At three-quarters past eleven in the evening, agarwood drifted from the bronze censer in the front courtyard. Shen Mingyuan stared at the shards of porcelain on the antique shelf, his brows furrowed like knives. Jiang Rou curled up in a arm-chair, blood faintly seeping through the gauze on her palm, yet a flash of viciousness crossed her eyes when she caught sight of Jiang Wan's skirt hem.
"Speak," Shen Mingyuan tossed down a jade handkerchief, the jade hairpin striking the tabletop with a crisp sound. "What is the meaning of this handkerchief?"
Jiang Wan leaned down to pick up the handkerchief, her fingertips grazing the crudely embroidered tangled lotus pattern. "Does Father remember last year's Mid-Autumn family banquet, when I accidentally lost a jade handkerchief? Later, Chuntao from Second Miss's room found it and returned it to me." She raised her eyes to look at Jiang Rou. "Only I discovered later that it was a counterfeit. The real handkerchief..."
Chapter 23