The alley, dilapidated and cluttered with firewood and all sorts of thatched sheds, was almost impossible to walk through.
The sudden arrival of this group of brightly dressed people drew the residents of the alley out of their homes, staring at them with curiosity and unease.
Everything had happened so abruptly that at first, the Cheng family maids accompanying Cheng Jiao-niang thought a dispute was about to break out and fled in fright. By the time Cheng Jiao-niang entered the South Cheng residential area, they had not yet caught up, leaving the Zhou family attendants and this young lady as unfamiliar figures in the eyes of the onlookers.
Fine-quality robes, a face half-revealed beneath a large hood—enough to dazzle those who saw her—a beautiful maid, tall and imposing attendants, and the accents of outsiders.
People like this rarely ever came to a place like theirs.
“We’re looking for someone,” Steward Cao called out loudly.
“Who are you looking for?” An elderly man stepped forward, his tone a mix of restraint and simple hospitality.
“Cheng Ping,” Steward Cao said.
“Cheng Ping?”
The people around exchanged glances, their faces blank with confusion—it seemed they genuinely didn’t recognize the name.
“Cheng Ping?” The old man shook his head. “There’s no one by that name here.”
He then pointed further down.
“Maybe try asking in North Cheng.”
These visitors were clearly wealthy, and the people they associated with were likely wealthy too. Though they shared the same surname, the Chengs in this part of town were far from rich.
“Little swindler,” Cheng Jiao-niang spoke up.
Her words left the crowd momentarily stunned.
Was that an insult?
“Looking for the little swindler,” she clarified.
Understanding dawned on the faces around her.
“You mean that little swindler?” the old man asked, stepping forward.
Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.
“So they’re here for the little swindler!”
“Wait, was his real name Cheng Ping?”
“Ah, that troublemaker must’ve done something bad! I told you he shouldn’t have been allowed to stay…”
The crowd immediately buzzed with chatter.
With that, they had their lead. Cheng Jiao-niang let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“Where does he live?” she asked.
“Him? He used to stay near Lady Su’s place,” the old man said, glancing around at the others for confirmation.
“Not anymore. A few days ago, the wind blew his shack down—someone took the scraps for firewood. He hasn’t found a new spot yet, just drifting around day by day…” someone called out loudly.
“Ah, miss, did he swindle money from you? Even though he shares the surname Cheng, he’s not really one of our Chengs, you know,” another added, voice tinged with concern.
Cheng Jiao-niang listened in silence, then raised her hand.
“Find him.”
Steward Cao understood immediately and stepped forward.
“Bring him here,” he said, loosening a money pouch from his waist and giving it a shake. “This is the reward.”
Under the slanting sunlight, the gold-embroidered pouch glittered brightly in the eyes of the onlookers. A moment of stunned silence was followed by utter chaos in the alley—chickens scattering, children shrieking, and even the elderly pushing forward, not wanting to be left behind.
Baskets were tossed aside, laundry dropped to the ground, and people dashed in every direction. The Cheng family maids, who had just caught up, were jostled and shoved aside before they could react.
“What are you all doing?” the maids shouted, alarmed by the frenzy.
As trusted servants of the Cheng household’s matrons, they were usually recognized by the South Cheng residents, who would greet them from afar with ingratiating smiles. But today, even standing this close—so close that they were nearly knocked off their feet—not a single person spared them a polite word or glance. Everyone just stared straight ahead and ran off.
In no time at all, the crowd had vanished. The once-bustling alley now stood empty, leaving only Cheng Jiao-niang and her entourage behind.
“Miss, please have a seat while we wait.” Steward Cao brought over a tree stump—likely someone’s firewood—and offered it to her.
Cheng Jiao-niang wrapped her robes around herself and sat down.
Wait for what? Surely not for that man…
The Cheng family maids exchanged glances, silently communicating their unease.
“Miss, the Madam is looking for you. Let’s return first,” one of them stepped forward and said.
“I have matters to attend to. I’ll see her once I’m finished,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.
Such audacity!
The maids’ faces froze in shock.
By habit, they would either coax a reasonable person with a few persuasive words or simply drag away an unreasonable one. But this young lady seemed beyond persuasion—which made her unreasonable—yet they couldn’t just haul her off either… Not with those dozen or so men standing guard beside her, watching like hungry tigers ready to pounce and tear them apart at the slightest provocation.
For a moment, the scene froze—though only for these maids.
As for their worries and concerns, Cheng Jiao-niang and her party paid them no mind.
As the crowd scattered, shouts and commotion rose from other parts of the neighborhood, quickly spreading through the area.
But unfortunately, even as the last glimmer of sunset faded, no one had managed to find Cheng Ping.
“Miss, that rascal must be hiding. He’s pulled this kind of stunt before,” the old man said. “He’s probably used to being chased and beaten—hiding is one of his specialties… Why don’t you head back first? We’ll keep looking—”
“Yes, Miss, let’s return for now,” the maids chimed in eagerly.
Cheng Jiao-niang stood up.
“Fine. Keep searching,” she said, then turned and walked away.
Steward Cao tossed the money pouch in his hand.
In the dim evening light, the old man caught it deftly.
“Find him, and there’s more reward. Consider this your hard-earned fee for now!” Steward Cao declared.
This pouch must hold at least a full guan of coins! And this is just for the effort—how generous!
The crowd erupted in excited chatter.
Watching the young lady turn and stride away, her large cloak billowing in the night breeze, the old man couldn’t help but mutter to himself:
“Who is she?”
“She had the First and Second Madams’ maids accompanying her—and they were being awfully respectful. Must be some honored guest from over there?” someone called out loudly.
Earlier, everyone had been too busy searching to pay much attention to the maids. Even those who noticed them hadn’t had time to speak. But now, as things settled, the crowd gradually took stock of the attendants trailing behind the young lady.
“I remember now!” someone suddenly shouted. “It’s that fool who just returned the other day! I recognize that outfit!”
At these words, more and more people began connecting the dots.
“Right, right! I remember those attendants too!”
“Exactly! It’s her! I said back then she looked like a fairy descended from heaven!”
“Where’s the ‘fool in this?! Have those people gone blind? Calling her a half-wit?!”
The night in South Cheng was destined to be noisy and restless, and North Cheng was no better.
“Just who is he?”
First Madam Cheng could no longer sit still. Ever since returning from outside, she had been lying down, skipping dinner altogether. Now, she weakly questioned the maidservant who had gone to gather information.
“What exactly is going on?”
“We don’t know the full story,” the maid replied. “That man only came to our side last year.”
“Last year?” First Madam Cheng propped herself up at this. “So he’s not one of our Cheng family? Then why was he allowed to stay? Hurry up and drive him out!”
“I’m not sure either. They just said he came from Shu-zhou. The master gave the order to let him stay, but no one really knows the details. He doesn’t do any proper work—just drifts around, swindling people to get by, living hand-to-mouth. Even the folks over there are fed up with him. They say he’d even cheat children…” the maid explained.
Someone like that? First Madam Cheng frowned.
“Did he swindle her too?” she asked.
“That’s impossible, Madam. She’s only been here three days—this was her first time stepping out,” the maid firmly denied.
That was true.
First Madam Cheng fell silent for a moment.
“Then… what does this man look like?” she suddenly asked, lowering her eyes.
The maid’s expression turned odd.
This… this makes it sound like Cheng Jiao-niang is some kind of…
“Madam, what does his appearance matter? A girl like that…” She couldn’t help but laugh.
First Madam Cheng snorted.
What does it matter what kind of person she is? A fool… a former fool. Even if she’s better now, she’s surely not like normal people. What does she understand? In the end, she probably just judges by appearances.
“Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her go out again and embarrass me,” she ordered.
Keeping an eye on her isn’t the issue—it’s whether we can actually restrain her.
With a complicated expression, the maid bowed her head and murmured an assent.
First Madam Cheng waved her hand dismissively, and the maids quickly rose and retreated, drawing the curtains behind them. As several lamps were extinguished, the room sank into the quiet hush of night. Yet even with her eyes closed, First Madam Cheng found sleep elusive—the events of the past few days churned relentlessly in her mind, spinning in circles until frustration prickled at her nerves.
With a weary sigh, she turned over in bed.
As she stepped through the door, Second Madam Cheng also heard the maids discussing the matter—but with a smile lingering on her lips since her return, she paid it no mind.
“Looking for someone? Let her look, then. My Jiao-niang is free to seek out whoever she pleases,” she said.
The maids chuckled.
“Madam, it seems you’ve met with the Qin family’s maids,” they teased.
The Second Madam pressed her lips together in a faint smile.
“I merely went to browse the shops for new fabrics, and there they were—cornering me, insisting on talking for half the day,” she feigned exasperation, though the gleam in her eyes betrayed her delight.
“So? What happened?” her closest maid, who hadn’t accompanied her, eagerly pressed.
The Second Madam smiled demurely.
“As a mere woman, how would I know if their words hold water? We’ll wait for the master to return and decide,” she said lightly. “After all, this concerns the marriage of his eldest daughter—best I don’t interfere.”
She emphasized the words eldest daughter.
The maids immediately understood and laughed, dipping into respectful curtsies.
“Then allow us to congratulate you in advance, Madam,” they murmured with knowing smiles.
“Enough nonsense—off with you, all of you!” Second Madam Cheng waved her hand in mock displeasure, though she couldn’t suppress her own smile.
Who could have imagined the Zhou family would arrange something so grand? No wonder they’d stopped haggling over the dowry—what they truly valued was connections!
With this bond secured, one that would have otherwise been utterly out of reach in this lifetime, their family’s standing would never be the same again. What did money matter now? With ties like these, who would dare contest her over mere dowry?
And it wasn’t just the dowry—it was the future alliances, the marriages awaiting her own children.
Should we choose the Qin family from the Princess’s household? Or perhaps that Master of Rituals? Or maybe the Surveillance Judge’s family?
Surrounded by maids who had helped her remove her hairpins and change into night clothes, Second Madam Cheng felt not a trace of drowsiness.
How could she possibly sleep? She could hardly wait for dawn to break—for Second Master Cheng to return home and settle this matter once and for all!
Yet tonight, those robbed of sleep were not limited to them alone. Upon returning home, Madam Wang, though utterly exhausted, found no trace of drowsiness. Watching her son rise in elation, she felt only a splitting headache.
“I knew you could accomplish anything for me!” Wang Shi’qi-lang beamed, his face glowing with delight.
“It was nothing significant,” Madam Wang forced a faint smile.
“Yes, yes!” He nodded eagerly, then suddenly frowned at her. “Ah, Mother… you look terribly pale…”
Instinctively, Madam Wang raised a hand to her cheek. This was the first time she had ever deceived her son—flaws must have been glaringly obvious, impossible to conceal no matter how she tried…
“You have been running around for my sake these past few days, exhausting yourself like this.” Wang Shi’qi-lang knelt back down, bowing with heartfelt concern. “You should rest quickly.”
Madam Wang exhaled in relief, though her smile grew even more strained.
“You should go to bed too,” she said.
Wang Shi’qi-lang sprang up, overjoyed.
“Then I’ll go sleep as well—it’s been so long since I’ve had a proper night’s rest!” he declared, practically skipping out of the room.
“Sleep well, sleep well!”
His cheerful shouts still echoed in the courtyard as he retreated. But the moment the sound faded, Madam Wang’s expression instantly collapsed.
The side door creaked as Master Wang stepped out.
“How long do you plan to keep this from him?” He shook his head.
“What choice do we have? Look how ecstatic Shi’qi is—if he were to find out… he might truly lose his mind.” Madam Wang sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples.
“But you’ve already said the wedding is next month. How can you hide the groom’s absence? It’s not like the bride, who can be tied up and shoved into the bridal chamber if she refuses,” Master Wang chuckled lightly.
“We’ll hide it for as long as we can,” Madam Wang replied irritably.
“Don’t worry too much. He’s just frightened now. In a few days, he’ll forget, and we can talk him around. It’s just a marriage—not his execution,” Master Wang said with an easy, satisfied smile.
If only. Madam Wang massaged her temples with a bitter smile.
“This is all because you spoiled him rotten. Enough now—you’re exhausted. Get some rest.” With that, Master Wang retreated into the bedroom.
As if sleep were possible. Madam Wang exhaled sharply, remaining seated.
How did things come to this? The question gnawed at her, unanswered.
The night was deep and all things hushed. The lotus pond area, with its many rock formations, made the night winds eerier here than elsewhere.
A mournful gust swirled past the window, and Ban Qin opened her eyes.
This lotus pond residence truly isn’t suited for winter living. If Miss intends to stay long, we’ll have to find another place…
Wrapping her outer robe around herself, Ban Qin rose with a lamp in hand and lifted the bed curtain—only to startle violently at the sight before her, nearly crying out in fright.
There, where she should have been peacefully asleep, sat Cheng Jiao-niang upright on her bed in the darkness. The corner lamp’s glow made her eyes appear even blacker and brighter than in daylight.
“Miss, you’re not asleep?” Ban Qin approached with the lamp and asked hurriedly, “Do you need anything?”
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head.
“I can’t sleep,” she replied, even offering a faint smile.
Can’t sleep? Ban Qin was astonished.
This was the first time the mistress had shown such unusual restlessness. No matter what crises they had faced before—whether it was Secretariat Editor Liu’s aggressive provocations or the young masters facing execution—her daily routine had never been disrupted.
Was it because of that man? Was he truly so important?
Ban Qin knelt down on the floor mat.
“Miss,” she asked, looking up, “do you know that man?”
