After Shi Xiang sent Song Qing away and returned, seeing Zhou Shaojin’s expression was somewhat off, her heart immediately grew apprehensive.

Second Miss was usually amiable and generous in her speech and treatment of people, but if she became stubborn, even Eldest Miss would have to yield to her.

What if Second Miss had said she wanted to draw a clear line with Young Master Lu but then had second thoughts and regretted it… That would be throwing a childish tantrum, flirting and quarreling in an unseemly manner!

She couldn’t help but softly call out “Second Miss” and ask, “What are you thinking about?”

Zhou Shaojin came back to her senses. Seeing her careful appearance, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you still standing here? I’m waiting for you to buy plums and apricots and bring them back for me to try!”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Shi Xiang beamed with joy upon hearing this and repeatedly said, “I’ll go right away, I’ll go right away!”

Zhou Shaojin shook her head, watching her leave. Her heart felt somewhat emotional.

No wonder Shi Xiang didn’t believe her.

In truth, she had always lived quite muddleheadedly. For household matters she completely listened to her sister, for outside matters there were Father and Eldest Uncle—she only enjoyed the shade under the big tree. How much grain the estates collected, what troubles arose in the matrons’ families, why the maids quarreled—none of it was her concern, and she never inquired about any of it. How could the maids and matrons at her side expect her to stand up for them? How could the household stewards and servants expect her to help them make decisions? So although everyone respected her, it was merely because she was Second Miss of the Zhou family, or even because she was Zhou Chujin’s younger sister. It wasn’t like with her sister, where beyond respect there was also wholehearted trust and sincere admiration.

Thinking of these things, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. She stood up and went to the study in the west wing, planning to find a book to pass the time.

The study was still as she remembered it. The three-room open hall was divided into three sections by two six-panel aloeswood screens carved with floral openwork. The east side was her sister’s study, the west side was hers. Both had qin tables placed by the windows, multi-treasure shelves and bookshelves against the walls, and desks in the middle of the east and west rooms. Large famille rose floral vats—her sister’s study had painting scrolls inserted in them, while hers kept a tank of goldfish in winter and a tank of water lilies in summer.

It was now early summer. Only a few lotus leaves the size of palms floated on the water’s surface, with several black and gold goldfish swaying beneath the leaves.

She expertly found the packet of fish food in the drawer by the desk and lowered her head to feed the fish.

The fish swarmed over, rippling the water in layers.

Zhou Shaojin smiled.

Suddenly a pebble fell into the tank, splashing water everywhere and soaking Zhou Shaojin’s front.

She turned around to see a fair-complexioned young man wearing a blue cloth robe with a green bamboo hairpin, lying on the study windowsill and grinning at her.

“Cousin Yi!” Zhou Shaojin exclaimed. “How are you here?”

Uncle Mian had only two sons—eldest son Cheng Gao and second son Cheng Yi. This youth lying on her windowsill was precisely the second master of the Cheng family’s fourth branch, fifteen-year-old Cheng Yi.

He smiled and flipped himself into Zhou Shaojin’s study, saying, “Are you really sick? I think you look perfectly fine. You wouldn’t be pretending to be sick because you don’t want to study with Nanny Shen, would you?”

But Zhou Shaojin’s mind conjured up his bitter appearance that year when, after failing in the civil examinations, he hid away at her estate in Daxing and got thoroughly drunk.

That was her last impression of him.

It was also then that she learned the fourth branch had broken with the principal branch. The fourth branch had no one to guide them in the examinations or promote them in official careers. Second Uncle Yuan remained stuck at the seventh rank position without moving. Cousin Gao’s path was also very difficult—he didn’t pass the examinations until age twenty-seven. Cheng Xu became an alcoholic who couldn’t even hold a writing brush steady, with no hope of making a comeback. The second branch’s Cheng Shi wanted to take over the family genealogy. The principal branch wanted to promote Cheng Wei’s son Cheng Rang, but Cheng Xu’s mother Yuan Shi refused. The third branch’s Cheng Zheng was duplicitous, currying favor with all sides, stirring up endless unrest in the family. The fifth branch, no longer restrained by the principal branch, began quietly selling off ancestral property. The fourth branch knew about it but had no say, while the third branch knew but said nothing, only concealing it from the principal and second branches… Sooner or later, this family was bound to scatter!

Yet when Cousin Gao was selected as a Hanlin bachelor and came to visit her, he never mentioned any of this…

Zhou Shaojin looked at that youthful, spirited face, her heart so tender it felt like it could drip water.

She laughed softly. “Why don’t you use the main door properly and jump through the window instead? Did you skip class again? Be careful or I’ll tell Grandmother.”

Cheng Yi chuckled and plopped down boldly in the grand tutor’s chair in her room, saying, “Pozi Jiang who guards the second gate has eyes sharp as anything—it’s not easy for me to get in here.” He continued, “Are you still going to Nanny Shen’s classes?”

Zhou Shaojin hadn’t yet decided on this matter, but Cheng Yi clearly wasn’t someone to discuss things with, and she didn’t plan to debate this with him either. She simply avoided answering and said, “Did you sneak in through the fifth branch’s small garden again?”

One bad apple spoils the barrel—she felt this described the Cheng family’s fifth branch perfectly.

The Cheng family was a typical Jiangnan scholarly farming family with the ancestral precept that “men may only take concubines after age forty if they have no sons.” The fifth branch’s eldest master, Cheng Wen, had a son named Cheng Nuo. Rather than take a concubine, he kept actors, maintained mistresses outside, and frequented pleasure quarters. At first, Lady Wen was jealous and resentful. Later she felt heartache over the money. Every day she just watched Cheng Wen’s movements—how could she have the mind to manage household affairs? She handed over all domestic management to a steward pozi she trusted, while she herself lay in bed all day feigning illness. The household was a chaotic mess, masters not acting like masters, servants not acting like servants, with no proper rules.

Cheng Yi and his friends exploited this loophole, often using the fifth branch inner courtyard’s small garden to secretly bring friends in for poetry competitions, painting contests, drinking, and merrymaking. The Cheng family elders knew nothing of this. It was only after her incident, when Yuan Shi searched Jiuru Lane, that they discovered the fifth branch’s second gate had become virtually nonexistent. Fortunately, the second branch only had Cheng Nuo as an only son with no daughters, so nothing scandalous occurred. But there were endless unclear relationships among the maids, servants, and stewards, which enraged Yuan Shi to the point of nearly fainting. In front of all the Cheng family members, she unleashed an uncensored torrent of abuse at Lady Wen along with the serving maids and matrons.

The Zhou Shaojin of this time shouldn’t have known about this.

Cheng Yi broke out in a cold sweat, abruptly sitting up straight and looking at her warily, saying nervously, “How did you know?” After speaking, he showed a look of sudden realization and shouted, “I know now—it must have been Cheng Lu who told you!” He cursed Cheng Lu indignantly: “That traitor! We agreed to keep it secret! Why is his mouth so loose? I’m never inviting him to hang out again.”

Cheng Lu was actually mixed up with them too?

Zhou Shaojin was surprised.

In her memory, when Yuan Shi investigated, she uncovered the second branch’s Cheng Yu, fourth branch’s Cheng Yi, fifth branch’s Cheng Nuo and the collateral branch’s Cheng Ju, plus Cheng Xu whom they eventually dragged in… but not Cheng Lu.

Thinking about it now, they must have concealed Cheng Lu out of friendship loyalty.

However, the second branch’s Cheng Yu and the second branch’s eldest master Cheng Shi were full brothers from the same mother. The second branch’s eldest master Cheng Yi didn’t much manage household affairs, and Lady Yi was a Buddhist devotee. Cheng Yu and Cheng Shi were ten years apart—whether in studies and coursework or food, clothing, and expenses, everything was managed by Cheng Shi. With Cheng Yu wildly playing around like this with Cheng Yi and the others, Cheng Shi should have known about it!

The more Zhou Shaojin thought about it, the more confused she became. The only thing she could be certain of was that although one thing from her memory matched up, there was a slight deviation from what she knew.

She stared at Cheng Yi and questioned him: “So you really have been bringing friends to drink and make merry in the fifth branch’s small garden? Cheng Lu really was with you? Then why did you all conceal this matter about Cheng Lu?”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yi jumped three feet high, saying, “What do you mean we concealed it for Cheng Lu? We agreed from the start that no matter who got into trouble, we’d deal with it case by case and not implicate others.” He muttered, “I didn’t expect Cheng Lu not to keep his word.” After speaking, feeling he looked a bit cowardly in front of Zhou Shaojin, he couldn’t help but raise his head and chest high, loudly defending himself: “We weren’t seeking pleasure—that was wild and unrestrained, genuine and carefree, the bearing of famous scholars, all right?”

The Cheng Yi of this time, like the Zhou Shaojin of the past, didn’t know the seriousness of this matter. He spoke righteously, but Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but retort: “Does being wild and unrestrained require drinking? Does being genuine and carefree require improper dress? I’d say that’s acting recklessly and behaving dissolutely! How come we don’t see Cousin Shi from the second branch acting like this? How come we don’t see Cousin Zheng from the third branch acting like this? Only you few…”

“Aiya, aiya!” Cheng Yi interrupted Zhou Shaojin’s words somewhat uncomfortably, saying, “What does a girl like you understand about men’s affairs? You just properly study your Admonitions for Women and Biographies of Exemplary Women with Nanny Shen.” Then he threatened her, “You’re not allowed to tell anyone about this! Otherwise I’ll expose Cheng Lu.” Then he asked again, “Are you going to Nanny Shen’s classes or not?”

Zhou Shaojin was exasperated.

She hadn’t expected that in everyone’s eyes, she was so concerned about Cheng Lu.

She couldn’t help but say, “Don’t worry about my business. You just stop going to the fifth branch’s small garden to drink and make merry from now on. Otherwise I’ll definitely tell Grandmother!”

Cheng Yi’s eyes widened. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll drag Cheng Lu out?”

“Cheng Lu is Cheng Lu, I am me. What does he have to do with me!” Zhou Shaojin hastily clarified. “Don’t always mention us together. Those who don’t know might think there’s something between him and me! What kind of brother are you?”

Cheng Yi’s eyes opened even wider. “But Cheng Lu asked me to come find out if you’re going to Nanny Shen’s classes.”

Zhou Shaojin immediately understood.

Jiuru Lane was entirely inhabited by Cheng family members. The Cheng clan school was at the end of Jiuru Lane, expanded from a remote small Cheng family courtyard, separated from the fifth branch by a small alley. The Cheng family boys all studied at the Cheng clan school, while the girls had a study called “Jing’an Studio” set up by the bamboo grove in the back garden, where they studied and practiced calligraphy with female teachers. The fifth branch’s inner courtyard small garden and the Cheng family’s inner courtyard garden faced each other across the water, connected by a stone slab nine-curve bridge. If she went to Jing’an Studio for classes, Cheng Lu could faintly see the studio’s activity from the fifth branch’s waterside pavilion. Although they couldn’t speak, he could have the fifth branch’s maids relay greetings.

He wanted to have a secret meeting with her!

Zhou Shaojin sneered coldly.

She had never met with him privately before, let alone now.

Zhou Shaojin looked at Cheng Yi’s carefree appearance, both amused and exasperated. “Did I make enemies with you in a past life that you would harm me like this? You don’t believe a single word I say, but you don’t doubt anything Cheng Lu says. What did he give you? Why do you run errands for him like this? If you keep this up, I really will go complain to Grandmother!”