“Yes, truly pitiful.”

Despite speaking of pity, neither woman’s face showed the slightest trace of emotion. For Shen Miao, harboring long-standing hatred toward the Shen family’s First House and carrying blood debts from her previous life, her lack of sympathy was understandable. As for Shen Dongling, though she and Concubine Wan had been marginalized as practically invisible under Ren Wanyun’s oppression in the early years at the Shen residence, she had never shown even a hint of discontent. Precisely because of this history, her current coldness was all the more chilling.

Several heads rolled down from the platform into the crowd, triggering screams of terror. The more timid women covered their eyes and shrieked. Since the Shen family members were criminals, their bodies could not be claimed for burial and would be disposed of according to official orders—”disposal” meaning nothing more than burning them to ashes.

Watching the officials moving the corpses, Shen Dongling seemed to lose interest. She looked at Shen Miao with a smile and said, “When we were still at the manor, my poor health prevented me from spending time with Fifth Sister. Now that I’m married, it’s even less convenient. But I think of you often, Fifth Sister. If you’re ever interested, please come visit the Wang residence. It would be nice for us sisters to have a heart-to-heart talk.”

Listening from the side, Shen Qiu frowned. He had never particularly liked Shen Dongling, especially considering how Shen Wan had met his demise and even Shen Yue and Chen Ruoqiu couldn’t escape execution, yet the married-off Shen Dongling remained perfectly safe. Of course, as a concubine’s daughter, perhaps she wasn’t worth the trouble, but it seemed the Wang family had worked to protect her.

For someone supposedly timid and cowardly to have her new husband’s family wrapped around her finger so soon after marriage—Shen Qiu wasn’t a fool. He felt that Shen Dongling was not as simple as she appeared. Especially now, seeing her act coquettishly while harboring such a cold heart, he disliked her even more, let alone allowing Shen Miao to become close with her.

Hearing this, Shen Miao merely smiled dismissively and instead asked, “From your appearance, Third Sister, it seems Young Master Wang treats you very well.”

Shen Dongling lowered her head bashfully. “The Wang family is kind.”

Shen Miao’s smile turned cold. The Wang family’s kindness was debatable, but regardless of their character, Shen Dongling herself was certainly not kind-hearted. In her previous life, Shen Miao hadn’t paid much attention to Shen Dongling. Under Ren Wanyun’s oppression, Shen Dongling wouldn’t have dared act so pretentiously, but Shen Miao believed she had a nature similar to Fu Xiuyi—skilled at hiding her true self. She wondered if, after Shen Miao died in her previous life, Shen Dongling had gained the upper hand in future power struggles.

“If so, that’s your good fortune,” Shen Miao said lightly. “We have some matters to attend to, so we won’t disrupt Third Sister’s entertainment.”

Shen Dongling quickly bade her farewell, saying, “Take care, Fifth Sister.”

Shen Miao had no desire to continue the conversation and took the lead in departing. Shen Qiu followed with a cool nod of farewell. Luo Tan and Luo Ling hurried to catch up. After Shen Miao’s group left, Shen Dongling’s maid Xinghua pouted in disapproval. Originally somewhat naive in temperament, Xinghua had followed Shen Dongling into the Wang family as a dowry maid. With her mistress now a young madam, she had grown bolder, no longer as cautious as before, and even showed signs of arrogance.

Xinghua complained, “Madam was so polite to Fifth Miss, but Fifth Miss didn’t seem appreciative. How unreasonable!”

“She’s from the main wife, I’m from a concubine. Naturally, she looks down on me from the bottom of her heart,” Shen Dongling replied without anger.

“But you’re now the Wang family’s young madam! She shouldn’t treat you the same as before. Besides, when Fifth Miss gets married in the future, she won’t have any sisters to rely on. People will surely mock her. Instead of trying to get on your good side, she remains so cold. She’ll probably come begging in the future but won’t get any help.”

Shen Dongling smiled faintly. “I’m just a young madam of the Wang family, worthless in her eyes. Why talk about currying favor?”

Xinghua snorted, “You’re a proper official’s wife! Who does Fifth Miss think she’ll marry? Surely she doesn’t imagine she’ll marry a prince? Her reputation was ruined years ago. What decent family would dare take her?”

“Xinghua.” Feeling her maid had gone too far, Shen Dongling frowned. Xinghua immediately fell silent, though her expression remained indignant.

“What does reputation matter?” Shen Dongling said softly. “With the Shen Army as her strong backing, plus the support of the Luo Army, even if she wanted to marry the current Emperor, no one could stop her. However…” Shen Dongling’s smile became meaningful. “Marrying high doesn’t always mean marrying well.”

Meanwhile, Luo Tan was pestering Shen Miao with questions: “Little cousin, was that your concubine-born sister? She doesn’t seem as weak and invisible as people described.”

Before coming to the capital, Luo Tan wouldn’t have recognized the people of the Shen household and had specifically asked the servants about the personalities of each family member. She had heard very little about Shen Dongling, as this Third Miss was described as practically invisible, rarely leaving her courtyard and maintaining a humble demeanor. Luo Tan had felt quite sympathetic, as the younger generation of the Luo family was all mischievous troublemakers, especially the sister-brother pair of Luo Tan and Luo Qian. It was hard for her to imagine Shen Dongling’s life.

Yet today’s encounter showed a completely different person than what the servants had described. Shen Dongling was nothing like what Luo Tan had imagined.

Shen Miao smiled. “People change.”

Luo Tan considered this and nodded in agreement. “True. I suppose now that she’s married and favored by her in-laws, her personality has changed.” Then she sighed, “It’s truly difficult to remain consistent throughout life.”

Her dramatic manner made Shen Miao want to laugh. Shen Qiu asked, “Sister, now that we’ve watched the execution, can we return to the manor?” He was still anxious about the earlier incident when Shen Miao had been mysteriously taken away.

Shen Miao was about to answer when a clear voice called out, “Shen Family Sister!”

Shen Miao turned to look.

The newcomer was a delicately handsome young boy dressed in a pine-green silk robe with embroidered pine leaves along the edges—quite a distinctive design. This young master appeared to be eleven or twelve years old, already a young adolescent, with fine features, though somehow still retaining a childlike innocence. Though men typically didn’t wear formal headwear until age twenty, he wore a small jade crown with two silk ribbons hanging by his ears. A jade gourd hung at his waist. His fair, tender appearance made him look like a character who had stepped out of a painting.

Luo Tan stared in amazement. The children in the small spring city were all mischievous little monkeys—where would one find such an adorable, handsome child who carried himself with such proper bearing? Even Luo Tan, who typically had little patience for children, was captivated by this young boy. The others were equally charmed.

Luo Ling and Shen Qiu looked surprised, noting that the boy seemed quite familiar with Shen Miao. Shen Miao furrowed her brow, feeling that something about the boy’s features seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place who he was.

The young boy had expected Shen Miao to quickly call out his name, but when she only stared at him blankly, he walked to her side. Being shorter than Shen Miao, he had to look up at her slightly, creating a comical standoff as they stared at each other.

Just as Shen Miao was about to say something to break the silence, a light chuckle came from nearby: “Miss Shen, Young Master Shen.”

The newcomer wore a lake-blue robe styled identically to the young boy’s, though he was much older—a young man with similar features to the boy. With refined features and an elegant smile, this was someone both Shen Miao and Shen Qiu recognized: Su Mingfeng from the Marquis of Pingnan’s family.

“My younger brother is mischievous and inconsiderate. I hope he hasn’t offended Fifth Miss,” Su Mingfeng said with a smile.

Shen Miao nearly bit her tongue in surprise.

The young boy looked at his brother with irritation. Shen Miao asked, “Su Minglang?”

“After two years, you don’t recognize me anymore?” Su Minglang said angrily. “Didn’t you promise to bring me a gift when you returned?”

Shen Miao could hardly believe her eyes.

Two years ago, Su Minglang had been a chubby rice dumpling, neither particularly handsome nor pretty—at most, just fair-skinned and tender like his current self. But after two years, the somewhat handsome young man before her was unrecognizable. How had he lost so much weight? People say girls change dramatically as they grow up, but boys do too!

While Su Minglang continued to sulk, Luo Tan couldn’t resist patting his head. She had a weakness for beautiful things and was amazed by such a handsome young boy. Looking at Su Mingfeng as well, she spoke frankly, “No wonder you’re brothers—you’re both equally handsome.”

Su Minglang remained fixated on Shen Miao, not recognizing him, but Su Mingfeng was taken aback. Having never encountered such a straightforward young woman before, and being praised specifically for his looks, he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Shen Qiu and Luo Ling quickly greeted the brothers.

Shen Miao looked at Su Minglang and smiled. “The gift is at my residence. I’ll have someone send it to you later.” Heaven knew that since returning to the capital with Shen Xin, she had been dealing with one crisis after another, and Su Minglang had completely slipped her mind. Not having seen him since her return, she was genuinely surprised by how much he had changed. She couldn’t help but feel a touch of melancholy.

Children grew so quickly at that age, changing daily. She thought about Princess Wanyu and Fu Ming, who had been tiny when she left but almost unrecognizable when she returned.

Su Minglang was not one to hold grudges. Upon hearing her words, his previous dissatisfaction completely disappeared. Su Minglang asked, “Is Sister Shen out shopping?”

Su Mingfeng smiled awkwardly. He certainly knew that today was the execution day for the Shen family. The Shen First House had never gotten along with the Second and Third Houses, and the execution grounds were not far from here. He assumed Shen Miao had come to witness the event. However, this was not something he could tell his younger brother.

Shen Miao said, “Just taking a casual stroll. We’re heading back to the manor now.”

Su Minglang nodded obediently. “Don’t forget my gift!”

Su Mingfeng smacked the back of his head, earning a glare from Su Minglang. The boy turned back to Shen Miao, about to say goodbye, when his gaze suddenly fixed on the bracelet on her wrist. “Sister Shen, that jade ring looks like the tiger-head ring that Brother Xie made.”

At these words, everyone froze. Shen Qiu and Luo Ling didn’t know about any tiger-head ring, Luo Tan was curious, and Shen Miao felt guilty. Su Minglang had spoken innocently, but Su Mingfeng’s brow furrowed.

On her snow-white wrist hung a solitary jade ring. The jade was of excellent quality, a clear emerald green throughout, like a spiritual plant growing in deep mountains. The jade ring wasn’t a complete circle—it was split into two halves, like a pair of connected rings. There was no elaborate carving; it was naturally formed, with only a small tiger head carved on the protruding ends.

Though Shen Miao thought it looked more like a cat.

It was one of the many pieces of jewelry Xie Jingxing had sent. Shen Miao had originally thought that since all the jewelry was exquisite and valuable, it would be nice to wear all of it. However, Guyu had advised against it: “Miss, you cannot wear all these at once. These ornaments are too precious and should be paired with elaborate clothing. If worn with simple attire, they would look out of place.”

Shen Miao had been discouraged. Xie Jingxing certainly wasn’t short of money, but having sent so many expensive pieces, did that mean she needed to purchase a whole set of elaborate clothes just for these ornaments? Even if she bought them, she would find them cumbersome to wear.

After consideration, she felt this jade double ring was the simplest, with a concealed needle inside, making it appear relatively “modest.”

Nevertheless, Luo Xuean had repeatedly praised its fine quality.

It seemed that everything Xie Jingxing sent, like the man himself, had no concept of subtlety.

While Shen Miao was lost in these thoughts, Su Mingfeng’s expression grew serious. Before she could react, he grasped her hand and said, “Forgive my rudeness.”

Shen Miao instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Su Mingfeng held it firmly. However, he wasn’t directly holding her wrist but rather grasping through her sleeve, making the posture decidedly awkward. Shen Qiu and Luo Ling both narrowed their eyes coldly. Shen Qiu said, “Master Su, you’re being too forward!”

Su Minglang’s eyes widened. This was probably the first time he’d heard someone call his elder brother “forward.”

But Su Mingfeng quickly released her hand and bowed to Shen Miao. “I was too abrupt just now. Please forgive me.”

After all, he hadn’t done anything significant, so Shen Miao couldn’t take offense. She was simply unsure what Su Mingfeng had discovered. Then, he asked, “May I ask Fifth Miss, where did this tiger-head ring come from?”

Shen Miao’s heart skipped a beat. Luo Tan and the others were stunned—why would a respectable young man inquire about a lady’s ornament?

Even Su Minglang looked at his brother strangely.

Su Mingfeng remained undeterred, still earnestly watching Shen Miao, seemingly determined to wait for her answer.

Shen Miao gathered herself and smiled. “I bought it from a merchant who came from overseas. He only said it was an imported item. I didn’t realize Master Su seemed to recognize it. Is this ring called a tiger-head ring?”

Su Mingfeng’s expression showed momentary disappointment, but he quickly rallied. “Yes, it’s called a tiger-head ring. Would Fifth Miss be willing to sell this tiger-head ring to me?”

“Ahem!” Luo Tan choked on her saliva. These capital city people were so strange—this handsome young man wanted to buy women’s jewelry. She had heard that some wealthy households had peculiar private hobbies; some collected women’s undergarments, others applied women’s rouge. It seemed this Master Su had a fondness for women’s ornaments.

Su Minglang said, “Elder Brother, are you trying to buy this tiger-head ring for a lady you admire?”

Hearing this, Shen Qiu and Luo Ling suddenly understood, and Luo Tan was also enlightened—he didn’t want it for himself but to give to his beloved.

As Shen Miao’s thoughts raced, she smiled slightly and said, “This is my ornament. Whether sold or given away, it would be improper for it to pass through an unrelated man’s hands. Besides, if Master Su wishes to buy a gift for someone he admires, he shouldn’t give her an accessory I’ve already worn. If Master Su is interested, I know that the Zhenbao Pavilion in the capital has several excellent sets of jewelry, much better than what I’m wearing.”

She had made her point clear, even bringing up her reputation as an unmarried lady. “My jewelry to you, an unrelated man? What would others think? Absolutely not!”

Shen Qiu nodded in agreement. “Indeed.” When it came to his sister’s reputation, even a small piece of jewelry could not be compromised.

Su Mingfeng could only smile awkwardly. “In that case, I can only regret my loss.” After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Su Mingfeng prepared to depart with Su Minglang.

Just as they were about to leave, Su Mingfeng suddenly seemed to remember something. He looked at Shen Miao, hesitated, then asked, “Has Fifth Miss ever met the young master of the Marquis of Lin’an’s Xie family?”

Shen Miao was startled, as were the others around her.

Xie Jingxing had been dead for two years—everyone knew that. Had Su Mingfeng gone mad?

Shen Miao laughed. “The young master of the Xie family died young. How could I have met him? Does Master Su bear some grudge against me, deliberately cursing me?”

Su Mingfeng said nothing more and truly left with Su Minglang this time.

When they could no longer be seen in the crowd, Luo Tan rubbed her shoulders. “That gave me goosebumps. Little cousin, why would he suddenly ask if you’ve met a dead person?”

Shen Miao said, “Perhaps he’s lost his mind.”

“I think so too,” Luo Tan agreed wholeheartedly.

Shen Qiu frowned. “Have less contact with the Su family in the future.” What nonsense about Shen Miao meeting a dead person? Where would she have met him? Why would she need to meet him? It only invited bad luck.

“But why did he ask you?” Luo Tan asked curiously. “Little cousin, did you have some connection with that young Marquis Xie?”

“Absolutely no relationship, no contact whatsoever,” Shen Miao answered with eight definitive words.

Luo Ling looked at her strangely.

Unknown to Shen Miao, after seeing the “tiger-head ring” on her wrist that day, Su Mingfeng remained restless throughout the day.

Even Su Yu noticed Su Mingfeng’s strange behavior and asked what was wrong. Currently, the Marquis of Pingnan’s Su family was trying to maintain a low profile. Everyone knew that the court was in turmoil, and it was best not to get involved in troubled waters. The Su family had grown accustomed to their carefree lifestyle, and Su Mingfeng hadn’t entered official service, so who was he looking so serious for?

During dinner, Su Mingfeng only gave vague responses, hastily eating a few bites before returning to his room. Su Yu and Madam Su exchanged bewildered glances. Madam Su asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

Su Yu shook his head. Madam Su decided to ask her younger son, Su Minglang: “Minglang, who did you and your elder brother meet today when you went out?”

Su Minglang, while picking up food, replied carelessly, “We met Sister Shen. Elder Brother asked Sister Shen for her jewelry, but Sister Shen wouldn’t give it to him. Sister Shen said it wasn’t proper, so Elder Brother got upset.”

Madam Su and Su Yu both gasped.

Su Minglang’s disjointed account sounded to them like Su Mingfeng had gotten too familiar with the Shen family’s daughter, who refused to protect her reputation, making Su Mingfeng angry!

Madam Su put down her chopsticks and asked, “Let me ask you, is this ‘Sister Shen’ you mentioned the Shen family’s Fifth Miss?” With the Second and Third Houses of the Shen family executed, it couldn’t be Shen Yue. Shen Qing had died two years ago. Shen Dongling had married into the Wang family. The only unmarried Shen sister would be Shen Miao. Forgive Madam Su for immediately thinking of the mighty General Shen’s family, as they were the most famous Shen family in the capital.

Su Minglang nodded vigorously.

Now Su Yu couldn’t stay seated either. He pointed at Su Minglang with a trembling finger. “Your elder brother asked for her jewelry?”

Su Minglang’s head bobbed like a pecking chicken.

The couple exchanged glances, both seeing disbelief in each other’s eyes. By custom, Su Mingfeng would turn twenty-three shortly after the New Year. Most ordinary people would have been married by then, perhaps even holding a child. But their son seemed to have something wrong with him, refusing to marry. In earlier years, with Lin’an Marquis Xie Jingxing by Su Mingfeng’s side, Su Yu hadn’t worried, knowing Xie Jingxing was popular with young ladies—his son wouldn’t go wrong following him. But after Xie Jingxing’s death, well, their son might as well become a monk. For the past two years, they hadn’t seen him show interest in any young lady. Whether due to overly high standards or not, if this continued, the Su couple would suspect Su Mingfeng preferred men.

Now hearing Su Minglang’s account, the couple felt half relieved, half troubled. Relieved that Su Mingfeng was indeed a normal man who liked women. Troubled because, of all the young ladies, why had he set his sights on Shen Xin’s daughter? Shen Xin held significant power, and allying with him—what if one day Emperor Wenhui decided to deal with Shen Xin? The Su family would suffer as well. Had they managed to escape one fire pit only to jump into another?

With these thoughts, they felt a headache coming on. Madam Su was more considerate and said, “Don’t rush to conclusions. Minglang’s account is unclear. If Mingfeng truly has feelings for the Shen girl, he will surely show more signs. Jinfeng, call all the servants from the young master’s courtyard. I have questions for them.”

In his room, Su Mingfeng paced back and forth.

He hadn’t been mistaken. Even in that brief moment, he had seen and felt clearly. The jade ring on Shen Miao’s wrist was a tiger-head ring.

There were two tiger-head rings in total. One was with Princess Rongxin at the Princess Manor, and the other had appeared on Shen Miao’s wrist. Su Mingfeng had always thought the second one would never appear because Xie Jingxing was dead.

Only Xie Jingxing in the world could make a tiger-head ring.

Back when Su Mingfeng and Xie Jingxing were still carefree young men about town, Su Mingfeng once saw Xie Jingxing polishing something that looked like a bracelet and teased him about it. In truth, he was quite curious. Su Mingfeng knew Xie Jingxing—though handsome and refined in appearance, he had no interest in such ornate accessories, let alone women’s items. Curious, Su Mingfeng inquired. Xie Jingxing gave him a sidelong glance, saying only that it was a concealed weapon.

Later, when Su Mingfeng persisted, Xie Jingxing showed him: the bracelet was made as two connected rings, with hidden mechanisms inside containing poisoned needles for self-defense.

Su Mingfeng found it interesting and wanted one, but Xie Jingxing scoffed, “This is for women. Who are you going to show a bracelet to?”

Su Mingfeng had given up. Later, he saw Xie Jingxing give the bracelet to Princess Rongxin. After Princess Yuqing’s death, Princess Rongxin had been very fond of Xie Jingxing, and they shared a close relationship, so giving it to Princess Rongxin made sense.

The reason it was called a “tiger-head ring” was that Xie Jingxing had carved a tiger’s head on it himself. His carving skills were terrible—it looked more like a dog. Su Mingfeng had mocked him endlessly, but Princess Rongxin loved it. This inspired Xie Jingxing, who said he would carve another one.

But that jade material was hard to find, and he never did. Until two years ago, when Su Mingfeng found a piece from a foreign merchant. The jade wasn’t as good as the previous one, with faint white marks visible under close inspection. Xie Jingxing had taken that piece of jade before his expedition, saying he would work on the tiger-head ring when bored during the journey. Who would have thought he would never return?

And the tiger-head ring on Shen Miao’s wrist had faint white marks on the jade visible in the sunlight, the same mechanism, the same craftsmanship, and that hideously crude carving that was unmistakably Xie Jingxing’s work.

Xie Jingxing had left the capital two years ago. Shen Xin had gone to the Northwest two years ago—Shen Xin first, then Xie Jingxing. And Xie Jingxing still had that piece of jade when he departed. Had Shen Miao met Xie Jingxing sometime during these two years?

But Xie Jingxing was already dead by then!

Moreover, the carving on the bracelet didn’t appear old—it seemed recently polished, not yet smoothed by wear.

Su Mingfeng’s heart raced. He summoned his servant and ordered, “Send some men to watch the entrance of General Shen’s residence. Observe Fifth Miss Shen’s movements. Bribe servants in the Shen household if necessary. I want to know everything about Fifth Miss Shen’s activities, no matter how trivial.”

Su Mingfeng had no idea what a stir these words would cause when they reached the ears of his father and mother.

“My goodness,” Su Yu exclaimed, “Mingfeng truly has deep feelings for this girl!”

“I originally thought Mingfeng didn’t seem like someone who would act so impetuously as to try taking a lady’s jewelry. I assumed Minglang was talking nonsense, but it turns out to be true.” Madam Su’s temples throbbed. She took a sip of tea and continued, “How could someone previously so reserved suddenly change like this? Even spying on her—that’s not how one pursues a young lady. How is this different from those unsavory young men out there?”

“Perhaps his feelings run deep,” Su Yu sighed. “This child takes after me—passionate and devoted.”

Madam Su gave him a sidelong glance. “At this rate, if we don’t get Mingfeng married soon, he’ll die of a broken heart. We should send a letter to the Shen household right away.”

“Send a letter for what?” Su Yu asked, confused.

“What else? To arrange a match for your son,” Madam Su announced, her words shocking everyone.