The Zhou residence was brightly lit. Watching the carriage enter through the gates, Zhou Liu-lang couldn’t help but take a few steps forward.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a maid helped Madam Zhou step down. Then the curtain fell back into place, and no one else emerged.
Zhou Liu-lang let out a muffled sigh through his nose.
Returning to his own courtyard, he opened the door. In the hall, Young Master Qin was sitting by the brazier, brewing wine. The room was filled with the rich aroma of alcohol.
“How is it? You waited at the door for nothing, right?” he said with a smile, watching Zhou Liu-lang lift his robes and sit down.
“Welcoming my parents is only proper,” Zhou Liu-lang replied, picking up his wine bowl and drinking it in one gulp.
Young Master Qin smiled and poured him another bowl.
“Old Master Chen will wake up tonight, so she has to stay over there,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “It’s not what you think.”
“Whether it’s true or not, we’ll know later,” Young Master Qin replied. “She won’t be coming through your door.”
Zhou Liu-lang snorted.
“Whatever,” he said.
“What did your parents say?” Young Master Qin asked.
“Nothing much, just like that,” Zhou Liu-lang replied somewhat absent-mindedly. “They said she looks quite a lot like my aunt.”
“Oh, your aunt is a beauty,” Young Master Qin laughed.
Zhou Liu-lang twirled his wine bowl, slightly lost in thought. His father naturally wouldn’t say much, but his mother, like all women, had the common tendency to exaggerate when describing another woman.
From the moment she stepped out of the carriage to the moment she entered the room after changing, every detail of how she stunned everyone was emphasized, so vividly that it felt like the lady was standing right before his eyes.
It was just like when he first saw her at the Cheng family’s house, just like how he saw her in his dreams every night. That lady stared at him with a blank expression, then the corners of her mouth curved up slightly, showing a hint of mockery.
He picked up his wine bowl and drank it in one gulp.
“Get Steward Cao in, let’s hear about what happened on the way. I’m sure it must be quite interesting,” Young Master Qin said.
The maid who was kneeling beside them quickly responded, then stood up and went out to call him.
“What’s so interesting?” Zhou Liu-lang muttered, then looked at him. “Aren’t you going to leave yet?”
“I’m not leaving tonight,” Young Master Qin replied.
“This lady, what’s so interesting about her that you’re staying at my house instead of leaving?” Zhou Liu-lang said. “If you’re so interested, why don’t you just marry her?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, both of them were stunned for a moment.
Young Master Qin’s grandmother was Princess Fang Ning. Although she had already passed away, her bloodline was still closely related to the current emperor. His father was renowned for his charm and literary talents, and the Qin family was also a prestigious family in Sichuan. Although Young Master Qin had a disability, he was still not someone who could easily be matched with just any family.
Zhou Liu-lang’s remark, however, seemed to mock his flaw, suggesting that only a fool with flaws could be paired with him.
Zhou Liu-lang’s face turned slightly red.
“I… I didn’t mean it like that,” he muttered.
Young Master Qin laughed heartily.
“I know you didn’t mean it like that,” he said with a smile. “It’s just that such a beauty, I’m afraid I won’t have the chance.”
Zhou Liu-lang was about to say something, but just then, the maid outside led in Steward Cao.
“Thank you for your hard work,” Zhou Liu-lang said, gesturing for Steward Cao to sit.
Steward Cao was very pleased.
“It’s no trouble at all. As long as I’m back home, I feel at ease, and all the fatigue disappears,” he said, kneeling as he sat down.
Traveling thousands of miles, home is always the anchor. Zhou Liu-lang nodded.
But Young Master Qin smiled.
“What’s this? Sounds like Lady Cheng made you suffer quite a bit?” he asked.
Zhou Liu-lang frowned.
“You’re overthinking. Why are you bringing her up? What does she have to do with this…” he said, unable to stop himself.
Before he could finish, Steward Cao let out a bitter laugh.
“Young master, I regret not listening to your words,” he said, lowering his head and bowing.
Zhou Liu-lang’s words immediately stopped. He seemed both frustrated and helpless, so he simply picked up his wine bowl and fell silent.
“It’s not that I’m overthinking, it’s that you’re unwilling to think,” Young Master Qin said with a smile, looking at the frustrated Zhou Liu-lang. “Isn’t that how things are in this world? People aren’t that different from each other. The difference is whether you’re willing to think or not.”
“Ask what you want to ask, stop rambling,” Zhou Liu-lang said, glaring at him.
His gaze shifted to Steward Cao, and the maid poured him a bowl of wine.
“Speaking of which, this Lady Cheng is quite strange…”
The door to the room was closed, cutting off the warmth of the early winter night.
Compared to the bright and warm rooms of the master and young masters, the servants’ quarters seemed dark, damp, and cold.
Ban Qin rubbed her hands together, moved closer to the oil lamp, and sewed a piece of clothing.
Outside the door, footsteps and the laughter of the maids could be heard. The door was pushed open, and the cold air of early winter rushed in, causing the oil lamp to flicker and almost go out. Ban Qin quickly shielded the flame with her hand.
“…If it weren’t for Xiao Yue rushing back, I would have won.”
“…You wouldn’t have won. Xiao Yue is in a happy time, her luck is flourishing…”
“…Xiao Yue really is lucky, the madam has assigned her to Steward Cao. He’s so capable, even though he’s older, he’s indispensable both inside and outside…”
“…This trip back is another great achievement. Once she’s married, Xiao Yue can go to the madam’s side and become the stewardess.”
The maids sat down, each combing their hair in front of a mirror, chattering and laughing. The room was filled with the noisy sounds of joy.
“Steward Cao is back?” Ban Qin asked in surprise, standing up too abruptly. She forgot about the needle and thread in her hand, and pricked her finger without even noticing.
It seemed like the maids only then noticed her. Most of them glanced at her and, with disdain, quickly looked away.
“Yes,” one of them replied while chewing on a hair tie. “He went into the city in the evening, just came back with the master and madam.”
“Then… then my mistress is here?” Ban Qin asked, her voice trembling. She was so excited that tears couldn’t help but fall.
A few people laughed this time.
“Your mistress? Whose family is that? And who are you?” one of them said, with a tone full of disdain. “Isn’t this your home? How pitiful of you.”
The room erupted with giggles and laughter.
Ban Qin felt somewhat embarrassed and lowered her head awkwardly.
“I… I…” She stammered for a while, not knowing what to say, and tears fell onto the floor beneath her.
“What are you crying about at this hour?” one of the maids shouted.
“Yeah, always frowning. Who owes you money?” another one chimed in.
“No wonder my luck’s been getting worse since you moved in!” a few others added.
The room was chaotic and filled with noise.
Ban Qin nervously retreated to the edge of her bed, hurriedly wiping away her tears with her sleeve. She tried not to cry, but the more she tried, the more uncontrollable it became.
“Alright, next time tell your mother, find a better place for this girl from another family to stay. We don’t deserve to live with her. We’re sorry for bothering her,” one of the maids said.
Ban Qin lowered her head, flustered, as she picked up her needle and thread. Her body trembled.
“Hey, if you’re going to do needlework, go somewhere else. We’re trying to sleep here. With the light on, how can we sleep?
We’re not like you, with nothing to do. We’re busy during the day,” another maid shouted.
The door to the room was shut, the oil lamp was blown out, and the entire room was plunged into darkness.
Ban Qin hugged the clothing to her chest, trembling as she glanced around. Her face was streaked with tears.
Mistress… Mistress… What is going on? What is happening?
At around ten in the morning, in the inner room of the Chen family’s old master, four or five people were seated. Some leaned back with their eyes closed, while others sat upright with their arms crossed, also with their eyes closed. Only Doctor Li sat by the bedside, extending his hand to check the pulse every so often.
“Such acupuncture techniques… it’s quite unusual. Could it really be effective?” he muttered to himself.
On the bed, Old Master Chen lay as usual, in a deep, unconscious sleep. Occasionally, drool dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his throat made faint wheezing sounds.
Doctor Li glanced out the window, where the sky was beginning to lighten in the east.
“The day is almost breaking. Didn’t they say he’d wake up by dawn at the latest? Why hasn’t he woken up yet?” he muttered.
Seeing the young attendant sleeping soundly at his feet, he nudged him with his foot.
“Boy, wake up.”
The boy stirred, half-awake, and reached out to steady himself against the bedside, unsteady on his feet.
“Master,” he mumbled sleepily. “…What time is it?”
“It’s almost five,” Doctor Li replied, turning to glare at the boy.
The boy mumbled an acknowledgment and wiped his mouth with his sleeve, then sat up properly.
“It’s almost five… the sky’s about to brighten…”
Doctor Li looked at the boy, and the boy looked back at him.
“Why aren’t you opening your mouth when speaking?” Doctor Li asked, puzzled.
“Master, wasn’t it you who was speaking?” the boy asked, equally confused.
“San-lang, San-lang?” A hand lifted from the bed and grabbed the boy’s arm.
The boy let out a frightened scream, and the whole room full of people was immediately awakened.
