Er Yin serve meat ball noodles in a big bowl for the Duke. He finish the meal within minutes and ask for desert. She hurry into the kitchen to look for any pastries. She only find mung bean cakes store in the jar. She carefully take it out and plate them. She walk into his bedroom to find the Duke asleep. Er Yin after putting down the plate, she remove his boots and pull up his blanket. Again he is sleeping with hs mouth wide open. She stare at his mouth for awhile and pull his jaw to close his mouth. He smack his lips a few time and toss to the other side of the bed. She thinks that he is rather cute when asleep. Quietly. use a plate to cover cover the mung bean cakes. She pick up the empty big bowl and bring it to the kitchen. Yawning and stretching, she walk back to her room. Pulling her blanket all the way up to her chin she snuggle in and fall asleep fast.
For the next few days, Er Yin is avoiding the Duke and Luo Ming as much as possible. She volunteer to do task that require her to travel out of the capital. She doesn't want them to talk about her 'wounds'. Thus she takes up those jobs that will allow her to stay out for three to five days. So in total, she doesn't see them for at least a month. Also she can take long luxury bath to clean herself. She wait patiently for month end pay outs. She takes a small amount and the rest to be collect by her family back home. She calculate that she needs at least another three years for the family to live in a comfortable environment. At least when the harvest is bad, they have some cash on hand to hold till the situation gets better. She think of the days how she is going to hold out till she can no longer hold in her secret.
Another year past and she return home without anyone questioning Yi Jin on his girly actions. Sometimes when the time of her month comes, she is moody and she try to keep her emotion in check. However there are days when she is in pain and wants to roll around the bed. Thus she is moody and snap at anyone who step on her tail. In turn, they say Yi Jin is like a girl so touchy. There are days when she pick up a fight and days when Yi Jin cry when he fall on the ground. Thus the soldiers call Yi Jin a girly man. Er Yin is always happy to be at home. It is the only place she can wear her dress and be herself. Unfortunately she pick up men's habit like talking loud and acting rough. Her mother will discipline her with a broom stick. Requesting that she remember she is now a girl, at home. When the snow starts to melt, she prepare herself to go back to the Duke's mansion. She tell herself another two more years.
She return with the snow melting and the Lunar New Year is ending. The mansion held a small celebration for the end of the Lunar New Year, food is everywhere which delight the soldiers. Alcohol is a must and the men are all drunk except for Er Yin. She watch those men talking nonsense throughout the celebration. More food wasted on the table as they are not touch. Hence she sit alone and try to finish the cooked fishes that are present on the table. She instruct the maids to keep the other meat. While she move the dishes into th kitchen and with some maids, they try to finish up the vegetables, soup and fishes. It takes a while but they all fill up their stomachs. Er Yin walk back the dining hall to see her fellow colleagues all laying on the floor looking happy. While the Duke is siting with a slouch on his chair staring at her. Er Yin walk up to him and bow.
"Your highness, it's late... "
"I am hungry."
"Hungry...."
She want to roll her eyes but she look down the floor and before she walks off, the Duke stands up and stagger with a fall. She rush up to hold him and he look closely at her face.
"You really have a feminine look ... You should grow a beard!"
"Yes yes yes..."
She struggle to keep him standing straight up. She look around for Luo Ming but the man is no where to be seen. She struggle to support the Duke back to his bedroom. He kee[ mumbling that he does not sleep.
"I cannot sleep. I cannot... i am like you? Are you like me?"
"Yes yes yes."
When they arrive to his bedroom. She put him down on the chair that he always sits on. She hurry to remove the books from his bed. She turn around to see him standing behind her. He stare at her face again in a close range.
"Why ..."
He touch her chin. She wonders why is he so bother with her no having moustache. He forcefully move her head from left to right. He squinted his small eyes which looks like a line now.
"From every angle, you look like a maiden. Yet from all the records show that you are the eldest son of that Xie family. Does the male born of your family are all feminine looking?"
"Yes yes... Duke Yan, your highness please take a rest now. Don't think too much. You can wake up later and think about this."
She hurry to help him on his bed. She remove his boots while he continue to stare at her.
"Deceiving the emperor is a serious case. You will lose your head so will your family... Yi Jin... Don't tell a lie."
This is another person telling her to be careful. She understand but her greed to have more taels have bring her here. She starting to think about her time spend to safe enough money for her family. This is not the safest route to go but it is the only way to earn fast enough to accumulate enough money for the future use.