Now that Cheng Gao was married, Zhou Shaojin no longer had any excuse to stay at the fourth household for extended periods.

Today Cheng Xu was having lunch in the outer courtyard, and she had fortunately avoided him, but what about tomorrow? The day after?

Cheng Xu was Old Madam Guo’s legitimate grandson. His coming to pay respects to Old Madam Guo was filial duty—could she really stop him?

Even with Old Madam Guo, who was advanced in years and looking forward to having her children and grandchildren gathered around her in joy, over time she would likely develop some resentment.

It had truly reached the point where she had no choice but to leave.

After seeing off Cheng Gao and his wife, Zhou Shaojin noticed Yuan Shi had something to say to Old Madam Guo, so she rose and returned to Jade Emerald Pavilion.

Chun Wan smiled and said, “Second Young Miss, why don’t you take an afternoon nap? Otherwise you won’t have energy when you go to Joyful Tree Hall later.”

Since they were keeping Cheng Gao and his wife for lunch at Cold Jade Mountain House, Old Madam Guo’s side had sent someone to inform Old Madam Guan. Old Madam Guan then invited Old Madam Guo to have dinner at Joyful Tree Hall that evening, saying that the guests would all be gradually leaving in the afternoon. For the new daughter-in-law’s first meal after entering the household, she wanted to gather everyone from the first household together.

Old Madam Guo happily agreed.

Zhou Shaojin would also be going along later.

How could Zhou Shaojin possibly sleep? She sat in the grand armchair by the window and said quietly, “I’ll work on my netting for a while before sleeping.”

Chun Wan couldn’t help but say, “Who are you making this netting for? Is it urgent?”

Zhou Shaojin said half-truthfully, “It’s a fan netting I’m making for Uncle Chi. Miss Nan Ping asked me to do it, and I want to finish it early so I can start making small garments for my nephew.”

Chun Wan felt relieved and smiled, “Then shall I brew you a stronger pot of tea?”

Zhou Shaojin smiled in agreement.

Xiao Tan walked in cheerfully and said, “Second Cousin Miss, Cui Huan from Miss Jia’s side is here.”

What was she here for?

Zhou Shaojin pondered this as she had Xiao Tan bring her in.

She curtsied to Zhou Shaojin and said, “Second Cousin Miss, our young miss asks that you come to Full Fragrance Pavilion.”

Zhou Shaojin was surprised. “Go to Full Fragrance Pavilion for what?”

That was a pavilion not far from Cold Jade Mountain House, by the lake. In midsummer one could stand there and see endless green leaves with lotus flowers standing tall. But now it was autumn—the lake was full of withered flowers, and the wind that blew carried a chill.

Cui Huan smiled and said, “Our young miss says she’ll wait for you there. Then we’ll go to Apricot Pomegranate Garden together.”

Apricot Pomegranate Garden was Cheng Gao’s new residence.

Zhou Shaojin laughed. While tidying up her things, she asked, “Does Gao’s eldest wife know your young miss is coming?”

“She knows!” Cui Huan nimbly came forward to help her put away her needlework, saying, “The time was even set by Gao’s eldest wife. She said if we came any later, it would be time for dinner.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile. She changed her clothes, thought for a moment, and instructed Chun Wan to help her pack several boxes of pastries before following Cui Huan to Full Fragrance Pavilion.

They passed through a bamboo grove with winding paths leading to secluded places and headed west. After walking for about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Zhou Shaojin discovered that along the small path, one could occasionally see several distinctively shaped Taihu stones.

She couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

In the gardens of Jiangnan, when such Taihu stones appeared along paths in bamboo groves, it usually meant that further ahead, one would see a stone forest or artificial mountain made of piled Taihu stones.

Cui Huan looked at Zhou Shaojin in confusion.

Zhou Shaojin asked, “Why did you think to come this way?”

Cui Huan said, “Zheng eldest young master said going this way is shorter!”

Zhou Shaojin suddenly felt her breathing stop.

After a moment, she said quietly, “Since it was Cousin Jia who invited me, why does Zheng eldest young master come into it?”

Cui Huan smiled and said, “When I was leaving, I ran into Zheng eldest young master. He had just returned from outside and said he had left some Chengxin paper in the outer courtyard study room. He asked me to get it from the servant in the outer courtyard study. Miss Jia was still waiting for me! I hesitated for a moment. Zheng eldest young master asked me what was the matter. I thought this wasn’t anything improper, and since I didn’t dare lie to Zheng eldest young master’s face, I told him. Zheng eldest young master then pointed out this path to me and told me to go and return quickly, and to send the Chengxin paper to Exquisite Hall for him.” As she spoke, her face showed confusion. “Second Cousin Miss, is something wrong?”

Yes!

What was wrong?

Cheng Jia’s decision to go to Apricot Pomegranate Garden was a spur-of-the-moment decision with her. Cheng Jia had always been afraid of Old Madam Guo, so she had Cui Huan ask her to meet at Full Fragrance Pavilion. Cui Huan had coincidentally encountered Cheng Zheng, and Cheng Zheng had pointed out a shortcut to her… Everything seemed so reasonable and natural… If she hadn’t seen the Taihu stones along the path, if she hadn’t seen this bamboo grove, if she didn’t have memories from her previous life…

Zhou Shaojin stood in the middle of the bamboo grove with its swaying branches and leaves, took several deep breaths, and said in a low voice, “Lead the way ahead.”

Cui Huan said “Alright,” but her face showed suspicion.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t want to say another word.

Some things that were meant to come would still come!

It was just that she was no longer the timid and weak Zhou Shaojin from her previous life, no longer the Zhou Shaojin who would first look for her own faults when something happened!

She whispered a few words in Chun Wan’s ear.

Chun Wan was shocked.

Zhou Shaojin looked at her without saying a word, her distinct black and white eyes as cold and clear as stars.

Chun Wan bit her lip and nodded fiercely, saying, “Young Miss, rest assured, I’ll go get it right away.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded and watched as Chun Wan left the bamboo grove.

After walking a few steps and discovering Zhou Shaojin hadn’t followed, Cui Huan quickly turned back. Watching Chun Wan’s disappearing figure, she couldn’t help but say, “Second Cousin Miss, what are you…”

“I remembered that the vest for the Madam is finished, so I had Chun Wan go back to get it to bring along.” Zhou Shaojin smiled, though her hands hidden in her sleeves were tightly clenched into fists.

She hoped she was wrong!

She hoped this was just her imagination!

Zhou Shaojin silently repeated this in her heart.

Cui Huan chatted with her idly: “Second Cousin Miss, are you doing embroidery work again? Everyone said the pair of kang screens you embroidered for our young miss last time were excellent. Second Cousin Miss, why did you think to embroider kang screens for our young miss? Does Luoyang use heated beds? Can’t they sleep in regular beds?”

She would be accompanying Cheng Jia when she married out. She wanted to know what the Li family was like even more than Cheng Jia did.

Zhou Shaojin talked with her: “I’ve never been to Luoyang, so I don’t know what it’s like there. But I’ve heard that north of the Yellow River everyone sleeps on heated beds—I don’t know if that’s true. After you go with Cousin Jia, when you have time you might write letters back so the servants at home can also learn about it…”

Cui Huan listened and couldn’t help but wonder inwardly.

The weather was so cool—why was the Second Cousin Miss’s forehead beading with fine sweat?

She was about to ask when Chun Wan came running over breathlessly: “Se-Second Young Miss, I got the vest!” As she finished speaking, as if afraid Zhou Shaojin wouldn’t believe her, she shook the vest in her hands for Zhou Shaojin to see.

Zhou Shaojin smiled slightly.

Cui Huan found this even stranger.

Why was the Second Cousin Miss’s smile so forced?

Could she be feeling unwell?

Cui Huan felt she should show some concern. But before she could, Zhou Shaojin had already walked ahead: “Don’t keep Cousin Jia waiting anxiously.”

That was true.

Cheng Jia had a quick temper and was most impatient about waiting for people.

Cui Huan could only keep her words to herself and hurried forward with Zhou Shaojin.

In the blink of an eye, they saw the artificial Taihu stone mountain.

Moss-covered bluestone slabs wound upward, with white wildflowers swaying alongside them, full of rustic charm.

Zhou Shaojin’s face turned pale.

She still remembered that in her previous life, when she and Cheng Jia walked up, she had nearly slipped on the moss.

Had they reached that cave again?

Zhou Shaojin never dared to think about those details.

She only felt that all her limbs had begun to ache faintly.

She walked up step by step. With each step, it was as if she were treading on knife points—a lingering, slicing pain.

The cave was dark and gloomy. Damp air rushed toward them.

Someone was sitting on the bluestone slab at the cave entrance, clutching his chest and moaning.

The afternoon autumn sunlight was blocked by towering trees, so one could only make out the silhouette of a man.

Chun Wan made no sound, her hand tightly gripping her handkerchief.

But Cui Huan was greatly alarmed. She walked forward in two quick steps and called out, “Who’s there?”

The man raised his head, his handsome features barely visible.

“It-it’s Xu eldest young master!” Cui Huan sighed with relief and stepped forward to curtsy.

Cheng Xu reeked of alcohol. He sat there blankly like a clay statue, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Cui Huan took a few more steps forward and said gently, “Xu eldest young master, why are you sitting here alone? Where are your attendants?”

Cheng Xu looked at her with a dull expression.

Cui Huan sighed and turned to Zhou Shaojin, saying, “Second Cousin Miss, Xu eldest young master has had too much to drink. He’s probably afraid of losing composure in front of the elders, so he’s hiding here alone. Would you like to stay here and watch over Xu eldest young master? I’ll go find Huanxi.”

Inexplicably, Zhou Shaojin wanted to laugh.

In her previous life, it had been the same.

Cheng Jia had jumped up and down saying to Cheng Xu, “Why are you here?” After saying this, like Cui Huan, she had thought Cheng Xu had drunk too much and was hiding here, and asked Zhou Shaojin to watch over him while she went to find Cheng Xu’s personal servant.

What had she done then?

She had foolishly walked over.

Then Cheng Xu had grabbed and embraced her in one motion…

Cheng Jia had screamed and struck at Cheng Xu, trying to pull him off her… But Cheng Xu wouldn’t let go no matter what, letting her cry, letting her beg for mercy, letting her curse…

In this life, the person leading her here had changed to Cui Huan.

Yet the mistress and servant had said the same words and done the same things.

Zhou Shaojin only found it laughable.

She slowly walked toward Cheng Xu.

Her heart felt as if it were soaking in ice water, cold from her heart to her fingertips.

Cheng Xu grabbed her hand in one motion.

A stench of alcohol assaulted her.

Zhou Shaojin’s stomach turned, and she retched with a loud sound.

“Second Cousin Miss!” Cui Huan, who hadn’t gone far, ran back worriedly.

But before she could get close, Cheng Xu had already pulled Zhou Shaojin into his arms, mumbling, “You’re Shaojin, I know, you’re Shaojin…”

Zhou Shaojin wasn’t frightened senseless like in her previous life. Instead, she used all her strength and pushed him away with disgust.

Even so, her wrist was still gripped tightly in Cheng Xu’s grasp, and she couldn’t break free no matter how she struggled.

Chun Wan rushed forward and stood between Cheng Xu and Zhou Shaojin.

Only then did Zhou Shaojin feel a piercing pain in her wrist as if it were about to snap.

Her eyes immediately reddened, and she said hoarsely, “Cheng Xu, do you know what you’re doing or not?”

Having lived two lives, this question had circled in her heart for a long time, and she had never found an answer.

Cheng Xu’s movements paused.

Someone rushed in and landed a punch on Cheng Xu’s face, shouting, “Scum!”

Cheng Xu staggered backward but still refused to release Zhou Shaojin’s hand, nearly causing Zhou Shaojin to fall into his arms.

The newcomer’s eyes and hands were quick—he caught Zhou Shaojin in his arms and kicked Cheng Xu.

Cheng Xu cried out and clutched his chest, finally releasing Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin felt half her body had gone numb. She couldn’t help but huddle into the newcomer’s embrace and called out, “Ji Ying.”