A lie is like a snowball — the farther it rolls, the bigger it grows.

Eleventh Miss spent a silent moment blaming Xu Lingyi, then accepted the blue and white small bowl from the Grand Madam’s hands and drained it in one go: “Thank you, Mother. I’m quite all right — just a bit of a headache.”

Deceiving an elder like this… she felt genuinely ill at ease.

The Grand Madam said nothing, simply smiled and passed her a small lotus-patterned blue and white bowl of clear water for rinsing her mouth. Nanny Du reached over to take the spittoon from the young maid on hand, but Hupo was quicker — she snatched it up first and held it to Eleventh Miss’s lips.

“…I’ve already had Steward Bai go and call on Imperial Physician Liu from the Imperial Medical Office,” the Grand Madam said. She tucked the handkerchief away after patting Eleventh Miss’s mouth clean. “Lie down and sleep under the covers for a while.”

Eleventh Miss smiled: “Mother, the evening air carries a chill. Please go back — it’s only a touch of cold. I’ve already drunk some ginger broth, and now you’ve called Imperial Physician Liu — and there’s Hupo and the others here to look after me. Nothing will go wrong.” She also looked apologetically at the Third and Fifth Young Madams who had accompanied the Grand Madam: “I’m sorry to have put Third Sister-in-law and Fifth Sister-in-law to the trouble as well.”

“Fourth Sister-in-law, you’re too formal with us,” Fifth Young Madam said with a smile, while her eyes slipped lightly around the room, taking in the furnishings. The bed hangings were neither quite new nor worn, the lacquer furniture was in solid black, the chairs and seats covered with olive-gold cushions and covers, the corners and tea tables adorned with a few flowering plants — clean and orderly, unassuming and without pretense. She nodded inwardly: quite comfortable to sit in, actually.

Third Young Madam also exchanged pleasantries: “Rest well — if you want anything to eat or drink, just say the word.”

Eleventh Miss thanked her.

But Third Young Madam’s gaze had been drawn to a matte black plum vase on the low table by the platform bed.

She had seen one just like it at her sister-in-law’s home during the New Year visit. It was said to be stone-carved, each one worth over two hundred taels of silver — worth as much as a necklace set with precious stones. She hadn’t expected that Eleventh Miss, married in only days ago, had already adopted this particular taste for elegant refinement. Though whether the plum vase had come with the Luo family’s dowry, or been given as a gift by the Grand Madam, she couldn’t quite tell.

With that thought, she glanced toward the Grand Madam.

She found the Grand Madam pressing her hand to Eleventh Miss’s forehead, checking her temperature. Satisfied that everything seemed normal, she gave an approving sound: “Good — no fever.” She straightened up, her gaze sweeping the room, and noticed that there was not a single senior nanny among all the maids present. Her expression remained unchanged: “Where is Nanny Tao?”

Hupo could not help glancing at Eleventh Miss, who smiled pleasantly: “It is only a small matter — I didn’t want to disturb her.”

The Grand Madam heard the word “disturb” and gave the faintest, barely perceptible raise of her brow. After a brief silence, she said: “Even a minor illness, if not attended to, can grow into something serious — don’t take it lightly.” She added: “For the next few days, rest properly. You may also skip the morning and evening greetings. I’ll have Zhen Jie’er and Jie Ge move to my quarters — so they won’t disturb you.”

She had deceived the old lady, and now the old lady was going out of her way to take the children off her hands.

Eleventh Miss burned with mortification. She quickly said: “Mother, there is no need — it’s only a slight cold. I’ll very likely be better after two doses of medicine.”

And as she said it, she resumed her silent grievance against Xu Lingyi.

Why had he told her she had caught a chill? Could he not have said it was her stomach? At least in this era, treatment was all with traditional medicine — if it had been Western medicine, there would be no telling how this would unravel.

But aloud she said: “If I’m still unwell tomorrow, it won’t be too late to send them to you then.”

Zhen Jie’er, who had been standing quietly behind the Grand Madam, stepped forward and said: “Grandmother — let Fifth Brother keep Zhun Ge company. I will stay here to attend on Mother.”

Third Young Madam and Fifth Young Madam both offered a comment: one praising Zhen Jie’er’s filial devotion, the other saying it was only natural that a child raised at her mother’s side would be like this.

Wen Yiniang, who had been standing with Weihua and Yaohuan at the doorway of the inner chamber, looked at Zhen Jie’er at these words.

Eleventh Miss had not anticipated the matter involving Zhen Jie’er.

She shifted uncomfortably, and quickly said: “I think there’s no need after all. Hui Jie’er will be visiting in a few days — if you attend to her properly, that in itself is a form of filial duty.”

The Grand Madam nodded approvingly: “When one is ill, one should receive tender care. That you have thought of this is very good.” The gaze she rested on Zhen Jie’er was full of warmth. “But since your mother is suffering from a headache, rest and quiet is what she needs. And with Hui Jie’er coming shortly, you can help receive your mother’s guest — that is equally a form of service to her.”

She had come in person to visit her ailing daughter-in-law, and yet she had not allowed her granddaughter to attend the sickbed.

Quiet astonishment moved through the room.

Amid the exchanged glances of those present, the Grand Madam rose: “Everyone may go. Let Eleventh Miss rest.”

The Third and Fifth Young Madams who had accompanied her quickly stood as well. Eleventh Miss “struggled” to get out of bed and walked the group to the door before standing up straight and letting out a long breath.

“My lord really,” she could not help reproaching Xu Lingyi. “How could you not have held Mother back? This is all so unnecessary.”

Xu Lingyi gave an awkward laugh.

He too had not anticipated that the Grand Madam would come in person.

Just as they were speaking, Imperial Physician Liu arrived.

Eleventh Miss gave Xu Lingyi an amused look: “Let’s hear how my lord explains this one.”

The bed curtains were lowered. A handkerchief was draped across her right wrist for Imperial Physician Liu to take her pulse.

Xu Lingyi said easily from beside her: “She’s taken a chill — how many days of rest would you recommend?”

Imperial Physician Liu was also a sharp man. Hearing this, he left the left wrist unexamined, withdrew with Xu Lingyi to the reception hall, and dashed off a prescription with a few strokes of his brush: “Ideally seven or eight days of rest — ten days to half a month would be even better. At the very minimum, four or five days.”

Eleventh Miss, in the inner chamber, heard this and laughed behind her sleeve.

She found herself thinking that the medicine might not be quite so difficult to swallow after all…

—

Meanwhile, a shadowy figure slipped quietly into the courtyard that had once been Yuan Niang’s.

Only a sliver of moon hung in the sky, casting a dim, uncertain light. The figure moved without hesitation, familiar with every step, and entered Yuan Niang’s main room without difficulty.

On the display shelf, the jade stone landscape ornaments gleamed faintly in the dark.

But the figure gave them not a glance, going directly to Yuan Niang’s inner chamber and settling onto the small stool beside the bed.

“Madam — today I made that Eleventh Miss suffer a silent defeat.” The figure stroked the large bolster pillow at the head of the bed. “I know this is not the time to be at open odds with her. Zhun Ge is still small, she has no child of her own yet, and there are still many times we will need to depend on her. But I had no other choice. You have no idea — she actually incited Hupo to give me a cold look. In less than half a day, those maids had lost all the deference they once showed me. If I hadn’t struck back, those creatures who know nothing but to flatter the powerful and step on the weak would have started to treat me with contempt. Being treated with contempt is one thing — but if I can no longer command a single maid or serving woman, how could I protect Zhun Ge? Would he not be entirely at that Eleventh Miss’s mercy? Even so, you needn’t worry. For her to deal with me, she will need a proper cause. My earlier mistake — going to Bowstring Lane without permission to carry news — that was my fault. If she punishes me for it, I have nothing to say. But I will not make the same mistake twice.” The voice gradually took on a tone of grievance: “Madam, I truly never imagined that Bowstring Lane would end up the way it has…”

The low, murmuring voice drifted like a helpless lament through the still and deserted courtyard.

—

“What did you say?” Qiao Lianfang sat bolt upright. “The Grand Madam went in person to visit her?”

Xiuyuan nodded: “I saw it with my own eyes — the Marquis walked the Grand Madam to the door.”

Qiao Lianfang bit her lip, her expression shifting between light and shadow.

“You said just now, she’s only just fallen ill, and you’ve only just announced your pregnancy…” Xiuyuan said softly. “Could it be — she’s taken it to heart?”

“Of course she’s taken it to heart!” Qiao Lianfang dismissed the suggestion with a wave. “But what can she do, even if she has? She won’t dare do anything — the Grand Madam herself sent two nannies over to look after me. I’m quite confident she won’t make a move.” A smirk curved her lips. She hesitated for a moment, then said: “She’s ill, which means the Marquis… which room is he sleeping in tonight?”

Xiuyuan’s eyes dropped, and her voice fell a little: “In Eleventh Miss’s room.”

Qiao Lianfang’s fine, delicate brows drew together: “He’s sleeping in her room.” Her hand moved unconsciously to rest lightly on her abdomen. “Do you think — if I weren’t feeling well — would the Grand Madam and the Marquis…” She looked up at Xiuyuan, her eyes sparkling in the lamplight.

Xiuyuan was frightened out of her wits: “Oh, my dear young miss — please don’t let such thoughts take hold of you…”

“I know.” Qiao Lianfang laughed and cut her off. “I’m only saying it.” She looked down at her still-flat abdomen. “This is my future. I would never do anything rash.”

Xiuyuan let out a breath of relief, but afraid she might brood, offered: “Miss, even the Third Young Madam said — the reason the Marquis doesn’t come to your room is a matter of proper custom. Once the child is six months along and you’ve recovered your strength, things will go back to how they were before…”

In the lamplight, Xiuyuan’s willow-leaf brows were lightly drawn, her lips a vivid red — as bright and fresh as a forsythia in bloom.

Qiao Lianfang looked at her, and something stirred in her heart.

Without quite noticing it, the little girl had grown into a remarkably beautiful young woman.

She smiled faintly: “Xiuyuan — go and find out who Eleventh Miss is thinking of taking into her inner household.”

—

Eleventh Miss lay awake, listening to the steady, even breathing of Xu Lingyi beside her.

Her body was bone-tired, yet sleep would not come. Her mind was a blank, yet it refused to be still.

In the silence of the long night, the bed — more than a zhang wide — felt too vast and too cold.

She curled deeper into the covers.

Still cold.

She curled deeper still…

Until her toes pointed out and just barely touched the footboard at the end of the bed.

She stretched her feet and kicked the footboard once.

She thought about it, then kicked it again.

After a pause, she kicked it once more.

As though she had discovered a delightful little game…

And then, without warning, a soft sigh drifted down from just above her head. The covers shifted — and she tumbled into a warm embrace.

“Sleep,” he said.

“I thought you were asleep.” Eleventh Miss’s voice carried a thick note of apology. “Did I disturb you?”

She had always kept this in mind — back in her university dormitory days, the habit that had consistently topped everyone’s list of grievances was “disregarding others’ need for rest.”

Xu Lingyi stroked her silken black hair and answered her question with a question: “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Eleventh Miss shifted until she found a comfortable position and let herself relax. “I just can’t sleep.”

Xu Lingyi was quiet for a moment, then said softly: “Would you like to look at the *Gazetteer of the Nine Regions of the Great Zhou*?” A hint of hesitation colored his voice.

Eleventh Miss paused.

She thought of those early days after their wedding, when she had used the *Gazetteer* to help put Xu Lingyi at ease… and smiled: “All right.”

Xu Lingyi rustled out of bed, lit the lamp, and brought the book over.

Eleventh Miss accepted it with a word of thanks, opened it to a random page, and settled back against the large semi-worn sapphire-blue damask bolster pillow to read.