Chapter 56

Fifty-Six, Ye Weilai (Happy Lantern Festival!)

Ouyang Rong noticed the silver-haired girl was staring at him constantly.

The silver-haired girl seemed to realize she was about to be taken away by this foreign master.

She lifted her small head; beneath her messy, wiped-clean silver hair, her large eyes rolled slightly upward, fixed unblinkingly on him.

Her gaze had lost its former shyness and fear, replaced by an expression Ouyang Rong couldn’t quite decipher.

Western white girls’ personalities were indeed different from shy, timid Eastern girls—noticeably bolder.

In sunlight, her eyes glowed a hazy misty blue-gray, a color Ouyang Rong could not find in this material-scarce, color-poor era, and thus could not compare to anything.

Whether her eyes, silver hair, or skin, the silver-haired girl stood utterly out of place against the dark, grimy tones of this dilapidated slave courtyard.

If he had encountered such a silver-haired girl in his past life’s campus or café, he wouldn’t have been surprised—but now he’d stumbled upon her in a quiet corner of Jiangnan Dao, in the ancient, elegant Zhou Dynasty.

That was why, the moment he entered the courtyard, he’d been instantly drawn to her, feeling a jarring sense of temporal dislocation, momentarily wondering if he’d been reborn again.

One might debate whether the Zhou Dynasty was truly prosperous, but the spectacle of nations paying tribute was no joke—the Guangzhou Sea Trade Route to the south truly had something to it…

The market official in charge of the horse trade, led by the junior manager, soon arrived at the back courtyard to formalize the slave transaction, issuing the official market voucher—this was a mandatory procedure in the Zhou Dynasty’s slave market; even nobles faced punishment if they skipped it.

The slave transaction at Jin Xiao’s Horse Market involved a trivial sum, and for a seasoned market official, it should have been routine—quickly settled with a little bribe. But upon entering the courtyard, he froze and stared.

First… what kind of creature was this female slave? Should the contract list her as a child slave or an elderly one? And are you certain anyone would dare buy this thing?

Second…

The market official’s face changed instantly; he bowed and rubbed his hands in flattery: “County Magistrate, you… you’ve come here?”

Inside the courtyard, the young county magistrate in plain clothes waved his hand: “Do your job. Ignore me.”

The Arab merchant Li Yan and his junior manager stared in shock, then, after a series of bewildered expressions, Li the manager’s earlier smugness turned to guilt; he whispered a suggestion to renegotiate the price, claiming the rice cost had been miscalculated, and even offered a limited-time “buy one, get ten free” deal—all calmly and politely refused by Ouyang Rong.

The transaction continued. Soon, the unusually diligent market official drafted the documents and respectfully handed them to Ouyang Rong for confirmation, filling in the final master-servant details.

Ouyang Rong spoke to the silver-haired girl for the first time today:

“What’s your name?”

Seeing his patient expression, the silver-haired girl fell silent for a moment, her voice like a slightly dried-up spring:

“Vera… Nai…”

She seemed to understand the refined speech of the Zhou Dynasty, but her accent was strange; these syllables might have been from her homeland’s tongue, or perhaps just clumsy Zhou dialect—to Ouyang Rong’s ears, they sounded roughly like these four syllables.

Ouyang Rong glanced at her large, vivid gray-blue eyes, then lowered his head to think briefly before writing two characters on the contract.

“From now on, you’ll be called… Weilai.”

He paused, then asked softly: “Do you have a surname?”

The silver-haired girl couldn’t help stealing a glance at the tall, slender youth before her—his voice was magnetic and gentle. He’d spoken softly and patiently since the moment he arrived, and everyone around him treated him with utmost respect.

Everything that had happened today felt like an unbelievable dream to the silver-haired girl—not real.

She lowered her head, tugging at her hem with her fingers, and murmured another phrase.

Ouyang Rong caught only the first syllable of that long string—it sounded like “Ye”—so he wrote it down without hesitation.

The bent-over silver-haired girl stole a glance at his focused face, as if wanting to speak to him, but at that moment, Zhen Shi leaned in.

The woman glanced at the paper and slightly sneered: “Ye Weilai? A name you can call is enough. Why does a slave need a surname? Master, you’re too kind—wasting effort on this.”

Ouyang Rong shook his head in silence, finished filling out the form, had Weilai and Li Yan each press their fingerprints onto it, and under the market official’s witness, the contract was completed without incident.

Ouyang Rong took the market voucher and, amid the Arab merchant’s enthusiastic farewell, led Weilai and Zhen Shi’s group out of the Horse Market.

Watching the esteemed guest depart, the junior manager couldn’t help whispering: “Is this county magistrate a bit foolish? Why buy a…”

“You know nothing!” Li Yan snapped, then turned to gaze at Ouyang Rong’s back and sighed: “I misunderstood earlier. No wonder he rejected all our fine maids—not just because of price. This County Magistrate Ouyang is truly a virtuous man, untouched by lust. Even when buying a bed warmer, he ignores beauty, choosing only the ugliest, most pitiful.”

I just misunderstood—no wonder none of the maids from our stable appealed to him; it wasn’t just about price. This County Lord Ouyang is indeed as rumored—a true gentleman who shuns women. Even when buying a bed warmer, he doesn’t care for looks, only picks the ugliest, most pitiful ones.

On the bustling West Market street.

The silver-haired girl brought out by Ouyang Rong’s group instantly drew repeated glances and stares from passersby.

Wherever they went, the group became the entire West Market’s focal point.

Yet the onlookers among Longcheng’s citizens and merchants weren’t captivated by any kind of beauty—they widened their eyes as if staring at some bizarre, repulsive creature, curious but afraid to approach.

Because Ouyang Rong had appeared on the main stage during the Dragon Boat Festival, many recognized the young magistrate, making the commotion around his group even greater.

But Ouyang Rong paid no attention. Though he still didn’t understand how his aesthetic differed from that of others in the Zhou Dynasty, it didn’t dampen his good mood—he walked with a light, breezy step.

Mostly because finding a bargain was simply satisfying.

“So my thousand merit points were spent here… The Blessing Bell truly understands blessings.”

Ouyang Rong suddenly felt a mischievous urge: if he had a smartphone now, he could snap a photo of the silver-haired girl calling him “Master,” post it to his old, morally upright graduate-study WeChat group, and add a smug “bargain find” caption—his entire group would probably fail their exams this year…

Ouyang Rong suddenly found it darkly amusing: if he had a smartphone right now, snapping a photo of the silver-haired girl calling him “Master” and posting it to his old righteous-student graduate exam group, with a cheeky “bargain find” caption, the entire group would be too shattered to study for their exams this year…

A scolding voice came from behind. Ouyang Rong, lost in thought, froze, turned—and realized he’d walked too fast. Only the silver-haired maid, quietly holding his sleeve and following step by step, and Liu Ashan remained beside him; Zhen Shi’s group had been left far behind.

Ouyang Rong coughed into his hand, then stopped to wait for Zhen Shi and the others.

The woman in the silk skirt couldn’t hold back—had they not been on the street, she’d have pinched this brat’s ear.

Zhen Shi stepped forward with a huff, extended her jade-like hand, gripped Weilai’s chin, and tilted her face upward. The girl trembled, unable to move or resist the tall, beautiful woman before her.

Zhen Shi frowned, scanning her up and down. She wouldn’t even touch the girl’s tied-back silver hair, fearing bad luck. She sighed: “Why are you interested in this high-nosed, deep-eyed creature? She looks like a Rakshasa demon from a temple. Her eyes are like a wildcat’s—what if she frightens you at night? And this white hair… why not shave it off when we return? Just wear a nun’s cap…”

“And Master, what can we even do with her? Wash clothes and sweep floors? We have plenty of servants for that. Mei Lu Courtyard lacks nothing except a personal maid for you. Today’s trip was pointless. I thought that fallen Goguryeo noblewoman back there was better—she could read, write, and manage accounts…”

Trapped by Zhen Shi’s grip, Weilai began trembling slightly all over—not just from Zhen Shi’s sharp, critical gaze, but from the pointing and whispering of the onlookers around her, who stared at her “strange appearance.” Why was she the only one who looked like this? The girl felt overwhelming shame, even trembling as she shut her eyes, unable to look at the gentle youth who had opened her cage and led her out.

He… he must regret it already. First curiosity, then buying a loss-making burden—and soon his eyes would show that familiar disgust, finding her unlucky, avoiding her… He would, of course—he’d always been like this, everyone she’d met since childhood…

When her small face was pinched, Weilai began trembling slightly all over—not just from Zhen Shi’s sharp, critical gaze, but also from the passersby around her pointing and whispering at her “strange appearance.” Why did she have to look like this? The girl felt profound shame, even trembling as she shut her eyes, too afraid to look at the gentle young man who had opened her cage and led her out.

Ouyang Rong gently pressed down on Zhen Shi’s arm, then took the silver-haired maid’s cold little hand. He silently pulled two copper coins from his sleeve and placed them directly into her palm, saying seriously: “Hold these. Weilai, you’ll manage our money now. These two coins are all we have—small, yes, but it’s a start. Take good care of them.”

Ouyang Rong turned and walked forward, hands behind his back, tossing over his shoulder: “Auntie, where is Weilai ugly? I love her hair. Don’t shave it. She’s my personal maid—I like her, that’s enough.”

Zhen Shi sighed and nodded, following him.

Weilai lowered her head, staring blankly at the two small copper coins resting quietly in her palm.

Ouyang Rong turned and walked forward, hands behind his back, leaving behind only a laugh: “Auntie, where is Weilai ugly? I love her hair—don’t you dare cut it. She’s my personal maid, and I like her—that’s all that matters.”

Sorry, guys—I got carried away with the details and couldn’t stop writing. Starting next chapter, we push the main plot!

Weilai lowered her head, staring blankly at the two small copper coins lying still in her palm.

This was... her and her master’s hope.

Sorry, brothers, I got carried away with the details and couldn’t stop writing—starting the next chapter, I’ll push the main plot!