When Zhao Yuechan heard that Huamei had left the mansion with Xique, she was so angry that she splashed a skirt full of tea on Bailu, scolding, “Useless thing, you can’t even watch one person!”

Bailu knelt and cried, “Madam, please calm down. Huamei left with Qiangwei from the Mistress’s quarters. There was nothing I could do to stop them.”

Zhao Yuechan froze, letting out a deep breath before grinding her teeth, “Since she’s asking for death, I’ll make sure she gets a taste of what I can do.”

By then it was deep into the night. Zhao Yuechan ordered her young maid to prepare hot water for washing her face. She carefully applied makeup, drew her eyebrows, and arranged her hair. She styled her jet-black hair into a casual bun, inserted a red jade phoenix hairpin with dangling pearls at an angle, and picked a blooming orchid from a pot to pin in her hair.

She ordered Yingshuang to open the trunk and change into a new light golden-peach-colored jacket with scattered flowers. After getting ready, she examined herself carefully in the mirror. Then she said to Yingshuang, “Bring me a cloak. I’m going out quietly. You keep watch personally and tell others I’m sleeping.”

Yingshuang repeatedly agreed.

Zhao Yuechan quietly slipped out through the back door, hurriedly making her way through the corridor in the darkness and into an empty room nearby. Though the room appeared dilapidated from the outside, stepping inside revealed a large bed. While the bed curtains were plain, it was covered with thick green silk bedding with gold patterns. Being summer, there was also a cool bamboo mat, along with a scarlet brocade quilt decorated with scattered gold coins and five-colored sunflower-banana leaf pillows—all extremely luxurious.

A dying lamp burned on the small begonia table by the bed. Qian Wenze was lounging there, tossing two dice in a bowl with boredom. His fair, handsome face looked even more striking in his soft silk clothing that emphasized his tall figure. Zhao Yuechan, who had been sexually deprived for a long time, felt weak at the knees at the sight of him.

Qian Wenze, being a romantic expert, saw Zhao Yuechan’s alluring appearance enhanced by the candlelight and immediately felt his mouth go dry. He rushed forward to embrace her, exclaiming, “Darling, why did you take so long? I’ve been dying to see you!” He went to kiss her lips. Upon meeting, they lost all restraint, quickly undressing and tumbling onto the bed to make love.

The pair were extremely cautious about their affairs, meeting only once or twice a month. When they did meet, they were inseparable like glue, wishing they could meld into one. They made love for quite a while before finally finishing.

Qian Wenze continued holding Zhao Yuechan, smiling, “Darling, your delicate skin is truly incomparable. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t let such a beauty sleep alone. Lin Jinlou is something—a green hat won’t kill him, yet he doesn’t know how to cherish such a precious flower. What a waste of his reputation for being romantic and passionate.” As he spoke, he reached for her breasts.

Zhao Yuechan slapped his hand away and sneered, “You’re good at talking big. If you’ve got the guts, say it to his face—then you’d be showing some real manhood.” She got up and reached for her hairpin to fix her hair.

Qian Wenze hugged her from behind, grinning, “I admit I don’t have the ability. If I had the Lin family’s wealth, I’d dare to challenge him… Besides, he’s ruthless. If something happened to me, wouldn’t you be heartbroken?”

Zhao Yuechan gave him a sideways glance, “Pah! What a shameless beast, saying such spineless things. Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”

That glance was full of allure, and Qian Wenze’s lust rose again. His member hardened once more as he held Zhao Yuechan, begging, “My sweet, why are you in such a hurry? The night is still young.”

Zhao Yuechan pushed Qian Wenze away, saying, “I have something to tell you.”

Qian Wenze was full of desire and had no interest in the conversation, but seeing her stern face, he put his hands behind his head, half-leaning against the headboard, and said, “What could be so important that it has to be discussed now?”

Zhao Yuechan gave a meaningful smile, “It is important. My account book is missing. That little hussy Yingshuang got careless and lost the book in the garden. It was picked up by a concubine named Huamei. That clever little wretch took the book and went home to hide. I suspect she wants to give it to the Young Master. If this comes to light, neither of us will fare well.”

These words were like a bucket of cold water. Qian Wenze broke out in a cold sweat, his lust instantly vanishing. He exclaimed, “This… this is no joking matter!”

Zhao Yuechan sneered, “Who’s joking with you? Lin Jinlou won’t be back for ten to fifteen days. We need to figure out a solution together to resolve this cleanly.”

Qian Wenze’s face turned pale as he thought, “My lady, that book has your signature and seal on it. How can this be resolved cleanly? Lin Jinlou isn’t someone to be trifled with. Lending money at high interest is one thing, but if our affair comes to light, death would be preferable! As they say, ‘While there’s life, there’s hope.’ Before Lin Jinlou returns, I should sell my properties and establish myself elsewhere.” Looking at Zhao Yuechan’s peach-blossom face and willowy figure, he felt some reluctance, but steeling himself, he thought, “Though she’s beautiful, risking my life for a woman isn’t worth it. I’ve made quite a bit of money from her lately—enough to buy other beauties in the future.”

While he was lost in thought, Zhao Yuechan’s delicate fingers pinched his face, then patted it gently, smiling seductively, “My dear cousin, what are you thinking about? Planning to run away?”

Qian Wenze startled, smiling nervously, “How could that be? What are you saying, darling?”

Zhao Yuechan’s face hardened, “Keep those thoughts to yourself. If you dare run, I’ll make sure we both go down together. It would be cleaner that way, dying together in the end.”

Knowing Zhao Yuechan always meant what she said, Qian Wenze quickly placated her, “I’m devoted to you and would never dare betray you. Right now, we need to figure out how to find that book. How can we keep our heads if we start fighting among ourselves?”

Zhao Yuechan snorted, “At least you’re talking sense now.” After a pause, she continued, “I’ve thought of a plan. Let me tell you.” She spoke quietly for a while.

Qian Wenze frowned, “Will… will this work?”

Zhao Yuechan said, “Of course, it will work. Huamei is clever; she’ll know what to do.”

Qian Wenze said, “What if she gets desperate and gives the book to the Mistress…”

Zhao Yuechan raised her eyebrows, “I’m counting on her to do that. The Mistress can’t do much because of my family’s influence. The Master, for all his talk of being a gentleman, is just stubborn and won’t let Lin Jinlou divorce me. What I fear is her giving it to the Young Master—he’s reckless enough to do anything…” She nestled against Qian Wenze’s chest, caressing him, “If this works out, you’ll be well rewarded. I brought silver with me today…”

Qian Wenze’s eyes lit up. He grabbed Zhao Yuechan’s hand, smiling, “Well, darling, tell me what other rewards I might get besides silver?” Seeing her starry eyes half-closed and her cheeks flushed, he felt aroused again, thinking, “I’ll follow her plan for now. If it fails, I can still pack up and leave. For now, I might as well enjoy the beauty before me while I can.” He rolled on top of Zhao Yuechan, and they made love again.

Before leaving, Zhao Yuechan instructed, “Get this done properly. In three days, when Concubine Lan’s funeral takes place, quietly bring a slave trader. I have a maid I want you to sell far away to a brothel. I can’t stand seeing her around anymore.”

Qian Wenze stroked his chin, smiling, “What did she do to make you so angry that she deserves such a fate?” He thought to himself, “This must be a beauty that Lin Jinlou has his eye on. No doubt she’s attractive—I should enjoy her myself before selling her.”

Zhao Yuechan seemed to read Qian Wenze’s thoughts and sneered, “She’s ugly. She stole things from my quarters, and I’m selling her quietly to avoid making a scene. Keep your mouth shut about this.”

Qian Wenze nodded repeatedly. After he slipped out of the Lin mansion, Zhao Yuechan returned to her room. Let’s leave them for now.

As for Xianglan, she was dragged to a small room by several strong matrons who locked her in and left. The room was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering through the door crack. Xianglan whimpered, her face feeling like it was being carved by knives, covered in cold sweat that had soaked through her undergarments. She struggled to lean against the wall, pulled out the cloth from her mouth, and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, feeling her teeth were somewhat loose. Thinking of Zhao Yuechan’s threat to sell her to a brothel, she felt terrified and thought, “If that’s true, I’ll kill myself by smashing my head here—at least I’ll die clean!” But then she reconsidered, “No, I still haven’t repaid my parents’ kindness. How can I die so easily and treat my life as worthless? Everyone here looks down on me as a mere maid, but I must not look down on myself. Things haven’t reached that point yet—I need to think of other solutions.”

She didn’t rest well all night, huddling in the corner until dawn broke. Looking around, she saw the room was full of miscellaneous items. There was a water vat by the door, and when she looked inside, she found it half full. Her reflection showed a distorted face, with both cheeks swollen and bruised.

Xianglan froze, trying to comfort herself that it was just a physical shell and she shouldn’t be attached to appearances, but still, tears fell. She took out her handkerchief from her bosom, wet it with water to cool her face, then carefully scooped half a ladle of water to rinse her mouth, spitting the bloody water into the corner. After several rinses, her mouth was finally clean. She redid her messy hair into a bun, then huddled in the corner, cooling her face with the wet handkerchief while resting with her eyes closed.

By morning, voices gradually emerged from the Zhichun Hall courtyard, but few people came near the small room. Xianglan wanted to call for help but feared making things worse. She paced around the room several times and suddenly noticed there was a window, but it was blocked by a cabinet. She tried pushing it and found it heavy. Opening the cabinet doors revealed winter items like braziers and door curtains. She carefully began moving things out and hiding them in the corner. After moving just two items, she heard footsteps outside, quickly closed the cabinet, and curled up on the ground.

The door creaked open, and a matron poked her head in. Seeing Xianglan lying quietly, she locked the door again. Xianglan heaved a long sigh, crawled to the door crack, and after seeing the matron walk away, returned to moving things from the cabinet to the corner. After several trips back and forth, she managed to empty half the cabinet. She pushed it again and found it could move slightly. She quietly shifted the cabinet aside and pushed the window, only to find it was locked. However, the window paper had peeled off, allowing her to vaguely see the courtyard outside.