Mei Fen looked as though she had seen a ghost. She leaped out of bed, her bare feet landing on the foot-stool. The terror on her face gave Yun Pan a start.

Yun Pan reached over and took her hand. “A’Jie…”

Mei Fen’s palm was ice-cold, damp with sweat. She turned, her expression anguished, and whispered: “I do not want to see him.”

There is a kind of fear that no amount of acting can produce. A fright received in childhood can grow into a festering sore carved into the heart. In Mei Fen’s memory, He Xiao was profoundly terrifying. These past ten years she had lived in his shadow — even the sound of his name was enough to make her tremble all over.

Madam Ming, for her part, was not without thoughts of using “the one who tied the bell to untie it.” Mei Fen’s wedding date was fast approaching, and if He Xiao’s visit could be used to help Mei Fen finally break free of her mental entanglement, it might not be a bad method.

So — to fight poison with poison. When He Xiao expressed a wish to see his little cousin, Madam Ming thought it over briefly and brought him into the rear courtyard. He Xiao was now a celebrated talent in the capital region — a man of good character and considerable learning, with scarcely any fault one could name. Mei Fen’s alarm over him was surely the overreaction of childhood. If they were to meet now, after so many years, and she saw him in a new light, perhaps that old affliction of hers might finally begin to heal.

With no reply coming from inside, Madam Ming called again: “Mei Fen, did you hear what Mother said?”

Mei Fen felt as though she faced an enemy army. She dared not refuse to answer, and gave a hurried, muffled sound of acknowledgment. She was terrified that her irritation might provoke He Xiao into storming directly inside — even the mere thought of it was enough to scatter her wits entirely.

Yun Pan too was curious — just what manner of creature was this He Xiao, with three heads and six arms, to reduce Mei Fen to such terror?

Between the inner room and the hall hung two bamboo curtains worked with golden thread. Daylight flooded through the wide-open doors and windows and fell from behind, casting He Xiao’s silhouette in faint outline: a young man of moderate build, wearing a round-collar robe, hair bound neatly. Judging by his posture alone, he appeared thoroughly gentle and well-mannered.

Yun Pan leaned closer and spoke softly to Mei Fen: “A’Jie, since he has come, face him squarely. If a wrong was done in youth, perhaps the person has changed for the better over all these years. The more you fear meeting him, the more you must — and you must appear entirely at ease. Do not let him see that you are afraid. Let him know that what happened as children is all in the past and that you have thought nothing of it — then he will not be able to read you, and he will not dare to take liberties, nor to bully you again.” Yun Pan blinked. “Trust me, it will work.”

Mei Fen heard this, bit her lip, and gave a nod.

Once they had finished dressing and composing themselves, they were to proceed to the front hall. Mei Fen’s face grew stiffer with each step. Yun Pan guided her to draw two deep breaths, then pressed a finger to the corner of her own lips. “Smile. As long as you are smiling, you will not appear flustered.”

Mei Fen truly wished she could face her old nemesis with composure. Since the day she had nearly drowned, she had never once returned to her aunt’s home. She feared He Xiao in her heart, but she feared even more that he would see through her. So she clenched her fists, forced out a smile, signaled to the maidservant to lift the bamboo curtain, and after much hesitation finally stepped out from the inner room.

He Xiao — at first glance, he did indeed have the appearance of a refined man. Yun Pan had expected his brows to carry at least a sharpness of edge; she was surprised to find him entirely a scholar’s complexion of bright lips and white teeth. When Mei Fen stepped out, he folded his hands in a bow and said: “It has been many years since I last saw younger cousin — has she been well?” His tone was warm and carried no barbed aggression.

Mei Fen did not dare look at him. She quickly returned his bow. “Quite well, thank you for your concern, Cousin.”

Madam Ming had half-expected Mei Fen to lose her composure, but finding everything proceeding calmly, she exhaled in quiet relief. She then introduced He Xiao to Yun Pan: “San Lang, this is my younger sister’s daughter, who has come to stay with us as company for Mei Fen.” And she called out: “Si Si, come and greet Cousin.”

This was a relationship of eight or nine degrees removed — calling each other brother and sister was purely a social nicety.

Yun Pan stepped forward and made a bow. He Xiao returned a courteous one. But a young woman’s instincts are rarely wrong — she noticed that He Xiao’s gaze drifted, again and again, to linger on Mei Fen. Seeing Mei Fen hold her smile, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, as though all of this was completely unlike what he had anticipated.

But that layer of strangeness was quickly buried beneath polished conversation. With a pleasant smile, he said: “The last time I saw younger cousin was at our grandmother’s birthday banquet. After that I was occupied with my studies, and I heard that younger cousin had entered the clan school — so we had no opportunity to meet, and now it has been, I think, eleven years?”

Mei Fen’s heart was still leaping. Compared to childhood, he had not changed much — in front of others he maintained the same courteous manner, even the precise cadences of his speech were identical. She pressed down the chaos in her chest and smiled faintly. “Yes, eleven years — I did not expect Cousin to come to the capital to pursue his studies…”

He Xiao seemed to find her words unreasonable. He raised an eyebrow. “The capital is a fine place — talented people everywhere, paragons of excellence in every direction. Whether one comes to pursue learning or to seek an official post, there is not a single person who does not want to claim a place in the capital.”

Madam Ming, seeing them able to converse without incident, let the stone in her chest drop. She began to make arrangements at once. “You have made the journey all the way to the capital — stay and dine with us this evening. The two of you have not seen each other in years. Sit and talk for a while, and I will go to the western wing and tell them to prepare the evening banquet. I shall come back shortly.”

He Xiao bowed his hands toward Madam Ming. “My coming here has already put Aunt to so much trouble.”

Madam Ming smiled faintly, turned, and went out.

The moment her mother left, Mei Fen grew even more tense. Her hands trembled beneath her sleeves. She could barely conceal it, and only managed: “I am not yet recovered — I may not be able to…”

But before she could finish, He Xiao cut across her. “Younger cousin is not well? Has a physician been seen? Is it an old ailment or something new?” He smiled a smile that was not quite a smile. “As it happens, I have recently befriended a renowned physician who is staying at a nearby ward house. I can send someone with a message and have him come to the house to examine you.”

Mei Fen was so uncomfortable she barely knew whether to sit or stand. She said hurriedly: “No… no need…”

The fragile pretense she had been maintaining crumbled at this. Her face went pale, her eyes flickered and shied away — the more she revealed, the wider He Xiao’s smile grew. He raised his brows and said: “I heard long ago that younger cousin never leaves her chambers — and seeing you today, how is it you seem even more timid than you were ten years ago?”

These words struck her where it hurt most. The mention of ten years ago — Mei Fen had been pulled from the water barely breathing, and it was her father who had spent tremendous effort pressing and striking at her back before she was finally brought back to life. A person who has tasted death once will never willingly taste it again. There was a time when Mei Fen had also been a lively, spirited girl, but after that incident it was as if she had become someone else entirely. She had overheard the household servants gossiping behind her back, saying that the shell was still a young lady’s shell, but the soul inside was no longer a young lady’s soul.

Even she herself felt that perhaps this was so.

But when a person’s fear of someone reaches a certain depth, even the words of refusal will not come. She stood there like a wooden block, her limbs refusing to obey, her throat stuffed with a ball of cotton that would not let her cry out or call for help.

“You really ought to eat more. Younger cousin is too thin. I heard that younger cousin is betrothed to Duke Weiguo — that marriage is not far off now? Duke Weiguo I know — the crown jewel of the imperial family, the most distinguished of the noble houses. And yet his constitution is frail. A mistress like that is perhaps not easy to deal with. Younger cousin’s heart must stay open and broad — if she is this meek and tongue-tied in front of her future husband as well, she will never be able to establish her footing in his household. And Uncle can hardly be expected to march into someone else’s rear quarters to stand up for younger cousin.”

He Xiao said all this with a smile, but his tone had the cold, hissing quality of a snake.

In the past, Yun Pan had not understood how a single fall into water could make Mei Fen so afraid — was it truly as Madam Ming said, a panicked misreading in the chaos? But having now seen He Xiao, she could judge within a few sentences: this was a profoundly arrogant man. He regarded women as beneath notice from the very depths of his bones, and even with her present, he mocked and belittled Mei Fen with cutting words, without a shred of restraint.

As for Mei Fen, she was practically a cowed little daughter-in-law, shrunken and unable to speak up, and that look of hers made Yun Pan anxious — she feared Mei Fen would fright herself into illness from the sheer tension.

In the deep inner quarters, there was safety — but if the wolf had walked openly through the door, then calling to heaven would get no answer, and calling to earth would get no reply.

Yun Pan had come as a guest and was not in a position to intervene too much. But watching Mei Fen this way, she could not simply stand by. She steadied herself and said: “Though He Gongzi is family by kinship, you are still an outside gentleman. These are not words you should be saying — there are those in this household who will say them. My sister is unwell. Were it not for the face of Madam Ming, she should not even have seen you. Now — old acquaintance has been renewed, and tea has been drunk. For an outside gentleman to linger here overly long is contrary to propriety and will only damage your reputation as a gentleman. Please make your way to the front hall to speak with Uncle and Big Brother.” She gestured toward the door. “Gongzi, please.”

He Xiao was caught off guard. He had expected nothing but shy, retiring girls in the inner chambers. He had not anticipated that this girl who had appeared from nowhere would dare to speak up for Mei Fen — and what she said was not without reason, making it difficult to refute.

He felt an inner irritation, a sense that this girl had made him lose face, and gave a self-deprecating laugh to smooth it over. “The young mistress is the daughter of Marquis of Yong’an? If not for being here at Uncle’s estate, I would not have had the chance to make your acquaintance.”

Yun Pan manufactured a polite smile. “He Gongzi is celebrated throughout the capital — I have long heard of your great talent.”

A renowned great talent, and yet he had spoken improperly in someone else’s inner quarters. She was thoroughly contemptuous. She did not state it plainly, but the meaning was entirely contained in her words. She did not concern herself with He Xiao’s probing, unfriendly gaze, and gave a look to Mei Fen’s maidservant. “Ba Bao, see Gongzi He out.”

Ba Bao received the order and stepped forward. “Gongzi, this way please!”

He Xiao’s expression shifted through several rapid changes, then became cloud-light and wind-gentle once more. He bowed toward Mei Fen. “Younger cousin, rest well. I am studying here in the capital these days, so coming and going is quite convenient — once cousin is fully recovered, I will come and see you again.” With that, he turned with an easy grace and took long strides to the door.

Mei Fen watched until he had gone a good distance, then finally dared to breathe out the breath she had been holding. She sat stiffly and said to Yun Pan: “Did you hear — he said he will come again.”

Yun Pan also felt that something about He Xiao was not right. Reading between his words, it was clear he had a certain knowledge of Mei Fen’s situation. If it truly were a misunderstanding, today would have been the perfect chance to clear the air and address it honestly — but he had not done so. Instead, he had said things deliberately designed to provoke. What exactly were his intentions?

She put a hand on Mei Fen’s shoulder. “A’Jie, do not be afraid. The more fear you show him, the more he will toy with you.”

But Mei Fen lowered her head and covered her face. “How can I not be afraid? I nearly died at his hands… Thank heaven you were here today — otherwise, what would I have done?”

This was truly troubling. Especially since Uncle and Aunt still did not see He Xiao as someone harboring bad intentions. Because of the relationship between the two families as maternal cousins, they would not stop He Xiao from seeing Mei Fen.

Yun Pan pondered for a moment and said: “A’Jie was reluctant to marry before, but looking at this now, marrying sooner would actually be better. Once you are at Duke Weiguo’s estate, He Xiao will not dare to overstep.”

But Mei Fen’s head shook like a rattle drum. “No, no…”

At this moment Madam Ming came in. Seeing He Xiao was gone, she asked: “Your cousin has gone to the front hall?”

Mei Fen was furious at her mother for bringing the man in without a second thought, yet could not bring herself to reproach her. She jumped to her feet in agitation and retreated into the inner room.

Madam Ming stared. “Are you angry again?”

Yun Pan gave an ambiguous smile.

Madam Ming sighed. “I thought that since they were both grown now, the things from childhood should be past… Well then, tonight your uncle is hosting a banquet for He Xiao. You and your sister eat in your own courtyard! Tomorrow I must go into the imperial palace — the Empress Dowager’s inner attendant just came to summon me, and I do not know what it is about.” As she spoke, her expression grew grave. “I imagine it concerns Mei Fen and Duke Weiguo’s marriage — the palace wishes to make its intentions known…” Trailing off, her face took on a look of heavy deliberation.

This marriage was not, in truth, a simple matter of two families joining together.

Madam Ming was weighed down with thought. She looked through the latticed window toward the inner room. Dimly, on the round-moon window’s frame, she could make out a gilded birdcage swaying lightly in a gust of wind. The parrot perched inside, its feet shackled by golden chains, had lost its footing, and spread both wings in a sudden, frantic beating.