Eleventh Young Lady hurried to follow.

“My Lord, please allow your concubine to attend you while you change,” she said, her voice unable to conceal a trace of nervousness.

Eleventh Young Lady felt she had somewhat lost her grasp on Xu Lingyi’s way of thinking. Take just now, for instance. By his station and dignity, he ought to have been above involving himself in such matters — yet he had involved himself. And now, he ought to have kept his composure and questioned her privately — yet he had gone surging out like an impetuous young man.

What did he intend to do?

Who did he intend to seek out?

Eleventh Young Lady was genuinely anxious.

She had not felt this way in a long time. They had spent so little time together, and understood each other so poorly, yet thorns bristled on every side and time pressed upon her…

In the midst of her thoughts, she heard Xu Lingyi call out to Linbo: “Go and fetch the Fifth Lord for me.”

To summon Xu Lingkuan… Was this a confrontation? Or a reprimand?

Whichever it was, given how much Xu Lingkuan feared Xu Lingyi, he would very likely wear a conspicuous expression at dinner. And once the Grand Matriarch noticed, she would certainly press him for answers, and Xu Lingkuan might just spill everything like water from an overturned bamboo tube…

Men so often speak bluntly by virtue of being sons. But mothers-in-law tend to attribute changes in their sons to daughters-in-law stirring up discord behind the scenes. Once a rift like that opens, it is like a broken mirror — even if one were to pour in a hundred times or a thousand times the effort, it might never be fully mended.

She could not help but give a rueful smile.

“My Lord, the Fifth Lord will be changing his clothes to go to the Grand Matriarch’s for dinner as well,” Eleventh Young Lady said, her voice soft and gently persuasive. “Whatever the matter may be, would it not be better to wait until after dinner? And that way Fifth Young Madam need not worry.”

Xu Lingyi glanced at Eleventh Young Lady, then turned and went back inside.

Eleventh Young Lady’s mind raced quickly, thinking through how she would explain things to Xu Lingkuan when he arrived. With Third Madam angling against her at every turn, she absolutely could not afford to let Fifth Branch have any grievance against her. If that happened, she — newly arrived and with no footing yet — would be completely isolated, and life within the residence would only become harder…

Lost in thought, she followed Xu Lingyi through the door and into the room.

Xu Lingyi had already called for Chunwei and Xiayi to help him change his clothes.

The two young maids were quick-witted; sensing the tension in the air, both showed looks of alarm and scurried off to the inner room.

Eleventh Young Lady seized the moment to ask Dongqing quietly: “What were you doing carrying a bundle like that?”

Dongqing looked rather aggrieved: “Since they said I was to set out tomorrow for the house in Jinyu Lane in the north of the city and stay there for five months, I had been rushing to finish the short padded jacket I was making for you. I was bringing it over to you, thinking that the young maids who come later to help sort through your clothes might not know better and accidentally dirty it. So I was specially bringing it to you…”

“Then why were you crying?”

Dongqing said nothing. From the side, Binju pursed her lips and said, “Something got into her eye just now. I was blowing on it for ages to help!”

What an improbable coincidence! Even she herself had assumed Dongqing was crying over having to leave the residence…

Eleventh Young Lady sighed and took the bundle with the padded jacket: “Leave it with me.”

Dongqing looked toward the inner room: “But the Marquis…”

“Never mind about that,” Eleventh Young Lady said. “Go and pack your things.”

Knowing she could be of no help at this moment, Dongqing answered with some unease, “Yes,” and turned to go back to the rear wing.

Eleventh Young Lady set the bundle down on the low table by the large window kang in the side chamber where Xu Lingyi usually sat. Then, thinking that to simply stand there and wait would give an impression of weakness, she measured out the time and went to brew a cup of tea. By the time she returned, Xu Lingyi had already freshened up and changed into a dark slate-blue robe with a subtle patterned design of circular floral medallions.

She smiled and carried the tea over to him: “My Lord, have a cup of tea before we go.”

Xu Lingyi looked at Eleventh Young Lady — her expression serene, her manner composed — and thought of the slightly panicked sound of her voice behind him a moment ago. A faint softening moved through his heart.

However steady she appeared at all times, she was still just a young girl only a few years older than Zhen Jie’er. When she saw him lose his temper, she too had been alarmed and flustered…

The warmth in his eyes deepened several degrees. He lifted the teacup and took a sip.

Sensing the icy chill around Xu Lingyi beginning to thaw, Eleventh Young Lady exhaled with quiet relief. When he had drunk from the tea she had brought him, Eleventh Young Lady was fairly certain his anger had subsided by half.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became peaceful.

“What is that?” Xu Lingyi looked at the bundle on the low table — he recognized it as the one that had been in Dongqing’s hands.

“Oh!” Eleventh Young Lady said with a smile. “A short padded jacket Dongqing made for me. She said she was heading to Jinyu Lane, and she specially brought it over to me. Who knew she would get something in her eye, and there she was rubbing at it for ages — and then we happened to arrive just then.” As she spoke, she opened the bundle in front of him, revealing the red silk-lined padded jacket inside.

Xu Lingyi had already understood.

Between the tea and the placing of the bundle directly in his line of sight, with all that effort — Eleventh Young Lady was simply trying to explain things to him.

She was afraid he had misunderstood…

A trace of a smile came to his face.

Eleventh Young Lady saw his expression with perfect clarity and could not help but be taken aback.

Even if his mind was put at ease, there was no reason for him to smile!

She would have to find a way to get a proper read on this man’s temperament — otherwise, she would always be led about by the nose, and her position would be far too passive.

She was just inwardly resolving this when a small maidservant announced in a trembling voice: “My Lord Marquis, the Fifth Lord has arrived!”

“Let him in.”

Eleventh Young Lady noticed Xu Lingyi’s gaze turn cold again.

These were matters between two brothers — as the elder sister-in-law, she would do best not to involve herself.

She smiled and said, “I’ll go and brew the Fifth Lord a cup of tea.” And without waiting for Xu Lingyi to say anything, she turned and lifted the curtain and went out.

Xu Lingyi knew his younger brother had always been afraid of him and tended to shrink at the sight of him. He had no wish for Eleventh Young Lady to witness it. Whatever the case, Xu Lingkuan was a grown man, and it would not do for a woman to see him looking deflated. He was just thinking of how to tell her this when she had already found an excuse to step out of her own accord.

He gave an inward nod of approval.

He had not originally objected to this match — while there was certainly some element of wishing to stop other people’s mouths, it was also not unrelated to the good sense, thoughtfulness, and grasp of priorities she had shown in the small courtyard.

The thought had barely passed when Xu Lingkuan came dragging his feet into the room.

The moment Xu Lingyi saw how he was moving, he thought of Zhun Ge’er, and the anger he had only just managed to dampen flared back up in an instant: “What is the matter with you? Mm? Mother came to tell me first that everyone in the household born in the Year of the Ox was to be kept away at the West Mountain Villa. I assumed it was only the people in Mother’s quarters and in yours. I never expected it would be everyone in every branch of the entire household. Do you have any idea how many Ox-year people there are in this house? And then there’s the Red Lantern Lane side — you people go back and forth, half a month at the old Marquis’s residence and half a month here. Do you have any idea how many Ox-year people are at the old Marquis’s?”

He delivered this all in one blistering torrent. Xu Lingkuan took a long moment to come back to his senses.

“Say something!” Xu Lingyi saw his younger brother standing there unable to answer a single question, and his irritation deepened. “Who said this? Which person at the Imperial Astronomy Bureau said it? Was it the monk Faxian or that old Daoist Long Chun? He pointed toward the door outside: “Go ask Long Chun. Isn’t he supposed to be able to divine things? Have him divine how much longer he himself has to live!”

Though Xu Lingyi’s voice did not quite rise to a roar, it was not quiet either. Eleventh Young Lady was standing outside under the eaves, holding a tea tray, and heard every word with perfect clarity.

She was startled.

She had not expected Xu Lingyi to have such strong feelings of aversion toward this Daoist called Long Chun.

“…He says one thing and you all just do it? Are you going to carry on living in this house or not?”

On the other side of the curtain, Xu Lingkuan had finally come back to himself. He hurried to admit his fault: “Fourth Elder Brother, I won’t dare do this again! I’ll go speak to Danyang right now.” And he made to step away.

“Get back here!” Xu Lingyi looked at how rash and scatterbrained his younger brother was acting, and felt he had wasted his energy getting angry at all.

Xu Lingkuan heard his brother call him and dared not leave. He turned back and stood before Xu Lingyi with his hands at his sides.

Xu Lingyi drew a long, deep breath. Because he was forcing down his anger, his voice was three degrees lower than usual: “I too am looking forward to the two of you having a fine, healthy son. Since the Imperial Astronomy Bureau said it, there must be some basis for it. Usually when you come back, you only visit Mother’s quarters and mine, so I mistakenly assumed it was only Mother’s side and yours that needed to observe the avoidance. I already agreed when Mother asked me about it. If you go and tell Fifth Young Madam that now, it won’t sit well — she’ll think we are going back on our word. Go and discuss it with Fifth Young Madam instead. If everyone born in the Year of the Ox must stay away, the commotion at the old Marquis’s side will be impossible to manage either. It might be best if the two of you simply move to the West Mountain Villa for the time being. That way, people from our side or the old Marquis’s can come and visit you whenever they like.”

“Danyang brought that up too,” Xu Lingkuan said hesitantly. “But West Mountain is in the west, and the west belongs to Metal in the Five Elements — Danyang’s element is deficient in Wood, and Metal overcomes Wood…” As he said this, he glanced at his elder brother’s coolly severe expression.

This younger brother of his — all his wits were spent on useless things…

Xu Lingyi gave a quiet sigh: “Just go and speak with your wife. She’ll know what to do.”

Xu Lingkuan had always placed complete trust in his elder brother. He made a soft sound of acknowledgment and then said quietly, “Then… then I’ll go back and change my clothes.”

Xu Lingyi waved him off: “Be quick. Otherwise Mother won’t see you and will start to worry.”

Xu Lingkuan answered and went on his way.

Eleventh Young Lady stepped aside into the adjoining ear room just before Xu Lingkuan came out the door, and waited until he had gone before carrying the tea in.

“Oh, has the Fifth Lord gone?”

Xu Lingyi did not answer. Instead he said, “Do you need to change your clothes? If not, let’s go now.” His voice carried a note of exhaustion.

Seeing his pallor was poor and thinking that the Grand Matriarch was still waiting for everyone to arrive before eating, Eleventh Young Lady smiled and looked herself over: “I think what I’m wearing is fine.”

Xu Lingyi saw her suddenly adopt a tone of light self-deprecating humor and knew she must have overheard him losing his temper, and was trying to ease the mood. But at that moment, he truly had no heart for light banter. His expression remained cold as he stepped out the door: “Let’s go.”

Eleventh Young Lady exhaled with relief.

That storm had at last blown over.

She quickly passed the tea tray to a small maidservant nearby and hastened to follow after him.

—

When they arrived at the Grand Matriarch’s quarters, Second Madam had unexpectedly already arrived.

She was wearing a half-worn robe of Hangzhou silk in deep sapphire blue, her black hair coiled in a neat bun. Her only ornament was a pair of pearl drop earrings at her ears — simple and elegant, with an air of quiet refinement.

She was sitting at the Grand Matriarch’s side, asking Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu about their recent studies. Not only was everyone in the room sitting in perfectly upright posture, even Xu Sijian, who had been so boisterous earlier, was now standing properly and attentively at the side listening.

Seeing Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Young Lady, Second Madam smiled and rose: “Fourth younger brother, Fourth younger sister-in-law — you’ve come!”

Eleventh Young Lady hurried to pay her respects to Second Madam, while watching Xu Lingyi from the corner of her eye. His manner was quite respectful.

“Second Sister-in-Law!”

Second Madam returned the greeting at once.

The Grand Matriarch laughed: “All right, all right — we’re family. No need to be so formal. Sit down, sit down!”

Xu Lingyi took a seat on the grand armchair by the Grand Matriarch’s side. Eleventh Young Lady stood behind him.

Second Madam then said to Xu Lingyi with a smile, “The First Young Master and Second Young Master have made considerable progress in their studies. It seems to me the time has come to find them a teacher of greater learning.”

Xu Lingyi smiled: “I’ve thought of that too, but there has never been anyone quite right. So it’s been put off.”

The Grand Matriarch smiled: “These things cannot be rushed. Take your time looking.”

But something stirred in Eleventh Young Lady’s mind, and she fell into quiet thought.

—