In the morning, the courtyard was filled with the fragrance of scholar trees. An old man selling five-spice dried tofu carried his load through the streets and alleys, his calls of “Five-spice… dried tofu…” drifting from far and near through the lanes. Occasionally, early-rising women would open their doors to buy dried tofu as a breakfast side dish. Madam Ye had just come out of the house when she saw Auntie Zhao carrying a basin, about to go out. She said, “Old lady, going to buy dried tofu?”

Auntie Zhao turned around to respond, then looked at Madam Ye and glanced toward the inner room, “The young miss…” Madam Ye smiled, “It’s nothing. She told me everything when she came back. Yesterday it really was her classmate Bai Liyuan. That child is quite mischievous—she deliberately put on that act to scare us.”

Auntie Zhao quickly nodded, “Good that nothing happened, good that nothing happened.” She carried her basin to open the courtyard gate. As soon as she opened it, she felt something heavy at her feet. Someone had been sitting against the door, and when she opened it, the person tumbled inside. Auntie Zhao was first startled with an “Oh my!” Then looking carefully, it was actually Jiang Xueting.

Auntie Zhao called out, “Hey, it’s Young Master Jiang! Madam Ye, come quickly and see—what’s happened here?” Jiang Xueting had slept outside the door all night. Auntie Zhao’s call woke him up. Opening his eyes to see both Auntie Zhao and Madam Ye looking at him in surprise, he quickly stood up, only then feeling his hands and feet numb and his whole body ice-cold. Seeing his condition, Madam Ye knew Pingjun must have had a quarrel with him, but she hadn’t expected him to stay outside all night. She quickly said, “Xueting, come into the house quickly. Look at you, so cold.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Pingjun’s voice came from inside the house, “Mother, don’t let him come in!”

Madam Ye looked back toward the house, “You’re being naughty again. Xueting has been freezing outside all night—how can you not let him in? Why do you have such a temper?”

Ye Pingjun didn’t argue with her mother, only walked out of the house door. Glancing at Jiang Xueting, she said coolly, “You’ve come to the wrong door. Our house is very dirty—we can’t accommodate such a clean young master as you.”

Jiang Xueting looked at Ye Pingjun but ultimately said nothing. Madam Ye, seeing them like this, knew their affairs had to be settled between themselves, so she said to Auntie Zhao, “Old lady, let me go with you to buy some dried tofu.” Auntie Zhao nodded in agreement. Madam Ye pushed Jiang Xueting into the courtyard, then closed the gate and went out with Auntie Zhao.

Only the two of them remained in the courtyard. Ye Pingjun turned and went into the house. Jiang Xueting walked forward a few steps until he stood under the scholar tree directly facing the house door. He stood there looking at Ye Pingjun inside. Pingjun was washing her face and combing her hair in the house. After finishing her ablutions, she came out to empty the water. Seeing him still standing under the scholar tree, she said, “Move aside.”

Jiang Xueting said, “I know you’re not that kind of person. Last night I was angry and spoke carelessly.”

Ye Pingjun set down the washbasin with a “clang” and said coldly, “Young Master Jiang, please clarify—exactly what kind of person am I not?”

Jiang Xueting looked at her and said, “I know you’re not someone who loves vanity and wealth.” Having been outside all night in the cold, his voice was somewhat hoarse. Ye Pingjun glanced at him and saw his fingers had gone white with cold, which made her heart soften slightly. But she still said, “How generous of you to personally come and vindicate me. I thank you for that.”

Her voice was light and somewhat choked with emotion. Jiang Xueting saw her eyes had reddened, knowing he had grieved her deeply. His heart felt even worse as he said, “Pingjun, it was my fault. I was suspicious and paranoid. Please forgive me this once—I’ll never make this mistake again.”

Ye Pingjun rubbed her eyes, holding back tears, and silently walked to sit at the stone table with her back to him. After a long while, she finally spoke: “Jiang Xueting, I ask you—why do you believe whatever people tell you? When those with ulterior motives bully me, instead of protecting me, you fall for their divisive scheme and also take your anger out on me! If you’re so suspicious of me, if I really had done something wrong, could I still count on you?”

Jiang Xueting was suddenly stunned, not knowing how to answer this question.

Hearing silence behind her, Ye Pingjun knew he was speechless and continued, “Let me ask you another question. Last night you were so righteously indignant—why are you standing here now trying to compromise? Why are you so certain you can’t compare to Yu family’s Fifth Young Master? If a man is indecisive and weak with low self-esteem about everything like you, what future can he have?”

Jiang Xueting was completely speechless. Having lost both parents at a young age and living with his brother and sister-in-law, he was naturally cautious and rule-abiding in character, yet still felt he often did wrong. Madam Ye had been sworn sisters with Jiang Xueting’s mother. After Jiang’s mother died, Madam Ye, pitying young Xueting’s loss, cared for him lovingly like her own son. In childhood, he even ate and lived with Pingjun, so it could be said he grew up in the Ye household. However, his temperament was exactly as Ye Pingjun described: indecisive and weak with low self-esteem!

Jiang Xueting stood under the scholar tree and saw Ye Pingjun with her head slightly lowered, her shoulders trembling gently. He lowered his eyes, approached, and said softly, “Don’t cry. I was wrong.” Ye Pingjun tried to push him away, but instead he grasped her hand. His hand was slender, now gripping hers. Ye Pingjun couldn’t hold back her tears and said chokingly, “Why are your hands so cold?”

Jiang Xueting said quietly, “I stayed outside all night and got frozen.”

Ye Pingjun’s heart immediately softened. She could say nothing more. Seeing him bowing his head in apology, all her grievances could no longer be expressed. She only bit her teeth and said, “Fine, fine. I must have owed you something in my past life. Perhaps one day I’ll die at your hands.”

Jiang Xueting smiled, “If you die, I won’t live either. Or I’ll go up the mountain to become a monk.” Ye Pingjun wiped away her tears and couldn’t help laughing, “Stop talking nonsense—all this talk of death and monks. Do you think you’re Jia Baoyu?”

Jiang Xueting, seeing her laugh, finally breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately added, “Even if I were Jia Baoyu, with your temperament you couldn’t be Sister Lin.”

As they were exchanging words like this, the courtyard gate creaked open—it was Auntie Zhao returning with dried tofu. Ye Pingjun quickly tried to pull her hand from Jiang Xueting’s, but unexpectedly he wouldn’t let go. Seeing this, Auntie Zhao immediately said cheerfully, “How wonderful! Just now you were quarreling like black-eyed roosters, and now so quickly it’s like the hawk has caught the sparrow’s foot—both are hooked together?”

Ye Pingjun stood up embarrassedly from the stone table and looked behind Auntie Zhao. As Auntie Zhao walked toward her own room, she smiled, “Your mother is still behind. I’ll pretend I saw nothing. I won’t say anything, I won’t say anything.” As she spoke, Madam Ye had already entered, smiling, “Are you two finished quarreling? If you’re done, come inside to eat.”

Jiang Xueting responded, “We’re finished quarreling. I’m quite hungry too.”

Ye Pingjun turned around and glared at Jiang Xueting with mock anger, “You’re really not polite—wanting to eat without even washing your face. And you call yourself a young master.” Jiang Xueting looked around and saw a basin of washing water on the steps beside the house. He walked over to wash, but Ye Pingjun quickly said “Hey!” “That’s my washing water—I haven’t emptied it yet.”

Jiang Xueting said, “It’s fine. I’ll just wash with your water.” Seeing he had already started washing, Ye Pingjun said nothing more, only went inside to get soap and a towel for him. Jiang Xueting didn’t use the soap, just took the towel to wipe his face. Turning around, he saw Pingjun picking up fallen petals by the hosta flower cluster. He walked over and smelled his freshly washed hands in front of her, smiling, “So fragrant.”

Ye Pingjun’s face immediately reddened. Looking up to see his grinning expression, she threw the hosta petals she had just picked up at him, though she couldn’t help smiling herself. This quarrel between the childhood sweethearts was thus resolved with a smile and a toss.

After Jiang Xueting finished breakfast at Pingjun’s house, he said he had been away all night and needed to hurry home, or his elder brother would be unhappy. Madam Ye smiled, “Then I’ll clear the dishes. Ping’er, go see Xueting off.” Ye Pingjun was organizing things at the table and replied, “He comes and goes from our house every day—I’m not seeing him off.”

Jiang Xueting leaned against the door, smiling, “Who said to see me home? Wait until this evening after school—I’ll come pick you up, all right?” Hearing this, Pingjun smiled with pursed lips, showing her playful side, “Then I definitely can’t grant your wish. Today my classmate Ai Yun is having a birthday party. After school I’m going to her house to play—I have no time to pay attention to you.”

Jiang Xueting smiled, “Then I’ll pay attention to you—that should be all right!”

Pingjun’s face reddened as she turned and stepped over the threshold to go out. Seeing Jiang Xueting had followed, she went forward to push open the courtyard gate and said to Jiang Xueting, “Go on.”

Jiang Xueting walked out of the gate with a smile. Turning around, he saw Ye Pingjun standing with both feet on the threshold, covering her lips with a playful smile. Her knee-length skirt swayed gently in the morning breeze. Today she wore a beautiful silk scarf that fluttered in the wind, making her face appear pure and beautiful as jade and snow.

Jiang Xueting smiled, “Tomorrow I have to report to Nanming Military Academy and probably can’t come see you. The day after, I’ll take you to Guanyin Pavilion on the mountain to worship Buddha, all right?” Pingjun couldn’t help wondering, “Why suddenly go there?” Jiang Xueting’s refined face actually reddened as he smiled slightly, “When we get there, I have something to tell you. Remember to wait for me to come find you.”

Pingjun smiled gently, “All right, I’ll wait for you to come find me.”

Only then did Jiang Xueting turn and leave. Pingjun watched him gradually disappear. Even after walking far away, he didn’t forget to turn and wave vigorously at her. She stood holding the gate, smiling as she watched him go. The silk scarf around her neck danced gracefully in the wind. From afar, she looked like an elegant beauty in a painting—extraordinarily lovely.

Around two o’clock in the afternoon, Fengtai was completely quiet. Light rain fell, pattering against the trumpet vine leaves on the walls. Yu Changxuan was still in his study reading documents, but his mind kept wandering. His gaze rested on the page without turning it for a long time. Hearing someone knock at the door, his heart grew even more irritated, and he called out, “What’s all the noise?!”

Gu Ruitong’s voice came from outside the door: “Fifth Young Master, there’s a call from the residence. The Commander has returned, and Madam wants you back immediately.”

Hearing his father had returned, Yu Changxuan quickly got up, took his coat from the rack, and opened the door. Gu Ruitong stood outside holding a rain cloak. Seeing him come out, he said, “The car is ready and waiting outside.”

Yu Changxuan took the rain cloak and went downstairs, fastening it as he walked. Deputy Wu Zuoxiao and others waited outside Fengtai. Yu Changxuan got in the car and saw it turn to go down Nanhuai Road—taking a big detour. He said, “Why not take the short route?”

Deputy Wu Zuoxiao replied, “Fifth Young Master, there are student demonstrations on that road, shouting for Chu Wenfu to step down and Elder Mou to come out. They’re making quite a commotion, smashing several stores selling Japanese goods to pieces. Military police are all deployed—we can’t get through.”

Yu Changxuan immediately understood. This was definitely caused by the north-south confrontation. Now domestic calls to resist Japanese aggression were growing louder, yet the central government concentrated all its firepower on dealing with the northern Xiao family warlords, naturally stirring up popular resentment.

Yu Changxuan relaxed, leaned his head back against the car seat, closed his eyes, and smiled, “Chu Wenfu is falsely benevolent, the Tao family seeks harmony for profit, and Elder Mou is highly respected, but unfortunately lacks the ability to conquer territory with guns.” He paused, “Father returned because of this, didn’t he?”

Gu Ruitong sat in the jump seat. Hearing this, he replied, “Not entirely clear, but currently my father, General Zhang, and Director He from the Pacification Office are all there.”

Yu Changxuan kept his eyes closed, his clear-cut face extremely calm. No one knew what he was thinking. After a long while, he suddenly laughed and joked, “Perfect—the three of them plus my father make exactly enough for a card game!”

The car arrived at the Yu residence around evening. Yu Changxuan didn’t dare be too noisy, walking through the corridor toward the flower hall. He saw bright lights inside where Madam Yu was drinking her nightly health-preserving soy milk. Yu Changxuan was about to retreat when he turned and nearly collided with someone. He saw Qixuan holding piano sheet music, obviously just running out from the piano room, looking at him excitedly, “Fifth Brother, I saw your car from the piano room and quickly ran over to ask you something. Father’s back—are you scared?”

Yu Changxuan said, “You little thing, talking nonsense. What should I be afraid of? I’ve been very well-behaved lately and haven’t done anything to make Father’s eyes bulge with anger!”

Qixuan made a “tsk” sound, very disbelievingly, “You’ve been hanging around with Li Boren all this time—what good could he possibly encourage you to do?!” Yu Changxuan was about to go upstairs to see his father. Hearing her still finding fault, he casually pulled her hair lightly, “Go practice your piano!”

Qixuan hadn’t guarded against this move. When her hair hurt, she immediately cried out persistently, “Mother, look at Fifth Brother!” Hearing this from inside, Madam Yu quickly put down her bowl of soy milk, “Has Changxuan arrived? When did he get here? With such heavy rain outside, did he get wet?” Qixuan was very unhappy with her mother’s reaction, pouting, “Fifth Brother pulled my hair again!”

Madam Yu was walking out from the flower hall. Seeing Yu Changxuan going upstairs, she knew he was going to see Yu Zhongquan. She turned to Qixuan, “It was just a little pull—why get so angry? And you too, why do you always provoke your fifth brother? Since your father is back, everyone settle down!”

That evening, because Yu Zhongquan had returned, Madam Yu specially ordered the kitchen to prepare a table of good dishes. Except for the fourth miss Yingxuan who was studying abroad, it was quite a family reunion dinner. Madam Yu watched Yu Zhongquan patiently coaxing Jinxuan’s child Zening, and smiled, “Look, the grandson is already so big. I wonder when our Yu family will have a well-behaved grandson?”

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone at the table looked at Yu Changxuan sitting on the other side. Yu Changxuan was eating prawns and naturally heard his mother’s comment. He looked up with a smile, “Why are you all looking at me?” Minru laughed, “Who else should we look at? Stop pretending you don’t understand Mother’s meaning.”

Madam Yu said, “Do you have a sweetheart or not? Which official family’s young lady is she? If you really like her, arrange the engagement quickly!”

Yu Changxuan said, “I really haven’t fallen for any official family’s young lady.”

Qixuan smiled mischievously, “I know two—one is Sister Daiti, and one is Second Miss Tao. I just don’t know which one Fifth Brother likes?” Hearing this, Madam Yu became interested and immediately smiled, “I think both are fine. Which do you like? I’ll arrange it for you—I guarantee success.” She glanced at Minru beside her, “I do prefer Daiti more. You can tell she’s a sensible, understanding child.”

Minru smiled, “Since Mother has said so, I won’t be modest. My cousin is truly an exceptional person, graduated from a high-class American women’s college. My uncle is a pastor at the Board of Supervisors, highly respected, and pays special attention to Daiti’s education. Ordinary women can’t compare to her.”

Madam Yu nodded, looking very satisfied. But then Jinxuan laughed, “How wonderful—if Daiti really becomes Fifth Brother’s wife, I’m afraid our family will have to worship two different gods.” Qixuan asked curiously, “What two gods?”

Jinxuan smiled, “Need you ask? Mother believes in Buddhism, Daiti believes in Christianity. Wouldn’t our family have to worship both Guanyin and Jesus? I just wonder if these two gods would conflict?”

Minru smiled slightly, “Second Sister thinks of everything—how thoughtful of you.”

Madam Yu picked up a slice of roast duck, put it in her mouth, chewed carefully, and smiled, “I hear Second Miss Tao is also going abroad soon. Who knows when she’ll return? That child seems quite nice too.”

Yu Changxuan had listened to their back-and-forth for quite some time. He put down his chopsticks and smiled, “Mother, if you’re so anxious, I’ll go to Chang’an Alley and marry you a daughter-in-law. What do you think?”

Madam Yu quickly asked, “Chang’an Alley? What kind of place is that?”

Sister-in-law Minru glanced at Yu Changxuan and smiled, “What nonsense is Fifth Brother talking? Chang’an Alley is a poor neighborhood.”

Hearing this, Madam Yu immediately frowned, “How did such a comment come up? With our family’s status and position, marrying a girl from Chang’an Alley would be laughable.”

Yu Changxuan said indifferently, “If it’s mutual love, how would it be laughable? She might not even think much of me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Zhongquan, who had been silent, looked up at Yu Changxuan and said simply, “Marriage is a serious matter, not child’s play. Don’t speak such irrelevant words in the future.”

Seeing his father had spoken, Yu Changxuan lowered his head and said nothing more, putting down his chopsticks. Seeing he had stopped eating, Madam Yu said, “What’s wrong? You’ve barely eaten anything before putting down your chopsticks.” Yu Changxuan rinsed his mouth with the cup a maid brought over and smiled, “I wasn’t hungry to begin with. A few bites are enough.”

Yu Changxuan got up and went to the flower hall. A green silk-shaded floor lamp was on. He sat alone on the green velvet sofa, casually taking a cigarette from the box to bite between his teeth. From the matchbox he took a long, thin stick and struck it against the phosphorus surface with a “scratch”—it didn’t light. He struck again—it went crooked. An attendant officer nearby saw this and quickly took out his own matches, struck one, and cupped his hands around the flame to bring it to Yu Changxuan. But Yu Changxuan had lost the mood to smoke. He waved his hand, and the attendant officer retreated. He simply bit the unlit cigarette and gazed in one direction.

Around the sofa clustered potted plants that Madam Yu usually tended, including a pot of white hostas in full bloom. Looking at those slender, crystalline elegant flowers, Yu Changxuan unconsciously reached out to touch a petal. The petal trembled gently in his palm, and with just a slight movement of his finger, the white flower silently fell into his hand, making his palm tingle.

His heart suddenly pounded!

He always thought of her, knowing clearly it was impossible, yet unable to control himself. Like an obsession, his mind was full of her smiling face. Her figure was the most beautiful scenery under the moon, her moon-white dress trailing through the night like pear blossoms in full bloom.

Moonlight poured straight down, frost-white, like spilled mercury across the ground, making this street shine like a mirror surface. Pingjun had just attended her classmate’s birthday party and called a rickshaw home. After getting off at her front door and paying the driver, she turned to push open the courtyard gate when she saw something under the jujube tree, gleaming in the moonlight. Walking closer to look, it was the second jade hairpin Jiang Xueting had given her, wedged in a stone crevice and already broken in two. She bent down to pick up the broken hairpin, her lips pressed slightly together, feeling uncomfortable. Suddenly she heard a polite, courteous voice from the shadows, “Miss Ye.”

Pingjun’s heart jumped in alarm. Turning around in panic, she saw a tall man bowing respectfully to her: “Miss Ye, I am Fifth Young Master’s deputy, Wu Zuoxiao. Our Fifth Young Master requests your presence.”

Hearing this, Pingjun’s expression changed. She turned to push the courtyard gate, but heard Wu Zuoxiao smiling behind her: “Miss Ye, please slow down. So late at night, disturbing Madam Ye wouldn’t be good. Our Fifth Young Master would feel bad about it too.”

Pingjun’s hand stopped on the door panel. She said hatefully, “You’re forcing me then?”

Wu Zuoxiao smiled with utmost politeness: “Miss Ye, your words are too strong. Fifth Young Master specifically instructed that we must politely invite Miss Ye over. If we dared bully Miss Ye, I’m afraid Fifth Young Master wouldn’t spare us!”

Pingjun turned around. Wu Zuoxiao smiled broadly, raising his arm to gesture toward the alley entrance. Following his indicated direction, she saw a car parked in the moonlit clearing with several plainclothes attendants standing around it, all silent and cold in appearance.

Wu Zuoxiao personally opened the car door for Pingjun. As soon as she sat inside, the door slammed shut with a “bang” like a sudden gunshot, particularly loud in this quiet night. He sat in the car and turned to look at Pingjun, his face covered with a layer of frost-like coldness. She was both angry and hateful, fury burning her face red as she demanded, “What exactly do you want?”

Yu Changxuan looked at her and said slowly, “If I could give you everything you wanted, would you be willing to follow me?”

Pingjun was first stunned, looking at his burning eyes. Her heart immediately became chaotic, and she instinctively said, “My boyfriend and I are about to get married!”

His expression suddenly changed. He stared fixedly at Ye Pingjun and suddenly became angry, “Don’t think I can’t live without you!”

She immediately retorted, “I never thought that!”

He was rendered speechless by her response, the anger in his eyes like two small flames suddenly igniting. Pingjun’s heart jumped in alarm. He leaned forward and grabbed her, forcibly pulling her into his arms. Ye Pingjun was frightened and looked up. His eyes were bright as lightning, his voice aggressive, “Ye Pingjun, listen carefully—I, Yu Changxuan, will not marry you, but I must have you!”

She looked into his dark pupils, her gaze showing a glint of snow-bright light. He stared at her fixedly, his heart beating extremely fast, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid. At that moment he seemed somewhat dazed, as if not knowing what to do with her. She became frightened by his gaze, and with their position bringing them so close that they could feel each other’s breath, she said in panic, “You’re bullying me too much!”

His anger hadn’t subsided: “After all your repeated rejections, don’t think I have a good temper!”

She was rendered speechless by his unreasonable behavior. After a long while she finally said, “Yu Changxuan, who exactly has been repeated in their behavior?! What right do you have to warn me like this? Don’t impose on others what you yourself don’t want—do you understand?!”

He was again countered by her words. His dark pupils turned cold as he said angrily, “Stop being sharp-tongued with me here. I don’t care about your wants or don’t wants. I only know you keep swaying back and forth in my mind, practically driving me to…”

Before he finished speaking, she struggled pale-faced to escape from his arms. But he refused to let go. Pingjun pressed both hands firmly against his chest, but it was too late. He stared blankly at her rosy lips, suddenly remembering a honey peach he had eaten as a child. The tip of the peach had also been that shade of slight red. He had carefully sucked on it, sweet peach juice spreading between his lips and teeth…

He heard her let out a panicked whimper, but he could no longer restrain himself and kissed her lips. Her lips were soft and moist, stirring up a fire within his body. He wanted nothing more than to completely possess all of her, plundering lawlessly and recklessly. In that reckless, almost mad sucking, his lips suddenly felt a sharp pain, his tongue tasting the metallic sweetness of blood.

She had actually bitten him!

He finally raised his head but still gripped her tightly. Her eyes were full of anger, hating his unreasonableness. She raised her hand to slap him across the face, but that hand stopped abruptly just as it approached his cheek. He looked at her, and she glared hatefully back at him, but she was truly afraid of provoking his anger further, thinking to swallow this humiliation and seek complete escape.

Ye Pingjun suppressed her fury and said coldly, “Let me go!”

As she tried to move back, her shoulder suddenly hurt as he pressed her down onto the jump seat. Her head hit the chair back, the pain nearly bringing tears to her eyes. He reached out to grip her chin and said through gritted teeth, “Ye Pingjun!” She was terrified and saw dark flames flickering in his black pupils, his rapid breath dispersing in the air that seemed to be heating up. He said hatefully, “You’ve disturbed my peace so much—don’t expect to be comfortable either.”

Angry light flashed in her eyes, “Yu Changxuan, you’re despicable and shameless!”

He sneered coldly, “If that’s the case, then I might as well be even more despicable and shameless for you to see!”

He lowered his head and again seized her lips, kissing her deeply with burning intensity like a branding iron, almost suffocating her breath. She was like a drowning, trapped person, letting out desperate sobs while desperately trying to push him away. He wanted nothing more than to crush her entire being. In that wonderful sensation, he was the first to sink down, unable to control himself as he immersed in such tenderness, almost savagely tearing open her clothing. Buttons popped off and rolled into the crevices under the car seats. The silk scarf around her neck also fluttered down. He greedily wanted more… more…

Just at this moment, his shoulder was suddenly in excruciating pain!

Yu Changxuan frowned and pulled back, looking at his left shoulder. He saw bright red blood flowing from his left shoulder. Turning around, he saw Ye Pingjun holding a completely white broken hairpin pointed at him, the sharp end of the hairpin now bright red with his blood!

Ye Pingjun only bit her lips tightly without speaking, her hair disheveled and face snow-white. He covered his shoulder as blood flowed through his fingers, unstoppable. Yu Changxuan looked at Ye Pingjun’s defensive posture and smiled coldly, “Do you think this hairpin can kill me?!”

His tone was contemptuous to the point of fearlessness. Ye Pingjun said not a word but quickly turned the hairpin around, raised her head, and pointed the sharp end directly at her own throat. Yu Changxuan hadn’t expected her to be so resolute. His body froze as he blurted out, “You dare?!”

Ye Pingjun’s clear gaze shot out snow-bright light, showing the resolute coldness of preferring to be broken jade rather than whole tile. Her breathing was tense and rapid, her fingers gripping that broken hairpin tightly, her voice cold as ice and snow.

“I dare!”

Outside the window came the sound of howling wind. Fengtai’s trumpet vine leaves covered half the wall, bright and eye-catching flowers trembling gently in the wind, casting a winding flower shadow on the window. Deputy Wu Zuoxiao walked to the warm pavilion outside the bedroom and heard Old Doctor Dai still muttering, “What knife wound? This is clearly a hole—it almost reached the bone. Fifth Young Master, which woman got the better of you?”

Doctor Dai was sprinkling medicine on Yu Changxuan’s shoulder while a nurse beside him cut gauze. Doctor Dai took the ointment and “slapped” it directly onto Yu Changxuan’s wound. Yu Changxuan jerked in pain, his brow furrowing as he said, “Uncle Dai, can’t you be gentler? Use a bit more force and you’ll have my arm off!”

Doctor Dai was an experienced old physician who could be said to have watched Yu Changxuan grow up. Having finished applying the medicine, he glared at Yu Changxuan, “Years ago your father took a bullet in the shoulder. Without anesthesia, I had to use a knife to dig the bullet out. What is this in comparison? If you’re a Yu family man, don’t cry out in pain!”

Yu Changxuan still maintained his playful demeanor, “Uncle Dai, Yu family men are still human. I didn’t pop out of a rock crevice with naturally copper skin and iron bones!” Doctor Dai was truly exasperated with him, picking up nearby forceps to hit Yu Changxuan’s head. Yu Changxuan tilted his head and dodged, still laughing. Doctor Dai picked up his medical bag and walked out with the nurse, muttering as he went, “Don’t let the wound touch water. I’ll come check again tomorrow.”

Yu Changxuan watched Doctor Dai leave, then saw his trusted deputy Wu Zuoxiao still standing there, so he asked, “What are you doing up here, boy?”

Wu Zuoxiao immediately stood at attention and saluted, saying solemnly, “Report! The brothers sent me to ask Fifth Young Master—you’ve been wounded, showing how fierce the battle was and how hard Fifth Young Master worked. The result… did you succeed or not?”

Without saying much, Yu Changxuan picked up a patterned bowl from the stand with his right hand and hurled it at Wu Zuoxiao. Wu Zuoxiao had anticipated this move and with a laugh, opened the door to dodge outside. The bowl crashed against the door with a clang. Wu Zuoxiao fearlessly pushed the door open again, “Fifth Young Master, such a temper—didn’t succeed, did you?”

Yu Changxuan said, “Get lost!”

Wu Zuoxiao immediately closed the door and scampered away with giggles. Yu Changxuan sat on the warm pavilion sofa and slightly moved his left arm, sucking in breath from the pain, his heart growing even more irritated. The telephone then rang like adding fuel to fire. He furrowed his brow tightly and grabbed the receiver, “Who is it?”

Li Boren’s laughter came through the phone, “Fifth Young Master, what a temper!”

Yu Changxuan said impatiently, “Cut the nonsense!”

Li Boren laughed heartily, “I’m calling specifically to tell Fifth Young Master—my men caught a Japanese spy. Do you want to come see for yourself?”

Yu Changxuan said, “Since when do you handle Secret Service matters? Besides, what does your catching a spy have to do with me? I’m busy.”

Li Boren smiled, “I’m doing all this to help Fifth Young Master succeed, so I’m taking such harsh measures. To tell you the truth, this fellow’s surname is Jiang, returned from studying in Japan, and he’s precisely Miss Ye’s dream lover. Now that he’s fallen into my hands, what to do with him—whether he lives or dies—depends entirely on a word from Fifth Young Master.”

Yu Changxuan was slightly stunned, his gaze instantly bright as lightning, “What do you mean? He’s really a spy?”

Li Boren said, “Whether he is or isn’t, isn’t it all just a matter of our word? I sent the Jiang fellow directly to the Secret Service prison. The people there are ruthless, as Fifth Young Master knows. Few who enter Secret Service prisons come out alive.”

He didn’t need to hear the rest—he naturally understood this was Li Boren’s special arrangement. It wasn’t that he had never had such thoughts, but he always harbored some uncertainty. However, having reached this point, she had actually told him she was going to marry someone else. What choice did he have left?!

His gaze casually swept to one side and saw beside his removed military uniform jacket lay a soft, pale rose-colored silk scarf—the one she had dropped in the car in her panic. He reached out to grasp the scarf in his hand. The scarf was light and seemed to retain the warmth of her skin. His heart couldn’t help but beat rapidly. He stood there lost in thought for a long while before slowly closing his palm.

Could he really be so magnanimous as to watch her pair off with this Jiang fellow?!

Yu Changxuan held the receiver for a long time. He lowered his eyes slightly, unexpectedly realizing that in that instant, his heart was beating so violently. He worked to steady his voice, “Arrange it so that if Ye Pingjun wants to visit that fellow in prison, don’t stop her—let her go!”

Another day passed. In the evening, a slight wind rose and the weather grew colder. Mrs. Li had just reached the guest room when she saw a maid coming out carrying a tray with food that remained completely untouched. Mrs. Li asked, “Miss Ye still hasn’t awakened?” The maid shook her head. Mrs. Li dismissed her and looked up to see Li Boren coming upstairs. She waved him over. When Li Boren approached, she said hatefully, “You men are truly ruthless. Making me accompany her there—that wasn’t a prison but hell itself, with ghostly wailing and wolf howls. It nearly scared me to death.”

Li Boren laughed heartily, “That’s my fault for frightening my wife and making her lose her beauty. How is your younger sister?”

Mrs. Li said, “What do you think? As soon as she entered, tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Before we’d walked far, she saw bloody, mangled people everywhere… She fainted on the spot.”

Li Boren saw Mrs. Li’s face was still pale and laughed again, “You hadn’t even gone inside yet. Inside is worse. Let me put it this way—the dogs there never need feeding.”

This sentence made Mrs. Li’s heart jump with terror. Then they heard a “thud” from the guest room. Mrs. Li quickly pushed the door open and saw Ye Pingjun had fallen from the bed, her face covered with tears, as if about to faint, collapsed on the floor gasping desperately. Mrs. Li hurried over, “Sister Pingjun, what’s wrong? Quickly get back on the bed.”

Pingjun reached out to desperately grasp Mrs. Li’s wrist, looking at Li Boren with tears streaming down, her lips trembling as she said, “You want to force me to death, I know. You want to force me to death…”

The snow-bright hatred in her tearful gaze made even Li Boren unable to maintain composure. He suddenly became angry, “What kind of talk is that? You came begging at our door, and we’ve helped you out of kindness. Do you still think we haven’t worked hard enough? I’ll tell you straight—if you don’t hurry up and beg the right person instead of delaying here, I’m afraid Jiang Xueting’s hands and feet will end up in dogs’ bellies!”

That sentence nearly made Ye Pingjun lose her soul. She threw back her head with two streams of tears falling, almost fainting on the spot. Li Boren shook his hands and left, leaving Mrs. Li to comfort her with consoling words. Mrs. Li personally helped Pingjun sit at an openwork carved and gold-powdered dressing table, personally opened the relief ivory cosmetic box, took out a fine comb to arrange her hair, while gently comforting her:

“Sister is a clever person. Not to mention anything else, just consider these twenty-one provinces south of Xishui—is there anything Fifth Young Master wants that he can’t obtain? He’s also heaven’s favored son. That he’s taken a fancy to you shows your good fortune. Your continued stubbornness is just asking for suffering and involves your brother too. Now he can’t escape either. You might as well dedicate four or five years of your youth to him. In a few years when he releases you, you’ll still be young. He won’t shortchange you financially either. If you calculate carefully, you don’t really lose anything.”

This speech was flawless. Ye Pingjun sat there motionless as a stone carving or clay sculpture. Mrs. Li took out a handkerchief to wipe her face and smiled, “If we must blame something, it’s only Sister Pingjun’s outstanding beauty. If I were a man, I’d snatch you away too.” She paused and smiled again, “Tonight Boren has invited him over. When the time comes, you must keep him company. Don’t look so bitter—if you make Fifth Young Master unhappy, your sweetheart will suffer who knows how much.”

Ye Pingjun sat there listening to everything Mrs. Li said, then slowly closed her eyes as two streams of tears rolled down from her eyelashes. She had cried countless tears these past few days and now felt her cheeks stinging from the tears. She understood her face was a mess from crying. Temporarily suppressing the boiling pain and grief in her heart, she quietly said, “Mrs. Li, please lend me some powder. Let me touch up my face.”

Mrs. Li immediately beamed with joy, saying repeatedly, “Good, good! I knew sister was extremely clever—you understand immediately. Don’t just use powder—apply some rouge to look even prettier. Wait, I have some unopened foreign cosmetics here. I’ll get them for you to use right away.”

She happily stood up and went out to get her cosmetics. She saw Li Boren still looking up from the stair landing, so she walked down and poked his forehead with her finger, “You’re really something—thinking up such a wicked scheme just to curry favor with Fifth Young Master. Selling that girl… Well, don’t look anymore. I’ve already convinced her.”

Li Boren couldn’t help laughing, “I knew when my wife took action, there was nothing that couldn’t be accomplished. Just wait and see—someday this world will belong to the Yu family. If I become Fifth Young Master’s trusted confidant, our future benefits will be endless.” These words made Mrs. Li laugh too, “Look how pleased you are. Hurry up and call to invite Fifth Young Master over tonight.”

Li Boren’s heart soared with joy. He indeed made the phone call. Around eight or nine o’clock that evening, a servant reported that Fifth Young Master had arrived. Li Boren hurried to greet him at the main gate, smiling, “Fifth Young Master’s distinguished presence has been very busy—finally you’ve arrived.”

Yu Changxuan glanced at Li Boren’s beaming face without saying anything. Li Boren smiled again, “Now everything is ready—we only lack Fifth Young Master’s eastern wind.”

Yu Changxuan handed his military cap to the guard behind him and said indifferently, “Where is she?”

Li Boren quickly gestured to an old servant, “Take Fifth Young Master to the separate courtyard.” The old servant approached. Yu Changxuan waved for his guards to withdraw and followed the old servant to the separate courtyard. After passing through two moon gates, they reached the entrance to the Li family’s separate courtyard. The old servant stopped there. Yu Changxuan lowered his eyes and walked along the corridor inside by himself.

The corridor was surrounded by magnificent flowers and trees. Cloud shadows flashed across the night sky with moonlight shining down in layers upon layers, full of swaying flower shadows on the ground. The winding corridor led through several deep courtyards. The sound of falling flowers was soft, covering the quiet paths. In the silent moonlit night, only flower fragrance floated—truly “sparse shadows slant across clear shallow water, dark fragrance floats in yellow dusk.” He couldn’t help becoming excited, with inexplicable voices rising in his heart. He was going to see her. This long path only deepened that surging emotion. This feeling, this scene, this heart—even for a lifetime, he could never forget, never forget.

On both sides of the stone steps of the separate courtyard’s open hall grew a pear tree and a weeping willow, with green fruit hidden among flourishing branches and leaves. Lights were on in the hall. On the side wall hung a calligraphy piece—Liu Yuxi’s “Willow Branch Lyrics.” In the center stood a glass screen decorated with lotus, golden chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, and other seasonal flower patterns. She sat on a small sofa inside, only her silhouette reflected on the screen window—graceful and elegant like pear blossoms under the moon, crabapples in wind and dew.

Yu Changxuan could clearly feel his heartbeat quickening, even his breathing becoming uncontrollably rapid. He walked around the screen. The carpet on the floor was a full inch thick, soft and silent underfoot. On the rosewood stand beside the sofa stood a pair of red painted candles, illuminating the hall with spring radiance.

She still heard him enter and looked up at him. He also saw her, sitting there with forced composure, her delicate face completely pale without a trace of color, her dark pupils holding faint traces of moisture.

Yu Changxuan’s heart moved as he lowered his voice, “Don’t cry.”

Ye Pingjun bit her lips, holding back scalding tears, and looked up at him once, seeming to use all her strength to support herself there, “If I don’t cry, will you let me go?”

Yu Changxuan gazed at her face, “No.”

She slowly turned her head away. The white pearl hairpin in her hair bun gave off a frost-like coolness. Her fan-like eyelashes silently lowered as she smiled bitterly through tears, “Crying is useless, I know. Today I’ve been bullied by you to this point. Since I can’t escape, it’s my fate. I accept it.”

Yu Changxuan looked at her. Under the red painted candles, her figure seemed like a gentle, water-like dream. Such myriad emotional threads wound bit by bit into his bones. Yet the feeling of sinking down was so real and intense. He said, “Though weak waters stretch three thousand li, I take only one ladle to drink.”

Her shoulders trembled slightly as she slowly turned back to look at him. His dark eyes held deep affection, “Ye Pingjun, whether you’re willing or not, I just love you.”

The night had grown somewhat deep with the moon hanging high in the sky. Madam Ye was still in the house when she heard car sounds outside the main gate. She hurried out from the house and heard the courtyard gate creak open. Ye Pingjun had already entered and was closing the gate. She quickly said, “What did Mr. and Mrs. Li say? How is Xueting? His brother came this afternoon saying Xueting wanted to find some Mr. Mou for help… Oh, Pingjun, I’m worried sick. Please tell me something.”

Ye Pingjun said nothing, walking straight to the inner room. Madam Ye followed anxiously, her heart burning with worry. She saw Ye Pingjun open the desk drawer and search for something. After searching for a long time without finding what she wanted, she looked up and asked, “Mother, where is my red velvet hair ribbon?”

Hearing this, Madam Ye became somewhat angry, “Child, how can you not understand priorities? I’m asking about Xueting’s situation, and you’re looking for a hair ribbon. In the middle of the night, are you still going to tie up your hair?!” Ye Pingjun saw her mother was angry but said nothing more, only lowering her head to continue searching. Madam Ye saw the small coil of red velvet ribbon right in the corner of the drawer, yet Ye Pingjun somehow couldn’t see it, so she said, “It’s right beside your hand—how can you not see it?”

Only then did Ye Pingjun find the coil of red ribbon. She stood at the desk, let down her hair, and began combing it carefully. No matter how Madam Ye asked about Jiang Xueting, she didn’t answer, only taking up the red ribbon to tie a small strand of her black hair, patiently binding it round and round with the red ribbon. Madam Ye grew angrier, “Ping’er, can Xueting come back safely or not? Give me an answer!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Pingjun picked up nearby scissors and with a “snip” cut off the strand of hair bound with the red ribbon. This action startled Madam Ye, who asked in amazement, “Ping’er, what are you doing?” She rushed forward to grab the scissors from her hand, frantically taking them away.

Ye Pingjun moved no more, only grasping that strand of cut hair and smiling silently. That smile froze at the corner of her lips, revealing weak desolation. She looked up toward the window, her pupils showing a vast, desolate color. She said gently, “Mother, Xueting will come back safely.”

Having said this, scalding tears fell with a “plop” from her eyes onto the strand of black hair in her hand, slowly seeping into the crevices of the dark tresses. Seeing her like this, Madam Ye said with a trembling voice, “Ping’er, what exactly has happened?”

She only shook her head.

Silver moonlight filled the entire small courtyard. Far and near, everything was quiet, only when the wind blew, stirring the white hosta flower leaves at the corner of the wall and the large scholar tree in the courtyard, whose emerald leaves rustled softly, intermittently, like the sound of human footsteps.

She remembered her childhood, when she was only seven or eight years old. He lived in her house, and during the day she would sit under the scholar tree with needle and thread, stringing small beads she had collected everywhere, wanting to make a bead chain to wear. He would tiptoe up behind her and suddenly cover her eyes with his hands. She would immediately call out, “Xueting.” He would laugh and release his hands, taking something from his pocket—a small woven grass cricket cage. He held up the cricket cage, and both would lean in to listen to the cricket inside calling incessantly. They would look at each other and smile excitedly. He would say, “Pingjun, let’s go to the meadow to catch another one, then we can watch two crickets fight.” She would clap her hands in delight, and the two would hold hands and run out of the courtyard. The summer sun was so wonderful, making the small beads under the scholar tree sparkle brilliantly. Jiang Xueting would lead her in mischief everywhere, and she only knew to follow him in play, having long forgotten about stringing beads.

Holding the strand of cut hair and looking at the moonlit small courtyard, she felt as if her heart was about to split open—the pain was killing her.

She thought Jiang Xueting must hate her, hate her heartlessness. But three years—she could endure three years. Someday, there would surely come a day when she would have the chance to tell him everything in person, that she had done it all for him. When that time came, he would surely forgive her.

He would understand.

This is what she told herself in her heart.

In the blink of an eye, autumn arrived. The northern territories occupied by the Xiao family army inexplicably fell into chaos with complete blockades imposed, even transportation lines suddenly under control. Chu Wenfu, then Chairman of the Central Government Administration, said this was a good opportunity and immediately increased western front forces, launching several consecutive attacks. The war situation suddenly became tense. Yu Zhongquan arranged for Gu Yigang and Zhang Xiaoxian, two veteran figures of the Yu family army, to support and instruct Yu Changxuan from both sides. Though Yu Changxuan had not personally entered battle, he was well-versed in frontline strategic arrangements.

This evening, Yu Changxuan returned by car from the Army Department. Gu Ruitong saw Yu Changxuan’s expression was extremely grim as he opened and closed the gun holster on his belt with his hand. The car compartment filled with the clicking sounds of metal buckles striking together. After a long while, he said faintly, “With my father providing guidance above and Uncle Gu and Uncle Zhang looking after me from the sides, what am I but a golden puppet placed there for decoration?”

Gu Ruitong was startled, knowing the dissatisfaction in Yu Changxuan’s words. Since it involved his own father, he couldn’t say much, only responding, “The Commander is Fifth Young Master’s father. Whatever he does must be for Fifth Young Master’s benefit.”

Yu Changxuan snorted and kicked the jump seat with his leather military boot, “My father wants to make me into a Zhao Kuo who only talks strategy on paper. What else can I say!”

Gu Ruitong fell silent. Then Deputy Wu Zuoxiao sitting in front said, “Fifth Young Master, we’re approaching the fork ahead. Are we returning to the residence or Fengtai today? Which way should we turn?”

Yu Changxuan’s pupils silently contracted as he looked at the autumn scenery outside the window, “Return to the residence.” The car turned right. After driving for a while, Yu Changxuan remained silent for a long time, looking at the autumn scenery outside, then said, “Turn back. Go to Fengtai.”

The car turned all the way back to Fengtai. As soon as it entered Fengtai grounds, brilliant red leaves filled the view. The early autumn weather carried some refreshing chill, with a layer of crisp fallen leaves covering the ground that servants were naturally tending to. Yu Changxuan entered the reception hall where he heard the maid Qiu Luo laughingly say, “Fifth Young Master has returned.”

Qiu Luo was leading some maids in tidying the hall. Seeing Yu Changxuan, she smiled and approached warmly, reaching out to take his military cap. Unexpectedly, Yu Changxuan slightly tilted his head, avoiding her hand, and removed his military cap himself, handing it to Gu Ruitong behind him. Qiu Luo was stunned, her eyes turning, but she quickly smiled again, “The old lady from outside came this afternoon. If Fifth Young Master had returned a step earlier, he might have encountered her.”

Yu Changxuan glanced up toward the upper floor without saying anything, then went upstairs. The carpet in the upstairs corridor was soft as cotton. He walked slowly until reaching a room at the end of the corridor, knocked a few times with his hand, but no one responded. He lowered his hand and pushed the door open directly.

The bedroom was quiet with venetian blinds open, letting in cool breezes and the brilliant colors of sunset. Cloud-patterned curtains dragged down to the carpet, embroidered with golden thread in auspicious knot patterns, swaying gently in the wind. The rosewood bed was covered with soft brocade quilts, with tassels hanging from pillow covers embroidered with mandarin duck pairs.

He walked forward gently a few steps and saw four or five crystal-clear pearls scattered on the carpet. He bent down to pick them up one by one. Walking forward a few more steps, he saw her sitting on the carpet beside the bed with needle and thread, stringing pearls one by one with great care and attention. Her head was slightly lowered, with some fine short hair at her temples falling to brush against her cheeks, moving faintly. Such movement was like a small feather gently tickling across his heart.

In the pale golden sunset, she raised her head slightly, her gaze showing clear, tranquil light. With her slender, soft white fingers, she gently pulled the fine thread, and a crystal-clear pearl slid down the line to connect with the small string of pearls just completed, making a crisp collision sound.

He walked to her side, bent down, and used his finger to smooth the hair at her temples behind her ear, saying softly, “The hair here seems much shorter than in back.” Ye Pingjun only concentrated on stringing that chain of pearls, her eyes not moving at all, softly humming in acknowledgment.

He still held those pearls in his hand, “I heard your mother came this afternoon.”

Ye Pingjun lowered her head, picking up the scattered pearls one by one, “My mother came to see me and talked with me all afternoon. She also said the new residence you arranged for her is quite good.” Seeing her tone was much more relaxed than usual, he smiled, “That’s good. You should talk to people more. Don’t you have a classmate named Bai Liyuan? You could invite her to visit at home.”

Her pearl-stringing motion silently paused, the corner of her mouth slightly trembling in what seemed like a bitter smile, “Home?” She turned to look at him once, that gaze very calm and peaceful, as if looking at someone completely unrelated. Where did she still have a home? She had been uprooted from her original world. He had severed all her retreat paths so urgently, so quickly. From the moment she moved into Fengtai, she no longer dared think about everything from the past.

Yu Changxuan felt completely without confidence under her gaze, only turning his head to see the wardrobe opposite still filled with silks and satins, while she still wore her own original everyday clothes. He lowered his eyes, “I bought you so many clothes—why don’t you wear them?”

She kept her head down without speaking.

Yu Changxuan smiled again, “If you don’t like these clothes, spend money to buy your own. You haven’t spent a penny of the money I gave you. You don’t need to save for me. Have Mrs. Li accompany you to shop at department stores—buy whatever you want. Have her take you out to have fun. Jinling has so many interesting places. What’s the point of being cooped up in your room all day?”

Ye Pingjun said indifferently, “I don’t need her company!”

Yu Changxuan’s tone paused slightly. After a while he said, “You needn’t hate them so much.” Ye Pingjun looked up at him, her pupils extremely bright, slightly raising the corners of her mouth in a mocking smile, “Do you still want me to be grateful to them?” After Yu Changxuan heard this, he threw the pearls in his hand in front of her and said indifferently, “If that’s the case, then hate me along with them!”

He threw down those pearls, turned and walked out of the bedroom. As soon as he came downstairs, Deputy Wu Zuoxiao approached, “Fifth Young Master, Li Boren has come and is waiting in the reception room.”

Yu Changxuan nodded, knowing Li Boren wanted to get his nephew into the Military Supply Department, and he had already handled this matter. Li Boren’s visit was surely to express gratitude. He went to the reception room, pushed open the door, and Li Boren had already stood up. Seeing Yu Changxuan’s expression, he smiled, “Fifth Young Master, what’s wrong? You have your golden house hiding beauty here, finally achieving your heart’s desire—why the worried expression?”

Yu Changxuan was in a poor mood, walked to sit on a nearby sofa, and said indifferently, “What achieving my heart’s desire? Stop talking nonsense!”

Li Boren was stunned, then smiled meaningfully, “Fifth Young Master is indeed one who cherishes beauty and fragrance. After such a long time, could it be that Fifth Young Master has remained a gentleman of propriety?”

Yu Changxuan drew a cigarette from the box but didn’t light it, only holding it in his hand. His handsome brow was full of irritation, “Whenever I see her, my heart panics, let alone anything else. These few months, I haven’t dared touch even her fingertips. It’s not that she fears me—I fear her.”

After saying this, Li Boren was even more astonished. Looking at Yu Changxuan for a moment and seeing his brow completely furrowed, Li Boren laughed with a “heh” sound, “Fifth Young Master, don’t blame me for speaking plainly—you’re someone destined for great things. This romantic sentiment should be enough—don’t truly give your heart, or you’ll really be playing with fire.”

Yu Changxuan just sat there without speaking.

Seeing his brow still wouldn’t relax, Li Boren approached with a smile, “You’ve been quite busy lately. Xiangxi Restaurant has a new dance girl named Bai Lu who’s absolutely beautiful. How about we go have fun tonight?”

Yu Changxuan took out his lighter to light the cigarette in his hand, casually throwing it on the coffee table with a “snap,” shaking his head, “Where did you get such a rotten idea? Father is watching me closely. If I go to such places again, wouldn’t I be walking into gunfire?”

Li Boren was a natural entertainment expert. Seeing Yu Changxuan so troubled, how could he let pass such a good opportunity to show his skills and curry favor? He leaned forward with a smile, “Then come to my house. Movie star Shi Manman is my wife’s sworn sister—one phone call and she’ll come. We can make up a card game. I’ll have Shi Manman sit with Fifth Young Master as partners. The rest is up to Fifth Young Master.”

Yu Changxuan looked at Li Boren’s eager-to-please manner and laughed, “If you let me partner with your wife instead, then I’ll go.”

Li Boren immediately said, “If Fifth Young Master truly abandons Shi Manman for my wife, I have no objections. It would save my wife the trouble of going around recognizing younger sisters for Fifth Young Master everywhere. How much effort that would save!”

Hearing this, Yu Changxuan stood up and kicked at Li Boren, laughing as he scolded, “Look at you! Just stop being a staff officer and become a pimp!”

Having made their plans, they walked out of the study. Deputy Wu Zuoxiao was already waiting there. Yu Changxuan looked up to see a young maid carrying an enamel tray down from upstairs with food completely untouched. He stopped the maid, “Why didn’t she eat?” The maid replied, “Miss Ye said she had no appetite and didn’t want to eat. She’s sleeping now.”

Yu Changxuan’s steps halted as he glanced upstairs. Seeing him like this, Li Boren immediately smiled, “Fifth Young Master is feeling sorry for her again?” Yu Changxuan turned back to look at Li Boren, seeing his face full of smiles. He turned his face away, “You’re talking more and more nonsense!” He then walked out of the hall, with Deputy Wu Zuoxiao and others immediately following.

That night, it began pouring rain outside with autumn chill. Pingjun was sleeping drowsily when she heard a door sound. Her heart suddenly became alert. She reached out to turn on the bedside lamp and in that instant sat up holding the quilt, her gaze bright and alert toward the bedroom door. She saw the senior maid Qiu Luo standing there with something on an enamel tray, smiling, “Miss Ye, drink some ginseng soup before sleeping.”

Only then did Ye Pingjun visibly relax, “I don’t want to drink that.” Qiu Luo seemed not to have heard her words and walked to the bedside, “This is best for nourishing the body. Miss Ye didn’t even eat dinner tonight—drinking some ginseng soup helps with sleep.”

Seeing her like this, Ye Pingjun reached out to take the bowl of ginseng soup. Qiu Luo glanced at Pingjun and saw she was holding the quilt while still fully dressed. She smiled meaningfully, “Miss Ye is dressed so neatly—can you sleep comfortably like this?” Ye Pingjun didn’t answer, tasting the ginseng soup and frowning, “It’s too bitter. Is there sugar?”

Qiu Luo immediately smiled, “Doesn’t Miss Ye know? If you add sugar to ginseng soup, it loses its medicinal effects. I forgot—this is quite precious. Miss Ye probably has never seen it, let alone tasted it.”

Ye Pingjun looked up quietly at Qiu Luo. Qiu Luo also smiled, her face showing some smugness. Ye Pingjun placed the bowl of ginseng soup back on her tray and said indifferently, “Go add some sugar!”

Qiu Luo said, “Didn’t I just tell Miss Ye? Adding sugar makes it lose its medicinal effects.”

This time Ye Pingjun didn’t even glance at Qiu Luo, only turning to take a box of crystal-clear small pearls from beside the bed, picking up needle and thread to continue stringing pearls, no longer paying Qiu Luo any attention. Qiu Luo had asked for snub and immediately soured her face, turning to walk out of the bedroom. As soon as she came downstairs, she stood at the stair landing and snorted coldly, “So she still knows how to throw tantrums. What’s so special about that? Sooner or later I’ll show her what’s what.”

Nearby maids who were arranging flower stands saw Qiu Luo’s angry appearance and asked, “Sister Qiu Luo, who are you talking about?”

Qiu Luo cold-laughed and deliberately raised her voice, “Who else could it be? Even proper masters don’t order me around like this. How wonderful—what is she anyway? What kind of young lady? Just a poor family’s girl who thinks she’s a phoenix because she’s somewhat pretty!”

Hearing these words, the little maids knew who she meant but didn’t dare respond, dispersing separately. Qiu Luo continued angrily ranting when suddenly the guard room door was pushed open. Gu Ruitong emerged carrying a document, glanced at Qiu Luo, and said, “What are you making noise about?”

Qiu Luo was startled and said nervously, “Guard Captain Gu.”

Gu Ruitong saw the tray in her hands and smelled the bitter ginseng scent, saying coldly, “Nonsense! So late at night, what are you doing taking a bowl of ginseng soup upstairs?!” Qiu Luo dared not speak anymore, only responding and hurrying to the kitchen. Gu Ruitong dismissed Qiu Luo, glanced upstairs where all was quiet, lowered his head, and returned to the guard room.

By midnight, the rain fell even harder. The sky was pitch black, but the Li mansion was bright as daylight. Li Boren came rushing down from upstairs, catching up to Yu Changxuan who was putting on a raincoat at the main gate, “We’ve barely played a few rounds of cards—why leave now? You left Miss Shi hanging there. Fifth Young Master has truly hurt her feelings this time.”

Yu Changxuan said, “Sorry, elder brother. I’m exhausted and need to rest.” Li Boren said, “With such heavy rain outside, you needn’t go back—just spend the night at our house.” After speaking, he smiled obsequiously, trying to whisper in Yu Changxuan’s ear. Yu Changxuan found such behavior annoying, slightly turning his head away from Li Boren with an impatient expression, “If you have something to say, say it.”

Li Boren smiled, “Miss Shi is still here. Let me arrange something for Fifth Young Master—wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Yu Changxuan left with “No need,” turning to walk into the rain. Deputy Wu Zuoxiao led guards following. The rain was extremely heavy with pattering sounds everywhere. Water on the ground was one or two feet deep. By the time they got into the car, everyone was drenched. Deputy Wu Zuoxiao told the driver, “Return to Fengtai.” But Yu Changxuan in the back seat asked, “Where did you arrange housing for Ye Pingjun’s mother?”

Wu Zuoxiao had handled this matter and quickly replied, “In a residence at East Good Bridge. I arranged two maids to serve Madam Ye and a gatekeeper.”

Yu Changxuan hummed acknowledgment, “Let’s go see it.”

The car went directly to East Good Bridge. The entire street was flooded like dangerous rapids, rushing toward low areas. The sky was pitch black with only car lights illuminating a bright area. After driving for some time, they reached the East Good Bridge residence. Wu Zuoxiao said, “The rain is too heavy. Fifth Young Master, please stay in the car while I call Madam Ye out!”

Yu Changxuan was about to get out when he heard this and immediately turned to scold, “What nonsense are you talking! How can that be proper!”

This silenced Wu Zuoxiao, who quickly got out to hold an umbrella for Yu Changxuan. Other guards went to knock on the door. After knocking for a long time, someone finally responded—the old gatekeeper who was terrified by such a scene and dared not move. Yu Changxuan had already entered and saw lights on in the east wing room with a maid opening the door. Yu Changxuan walked to the outer room, hearing sounds from the inner room, and said, “Madam Ye needn’t get up. I’ll ask one question and leave.”

The inner room fell silent.

Yu Changxuan stood in the outer room with rain dripping from his raincoat. Outside, the rain grew heavier, pouring down from the eaves like a waterfall. Yu Changxuan wiped rainwater from his face and remained silent for a long while before slowly asking, “What does she like to eat?”

The inner room remained silent. For a time, both inner and outer rooms fell quiet with only the sound of heavy rain outside. After a very long time, so long that all rainwater had dripped from Yu Changxuan’s raincoat, a soft sigh came from the inner room—Madam Ye’s helpless, sorrowful sigh.

The night grew deeper. Because of Qiu Luo’s disturbance, Ye Pingjun couldn’t fall asleep immediately and leaned against the bed continuing to string pearls. She would complete a string only to scatter it again, then start over. This repetition and busyness allowed her to think of nothing, as if sparing herself, forgetting to hurt. Perhaps these three years would slowly pass this way.

The rain outside grew increasingly intense, making all of Fengtai even quieter. In such silence came the creak of a door opening. Ye Pingjun was concentrating on threading a line through a small pearl, thinking it was Qiu Luo returning with ginseng soup, so she said casually, “Just put it on the table.”

The footsteps at the door paused without another sound. After a moment, she heard him laugh, “How did you know I brought you something?”

Her fingers trembled, and the small pearl in her hand fell into the pearl box with a clink. Without looking up, she pulled the half-open quilt directly to her chest and shrank back forcefully, though she could only press against the headboard. When she finally looked up at him, her gaze was as wary as a small beast being hunted.

He watched this series of her movements, then saw she was still properly dressed in close-fitting outer garments. He stared at her for a moment, then walked forward a few steps to sit slowly on the purple velvet sofa. Lowering his head, he placed something from his hand on the coffee table. In this standoff-like silence, he continued looking down at the coffee table and suddenly smiled, “You wouldn’t have a knife hidden under your pillow, would you?”

Ye Pingjun kept her mouth shut without speaking.

Yu Changxuan glanced at her, seeing her indifferent manner, and simply stood up to unfasten his outer belt with a “snap,” then removed his shoulder straps and began unbuttoning his military jacket. After unfastening only one or two buttons, he saw Ye Pingjun turn to stare at him, her face changing color. As he took another step forward, Ye Pingjun had already jumped off the bed in panic, “What are you doing?”

Yu Changxuan smiled, “What do you think?”

Seeing him standing by the door where she absolutely couldn’t escape, Ye Pingjun—however calm she normally was—became completely flustered in this situation. Instinctively, she grabbed a nearby vase with both hands, raising it as if to throw it. He sneered coldly, pointing at the vase she held defensively, “Put that down!”

Ye Pingjun’s lips moved, her gaze scattering in panic. Yu Changxuan threw his military belt onto the bed and glanced at the nervous Ye Pingjun, “Don’t forget what your status is.”

That sentence blocked all of Ye Pingjun’s escape routes. What was her status? She was a canary he kept in a cage—such a day would come sooner or later. What else could she do? Gradually, desperate light appeared in Ye Pingjun’s clear eyes as she stood there rigid as wood. He had already reached out to take the vase from her hands and grasped her right wrist. She instinctively tried to pull back, but he yanked her over with one motion.

Ye Pingjun’s eyes immediately moistened as she whimpered in fear, “No…” His movement paused briefly, then after a moment he laughed faintly again. In her panic, she was pulled to sit before the sofa. He also sat beside her and casually opened what he had brought—a steamer of chicken soup dumplings still steaming hot. He pushed the steamer toward her, “I picked these up on the way. Try them.”

Ye Pingjun stared blankly at the steaming chicken soup dumplings before her, unable to speak for a long while. Yu Changxuan looked at her and very naturally extended his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into his embrace. Feeling her spine instantly stiffen in resistance, he still leaned close to her ear and whispered with a smile, “I was just deliberately scaring you. If you keep ignoring me, I’ll keep scaring you like this.”

She finally turned to look at him once, seeing his dark eyes full of gentle amusement. Her heart involuntarily trembled, and she hastily turned back, “I won’t eat.” Her shoulder relaxed—he had released her. He had already stood up, “After you eat, go to sleep. I’m leaving now.”

After speaking, he had already walked out. She sat alone on the sofa in a daze, her palms damp with cold sweat from clenching her fists. Even her forehead was covered with fine perspiration. The rain outside had lessened considerably, with raindrops falling from the eaves drop by drop like a night water clock—slow, one drop… one drop… with a lonely atmosphere. She slowly drew up her feet, sitting on the sofa with her arms around her knees, curling herself tightly together, still unable to stop trembling as her heart beat even more violently.

The next morning, Mrs. Li came to Fengtai in her family’s small car. When the gatekeeper reported, Pingjun was sitting in the hall and hadn’t yet gone upstairs when she saw Mrs. Li wearing a white brocade qipao with dark patterns. Upon entering, she dabbed at the perspiration on her nose with a snow-blue silk handkerchief, smiling at Pingjun, “Dear sister, it’s been so long since we’ve met—I’ve missed you terribly.”

Pingjun sat on the purple velvet sofa, raising her eyes to glance at Mrs. Li. Mrs. Li approached with a beaming smile, sitting intimately beside her and taking Pingjun’s hands in hers, examining her carefully before smiling slightly, “Everyone says Fifth Young Master treasures you like his own eyes. It’s indeed true—sister’s complexion is better than before, and you’re even more beautiful.”

Pingjun silently withdrew her hands. Mrs. Li’s eyes darted around while she continued smiling, “Now that sister has climbed high branches and lives like a fairy, shouldn’t you remember our contribution?” Pingjun raised her eyes to look at Mrs. Li, her black and white pupils distinct, saying clearly, “Is that so? Then I should indeed remember your contribution very well.”

Mrs. Li was startled, seeing ice-like coldness in Pingjun’s eyes—something she hadn’t expected. After remaining silent for a while, she smiled again, “That’s exactly right. Think about when Xueting was caught and put in prison—if our Boren hadn’t made connections above and below to protect him, he might not have gotten out so easily. Though he’s been released now, he has a record at the Secret Service. I’m afraid that one day, if Boren isn’t careful, he might be arrested again. That would be terrible.”

Pingjun looked at Mrs. Li, her lips pressed together. Mrs. Li remained calm and composed, turning to glance out the window with a smile, “They say the Yu family has many private residences, but only Fengtai is the most beautiful. Look at this scenery—besides the Yu family, which other family in Jinling has such grandeur?”

As soon as Mrs. Li finished speaking, a cinnamon-colored canary perched on a pine branch outside the window, singing cheerfully. Mrs. Li said, “Oh, what a beautiful canary.” Pingjun also glanced outside, warmth appearing in her eyes, “That’s a Dutch canary.” This Dutch canary was another name for the goldfinch. Mrs. Li smiled, “From sister’s expression, you quite like this Dutch canary.”

Pingjun didn’t want to say much more, only nodding slightly. Mrs. Li chatted about domestic matters, mostly asking what she liked to do, whether she enjoyed movies or Western food, and such things. Pingjun simply nodded perfunctorily to everything. Near noon, Mrs. Li left with smiles.

A nearby maid approached, “Miss Ye should have lunch now.” Pingjun only shook her head, stood up, and went upstairs. Alone, she pushed open the bedroom door and saw several windows open, with an unknown tall tree outside blooming with fiery red flowers in clusters, very lively. Fragrant breezes drifted in leisurely, making the books on the coffee table before the sofa rustle. She walked over to straighten the books, and because the carpet was extremely soft, she sat down on it and picked up a nearby round fan, holding it quietly in her hands.

When Yu Changxuan returned around two in the afternoon, he went upstairs and pushed open the bedroom door to find it seemingly empty—he couldn’t see her. His heart tightened, and turning around, he saw her sitting on the carpet with her head resting against the nearby coffee table, actually asleep.

He walked over with light steps, placing his military cap and something he was carrying to one side. He saw she was using the round fan as a pillow against the coffee table, with apricot-yellow fan tassels hanging softly from her temples. A breeze blew gently from outside. She wore a white dress with yellow dots and wide sleeves that swayed in the wind, revealing a section of snow-white, delicate arm. It seemed as if subtle fragrance emanated from her sleeves, making him involuntarily enchanted and intoxicated.

The apricot-yellow fan tassels swayed softly in the breeze against her snow-white cheeks, making her face appear like peach blossoms with dew or apricot flowers in misty rain. He held his breath and reached out to gently touch her soft cheek, slowly cradling her warm face in his hand. His palm bore gun calluses from years of practice. She seemed to feel discomfort in her sleep, frowning slightly, and opened her eyes.

Upon waking, she discovered their position with her cheek still cupped in his hand. Frightened, she shrank back, but this instinctive evasive movement suddenly made him angry. He reached out to grab her shoulder and pulled her before him forcefully. He gripped her hard, making her frown and say, “Let go—it hurts.”

Only then did he come to his senses. Seeing her face had changed color, he quickly released his grip. She retreated backward. Yu Changxuan looked at her, and after remaining silent for a while, smiled slightly, “Look what I brought you.”

He brought over something he had placed aside—a birdcage containing a yellow Dutch canary with gold chains on its feet, pecking at grain and drinking water inside. Yu Changxuan smiled, “Knowing you like this Dutch canary, I specially got it for you. It has many entertaining tricks—I’ll have it perform for us shortly. I guarantee it will make you happy.”

Pingjun looked at the bird in the cage and shook her head, “I don’t want it.”

Yu Changxuan said, “Don’t you like Dutch canaries?”

Pingjun said indifferently, “Does it deserve such a fine name? Only those flying outside can be called Dutch canaries. Those locked in cages are merely goldfinches.”

Yu Changxuan’s hand holding the cage paused. He looked up at her calm expression, then at the goldfinch in the cage, realizing his action was rather like stabbing someone’s wound with a needle. He immediately lost interest, put down the cage, and smiled patiently, “I have nothing to do tonight. How about I take you to see a movie?”

Pingjun said, “I don’t like that.”

Yu Changxuan looked at her again, “Then I’ll take you for Western food?” Pingjun lowered her head, slowly picking at the apricot-yellow tassels of the round fan, saying quietly, “I don’t like eating that.”

The room fell silent except for wind still blowing in from outside, making the cymbidium leaves by the window sway chaotically. The smile gradually faded from his face as he stared at her. After a long while, he said with extraordinary calm, “You don’t want this, you don’t like that—I’ve been too indulgent, spoiling you into such a temper.”

She kept her head down with pursed lips as the apricot-yellow tassels slid softly through her fingers.

He stared fixedly at her, his gaze showing scorching, pressing power, “No one has ever dared treat me this way! You keep testing my patience like this, and I’ve endured it all—aren’t you satisfied yet?!”

Pingjun looked up at him once but was about to turn her head away. He truly hated such evasion, forcibly turning her face toward him with somewhat rapid breathing, “Ye Pingjun, you…” He spoke halfway but was too angry to continue, only pressing his gaze intensely on her pair of clear eyes. His gaze was burning hot, as if sparks might fly out.

She slightly raised her face, her chin bearing clear finger marks from his grip. Without another word, he suddenly stood up, lifted the birdcage from the coffee table, and knocked it to the ground, exploding in anger, “Fine! You have a big temper—do whatever you want! I won’t care about you anymore!”

The birdcage fell on the carpet and rolled away. The goldfinch, startled, fluttered its wings frantically in the cage, staring with red eyes and crying out in alarm.

She turned her head, “Don’t go crazy!”

He looked at her indifferent face through gritted teeth, “You’d better not make me go crazy!”

Knocking came at the door as Deputy Wu Zuoxiao said from outside, “Fifth Young Master, Madam called saying you should go to the official residence.”

Yu Changxuan’s gaze remained on Ye Pingjun. She just sat there without saying a word. He felt as if a hard, cold piece of iron had sunk in his heart, pressing against him uncomfortably. It was all because of her—he had truly gone mad, allowing her to torment him like this.

He finally hardened his heart, picked up his military cap, and walked out.

It was deep autumn, also a troubled autumn for Jinling’s central government. Warlord warfare was becoming increasingly serious. Government Administrative Chairman Chu Wenfu misjudged the situation and took advantage of some disorder in the north to attack the Xiao family army, initially gaining some advantage and seizing two railway trunk lines. But this past month, they encountered fierce counterattacks from the Xiao army. Seeing the Xiao army cross the Xishui River, Chu Wenfu could no longer sit still and hastily requested Military Committee Chairman Yu Zhongquan to intervene, finally blocking the Xiao army. However, this made Chu Wenfu even more obedient to Yu Zhongquan.

Under such circumstances, Jiang Xueting, chief editor of the most influential political newspaper “Ming Bao” (Famous Daily), harshly criticized the central government for treating the constitution as mere decoration, making the government like a puppet, and the abnormal political model of using military to control the party. He fearlessly wrote a satirical poem directly targeting the Yu and Chu families’ joint insistence on civil war rather than resisting Japan:

The fisherman farms without casting nets,

The spear tills soil but doesn’t strike sharks,

Whose pretty little daughter

Willingly becomes another’s climbing vine?

Heaven’s way unclear, hearts grown ancient,

See how long your arrogance lasts!

This morning, after the regular meeting at the Yu official residence ended, Yu Zhongquan kept Gu Yigang and Zhang Xiaoxian, two key figures in the Yu family army, to discuss military affairs. Yu Changxuan remained in the office to listen. He watched them deliberate advance and retreat strategies before the tactical map for a long time before Gu Yigang laughed with a “heh” sound, “Commander is truly formidable—no one could have anticipated this killing move!”

Zhang Xiaoxian also laughed, “It seems Commander is determined to take Young Marshal Xiao’s life this time!”

Yu Changxuan saw these uncles laughing while speaking in riddles, and his father smiled as he turned to look at him, actually saying, “Changxuan, don’t be anxious. Within this year, I’ll definitely let you enter battle and achieve great merit.”

Yu Changxuan glanced at the strategic map and saw that one firepower concentration point was actually at Xiangping Pass. As he wondered how his father would arrange this battle, Gu Yigang, who was drinking tea nearby, already laughed, “I understand—good steel must be used on the blade’s edge. It seems Commander wants to use this move to establish Fifth Young Master’s career.”

Yu Zhongquan only smiled faintly, “I do have this intention, but for him to become a commander at such a young age, he’ll definitely need you two to support him.”

Yu Changxuan was ultimately young and spirited, unable to restrain himself. He stepped forward, “Father, I don’t need any support. Let me face Xiao Beichen alone!”

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhongquan immediately became displeased, “You’re truly an ignorant fool! You want to face that Xiao fellow now? Can what you learned in military academy handle Xiao Beichen’s battlefield experience?! A domesticated hawk wanting to fight a wild eagle! I’m afraid you don’t have such capability!”

Yu Changxuan was still indignant and replied directly, “Since Father says so, my ability is insufficient. Why make me a commander then? I won’t accept unearned rewards!”

Yu Zhongquan had shown anger, but hearing this from Yu Changxuan, he didn’t explode. He only threw the troop markers in his hand onto the table with a “snap” and said simply, “Scoundrel, get out!”

Seeing his father’s ambiguous attitude, Yu Changxuan was still unwilling to give up. But having spoken to this extent, he couldn’t disobey further and had to withdraw.

Army Chief of Staff Gu Yigang watched Yu Changxuan leave and saw Yu Zhongquan’s displeased expression, quickly laughing, “Who would have thought Changxuan had such pride—truly worthy of big brother’s former style.”

Zhang Xiaoxian also nodded, “Changxuan grew up under mine and Old Gu’s watch. His character most resembles big brother’s. After real battlefield experience for a few years, he’ll surely achieve great things. Big brother needn’t worry—Changxuan won’t disappoint!”

Yu Zhongquan looked at the sand table and after a long time slowly sighed, “You both know that now our Yu family has only this one heir left. I can’t help but worry. Fortunately, he has backbone, which gives me some comfort. If he were truly worthless, I would have stopped caring about him long ago.”

Yu Changxuan walked out of Yu Zhongquan’s study and went downstairs, where he saw his second sister Jinxuan’s child, seven-year-old Kuang Zening, running out from the north hall. Upon seeing Yu Changxuan, the boy immediately stopped, looked up with his childish voice, and called, “Little Uncle.” Then he put his chubby little hands behind his back and solemnly added, “Little Auntie inside is saying bad things about Little Uncle. I didn’t say anything.”

Yu Changxuan was amused by Zening’s serious tattling manner and couldn’t help laughing. He called toward the north hall, “Qixuan, stay right where you are and don’t move.” He walked in and saw a card table set up in the north hall with sister-in-law Minru, second sister Jinxuan, sixth sister Qixuan, and Jun Daiti playing cards. Seeing Yu Changxuan enter, Qixuan immediately pushed away her cards and playfully stuck out her tongue, “Oh dear, the debt collector has come to the door—I’m not playing anymore.” She jumped up from her chair and ran out with a flutter.

Seeing Jun Daiti there, Yu Changxuan wanted to retreat, but Minru smiled slightly, stood up to block his path, “Where is Fifth Brother running to? We finally set up a card game, and you’ve made it three players short of four. You must come play a few rounds, or where are we going to find someone at this hour?”

Yu Changxuan pointed upstairs, laughing, “Sister-in-law wants my life—Father is upstairs right now.”

Minru smiled, “It’s just a few rounds to relieve boredom. If Father blames us, I’ll explain for you.” She pushed Yu Changxuan to sit in her original position, which happened to make Yu Changxuan and Jun Daiti partners at the table. She sat in Qixuan’s vacated spot and beckoned to the nearby maid Ruizhu, instructing her to wash and bring a plate of the newly bought loquats.

Yu Changxuan glanced up slightly and saw Jun Daiti wearing a pale yellow brocade satin qipao with a lustrous, crystalline bracelet on her wrist. A handkerchief was wound around the bracelet in a circle. She sat there with lowered head, only arranging the cards in her hand, unconsciously showing some nervousness—all of which he took in at a glance. Minru smiled, “We must establish rules first—in my card games, no one is allowed to secretly exchange glances or privately communicate.”

Jinxuan laughed, “Then there’s no way to play! Not to mention anything else, how much has sister-in-law won from me? I was hoping sister-in-law would show mercy—why become so impartial now?”

Minru smiled, “Don’t complain. We’re just playing cards, taking a cut for refreshments. If I win your money, I’ll buy refreshments to sweeten this sister-in-law’s mouth. If Daiti wins, she can treat Fifth Brother to Western food.”

Daiti lowered her head as the ginkgo earrings by her ears swayed chaotically. Yu Changxuan coughed and shuffled the cards randomly on the table. They played again. After just two rounds, Minru’s sharp eyes had clearly seen Daiti’s cards. She now played a two-dot tile, looking at Jun Daiti with a smile, obviously letting her win. But Jun Daiti just sat there, lost in thought. Watching this two-dot tile go to Jinxuan instead, she remained in a daze, showing her heart was in complete turmoil.

As they played, they heard Qixuan’s voice from outside, talking to Zening at the hall entrance: “Zening, who else is in the north hall?” Zening ran into the hall, stood before the card table, and shouted toward the outside, “Here are Big Aunt and Mama, plus Little Uncle and Little Uncle’s girlfriend Daiti…”

Yu Changxuan’s face immediately darkened with rising anger. He threw down his cards with a “snap” and said angrily, “What nonsense! Who taught you this?!”

This frightened Zening into immediate silence, his mouth turning down as if to cry. Second Sister Jinxuan stood up to pull Zening over, laughing, “Fifth Brother, don’t get angry. He’s so young—how would he understand what ‘girlfriend’ means? He must have heard others say it and learned it carelessly.” She then turned to Daiti, “Children don’t understand—he was presumptuous toward Sister Daiti. I’m truly sorry. Please don’t be angry.”

Jun Daiti gripped a card tightly in her hand, sitting there with a flushed face, biting her lips hard. Seeing this scene, Minru pushed Daiti and laughed to smooth things over, “It’s all children’s nonsense. How could our Sister Daiti be angry? She wouldn’t be like Fifth Brother, getting upset at whatever others say!”

Yu Changxuan said to Minru, “Sister-in-law’s instruction is correct—I was wrong.” As he spoke, Madam Yu entered carrying a lightly annotated copy of the “Lotus Sutra,” followed by Qixuan. As she walked, she said, “I asked you to help me copy scriptures, but you only know how to play. After three or four days, you haven’t even copied one page properly.”

Qixuan pouted, “Such boring stuff—I don’t have the patience to copy it.” Looking up, Madam Yu saw the four people at the card table had various expressions and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Changxuan said, “I spoke inappropriately and upset sister-in-law.” This comment treated Jun Daiti as if she didn’t exist. Jun Daiti could no longer bear it. Tears immediately fell as she stood up, pointing at Yu Changxuan, “Yu Changxuan, you bully people like this! I know you have Second Miss Tao now and turn around to humiliate me. Do you really think I can’t live without you? If so, let’s cut ties completely.” Wiping her tears, she ran out. Minru frantically called, “Daiti, what are you doing?” and chased after her.

This exchange left Madam Yu stunned. She first watched Jun Daiti run away, then turned to see Yu Changxuan sitting there seemingly unmoved. Naturally taking her son’s side, she said, “This Daiti—she seemed fine as a child, quite proper. But now that she’s grown up… Despite being from a prestigious family, she doesn’t understand basic manners, crying and wailing in someone else’s house. What does that look like?”

Yu Changxuan said nothing more, only giving Jinxuan a meaningful look before getting up and leaving. He went downstairs and stood in the flower-filled corridor, admiring the scenery while waiting. Soon enough, he heard the tap-tap of high heels—it was Jinxuan emerging. She approached and took Yu Changxuan’s arm, laughing, “What’s gotten into you lately? You used to treat Daiti quite well—why are you increasingly ignoring her now?”

Yu Changxuan smiled, “This is all for Second Sister’s sake. If I truly married Jun Daiti, both Jun sisters would enter our family. If they conspired together, it would be fine while Father and Mother are here, but if Father and Mother weren’t around, wouldn’t Second Sister’s future days be difficult?”

Jinxuan looked Yu Changxuan up and down and laughed, “What do you mean? Was that scene just performed for me? I feel like your words today have hidden meanings.” Yu Changxuan smiled, “I want to stand on Second Sister’s side and never have any connection with Jun Daiti. You must help me with something—will you?”

Jinxuan smiled, “When you open your mouth, it’s never anything good. Let me hear it.”

Yu Changxuan said, “I’m going with Father to inspect military defenses at the western front—I’ll be gone about half a month. If you have time, visit Fengtai.” He paused, walked to Jinxuan’s ear, and whispered a few sentences. Jinxuan was first startled, then said quietly, “You’ve truly gone mad. If Father knew about this…”

Yu Changxuan said indifferently, “Let him know. If it really causes trouble, I’ll simply make her my legitimate wife.” This made Jinxuan tap his head lightly, gritting her teeth, “Now you’re talking even crazier! Where did this vixen come from to bewitch you so?”

Yu Changxuan immediately retorted, “She’s not—and she didn’t bewitch me. I… am bewitched by her.” After a pause, he said quietly, “Anyway, I don’t care anymore. I just love her.”

Seeing him like this, Jinxuan could only say cautiously, “This doesn’t look good to me. Think it through yourself. What kind of family are we Yus? What’s your status? You and she have no possibility—why torture yourself? I advise you to let her go early.”

Hearing this from Jinxuan, Yu Changxuan knew the stakes involved. He lowered his eyes slightly, an indescribable light flashing in his pupils. After a long while, he said quietly, “If only it were that simple. Now I just can’t let her go!”

Since Yu Changxuan accompanied Yu Zhongquan to inspect military defenses at the western front and hadn’t come to Fengtai for quite some time, Ye Pingjun felt slightly more at ease. During the day, she would come out from the bedroom and often sit in the reception room for a while. The reception room had an ornately carved screen with colored glass in lotus and peony patterns. On one side stood a thick green velvet sofa with a gramophone on a nearby low table, its horn blooming like a morning glory flower. Ye Pingjun would sit on the sofa, sometimes picking up a movie magazine to read. Having learned some English at school, she could understand the English introductions in the magazines.

This day she was curled up on the sofa reading a magazine. When she grew tired, she picked up nearby tea to drink, only to find it ice-cold—realizing she had been sitting so long the tea had cooled. Just then, a little maid entered, and she said, “Could you please change this tea? It’s gotten cold.”

The little maid cheerfully agreed and came over to change the tea when a voice came from outside the reception room: “Nini, you’re getting lazier and lazier. You’re just a maid but act like a young lady—why don’t you go to the kitchen to wash dishes?” Nini turned around to see Qiu Luo entering, quickly withdrew her hand, looked at Pingjun apologetically, and left awkwardly.

Qiu Luo approached and smiled at Ye Pingjun sitting on the sofa: “Miss Ye, we’re all so busy we can’t spare hands. Just make do with what you have—cold tea is actually better for quenching thirst.”

Ye Pingjun slowly turned a page of her magazine without saying anything. But Qiu Luo wasn’t finished, smiling as she continued, “I heard poor families brew straw hat circles as tea. This cold tea must taste much better than that.” This was simply insulting. Ye Pingjun’s fingers paused on the magazine page, her lips pressed together, but she endured it again.

Qiu Luo raised her head with a triumphant smile when suddenly footsteps came from outside—it was Nini running back, entering the reception room to announce, “Second Miss has arrived.”

Qiu Luo was first startled, then her face bloomed like a flower as she hurried to greet the visitor. Ye Pingjun stood up from the sofa and saw a woman around thirty entering, wearing an apple-green rhinestone qipao with a black wool cloak—charming yet dignified. Upon entering, she ignored the smiling Qiu Luo, her sharp gaze directly targeting Ye Pingjun, immediately sizing her up from head to toe.

Ye Pingjun felt that gaze had a piercing quality, as if it could see through hearts at a glance. She couldn’t help feeling intimidated, instinctively putting her hands behind her back, then realizing this gesture was too childish and hastily releasing them. This small action made the woman actually laugh, “What a lovely appearance—no wonder our Fifth Brother thinks about you day and night.”

Jinxuan was quite a character, immediately weighing Pingjun completely in her mind. She thought this was indeed such a clean, pure girl—certainly not some seductive type. No wonder Changxuan would keep her in his heart. Seeing her like this, she wasn’t someone who would use schemes either—whether making her leave or letting her stay, she would be easy to manipulate. Thinking this way, Jinxuan relaxed slightly and smiled as she approached to take Pingjun’s hands, “If I’m not mistaken, you must be Sister Pingjun?”

Pingjun nodded and saw Jinxuan say warmly, “I’m Changxuan’s second sister. I’ve heard Changxuan mention you often and have long wanted to meet you.” Pingjun looked at Jinxuan’s smiling face and politely said, “Miss Yu.”

Jinxuan was further startled and smiled meaningfully, “That form of address is incorrect—you should call me Second Sister.”

But Pingjun remained silent without using that address. Seeing Pingjun’s quiet manner, Jinxuan further realized she was someone without ambition. Looking at her wearing a pink satin robe and standing there pitifully, she couldn’t help feeling genuinely fond of her and smiled, “Changxuan went with Father to inspect military defenses at the western front. He worried you’d be lonely staying alone at Fengtai and specifically asked me to keep you company. Come, today I’ll take you shopping at department stores to buy nice things.”

Pingjun wanted to decline, but seeing Second Miss’s warm manner and personally coming to take her out, she couldn’t voice her refusal and had to agree. She went upstairs to change clothes before following Jinxuan out of Fengtai. Jinxuan first took Pingjun to foreign goods stores selling mostly imported items. She generously picked out a diamond brooch for Pingjun, who couldn’t refuse and had to accept it. Then Jinxuan took her to order several outfits, bought many things at department stores—naturally with accompanying servants carrying the large and small packages. Finally, around three in the afternoon, they went to the famous Jinling restaurant Green Willow House.

The private room at Green Willow House naturally provided attentive service with everything well-prepared. A waiter poured tea for Pingjun and respectfully brought hot towels when Jinxuan sitting nearby suddenly said, “How annoying—why put this newspaper here? It’s quite bothersome.” Pingjun saw Jinxuan casually throw a newspaper onto the table. She glanced at the newspaper once and instantly her heart pounded like thunder, unable to stop trembling.

While drinking tea, Jinxuan pointed to a photograph in the newspaper: “Sister, look—this is ‘Ming Bao’s’ editor-in-chief Jiang Xueting. He’s truly no good, using his minor talent to write all sorts of nonsense attacking our Yu family daily. If not for Fifth Brother saying to leave him alone, someone would have dealt with him for our Yu family long ago!”

Ye Pingjun was still panicking, her gaze seemingly glued to the newspaper photograph, unable to look away no matter how hard she tried. The newspaper photo showed him still radiant and smiling—she remembered so clearly, so carefully. Suddenly, her mind was in chaos with thoughts crashing like waves, making her tremble involuntarily. He was now editor-in-chief of ‘Ming Bao’—was he doing well? What did he think of her sudden disappearance? Did he still remember… her? Or perhaps… hate her for leaving without word…

Her heart was in turmoil, feeling parched, and she said quietly, “He… perhaps doesn’t only target the Yu family.”

Jinxuan sneered, “You’re right about that. Besides the Mou family, he really curses everyone. Just watch—being so arrogant at such a young age without knowing limits, our Yu family is too lazy to touch him, but someday someone else will take his life!”

Ye Pingjun felt cold sweat on her back, unable to sit still, when the private room door opened—it was Green Willow House waiters bringing the first course. First came Immortal Duck, followed by Beauty’s Liver, Squirrel Fish, and other famous Jinling dishes. Jinxuan smiled and placed a chopstick of food on Pingjun’s plate: “Sister Pingjun, stop daydreaming. I think you’re still too thin—eat something first.”

Afraid Jinxuan would notice something, Pingjun hastily lowered her head to eat, feeling her eyes swelling. She forced herself to endure that heart-scratching, liver-clawing discomfort. Unfortunately, these world-famous Jinling delicacies tasted flavorless in her mouth.

Not until evening did Jinxuan escort Pingjun back before taking a car home. Pingjun had servants take the purchased items to her bedroom. With her heart in knots, she unconsciously walked to the back courtyard and saw the garden full of lush vegetation, red flowers and green willows, with ornamental carp swimming freely in a small pond. After walking a few steps, she suddenly saw a large cluster of verdant white hostas. The soil around the flower roots was fresh and soft—obviously newly planted and divided. Pingjun was startled and followed the hosta cluster forward to see several attendants standing among the flowers cultivating soil, with Guard Captain Gu Ruitong standing nearby. Hearing her footsteps, he turned around.

Pingjun paused slightly and stood there.

Seeing her, Gu Ruitong said, “Miss Ye, before Fifth Young Master left, he specifically instructed us to plant this cluster of hostas well, saying Miss Ye would surely like them.”

Pingjun looked at those hosta flower clusters and gently lowered her head, “How did he know I’d like them?”

Gu Ruitong replied, “Fifth Young Master specifically went to East Good Bridge to ask Miss Ye’s mother.”

Pingjun stood silently.

The white hostas were planted against the wall, covering a large expanse. Pale golden sunset light shone over, turning the originally tender green leaves golden yellow. Pingjun stood beside the hostas in her elegant clothing, seeming like a blooming flower among the leaves.

Suddenly a voice came from behind: “I wondered where Miss Ye had gone—so you’re here.” The voice was extremely slow and languid. Pingjun turned around to see senior maid Qiu Luo wearing a bright red shirt, smiling as she leaned against one side of the moon gate, standing against the wind, looking at her and Gu Ruitong with her chin slightly raised.

When she said “you’re here,” she slightly emphasized the tone, then bit her lips and raised her head, still smiling.

Ye Pingjun completely ignored her, passed through the moon gate, and returned directly to her room. She saw all the day’s purchases arranged on the bedroom’s small coffee table. She sat silently on the sofa with a dazed expression. After an unknown amount of time, she slowly took a newspaper from a package—it was ‘Ming Bao,’ which she had secretly brought back when Jinxuan wasn’t paying attention.

She looked at the newspaper pages for a long time, her soft fingers silently resting on his photograph, and the line of new vernacular poetry advocated at the time under his column:

Small Notes on Emotional Threads—

You left, like a wind, leaving no trace.

In memory, you still smile by the door, and the fluttering silk scarf remains in my long dreams.

The jujube tree by the door still stands. I, holding a strand of your fragrant hair, wait in the empty courtyard.

Ye Pingjun slowly placed the newspaper on the coffee table. She sat there staring at it in a daze, so absorbed that she didn’t even hear Qiu Luo’s footsteps entering to serve tea.