Yusang approached to pick up the strand of hair, but Yan Qige had already reached out first to collect the hair and held it up to the candlelight. The black hair was slightly tinged with dark red, and when sniffed closely, it carried a fragrance – if her guess was correct, it should be a woman’s hair.
“This time you’re not afraid there might still be traps?” Yusang looked at Yan Qige and spoke without good humor.
“Aren’t you standing right beside me?” Yan Qige examined the hair between his fingers, not even lifting his head as he replied.
“I saved you once because you also saved me just now, but don’t assume I’ll save you again.” Yusang crossed her arms and pouted.
“Then I’ll simply pull you over to block hidden weapons, which would also keep me safe.”
“You… you…” Yusang was once again so angry that she suffered internal injury.
Hearing her call out “you” three times, Yan Qige finally put down the hair in his hand and slowly raised his head to look at her, curving the corner of his mouth in a half-smile: “I’m quite well. Miss needn’t call out so much.”
“Your name is Yan Qige, isn’t it? Tomorrow morning, I’ll tell the county magistrate that you’re a wandering Taoist charlatan. Though you know magic, at the end of the day, you’re still a mortal. If he has the constables arrest you, I don’t believe you’d dare use magic to kill all the constables as if they were demons.”
“You might as well try it – see whether the constables arrest me faster, or whether I capture that group of bamboo spirits behind this residence faster.”
“You know about them?”
“They’ve never harmed mortals, so I have no intention of making things difficult for them. As long as you don’t say the wrong things, they can continue living their carefree lives.”
Yusang felt that being threatened by a mortal like this was quite unpleasant, but she truly couldn’t find any other way, so she could only suppress her full chest of rage and fiercely spit out the word “fine.”
Yan Qige nodded with satisfaction, turned around, and carried his lantern to illuminate all around the room, wiping his finger across the dust-covered zither table: “This room probably hasn’t had a living mortal come here for a long time. Do you know who used to live here?”
Yusang was also turning around, examining the room. Hearing this question, she was about to blurt out that it was Lu Shi, but just as the words reached her lips, she had second thoughts and changed her response: “I’ve only been in this residence for one day – how would I know? Besides, even if I knew, why should I be required to tell you? You were just threatening me a moment ago.”
“What a grudge-holding little demon.”
“Wrong – a demon with backbone.”
Yan Qige paid no more attention to Yusang. After making two more rounds of the room, he walked directly to the table with the burning white candle, rearranged the paper figure that had fallen over, and carried his lantern out the door.
When Yusang chased to the doorway, she only saw Yan Qige’s tall white silhouette and the light from his lantern disappear into the vast night. Her expression gradually became grave. She took out the white jade brush without bristles from her sleeve and looked at it. Only when she heard the cock’s crow did she hurriedly close the room door and return to her quarters by flying across eaves and treading on tiles along the route she had come.
The next morning, Yusang served Old Madam Wang as she rose and washed. The old madam seemed not to have slept well through the night, and her temper was frighteningly bad. From the time she began dressing until she finished her morning meal, she complained constantly, saying that someone had been talking in her ear all night, preventing her from sleeping well, and that something had been crawling around. She was certain that the maids in the residence had been lazy and hadn’t properly washed and starched her bedding.
Yusang forced herself to smile apologetically. After finally getting the old madam to finish her morning meal and sit in the courtyard drinking tea, just as she was about to return to the room to strip the old madam’s bedding and send it for washing, she looked up to see Steward Wang striding quickly through the East Garden gate toward where the old madam sat.
“Old madam, there’s a visitor.”
Before Old Madam Wang could speak, a familiar voice came from the East Garden entrance.
“Greetings, Old Madam Wang.”
Today Yan Qige wore a wide-sleeved deep robe of water blue with rolled edges, his waist bound with a dark sash from which hung a sachet and ornamental jade. The lantern in his hand had been replaced with a jade-bone folding fan. Combined with his outstanding handsome features, when he emerged from behind the flower trees still damp with dew, even Yusang couldn’t help but secretly become momentarily infatuated – truly a vision of beauty.
“So it’s Young Master Yan.” Old Madam Wang, who had shown no pleasant expression earlier, actually revealed a smile, swaying as she rose to welcome him. This made Yusang secretly purse her lips – Yan Qige even deceived elderly people, truly not a good sort.
“Old madam is too kind. Yesterday I came in haste and didn’t have much chance to chat with you. Today I’ve come again hoping to reminisce with the old madam – I wonder if you have the leisure?”
“Yes, yes, yes, naturally I do.”
Yan Qige looked up and around, pointing with his fan toward the surroundings: “Your residence has an exquisite layout with lush flowers and trees. I wonder if I might have the honor of a tour?”
Old Madam Wang nodded and extended her arm toward Yusang. Yusang had no choice but to support the old madam’s arm and head toward the garden gate.
The county residence wasn’t large, and its layout was quite simple – arranged like the characters “日” and “目” side by side. The upper left was the county yamen’s main gate and great hall, connected below to the office quarters for constables, clerks, and other staff. On the right side were, in order: the kitchen and servants’ quarters as one section, Old Madam Wang’s East Garden as another section, the residence’s garden with guest rooms and Buddhist hall as one section, and finally Lu Shi’s West Garden as the last section.
Throughout the journey, Yan Qige observed the various arrangements within the residence without saying much, nor did he look at Yusang. Not until they reached a stone path did Old Madam Wang suddenly speak: “There’s nothing worth seeing further ahead – Young Master needn’t proceed.”
Yan Qige turned his head to look at Old Madam Wang, showing a puzzled expression on his face. Using his fan to lift the tree branches blocking his view, he looked toward the end of the small path and discovered it was a courtyard enclosed by pink walls, with the words “West Garden” carved above a circular carved white marble archway.
Yan Qige frowned slightly and asked Old Madam Wang who lived there. The old madam’s complexion became somewhat pale, as if she were unwilling to mention it. She sighed lightly: “That’s where my daughter-in-law Lu Shi resides. Her mental state isn’t very good, and her fate is harsh – she normally dislikes having people near her.”
Hearing this, Yan Qige guessed seven or eight parts of the situation. He intentionally or unintentionally raised an eyebrow at Yusang, as if hinting that even if she refused to tell him, he had ways to learn about the West Garden from others. Then he asked: “Old madam, please elaborate a bit more.”
“Five years ago, my son was dismissed from office, and our entire household was confiscated. During the upheaval, she miscarried and became unable to bear children. After a severe illness, her temperament became irritable and strange. Fortunately, Heaven took pity and made the emperor change his mind, sending my son here to serve as county magistrate. But pitifully, my daughter-in-law’s illness has continued to this day.”
“I see…” Yan Qige seemed to contemplate deeply as he slightly curved his lips and murmured, then turned around: “Old madam must also be tired. It would be better to return and rest early.”
Old Madam Wang was extremely tired and nodded upon hearing this.
Yan Qige’s slight change in expression naturally fell within Yusang’s sight. She estimated that Magistrate Wang must know some inside information about this matter, so she secretly decided in her heart. Her face showed nothing as she simply lowered her head slightly and supported Old Madam Wang as they walked back. Just as Yusang turned to leave, she suddenly heard Yan Qige say something that struck her like thunder from a clear sky.