Xiao Ye had returned home.
His entire being was in disarray, and he nearly stumbled as he dismounted his horse.
The young servant standing guard at the gate was startled at the sight, his heart leaping in fright. The heir, who had always been valiant and imposing, now stood pale under the moonlight, his lips devoid of color. From a distance, he looked like a soulless husk, as if he needed strings to be lifted and moved.
“…My lord, what—what happened to you?” The servant ran forward to support him, feeling an inexplicable fear rise in his heart.
Never had he seen Xiao Ye like this before. The young servant was at a loss, his voice unconsciously lowered, afraid to disturb him.
Yet Xiao Ye said nothing. He did not even allow the servant to assist him, merely walking forward in silence toward the marquis’s residence. As he reached the doorway, he suddenly halted, as if he had seen something, and looked up.
Two glazed lanterns hung under the eaves.
In the slow, drifting night breeze, the lanterns swayed gently. Upon them were paintings of the Holy Mother, each side depicting a different image, yet all bore the same benevolent gaze, eyes lowered as they watched over the world—watching over… him.
Xiao Ye did not know why, but as he stared at the Holy Mother’s image, he inexplicably thought of Lanyin. He thought of her every smile and frown, thought of how, whether he was high-spirited or in dire straits, she had always gazed at him with that gentle expression.
His eyes reddened in an instant.
The grievances swelling in his chest had no outlet. They clogged in his throat, suffocating him, making even his breathing uneven.
He had not rested well for days, and today, he had received such news.
It was as if he could no longer hold on. Suddenly, he bent over, clutching his chest as he crouched to the ground.
“My lord!”
The two servants were terrified. One rushed to support him, while the other, seeing his trembling shoulders, panicked and ran inside to summon Steward Xu.
When Steward Xu received the news, he hurried out. Before he even reached the entrance, he caught sight of Xiao Ye’s state and was shocked.
“My lord!” He strode over, intending to help him up. But how could an old man with one foot nearly in the grave compete with Xiao Ye’s strength?
Seeing his dark, unfocused eyes—clearly in a state of disarray—Steward Xu feared that forcibly pulling him up would provoke resistance. Instead, he crouched down beside him, lowering his voice to gently coax him, “My lord, the wind is strong out here. Let’s go inside first, shall we?”
At the sound, Xiao Ye lifted his head.
When he saw that familiar face, his thick lashes quivered slightly before he hoarsely called out, “Steward Xu?”
“I am here!” Steward Xu immediately responded. Seeing a bit of clarity return to Xiao Ye’s unfocused gaze, he was about to continue coaxing him when he heard him rasp in a low voice—
“She’s gone. She’s gone.”
His voice was so soft that Steward Xu did not catch it at first.
“What?”
Only when Xiao Ye repeated himself did he hear it clearly. At first, he did not understand who the “she” he referred to was. But the moment he realized it, his expression changed as well.
“My lady is gone? How is she gone? Where did she go?”
Three questions in succession.
But Xiao Ye seemed lost in his own world. He did not answer any of them. He only lowered his eyes and murmured, “I can’t find her.”
“…I can’t find her.”
Seeing him like this, Steward Xu was suddenly reminded of his childhood.
Back then, the heir had not been as dignified as he was now. He had once been innocent and carefree.
He remembered that once, as a child, Xiao Ye had picked up a stray kitten outside the gates. The kitten had been dirty and scrawny, yet Xiao Ye adored it. Ignoring his mother’s objections, he insisted on keeping it in his room, personally tending to it every day.
But one day, after returning from his studies, the kitten was gone.
The entire household searched for days but could not find it. The madam told him the kitten had run away and could not be retrieved.
At that time, Xiao Ye had not said a single word in front of his mother.
But once he returned to his room, he had crouched down, just as he was doing now, his eyes red with unshed tears.
After that, Steward Xu never saw him raise another cat.
Steward Xu didn’t know why he suddenly thought of this matter. He just felt that the young master’s current appearance was exactly the same as before. Perhaps there were some things that they had all misunderstood.
He had originally thought that the young master loved Lady Fang, not the mistress. But back when Lady Fang got married, although the young master didn’t look well, he was far from being as distraught as he is now… Steward Xu was momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing the sadness, grievance, and the desolation on his face as if he had lost something dearly beloved, he softly sighed.
“The mistress won’t disappear.”
He comforted Xiao Ye, “The mistress might have just moved to another place. Tomorrow, I’ll have someone inquire around the city. Besides, her shops are still here. Even if the managers don’t know, we can always ask the city defense office for help.”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely help you find the mistress.”
He thought that such persuasion would improve Xiao Ye’s mood, but he still squatted on the ground.
The gentle evening breeze made the Holy Mother’s palace lantern above sway back and forth, entangling the tassels below. The light stretched Xiao Ye’s shadow long on the ground, reflecting his silhouette. His voice was hoarse, whether speaking to Steward Xu or to himself, “But she doesn’t want to see me.”
It wasn’t that Xiao Ye had no way to find Lanyin. As long as she was still in Bianjing, he had plenty of ways to find her. Even if she left Bianjing, he could still find her. He knew people in the city defense office and the Ministry of Revenue, and he had hundreds of imperial guards under his command, as well as acquaintances in the Imperial Guards.
Finding someone was never a difficult task for him. The question was, what would he do after finding Lanyin? Her demeanor and the attitude of her servants towards him were enough to prove her decisiveness.
Xiao Ye finally realized that even if he bowed his head to her and confessed his feelings, she… would not come back.
She truly wanted to leave him.
No.
She had already left him.
It felt as if a knife was brutally carving out his flesh, stroke by stroke, the pain so intense he wanted to collapse to his knees. Seeing Xiao Ye’s pale face and the dense sweat on his forehead, Steward Xu was startled. He reached out to touch him and found him icy cold, his whole body beginning to tremble… “Young master!”
Steward Xu exclaimed in alarm.
He couldn’t care about anything else now and quickly instructed two servants, “Hurry and help the young master inside!”
Fortunately, Xiao Ye was so immersed in his own world that he didn’t react even when touched. Steward Xu slightly relaxed and, after entering the mansion, he had someone call for Doctor Du while he… Looking at the desolate young master, he hesitated between Lady Fang and Lady Xu, but finally instructed, “Go and invite Lady Xu over.”
After the maid went to deliver the message.
He watched the servants supporting Xiao Ye as they left, sighed deeply, and was about to enter when he heard Zhou An’s voice from behind, “What’s going on?”
Steward Xu turned around immediately upon hearing his voice, “Where have you been?”
Zhou An carried a food box in his hand. Noticing Xiao Ye’s pale complexion, he harbored some doubts but chose not to inquire at this moment. Instead, he said, “My lord instructed me to buy roasted duck for the lady from Yuxian Zheng Restaurant. The crowd was overwhelming—I waited in line for two full hours before I could get it.”
“Has the lady returned?” he asked Steward Xu.
Outside, the heir’s bluish-green steed stood tethered, a clear sign that Xiao Ye had already returned. But had the lady come back as well? Judging by Steward Xu’s expression, Zhou An quickly reached his own conclusion.
After a moment of thought, he said, “Then I’ll make a trip to the estate and deliver the roasted duck to the lady.” Even if it had cooled and was no longer at its best, at the very least, the lady should know of the lord’s goodwill.
Having said that, he turned to leave.
But Steward Xu called out to stop him.
“…There’s no need.”
“Hm?”
Zhou An was puzzled. He turned back to look at Steward Xu.
Yet Steward Xu did not meet his gaze. He only looked at the food box in Zhou An’s hands, shook his head, and sighed deeply. He did not know whether the heir had only realized his feelings after losing her, or if he had long been ensnared by emotion without recognizing it himself. He only knew… that the lady was likely never coming back.
“The lady has already left the estate.”
He relayed the news to Zhou An. Seeing the initial shock on his face give way to silence, he knew that Zhou An had understood the weight of the situation.
Steward Xu did not say anything more to him. He simply instructed a servant at his side, “Tomorrow, go to the estate and deliver a message to the old madam… tell her of the current situation in the residence.”
The young servant hesitated. “But my lord forbade us from seeking out the old madam…”
Steward Xu’s expression darkened. “Do you still care about that at a time like this?”
If the old madam did not return soon to take charge, not only would any hope of reconciling the heir and the lady vanish, but even the heir’s and the marquis’s household’s reputation might become unsalvageable. The number of people probing for information had increased noticeably in the past few days, and rumors had begun to circulate in the city. While their current standing prevented the gossip from spreading openly, those who knew the lady had left were no longer few in number…
Thinking back to the state the heir had been in earlier, Steward Xu felt a throbbing pain at his temples. Pressing his fingers to his brow, he sighed heavily and turned to walk back inside.
…
“Looking for me?”
When the message reached Lady Xu, she had just been reading a letter from Lanyin.
Still in the midst of her deliberations, she was surprised to hear these words from Lianxin. She arched an eyebrow slightly and set down the letter in her hands before asking, “Did they say what it’s about?”
Lianxin shook her head. “Only that Steward Xu had sent the message. But—” She paused briefly, then lowered her voice, “From the way the servant delivered the message in such a rush, and the look on his face, I fear something may have happened with the heir.”
Lady Xu remained silent.
After a moment, she rose. “Let’s go and see.”
She no longer held feelings for Xiao Ye, but he was still her husband. If she wished to live well in the earl’s household and protect her child so they could enjoy wealth and honor, she would still need to rely on him.
So no matter what, Xiao Ye could not be allowed to fall.
With Lianxin in tow, she made her way over and soon caught sight of Doctor Du ahead of her.
Upon seeing the doctor’s presence, Lady Xu furrowed her delicate brows, feeling a tinge of unease.
Could something truly have happened to Xiao Ye?
At this thought, she quickened her pace. Only when she entered the room and saw Xiao Ye lying in bed in one piece did she finally let out a breath of relief.
“My lord.”
She lowered her gaze, her tone respectful as she addressed him.
Xiao Ye glanced at her but did not respond. Instead, he spoke to Doctor Du.
“Sorry to trouble you for coming all this way. I’m fine—you may go back.”
“This…” Doctor Du hesitated.
“Go back.”
Xiao Ye repeated, and Doctor Du, seeing his insistence, could only bow and retreat.
After Doctor Du left, Xiao Ye spoke again, “All of you, leave as well.”
Lady Xu, unsure of his intentions and thinking she was included in the dismissal, was about to follow the others out when Xiao Ye called out to her, “Lady Xu, you stay.”
Her steps halted, and she turned back, her demeanor still meek and submissive, “What does the young master command?”
Xiao Ye looked at her humble appearance and suddenly remembered the young girl who used to cling to him, calling him cousin. His brows furrowed slightly, and though he seemed to want to say something, he remained silent for a moment before clenching his fists and asking her, “Do you know where she went?”
Her?
Lady Xu was momentarily stunned, about to ask for clarification when it dawned on her mid-thought, and she understood the reason behind his behavior tonight.
So, he had found out.
However—
Lady Xu suppressed her thoughts and, with a look of confusion, asked him, “Who is the young master referring to?”
Xiao Ye pressed his lips together.
He stared at her for a moment before uttering three words, “Gu Lanyin.”
“The mistress?” Lady Xu feigned surprise, “Isn’t the mistress at the estate?”
Seeing her act, Xiao Ye didn’t wish to say more. He had initially hoped that if Lady Xu knew of Lanyin’s whereabouts, it would at least mean Lanyin still cared about the household. But now it seemed she was truly resolved not to contact anyone related to him.