Zhou Liu-lang wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave, but his shoulder was held firmly by Young Master Qin.
“It’s two this time.”
A lady’s voice followed closely after the maid’s announcement.
Zhou Liu-lang scoffed inwardly. That voice was as wooden as could be, yet he could somehow hear a hint of teasing in it.
Like master, like servant.
So, this was her voice, was it?
As expected, it wasn’t pleasant to listen to. Not even as good as the maid’s. No wonder jewels were treated like rubble.
Young Master Qin lifted his head and saw a lady standing in the corridor just beyond the door.
By now, the snowflakes had replaced the earlier snow pellets, drifting and swirling gracefully. Amid this hazy white snowfall, the lady stood out strikingly, her deep robe and wide sleeves flowing, and her long black hair cascading down.
So, this was the Lady Cheng, the one who had been abandoned at the Taoist temple for nearly a decade, yet had returned alone, crossing a thousand miles in a single journey.
So, this was the Lady Cheng, the one who smiled foolishly before others, yet brewed wine that created a new generation of connoisseurs with her delicate hands.
So, this was the Lady Cheng, the one who scorned fine teas and exquisite dishes, living by the creed of come if you will, go if you must; I will not hold you back.
A pleasure to finally meet you.
Young Master Qin extended his hand, seeming to clasp it in greeting from afar.
Without the support he had relied on, he stumbled slightly forward, but fortunately, the servant and Zhou Liu-lang reacted quickly, rushing to steady him.
Thus, the group, somewhat unsteadily, managed to step inside.
“Miss, I’ve come to share a drink with you,” Young Master Qin said, his words direct and without pretense, as if they were already well acquainted. Supporting himself with a cane, he made his way forward step by step.
The maid looked slightly startled.
Cheng Jiao-niang also watched, though her expression remained unchanged.
“Would a cripple look better if he stripped naked?” she asked.
A servant who had just stepped onto the corridor nearly slipped and fell, his face filled with horror. What a bold young lady!
Zhou Liu-lang furrowed his brows and huffed in indignation.
“Keep playing dumb, and I really will strip to show you. Then what will you do?” he called out bluntly.
The maid quickly covered her eyes with her hands, embarrassed to her core. See no evil, hear no evil!
Cheng Jiao-niang turned her gaze to him, her eyes lazily sweeping over him.
“And what does that have to do with me?” she replied.
Zhou Liu-lang was left choking on his words, his face flushing red with anger and frustration.
“Miss, this brute has gone too far,” Young Master Qin said, picking up the conversation. “I simply must join you for a drink.”
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at him.
“From the same cup（同杯）?” she asked.
Young Master Qin met her gaze and raised the wine bowl he had been holding since he left Zhou Liu-lang’s room.
“Shared sorrow（同悲）,” he replied.
Same cup? Shared sorrow?*
What on earth were these two talking about?
“Miss, you have sound hands and feet, yet you’ve been held captive by this brute. It’s just like me, a man with crippled limbs—my heart filled with frustration, yearning for freedom but unable to attain it. What a pity, what a pity!” Young Master Qin laughed heartily as he drained his cup. “Shared sorrow—who could truly understand the sorrow in one’s heart?”
Though his laughter rang loud and clear, the maid standing nearby felt a pang of sadness welling up inside her.
What a helpless, helpless situation.
Who would willingly come to the Zhou family? Who would willingly subject themselves to this place? And yet here they were, forced under this brute’s control, first abducted and then coerced into apologies. Strength upon strength—always imposing their will, never reflecting on where the fault truly lay, never wondering about the sorrow in the mistress’s heart.
How helpless her mistress must feel, trapped in the shell of a woman’s body, bound by the chains of kinship, unable to speak, unable to fight, unable to break free.
But, at least—at least—there is someone who understands. There is someone who knows.
The maid raised her hand to cover her eyes, tears slipping through her fingers.
This gentleman… is not so bad after all.
Zhou Liu-lang glanced at Young Master Qin, a flicker of realization crossing his eyes before his face tensed up again.
The door to the room was open, allowing those inside to see the snowflakes swirling and dancing outside.
“Too much! This is too much!” Young Master Qin was still laughing loudly, gripping the wine bowl. He pointed at Zhou Liu-lang, then at the heavens. “I can’t strike the heavens, but can’t I strike you?”
With that, he raised his cane and swung it again.
“Qin Sangzi, enough!” Zhou Liu-lang barked, his face taut as he reached out to grab the cane, yanking it from Young Master Qin’s grasp.
“Zhou Liu, do you still not realize where you went wrong?” Young Master Qin said with a smile, pointing at him with the wine bowl. “You—you—have gone too far.”
The maid stood to the side, glaring angrily at Zhou Liu-lang. Yes, he said he admitted his mistake, but he didn’t actually believe he was wrong!
This is bullying!
Zhou Liu-lang sat down with a grim expression, his voice tinged with anger.
“Back then, it was wrong of me to take your maid without regard for anything else,” he said. “If you’re angry, if you hold resentment, direct it at me. But for the sake of my grandmother and aunt, don’t hold a grudge against the Zhou family or the Zhou name.”
“If you care so much about your grandmother and aunt, how could you treat her like this?” Young Master Qin retorted, still holding the now-empty wine bowl. “Pour the wine, pour the wine—I’ll share in the lady’s sorrow.”
“Yes, we have gone too far,” Zhou Liu-lang said through gritted teeth, turning to Cheng Jiao-niang. “Say the word—whatever you want done, just say it.”
“So what you’re saying is,” Young Master Qin interjected, shaking his head, “that if she doesn’t forgive you or say how you should atone, then she’s at fault? And you’re the one being wronged?” He pointed at Cheng Jiao-niang and looked back at Zhou Liu-lang. “You’ve had it both ways, haven’t you? Speaking the good words and the bad—there’s no greater overreach than this.”
The maid nodded emphatically. That’s right, that’s right.
Her mistress had remained silent, but this young gentleman had spoken aloud the grievances her mistress had endured. Clearly, someone could see through to the injustice her mistress had suffered.
“I just want to do something; I don’t know what to do,” Zhou Liu-lang said, sitting up straight with a tense expression. “However you want to vent your anger, just go ahead and do it.”
With that, he looked at Cheng Jiao-niang.
Opposite them, Cheng Jiao-niang had been sitting quietly without saying a word. When she noticed their gazes turn to her, she paused for a moment, then raised a hand to cover her mouth as she let out a yawn.
“What, still not undressing?” she said.
The maid, who had been feeling sorrowful, nearly burst into laughter at the remark and quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
“Cheng Jiao-niang, will you ever stop?” Zhou Liu-lang growled, rising to one knee in indignation.
Young Master Qin laughed as well.
“Never,” he said, hurling the wine bowl in his hand toward Zhou Liu-lang. “Get out of here! Stop being such a nuisance.”
“Qin Sangzi, why are you adding to the commotion?” Zhou Liu-lang snapped, catching the wine bowl.
“Get out!” Young Master Qin pointed toward the door. “You’re truly the kind of person I misjudged—I must’ve been blind. If you don’t leave now, don’t expect me to acknowledge you again.”
Gritting his teeth and glaring furiously, Zhou Liu-lang swept his robe and strode out in large steps.
Outside the courtyard gate, a quiet crowd had gathered. Even those holding umbrellas were nearly covered in snow, resembling snowmen.
“Liu-lang, Young Master Qin is still inside on his own? This… this isn’t proper,” Madam Zhou said anxiously, reaching out to grab her son.
“What’s so improper about it? If that fool takes the opportunity to latch onto him, all the better!” Zhou Liu-lang replied irritably, shaking off her hand and striding away with a swish of his sleeve.
Madam Zhou wanted to call out but didn’t dare raise her voice too loudly.
“This child… what nonsense is he saying?” she muttered. “Latch onto him? Do you think the Qin family is so easy to cling to?”
If it were that easy, with so many daughters in the family, she would have had the idea long ago.
What was Young Master Qin up to in there? Was he really drunk?
Inside the room, only Young Master Qin remained. Watching Zhou Liu-lang walk away, he seemed quite pleased.
“Someone like him needs to be taught a lesson,” he said, clapping his hands. “He’s going too far.”
Afterward, he turned to look at Cheng Jiao-niang.
“Miss, don’t be angry. The one who should be angry is him, not you,” he said.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at him and responded with a casual “Oh.”
“Of course,” she said, looking at Young Master Qin. “Now that he’s gone, will you still strip off?”
She’s too scary… Young Master Qin’s servant could only wish to bury his head in his collar. She really was a fool! What kind of nonsense was she saying?
Young Master Qin looked at her and laughed heartily.
“If you want to see, I don’t mind taking my clothes off,” he said, giving a wry smile. “It’s just that with my incomplete body, it’s not all that pleasant to look at.”
Translator’s Note:
*The wordplay between “同杯” (from the same cup) and “同悲” (shared sorrow) sound similar in Chinese but carry vastly different meanings, allowing for a nuanced dialogue.
