Hua Bailin did of course remember where his second aunt’s courtyard was. His memory had always been exceptional, and besides, the layout of great houses followed much the same pattern.

He passed through the moon gate to find Yang Sui’an’s personal attendant, Gui Zi, already waiting there. Seeing the boy’s face covered in bruises, Hua Bailin understood he had taken them on behalf of his cousin earlier — just as Liu Huai, who had been at Hua Bailin’s side since childhood, was to him, Gui Zi had grown up alongside his cousin, and the bond between them ran deep.

Hua Bailin’s manner toward him was naturally different for it. “Is my cousin with my aunt?”

“Yes. The young master said to have this servant escort you there when you arrived.”

It was only upon entering his aunt’s courtyard that Hua Bailin understood why his cousin had sent someone to meet him — this was not the courtyard he had visited before. That meant his aunt had been moved out of the main rooms.

Hua Bailin’s expression went cold at once. The Yang Family had gone too far. He was under no illusion that neither Yang Qi nor Yang Zheng failed to understand what it meant to have the eldest daughter-in-law removed from the main quarters.

The courtyard was not exactly run-down, only smaller than before, and the number of attendants was visibly reduced.

He did not barge inside. Standing at the door, he called out clearly: “Second Aunt, it’s Bailin — I’ve come to see you.”

There was a flurry of movement inside, and after a long moment, Yang Sui’an’s voice came through. “Cousin, come in quickly.”

The light inside the room was poor. Hua Xian also turned her face away evasively, but Hua Bailin still saw the bruising on her cheek and neck.

Pressing down the fire in his chest, Hua Bailin bowed respectfully. “Second Aunt, Bailin has come to bring you home.”

Hua Xian’s shoulders began to tremble. Home — she longed to go home, she wanted it desperately, and yet going back would only bring shame to the Hua Family, shame to her son. Being talked about and scolded was one thing for her to endure, but how could she drag her family’s name through the mud, and drag her son down with her? Sometimes when she thought about it, she wished she could just end it all with a length of white cloth.

Yang Sui’an crouched down beside her feet and said softly, “Mother, you promised me.”

“But, Sui’an — if Mother goes back to her family home, not only will the Yang Family make things difficult for you, your classmates will laugh at you too. How can Mother…how can Mother…”

“If you stay in the Yang Family, I am constantly constrained on all sides. Once you are no longer here, I can manage anything they throw at me. They are nothing but petty and shortsighted people — I have never regarded them as anything worthy of my concern.”

Hua Xian stared blankly. So she had been dragging her son down all along?

Yes — her son was so proud, so clever. How could he possibly be unable to deal with those people who could never learn anything properly or do anything right? Her son was nothing like her, so weak, capable of nothing but crying, so useless, so utterly useless.

“If Mother were gone, would you be better off?”

Yang Sui’an’s heart lurched. He forced himself to stay calm. “Only when I know you are somewhere safe, free from mistreatment, happy every single day — that is when I will be well. Mother, that is all I ask. As long as you are all right, as long as you are all right…”

Yang Sui’an buried his face against his mother’s knees. The tears he had been holding back poured silently into the fabric of Hua Xian’s robe, soaking through into her heart.

Hua Xian stroked her son’s head. Her son was so perceptive — she had barely let a single note slip and he had already understood.

“Aunt, I brought forty servants with me. Eldest Sister said that as long as you are willing to leave, even if it comes to taking you by force, she will bring you home. Eldest Sister said that daughters of the Hua Family are Hua Family people even after they marry out — there is no such thing as the Hua Family standing by while one of their own is mistreated. Aunt, I made a promise to Eldest Sister that I would bring you home.”

Home. She yearned for it so desperately — that home where, though she was a concubine-born daughter, she had never once been slighted or made to suffer.

Hua Xian closed her eyes. Her voice trembled, but the words came out: “I’m going home.”

Yang Sui’an was overjoyed. He scrubbed hard at his eyes, shouldered the already-packed bundle, and turned to leave — when the doorway suddenly darkened.

“Was it not Bailin who said he came to visit his aunt? How is it that the visit has turned into taking her away?”

Hua Bailin presented himself with perfect propriety, and smiled. “I was just about to come pay my respects to you — I did not expect you to come to us instead. It works out perfectly. I can tell you directly: my aunt misses home, and I will be taking her back for a few days.”

The well-padded Yang Old Madam entered, supported by a maidservant, and settled herself in place as if she owned the room. Her gaze, sharp as a needle, fell directly onto Hua Xian. “Eldest daughter-in-law — have you thought this through? You truly want to go?”

The colorful bruising across Hua Xian’s face made her pallor all the more striking against it. She wanted to shrink away, to flee, to apologize and submit — but standing before her was her son, and at her side, bracing himself to stand up for her, was her nephew. If she shrank, if she fled, if she gave in, how could she face them? How could she face Zhi’er, who had gone to such lengths on her behalf?

She tightened her hands into fists, fingernails pressing into her palms. The pain anchored her to the present — to the accusations and the beating she had endured just that morning.

She was timid and did not dare say it was her husband who had struck her, but she refused to claim it was her own fall either. She could only clench her jaw and say nothing.

Yang Sui’an moved to step forward and speak the truth, but Hua Bailin quietly blocked him. “Why don’t we bring this out into the open and invite the senior mistresses of each household to come and have a look? Their eyes are sharper than mine, their experience far greater — they would surely be able to say a thing or two. I too would very much like to know how my second aunt managed to sustain such a perfectly even spread of injuries from a fall.”

The Yang Old Madam fell silent. She knew perfectly well how those injuries had come about, and did not dare accept the challenge.

“Since the Yang Old Madam does not wish to invite outside witnesses, then please do not obstruct the Hua Family’s request to have a physician examine my second aunt.” Hua Bailin took his aunt’s other side, supporting her gently. “I have spoken out of turn, young and ignorant as I am — I hope Old Madam will forgive the offense. We will take our leave. Aunt, let us go.”