“Murong, tell us about how Director Shi caught the criminals!” Jing Zhi asked excitedly.

“Director Shi? Now there’s someone remarkable.” Murong smiled. “Sharp eyes, precise reasoning, and a dead-accurate aim — and most importantly, he saved our Miss.”

Murong told Jing Zhi about Shi Ting using his own body to shield Yan Qing from the torch. Jing Zhi couldn’t help but sigh: “Director Shi is genuinely good to our Miss.”

Yan Qing, who had been quietly sipping her milk, heard these words and the corner of her mouth lifted ever so slightly. She wasn’t sure why, but she liked listening to them talk about him.

“Miss, don’t you think so?” Jing Zhi teased.

“Think what?” Yan Qing held her cup, looking perfectly blank.

Both Murong and Jing Zhi were laughing.

Yan Qing shot the two of them a reproachful glance. She was just about to say something when Yan Qin’s voice rang out from the courtyard.

Jing Zhi tensed immediately. “What’s she coming here for?”

“Does Father know I’m back?” Yan Qing asked.

“Not yet.”

“Jing Zhi, go quickly and tell Father I’m home.” She glanced toward the rear gate. “Go through that way.”

Jing Zhi understood what Yan Qing meant and immediately headed for the back gate.

No sooner had Jing Zhi left than Yan Qin swept in with her maid Qing Tian in tow, her manner fierce and aggressive, as though she had come to settle a score.

Qing Tian still bore the psychological scar of being grabbed by one hand and thrown out by Murong on the previous occasion. At the sight of Murong, she instinctively shrank back a step.

Yan Qing set down her cup and looked over with a calm, unflinching gaze. “Something you need?”

“Yan Qing, you are absolutely shameless — just like your mother, you’re a lowborn wretch.” Yan Qin’s face flushed red. “Shameless, scheming vixen.”

Yan Qing had lived two lifetimes and had never once been pointed at and cursed to her face like this.

Murong, ever loyal in protecting her mistress, stepped forward to argue: “Fifth Miss, you are at least a young lady of a distinguished family — please mind your words.”

“Get out of the way. When the mistress speaks, what business is it of yours, you lowly servant?” Yan Qin glared at her. “Believe me, I’ll have Mother sell you off to a brothel.”

Yan Qing frowned and pulled Murong aside, fixing a piercing gaze directly on Yan Qin. “You call yourself a young lady of good breeding, yet every other word out of your mouth is ‘lowborn’ and ‘brothel.’ If your mother can sell people off to brothels, surely she could start by washing out that foul mouth of yours.”

“Yan Qing, did I hear that right? Are you insulting me?” Yan Qin stomped her foot in fury. Having never been defied by this disabled little sister before, she had always treated her as an easy target to push around. “You dare insult me? You dare talk back? You shameless little wretch.”

“Shameless? You’re the one who started with the shamelessness.” Yan Qing pointed to the mirror on the side. “Go take a look for yourself — see if that word doesn’t perfectly match the expression you’re wearing right now.”

“I’m shameless? You’re the one without shame — throwing yourself at Director Shi. The gatekeeper told me everything: you rode back in Director Shi’s car and were flirting with him the whole time.”

“I was assisting Director Shi with a case.” Yan Qing said. “Everyone at the Military Police Bureau can attest to that.”

“You? Assisting with a case? That’s laughable.” Yan Qin sneered. “A useless cripple like you can’t even manage your own affairs.”

“My assisting Director Shi with the case is a fact — there was no flirting involved.” Yan Qing replied coldly. “If we’re talking about throwing oneself at someone, I seem to recall someone sneaking glances at Director Shi from the lakeside and ending up tumbling into a ditch, coming out a drowned rat. Oh, and there was also someone who dolled herself up and went to dance in hopes of catching Director Shi’s attention — and ended up looking like a human beehive. Didn’t you notice the look of utter disgust on Director Shi’s face? He thought you were mentally unwell.”

“You wretched cripple.” Having her embarrassments ruthlessly exposed, Yan Qin had entirely lost control of her words, pointing at Yan Qing and screaming: “You’re a little wretch, your mother was an old wretch! The old wretch gave birth to the little wretch! Your mother seduced my father, and now you’re doing the same with men — shameless, shameless, shameless—”

“Who are you calling shameless?” A low, sharp voice came from the rear gate, and the Master of the Yan household walked in, his face dark as iron.

It was known throughout the Yan Mansion that two subjects were absolutely forbidden: one was any mention of the late Third Concubine, Wen Wan; the other was calling the Sixth Miss a cripple.

With just those few sentences, Yan Qin had sent Yan Laoye into a genuine fury. The normally mild-mannered man’s expression had gone thunderous, the atmosphere turning stormy in an instant.

“Get down on your knees.” Yan Laoye’s voice thundered through the room, and both Yan Qin and Qing Tian dropped to the ground immediately in fright.

Yan Qin had never imagined she would run into Yan Laoye here. All the color drained from her face, and she began to tremble.

“Say what you just said again.” Yan Laoye’s very eyebrows were written with rage.

“Father, I was wrong.” Yan Qin knelt on the floor, kowtowing. “I was truly wrong.”

“What are you kowtowing to me for? You insulted someone — you kowtow to that person.” Yan Laoye glared.

Yan Qin looked incredulous. “Father, you want me to kowtow to this crip—”

“You are not kneeling before your Sixth Sister.” Yan Laoye said sharply. “You are kneeling before her late mother. Wen Wan was virtuous and gentle, with a graceful and cultured nature. No one has ever spoken of her with such vile words. If you don’t kowtow three times before her today and beg forgiveness, then you are no daughter of mine, Yan Qiyun — pack your things and leave this house.”

Yan Qin knew all too well how deeply Yan Laoye had cherished the Third Concubine — even after all these years, no one had been able to take her place. This time, she had truly provoked the one person she could never afford to offend, and there was no way out.

Yan Qin cast a pitiful glance at Yan Qing, hoping she would speak up and plead on her behalf. Hadn’t this little Sixth Sister of hers always been timid, cowardly, and soft-hearted?

But Yan Qing sat composed and still, completely ignoring Yan Qin’s silent plea.

Knowing that if she refused to submit, Yan Laoye would truly drive her out, Yan Qin gritted her teeth and kowtowed three times in Yan Qing’s direction: “I’m sorry, Third Concubine Mother. I spoke carelessly and offended you. I will never dare do so again. Please forgive me.”

“And your sister.” Yan Laoye said coldly.

Yan Qin felt utterly humiliated in her heart. She had always been doted upon and held in her mother’s palm — when had she ever been made to suffer such degradation?

“I’m sorry, Sixth Sister. My words just now were offensive. Please forgive me.”

Yan Qing glanced at Yan Laoye and saw that his brow had eased somewhat. After all, Yan Qin was his own daughter — a reprimand was enough; he would not truly push her to the extreme.

So Yan Qing offered Yan Qin a way down from the situation — and, by extension, offered one to Yan Laoye as well: “Fifth Sister, please get up. We are family after all. Let’s not truly damage our bond over this. Mother would not blame you.”

With Qing Tian’s help, Yan Qin rose from the ground.

Yan Laoye said: “If you had even half your younger sister’s refinement and propriety, you would not have become so insufferably arrogant.”

Yan Qin stood with her head bowed and said nothing, though inwardly she had cursed Yan Qing from head to toe.

After being thoroughly lectured by Yan Laoye, Yan Qin finally left Yan Qing’s courtyard with Qing Tian.

Thinking about having to copy out the family rules one hundred times when she got back, Yan Qin kicked over a lantern sitting at the edge of the path in a fit of rage.

These lanterns were placed along every pathway of the Yan Estate. Each evening, servants would light the candles within them to illuminate the way for family members walking at night.

The lantern rolled and tumbled along the path, coming to a stop at a pair of satin slippers.

The owner of the slippers was startled. Catching sight of Yan Qin in the distance, she was even more surprised. “Fifth Sister?”

Yan Qin gave the newcomer a sideways glance and let out a haughty sound through her nose.

“Fifth Sister, what are you doing here?” The Yan household’s Fourth Miss, Yan Ling, walked over with elegant, measured steps.

Yan Ling was the daughter of the Second Concubine, Guo Yanrong. Because the Second Concubine was not particularly favored, she had always had to attach herself to the First Madam for support, which left Yan Ling with little standing in the household — her treatment barely better than that of a maid.

Yan Ling was dressed in simple, plain cotton clothes. Having just washed up, her hair was loosely pinned at the back of her head. Her features were not especially striking, but they were the kind that grew on you the longer you looked.

“What’s it to you?” Yan Qin shot her a fierce glare. “You’re just a concubine’s daughter — what business do you have meddling in my affairs?”

Yan Ling was put off for a moment but didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she smiled and said: “Look at how little you’re wearing — you should go back quickly. If you catch a cold, Madam will worry.”

“As if you wouldn’t love to see me fall ill and die. If I were gone, all you concubine-born girls would be celebrating. Not one of you is any good.”

Yan Ling frowned. “Fifth Sister, what’s the matter with you? Who upset you?”

Yan Qin let out a sound of disdain and turned her head away.

Yan Ling asked Qing Tian: “Who made your Miss unhappy?”

“Who else could it be — the Sixth Miss.” Qing Tian pouted resentfully. “The Sixth Miss has the Master doting on her, so she bullied our Miss into kneeling and kowtowing at her feet.”

“Kneeling and kowtowing?” Yan Ling was taken aback. “Is that really true?”

“Could I make that up? Our Miss was only offering a few well-meaning words of advice, and yet she ran off to tell the Master that our Miss had insulted the late Third Concubine. Everyone in this house knows — you can insult the Master himself before you dare say a word against the Third Concubine. Nobody’s a fool.”

“Advice? Did Sixth Sister do something improper?”

“Fourth Miss might not know yet, but the Sixth Miss has been getting cozy with the Seventh Young Master of the Shi family — Director Shi of the Military Police Bureau. She already has a betrothal agreement with the Second Young Master of the Shi family, yet she still wants to straddle two boats. Our Miss was only looking out for her — afraid that Second Young Master would come demanding a broken engagement, afraid that people would point fingers at our Yan family and say their young ladies have no sense of propriety.”

Qing Tian rattled on at considerable length with her silver tongue before Yan Ling finally said: “That would indeed be improper.”

“Improper or not, what does it matter? She still has Father shielding her.” Yan Qin couldn’t help but speak up. “She may be disabled, but her looks are nothing to dismiss. And she’s inherited some of her mother’s bewitching ways. Director Shi has had his soul stolen by her.”

At this, Yan Ling smiled and said: “Fifth Sister, could it be that you have feelings for Director Shi?”

Yan Qin’s face turned red all at once, and she stumbled over her words: “Wha — what are you talking about?”

“If you truly like Director Shi, you should learn to take the initiative.” Yan Ling offered her counsel kindly. “Since Sixth Sister is already promised to the Second Young Master of the Shi family, she cannot possibly marry the Seventh Young Master as well. Fifth Sister, if you like him, you must seize the opportunity. Fifth Sister is in good health, and your beauty is as fine as blossoms and moonlight — surely you are no less than Sixth Sister.”

Yan Qin, having heard this, let some of her arrogant edge soften. “Then in your view, what should I do?”

—