Xu Lingyi found Eleventh Miss’s tone rather peculiar.

It was not the kind of leading remark meant to draw someone into conversation, nor was it the kind of probing preamble before small talk. She was simply curious — and she asked him the way a student who had come across a difficult problem would ask a teacher for guidance.

Xu Lingyi fell silent for a moment before saying: “In the area of Guizhou — Sichuan extends a little into it as well. Very remote, very mountainous.”

Eleventh Miss said “oh,” and then Xu Lingyi heard the rustling of turning pages — she was evidently looking up the places he had mentioned.

Seeing her so attentive, Xu Lingyi could not help but ask: “Why do you enjoy reading geographical records?”

Eleventh Miss turned her face toward him and smiled: “Because this way, you come to know how vast the world outside is. Your own little troubles don’t seem like so much anymore.”

Her voice was soft and unhurried, with the lingering resonance of a voice in an empty valley.

Xu Lingyi was taken aback.

Was she trying to comfort him?

Against the light, her eyes watching him shone brightly, gleaming with an inexplicable luminescence, and veiled with deeper meaning.

He suddenly found his heart beating very hard. He wanted to say something, yet did not know what to say.

Eleventh Miss had already turned her face away, bowing her head over her book: “And what about the northwest?”

Her voice was soft and gentle. Her fair, slender neck tilted slightly downward, forming a graceful arc. The dim lamplight fell upon it, and the fine, downy hairs shone as though dusted with a layer of gold powder, faint and hazy.

Then he caught a faint, subtle fragrance — impossible to name, appearing and vanishing, yet going straight to the heart.

As though led by some force beyond his own will, he suddenly reached out and touched the nape of her neck.

She felt those large hands — she remembered their calluses — stroking the back of her neck, and she went completely still.

Surely not…

The sound of turning pages abruptly ceased.

The soft skin beneath his palm grew a little rigid.

In that instant, the image of her silently enduring expression from that first night flashed before him.

As though touching something scalding, Xu Lingyi yanked his arm back at once: “Go to sleep — there’s an early rise tomorrow!”

Eleventh Miss was stunned.

She was quite certain that had been no accidental brush, but a deliberate, purposeful caress.

Yet he had abandoned it without warning…

Why?

But the outcome left her with a sense of relief, and naturally she was not so foolish as to press the matter.

Feigning complete ignorance, she smiled and answered in agreement, leaned forward to blow out the lamp, and curled back into the covers.

For reasons he could not quite explain, Xu Lingyi quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

…

Eleventh Miss fell asleep quickly.

She knew: if he wanted her, she had no power to refuse.

So there was no point in dwelling on such things. Better to sleep well and gather her strength to face whatever tomorrow brought.

In the haze between waking and sleep, she heard very faint rustling nearby.

Was he still turning over? He was the highest authority in this house, and had the prerogative to do as he liked — including staying awake in the middle of the night. She, however, could not… The thought flitted past, she rolled over, and sank again into deep sleep.

When she woke, all around her was pitch black and utterly still.

She lay in a momentary daze, then immediately reached out to her side.

Empty…

“Dongqing!” Her voice was low and a little hoarse.

The bed curtain was immediately lifted aside, and a bright light swept past her eyes.

“Madam, you’re awake!” Dongqing’s voice was composed, with a hint of suppressed amusement.

Eleventh Miss paused: “What hour is it?”

“Fifteen minutes before the second quarter of the hour of Mao.”

Eleventh Miss could not help but let out a sigh of relief.

Good — she had not missed the time to pay her respects to the Grand Madam!

“The Marquis has gone to morning court,” said Dongqing, the smile more evident in her voice. “He told us not to wake you.”

“And so you didn’t wake me!” Eleventh Miss muttered quietly to herself, and thought of the faint rustling she had half-heard in her sleep… that must have been the sound of Xu Lingyi getting up.

Dongqing had not caught Eleventh Miss’s muttering, and smilingly turned to lift the bed curtain.

The soft, bright light of the five-linked round sheep-horn palace lanterns spilled in.

“The Marquis rose at the first quarter of the hour of Chou,” Dongqing said, attending to Eleventh Miss as she got up. “He drank a bowl of congee, ate two steamed buns, and three stuffed buns. He also took a few meat patties with him. He left at the second quarter of the hour of Chou. Linbo came to see the Marquis off.” She relayed the details of Xu Lingyi’s departure with careful attention.

“I understand,” Eleventh Miss said with a nod, and went to the washroom to freshen up. She had barely seated herself at the dressing table when a junior maid came in to report: “Madam, Nanny Tao has arrived.”

This early!

“Have her come in.”

The junior maid went and summoned Nanny Tao.

A round-faced woman of about twenty-five or twenty-six came in with light, quiet steps, curtsied to her, then picked up the boxwood comb from the dressing table and began to comb her hair.

This woman’s husband was called Nan Yong, and everyone called her by her husband’s name — Nan Yong’s wife. She was one of the household’s dedicated hairdressers and had been selected and sent to her as a gift by the Grand Madam. The peony chignon she had worn for the return visit to her parents’ home had been Nan Yong’s wife’s handiwork.

“Just a simple bun will do,” Eleventh Miss told Nan Yong’s wife.

Nan Yong’s wife smiled broadly and replied “yes” in a soft voice, and began dressing her hair with nimble hands.

Nanny Tao then came in with quick steps.

“Wishing Madam peace and good health!” she said with a smiling curtsy.

“Nanny, coming so early — is there something the matter?”

Nanny Tao glanced over at Nan Yong’s wife.

Eleventh Miss noticed that Nan Yong’s wife’s hands moved even faster.

She quickly finished the bun, curtsied, and withdrew.

Nanny Tao then said: “First Young Madam used to have her own hairdresser. Why not use her? It would make things easier to talk, too.”

Eleventh Miss refused without a second thought: “Nan Yong’s wife was sent by the Grand Madam.”

Nanny Tao could not help but pause, and after a moment, lowered her voice: “When do you think it would be suitable to meet the people from First Young Madam’s quarters?”

“Wait until after I’ve seen the Grand Madam.” Yuan Niang had been gone for over a year — the Grand Madam would certainly have made arrangements for this.

Nanny Tao’s brow furrowed slightly, and she was about to say something more when a junior maid came in to report: “Madam, the three Yiniangs have come to pay their morning respects.”

Eleventh Miss nodded, and the junior maid went to summon the three of them in.

Wen Yiniang smiled and greeted Nanny Tao: “You’re up early!”

Nanny Tao gave a somewhat cold nod in return.

Only then did Wen Yiniang bow together with Qin Yiniang and Qiao Lianfang to pay their respects to Eleventh Miss.

As she needed to visit the Grand Madam, Eleventh Miss exchanged a few pleasantries with them and then sent them on their way. She then ate her breakfast, changed her clothing, and went to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

By the time she arrived, it was fifteen minutes before the first quarter of the hour of Chen. She had not expected to find Third Master, Third Madam, Fifth Master, and the three masters and their wives from the south wing already there, all gathered together. Seeing Eleventh Miss, Third Madam smiled and called out: “Good morning, Fourth Sister-in-Law! I heard the Marquis went to morning court — it must have been exhausting to see him off so early.”

Eleventh Miss said nothing, only smiled, and then exchanged greetings with everyone.

The wife of Hong Da then said: “We are returning to Nanjing today — we came especially to say our farewells to the Grand Madam!”

Eleventh Miss was polite: “Why not stay a few more days?”

Hong Da’s wife laughed: “There is much to attend to at home — we will come again to trouble you another time!”

Just as they were speaking, Yao Huang came out: “The Grand Madam invites all the masters, madams, and young madams to come in.”

Everyone filed in one after another into the Grand Madam’s room.

The Grand Madam was seated on the kang by the window, drinking tea. Seeing them enter, she smiled warmly and said: “You’re here!”

Everyone hastened forward to pay their respects to the Grand Madam. Maids brought out grand master chairs and placed them to the Grand Madam’s left for the men to sit, then brought low stools and placed them to the right for the female members.

Maids served tea, and Xu Linghong conveyed their intention to return to Nanjing that day.

The Grand Madam urged them to stay; Xu Linghong politely declined a number of times, and the Grand Madam then said a few words along the lines of “come play during the New Year,” and personally saw them to the door. Third Madam and Eleventh Miss saw them as far as the inner gate, while Third Master and Fifth Master accompanied them all the way to the dock.

Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Third Madam smiled at Eleventh Miss: “I won’t accompany you any further, Sister-in-Law — I have a whole pile of maids and matrons waiting to report to me in my courtyard!”

Just as she was speaking, a junior maid came running up, slightly out of breath: “Fourth Madam, the Grand Madam is asking for you.”

Eleventh Miss smiled at Third Madam, then followed the junior maid to the Grand Madam’s quarters.

Zhun Ge and Zhen Jie’er were jumping rope in the courtyard. Seeing Eleventh Miss come in, both of them paused briefly. Zhen Jie’er quickly pulled Zhun Ge forward to pay their respects to Eleventh Miss.

But Zhun Ge wrenched his hand free from Zhen Jie’er and ran off.

Eleventh Miss was quite taken aback. Zhen Jie’er hurriedly apologized to Eleventh Miss: “Mother, Zhun Ge is a little shy with strangers. He’ll be fine once he gets used to you!”

This is not simply a matter of being shy with strangers.

But she had not come to win his affection — she had come to see him safely through to adulthood. The latter was the real point, and there was no need to put the cart before the horse.

Zhen Jie’er’s response, however, she liked very much.

“I didn’t know he was so shy,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “If there’s anything else Zhun Ge is used to doing, remember to let me know.”

She then saw Zhen Jie’er visibly relax, and the girl nodded earnestly: “I will definitely remind Mother.”

Eleventh Miss smiled and asked her: “Are you going to find Zhun Ge? Would you like to come with me to visit Grandmother?”

Zhen Jie’er thought it over and said: “I’d better go find Zhun Ge — otherwise he might run all the way to Nianci Hall.” She said this and then looked a little awkward.

“Nianci Hall?” It was probably the name given to Yuan Niang’s room. Zhun Ge and Zhen Jie’er had privately named it. Though Zhun Ge was so young that if a name had been given, it must have been Zhen Jie’er who gave it. She smiled and said, “Was it you who named it?”

Zhen Jie’er nodded with a hint of unease and said: “He cried so terribly, so I…”

Eleventh Miss gave her a warm smile: “Zhen Jie’er is truly a worthy elder sister — she looks after her little brother very well.”

A look of surprise crossed Zhen Jie’er’s face.

She had probably not expected to be praised in such a way.

“All right, go find Zhun Ge quickly,” Eleventh Miss said with a smile. “I’m off to see Grandmother.”

Zhen Jie’er nodded, and surrounded by her maids and matrons, made her way toward the rear gate.

Eleventh Miss called out: “Zhen Jie’er.”

Zhen Jie’er turned back in surprise, and wariness crept again into her eyes.

“When you find Zhun Ge, let me know,” Eleventh Miss said with a warm smile. “I’d hate to worry.”

“Mm!” Zhen Jie’er nodded, and her silhouette disappeared into the covered walkway. Only then did Eleventh Miss enter the Grand Madam’s room.

The Grand Madam took Eleventh Miss’s hand and settled with her onto the large kang by the window in the inner chamber, smiling as she studied her: “Are you settling in well?”

“Very well,” Eleventh Miss said with a nod.

A look of mild hesitation crossed the Grand Madam’s face.

Eleventh Miss did not press her, and simply chatted with her: “The wedding involved so many things, and now the guests from the south have also left. You should take these few days to rest properly.”

“You are very thoughtful,” the Grand Madam said with a warm smile, patting her hand. They chatted a little more, and then the Grand Madam finally spoke: “I would like to keep Zhun Ge with me a while longer!”

She meant she wished to raise Zhun Ge at her side, it seemed.

This was quite understandable.

Though to First Madam, Zhun Ge was Yuan Niang’s only flesh and blood, to the Grand Madam, he was also a beloved grandson.

Eleventh Miss said sincerely: “I am young and inexperienced. To say nothing of anything else — had you not given me a hairdresser, on the day of the return visit I would have managed with nothing more than a simple bun. How much more so for something as weighty as raising Zhun Ge. With him at your side, I can follow along and learn something about how to care for children.”

The Grand Madam listened to this with a deeply comforted nod, and then spoke of the matter of managing the household and the arrangements for those who had previously served Yuan Niang.