Ke Chengxing hadn’t anticipated Lu Shi’s reaction.

His seemingly gentle and weak deceased wife completely reversed her usual compliance, hysterically demanding to report to the authorities. This commotion also alarmed Old Madam Ke, who thus learned of everything.

His mother was even more decisive and ruthless than him. She simply had him confine Lu Shi to a room, claiming to outsiders that Lu Shi had contracted a mental illness and was speaking incoherent nonsense. She also sold off servants who gossiped in the courtyard—those who could be sold were sold, those who could be married off were married off, and they were all driven far away.

Seeing this situation, Lu Shi perhaps understood something, so behind their backs, she secretly bribed servants to send a letter to the Lu family in Changwu County.

This would have been bad enough, but worse still, she was also with child.

Counting the days, it must have been from that night at Fengle Tower.

After the doctor left, Ke Chengxing looked at this complete mess, not knowing what to do.

The bastard child in Lu Shi’s womb wasn’t his. Speaking frankly, he should force her to drink a bowl of abortifacient medicine to avoid seeking trouble for himself. He certainly couldn’t let it be born and raise another man’s son for free.

But Old Madam Ke interrupted his order to have someone prepare abortion medicine, instead having someone send word to the Grand Tutor Manor, requesting the Grand Tutor Manor’s people to come discuss the matter.

At that time, Ke Chengxing didn’t understand and asked Old Madam Ke: “Mother, what is there to discuss about this? That young master from the Grand Tutor Manor hasn’t married yet—it’s impossible for him to have a bastard child from a concubine first. Where would this bastard be raised after birth? Surely not in our Ke family!”

“Foolish.” Old Madam Ke shook her head: “The Grand Tutor Manor values their reputation—they certainly won’t keep this bastard child. I told you not to give Lu Shi medicine yet, not for her sake, but for yours.”

“For me?”

Old Madam Ke spoke unhurriedly: “Lu Shi was originally your person, yet she was forcibly taken by the Qi family. They think they can dismiss us with just some banknotes—do they really think the Ke family is easily bullied? I wasn’t present initially, allowing their family to escape unscathed. Now that Lu Shi is with child, it’s actually a good thing.”

“Our Ke family’s business has been gradually declining since your father’s death. Now through Lu Shi, we’ve established a connection with the Grand Tutor Manor. With such a relationship, why worry that business won’t flourish?”

“You’re still too young.”

He looked at Old Madam Ke’s withered face and suddenly understood something.

That very night, people from the Grand Tutor Manor came.

It was still that kindly smiling steward, but this time he brought more than just a few banknotes.

The old steward smiled warmly at him: “Since our last parting, my young master has constantly worried about madam’s injuries. This slave should have come to visit earlier, but we’ve been busy with the old madam’s birthday celebration lately, which delayed things somewhat.”

He didn’t mention Lu Shi’s pregnancy at all, only looked at Ke Chengxing with a smile: “Speaking of which, the old madam’s annual birthday banquet requires quite a few bowls, chopsticks, cups, and dishes. This year the household that supplied ceramics returned to their hometown, leaving us short-handed… I heard your manor’s kiln ceramics have always been excellent?”

Ke Chengxing was first stunned, then became excited.

The Grand Tutor Manor’s old madam’s birthday banquet!

If he could do ceramic business for the Grand Tutor Manor, wouldn’t that provide a bridge for dealings with official families in the capital!

Even when his father had brought the Ke family business to its peak, he hadn’t had the opportunity to establish connections with official families. Supplying goods to the Grand Tutor Manor was something he wouldn’t have dared imagine!

In an instant, all his anger, frustration, and hatred toward the Grand Tutor Manor vanished completely. He looked at the old steward before him as if seeing a golden god of wealth, a great benefactor descended from heaven, more dear to him than blood relatives.

Ke Chengxing forgot the enmity between them, forgot the humiliation the other party had inflicted upon him. In that moment he forgot everything, seeing only the wealth and business opportunities the Qi family could bring him, immediately engaging in enthusiastic conversation with the other party.

He spoke of Lu Shi’s pregnancy, of his wife’s resentment and tears, and of that letter secretly sent to Changwu County behind everyone’s backs.

In the end, he no longer knew whether he was saying these things to “discuss” the matter or to curry favor.

The old steward was very considerate. After hearing about the events of recent days, he was also quite ashamed. He first apologized again on behalf of his master, then finally said to Ke Chengxing: “Properly speaking, since this matter arose from my young master’s actions, my young master should take responsibility. But madam is a member of the Ke family—ultimately, this is also Ke family business.”

“In this matter, the young master actually shouldn’t rashly interfere. However, I imagine Master Ke should be able to handle it well. After all, you’ll need to manage the ceramics for the old madam’s birthday celebration in the future—such a small matter certainly shouldn’t be a problem.”

The implication was clear: if this matter wasn’t handled well, there would be no ceramic business to discuss.

Ke Chengxing tentatively asked: “Then how would be the most thorough way to handle it?”

The old steward smiled: “Madam’s body is weak—it’s really not suitable for her to be pregnant now. Master Ke also said that madam has contracted a mental illness and is speaking nonsense everywhere. The Grand Tutor Manor values propriety and purity above all. If such gossip spreads, it would be improper. The young master’s side is fine, but if the Grand Tutor hears of it, he might be furious.”

He sighed: “This mental illness is the most difficult to treat. This old slave once knew a madam who had contracted mental illness—she spoke delusional words daily, her mind unclear. Finally, one day while wandering in the garden, the maids weren’t paying attention, and she fell into a pond and drowned… Such a pity.”

Ke Chengxing said nothing.

The old steward glanced at the water clock, exclaimed “Oh my,” and rose with a smile: “We’ve talked for so long, I didn’t notice it had grown so late. This old slave will return to the manor first. I’ll report the ceramic matter to the procurement office, and once I have news, I’ll come settle things with Master.”

He took his carriage into the night again, his small stature somehow containing a disdainful air when looking at people, making one’s heart feel hollow.

Ke Chengxing stared blankly at the shrine.

Outside the hall, the night rain sounded cool, dripping against the hall windows, intermittent and continuous.

Cluster after cluster, curtain after curtain, seeping out cold, chilling intent that made one feel lost.

Only the blue-green lamps in the hall glowed dimly.

The paper horses and prayer documents in the copper basin had all burned out. Those misty blue-green smoke wisps curled through the hall, blurring the tall statue before the shrine until it wasn’t quite clear. Occasionally he could hear the splashing sounds of red fish and turtles in the large water vats, startling him into stumbling.

Ke Chengxing felt inexplicably fearful. Coming back to his senses, he was just thinking to bow a few more times and leave when suddenly, a soft sound came from the great hall entrance.

He thought it was Wan Fu entering and was about to speak. But as soon as he turned around, he felt his knees go weak. Perhaps from kneeling on the meditation cushion too long, both legs had gone numb, and he suddenly collapsed backward.

He wanted to call Wan Fu to help him up, but when he opened his mouth, he was shocked to discover his tongue was stiff and he couldn’t speak.

What was happening?

Why had he suddenly become unable to speak or move?

Ke Chengxing’s face turned deathly pale as a thought suddenly arose in his heart.

There’s a ghost! It’s Lu Shi’s ghost that followed him here!

He lay stiffly paralyzed in place, while the footsteps behind him grew closer and closer. The footsteps were light and slow, graceful and swaying, like a woman’s, stopping behind him.

She had come to claim his life!

Ke Chengxing was drenched in sweat.

Those footsteps paused, then circled around to his front.

Ke Chengxing saw a black robe, its hem stained with cold rainwater that dripped down drop by drop in the dim lamplight. Just like the water stains that flowed from Lu Shi’s body in his dreams.

His soul nearly left his body.

Ke Chengxing couldn’t lift his head. He only felt someone gently kick him, his body following the momentum to fall backward, lying against the water vat. So he struggled to raise his eyes and, by the dim lamplight, made out the other person’s figure.

It was someone wearing a black cloak.

The black cloak was wide and reached to the feet, almost completely covering the person within. The newcomer slowly raised their hand, removed the cloak’s hood, revealing a beautiful, pale face.

It was a young woman with snow-white skin and black hair, bright eyes clear and deep, like an elegant jade magnolia, moving and beautiful.

Ke Chengxing breathed a sigh of relief—this wasn’t Lu Rou.

But soon he became puzzled. Who was this woman, and why had she appeared here in the dead of night?

Before he could figure it out, the woman suddenly spoke.

She said: “The Buddhist scriptures say: those who seek wealth obtain wealth, those who seek sons and daughters obtain sons and daughters, those who seek longevity obtain longevity. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dare not speak false words to deceive people.”

This voice was clear and gentle, colder than the night rain outside the window, ethereal as a ghost under the blue-green smoke in the hall.

The woman lowered her eyes. Her pair of pitch-black pupils appeared deep as an abyss in the dim lamplight, making her entire person seem coldly inhuman. She looked down from above at Ke Chengxing at her feet, her expression so bland it was nearly eerie.

She asked: “Master Ke, what do you seek?”