[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful":3,"chapter-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-29":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Even a Gentleman Must Be Careful",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268649,4429,"Chapter 29: Twenty-Nine: Little Sister Really Doesn","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-29",29,"\u003Cp>Twenty-Nine: Little Sister Really Doesn’t Treat Me as an Outsider\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magistrate… Magistrate, please wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary chased after him and barely managed to block the man’s brisk departure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does Senior Official need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I dare not give orders, I dare not…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary panted, adjusted his crooked official hat, and sighed helplessly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could the Magistrate spend his own money to host a meal? You’ve come all the way to Longcheng to take up your post—it should be the local gentry who extend hospitality, not you bearing the expense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and asked: “You mean I’m the guest, and they’re the hosts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes… no, no!” The County Secretary quickly waved his hands. “What I mean is, the elders and gentry welcoming their magistrate is a long-standing tradition in this county. All previous magistrates followed this procedure. You needn’t be so courteous—spending your own silver…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong shook his head. “I’m not being courteous at all. I just want them to stop being so courteous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the nervous County Secretary and said softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To be honest, Senior Official, the reason I invited everyone to Yuanming Tower isn’t just to meet the local worthies—it’s also about something important for the state and the people… for them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. After the banquet, I will hold a water conservancy fundraising drive. I will lead by donating grain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary opened his mouth but fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong spoke calmly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve seen the official documents from Jiangzhou and the court’s recommendations. I’ve pondered them for several days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The current relief grain is sufficient, and with another three thousand shi of rice arriving from Jiangzhou, sustaining the twenty-four relief camps around the city for three months won’t be a problem…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s another urgent matter before us—the water conservancy projects, including Di Gong Dam, must be built quickly. Otherwise, when the plum rains arrive as I predict, Longcheng will drown again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Official, this isn’t just about the ten thousand refugees outside the city—it concerns the safety of everyone inside and outside Longcheng. You’re the County Secretary, the most senior official here, and the one most familiar with the local gentry and wealthy families. Go explain these stakes to them. Tell them the difficulties the court and Jiangzhou face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary sighed. “Magistrate, you truly devote yourself to the people of Longcheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s merely my duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary hesitated, then couldn’t help adding: “Magistrate, the suggestion I offered you the other day—you might still consider it. Holding a fundraising banquet isn’t out of the question. But if you want results, you should first host a private banquet for the Liu family and discuss it thoroughly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong suddenly interrupted: “Do you have a close relationship with the Liu family? You keep speaking up for them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary straightened. “Magistrate, you misunderstand. I’m not speaking for the Liu family—I’m offering these modest suggestions for your benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong studied him for a moment, then nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Senior Official, but no. This fundraising banquet will be open to all gentry and merchants in Longcheng County. I’m not begging—I’m opening my heart, treating everyone with sincerity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell them about the tax benefits promised after donations. I may be stubborn, but I’m not heartless. I’ll implement them fairly—if they donate generously, this merciless disaster can be overcome together, by officials and people alike. This isn’t about one family or one household.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those last words, Ouyang Rong gave the County Secretary a meaningful look, then turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The County Secretary sighed, watching his back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your servant... as you command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the County Secretary traveled from household to household in Longcheng County, delivering the young magistrate’s invitations and promises,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong quietly entered the Office of the Finance Clerk and requested the county’s historical financial and tax records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already arranged today’s relief camp duties yesterday, so he could afford to arrive late—he came to the county office first to handle something more important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young magistrate dismissed the respectful clerks and sat alone in the small room, quietly reviewing the ledgers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xie Ling arrived with a two-tiered food box, Ouyang Rong was still bent over, intently studying the documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I brought some pastries—Miss Zhen asked me to bring them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing he didn’t look up, still absorbed in official documents, Xie Ling fell silent, set down the pastry box, and sat beside him, occasionally glancing at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling had always thought men looked more attractive when focused—her father was like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Ouyang Rong closed the book temporarily, rubbed his nose bridge with two fingers, and lifted his head to gaze at the white clouds and blue sky outside to ease his fatigue—but Xie Ling suddenly stood, opened the pastry box, and leaned forward, hand extended…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong, caught off guard, suddenly felt no eye strain at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin branch, heavy fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A phrase popped into his mind out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And perhaps because he’d stared too long at the dense script, his vision blurred—things seemed to swell and shrink. Combined with this, it was a knockout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Brother, why are you leaning back?” Xie Ling asked brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No… nothing. Just stretching.” Ouyang Rong said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t the type who couldn’t control his eyes—but Little Sister was simply too… abundant, and moved with such decisive grace right before him. Even if an equally muscular man stood before him, he’d glance anyway—it was just an instinctive reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could tell she bound herself tightly, always careful, well-fixed—because when he’d seen her move daily, the fabric never bulged or swayed wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you reading?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong was momentarily flustered, then quickly realized she wasn’t asking that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The county’s financial expenditures and tax collection from wealthy households over the past two years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The upright Senior Brother said solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling nodded, picked up a pastry, then leaned closer, curiously peering at the documents on his desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, she seemed interested in everything he did—perhaps because of that “qi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you found anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong nodded, picked one example: “This year’s first half, the county treasury had only fifty guan left from last year’s surplus. Expenditures totaled over two thousand guan. The year before was the same—forty guan remaining…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling frowned deeper. “So every year, income is spent exactly—no surplus? That’s too convenient.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong glanced at the clerks and runners passing outside. “And every expenditure is meticulously recorded—even how many door gods and couplets the office needed to paste on New Year’s Day. If you count, it all adds up—no errors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling’s frown deepened further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled. “Forget about these for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young magistrate casually closed the finance ledger and tossed it aside, as if nothing had happened, then rang a bell on his desk. Several respectful clerks appeared. He ordered them to return the financial records to the archives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the clerks left, Ouyang Rong’s expression remained calm. Xie Ling couldn’t help asking: “Are we just letting it go? Not investigating the office?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke calmly: “Let it pass for now. Something more important awaits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong gestured to the thick ledger still on the desk—this was the real reason he’d come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Ling fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently, turning to examine the remaining ledger, trying to understand her senior brother’s intent—even forgetting to eat the pastry in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, absorbed in her study, her upper body unconsciously leaned forward even more…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a beauty so near, Ouyang Rong, who’d been about to taste the pastry, suddenly caught a fragrance more intoxicating than the pastry itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he knew it was unintentional, he quietly moved back to avoid any suspicion, shifting his seat to give her space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ouyang Rong picked up a pastry, took a small bite, and thought inwardly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Sister really doesn’t treat me as an outsider.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She trusts her upright Senior Brother completely… the feeling of being trusted by his junior sister was deeply comforting. He silently resolved to keep his eyes under control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Ouyang Rong noticed something else—sometimes, when his gaze wandered accidentally, he hadn’t lost any merit points. Maybe she hadn’t noticed…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, he turned to check again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a dull “clang” echoed beside his ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Merit deducted: one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Ouyang Rong could frown, Xie Ling—until now leaning forward, intently studying his desk—suddenly stood, left hand holding the pastry, right hand gripping her sword hilt, turned her back to him, and hurried toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hurried” was too gentle—it was fleeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ouyang Rong still caught it—the pale skin exposed between her collar and cloud-like hair now blushed crimson, like maple leaves warmed by a spring breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the noblewoman, about to flee, seemed to realize something. At the door, she stopped abruptly, feigning admiration of the scenery, her back to the “improper” senior brother, shaking her head, glancing left and right. A moment passed, her expression hidden—only her lowered voice escaped: “It’s too hot in here… I’m going for air,” before her figure vanished through the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little Sister ran off, pastry still in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, only Ouyang Rong remained, speechless… Could I just explain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m finished. My image as an upright gentleman in Little Sister’s eyes is gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Senior Brother mourned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… even if it was a misunderstanding, he had to admit—he never imagined that the usually stern, serious Little Sister, when shy and blushing, looked so helplessly adorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This, apparently, was called “contrast charm.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1590,"2026-06-19T21:28:25.445Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","468d517d9a2b8b94c3f303412b42c06341ad8ed1c3184f5d56cc49776f1ecfa4","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-30","even-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-chapter-28",864,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feven-a-gentleman-must-be-careful-cover.jpg"]