“Who was the one that sold Lian Xiaoshuang?” Lin Sui’an asked.

Qu Hui pressed her lips together tightly. “Xiaoshuang never once spoke that man’s name. I don’t know who he is, but I do know he was someone capable — someone who could help Xiaoshuang be removed from the register of the lowborn.”

Hua Yimeng was taken aback. “Was that Lian Niangzi a registered lowborn?”

Qu Hui nodded. “Xiaoshuang was born a musician-courtesan. She played the pipa beautifully — I heard her play once, and it was music worthy of the heavens. A pity that was the only time…”

Lin Sui’an said, “If Lian Xiaoshuang was a musician-courtesan, how did she end up becoming an embroiderer?”

“That was also because of that man. Xiaoshuang said the man was deeply devoted to her. He took her out of the music hall at Hongxiang Fang, gave her a home, and arranged for her to learn embroidery, saying he wanted to build a life together with her. Xiaoshuang adored that man completely — she believed everything he said. She even handed over the identity document of her musician’s registration to him, dreaming that one day she could be freed from the register and become a freeborn commoner, to spend her life with her beloved.”

At that, Qu Hui let out a cold laugh. “Little did she know, the thing least worth trusting in this world is a man’s mouth. That man lost money at the gambling den, couldn’t repay his debts, and sold Xiaoshuang to Wu Zhengli.”

Lin Sui’an and Hua Yimeng exchanged a glance, both of their expressions deeply troubled.

Qu Hui looked at the two of them. “I know what you’re thinking, but what Wu Zhengli did to Xiaoshuang was not what you’re imagining — or rather, it was far more cruel than what you’re imagining. Because… Wu Zhengli was incapable of performing a man’s duties…”

Lin Sui’an: “Hah?”

Hua Yimeng: “Hmph. Turns out he was useless to look at and useless to use.”

“Wu Zhengli wasn’t born that way. He and I were wed when we were young, and we did enjoy a period of sweet happiness together. Later, Wu Zhengli’s grandfather made a fortune in the Sichuan brocade trade, and the Wu family rose overnight to become one of Yidu’s newly prominent households. But men — once they have money, they start to think themselves above everyone. He spent his days chasing pleasures and indulging in excess, and then he took to gambling, squandering a great deal of the family’s accumulated wealth. Old Master Wu was so enraged he died from it, and yet Wu Zhengli somehow muddled his way into becoming the family patriarch.”

“After that, he grew worse and worse, gambling on an ever grander scale. Two years ago, a gambling debt got him beaten half to death by the den’s men — he nearly lost his life, and the beating damaged him at his core. From that point on, he was no longer capable.”

Hua Yimeng sneered, “Served him right!”

A faint, bitter smile crossed Qu Hui’s face. “A man who cannot perform his duties suffers no small disgrace. He went to great lengths to conceal it — he told the world outside that I was the frail one, that I was the one unable to bear children, and that he was so deeply devoted to me he could neither divorce me nor take a concubine, that he would remain faithful to me until death…”

Hua Yimeng spat in contempt. Qian Jing gave a small tremor at Lin Sui’an’s side.

“And what is most laughable of all — I believed him…” Qu Hui let out a low, soft laugh. “I thought, well, perhaps this isn’t so bad. He can no longer go out seeking other women. From now on, I will be his only wife. In a way, it would be one life, one heart, one pair together. A reformed wastrel is worth his weight in gold…”

Lin Sui’an felt something jab at the inside of her skull — it reminded her of words spoken by aunts and family women in that other world, urging her mother to stay.

“Men make mistakes, that’s perfectly normal. What matters is that he’s sincerely changed. A reformed wastrel is worth his weight in gold!”

Lin Sui’an gave a cold laugh. “What reformed wastrel worth his weight in gold! A dog that eats filth will never stop eating filth!”

Hua Yimeng: “Even a dog is better than men like him!”

Qu Hui let out a long breath. “Sadly, at that time, my heart was thick with lard — I was utterly blind to it all. All I did was help Wu Zhengli cover up his shameful secret. And yet, that was precisely where the true nightmare began. After Wu Zhengli became incapable, his temperament grew increasingly vicious and erratic. He began relieving himself by other means —”

Qu Hui’s hands slowly climbed to her own shoulders, her body trembling ever so slightly, unable to stop. Hua Yimeng gently clasped her hands. Qu Hui seemed to draw some warmth from the touch, and slowly continued, “Wu Zhengli built that secret room in the side estate. He confined me to the separate courtyard, and every few days would lock me in the secret room. At first it was his fists. Then clubs and rattan canes. Then later, leather whips… The servants at the courtyard didn’t dare come anywhere near. That black pavilion… was like a hell cut off from the rest of the world… until Xiaoshuang arrived…”

Lin Sui’an held her breath, sensing that what Qu Hui was about to say next would be nothing good.

“Wu Zhengli seemed to have some old grudge against the man who sold Xiaoshuang. He used every manner of torment on her, yet kept her barely alive, never letting her die. Because his focus was entirely on tormenting Xiaoshuang, I had some relief — and I even found myself thinking it would be good if Xiaoshuang could just stay…” Qu Hui squeezed her eyes shut, and tears slid silently down her cheeks. “I am truly despicable! No better than a beast!”

Lin Sui’an gripped her blade hilt. “This was not your fault!”

Hua Yimeng said through clenched teeth, “The true beast is Wu Zhengli!”

Qu Hui sobbed for a while, then wiped her tears. Red-eyed, she lifted her face. “But Xiaoshuang was different. She never submitted, never gave up. When Wu Zhengli beat her, she would curse him back in every possible way. The harder Xiaoshuang cursed, the harder Wu Zhengli beat. The harder Wu Zhengli beat, the harder Xiaoshuang cursed. Once, Xiaoshuang broke free of her ropes, threw herself at him, and sank her teeth into Wu Zhengli — tore a chunk of flesh clean off his shoulder!” A glimmer of satisfaction crossed Qu Hui’s face. “Ha! Wu Zhengli was a bloody mess at that moment, screaming like a pig being slaughtered. It was truly satisfying!”

Lin Sui’an frowned slightly. That fleeting expression on Qu Hui’s face just now — it struck her as somewhat off.

“That time, Xiaoshuang was beaten to within half a breath of her life, and Wu Zhengli’s injuries were no small thing either. He didn’t dare come back for half a month. I tended to Xiaoshuang — applied medicine to her wounds, fed her, slept on the floor at night. Xiaoshuang gradually recovered. Once she had her strength back, she played me a tune — ‘Autumn Moon Bids You Stay’ —” Qu Hui gazed at the sliver of moonlight pressing through a crack in the window, her eyes peaceful and calm. “Looking back now, that was the most beautiful time I ever had with her…”

Hua Yitang also furrowed his brow. “And after that?”

“Half a month later, Wu Zhengli came again. This time, he didn’t beat either of us. Instead, he had people bathe and dress Xiaoshuang, then took her out through the gate. After a day and a night, Xiaoshuang came back. There were no injuries on her, but I could only smell alcohol on her. Yet Xiaoshuang’s expression was deeply wrong — dazed, unfocused. Before, even when Wu Zhengli had broken her bones, her eyes had been bright. But at that time, the light in her eyes had vanished entirely, as if —” Qu Hui shuddered, “— something had seized away her very soul.”

Lin Sui’an: “Where did they go?”

Qu Hui shook her head. “The specifics I don’t know. I later heard the servants chatting among themselves — it seemed they had gone to some sort of banquet. I imagine Wu Zhengli brought Xiaoshuang along to play the pipa.”

“When was this?”

“Roughly a year and a half ago.”

Lin Sui’an pondered for a moment. “Go on.”

“After that, Wu Zhengli seemed to have turned over a new leaf. He actually sent Xiaoshuang back home. The fabric trade business improved, the gambling debts he owed were paid off, and Wu Zhengli grew busy. He even had less time to beat me. What was strangest of all was that Xiaoshuang had clearly escaped Wu Zhengli’s grasp, yet every so often she would still return to the side courtyard. Wu Zhengli would still beat her. And Xiaoshuang — she had become compliant. Once he had vented his frustration, he would still send her back home. And when the time came around again, Xiaoshuang would come once more…”

At that, a flicker of horror crossed Qu Hui’s face. “Xiaoshuang no longer seemed like Xiaoshuang. She truly had her soul seized away — she had become a walking shell!”

Hua Yimeng glanced at Lin Sui’an. Lin Sui’an pressed down on her blade hilt, forcing Qian Jing to be still.

By the timeline, Xiaoshuang had most likely already been poisoned by the Longshen fruit at that point — she was addicted, no longer in control of herself, and so had no choice but to submit to Wu Zhengli’s depravity.

And the thing that had allowed Wu Zhengli to make his comeback — that was almost certainly the Longshen fruit as well. That was the death message Lian Xiaoshuang had ultimately left behind in her embroidery.

“Has Madam Qu ever heard Wu Zhengli mention words such as Longshen fruit or talismanic water?” Lin Sui’an asked.

Qu Hui thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Never.”

“What about the Qingzhou embroidery?”

“He never spoke to me about any business matters.”

“The last time you saw Lian Xiaoshuang — was there anything unusual about her?” Lin Sui’an asked again.

A mist gathered in Qu Hui’s eyes. “That day, Wu Zhengli wasn’t there. But Xiaoshuang came. She told me she had a child in her womb. I was greatly startled — I asked whose it was. Xiaoshuang said it was that man’s, and that the man had already redeemed her back from Wu Zhengli’s hands. She said they had rekindled their bond, and had pledged to grow old together.”

Hua Yimeng practically rolled her eyes to the back of her head. Lin Sui’an cursed inwardly.

“Xiaoshuang was very happy that day, chattering away cheerfully — like the old Xiaoshuang had come back.” A smile touched Qu Hui’s lips. “She said… very soon… she would be free…”

The wind pushed open the window panels. A rich fragrance of flowers surged in. Qu Hui’s hair drifted in the night air — lonely, yet gentle.

“But a month and a half later, what I heard instead was word of Xiaoshuang’s death.”

Lin Sui’an sat holding Qian Jing on the eave of Diaolan Pavilion, gazing at the vast sky above.

It was the fourth watch before dawn — the final darkness before daybreak. Heaven and earth lay submerged in silent blackness, boundless and blank.

Qian Jing in her arms let out a low, soft keening, like the sound of weeping. Lin Sui’an knew it was not Qian Jing’s sound — it was the sound from somewhere deep inside herself.

Qu Hui’s ordeal, Lian Xiaoshuang’s story — they had called to mind a home in another world. She had thought she had forgotten. In truth, she had always remembered, with perfect, painful clarity.

Suffering, compromise, humiliation, helplessness, absurdity, bitterness and rage… all manner of tangled, chaotic feelings whirled and tore and screamed like a storm — not only for her mother, for Lian Xiaoshuang, for Qu Hui, but also for all those women who could never be seen, yet truly existed — those who had no voice.

The familiar, bloodthirsty killing urge coiled and wrestled with these feelings, and in the end fell into stillness, dissolving into a grief like that of a wandering spirit, drifting through the hollow of her body, transforming into a silent fury.

Lin Sui’an breathed deeply, forcing herself to press down the irrational rage, forcing herself to calm down, forcing Qian Jing to stop that weeping-like wail, forcing —

“To hell with staying calm!” Qian Jing swept out of its sheath in a flash, and the ghost-green blade light cleaved through the pitch-black Mochou Lake. The water reflected the blade’s howling lightning, unable to settle for a long time.

Lin Sui’an felt considerably better, and let out a long breath.

As she had always known — nothing was more satisfying than cutting something down.

All at once, a silver-thread gold-inlaid jade sachet ball came rolling over, bumping against Lin Sui’an’s foot with a touch of shyness, then stopped. A warm, fruit-wood fragrance gently enveloped Qian Jing’s fierce blade light, and Qian Jing’s wailing weakened.

Lin Sui’an turned her head in surprise. She saw a row of heads whooshing back behind the roofline, accompanied by many voices.

Hua Yitang: “Third Sister, you and Lin Sui’an are both women — you understand a woman’s heart best. You go!”

Hua Yimeng: “Xiao An and I have only met a few times, we’re not close at all. Didn’t Ling Family’s sixth son say he and Xiao An are friends? Ling the Sixth, you go!”

Ling Zhiyan: “Ahem. This one is poor at words. Dr. Fang has the compassionate heart of a physician —”

Fangke: “I only know how to talk to dead people. Yita has the sweetest tongue.”

Yita: “My Tang language is not so good. The swine-people cannot understand. Jin-ge is swine-people’s disciple. Deep master-disciple bond. Jin-ge should go!”

Jin Ruo: “Absolutely not! Just looking at Qian Jing right now makes my calves turn to jelly. Master loves eating the sliced meat Mu Xia makes most. Mu Xia, you go!”

Mu Xia: “But it was Fourth Young Master who said it himself — that he and Lin Niangzi are life-and-death partners, never to be parted. This duty can only fall to Fourth Young Master!”

The group stirred with noise and agreement: “Right, right! Fourth Young Master — Hua Family — Hua Yitang, you go!”

Amidst a chorus of jostling and shoving, Hua Yitang stumbled out at an angle, teetering and swaying in a tilted sprint across the rooftop. Thanks to his astonishing sense of balance, he arrived safely beside Lin Sui’an without tumbling into Mochou Lake.

Lin Sui’an blinked. Hua Yitang gave a dry cough, then curled himself up and sat down on the eave — both hands holding his fan properly on his knees, a full five feet away from Lin Sui’an.

Lin Sui’an looked at Qian Jing in her hand, and understood.

The killing intent of Qian Jing had frightened him. She turned her wrist and sheathed the blade, then pulled her robe back and sat down.

Hua Yitang looked over at her carefully once, then again, then again, then again — his expression like a puppy that had been abandoned. The full force of Lin Sui’an’s anger was doused by his damp, soft gaze, leaving her with nothing to be furious about.

“What is it?”

“Ah-hem, well, you see —” Hua Yitang rubbed his knees. “As you know, I have extraordinarily good fortune by nature — wherever I go, I invariably come across all manner of violent crimes, and the perpetrators are the most peculiar assortment you could imagine, a great many of them utterly ruthless…” Hua Yitang let out a sigh and looked up at the pitch-black Mochou Lake. “That’s why I never liked reading as a child. My tutor would say, ‘In the beginning, human nature is fundamentally good.’ I thought — that was all utter dog-filth nonsense. The evil in the human heart is far darker than the night before dawn.”

Lin Sui’an breathed in deeply, then breathed out again.

Yes. The darkness in human nature far exceeded what one could ever imagine.

“My eldest brother said I had lost my mind, gave me a sound thrashing, and I ran away. At the time, all I could think was — the world is as foul as filth. There’s no pleasure in living. Better to find some place and be done with it by dying.”

Lin Sui’an was struck with shock, and snapped her head around.

Hua Yitang still held that same posture, gazing quietly at the water. The darkness of Mochou Lake was reflected in his eyes — a depth that was frightening.

Lin Sui’an: “You said… you were… when you were young…”

Hua Yitang looked over at her, and said softly, “I was not yet six years old.”

Lin Sui’an could not produce a single word.

Hua Yitang’s expression appeared completely calm — even his eyes appeared calm — yet she felt that he was prying open some wound he had been desperately keeping hidden, showing it to her raw and bleeding.

“That was precisely when I met someone. He possessed strength and speed far beyond ordinary men. He had a very ugly knife. When he laughed, he looked like a great wooden barrel. His knife was black, but the light it cast — it was as dazzling as a newborn sun.”

Hua Yitang suddenly smiled — like a pure white, delicate peony blooming silently in the darkness, beautiful enough to pierce the heart. “He said to me: darkness is ever-present, and so too is light. In the dark of night, you cannot see the sun — yet there are fireflies. And if you cannot find even a firefly, his blade would be the light.”

Lin Sui’an stared at Hua Yitang’s smiling face, and her eyes gradually grew wet.

“He said that in the darkness, a person will surely feel lonely — but that’s all right. Surely there will be someone willing to walk alongside me. A partner. To share life and death, never to part.”

At the meeting of sky and lake, a layer of blue-green light was born. The light grew and grew, pushing wave upon wave of cloud-sea upward, transforming into a dreamlike crimson.

Hua Yitang’s robes billowed upward, bathed in glorious gold.

“He did not deceive me. I searched for ten years, and at last I found my destined partner.”

Lin Sui’an’s throat tightened. She laughed and asked, “So — you found this unfortunate wretch that is me?”

“Yes.” Hua Yitang said with reddened eyes, “I, Fourth Young Master of the Hua Family, have always been blessed with the most magnificent fortune!”

Their eyes met, and they both burst out laughing at the same moment.

Heaven and earth plunged at once into a brilliant new radiance. Dawn had broken.

In the far distance came the booming of the drums of the garrison city, one beat after another. A white dove split through the morning light, flapping its wings as it landed behind the roofline. The next instant, Jin Ruo’s head popped up with the dove perched atop it, and he shouted:

“Wu Family patriarch Wu Zhengli has struck the grievance drum before the government offices, charging the world’s greatest thief Yun Zhong Yue with abducting his wife Qu Hui — and is earnestly requesting that the Yidu government issue a city-wide warrant for the thief’s capture!”

Lin Sui’an let out a cold laugh and hung Qian Jing at her waist.

Hua Yitang snapped open his fan with a crack. “Perfect timing!”

Side story

Before dawn, the innermost thoughts of those eavesdropping behind the roofline were as follows:

Jin Ruo: Why do I suddenly feel so uncomfortable all over? Could I have gotten lice?

Ling Zhiyan: This one feels his head is glowing. Very bright.

Fangke: …So sleepy…

Hua Yimeng: My Fourth Brother has grown up.

Mu Xia: Fourth Young Master, don’t let the “Cloud-Turning Rain-Shifting Heartfelt Fragrance” I blended for you go to waste!

Yita: Fourth Young Master, charge forward!