Among the crowd stood a woman in simple clothes and hairpin, not yet twenty years old, with delicate features though her brow showed signs of weariness. Upon hearing Yin Haoyu’s voice, she briefly lifted her head to look at him, her eyes glistening with emotion but quickly lowered her gaze again and hid behind someone nearby.
“Sister Yu Ying?” Yin Haoyu, confused by her attempt to hide, was about to wade into the crowd to find her.
“Young Master Yin, please be patient,” Ming Shu cautioned from beside him, halting his steps.
“Lady Lu, most of these people are servants from my household. What is your purpose in summoning them here?” Yin Licheng asked gravely, scanning the line of people filing in.
Ming Shu glanced at the entrance of Huaixiu Pavilion—the people sent to fetch Yin Shujun hadn’t returned yet. Never mind, she wouldn’t wait. She pulled out a small notebook from her cloth bag and turned to the last page.
The final page contained a list of dates, names, and brief notes.
Even with her excellent memory, she needed to write down these events spanning two years to keep their sequence clear.
“Lord Yin, Madam, Ming Shu has gathered these people here today not to pass judgment, but to unravel the mystery behind Miss Shujun’s personality change and fulfill the task Madam entrusted to me. With Elder Lord Yin presiding over your household, the family values are exemplary. Under Madam’s kind and generous management, the inner court has remained peaceful, without the usual conflicts between wives and concubines or legitimate and illegitimate children. Miss Shujun, as the eldest legitimate daughter, was the apple of her parents’ eye, maintained a close relationship with her brother, and never had any friction with her half-sisters. She was the most beloved daughter in the family, wasn’t she?”
At least, that was true two years ago.
Since arriving at the Yin household, Ming Shu had spent most of her time, apart from following Yin Shujun, chatting with others. Conversations could yield abundant information—a person’s past was hidden within these fragments of information. Ming Shu listened carefully and recorded everything on paper, gradually piecing together who Yin Shujun used to be.
She had been the family’s favored daughter, beautiful and cheerful, deeply loved, untouched by the dark politics of the inner court, her heart as clear as a mirror. But like most favored daughters, she had her flaws—pride and willfulness. Within the bounds of what her elders could accept, her pride and willfulness were even endearing, but beyond those bounds, they became her fatal weaknesses.
The Yin family didn’t contradict Ming Shu’s words because Yin Shujun had indeed been a lovable young lady before, though willful, her actions were merely childish mischief.
“The changes began two years ago, didn’t they? Or rather, the first rumor about Shujun—those two dead pets, a cat named Qing Shuang and a rabbit, were found dead in your family’s garden, quite gruesomely with their bodies cut open. When the servants discovered them, Shujun was nearby, holding bloody scissors.” Ming Shu walked to the people brought by Tao Yiqian. “And the night before, hadn’t Shujun been angry because Qing Shuang had urinated on her bedding, and hadn’t she scolded Ru Yi, the maid responsible for watching the pets, and threatened to beat Qing Shuang?”
The maids in Yin Shujun’s quarters had been replaced, but the former ones still served elsewhere in the Yin household and had been summoned today. At Ming Shu’s prompting, two people nodded after recalling, and one spoke up: “That’s right. It was the end of the year, very cold, and the new bedding had just been changed when Qing Shuang urinated on it. The Young Miss was quite angry.”
“The next day, both the cat and rabbit were dead. Zhang Sao, who tended the garden, and two cleaning maids discovered them first, but Shujun was already there when they arrived,” Ming Shu looked at the others. “Where are Zhang Sao and those two cleaning maids?”
Three people stepped forward uncertainly, and Ming Shu asked, “What did you see then?”
The three exchanged nervous glances before Zhang Sao spoke: “I was watering the garden plants, and when I reached the flowers near Xiu Pavilion, I saw the Young Miss crouching in the bushes, holding scissors over the cat and rabbit’s bodies.”
“We saw the same thing. We were sweeping from the other end and saw the Young Miss’s back as she crouched on the ground,” the other two added.
“So none of you saw Shujun kill the cat and rabbit—you only saw her crouching there. Then why, after I arrived at your household, did I hear rumors that Shujun had killed them? Just because the cat had made trouble on her bed the day before, she killed her pets for revenge?”
“What are you trying to prove? That Sister didn’t kill Qing Shuang? I used to believe that too, I used to believe she wasn’t that kind of person…” Yin Haoyu stepped beside her and countered.
“You used to believe, so why don’t you believe now? If you don’t believe it, why didn’t you investigate? Is your trust so easily shaken?” Ming Shu stared directly into Yin Haoyu’s eyes before looking away and continuing, “After the cat and rabbit’s bodies were discovered, Yu Ying, Shujun’s maid at the time, quickly arrived. Yu Ying, please tell us what happened then.”
Yu Ying, upon hearing her name, stepped out from behind the crowd but still wouldn’t look at Yin Haoyu, speaking softly: “That morning, when the Young Miss woke and found the window open and Qing Shuang missing from the room, she thought Qing Shuang had sneaked out as usual. Because Qing Shuang had previously eaten poisonous plants, the Young Miss worried it might happen again and went looking herself. I was preparing hot water for washing up then, and seeing her go out lightly dressed, I grabbed a cloak and followed. When I caught up, she was already crouching in the bushes, crying bitterly. I hurriedly helped the Young Miss away and found servants to handle the bodies.”
“The servant who handled the cat and rabbit’s bodies was Gui An, right? Gui An, when you disposed of the bodies, were the blood and bodies still warm and soft?”
As Yu Ying stepped back, a male servant came forward to respond: “When this servant went to handle them, the blood had already congealed, and the bodies were cold and stiff.”
“Even in winter, cat and rabbit bodies wouldn’t immediately have congealed blood and become cold and stiff. From Yu Ying’s account, we know Shujun hadn’t been out long. The only explanation is that when Shujun arrived, the cat and rabbit were already dead—she was the first to discover their bodies.” Ming Shu nodded, her gaze sweeping across Yin Licheng and Yin Haoyu’s faces. “This unsolved case from two years ago—even if the killer of the cat and rabbit couldn’t be found, Shujun’s innocence could have been easily proven. But because they were just a cat and rabbit, it was dismissed, just like with Flying Snow, brushed aside with a casual excuse. Though the matter passed, people’s morbid curiosity tends to magnify unexplained phenomena. You can guess what I’ve heard in your household?”
“I heard them privately discussing how Shujun was possessed by a fox spirit and needed to drink cat and rabbit blood. I even heard them say that day Shujun was cutting open the animals’ chests, taking out their hearts and livers to eat… Such absurd rumors—I’m sure you heard them too, and I’m sure you tried to control them, but those in power only suppressed them without addressing the root cause, relying solely on the family’s authority to maintain control.”
Beneath the endless gossip lay invisible, chilling human nature.
“If it had been just this one incident, perhaps time would have truly let it pass. But rumors provided opportunities for those with ill intentions, and soon after, another incident occurred.” Ming Shu turned a page in her notebook, where “Yu Ying” was prominently listed first.
“Since coming to your household, I’ve inquired about the incidents related to Shujun’s personality change. The main ones were the deaths of the cat and rabbit as the beginning, and the abuse of Yu Ying as the follow-up.” She closed her notebook and looked toward the entrance. “Would you like to tell this story yourself, or shall I?”
Everyone followed her gaze to see Yin Shujun had arrived.
She wore an apricot-colored jacket and skirt, her beautiful face bearing an unhealthy pallor. After three days confined in the Buddha hall, the resentment and grievance in her eyes seemed to have been ground away, leaving her gaze cold.
“I’ll tell it myself.” Yin Shujun entered the courtyard, first paying respects to her parents before looking at Yin Haoyu and saying, “Yu Ying was the personal maid Mother chose for me when I was five. She was three years older, very caring, ate and slept with me, and was very good to me. I trusted her completely and let her handle all affairs in my quarters. She was with me for ten years, like a sister to me, and I never mistreated her.”
Yu Ying, standing in the crowd, began crying upon hearing these words. Yin Haoyu looked at her, then at his sister, wanting to speak but swallowing his words.
“Brother is two years younger than me and has always been attached to me. When I wanted to keep a cat, he wanted one too, following me like a shadow. I often played with him and loved and protected him as an elder sister should. Yu Ying, following me, often had to clean up after us and take care of our daily needs. The three of us were together for nearly ten years. Having no elder sister myself, I regarded Yu Ying as one, and my brother did the same. Though we were masters and servants, in his heart, he also saw Yu Ying as a sister. I thought these days would continue forever, but… someone developed different feelings.”
Yin Haoyu, though a year younger than Yin Shujun, was already a handsome young master despite his remaining boyishness, quite popular among young ladies outside. Living nearby day after day, how could a young woman at the age of budding romance resist someone who showed daily gentleness? Even with the barriers of master-servant and brother-sister relationships, how could one prevent the stirring of spring emotions? Once feelings arose, people changed. But Yin Haoyu was still young then, holding only respect for his two “sisters,” his heart clear and treating everyone equally.
Yu Ying could only suppress her growing feelings until two years ago.
“Two years ago, as brother’s fourteenth birthday approached, Mother said he was growing up and should have someone to take care of his personal needs.” She said this while glancing at Yin Haoyu.
Yin Haoyu’s face reddened, and he remained silent.
The “personal attendant” referred to was simply a concubine chosen by the family elders for young masters, meant to teach them about worldly matters.
“This matter stirred her thoughts,” Yin Shujun said flatly.
Yin Haoyu frowned, and when he understood the implications of his sister’s words, his face suddenly flushed with shock: “How could that be? I… I saw Yu Ying as a sister, just like my own sister, I never…”
He couldn’t continue.
Yu Ying had already fallen to her knees, covering her face as she wept: “I was the one who did wrong, yet caused the Young Miss to suffer.”
Lady Li’s plan to find a concubine for Yin Haoyu had provoked Yu Ying. Using her position as Yin Shujun’s servant, she found an opportunity and, regardless of consequences, entered Yin Haoyu’s bed, intending to seduce him.
Unfortunately, Yin Shujun discovered this.
“Can you imagine how I felt when I pulled her from my brother’s bed?” Yin Shujun, still unmarried, turned her face away uncomfortably as she spoke of these matters, not looking at Yin Haoyu.
She was being euphemistic—that day, she had pulled a naked Yu Ying from the bed, witnessing an utterly shameful scene.
If the two had been mutually in love, she might have blessed their union, but her brother had viewed Yu Ying as a sister, never harboring impure thoughts, yet Yu Ying had attempted such a despicable act—it was unbearable.
If word got out that her maid had tried to seduce her brother…
That day, Yin Shujun was so angry she smashed things in her room and grabbed a horsewhip to flog Yu Ying, but ultimately didn’t bring the whip down, only confining Yu Ying to her quarters.
“After I calmed down, I felt I could no longer keep Yu Ying by my side, so I prepared to send her away. However, to stay, she deliberately injured herself, knowing my soft heart, covering herself in wounds, saying she was following Lian Po’s example of seeking forgiveness. I still didn’t agree and sent her away, only promising never to tell brother about this disgraceful matter, preserving the last bit of their relationship.” Yin Shujun paused, seemingly composing emotions trapped in memory. “But I never imagined how this incident would appear to others. You only saw me dismissing Yu Ying over a small matter, saw her leaving my quarters covered in wounds, and assumed I had whipped and abused her. I thought the truth would speak for itself, that these misunderstandings would dissipate with time, but they didn’t…”
Instead, she received strange looks from others and distrust from her loved ones.
“Why didn’t you… tell me…” Yin Haoyu now refused to look at Yu Ying, staring intently at Yin Shujun, his brow deeply furrowed, guilt growing in his eyes.
“I promised Yu Ying, and I didn’t want to destroy our ten years of friendship, didn’t want you to know these shameful things.” In contrast to her brother’s agitation, Yin Shujun appeared unusually calm.
Her silence had been out of consideration for relationships, but now she spoke because she was too disappointed to care about old feelings.
“My child, you’ve suffered…” Lady Li came forward with tears, wanting to embrace Yin Shujun, but was avoided.
“Ahem. Well, that concludes Yu Ying’s matter,” Ming Shu spoke again, steering the conversation back. “Let’s look at the next incident.”
She had everything recorded in her little notebook.
After Yu Ying left, a maid named Qing Yan replaced her in Yin Shujun’s service. Qing Yan had also served in Yin Shujun’s quarters for many years but had never been given important duties because of Yu Ying. Finally promoted to head maid, she hoped to prove herself, but because of Yu Ying’s betrayal, Yin Shujun no longer trusted her attendants and remained aloof toward Qing Yan.
“With the foundation laid by Yu Ying’s incident and the pets’ deaths, Shujun’s image had plummeted. The family elders began to pay closer attention to Shujun, intending to discipline her strictly. Shujun, having been a favored daughter, couldn’t bear the external rumors blackening her name and the misunderstanding from her family and elders, naturally harboring resentment and beginning to resist. But she couldn’t stop the endless gossip, and the anger bottled up in her heart inevitably led to an increasingly volatile temper, sometimes venting on servants. Qing Yan, as her new personal maid, bore the brunt of this cold treatment and scolding.”
It was true that Yin Shujun had a temper—anyone in such an environment would either silently endure or fight back to the end. How could a favored daughter like Yin Shujun remain silent? Yet her defenses seemed too weak, and her resistance became willfulness and disrespect for elders in the eyes of her family.
At this time, Qing Yan was caught stealing by Yin Shujun expelled from Xiu Pavilion, and demoted to work in the Yin family’s laundry.
“I’ve investigated—a large portion of the rumors about Shujun’s mistreatment of servants originated from the laundry. Combined with Shujun’s increasingly volatile temper and her loud scolding of servants that the entire garden could hear, gradually the rumors of her abuse and mistreatment of servants became accepted as truth. But in reality, how many people did she hit? Many people standing here once served in Shujun’s garden—have you seen her raise a hand? Or were you ever beaten by her? Anyone? Not a single one!”
No one dared speak up, and Ming Shu continued: “Later, when a Noble Lady in the palace heard about Shujun’s unruly behavior, she specially sent an elderly matron to discipline Shujun. The matron was strict and, under the Noble Lady’s orders, naturally showed no mercy to Shujun. For any slight misstep, Shujun faced not just verbal reprimands but punishment from the disciplinary ruler. How could someone of Shujun’s character endure this? After just a few days, she clashed with the matron, disregarding the Noble Lady’s face, and allegedly got into a physical altercation by the lotus pond, even pushing the matron into the water… This is what you all heard, right?”
As she spoke, she waved her hand, holding a thin piece of paper: “This is a letter written by that very matron from the Noble Lady’s side, which I obtained with the help of Young Master Tao from your household. Lord Yin, Madam, please take a look.”
She presented the letter, which was quickly delivered to Yin Licheng’s hands.
While Yin Licheng read the letter, Ming Shu continued: “That day during the dispute, many people came to mediate, surrounding Shujun and the matron. Whatever happened, everything was blamed on Shujun. However, the matron clearly states in her letter that although she and Shujun argued that day, she never saw who pushed her. Just like with the death of the cat and rabbit, no one saw Shujun do anything.”
Yin Licheng quickly finished reading the letter and passed it to Lady Li. He frowned deeply at Ming Shu: “According to you, these past two years, Shujun has been deeply harmed by rumors, and this isn’t her true nature?”
“Lord Yin, at this point, do you still think these were merely harmful rumors? If the deaths of the cat and rabbit and Yu Ying’s incident were the cause of the rumors spreading, by the time it reached Qing Yan, it had evolved beyond mere rumors. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have faced multiple accidents during my stay at your residence.” Ming Shu’s words drew everyone’s attention to Yin Liangjun, who was kneeling on the ground.
“Because of Shujun’s changes, the Elder Lord once said that if Shujun didn’t reform, she would be sent to the family temple to cultivate her character, correct? Not long after, Flying Snow died. Young Master Yin visited Shujun’s chambers late at night, even alarming the Elder Lord. If I hadn’t spoken up for Miss Shujun then, it might have caused another household upheaval. I originally thought your family would thoroughly investigate the cat’s death, but it was unexpectedly dismissed. Fortunately, Shujun barely escaped being sent to the family temple. From that time on, I felt that behind all these rumors, there must be hidden malicious intent.”
At these words, everyone seemed struck by a sudden realization.
If Shujun were gone, the main branch would have only one daughter left. Though she was born of a concubine, if she gained the legitimate mother’s favor and was recognized as legitimate, even if she didn’t marry into the royal family, she wouldn’t lack marriage prospects. If there were to be an alliance marriage in the future, her prospects would be limitless.
Lady Li was the quickest to understand, pointing at the kneeling Yin Liangjun: “It was you… you curry favor with me daily, I thought you were naturally pure and kind, but I never expected to raise such an ungrateful wolf!”
Yin Liangjun looked up at Lady Li with a smile—what did daily flattery matter when she still wouldn’t become the legitimate daughter of this household?
Ming Shu continued: “Because I watched Shujun daily, she made no more mistakes. If someone wanted to make Shujun err, they would first need to remove me. Hence the accident at Miaosheng Xiaojing—killing two birds with one stone, eliminating me while using my accident to deliver the final blow to Shujun. Sure enough, after the incident, no one believed Shujun and even my words were ignored in the interest of peace, condemning Shujun instead. Do you know how much effort it took me to see you all, arrange today’s gathering, and say these words?”
She hadn’t eaten or slept well for three days!
At this point, she glanced at Tao Xiang, who had remained silent until now, looking somewhat aggrieved.
Tao Xiang returned her look—you brought this on yourself.
Ming Shu made a face at him and continued: “I have no evidence to prove who pushed me down the mountain. Though their methods were crude, I must say they left no traces—it wouldn’t be simple to catch them. However, people with too many schemes often fall victim to their plots. Fifth Brother said I went to Miaosheng Fairy Realm to find evidence, and she followed, half-believing, half-doubting. When she saw her belongings in my possession, she couldn’t maintain her composure. The events that followed were witnessed by several matrons from your household who accompanied me to Miaosheng Xiaojing—I need not elaborate further.”
She hadn’t gone alone. To draw out the perpetrator, besides Tao Xiang hiding nearby, Yin Licheng had sent others to follow, all concealed in the vicinity. However, at the time, Ming Shu hadn’t revealed who she suspected, so when they discovered it was Yin Liangjun, no one dared come forward without orders. Only when Liangjun attacked did Tao Xiang spring into action, followed by the others.
“Since I could remember, my mother always impressed upon me that those seated above were my true parents, that I must be filial to them, respect my elder sister, and love my brother. I took it all to heart. I went to Huaixiu Pavilion daily to pay respects to Father and Mother, rain or shine. I never showed the slightest disrespect to my elder sister, loved my brother, and was friendly with my sisters. I thought we were the closest of kin, but after more than ten years, all I saw was the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children.” Yin Liangjun lowered her gaze to the ground, ignoring the anger of her family around her, speaking flatly, “From small matters like visiting friends to important ones like meeting the Noble Lady at the palace—it was always Elder Sister who was taken along. Only the Elder Sister was qualified to attend the parties of noble ladies and young misses from various households. When visiting ladies learned I was an illegitimate daughter, their courtesy cooled. Father said there was no difference between legitimate and illegitimate, Mother said she treated us equally, but how could there be no difference? How could the treatment truly be equal? I ask myself—am I inferior to Elder Sister? In all the things a young lady should learn, I surpass Elder Sister. I even tried hard to please you all, but what difference did it make? You are a family, while I’m just an illegitimate daughter who can’t be shown in public.”
Even in marriage… the difference between her and her legitimate sister was like that between heaven and earth.
Her sister might marry the Third Prince and perhaps become Empress one day, while for her, just “a scholar of good background” would suffice.
Though they were sisters, the difference was so vast.
If she had been born legitimate, would things have been different?
She didn’t know, but this thought, like a devil’s whisper, would come to her in the quiet of night.
“Big Sister’s Qing Shuang and rabbit Xiao Tao were killed by Ru Yi. She was already unhappy about Sister making her care for animals, finding them dirty. That night, after being scolded because Qing Shuang wet the bedding, she vented her anger on the pets. I saw her secretly kill them and hesitated about whether to reveal this, but when I heard them discussing Sister behind her back, I found it interesting.”
That was the first time she realized how rumors could hurt people. So she remained silent, watching events unfold, finding it increasingly fascinating.
How could human hearts be so intricate?
Yu Ying’s incident followed closely. Though she didn’t know the truth of this matter, she felt she could add some fuel to the fire. So she whispered a few words in Yin Haoyu’s ear and among the household relatives and servants, receiving exponential results.
Her legitimate sister began to appear less perfect.
This was her first realization of the power of rumors.
She began to stir with anticipation, eager to try more.
Qing Yan became her next experimental target. She carefully approached her, coaxed her into saying exaggerated words, and slowly let those statements spread… Besides words, she did nothing else, and words leave no traces.
As her legitimate sister’s image gradually crumbled, she slowly entered everyone’s favorable view.
“You all say Big Sister turned bad while I became lovable… That’s not true. I’ve always been this way, trying hard to please each of you—I’ve never changed. You didn’t think well of me before simply because you only had eyes for Big Sister. When Big Sister turned bad, it made my goodness stand out in contrast.”
Yin Liangjun had never expected such a transformation. Her sister’s fall from grace highlighted her virtues. This change came so unexpectedly yet delightfully that her small acts of revenge for years of daily unfairness were no longer just about retribution—she felt she could truly compete with her legitimate sister.
She even thought she could replace her.
If only her sister would continue to “worsen” until no one in the family could tolerate her anymore.
“So… you were the one who pushed the matron during the chaos?” Ming Shu asked her.
She neither denied nor confirmed, only saying: “I never intended to take anyone’s life, never.”
The lotus pond was too shallow to drown someone, but it could add another black mark against Yin Shujun—how perfect.
The matron was from the Noble Lady’s side—such treatment would surely enrage the Noble Lady, further tarnishing Big Sister’s reputation.
She was secretly delighted, and then Lu Mingshu arrived.
Lu Mingshu wasn’t from the Yin family. Her eyes and heart were pure, unaffected by rumors, and undeceived by appearances. No matter how much Liangjun tried to curry favor with her, or how much Yin Shujun tormented her, Ming Shu remained impartial, neither responding to her friendliness nor growing closer to Yin Shujun. She even began investigating those overlooked past events.
This was a formidable person who frightened Yin Liangjun.
“But I was just one step away from victory. If I could strike while the iron was hot and pour another bucket of ink on Sister, she would have been sent to the family temple. I couldn’t just give up.”
The opportunity suddenly arrived when Yin Shujun touched Yin Haoyu’s cat.
“It was you… you killed Flying Snow?!” Yin Haoyu stared incredulously at the kneeling Yin Liangjun, unable to imagine that this seemingly gentle and pure sister could be so cruel.
“What’s so surprising? It’s just an animal—only you and your sister treat them like treasures,” Yin Liangjun said dismissively.
Yin Haoyu stumbled back two steps, took a couple of breaths, and looked toward his sister with both regret and guilt: “Big Sister…”
Yin Shujun stepped back, averting her eyes from him.
The events that followed matched Ming Shu’s account, and Yin Liangjun didn’t bother to repeat them, only laughing mockingly: “Why are you all looking at me like this? Was I the only one spreading rumors? Didn’t you all take part? What did I do? For ten years, I’ve been filial to my parents, loving toward my sisters and brother… I neither hurt anyone nor plotted murder… They were all small matters…”
Indeed, they were all small matters, none serious enough to be considered malicious. Yet precisely because they were small matters, they were overlooked, and handled in various ways to maintain peace, leaving only ambiguous speculation that turned into rumors, wounding people invisibly without drawing blood.
Even what the eyes see may not be true, let alone what the ears hear.
These were the words Tao Xiang had once told her, and Ming Shu thought of this as she looked toward him.
Tao Xiang spoke up at this moment: “No murder plots? Then how do you explain the accident at Miaosheng Xiaojing and today’s events? You’ve pressed forward step by step for your selfish desires, harboring thoughts of harm and murder—how can these be small matters? She first injured my sister, and when exposed, attempted to silence her through murder. In this matter, I hope your household can give me a satisfactory resolution, or else even if I have to appeal to the Imperial Court, I, Tao, will not let this end here!”
These final words were directed at Yin Licheng.
Yin Licheng could only say: “Young Master Tao, please don’t be angry. This official will surely give you and your sister a proper resolution to this matter.”
Ming Shu heard this and rested her chin on her fists, her starry eyes looking at her brother—Brother’s final words were truly… impressive!
The Yin family’s matter was resolved.
Ming Shu had completed her assigned task—she was only responsible for uncovering the reasons behind Yin Shujun’s personality changes. As for the Yin family’s legitimate versus illegitimate struggles, conflicts between wives and concubines, and matters of royal marriage alliances—these were all irrelevant to her. How they settled accounts behind closed doors and how they handled their affairs were not matters she could interfere with. She had no desire to wade into the Yin family’s troubled waters.
Returning from the Yin residence, the carriage could only stop at the entrance of the alley. Ming Shu got down and limped along behind Tao Xiang as they walked home.
After a few steps, Tao Xiang suddenly stopped.
Just as Ming Shu was about to ask why, she saw him crouch down in front of her, offering his broad, sturdy back.
“Get on,” Tao Xiang said.
Ming Shu climbed onto his back with a grin, and he carried her home.
“Brother is so good!” she praised him by his ear.
“Stop flattering me,” Tao Xiang didn’t accept the compliment.
“Look at us, being siblings is so wonderful, with such deep fraternal affection! I don’t know what Yu Ying was thinking, giving up being a good sister to climb into bed as a concubine. Now she can’t even be siblings anymore—how foolish. Don’t you agree, Brother?” Ming Shu lay on Tao Xiang’s back, somehow thinking of Yu Ying and Yin Haoyu, speaking from her feelings.
She thought about how she had a brother too—surely the feelings between brothers and sisters were similar?
“Brother?”
She waited for a long time but received no answer from Tao Xiang, so she shook his neck which she was holding.
Tao Xiang still didn’t answer.