Disfigure?
The gleaming blade pressed against Wang Shi’qi-lang’s face. At his words, Cheng Jiao-niang stared in astonishment, as though she had not understood him.
“I’m not joking!” Wang Shi’qi-lang cried.
As if to prove his resolve, his trembling hand clenched. With a grit of teeth, the delicate skin was pierced, and a dot of crimson appeared.
Cheng Jiao-niang looked at him, then threw her head back and laughed — a clear, ringing sound that spilled out, drowning even the delicate melody of the zither beyond.
If Ban Qin had been there, she would have been stunned. If Zhou Liu-lang had been present, he might finally have learned the answer to a question long held.
This was likely the first time Cheng Jiao-niang had ever laughed aloud.
She laughed so freely that even Wang Shi’qi-lang, still clutching the dagger, grew dazed.
So pleasing to the ear… so lovely to behold…
“Very well. What grave matter warrants such an action?” said Cheng Jiao-niang, her laughter fading. “I consent. Since you oppose this marriage, let it be undone.”
Just like that?
Wang Shi’qi-lang eyed her with suspicion. Was this girl so easily reasoned with?
“Truly?” he asked.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled faintly.
“There is no need to hide anymore. Return and tell your family—say it was my decision. If they doubt you, they may come and see me themselves.”
Having spoken, she turned and walked away.
“Hey—wait!” Wang Shi’qi-lang called out.
Cheng Jiao-niang paused and glanced back.
“Young master, is there something else?” she asked.
Wang Shi’qi-lang still wore an expression of utter disbelief.
“You truly agree? You won’t… kill me in a fit of anger?” he asked.
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled.
“Did you not once tell me to obey your words?” she said.
Wang Shi’qi-lang froze for a moment. Had he really said that?
“How can a voice be so unpleasant?”
“What a pity. But never mind — a beauty like a painting is meant to be admired in silence. You should speak less from now on.”
“Good, very good. It’s enough that you obey. Listen to me from now on, and I promise you’ll want for nothing.”
The girl before him now smiled faintly.
“Very well,” she had said, nodding in agreement.
Wang Shi’qi-lang shuddered back to the present. The girl’s smile remained unchanged.
“And so, I listened,” said Cheng Jiao-niang with a slight nod. She bowed toward him, hands folded in courtesy, then turned and walked away.
“Hey—”
Wang Shi’qi-lang couldn’t help but call out again. He took a step forward, but this time the girl did not pause or look back — she simply left the private room and vanished.
Just like that…
He stood dazed for a moment, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss and regret.
Actually… she was rather endearing after all.
Maybe he should let it be? A beauty like her…
As he stepped out of the room, he saw her shaking out her robes and taking a seat. Her attendants stood respectfully nearby. Under the sunlight against the backdrop of the great snow mountain, her plain garments shone almost blindingly — like the glint of that cold, sharp arrow from that night.
Killing…
A shiver ran through him. Wang Shi’qi-lang hurriedly clattered down the stairs.
Down below, his own attendants had been waiting anxiously. The maids, on the verge of tears, rushed toward him with relieved delight, chirping and cooing with gentle concern.
This was how women ought to be — how they ought to feel.
Wang Shi’qi-lang let out a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around two of the lovely maids.
“Let’s go,” he said with a boisterous laugh. “Let’s go back.”
The maids were overjoyed, crowding around him eagerly, chattering all at once — some exclaiming how frightened they had been, others how worried and upset they’d felt — the air filled with a lively clamor.
“Young master, did that lady truly agree to stop clinging to you?”
Wang Shi’qi-lang tossed his head with a touch of pride.
“Of course! Who do you think I am? I, Wang Shi’qi—” He cut himself off mid-sentence, instinctively glancing up toward the second floor. The sound of singing and zither music still drifted down.
“Let’s go, let’s go. We’ll talk more in the carriage,” he said, lowering his voice and ducking his head slightly as he shepherded the maids into the coach.
“Young master, shall we return to the city or go straight home?” a servant outside asked.
“Home, of course, you fool!”
Wang Shi’qi-lang’s laughing scold carried out from within the carriage.
The servant acknowledged the order, and the driver cracked his whip, urging the horses forward.
“…Come on, young master, tell us! How did you convince her?”
“It was nothing difficult. Is there anything I, your young master, can’t handle? Of course she refused at first… even cried before me… But I kept reasoning with her gently, appealing to her emotions and her sense of logic… until I finally persuaded her…”
The maids gazed at Wang Shi’qi-lang with admiration.
“How pitiful she must be… for you to reject her like this…”
Wang Shi’qi-lang laughed heartily. Yes, indeed — that was exactly it. He had simply found her unworthy.
“Let’s just say it was fate without destiny,” he said. “I advised her: there are plenty of good men in this world. There’s no need to grieve over me alone.”
“You’re truly too kind, young master. How could anyone ever bear to let you go?” the maids chimed in warmly.
One of the maids leaning against Wang Shi’qi-lang suddenly let out a soft exclamation. She reached out with delicate, jade-like fingers and gently touched his face.
“Young master, what’s this here? Rouge?” she asked, brushing the spot lightly.
Wang Shi’qi-lang winced in pain with a sharp “Ah!”
The maid gasped and pulled back her hand in alarm.
“It’s blood! It’s blood!” she cried.
The carriage instantly descended into chaos — some weeping, some shrieking, others calling out in panic — nearly suffocating Wang Shi’qi-lang in the press of bodies. It took considerable effort to finally calm these delicate, overwrought women.
“It’s nothing, nothing — just a scratch,” he assured them.
The maids gazed at him with tear-glittering eyes.
“Young master, how… how did you get scratched?”
Wang Shi’qi-lang’s expression stiffened.
“Did that lady hit you?”
The maid’s question instantly eased his tension.
“Yes, exactly,” he said, shaking his head and sighing as he pressed a hand to his forehead. “She made a scene — crying, shouting… even grabbed a dagger and threatened to kill herself…”
The maids gasped, covering their mouths in horror.
“She also had a dagger?” one asked, as if recalling something.
Wang Shi’qi-lang forced a wry smile.
“It was… mine. I had originally taken out the dagger to… to sever ties with her — you know, ‘cutting the robe to end relations’,” he said, piecing his words together as he spoke. “But she snatched it from me. We struggled over it, and that’s how I got scratched.”
The maids nodded in understanding.
“Oh, young master, you were so brave…”
“It was far too dangerous! You must never do such a thing again…”
A chorus of tender, fluttering voices filled the carriage all the way down the road, drawing curious glances from passersby. Soon, the entire entourage disappeared into the distance along the broad avenue.
The woman felt as though she were lying in a pile of wool — soft and warm.
So comfortable… Am I dreaming?
The thought flashed through her mind, and her eyes snapped open. A blue canopy came into view.
Where am I?
The curtains were drawn aside, and bright daylight instantly flooded the room, making her blink and close her eyes against the glare.
“Xi-niang, you really know how to sleep! Living like a fine lady now, aren’t you?” a woman laughed. She knelt by the bed, resting her hands on the edge with a sigh.
As Xi-niang’s eyes adjusted to the light, she tried to sit up but was met with a splitting headache.
“San-niang, why does my head hurt so much?” she asked.
San-niang chuckled.
“You drank so much yesterday — of course it hurts!”
Memories of the previous day returned, and Xi-niang patted her head as she pushed herself upright.
“Oh dear, oh dear… I can’t believe I got so drunk,” she muttered, scrambling to get up. “How improper — coming here to serve, only to drink myself senseless and sleep like the dead…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a knock came at the door.
“…Breakfast is here. Please enjoy your meal, ladies.”
Xi-niang pointed toward the door.
“See? See? Even our meals are served to us!” she exclaimed.
San-niang rose with a laugh.
“Then let’s eat quickly. We can go serve after we finish. I went to check earlier — the lady has already taken her people into the mountains,” she said.
…
In the Cheng family courtyard, a maid hurried along, nearly slipping on a patch of snow just before stepping inside.
“What’s going on here? Are you all blind?” she snapped, her eyebrows drawn sharply together.
Two young maids rushed over with brooms and began sweeping frantically.
“If I catch you slacking off again, I’ll have your hides!” the woman shouted, jabbing a finger hard against one girl’s head.
The girl didn’t dare talk back, keeping her head down as she swept urgently. They watched the woman hasten toward the main hall.
The room was thick with the pungent scent of medicine. First Madam Cheng was personally attending to the master — having just taken his medicine, he accepted the towel she handed him to wipe his mouth. She adjusted his pillows and helped him lie back down.
First Master Cheng’s face was pale with weakness. Even the simple act of lying down seemed to drain him greatly; he let out a long, weary exhale.
The maid stood inside the room, hesitating as if holding back words.
“What is it?” First Master Cheng asked, his eyes still closed.
The woman bowed her head.
“It’s nothing really…” she stammered, but before she could finish, First Master Cheng cut her off.
“Speak!” he barked. “If what happened the other day didn’t finish me off, then nothing in this world can! I’m not afraid — what are you all so scared of?”
First Madam Cheng quickly reached out to rub his chest soothingly.
“It’s not that you’re afraid — we’re just worried you might overexert yourself. The doctor said you need complete rest to recover,” she urged gently.
“If I don’t exert myself now, we’ll only face worse troubles later. Whatever it is, we deal with it. Speak,” First Master Cheng insisted.
The maid hurriedly complied.
“Officials from the magistrate’s office came… They’ve summoned us to court for questioning regarding the case…” she said. “And they want to audit the accounts.”
First Madam Cheng’s face changed color as she rose to her feet.
“How dare they!” she cried.
The maid kept her head bowed, not daring to speak.
“They’ve already forced two of our shops to close and sealed them shut — now they have the audacity to reach into our very home?” First Madam Cheng trembled with rage. “Do they have any idea how much money we lose each day those shops remain closed?”
“Of course they know,” First Master Cheng said from his sickbed, struggling to push himself up into a sitting position.
“Master, it’s not as though we lack connections in higher places. How can they act so recklessly?” First Madam Cheng turned to help support him, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Of course they dare…” First Master Cheng replied, breathing heavily. “Have you ever seen a starving dog let go of meat once it’s sunk its teeth in? Especially when it believes it’s in the right…”
He pointed a trembling finger toward the south.
“…And that girl over there are still pressing the lawsuit.”
As the words left his mouth, he paused, struck by his own phrasing.
Over there?
Why had he said “over there”? That girl was clearly one of their own.
First Master Cheng let out a heavy breath and collapsed back onto the bed.
“Hurry and find a way to invite her back! Only by settling our internal strife can we extinguish the external threat… Otherwise, those people truly dare to skin us alive and break our bones!”
“How dare they!” First Madam Cheng exclaimed in terror.
First Master Cheng closed his eyes and fell silent, as though he had exhausted all his strength.
“What wouldn’t I dare?”
Prefect Song, dressed in a casual robe, remarked in his office at the magistrate’s court. He poured himself a bowl of tea as he spoke.
“If someone files a complaint, we must investigate. Failing to do so would be negligence.”
The retainer seated across from him nodded in agreement.
Just then, two bailiffs hurried in.
“Your Honor, the Cheng family says the master is still ill and temporarily unable to attend court for the hearing,” they reported.
This was exactly what Prefect Song had expected. He merely smiled faintly.
“See that?” he said, gesturing toward the retainer. “How did they respond? They didn’t tell our men to get lost — they pleaded illness. What does that tell you?”
The retainer smiled and nodded.
“It means they’re afraid,” he replied.
“No one is without fear.” Prefect Song chuckled as he lifted his teacup, admiring the exquisite white porcelain. “There isn’t a soul in this world who is entirely clean. If you dig deep enough, you’ll always find something. Who wouldn’t be afraid? And besides…”
He drained the tea in one gulp before turning his gaze back to the retainer.
“Are those people from the Qin family still staying at that inn?”
The retainer nodded.
“Most of the time they don’t go out. When they do, it’s only to eat. They haven’t made contact with anyone,” he replied.
Prefect Song stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“How strange… What could they be doing here?” he murmured to himself.
Two maids approached the southern Cheng residence. This time, seeing the gate to Cheng Jiao-niang’s courtyard standing open, they couldn’t help but peer inside with a flicker of hope.
A figure moved into view, and their hearts leapt — they immediately called out, “Lady Cheng!”
“My Jiao-niang isn’t here.”
Second Madam Cheng waved a hand dismissively, a note of smugness in her tone.
Your Jiao–niang?
Since when did she become yours…
The two women lowered their heads, silently fuming, but didn’t dare voice their thoughts when they looked up again.
“When might the young lady return?” they asked with forced smiles.
“She’ll return when it’s time for her to return,” Second Madam Cheng sniffed.
Having been brushed off, the two had no choice but to turn and leave. On their way out, they encountered two maids from Second Master’s household hurrying over with their heads down.
By now, the relationship between the main and secondary branches had grown as incompatible as fire and water. The two parties passed each other without a word.
“…Go back? Why should I go back? You drove me out, and now you expect me to return just like that? Not a chance!”
The voice of Second Madam Cheng carried after them. The two women didn’t look back — once they turned the corner of the lane, they could hear her no more.
