible to lift with that heavy axe.
That's when the real difference between men and women showed. Enhua could split logs for half the morning with no trouble. She almost wanted to write "I give up" on her forehead.
It took her two or three days to fully recover. Just as she got better, the mute boy fell sick too. Turned out it was the flu going around. He couldn't serve Yan Gongzi anymore.
There were a few others who could help, but Yan Gongzi specifically told Yuna to pause her kitchen work and serve him directly. He said it was so he could teach her conveniently and take her to the shop sometimes. After all, the original plan was to train her for the shop—not the kitchen.
Yuna was a mix of nervous and excited, but she obediently stood by Yan Gongzi's side. It was evening, and after dinner, he asked, "Did the steward explain your duties?"
"He did," Yuna replied honestly, though in her mind she was wondering how exactly she was supposed to assist him with his bath.
"No need to be so tense. Come to the study first," Yan Gongzi said calmly. He was a neat freak—for example, any book he touched had to be wiped clean and returned properly right away.
Yuna wished she had a notebook to jot things down, but unfortunately, there were no pens or paper like in her world. She just had to remember everything in her head.
Tonight, Yan Gongzi wasn't reading books—he was going over the account books. Their family only managed two small shops, so it wasn't a huge business. The account book was thin, and he finished quickly. Then he began teaching Yuna how to write properly. He had noticed she learned characters fast, but her handwriting was like a little kid's. It was true—no one's perfect.
Even her grip on the brush was all wrong, so he had no choice but to come up behind her and adjust her hand. "Use your wrist more. Don't rely entirely on your fingers," he said.
"Okay." Not okay at all! He was way too close. Mister, with your looks, is it really alright to be pressing up against a young girl like this? Yuna was screaming inside, almost tearing up. But she kept a calm face—though her left hand was clenched so tight it hurt.
For some reason, Yan Gongzi also felt something was off. This young servant had short-cropped hair like most farmer boys and only wore a ponytail. From his angle, he could see a delicate neck and even catch a faint scent—soft, almost sweet. Definitely not the smell of soap. That fragrance made him uncomfortable, and he quickly straightened up, frowning. "Practice using that posture," he said.
What's wrong with me? Am I getting sick too?
No matter how smart he was, he couldn't guess that the person in front of him was a girl in disguise. In this world, women didn't need to do such things.
The study was silent. After a while, someone called from outside, "Young master, are you bathing tonight?"
"Yes," Yan Gongzi answered and walked out.
Yuna quickly packed up and followed him to his room. It was her first time there. The room felt cold and empty, with barely any decorations except for an old guqin by the window. He didn't ask for help—he went behind a screen and undressed on his own.
Yuna hadn't forgotten she was here to work. She went to the wardrobe, found his clean clothes, and placed them neatly on the table—keeping her eyes squinted the whole time so she wouldn't accidentally peek at the silhouette behind the steam.
When she was done, she stood by the window waiting. Eventually, Yan Gongzi came out in just an undershirt and sat down. Yuna froze—something felt off.
He noticed her staring and smiled, "Go get a towel. My hair's still wet."
Right! Yuna quickly fetched a towel and began drying his silver hair. Under the soft moonlight, his hair looked beautiful. Not just beautiful—it was smooth and easy to dry. Without thinking, she picked up the comb and brushed it gently. The strands flowed like silver silk.
"So pretty…" she whispered.
The book in Yan Gongzi's hands dropped to the floor. He stared at Yuna in shock. Ever since his hair changed color, he rarely let anyone see it. He couldn't stand the stares, and he himself thought it looked strange.
Now someone had suddenly complimented it.
Yuna saw his stunned look and quickly added, "I spoke too much."
He didn't scold her. Instead, memories came rushing back, and he gave a bitter smile. "Pretty, huh?" he muttered as he touched his hair. "You're done. Go rest," he said and walked to the bed. As he lay down, Yuna noticed how lonely his back looked. Maybe she had touched a sad memory.
That night, she couldn't sleep either. She kept thinking about how this young master always looked so gloomy despite his youth. If this continued, it might harm his health.
But what could an outsider like her do? If she could, she would just try to do more things to make him happy. After all, he did save her life.
The next day, she showed up with panda eyes. Yan Gongzi didn't say anything. After breakfast, he brought her to the shop in East City. It wasn't very big, and there weren't many customers early in the morning.
The shop already had one assistant and an accountant. Yan Gongzi usually stayed in the back. He had the other assistant teach Yuna about brushes, ink, and papers, while he went to the back to drink tea and read.