Power Up, Artist Yang!

Yujia greeted her "cousin", Shen Li, at the back of the villa with a smile. "Hello, cousin!" she cheerfully exclaimed.

Shen Li regarded her with suspicion, but likely due to the fact that she was on good terms with Yu Zixu, he didn't stare at her with silence for too long. Briskly, he replied, "Hello. Did you need something?"

"Actually, yes. May I perhaps request that you…" Yujia's voice grew quieter as she whispered what she needed from him.

When she finished, she looked up at him with expectation, hoping that he would agree.

Shen Li was silent for a few long moments. Then, he repeated, "So, you want me to head over to the Yang Villa at the initial hour of Xu[1] tomorrow?"

"Yes. If you could possibly do that, it would be great."

"And that's all?" he continued.

She nodded again. "Indeed."

Shen Li took a step back. "Alright, I can do so. I still need to serve my young master his tea, so I'll be going." He bowed politely. Before turning to leave, he added on, "Oh, and my young master wishes to pass you his greetings."

"Ah." Yujia smiled. "Tell him I said hello too."

…

Shen Li returned to the courtyard, resuming his previous task of preparing tea.

Zixu looked up from his book, asking, "So? What did she say?"

Respectfully, Shen Li repeated the words that she told him while pouring the steaming tea into the cup. As he carried it over, he added on, "She says 'hello' too." 

Zixu couldn't help smiling. He quickly covered up his smile with an open fan, focusing back on his book. He was slipping up too often these days.

"Young Master?" Shen Li set the cup of tea down, his eyebrows knitted.

"Hm?" Zixu looked up again.

"You just seem happier than usual," Shen Li replied.

Setting his fan down, Zixu reached for the tea but didn't drink from it. He responded, crafting a blank expression again, "There's been good news about Father's business with some group of merchants from the south. News like that would put anyone in a good mood."

"En, sure." Shen Li exhaled and took a few steps back, focusing on the flutter of wind in the yard outside. "I have been serving Young Master for so long… for more than ten years now…."

Zixu knew the meaning behind Shen Li's words. 'I have been serving you for ten years now; do you think that I'd seriously believe that this is the thing that makes you happy?'

At this, Zixu simply smiled again. 

…

Towards the evening, Yujia could only hope that Shen Li would follow through on his agreements to cooperate with her. To her assurance, he didn't back down from his words.

At the exact time planned, Yujia was informed that someone was looking for her. She hurried to the South Courtyard, seeing Shen Li, looking very out-of-place in the corner of the yard, scratching the back of his neck.

"Cousin!" Yujia immediately called out, raising her eyebrows and putting on a hesitant smile, in hopes of portraying the emotions of a girl who was uncertain why her cousin came to visit her. "What are you doing here?"

"Actually," Shen Li replied, his voice monotone, "I have bad news."

At this first line, Yujia could already tell that Shen Li lacked acting skills. She cringed a little on the inside.

"What is it?" she loudly replied. In the corner of her eye, she saw her intended audience, Zhu'er, by the side, fetching water.

Continuing on with his emotionless words and stiff body language, Shen Li answered, "I don't have enough money to repay the debts and the debt collectors are on me. They said that they were going to chop off my hands and feet if I don't pay them back in time. What can I do?"

She prayed that whoever might be listening in on this conversation didn't pay too much attention to Shen Li's delivery of the lines. He spoke as if being in deep debt and in danger of amputation was a common, everyday topic. The robotic voice he used wasn't much help either.

Yujia ended up acting more enthusiastically to cover up for his lack of emotions. Her hand flew up to her mouth, concern filling up her gaze. "That's horrible. But… I don't have any money on me right now that can help." She fumbled in her sleeve, pulling out the pendant that Zixu gave her. "This… it means a lot to me." Tears pricking at her eyes, she pushed the piece of jade into Shen Li's hands. "But since you really need the money, please sell it. Your life is more important than any money."

In another way, this was Yujia's way of returning the pendant to Zixu. She didn't feel right to keep it forever, even if they made an exchange. 

"What—"

Shen Li, recognizing the pendant, broke character a little. He seemed shocked to see the pendant in Yujia's possession.

"Please take it." Continuing to insist, Yujia forced him to take the pendant. "I will see what other ways I can do to help you earn enough money to pay back your debt."

"It's a whole fifty taels, and they need it by the end of the week," Shen Li said, back to repeating his lines like a machine. "How could you possibly come up with this sum?"

"I-I will try," Yujia stammered, covering her face up. "You have always helped me out, Cousin. It is my turn to help you now."

With that, after exchanging farewells, Shen Li set off, glad to be able to stop acting.

Yujia turned back around, sighing deeply.

On the outside, she appeared to be in deep turmoil, yet on the inside, she was considering if the fish was going to take her bait this time. She was fairly positive that Zhu'er heard the conversation, which was right next to her.

Sure enough, after Zhu'er finished filling her basin, she directed her attention to Yujia, calling out, "Ling'er, right?"

Yujia looked up from her pondering, nodding. "Y-yes."

Fidgeting with the corner of the basin, Zhu'er said, "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with your cousin. You are in need of money?"

"I… yes, that's true." Yujia's eyes widened. She grudgingly nodded. 

"Well, I cannot give you any money," Zhu'er stepped closer, whispering, "but I know of ways that you can earn taels quickly."

"How so?" Yujia pretended to be puzzled. In reality, this was following the exact script of her plans.

Eyes glancing around, Zhu'er explained, "It's not convenient to discuss right here, right now. But if you can go into the East Courtyard tonight, at midnight, I can help you out." 

…

Yujia ended up playing the gullible act, thanking Zhu'er and returning back to the North Courtyard. Xiaoyi was there, waiting for Yujia, and the two talked for a while to pass the time.

Eventually, Xiaoyi went to sleep, and Yujia pretended to go as well. Tonight, if all things went well, she would figure out who the thieves were.

Everything that happened up to this point proved one thing: infiltrating the villa was not enough. If she wanted to figure out who the thieves were, she had to infiltrate their group herself. And so, that was her plan.

By the time midnight struck, Yujia slipped out of the courtyard, towards the location that she agreed upon with Zhu'er. She arrived quickly, seeing Zhu'er standing with a lantern, at the front of the East Courtyard.

Zhu'er, oddly quiet— perhaps in order to not wake anyone up— waved her over, and Yujia followed the girl as she walked across the yard, in the direction of the dried up well Yujia came across last time. Seeing the well, Yujia was certain that her theories had been correct. The well definitely had some sort of connection to the thieves.

She turned to Zhu'er, about to say something. Except, that was when she noticed a shadow— a person— looming over her.

Before Yujia could even react, something heavy slammed down on her head, and she fell into darkness. 

[1] 7:00 P.M. / 19:00