The day was drawing to a close.
Shen Lianxin had just hobbled back from the Yongan Marquis Manor ancestral hall. Since her rebirth, she had never endured such suffering. Upon entering her quarters, she saw her two adopted sons standing in the side room, being punished. Xiao Nian'an, meanwhile, was dead drunk.
"Third Young Mistress, please, you must persuade the Third Young Master. His body is in no condition for such drinking!"
With a cold expression, Shen Lianxin dismissed the servants. Having no heart to discipline her adopted sons, she found a nursemaid to take them away to rest, keeping only her personal maid, Si'er, to attend to her.
"Husband..."
Shen Lianxin took a few steps forward and nearly stumbled, believing that a woman must show vulnerability to earn pity. Xiao Nian'an, however, did not even look at her; his fists remained tightly clenched.
"You shouldn't have brought up the children’s martial arts training today!"
His face was livid. Thinking of those two disobedient, unfilial sons, he wondered if they were truly the ones Shen Lianxin had chosen. He had only said a few words, and already they dared to talk back! Xiao Nian'an slammed his hand onto the table. "From now on, there shall be no more martial arts in the Yongan Marquis Manor!"
Shen Lianxin was stunned. Only then did she realize it had been Xiao Nian'an's idea all along to force the boys to abandon martial arts for literature. She bit her lip, not knowing what to do.
"But..."
Xiao Nian'an, fueled by the wine, could only think of how to get Shen Feiwan into his own courtyard. His eyes were bloodshot. "I was the one who brought my eldest brother’s coffin back. Now that he has only been buried with an empty tomb, nothing is finished yet. In the future, you must treat your older sister well and take care of her and her daughter."
These words left Shen Lianxin unsettled. Why did her husband need to look after Shen Feiwan?
"Why?"
"Because I am the only man left in the Yongan Marquis Manor. I cannot let my brother die with his eyes still open." Xiao Nian'an said this through gritted teeth. He felt a mix of jealousy and hatred; if only it had been Shen Feiwan who married him back then, he wouldn't have to scramble for such excuses.
Shen Lianxin, unaware of his inner thoughts, felt her eyes redden. She tugged at Xiao Nian'an's sleeve. "Fine, I will listen to you. Husband, it’s late, let’s get some rest."
If she could only conceive Xiao Nian'an’s child, everything would be within her control. But no matter how she hinted, Xiao Nian'an showed no interest.
"We are in the period of mourning for my eldest brother. I am in no mood to share a bed with you. I shall sleep in the study."
With that, he rose and left. Watching his retreating figure, Shen Lianxin’s brows locked tightly. "Xiao Nian'an, how long do you think you can hide from me!"
***
After returning to the study, Xiao Nian'an remained restless. He slowly made his way to the entrance of the West Courtyard. Seeing the lights still on, he found himself knocking on the door as if possessed.
"Third Young Master, why have you come?"
"I..." Xiao Nian'an’s words caught in his throat. He had no excuse to see Shen Feiwan, and for a moment, he looked flustered. "It... it was Mother. She asked me to come and see if the Eldest Young Mistress had rested."
There was a hint of concern in his tone. He didn't know what was wrong with him; he simply wanted to see Shen Feiwan, and he didn't want to spare even a glance for Shen Lianxin.
"Our Mistress has already retired. Please return, sir," Zhuying said, stepping out from within. "Also, Third Young Master, the Manor is full of prying eyes. It would be best for you to keep your distance from our Mistress!"
Without waiting for Xiao Nian'an to speak, she closed the door. Their Mistress was currently in a precarious position; she could not afford the slightest rumor!
"Alright, take turns on night watch. Do not let anyone in, understand?" Zhuying instructed the young maids according to Shen Feiwan’s orders. "This is the period of mourning for the Heir; there must be no errors! Otherwise, it would be a major loss of face for the entire Manor!"
The young maids nodded repeatedly.
Outside, having been shut out, Xiao Nian'an returned to the Middle Courtyard with an ashen face. Seeing Shen Lianxin bathing in the room, he felt no interest and ducked into his study. Over in the West Courtyard, the lights gradually dimmed until only two remained.
Shen Feiwan carried a lantern into Xiao Ling’s study. He had sent word that she needed to find two secret ledgers, which supposedly contained very important items. Shen Feiwan handled the task herself, her gaze lingering on the shelves, looking at the books Xiao Ling had once read, lost in a momentary trance.
"I never imagined such a great general would enjoy reading so much." She whispered the titles to herself, momentarily distracted.
As she stepped on a loose floorboard, she nearly fell. In the darkness, an arm caught her waist.
"Who!"
Shen Feiwan was startled. If it were Xiao Nian'an, she would be furious enough to kill. Or could it be an assassin sent by that person from the palace? She was truly afraid.
"It’s me."
The face she had seen only the night before appeared once more. He was now wearing night-traveler’s clothes, his movements much more agile. Shen Feiwan looked at him and then anxiously glanced toward the courtyard. "You’ve already left the Manor! Why have you come back?"
She was anxious. "You are supposed to be a dead man. How could you... what if someone sees you!"
The Manor was full of eyes; if one of them was an informant, this would be a crime of deceiving the Emperor! Shen Feiwan’s heart was in her throat. If Xiao Ling were a fool who didn't understand the severity of the situation, then her helping him last night would be digging her own grave.
"The most dangerous place is the safest place." He wasn't afraid to tell Shen Feiwan his plan. "In five days at most, I will return to the Manor."
By then, he would have everything handled. But until then, he, Xiao Ling, could only be a dead man. Otherwise, he could not guarantee the safety of the soldiers who followed him. Xiao Nian'an had brought back only twenty men; the fate of the remaining thousand was still unknown.
Fearing Shen Feiwan might misunderstand, he added, "The Marquis Manor has weathered many storms over the years. It is not as it appears..."
"I understand." Shen Feiwan interrupted him quietly. She took two steps back, letting her figure be swallowed by the shadows. "The Heir may attend to his business. I will see to the affairs of the household."
She turned and closed the door. As her graceful figure drifted away, Xiao Ling’s brows tightened sharply.
***
Shen Feiwan went to check on the two adopted children, giving the nursemaids and maids detailed instructions on their diet.
"They don't need to rise early, but they must eat breakfast. They don't need to come to my room at a fixed time, but they must..."
Each rule was laid out clearly, so much so that even Mother Meng couldn't help but sigh in praise. "The Eldest Young Mistress is truly putting her heart into these two children. If the Old Madam knew, how relieved she would be."
Shen Feiwan only smiled. She was doing this for her own peace of mind; as for Madam She and the Marquis Manor, she did not care.
"You’ve been busy all day, you should rest," Mother Meng said with concern. "Taking care of your health is what matters most."
Understanding her meaning, Shen Feiwan nodded and extinguished the lamp when she returned to her room. As the darkness of the night descended upon the entire Manor, she found she could not sleep.
At the same time, there was another person who could not sleep: Shen Lianxin. The two adopted sons were crying incessantly, giving her a headache. She was scolded by Xiao Nian'an, who demanded, "Why can’t you even look after two children?"
Shen Lianxin had grievances she could not voice. Looking at the two boys, she gritted her teeth and told her maid, Si'er, to go to the West Courtyard and see how Shen Feiwan was faring.
The maid went and returned immediately. "Third Young Mistress, the lights in the West Courtyard were extinguished long ago."
"The whole Manor, only here..."
Shen Lianxin gnashed her teeth in anger. "Shen Feiwan doesn't even have a man in her room, of course she sleeps early!"
As she finished speaking, the maid hesitated, wanting to say something more.
"Third Young Mistress, this servant has something to say, though I do not know if I should. It seems... there is the sound of a man speaking in the Eldest Young Mistress’s room!"