My sister is Luna

"Strange, where did Cain go?"

Shangguan Wan'er looked at Cain's empty bed, puzzled.

"No way, this guy didn't sneak out during curfew, did he?!"

Shangguan Wan'er thought of a certain possibility, and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't care that she still had a work report to finish, and hurriedly left the room.

"It would be terrible if we got caught. They're such a worry," Shangguan Wan'er complained as she walked out of the room and into the courtyard.

"Hey, Wan'er, good morning!"

Cain was sitting in the courtyard, writing intently. Hearing the noise, he turned around, a hearty smile on his face, and said to Shangguan Wan'er.

"Phew, what is it? So you were in the yard. You didn't sleep in today and got up so early. I thought you ran out. You scared me."

Seeing Cain in the courtyard, Shangguan Wan'er felt relieved, patted her chest gently, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"How could I possibly run away? I've kept your words firmly in mind. Besides, what would I be doing running away in the middle of the night? Gathering a crowd? Is that even possible? Don't you think so?"

Cain looked upright, and his firm gaze seemed to proclaim his innocence.

Back in the courtyard, it was only a little past two in the morning. Kai found Shangguan Wan'er still sleeping soundly, so he didn't disturb her. He had encountered many things that night and had also drunk some tea, so he couldn't sleep. He thought about sorting out the information in his mind and writing a few letters to the Great Wall to let them know he was safe. He could also practice the calligraphy that Shangguan Wan'er had taught him. It was just a pity that Heluo didn't have civilian cross-border mail services, so he could only ask a merchant from the cross-border sea capital to deliver them. He still needed to find a reliable and suitable person. Then he waited until Shangguan Wan'er woke up.

"It's good that you know. Running out during curfew and getting caught is a very serious matter. This is an order personally issued by Her Majesty the Empress." Shangguan Wan'er said very seriously.

"Aren't you going to visit the common people? Will you be going out at night? There are some interesting stories about the common people at night. Will you be slightly disobeying Her Majesty the Empress's orders because of the time constraints? After all, it's for work, and it's also to help Her Majesty the Empress better understand the common people." Cain wrote and glanced at Shangguan Wan'er.

"How could that be? His Majesty reigns supreme over the world, and I have dutifully obeyed all his orders. To disobey would be a great disrespect to His Majesty and a challenge to His Majesty's authority. At best, my family would be raided; at worst, I would be beheaded, or even my entire family would be exterminated! You must not have such thoughts."

Shangguan Wan'er looked at Cain with a solemn expression, her serious demeanor leaving no room for doubt.

"Judging from your tone, you seem to have great admiration and respect for Her Majesty the Empress, and you wouldn't allow anyone to disrespect her," Cain teased.

"Yes, Your Majesty is a woman, yet she can sit on the throne, command the country, and lead the Tang Dynasty to a golden age. She is a role model for me and for all women. Women should be like her." Shangguan Wan'er's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Indeed, Her Majesty the Empress can indeed be your idol and role model. There are many who can be kings, but few who can be good kings, and even fewer who are women who can be kings and good kings. This prosperous era of all nations paying tribute owes a debt to her."

"That's right! One day, I will achieve the same success as Her Majesty. I want to become her indispensable right-hand woman and confidante!" Shangguan Wan'er said with great enthusiasm.

"One day you will achieve your dream, but I hope you won't lose your way and can stay true to yourself," Kain said with his blessing.

"I will keep all that you said in mind, but the most important thing right now is to finish my report, otherwise everything else will be in vain."

Shangguan Wan'er took out paper and pen and began to write quickly next to Cain.

"We still have some time, and if we work harder, we should be able to finish."

"Hmm?" Cain frowned.

"What's wrong?" Shangguan Wan'er asked.

"It's nothing, maybe it's just my imagination," Cain shook his head.

For a moment, he felt something watching him, a prying gaze that made him very uncomfortable. But when he tried to find it, it suddenly disappeared, as if it had never happened, vanishing without a trace.

Cain looked up at the tall buildings not far away, observing them carefully, but found nothing. He could only conclude that his feelings this time were due to an illusion caused by the Zhong Kui incident.

"—~" In the dark corner, the mechanical servant watched everything that was happening silently. Its pupils, made of mechanical devices, kept contracting and dilating, and a faint sound seemed to be conveying some mysterious information.

……

"That was close! His intuition is incredibly sharp. Luckily, I didn't hesitate and hid quickly enough, otherwise he would have spotted me. Ha...ha..."

Li Yuanfang hid behind a pillar on a high-rise building, sweating profusely and still shaken.

"It seems we can't observe with our eyes anymore; he's easy to spot. We can only listen with our ears and analyze their conversation."

Li Yuanfang took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, his big, fluffy ears twitching nimbly.

"When I get back, I must ask Lord Di to give me a raise. This job is too dangerous. I almost got caught."

……

"Found it, huh? It's actually inside the Daming Palace. Looks like you're doing quite well here. Did you gain the Empress's favor?"

Milady sat in her room, staring blankly at the screen, her hands clasped under her chin.

"Huh? The man he's with is actually a woman disguised as a man? And so beautiful at that! Heh, a man and a woman living under the same roof, what a lucky guy!"

Milady clenched her fists, a surge of anger rising within her for no apparent reason.

She didn't understand why she felt inexplicably angry, and there was always an impulse in her heart that wanted to drive her to rush in front of Cain.

"Forget it, there's no point in looking at these anymore. We already know the information. Let's go out for some fresh air."

Milady let out a deep breath, got up, left the room, and walked out into the courtyard.

……

"These reports have all been submitted, Cain. Where do you want to go, or will you stay at home?" Shangguan Wan'er asked Cain after returning from the morning court session. Her light tone carried a hint of anticipation.

"Let's go shopping, eat out, and then go see the Lantern Festival tonight, what do you think?" Cain suggested.

"Okay, let's go then." Shangguan Wan'er, who had changed into men's clothing, walked out of the courtyard and led Cain toward the street.

The wide streets were still bustling with activity, and shouts filled the air. Every household had begun hanging lanterns on their eaves or doors, as preparations were underway for the Thousand Lanterns Banquet.

The wide West Market Street was still bustling with activity, with shouts rising and falling incessantly. Every household had begun hanging colorful lanterns on their eaves or doors in preparation for the Thousand Lanterns Festival. When the lights were lit at night, it would surely look like stars falling from the sky to earth.

“These things are quite rare,” Shangguan Wan’er said in surprise. It was a small mechanical doll sold by a Western merchant, like a simplified version of Milady’s mechanical servants.

"Small Western-style transport mechanisms, this type should also be quite common in the Tang Dynasty, right?"

Cain paid no attention, his gaze casually sweeping over the mechanisms.

“No, at least this is the first time I’ve seen such a miniature mechanical figure in Chang’an. The moving mechanisms in Chang’an are completely different from these. They are usually in the shape of a single arm. It is very rare to see such a complete and small form. Moreover, most of them are much larger than this one,” Shangguan Wan’er said.

"Is that right?"

Cain suddenly remembered the two mechanical figures he had encountered before, and a sense of doubt arose in his heart.

……