Chapter Twenty-Seven: As for you, calling him so intimately—you have no sense of masculine virtue.

The night wind stirred her ink-black hair, framing a delicate face as exquisite as a lotus rising from the water. Her fine, arched brows were slightly knit, seemingly condensing an endless sorrow.

Cheng Yuan paused, gave Cheng Zhi a few parting instructions, then rose and walked quickly toward the young lady of the house.

"Let’s go."

"Sister Yuan!" The two at the doorway spoke in unison, rushing over with anxious expressions.

Huang Xuqiu was the first to widen his eyes, his suspicious gaze seemingly trying to bore a hole through Xie Changzhi. Yet, his good upbringing kept him silent in front of others, despite his fury and confusion. Only his eyes seemed capable of breathing fire.

Xie Changzhi shifted his gaze to Cheng Yuan, biting his lip slightly as his eyelashes trembled. Recalling the absurdity of the previous night, alarm bells rang in Cheng Yuan's mind. Before Xie Changzhi could speak, she said, "You two stay here, watch over Mother for me. Once we return, we will head home."

Perhaps some word of hers pleased him, for Xie Changzhi curled his lips slightly, hiding the emotions in his eyes, and stepped back with a submissive air.

"Very well, Sister Yuan."

Huang Xuqiu clenched his fists but had no choice but to step aside as well.

"Sister Yuan, I will wait for you."

***

Cheng Yuan followed the young lady through the water pavilions and returned to the kiosk from the night before. It had been too dark to see clearly the night before, but in the daylight, the young lady’s courtyard appeared remarkably austere. The garden was filled with various flowers, most of which had withered, save for the exceptionally charming wintersweet blossoms dusted with snow.

"Would you like some tea?"

As if she were not blind at all, the young lady walked forward and sat down with composure as a maid brought over a tray of refreshments.

"That won't be necessary, Miss. Your intentions are clear, and I have given them thought since last night." Cheng Yuan stood beneath the pavilion, her gaze clear and sharp.

"Oh? And have you found a strategy?" She tilted her head slightly, as if looking directly at her.

"No," Cheng Yuan shook her head. "I simply think your idea is flawed. Regardless of what is said, the Wang family has been in business for three generations and is considered a prominent household in Qingshui County, with influential connections behind them. If I were to attempt an assassination directly, I fear it would implicate you."

"The old Madam Zhu and the young master are gone. The vast Zhu estate must be rotten to the core by now. You ought to..."

"You’ve said so much, isn't it just to say that I am powerless now? Yes, I am but an orphaned girl. My aunt and cousin are dead, and the family fortune was swindled away by that dog of a thief. Should I just be content and keep to myself? If so, I might as well send you both to be buried with my cousin!"

A porcelain cup shattered against the snow, tea splashing everywhere, causing the two young maids to drop to their knees in terror. Cheng Yuan watched her calmly, her expression unchanged.

"The facts are as they are, but I have a different approach."

"What is it?" The previous rage seemed like a mere illusion; she wore a smile again, her face soft as she waited for a reply.

"I will not hide it from you, Miss: we share a common enemy. Young Master Zhu lost his life and fortune because of the deceptions of Master Wang. If I am not mistaken, Master Wang also had a hand in the ghost marriage arranged for my mother. As for me, I escaped that Wang household only after enduring great hardship, avoiding the fate of being one of the eighteen concubines who met a tragic end. So, Miss, you can trust me."

Cheng Yuan spoke slowly. She had barely slept the night before, turning these three matters over in her mind repeatedly. The Zhu family, though bewitched into buying her mother for a ghost marriage, had still shown a shred of conscience. Only this young lady seemed to be in a fragile mental state. Yet, she only sought revenge against the Wang family and the Jiang family—two of a kind.

The young lady "watched" her silently for a long time, then laughed. "My name is Wen Jingshu, my childhood name is Manman. You may call me Manman."

Cheng Yuan’s heart stirred. "Miss Manman, then I shall explain my plan to you in detail."

She took a few steps forward and sat down across from Wen Jingshu. She picked up a mung bean cake and took a bite. "I like this very much."

The two exchanged a look.

***

"Who knows how you even managed to get her to call you 'Sister Yuan'?"

"I am Sister Yuan’s husband. Never mind calling her 'Sister Yuan,' I could even call her 'my wife.' As for you, a grown man calling her 'my wife' so intimately all day long—it’s clear you are a frivolous one."

Cheng Yuan had just returned to witness this scene. Under the eaves, the two youths were mocking each other, a stark contrast to the images they presented before her. When she caught their two pairs of surprised eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She pulled back the foot she had stepped forward and retreated two paces.

"Actually, I haven't quite finished my business..."

By the time they returned home, it was already noon. Several old women and young wives were gathered in the yard, and in their midst was none other than Xie Yanzhi!

"It was outrageous! When she gave me hawthorn, she was so sycophantic. But the moment my sister-in-law turned around, she was drugged! I realized immediately it must be that wretch. So, I went to find her, and although I found the evidence, my aunt went missing! The family is falling apart, *sob*, it’s been an entire night, and I don't know how my sister-in-law and my aunt are doing, *sob*..."

Xie Yanzhi was naturally handsome and charming; otherwise, he would not have been so carefree and pampered in the capital. The old women around him were shocked by his words, one after another cursing the shamelessness of the Jiang family and lamenting the misfortune of this household.

"Here, have a candy, don't cry, dear boy. Your brother will surely bring them back safely."

Xie Yanzhi lifted his tear-stained face, quickly took the candy, popped it into his mouth, and did not forget to thank her. "Thank you, Auntie Wang! You are such a good person! Seeing you is just like seeing my own mother! *Sob*, ever since my mother died and I followed my father into exile, I haven't tasted such delicious candy."

He spoke so earnestly that Auntie Wang and the rest of the women looked at him with great pity.

"Oh, would you like some melon seeds?"

"I have a handful of peanuts here!"

The three of them stood at the gate, unsure whether they should enter. Only when she saw the unconcealable exhaustion on Xie Changzhi’s face did Cheng Yuan cough lightly. "Everyone, please rest assured. My mother and I have returned safely."

Xie Yanzhi’s movement of stuffing melon seeds into his mouth stopped. Cheng Yuan saw for the first time what it meant to turn beet-red, face and neck included, in a single second. Fortunately, the enthusiastic women surrounded the three of them, asking question after question, while Xie Yanzhi shoved his melon seeds and peanuts into his pocket and bolted back into the room.

"I won't eat! I want to go home, *sob*..."

Jiang He swatted the peanuts away; the chubby peanuts rolled across the floor, and just as she opened her mouth, it was covered by a hand. She looked with terrified, watery eyes at the expressionless Xie Yanzhi as he bent down.

"Eat if you want, better to starve to death—your mother doesn't even know you’re with us anyway. If you weren't still useful, I wouldn't bother with you at all."

He pulled his hand away and turned to pick up the peanuts. When he turned back, Jiang He was sitting with her head down, tears falling in drops.

Xie Yanzhi: ...

Suddenly, the door was knocked upon.