The twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month — the day of sweeping away dust.

Snow that had drifted down for days now lay in thick layers. On this day, the wind stilled, the snow ceased, and sunlight fell bright and clear.

The masters and servants of the Hua household all stirred into motion — sweeping, cleaning, directing — alive with bustling energy.

Hua Zhi stood at a distance, wrapped in her white cloak, watching. She made no move to draw near.

Bao Xia was about to say something, but Nanny Su gave her a quiet, gentle shake of the head. Perhaps she did not know this eldest young lady as well as these senior maids did, but she could understand what was in her heart at this moment. There was no need to be part of it — simply watching was enough to fill the chest with warmth.

A moment later, before anyone could notice her, Hua Zhi turned and walked away. Not a word was needed. The faint curve of her lips said plainly that she was content.

“Huahua!”

A sudden voice carried down from the rooftop. Shao Yao stood up there wearing her signature veiled hat, her cloak billowing in the wind.

Hua Zhi laughed and opened her arms wide. A memory surfaced unbidden — of animated characters she had once seen, those who were not always the main figures in a story but were invariably the ones no one could forget, and always formidably capable.

Shao Yao was exactly that.

Amid gasps of astonishment from those around them, Shao Yao leaped from the rooftop and flung herself into Huahua’s embrace, then tugged off her veiled hat in irritation and sent it flying into the distance.

“Huahua, I’m back.”

“Yes. You’re back.”

Shao Yao was half a head taller, yet from the look of things it was Hua Zhi holding her, and somehow it was entirely natural.

Patting Shao Yao’s back, Hua Zhi smiled. “I was wondering just yesterday whether you’d make it back in time for the new year. You’ve barely made it.”

Shao Yao didn’t mention that she’d ridden the whole way at a furious pace with Yan-ge constantly pushing her along, leaving behind the medicinal herbs she’d gathered at Yinshan Pass without a second thought. The moment her master released her she had slung her pack on her back and run.

“I want to spend the new year with you. And I want to stay here.”

Hua Zhi walked her toward her own courtyard, smiling as she answered, “Whenever you like.”

Of course she liked! This had been her plan all along — this way she could stay by Huahua’s side both day and night. She hadn’t been there when the Old Madam passed. She owed her that, and she intended to make it up.

Once they were back inside the room, the hot water had already been brought in. Hua Zhi went through her wardrobe and gave up with a helpless look. “Bao Xia, go to Second Sister’s room and ask for a clean set of clothes. I’ll return them later.”

Bao Xia stole a few glances at her mistress’s figure and stifled a laugh before going. The others did the same, all suppressing their amusement. At other times they never gave much thought to how petite their young mistress was, but clothing was an honest measure of height, and every fitting for new garments was when they were reminded.

That night, the two of them shared one bed.

Shao Yao’s body was exhausted, yet she kept thinking about how she hadn’t been there when the Old Madam passed, hadn’t been at Huahua’s side, and the guilt weighed on her so heavily that sleep would not come.

“If only I had come back with you.”

Hua Zhi stared up at the canopy of the bed, and found, as she recalled those days, that she hadn’t actually been so very grief-stricken. More than sorrow, what had driven her was the need to ensure the Hua Family’s stability — that had been her first and foremost concern.

“Huahua, if you want to cry, go ahead and cry. I won’t look.”

Hua Zhi smiled softly and tapped the tip of her nose. “It hasn’t come to that. Life and death are beyond my power to alter. Putting her affairs to rest — that is how I show her my filial devotion.”

“So from now on you really intend to stay as the Hua Family’s head forever? No marriage?”

“Not forever. There will come a day when the young men of the Hua Family will have grown into pillars of strength. They will shoulder the family’s name, they will marry and have children, and when that day comes the Hua Family will no longer need me.”

“And then?”

Hua Zhi turned to lie facing her.

Shao Yao pressed stubbornly again. “And then? You carry the weight when they need you, and when they don’t need you anymore you just get pushed aside?”

Hua Zhi smiled faintly. Hadn’t that been precisely how it was before? When they needed her, every burden was placed on her shoulders. Once she had propped the family up and everything was well again, she became the inconvenient one — the one who had no right to exist.

But in this Hua Family, she trusted that the Bailin she had raised herself would not be so ruthless. And even if Bailin one day turned against her too, she no longer harbored any thoughts of dragging everyone else down with her.

From the moment she had stepped forward on her own initiative to stand before the Old Madam, she had prepared herself for the possibility of one day standing at odds with those she loved. In the end, it was only the passing of what she had built to other hands, only the seeing-through of what so-called loved ones truly were. Nothing more than that.

She was iron-boned and bronze-skinned now. What was there to fear?

“Huahua!”

“No one can drive me away. And if that day ever truly comes, it will be because I chose to leave.”

“If they ever dare treat you that way, I’ll poison every last one of them!”

“…”

“You’re laughing! I mean it!” Shao Yao was scrambling to sit up when Hua Zhi’s hand shot out and pulled her back, tucking the quilt snugly around her. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you — you can’t expect me not to be startled by how ruthless that is.”

Shao Yao settled down at last, grumbling, “I practice the art of poison — it’s Master who said medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin, and that you can’t learn poison well without learning medicine. That’s why I studied it.”

So the medical arts were only a side pursuit after all. Given Shao Yao’s gifts, Hua Zhi didn’t dare imagine what level her mastery of poison had reached.

“Do you have to use it often? The poison arts, I mean.”

“During missions, yes. It’s not just a matter of poisoning someone to death — there are many times when you need to keep people alive, so I formulate accordingly. I can also blend incense. I’ll blend something one-of-a-kind just for you one of these days.”

“All right. I’ll look forward to it.” Hua Zhi smiled quietly as their breathing fell into the same rhythm, two people close as one. “Is Grandfather’s health fully recovered? Are Father and the others well?”

“Very well. The Old Master’s illness has been fully cured. The others take their medicinal baths every day — you can’t see the results just yet, but by this time next year they’ll find they’re far less sensitive to the cold.” Shao Yao wore an expression of complete self-satisfaction. She was thoroughly confident in what she was skilled at. “When I was leaving, the General’s manor had called in a number of people to serve within the residence, and Fourth Uncle was among them.”

Fourth Uncle had entered the General’s manor? Hua Zhi looked at her in surprise. “Will he be in any danger?”

“How could there be any danger? The General’s manor is heavily fortified — it’s the safest place in Yinshan Pass. Once Fourth Uncle has established himself there, he’ll be better positioned to offer the Hua Family some protection as well.”

Ordinary people had no way of knowing what lay inside the General’s manor at Yinshan Pass. Hua Zhi made no attempt to think about what role Shao Yao had played in this, or how much help Mr. Lu had provided. She simply responded with curved eyes and a warm smile, adding yet another heavy mark of gratitude in her heart.

Though she wished to stay and put down roots at the Hua Family’s home, Shao Yao had official business that required her to report back to the Shizi. She lingered on and on, reluctant to leave, before finally returning, with great reluctance, to her true home.

Gu Yanxi was waiting for her in the study.

Shao Yao dragged her feet going in, dragged her feet closing the door behind her, and then pressed her back against the door and refused to step further inside, lowering her head to make her admission. “Yan-ge, I failed to complete the mission.”

Gu Yanxi said nothing, watching her in silence.

“Master also made a mistake.”

“Speak.”