"Mother Su, please, I beg you to plead for me."
Jiang Yue had hoped Mother Su would intercede, but the older woman simply walked in, shut the doors and windows tight, and stood behind Fu Rong. "Quiet! Don't make me gag you!"
Jiang Yue was drenched in a cold sweat. Her face was deathly pale, and she bit her lip to stifle her sobs. "I don't know what I did wrong!"
Her helplessness earned not a shred of pity from Fu Rong. Emphasizing every word, Fu Rong poked her forehead with a hairpin and sneered, "You failed to stop Xiao Yunsheng today. That deserves punishment."
Jiang Yue’s throat tightened. She had not expected this to be the reason, and she felt the demand was completely unreasonable.
"You only told me to take your place in the bedchamber, but it was broad daylight. How could I possibly pass for you?"
She was merely a maid; how could she ever hope to control her mistress’s husband? Earlier that day, Fu Rong had accused her of eavesdropping and shoved her, causing her to spill a cup of water, which had already made Xiao Yunsheng thoroughly disgusted with her and nearly led to her punishment. If this happened again, she feared not even the gods could save her.
"That is your problem."
The gentle smile had long since vanished from Fu Rong’s face, replaced by a chilling, hollow indifference. She held the hairpin against Jiang Yue’s cheek and slowly dragged it downward, as if she might slice the skin at any moment. "Since you agreed to this deal, you will find a way to be a perfect substitute for me, day or night. If there is a next time, I will find someone cleverer, and your sister’s life will be in the hands of fate."
Jiang Yue thought of Xingxing, who suffered from heart palpitations every single day. With spring approaching, it would only become harder for her to endure. Jiang Yue kept her head bowed, her pale fingertips digging into her palms until they threatened to pierce the skin, her rigid back slowly bowing.
"This servant understands. It will not happen again."
The pressure on her face vanished suddenly. Jiang Yue exhaled and stumbled as she tried to stand, but her shoulder was gripped once more. Mother Su brought over a candle, lit it, dipped the tip of the hairpin into some eyebrow pomade, and held it over the flame. In moments, the gold pin glowed a dull red.
It was held out in front of Jiang Yue. Just looking at it, the heat felt as if it would singe the wisps of hair on her forehead.
"Don't be so impatient. Someone caught a glimpse of the mole on my hand today. If my husband happens to be in the mood tonight and toys with your hands, noticing the lack of a mole, wouldn't that give the game away?" Although Fu Rong acted as if she were too merciful to watch, the corners of her lips curled into a smirk.
Mother Su added her own chilling pressure: "We are all in the same boat now. We’ve come this far, so what’s a little pain? If you’re afraid of even this, then we misjudged you from the start and will simply replace you. But your sister... she is still waiting for you to save her."
"No!"
Before the word had even faded, Jiang Yue clenched her hands. Thinking of Xingxing’s daily agony, she slowly closed her eyes.
A scent of burning flesh filled the air. Before long, an identical mark was seared onto her porcelain-white skin. After Mother Su inspected it and saw that Fu Rong was satisfied, she allowed her to return to her room.
When Jiang Yue left the courtyard, she maintained a normal expression while greeting the servants of Xiao Mansion. But once she returned to her quarters, she could no longer bear the pain. She crouched down, bit into a handkerchief, and stifled her cries in her throat.
She had endured this far; she was only one step away. She just had to hold on a little longer.
***
It was late at night when Xiao Yunsheng finally returned to the manor. The candles in the room had long been extinguished, leaving only the faint moonlight to illuminate the space.
From within the bed curtains, a jade-like arm reached out, a jade bracelet catching the moonlight. Xiao Yunsheng reached out to take her slender wrist, but the face of another woman flashed through his mind.
He couldn't help but frown. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, he began to trace her skin with his fingertips until they brushed against the small, raised mole. Only then did he rub his brow, feeling a sense of helplessness at his own obsession.
His movement stirred the person sleeping in the bed, and the hand held in his palm trembled slightly.
"Did I wake you?"
His low voice was tinged with the haze of wine. Recalling that he had held her wrist a bit too firmly during their intimacy the day before, he took out some medicine and gently applied it to the spot. The cooling sensation soothed the burning pain, and Jiang Yue felt a jolt in her heart as she watched him hold her wrist.
She bit her lip and gave a soft, affirmative sound.
She waited a long time, hearing only the rustle of fabric, but there was no sign of him coming to bed.
"I went into the mountains today and caught a pair of wild geese and a muntjac. I’ll bring them along when I accompany you to visit your family tomorrow."
His low, gravelly voice, still carrying the faint scent of wine, held an unexpected tenderness. It was as if he were a normal husband discussing mundane matters. Jiang Yue, unable to contain her curiosity, parted the bed curtains by a sliver. A shaft of moonlight, filtering through the half-closed window, fell across the foot of the bed and landed on Xiao Yunsheng’s face.
He was sitting on the footstool, propping his head up with her hand as if he were exhausted. His long, thick lashes cast shadows on his face, softening his usual coldness.
No wonder he returned so late; he had gone hunting in the mountains. Jiang Yue was secretly amazed. Even setting other things aside, wild geese were rare treasures. She had grown up in the mountains and knew that these wild creatures migrated south in the winter; finding even one was a stroke of luck. Since it wasn't quite spring yet, she couldn't imagine where he had gotten them, but it was clear he had gone to great lengths.
This General seemed very fond of her young mistress. So why, then, had her mistress been unwilling to share his bed until now? Jiang Yue couldn't help but drift into thought.
"Jiang Yue..."
Hearing her own name, she jumped in fright.
"Have her sent away in a few days."
"Why is that?"
Jiang Yue’s heart skipped a beat. She sat up abruptly, staring at the tall shadow outside the curtains. If she were sent away now, not only would she be unable to save Xingxing, but her mistress would surely conclude that she had done something wrong and would not let her go. She didn't recall ever offending this General, and she couldn't understand why he kept fixating on her.
Desperate for an answer, Jiang Yue leaned further out to catch a glimpse of his expression by the moonlight, but she lost her balance and tumbled off the bed.
Fortunately, Xiao Yunsheng was sitting right there, and Jiang Yue landed squarely in his arms instead of hitting the floor. However, his chest was as hard as a stone wall, and she was in enough pain to bring tears to her eyes, leaving her unable to speak as she clutched her head.
"Why the rush? Are you hurt?"
"No..." Jiang Yue endured the pain, still obsessed with his talk of sending her away. "The maid..."
Sensing that the person in his arms was trembling with pain yet still focused on the maid, Xiao Yunsheng sighed. "Very well. Your maid—you decide."
Saying this, he scooped her up and strode toward the candle stand, clearly intending to light it and check for injuries.
Ignoring the pain in her head, Jiang Yue frantically wrapped her arms around his neck and, in a desperate attempt to distract him, bit into his shoulder. She didn't realize that to Xiao Yunsheng, such a bite was no more than a mosquito sting.
With the beautiful woman in his arms, her subtle fragrance mingling with the scent of the medicine from earlier—a mesmerizing, intoxicating perfume—combined with her uncharacteristic boldness, Xiao Yunsheng felt his resolve melting away as he stood there.
Seeing that the tactic worked, Jiang Yue suppressed her shyness and took the opportunity to speak in Fu Rong's tone. "I am fine, Sheng-lang. The spring night is short..."
Before she could finish, his wine-scented breath enveloped her, and they tumbled back into the bed. Her panic was swallowed whole, and it was only when she could bear no more and pleaded for mercy that he finally relented.
***
By morning, four carriages were prepared for Fu Rong’s return to the Marquis Manor. In addition to the wild geese and muntjac mentioned the night before, there was a crate of rabbits with fine, thick fur and various other game.
In all the years of noble weddings in the Capital, Fu Rong was the first to return home with such pomp. It drew eyes all along the way, and Jiang Yue noted that the look of triumph on Fu Rong's face never wavered for a moment.
When they arrived at the gates of the Marquis Manor, just as Jiang Yue helped Fu Rong stand, she saw Xiao Yunsheng lift the curtain and enter the carriage. Their eyes met, and Jiang Yue stiffened, quickly bowing her head. But before she could finish her courtesy, he looked away, as if he couldn't bear to glance at her for even a second.
Jiang Yue’s face went pale. Remembering his desire to banish her from the manor the night before, she dared not provoke him further. Fortunately, Xiao Yunsheng went to the front courtyard to dine with Marquis Fu, leaving Jiang Yue to accompany Fu Rong in the inner courtyard.
Back in the familiar surroundings, listening to Fu Rong act coquettishly and share jokes with Madam Fu, Jiang Yue felt a sense of relief and even a spark of hope. Once she brought Xingxing over and got her treated, she would retrieve her deed of service. Then, perhaps, she could also laugh freely with her own family.
No sooner had the thought occurred to her than Marquis Fu burst in, red-faced with fury. He snatched the teacup from Fu Rong’s hand and hurled it to the ground.
"All you servants, get out!"
Mother Su grabbed Jiang Yue and hurried her away. Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Yue found a servant from the front courtyard to ask what was happening. She learned that the front courtyard had been filled with laughter, with Marquis Fu particularly satisfied with his carefully chosen son-in-law and plying him with wine. Then, the steward had rushed in, whispered something to the Marquis, and the Marquis had smashed his wine cup on the spot.
"You wouldn't know, Mother. The Marquis has already left, but our son-in-law is still sitting there, drinking and eating by himself." The servant, a clever fellow, leaned in closer and whispered mysteriously, "I heard that while our son-in-law brought many crates, only those few pieces of wild game were his. Everything else was the dowry the young mistress brought with her—he’s returning it all."
Returning the dowry.
By custom, such an act was only taken when one intended to annul a marriage or divorce a wife!