In the quiet hall, the grandmother and grandson were momentarily speechless. In the courtyard, the scented tea purchased by people from Kyoto was piled in a corner. The fragrance of tea and flowers slowly seeped from the bags, overshadowing all the other floral scents in the yard. Among the flowering trees, several yellow and white butterflies fluttered up and down, and above the trees, the occasional chirping of fledglings could be heard, crisp and clear.

"Go, a fledgling phoenix will eventually chirp. You're old enough now, and you need to see the world," the old lady continued with a smile. "But going to Kyoto alone, being just a child, you're bound to suffer some grievances. Can you handle that?"

Fan Xian knew what his grandmother was talking about and said sweetly, "The Second Aunt has been very good to me these past few years and often sends things over. Grandma, don't worry."

The old lady smiled and shook her head, knowing that this little fellow, who seemed calm on the outside but was actually quite mischievous, certainly didn't think that way deep down. She touched his head, remained silent for a while, and suddenly sighed, "If...if anything happens in the future, for my sake and your father's, bear with it."

"Okay," Fan Xian nodded with a smile.

"According to my heart, I wouldn't want to let you go to Kyoto," the old lady said very solemnly. "But...you're going to Kyoto anyway, so I need to tell you a few things."

"Xian'er is listening to Grandma's instructions."

"Do you remember Steward Zhou from four years ago?" The old lady looked at him with a smile.

Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. He didn't dare to look his grandmother in the eyes and, after a long while, said with a wry smile, "Of course I remember."

With this response, the grandmother and grandson had essentially broken the ice. The old lady said seriously, "You are a calm and clever child, so I wouldn't normally worry. But that incident showed that your heart is still too pure."

Fan Xian sighed inwardly, "Isn't 'pure' a compliment?"

As if guessing what he was thinking, the old lady's slightly narrowed eyes flashed with coldness, and she said coldly, "If you really go to Kyoto, you must do one thing for me."

"What is it?" Fan Xian vaguely guessed.

"Be ruthless." The old lady seemed a little tired and leaned back, resting on the armchair to regain her composure. "This world may seem peaceful, but if your heart isn't ruthless enough, you'll end up suffering."

Fan Xian remained silent. In fact, he wasn't a pushover, but he simply hadn't had the opportunity to show his dark side in Danzhou. So, listening to the old lady's admonitions, he understood in his heart that these were words of gold.

The old lady said, with her eyes half-closed, "Your mother was so intelligent back then, but she was too kind-hearted, which led to..." She suddenly opened her eyes, stared at Fan Xian, and said, word by word, "Rather harm others than be harmed by others."

Fan Xian nodded forcefully.

……

……

"Go pack your things. Your father is urging you anxiously, so something must be happening in Kyoto," the old lady looked at the child she had spent fifteen years with, her face full of tenderness. "I won't go to Kyoto, I'll stay in Danzhou. If...if you don't have a good time in Kyoto, if someone wants to bully you, you can always come back."

"Yes," Fan Xian responded and stood up, heading straight for his bedroom without saying much.

Once inside, he silently sat on the bed, grabbed the quilt, and wiped his face with it, messing up his hair. He muttered to himself in a low voice, "Damn it, I almost cried. Grandma is so good at being sentimental."

———————————————————————

Just as night fell, the lamp in the room glowed faintly. Fan Xian was expressionless as he picked up a pen to write a letter to his younger sister in Kyoto, telling her that he was about to arrive. After writing it, he realized that the postal route might not be much faster than the Count's carriage. Maybe she would receive the letter just as he arrived in Kyoto, so it seemed unnecessary.

But Fan Xian was a man who conserved his energy. Since he had already written it, he sealed it in an envelope. He was about to call Sisi to remember to mail the letter tomorrow when he turned his head and saw that his head maid, Sisi, was propping her chin beside him, looking at him in a daze.

"Sisi, what are you thinking about?" He waved the envelope in front of the maid.

Sisi suddenly woke up, embarrassed, and said, "Nothing. Is this a letter for Miss? Then give it to me."

Fan Xian pulled his hand back, looking at her curiously, "What's wrong?"

Sisi thought for a while and finally mustered the courage to ask, "Young Master, you're going to Kyoto. Are you very happy?"

Fan Xian sat up straight and looked at her with a smile, "Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"Young Master, I've heard that the people in Kyoto are very bad," Sisi bit her lower lip, unsure if she should say it, "And...you don't really have a status. In the Count's mansion in Kyoto, you might not have an easy time in front of the Second Madam."

Fan Xian laughed, "So you're worried about me. I'll just avoid her. Even if I don't make a name for myself in Kyoto, I can open a clinic to support myself. It's better than staying in the Count's mansion...I just want to go to Kyoto and see what it's like."

Sisi said, "Young Master wouldn't be mediocre for life. Young Master has read so many books. You'll take the imperial exam next year and definitely pass. You'll become a great official in the future and bring glory to your ancestors."

Looking at her serious expression, Fan Xian smiled slightly, but didn't respond. He had no thoughts of bringing glory to his ancestors. Deep down, he didn't have much affection for his cheap father in Kyoto. The separation was too different from his relationship with his grandmother.

"Why doesn't Young Master want to take me to Kyoto?" This was what Sisi was really worried about. She looked at Fan Xian pitifully, "The maids in Kyoto must all listen to the Second Madam. What will you do without someone reliable by your side?"

Fan Xian sighed. Sisi was two years older than him. In other families, she would probably have been married off long ago, but because of his two lifetimes, he seemed much more mature and stable, which made Sisi feel that he was very reliable.

He looked at Sisi seriously and said, "It's precisely because I don't know what Kyoto is like that I can't take you with me."

Sisi actually understood this, but the thought of being separated from the Young Master and perhaps never seeing each other again made her heart ache. She quickly turned her face away and began tidying up the things on the desk.

Fan Xian looked at her busy figure, his heart also filled with gloom, but he knew that there was nothing he could say.

Kyoto might have beautiful scenery, many interesting people and things, but there would also be swords and spears in the open, and crossbows and arrows in the dark. He was willing to take some small risks to experience these things, because since he had a second life, there was no reason to live out his days in the small town of Danzhou. But he wasn't confident that he could protect the people around him, so Sisi couldn't go with him.

That night, he quietly went to the general store.