Having not seen him for over two months, Wen Ping no longer had any trace of a head steward’s appearance. His hair was disheveled, his cheeks sunken—he looked like a completely different person.

Lin Hao could recognize him only because Wen Ping and Wen Rusheng had left too deep an impression on her.

“What is Steward Wen doing?” Lin Hao’s tone was indifferent. “I recall we settled everything between us long ago.”

Wen Ping kowtowed repeatedly at Lin Hao’s feet. “Second Miss, please show some mercy. Yun’er’s leg was broken by people from the gambling house, and now he’s nearly dying.”

“Nearly dying?” Lin Hao raised her eyebrows slightly, without a ripple of emotion in her heart.

She knew that even without her lifting a finger, this father and son would come to no good end, though she hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

Lin Hao’s indifference made Wen Ping’s emotions even more intense. “Second Miss, you only need to give me ten taels of silver so I can fetch a doctor for Yun’er. Yun’er has a high fever and can’t be delayed any longer—”

Lin Hao stepped back two paces, saying coolly, “Steward Wen, I’ll say it one more time—we’re even. You don’t owe me, and I don’t owe you.”

Wen Ping didn’t listen to these words at all, continuing to plead. “Second Miss, ten taels of silver is merely the cost of one meal to you, but it could save my son’s life. I beg you…”

In the distance, people were already looking their way.

Lin Hao frowned. “Steward Wen, there are quite a few passersby on this street for whom ten taels of silver is merely the cost of one meal. Why don’t you go beg them instead of coming to beg me?”

Wen Ping stopped his movements, looking at the girl’s calm expression and seeing faint mockery in her eyes.

Wen Ping was stunned.

In his thinking, as long as he put aside his pride and begged a little, the Second Miss would surely agree to a mere ten taels of silver, considering she’d previously given hundreds and thousands of taels so readily.

But now, Lin Hao’s gaze made him realize he wouldn’t get these ten taels of silver.

“Second Miss, this humble one did help you back then.”

“You received silver for it.” Lin Hao smiled. “Steward Wen served as steward in the Vice Minister’s estate for so many years—can you really not distinguish between a transaction and friendship?”

Wen Ping was momentarily speechless.

Lin Hao stopped looking at him and lifted her foot to walk forward.

“Second Miss!” Wen Ping called out.

Lin Hao stopped and looked down at him.

Wen Ping climbed up from the ground. Gone was his earlier begging posture, and a vicious light shone through his half-narrowed eyes. “Second Miss, aren’t you afraid I’ll reveal how you bought me off back then?”

Lin Hao raised an eyebrow. “Is Steward Wen threatening me?”

Wen Ping made a gesture. “One hundred taels. As long as Second Miss gives me another hundred taels of silver, I’ll keep that matter buried in my belly forever.”

“Go ahead and tell.”

“What?” Wen Ping thought he’d heard wrong.

Lin Hao smiled calmly. “You’re welcome to tell. It’s just that who would someone like Steward Wen, who looks no different from a beggar, be able to tell? And who would believe the words you speak? If you slander the reputation of the General’s estate’s young miss without evidence, aren’t you afraid of being arrested by the authorities?”

Wen Ping’s ferocious expression froze on his face.

He couldn’t understand how a young girl could be so calm and fearless.

“What a pity.” Lin Hao sighed lightly. “If Steward Wen had just said he was willing to work for me and use that to exchange for his son’s medical fees, though I wouldn’t employ you, I might well have taken out these ten taels out of softheartedness.”

Some people always let evil thoughts surface first. Wen Ping was undoubtedly this type of person.

Such people didn’t deserve compassion.

Wen Ping’s eyes brightened, his face full of urgency. “Second Miss, this humble one is happy to work for you! This humble one can be your ox and horse!”

“Not needed.” Lin Hao shook her head and strode past.

If she wished, she could indeed gain someone useful to command—someone who would stop at nothing to carry out her orders.

But she had never needed such a person.

Nor did she want to become such a person.

Up ahead, several newly minted jinshi who had just attended the Qionglin Banquet stood discussing Lin Hao.

“That young lady has such a hard heart. The beggar knelt and begged for so long, yet she wouldn’t part with a single coin.”

“Indeed. If not more, she should at least have given a steamed bun.”

As Lin Hao drew near, someone said in surprise, “Isn’t this the young lady from that day?”

“Which day?”

“That day we went for tea and the young lady who was nearly hit by the flowerpot.”

“It really is her.”

“At the time I thought this young lady was so kind-hearted…”

Seeing the young woman approaching, they all fell silent, gazing at that beautiful face under the lamplight. Some were nervous, some expectant, and some disappointed.

After Lin Hao walked past without a sideways glance, someone sighed. “I never expected that young lady would have two different attitudes toward the girl child and the beggar.”

“Could it be that day, because we were there, the young lady was pleasant to the girl child?”

Wen Feng looked at his enlightened fellow graduate and couldn’t bear it any longer. “That man might not be a beggar. Perhaps there’s some reason—we shouldn’t speculate rashly.”

“It’s getting late. Let’s disperse.” A young man wearing a golden flower spoke up.

The young man had refined features and impeccable dress—he was none other than Yang Zhe, the newly famous zhuangyuan known throughout the realm.

The others clearly regarded him as their leader and dispersed at these words.

Wen Feng walked quickly, catching up with Wen Ping.

“Steward Wen?”

Wen Ping looked toward Wen Feng, his expression moving from confusion to surprise. “You are… Young Master Feng?”

“How did Steward Wen come to this state?” Wen Feng asked in shock.

If not for his cousin, he wouldn’t have recognized this as the Wen estate’s head steward at all.

Tears immediately flowed from Wen Ping’s eyes. “After leaving the Wen estate, my son and I had no one to rely on and were bullied by everyone. Some days ago, Yun’er’s leg was broken by villains, and now the wound is festering and he has a high fever—he’s nearly dying…”

“That serious?”

Wen Ping cried even more miserably. “Just now this humble one sought out Second Miss, hoping she would show great mercy and bestow a few taels of silver so I could seek medical treatment for Yun’er, but I never expected—”

Wen Feng didn’t follow Wen Ping’s lead in commenting on Lin Hao, only saying, “Steward Wen, take me to see Wen Yun.”

Wen Ping’s face showed joy as he dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowing. “Thank you, Young Master Feng! Thank you, Young Master Feng!”

Wen Feng stepped aside. “Steward Wen need not do this. Seeing Wen Yun is urgent.”

Wen Ping wiped his tears and led Wen Feng in a winding route into a narrow alley.

Sewage flowed across the alley, the stench assaulting the nose. Only moonlight barely illuminated the dingy gray walls and the moss at their base.

“It’s here.” Wen Ping pushed open a broken door, inviting Wen Feng inside.

“Yun’er, Father has returned.”

The room was pitch black with no movement.

Wen Ping quickly walked a few steps into the room and lit an oil lamp.

The lamplight was dim as a bean, making the interior appear gloomy and oppressive. An indescribable stench burrowed into one’s nose.

Wen Feng saw Wen Yun lying on the bed.

Compared to Wen Yun, who had almost lost all human appearance, Steward Wen actually looked relatively presentable.

“Yun’er, how are you?”

Wen Ping called out twice more without response and quickly walked over.

“Yun’er, Yun’er, wake up.” Wen Ping pushed Wen Yun’s arm several times, his hand trembling as he went to check his breathing.

His hand reached Wen Yun’s nose, then suddenly pulled back. The room soon filled with Wen Ping’s heart-wrenching cries. “Yun’er!”