After seeing Xue Shi off, Lang Jiuchuan had the distinct feeling of having finally shaken off an extraordinarily talkative person. He talked far too much. This was only their second meeting — why did he have so much to say? Reading between the lines of everything he implied, was he not hinting that he wished to teach her to study?

Lang Jiuchuan resolved that she would need to avoid him in the future — otherwise her ears would grow calluses from overuse.

Leaving the warm pavilion, she recalled Nanny Cheng’s words, hesitated briefly, and then turned her steps toward the Qizhi Pavilion instead. She found Cui Shi reclining listlessly on the daybed, her expression despondent, and said, “As for the rumors outside — you need not take them to heart. They hold no real sway over me. And if you are truly worried about any damage to the Lang Family’s reputation, once I leave in the future, matters will resolve themselves.”

Cui Shi’s gaze was distant. She said nothing. Beneath the bedcover, her hands quietly clenched into fists.

“Please rest.” Lang Jiuchuan gave a slight dip of her head and turned to leave.

“In your heart — do you believe I am concerned only with whether you might tarnish the Lang Family’s good name?” Cui Shi’s voice came suddenly from behind her. Seeing that Lang Jiuchuan had not moved, and finding that even with many things she wished to say, she had lost the will to say them, she said wearily, “Forget it. Go.”

Lang Jiuchuan walked out. She tilted her head slightly to listen to Nanny Cheng’s soft sounds of comfort from within, and felt nothing stir within her heart.

Once outside the Qizhi Pavilion, someone sent by Lang Zhengping came to summon her again.

Lang Jiuchuan knew that all this day’s commotion had been nothing but trouble finding its way to her door.

Sure enough — she arrived at Lang Zhengping’s study to find him smiling like a chrysanthemum in bloom, having even specifically gestured to the tea set before her. “This is tea from one of the very few ancient mother-trees on Wuyi Mountain. I have but one or two liang of it stored — take your time and appreciate it.”

Lang Jiuchuan lifted the cup and drained it in one hearty gulp, causing Lang Zhengping’s face to go somewhat green. He patted his teapot beside him with a pained hand — this fine tea had been wasted on an unappreciative palate.

Before he could even open his mouth, the contrary young woman spoke first. “My connection with Xue Shi is not as close as you imagine. This was only our second meeting. As for asking him to intervene on anyone’s behalf — you would do better to urge the young men of this household to apply themselves more diligently. If scholarly pursuits do not suit them, let them pursue the path they know best. It does not have to be scholarship — I see that the ancestors of this family also built their achievements on horseback, in battle. The Lang Family has a talent for martial arts. It would likely be more fruitful to seek a way forward there.”

In truth, she had looked over the young men of the household who were currently studying, and had not seen a single one with the bearing of a literary star destined for greatness. At the very least, among those already grown, none bore the distinguished physiognomy of one bound for ennobled rank or ministerial office.

Lang Zhengping’s mouth twitched. “I had no such intention. I called you here to speak about the rumors outside that are targeting you…”

“It was the Qi Family’s doing. I know.”

Lang Zhengping: “…”

Could he not be allowed even a small semblance of authority as the head of the family?

“There is no need to pay it any mind. The Qi Family is no cause for concern, and I am entirely indifferent to any of it.”

Lang Zhengping grew urgent. “How can you say that? You are a young girl — being branded with the name of jinx and bringer of misfortune will make it impossible to arrange a proper match for you in the future.”

Lang Jiuchuan turned the question back on him. “Why do all of you assume that someone like me would be able to marry?”

Lang Zhengping made a flustered sound, then said awkwardly, “Your health can always be nursed back with time.”

“There is no need to raise this again. Regardless of how my health stands, I am not destined for such a match — set your mind at ease on that score.”

Lang Zhengping: She has preempted everything I could possibly say — what is there left for me to say?

He took a deep breath and said, “Then let us set those matters aside for now. I only wish to share with you what was found in the investigation into the Lu Family.”

He relayed the information that Gu Quan had gathered, then said, “For now, we have still been unable to determine who within the Lu Family is the one most deeply concealed. The investigation continues in secret. Is there anything in what you have heard that suggests a lead?”

Lang Jiuchuan tapped the side of her teacup lightly, mulling it over briefly, then said, “You mentioned that the fourth master of the Lu Family has been studying elsewhere? That he has never returned to the capital, and has been studying under a renowned master? Where exactly is he studying?”

Lang Zhengping was caught off guard. “That I do not know — only that word was he had been taken on early as a disciple by some renowned master and has studied elsewhere since.”

“Look into it — whether he might be studying the arts at the Xuan Clan.”

“How could that be? Can an ordinary person enter the Xuan Clan to study?” Lang Zhengping said, clearly astonished.

“Why not? Any person may enter the path of the Dao — whether they have the aptitude for it is another matter. And even with aptitude, the depth of that aptitude differs greatly. Anyone may set foot on the path of the Dao, but not all can cultivate the great Dao.”

Lang Zhengping was quiet for a moment, then asked curiously, “And what bearing does his studying at the Xuan Clan have on the matter?”

Lang Jiuchuan silently set down her teacup, raised her head to look at him, and said, “I have a conjecture — the troubles that have come upon the Lang Family may have been drawn here by me.”

A thud.

Lang Zhengping was so startled that he knocked over the exquisite little purple clay teapot at his side. Tea streamed down the edge of the table and dripped steadily onto the floor.

A servant immediately stepped forward to clean it up, and was waved away with a sweep of his hand.

Lang Zhengping stared at Lang Jiuchuan. “What did you just say? Drawn here by you — what do you mean?”

“Whoever they are, I believe their true target is me. Someone wants me dead. If this person is studying at the Xuan Clan, then it is the Xuan Clan who wishes to deal with me — and the Lu Family is merely one of their subordinate instruments, acting on their master’s instructions. This would explain why a scheme was laid during the funeral of the Lang Family patriarch — it was calculated precisely because of me.”

Lang Zhengping was struck speechless.

Because of her — the one truly targeted by whoever lurked behind all this — was in fact her, his younger brother’s only daughter?

Why?

She was no more than a girl of fragile constitution who could not lift the weight of a chicken. She had grown up since childhood on a rural estate. How had she come to offend the Xuan Clan, to such a degree that they would not even spare her family in their efforts to deal with her?

Lang Zhengping was at a loss for words for a long while, his thoughts unable to work through it. By the time he gathered himself, Lang Jiuchuan had long since departed from the room.

What had she said in the end, then?

Do not worry — if it truly is because of me, I will not bring trouble upon you all. I will leave.

Lang Zhengping felt a sharp tightening in his chest — part fury, part anguish. He shot to his feet and looked toward the young manservant attending him in the room.

The manservant’s back ran cold. He immediately said, “This servant heard nothing.”

Lang Zhengping said in a frigid tone, “Not a single word of what passed between the ninth young lady and myself today is to leave this room. If even one word gets out, you will be held responsible — the entire household punished to death.”

The manservant immediately knelt on the ground and swore by heaven.

Lang Zhengping let out a heavy grunt, then thought again of Lang Jiuchuan’s manner and demeanor, and heaved a long sigh. It seemed he would need to have a serious, lengthy conversation with his younger brother’s wife.

“You were not entirely at ease with what was said — so why did you still lay it all bare before him? And besides, there is no definitive proof yet — it is all still nothing more than your conjecture.” Jiang Che was somewhat curious about what was going on in Lang Jiuchuan’s mind.

Lang Jiuchuan said, “Concealment serves no purpose. And besides, to sustain one lie, you need to pile on too many more lies — it is exhausting. Speaking plainly is far more freeing. In any case, I am merely a guest borrowing this body — I hold no particular sentiment toward the Lang Family. As for the ancestral merit and protection and all that — once the shop is up and running someday, there will naturally be income flowing in from that.”

“That may not be entirely true,” said Jiang Che, cutting through her reasoning. “There are those here who have quite genuinely found a place in your heart. You simply have not yet learned how to be with them. Be honest — you do fear bringing harm upon the Lang Family, do you not? But you ought to think this through clearly — now that you have returned to the Lang Family, as for whether you can maintain the independence of simply tending to yourself alone: would others even allow it?”

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes revealed a flash of fierce coldness. “All cause and effect must find its resolution in the end. We shall see.”

“Ninth young lady — Master Youhe has returned and is requesting to see you again. He seems quite urgent about it.” A young manservant came running to the gate of her courtyard, calling out loudly.

Lang Jiuchuan’s eyes narrowed to a half-lidded gaze. He had come and gone only to return — something has happened.