Hearing the change in Xiao Ye’s tone, Steward Xu finally mustered the courage to speak. “The servants in the manor have been uneasy these past two days. The managers of several shops outside also came by after hearing that the Shizi Consort had left, trying to inquire about the situation… I am old now, and no matter how much I wish to, there are some matters I can no longer fully oversee.”
“Shizi, you see…”
He left the decision to Xiao Ye.
How could Xiao Ye not understand what he was implying? He was well aware that if this continued, the household would inevitably fall into disorder. Yet, if he were to bow his head now and ask Lanyin to return, then what would these past two days of resistance and anger have meant?
His fists clenched at his sides. Under the glow of lanterns and moonlight, he lowered his head, his dark brows and eyes shrouded in the night, revealing no trace of emotion. After a long moment, he spoke in a low voice.
“Let Lady Xu manage things for now.”
“She has followed my mother since childhood and is familiar with the household affairs.”
Steward Xu frowned. Even if Lady Xu understood the matters of the household, she was merely a concubine. But he also knew that at this moment, the Shizi would never lower his head to the consort. In the manor now, there was only Lady Xu and Lady Fang. If not given to Lady Xu, should it be handed to Lady Fang instead? If that were to happen, what would become of their Earl Manor?
With a sigh, the lines on Steward Xu’s forehead deepened. “Yes, this old servant will go and give the orders.” With that, he bowed and took his leave.
But as Xiao Ye watched him walk away, the stifling frustration in his chest only grew stronger. He did not feel relieved at having resolved the matter—on the contrary, he felt as though he was pushing her further and further away. Regret gnawed at his heart, lingering restlessly.
He stood in place for a long while before finally stepping through the hanging flower gate. Originally, he should have been heading toward his own courtyard, yet his feet unconsciously carried him in the direction of Lanyin’s Zhilan Pavilion.
Zhilan Pavilion had always been the liveliest place in the manor.
Lanyin had a gentle temperament, and her subordinates both respected and adored her. Unlike other households filled with schemes and strife, the people serving under Lanyin had always been the most obedient to her. Whenever he visited, he could hear their cheerful laughter from afar. She never restricted them…
In the past, he had never thought much of it. But now, recalling those scenes, he found his already troubled heart becoming even more stifled.
Standing outside, he looked at the now pitch-black courtyard.
Suddenly, he turned and walked toward Gu Qing’s residence.
Gu Qing’s courtyard was not far from Lanyin’s. Xiao Ye made his way there in a hurry, but just as he was about to arrive, looking at the warmly lit room ahead, a sudden hesitation arose within him.
Xueya had just stepped out to fetch water. Sharp-eyed, she immediately noticed Xiao Ye.
“Shizi!” she called out, unable to contain her joy. Setting down the basin, she ran toward him with delight. “Are you here to see my mistress?”
Just as Xiao Ye was about to speak, another voice reached his ears, carried by the wind.
“Is that you, Ah Ye?” Gu Qing, dressed in a thin spring robe, lifted the brocade curtain and stepped out. She was still in her usual plain attire, though the white flower she used to wear at her temple was gone. Her dark, cloud-like hair and delicate, deer-like eyes, which always seemed to carry a pitiful charm, were now fixed on him with unblinking joy.
Having been spotted by her, it would have been impolite to leave now. Xiao Ye had no choice but to respond and walk toward her. Seeing her dressed so lightly, he frowned. “Why are you wearing so little again?”
As he spoke, he instinctively reached to take off his cloak to give to her. But as his hand touched the fabric, he suddenly remembered Siyu’s words from that morning.
“If Tu Yici were to one day bring a woman for me to take care of, do you think I should be angry?”
Reflecting on this, he realized that his concern for Qing’er might indeed have been excessive. While his intentions were pure, others might not see it that way. Xiao Ye pressed his lips together, and some of his resentment and harshness toward Lanyin faded. Unlike before, he didn’t hand her his cloak but instead called for Xueya. “Help your mistress inside.”
Xueya cheerfully acknowledged the order, not noticing anything amiss.
But Gu Qing, being sensitive, detected the subtle change in Xiao Ye’s demeanor today. Her eyes dimmed slightly, though she maintained a gentle, understanding smile on her face. Leaning on Xueya, she said to Xiao Ye, “Ah Ye, come inside too.”
Xueya chimed in, “Young Master, please persuade her. If you don’t come, she refuses to take her medicine.”
“Why are you taking medicine again?” Xiao Ye frowned, looking at Gu Qing. “Didn’t you recover from your illness long ago?”
“It’s nothing…” Xueya started to explain, but Gu Qing stopped her. “I’m fine. Xueya is making a fuss. Don’t worry,” she said softly, not wanting to trouble him.
But recalling the events of the morning, Xiao Ye understood. He fell silent, his eyes meeting hers. Seeing the tenderness in her gaze, he sighed. “Let’s go inside. I’ll stay and watch you take your medicine before I leave.”
He followed the two into the house.
As he entered, the familiar scent of cold incense hit him, and he frowned again.
He hadn’t noticed before, but now he realized that Qing’er used the same fragrance as Lanyin. No wonder he had mistaken her earlier. However, it was just ordinary incense, so he didn’t dwell on it. He sat down on a chair and asked Xueya to bring the medicine, intending to watch Gu Qing take it.
“It’s too bitter…” Gu Qing refused to drink it, her willow-leaf-like brows furrowed, looking as fragile as the legendary beauty Xizi clutching her heart.
Under the lamplight, Xiao Ye gazed at her delicate face but found himself thinking of Lanyin instead.
Lanyin had also fallen ill before and disliked bitter medicine. But she never needed coaxing. She understood better than anyone that without medicine, she wouldn’t recover. While others had the luxury of being willful or lazy, she didn’t. She couldn’t afford to be sick or take the time to be ill. So no matter how bitter the medicine, she would swallow it in one gulp, at most asking for some candied fruit afterward to ease the bitterness.
In truth—
Compared to Qing’er, Lanyin’s past was even more pitiful.
Although Qing’er had been kidnapped by human traffickers, she was lucky. She managed to escape halfway and was rescued by a kind-hearted, childless couple. While she hadn’t grown up in luxury, she was still doted on and raised with care; otherwise, she wouldn’t have developed such a bright and carefree personality.
But what about Lanyin?
She was the legitimate daughter of a marquis household, yet her father was stationed at Yanmen Pass all year round, her grandmother devoted herself to Buddhism and paid little attention to household matters, and her mother, overwhelmed with grief over Qing’er’s disappearance, had vented all her anger onto Lanyin, as if Qing’er’s misfortune was somehow her fault. Even after she went to Jinling and was sheltered by Old Madam Wang, the Wang family was vast and influential, filled with people harboring ulterior motives.
Xiao Ye remembered that when they were children, Lanyin had also been bright and carefree.
His own upbringing had been strict. Many of the things other children played with, he had never even touched… His first time climbing a wall—it was Lanyin who took him. His first time setting off firecrackers—it was Lanyin who led him. Even his first taste of street food and first experience watching street performances—it was Lanyin who brought him along.
Why had Lanyin become the way she was now?
In the past, Xiao Ye had never asked, nor had he cared. But now, as he recalled those memories, an inexplicable pain welled up in his heart.
“Ah Ye?”
Hearing Gu Qing’s voice, Xiao Ye snapped back to reality. He turned to look at her, seeing her watching him cautiously.
“You haven’t said a word this whole time,” she asked him hesitantly. Thinking that he was upset with her for refusing to take her medicine earlier, she quickly added, “I already finished my medicine. Don’t be angry.”
“I’m not angry.”
Seeing the apprehension in her expression, Xiao Ye’s heart softened. He pushed the plate of candied fruits toward her, and as he watched her smile return, his expression softened as well.
Yet when he recalled what he had originally come to say, he hesitated. In the end, however, he still spoke.
“I sent Zhou An to Hangzhou today.”
Gu Qing’s hand, reaching for the candied fruits, suddenly stopped. She didn’t speak, only looked at him.
Xiao Ye continued, “It won’t be long before you can sever ties with the Fang family completely.”
“Qing’er, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?” he asked.
Before Xueya could respond, Gu Qing had already grasped the underlying meaning of his words. She suddenly bit her lip and asked in a hoarse voice,
“Ah Ye… are you sending me away?”
“I…”
Xiao Ye should have denied it. But the words wouldn’t come. He lowered his gaze, falling into silence.
“Shizi, how can you do this? Do you not realize—” Xueya, indignant on Gu Qing’s behalf, started to protest, but Gu Qing cut her off.
“I understand. I will leave.”
Xiao Ye wanted to console her.
But Gu Qing had already turned her back to him, silently dismissing him.
Xiao Ye looked at her frail, pitiful silhouette and thought of Lanyin. Gritting his teeth, he finally stood up and left.
Gu Qing hadn’t expected him to leave so decisively. When she heard his footsteps fading behind her, she suddenly turned around, but all she saw was the embroidered curtain, still swaying slightly with the words wan shi ru yi—”May all things go as you wish.”
Tears welled up in her eyes, at first only brimming on the surface, but soon, they fell like a string of pearls breaking free.
In the end, amidst Xueya’s murmurs of discontent, she could no longer hold back and collapsed onto the table, sobbing softly.
—
Xiao Ye had not slept well the previous night, but he still rose early the next morning.
He had planned to visit Lanyin’s estate before the morning court session. Now that he had made up his mind, he was no longer concerned with whether or not he was lowering his head. He wanted to tell her his decision personally.
With this thought in mind, he dressed in an outfit he knew Lanyin liked and was about to leave when Steward Xu rushed in with an urgent report—
“Shizi! Lady Fang—something has happened to her!”
Xiao Ye abruptly turned around. The lighthearted smile on his face froze, and his hands, which had been fastening his belt, stilled. His brows furrowed as he questioned,
“What happened?”
“Early this morning, Lady Fang said she wanted to go out to buy something. She is an esteemed guest of the manor, so this old servant dared not stop her and merely sent people to accompany her. But just now, the men I sent came back and reported that—that Lady Fang and her maid took a carriage out of the city on their own!”
—
Eastern Suburb Estate.
Lanyin had a peaceful night’s sleep.
Recently, she had no trouble sleeping and rested soundly every night. After getting up and having breakfast, she was thinking of returning to her room to practice calligraphy when Chen Fu arrived with fruits from the estate.
Lanyin personally received him. “For such a small matter, why trouble yourself to come in person? You could have just sent someone to deliver it.”
But after the incident with the servant last time, Chen Fu had been deeply shaken and didn’t dare to entrust such tasks to others. Lanyin understood this and didn’t press further. However, noticing his troubled expression, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something else?”
Chen Fu hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Someone from the estate came to report earlier that they saw the young… the master at the foot of the mountain.” He had almost said “young master,” but recalling Lanyin’s firm stance these past few days, he quickly corrected himself. “They saw the master.”
Ting Yun and Shi Yu were both startled.
Lanyin was also surprised. She raised an eyebrow. “What was he doing there?”
Chen Fu pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “The person who reported said that the second young lady and the master had a disagreement. In the end, the second young lady fell out of the carriage, and the master… carried her back home. The people from the estate originally wanted to step forward to greet him, but the master left in too much of a hurry…”
“Outrageous!”
Shi Yu’s face flushed with anger, and the embroidery hoop in her hand fell to the ground.
Ting Yun, though silent, also wore an unpleasant expression. As for Lanyin, her demeanor remained unchanged, as if she wasn’t surprised at all. Of course, she wasn’t surprised. She had always known who Xiao Ye would choose between her and Gu Qing. Having experienced this countless times before, how could she still feel surprised?
“I’ve already divorced him. Who he likes, who he holds, who he stays with—that’s his freedom.”
She didn’t feel the slightest ripple of emotion over this matter.
As usual, she went inside to write a few characters. By noon, Shan Xi returned, saying he had found a house in Tianshui Alley that met all her requirements… Lanyin was quite pleased to hear this and ordered a carriage to be prepared so she could go see it in person.