Novel 王妃渴望復仇 Wangfei's Desire for Revenge

Chapter 27 Part Two

Spoiler

Su Jing Fei made her way to the dining hall, giving a courteous and polite greeting as she entered. Since evening had come, everyone was gathered around the dining table with a hearty appetite from the long day. Su Jing Fei took her seat and waited as the dishes of food were being served. Plate after plate of delicacies were placed on the table, making everyone become much hungrier at the site.

A few words were spoken by Su Xuan Mo before the eating could commence. As everyone picked up their utensils, it was Su Lao Furen who took the first bite, taking a piece of vegetable from the both and tasting it curiously. Everyone watched nervously for her reaction. Suddenly, the old woman’s eyes lit up. The vegetable had a savory yet fresh taste! “Such a novel flavor! It warms these old bones, yet leaves a fresh clean taste in one’s mouth.” Su Lao Furen praised, feeling quite impressed. “This old one has never tasted such a delicate flavor. What is the ingredient?”

Su Jing Fei smiled at Su Lao Furen’s pleased reaction. “The ingredient is a vegetable root that has absorbed nutrients from a specialized soil to enhance the fresh flavor. As the roots absorb the water, the leaves turn a different color to signal the ripeness of the root accordingly. It is a special type of ingredient only grown in Fuo Lan, made by the most innovative cooks of Chu country’s main trade city.” Her explanation was pleasing to hear, as it showcased knowledge and attentiveness to the dinner’s ingredients while also praising Chu country’s many talented cooks.

Su Lao Furen was very satisfied with the answer, nodding her head enthusiastically as she gestured for everyone to begin eating. “Let us not waste Fei’er’s kind efforts and begin eating at once!”

Everyone was eager to do just that and immediately began tasting the dishes on the table. Su Jing Fei was quiet as she watched everyone have such a hearty meal. Even her uncle and aunt-in-law looked quite pleased. However, in a moment, she locked eyes with Liu shi. The older woman was watching her cautiously. Su Jing Fei gave her a brief polite smile before returning to enjoy her meal. The older woman instantly became suspicious; she had her doubts at the beginning of dinner, trying to think of what schemes were looking behind such an extravagant meal that Su Jing Fei took the trouble to prepare for the entire family. This was really unlike her. Liu shi wondered if Su Jing Fei was truly trying to pull some clever scheme or if she was still the same naive young girl who had just gained a bit of knowledge after a harsh experience. Once the meal was finished, the servants began taking away the dishes. “Fei’er, how was Fuo Lan? Mother never got the chance to ask you because I did not want to disturb your rest.” Liu shi asked, which seemed like an innocent question to the ignorant; but Su Jing Fei had guessed that her step-mother was actually trying to provoke her and gauge her reaction.

Su Jing Fei politely set down her utensils, dabbing at the corners of her lips lightly with a handkerchief. She let the servants take the dishes in front of her and kept a calm expression as everyone watched her for an answer.

“Fei’er, didn’t you hear your mother? Why don’t you answer her?” Su Xuan Mo said a little angrily as Su Jing Fei was still quiet.

It was only after everyone had finished and dishes had cleared that Su Jing Fei gave Liu shi a smile and reply. “While chennu was in Fuo Lan, I learned many interesting and new things and have grown as a person. As one reached marriageable age, it would be reasonable for chennu to prepare for life after marriage to fulfill her filial duties, including adhering to proper manners and etiquette. Chennu hopes Mother can understand chennu’s efforts.” Hearing Su Jing Fei’s explanation, it sounded quite reasonable. Waiting to converse after the table has cleared was the proper etiquette, but Liu shi had not expected Su Jing Fei to point out the matter.

Biting back a frown, Liu shi plastered on a smile, quickly replying in an appeasing tone. “Of course, Mother understands Fei’er is a grown woman now! Mother was just impatient to hear more about Fei’er since we have been separated so long. Mother has missed Fei’er dearly.” The older woman put on the act of a kind and doting mother, and Su Jing Fei wondered at how anyone could fall for such a cheap display. She thought back to the original Su Jing Fei who had known no better and resisted shaking her head with pity.

“Yes, it’s been a long time since we’ve had the opportunity to spend time with jie jie! Not adhering to proper manners and etiquette on the first day of jie jie’s return is not so bad. We are family, afterall! It just means we missed jie jie a lot.” Su Mei Rong added more sweet words, seemingly highlighting the fact that Su Jing Fei had grown distant with her family after their long separation.

Su Jing Fei smiled in response. “Indeed, it has been a year and a half since chennu has seen Rong-mei, and she has grown even more beautiful. Rong-mei reaches marriageable age in a few days. Chennu is happy to be able to see my younger sister celebrate her coming of age.”

Su Mei Rong was surprised at Su Jing Fei’s kind words, never having received such sisterly affection from Su Jing Fei. While the two had gotten along in the past, Su Mei Rong had made a point never to get too close to her older sister for fear of her reputation. However, after hearing the latter part, Su Mei Rong realized that Su Jing Fei had also discreetly brought up the point that the Su family had used Su Mei Rong’s coming of age as a reason for Su Jing Fei’s return; however, everyone was quite well aware that Su Jing Fei had not even been invited back to the capital for her own coming of age which had passed in Fuo Lan.

Su Lao Furen watched the exchange within her family, furrowing her brows at the disharmony. However, she was also quite intrigued at Su Jing Fei’s sudden cleverness; her eldest granddaughter’s sounded quite sweet and pleasing to hear but actually had the ability to mean much more based on interpretation. After hearing the reports from Si Qiang about Su Jing Fei’s experiences in Fuo Lan, it was no wonder that the young girl had forcibly grown up in the absence of guidance. However, what Su Lao Furen did not realize was that there was so much more to what happened in Fuo Lan than Si Qiang or anyone else had known; the only one who could fathom a guess would be Liu shi who had communication from the Feng family.

“Speaking of Rong-mei’s coming of age celebration,” Su Jing Fei began, placing her hands neatly in her lap as she turned to look at her father politely. “Chennu hopes that the dishes tonight was suitable for everyone’s tastes. In fact, if Father and Mother do not mind, chennu has brought enough ingredients to use for the feast.”

Su Xuan Mo had been feeling quite awkward towards his eldest daughter who he had previously banished, and hearing her previous words, he had indeed noticed the change in Su Jing Fei’s mannerisms, thinking that the immature young girl had finally grown up. He was pleased with the change, so upon hearing her polite words and reasonable suggestion, he readily agreed. “En, Fei’er has truly changed and become such a thoughtful young woman.” In his mind, he was thinking that having such delicacies would certainly leave an impression on the nobles who came to the coming of age feast for Su Mei Rong while also keeping Su Jing Fei appeased to avoid any grievances. Of course, the influence of the Qu family returning to the imperial city also factored into Su Xuan Mo’s amicable attitude towards his disfavored daughter.

“Chennu thanks Father for his kind praise.” Su Jing Fei said politely. Although, she had long guessed at the thoughts running through Su Xuan Mo’s mind. He has always regarded her and many other women as simple creatures and himself as the most intelligent. She almost laughed at his pitiful ignorance at the fact that it was women who had provided him the power to stand where he was.

After a bit more of conversation, everyone was dismissed by Su Xuan Mo when he noticed his mother was growing visibly tired. Su Jing Fei returned back to her courtyard, and Liu shi watched the young woman with a piercing gaze hidden by the shadows of the night. Returning to her own courtyard, she called for Su Mei Rong. “Be careful of Su Jing Fei,” warned Liu shi to her daughter. “She is much more clever and scheming than she lets on. Today’s dinner had some hidden intentions no doubt.”

Su Mei Rong agreed with her mother, especially since Su Jing Fei had been acting extremely strange. Previously, Su Jing Fei was quite open and rude with her words and emotions, but Su Mei Rong could barely discern the truth of Su Jing Fei’s intentions behind that polite smile. Her demeanor had also changed drastically; Su Mei Rong was surprised that Su Jing Fei knew anything about manners and etiquette, much less bringing it up as an excuse to be rude to her mother! “I will be much more careful with my words! Su Jing Fei is stupid if she thinks we’ll just allow her to return to the imperial city and destroy all our hard work!” She spoke of the past year and half, recalling all the effort her and her mother made to raise Su Mei Rong’s reputation as a talented gentle beauty. It had been difficult because the lack of a strong maternal backing, but this could be overlooked for Su Xuan Mo’s high status and Su Mei Rong’s beauty and talent! The young woman had her mother’s chestnut shaped eyes and allure appearance; her slender frame and willowy appearance seemed to inspire a man’s affections and protective nature.

Both mother and daughter continued insulting Su Jing Fei and once the two were feeling much more happy and relaxed, they went their separate ways to turn in for the night.

 

Chapter 28

Spoiler

Su Jing Fei woke up early the next morning and prepared to pay her morning greetings to Su Lao Furen. When she entered Su Lao Furen’s Wen Rou Tian courtyard, she could hear the sound of the zither being plucked; it’s melodious notes rang lightly in the air and was a pleasant sound to accompany the morning light. Quietly, Su Jing Fei made her way to where the music originated. She waited a few minutes as a servant informed Su Lao Furen of her presence before she was allowed inside. As Su Jing Fei stepped into the room, the first thing she saw was Su Mei Rong seated behind a guqin; her delicate movements, accompanied by the pleasant music, made for a very beautiful sight. Su Mei Rong definitely knew where her talents lay.

“This one greets Grandmother.” Su Jing Fei bowed before Su Lao Furen who was seated at the front of the room.

“You may rise,” Su Lao Furen said in a gentle tone. “Fei’er has definitely matured a lot. This old woman is sad that she was not able to be with Fei’er during that time.”

Su Jing Fei was surprised at Su Lao Furen’s sentimental words. It seemed like it wasn’t only Su Jing Fei who changed a lot in the past year and a half. The usually stern and cold old woman had softened with age; perhaps it was her waning health or her older age causing her to become reminiscent of past times, but Su Lao Furen seemed to be much more gentle and amicable to Su Jing Fei. “It is I who regrets not being able to be at Grandmother’s side.” Su Jing Fei replied.

Su Lao Furen gave a small smile but did not speak any further and gestured for Su Jing Fei to take a seat. Wu mama, Su Lao Furen’s personal servant, set down a cushion for Su Jing Fei. Together, the two of them sat quietly and watched Su Mei Rong’s morning performance.

Of course, Su Mei Rong had noticed Su Jing Fei’s entrance, surprised that her older sister had even awoken so early. In the past, Su Jing Fei never paid her respects to Su Lao Furen and did as she pleased, acting like a spoiled girl. Su Lao Furen had never forced her older sister to come; Su Mei Rong had thought that it was because Su Lao Furen disliked Su Jing Fei, but seeing the two of them sitting together, she was suspicious. Su Mei Rong always figured she was the favorite grandchild, and she was not letting Su Jing Fei take away Su Lao Furen’s support!

Su Jing Fei noticed Su Mei Rong’s glare in between pauses but merely kept a smile on her face as the zither’s gentle sound continued to fill the air. It was another five minutes or so before the song finally ended and Su Mei Rong placed her hands carefully back into her lap. “This one hopes Grandmother was able to enjoy the music well.”

“En, it was very pleasing to hear.” replied Su Lao Furen with a gentle smile, but there was a bit of weariness in her expression. It seemed like being up so early and sitting for so long had become taxing on her old body.

“Rong-mei is very talented. It’s been a long time since I have heard your beautiful music.” Su Jing Fei said as Su Mei Rong took a seat on Su Lao Furen’s other side.

There was a flash of displeasure on the younger woman’s face, but it was quickly covered up. “Jie jie is too kind. I only know a few songs here and there…” Su Mei Rong replied with a shy smile.

Su Jing Fei smiled, knowing that the young woman probably practiced many hours to achieve such skill with the guqin. Su Mei Rong had the phoenix’s ambition; of course, she would settle for nothing less than perfection when it comes to the four arts.

“This one has prepared some warm tea for the morning,” Su Jing Fei spoke as she gestured for the servants to come in. “After not seeing Grandmother for so long, one has prepared many things so that Grandmother can have good health for a long time.” The tea was set on a table in front of Su Lao Furen where one could smell a soft scent of medicinal herbs mixed with a pleasing floral fragrance. “The tea leaves are specially grown in southern Chu where the soil is soft and the temperatures are warmer year round. It is said that when drinking this Zhu Qin tea, one can expel the excess yin of the body and absorb the natural morning yang.”

Both Su Lao Furen and Su Mei Rong gave shocked expressions at Su Jing Fei’s explanation, clearly not familiar with this considerate and courteous side to Su Jing Fei. However, after a few minutes, one’s heart calmed down, and the pleasant scent of the tea was too alluring to not desire a sip or two. Quietly, the women drank the morning tea and felt a warmth radiate from their lips to their stomach and then to the rest of their body. It was the blood that warmed and the muscles that relaxed, making one’s breath much more deep and refreshing. But Su Mei Rong was still young, and as such, her tastes were still in favor of sweetness; thus she could not finish the tea and merely sipped a few before setting it back down.

Meanwhile, Su Lao Furen and Su Jing Fei quietly enjoyed the tea, basking in the warmth and refreshing morning air as Wu mama had taken the initiative to open the windows. Su Mei Rong waited impatiently, feeling bitter towards Su Jing Fei’s obvious attempts to curry favor with Su Lao Furen. Her eyes glared at Su Jing Fei, but the latter did not even glance in her direction.

Su Jing Fei could feel Su Mei Rong’s hatred directed towards her, and she hid a smile under her hand as she lifted the tea cup to her lips. The gentle and amicable younger sister was indiscreet in her hatred for Su Jing Fei; the latter wondered how the original Su Jing Fei had never noticed. Perhaps, it was because the original Su Jing Fei had grown up not knowing better, schemed at every turn to believe her mei mei and Mother were on her side. But Su Jing Fei was not like the original; she could clearly perceive the emotions of such youths. It was obvious that Su Mei Rong probably had paid her respects to Su Lao Furen in the morning for a long time, probably displaying the different four arts that she was good at. Most likely, Su Lao Furen had enjoyed watching her granddaughter exceed and flourish with such talents, but once one became older, one would desire more quiet and calmness in the mornings. Su Jing Fei could appreciate Su Mei Rong’s efforts though.

Once the tea was finished and sent away, Su Lao Furen felt her old body gain just a bit more vitality and strength and was very pleased with Su Jing Fei’s thoughtfulness. “This Zhu Qin tea is exactly to this old woman’s tastes. Grandmother is very blessed to have such filial granddaughters. I’ll have to get Wu mama to trouble Fei’er to find out where one can acquire the tea leaves to appreciate more often.”

“This one thanks Grandmother for her kind praise.” Both Su Jing Fei and Su Mei Rong replied to Su Lao Furen’s words. Su Jing Fei continued speaking and added, “This one has brought a lot from Fuo Lan and will have one’s servants send over the remaining leaves for Grandmother. If Grandmother desires any more, this one will naturally be able to get more.”

Su Lao Furen was very happy at the prospect of being able to have more of the Zhu Qin tea, especially since she’d been growing more weary and tired with each passing day. Being able to recover some strength was like being granted a bit of her youth back; naturally one would become very joyful.

Since the morning had gone on longer than normal, Su Mei Rong was very anxious to leave as she had plans later that day. Once Su Lao Furen seemed content, she immediately dismissed herself, giving the excuse of needing to pay respect to her mother as well. What she didn’t expect was for Su Jing Fei to also get up and leave, citing the same reason.

“If Rong-mei does not mind, would you like to go together to see Mother?” Su Jing Fei asked with a smile.

Su Mei Rong bit back the urge to refuse, merely bowing her head in acquiesce. Together, the two young women made their way to Liu shi’s Tian Hua Lan courtyard where they were led to Liu shi’s side receiving room. All the while, the servants of Tian Hua Lan suspiciously whispered at the Su Jing Fei’s appearance alongside Su Mei Rong; they did not have a good impression of the da xiaojie due to her previously spoilt and ignorant attitude. They all still saw her as the young and dumb xiaojie of two years ago and were naturally suspicious due to her strange demeanor.

“Hoping Mother has rested well.” Su Jing Fei said as they gave their greetings before the seated Liu shi. The older woman had a warm expression on her face, but if one looked closely, there was a tightness to the smile.

“Seeing Fei’er and Rong’er greeting me so early in the morning, one’s heart is filled with much warmth,” Liu shi replied with all the grace of a pleased mother. Although all the servants knew Liu shi actually hated Su Jing Fei, they were not surprised by her fake attitude; they knew their master had always appealed as a good mother to everyone by treating Su Jing Fei nicely while also manipulating the latter to become a spoilt and mean xiaojie after all these years.

There was a hint of annoyance from Su Mei Rong, but the young girl held her grievances and sat down next to her mother, ignoring Su Jing Fei as she began to speak. “Mother, today my friends have promised to meet at the Oak Tree Courtyard. Can I please go?” The young girl knew how to act a bit spoilt in front of her mother because she knew that the older woman would usually say yes. However, she did not know why but her mother actually shook her head and refused.

“The coming of age ceremony is tomorrow, and there is still much to be prepared for Rong’er. It is best if Rong’er stay in the residence today.” Liu shi said in a firm tone. She flickered a glance at Su Jing Fei before continuing to add, “Plus, your jie jie has been away for so long. I’m sure it would be nice to spend some time together.”

Su Mei Rong knew that her mother wanted her to keep an eye on Su Jing Fei and learn more about the young woman’s intentions, but that did not mean that Su Mei Rong wanted to spend the whole day with her older sister. Today was an important day to go to the Oak Tree Courtyard, and she would not settle for being thrown away to be her sister’s caretaker! Just as Su Mei Rong was about to argue, a familiar voice took the initiative to speak a few words first.

“If Rong-mei does not mind, this one can accompany Rong-mei to Oak Tree Courtyard. It has been awhile since one has visited and is curious to see if the garden is as beautiful as one remembers,” spoke Su Jing Fei, surprising Su Mei Rong and Liu shi at the suggestion. In one hand, Su Mei Rong would be able to go to Oak Tree Courtyard, and on the other, Liu shi would also be able to have Su Mei Rong get a little bit more familiar and also watch over Su Jing Fei. It was as if Su Jing Fei had provided them with a win-win situation, but Liu shi was suspicious behind the reason. In the Su family residence, her servants could keep an eye on Su Mei Rong and Su Jing Fei, but out there in Oak Tree Courtyard, she had no influence to protect Su Mei Rong. Would Su Jing Fei be vicious enough to harm Su Mei Rong outside of the Su residence? Surely, not…

While her mother was in deep contemplation, obviously conflicted with the decision, Su Mei Rong was easier to accept Su Jing Fei’s proposal. She quickly agreed to Su Jing Fei’s suggestion, urging her mother with an eager expression. Seeing her daughter so adamant, Liu shi could not say no, so the older woman merely sighed and relented. “Alright, but be home before dinner. Your father is coming home early tonight to make sure everything will go well for tomorrow.” Her watchful gaze flickered to Su Jing Fei before adding, “Naturally, two young women of marriageable age cannot go alone. Xi mama will accompany.”

The Oak Tree courtyard had their own servants, including guards and mamas, so they certainly wouldn’t be without supervision. But having a personal mama of Su residence accompany would be the best way to protect a di daughter of a respectable family. It was quite funny because Liu shi had never made Su Jing Fei take a mama whenever she used to frequent Oak Tree Courtyard before. But things were different now, and it was natural for Liu shi to be cautious about Su Mei Rong’s reputation.

Su Jing Fei smiled. “Of course, this one will make sure to take care of Rong-mei well. Mother need not be worried.”

Liu shi stared hard at Su Jing Fei, wishing she could see the truth in her words. Similarly, Su Jing Fei’s eyes remained on Liu shi, her face set in a pleasant expression. The servants watched curiously at this long gaze between mother and daughter, and for some reason, they felt a coldness shiver up their spines. They dared not speak or move too quickly. It was Su Mei Rong who became impatient and quickly moved to Su Jing Fei’s side and spoke. “Daughters will now be leaving. Thanking Mother and will be home before dinner!” The young woman hooked her arms into Su Jing Fei’s and pulled her out of Tian Hua Lan courtyard. Without wasting another moment, Su Mei Rong spoke a few words about getting ready and ran off to her own courtyard.

Su Jing Fei merely went back to her own courtyard, remembering to order the servants to send all the tea leaves over to Wen Rou Tian courtyard for Su Lao Furen. Once back in her own room, Mu Tan and Yize helped their xiaojie prepare for going out. Although they wished in their hearts to see Su Jing Fei wear bright beautiful clothes and exquisite jewelry to put forth the best effort, they knew that their xiaojie favored more simple styles. With a sigh, they helped their xiaojie into a simple blue dress and added a few delicate hairpins on top. Usually, one would see that these plain clothes were not exciting to look at, but with Su Jing Fei’s gentle and refined demeanor as well as her calm expressions, one would exude an elegant aura.

After changing clothes, Su Jing Fei met up with Su Mei Rong at the entrance of the Su residence. Her eyes flickered across her younger sister’s appearance. The young woman had chosen to display her gentle and scholarly nature with a refined blue dress, and her intricately styled hair was adorned with extravagant jade hairpins. Her face had been powdered lightly to help accentuate the coloring of soft pink on her cheeks and lips by rouge. There was no doubt that Su Mei Rong was a peerless beauty, and coupled with her talents, there probably weren’t a shortage of suitors.

When Su Mei Rong saw Su Jing Fei, she wanted to laugh at the plain appearance but managed to only show a wide smile. Though they both were wearing blue, Su Mei Rong knew her appearance was obviously a hundred times better. Quickly, she had them board the carriage as they headed to the Oak Tree Courtyard.

Once they arrived, Su Mei Rong ran off with Xi mama in tow, leaving Su Jing Fei to linger a bit at the entrance. Honestly, Su Jing Fei did not know how she would feel returning to the place where she had first awoken; it left a little bit of a bitter feeling in her heart, souring her mood quite a bit. However, her expressions remained calm as she entered the Oak Tree Courtyard, greeted by the servants upon entrance. The appearance was still the same, and the inner courtyard still had many young women and men mingling happily, albeit under fierce supervision and courteous distance of course.

Picking a quieter and less populated area, Su Jing Fei took a seat at one of the tables near the garden. From her vantage point, she could observe quite a bit of the courtyard without being bothered by the flow of traffic in and out. The bustling chatter of voices became background noise as Su Jing Fei fell into a deep thoughtful state. While she had arrived back in the imperial city in time for Su Mei Rong’s coming of age, it was still a bit of time before the Qu family would return to the capital. While the Su family’s invitation for Su Jing Fei to return home did not mention the Qu family, the news of the great Qu general returning home due to an injury was already news in Fuo Lan received from all the travelling merchants. Putting two and two together was not so hard. However, what did surprise Su Jing Fei, was that she had found the Qu family’s return to the capital city as oddly familiar. After a bit of thinking, she realized that it was because the event of ‘a great Chu general returning back to the capital’ was a significant event in the movie Blossoms in the Wind. This realization had caused Su Jing Fei to contemplate many things. First, she had wondered if her transmigration into this world had caused any significant changes in the movie’s original plot. She knew that there had at least been two significant changes. Glancing at Mu Tan who was standing quietly at her side, she knew that the older woman’s life had been spared. Thus, the assassination event in the movie had never occurred; or at least, not by Mu Tan’s hands. Secondly, Su Jing Fei realized that her return to the capital city had also not occurred in the original movie’s plot. Thus, her own presence was an anomaly that could be affecting the original plot at every moment, and she honestly did not know what to think upon this realization.

The wheels of thought in Su Jing Fei’s mind were so consuming that she had not realized that her presence had been noticed by someone. This other person’s youthful face twisted in anger for a brief moment before a thought came to mind, and then those thin lips lifted into a bright smile. Then she strode forward with a haughty demeanor, putting forward her best smile. “This one has not seen Su xiaojie for a long time! Hoping you have been well!”

Su Jing Fei’s eyes turned up to look at the speaker. People nearby watched with hawk eyes staring at the two individuals with great interest. However, one did not know why but could feel a cold breeze blow and cause an uncomfortable feeling upon seeing Su Jing Fei’s expression become smiling. “It has indeed been a long time, Jiang xiaojie.”

 

Chapter 29

Spoiler

Jiang Li Ling smiled widely, acting as though she was thoroughly pleased at having run into Su Jing Fei. She sat down at the seat across from Su Jing Fei, placing her hands neatly in her lap. “This one heard that Su xiaojie had fallen ill and was sent to Fuo Lan to recuperate. Is one feeling better?”

Everyone was quite curious at Jiang Li Ling’s bold moves as they were quite aware of how the young girl had caused Su Jing Fei’s engagement to be rescinded by Emperor Chen himself. However, they also held their breaths while watching closely for Su Jing Fei’s reactions. They were quite shocked to see that Su Jing Fei was still smiling as politely as before, maybe even a little bit more warmly. However, it was strange that the warmer her smile, the colder that one would feel upon seeing it.

“Yes, I have recovered quite well. Hoping that Jiang xiaojie has also been well.” Su Jing Fei replied kindly. However, she didn’t offer any other words or questions to continue the conversation, causing Jiang Li Ling to feel a little embarrassed and awkward.

“En, this one thanks Su xiaojie for her kind words.” Jiang Li Ling looked increasingly uncomfortable as she struggled to find words to carry on the conversation. Honestly, when she had first heard about Su Jing Fei’s return and then saw the other girl, she’d come over to the table without a second thought. She knew that just by appearing before Su Jing Fei, the latter would be undoubtedly annoyed and be mean or vicious to her. What she hadn’t expected that Su Jing Fei would receive her amicably, even responding to her questions without a flinch or flicker of hatred like normally. “This one originally thought that since Su xiaojie had her engagement broken, that one’s broken heart had caused such severe illness. It is good that Su xiaojie has recovered.” She said the words so shamelessly that others were shocked at the direct hit that Su Jing Fei had received. This young girl was really courting danger!

However, Su Jing Fei merely kept the polite smile on her face, gazing back at Jiang Li Ling with neither a negative or positive expression. It was as though Jiang Li Ling didn’t even exist in Su Jing Fei’s eyes. And what was more, the people found themselves drawn to Su Jing Fei’s quiet yet calm appearance. For some reason, one could not help but find that the simple style of dressing coupled with the young woman’s gentle yet dignified demeanor made for such an elegant bearing. On top of that, Su Jing Fei’s smile held no malice nor favor; it was merely polite. One could not tell the emotions lurking under that surface, making a lot of people very wary of this sudden change in Su Jing Fei. However, what they did not realize that the short time of change was not short at all; this past year and half had changed Su Jing Fei like none other. Su Jing Fei knew that better than anybody else. So seeing Jiang Li Ling purposely provoke her, it was the same as watching from an outsider’s point of view. The Su Jing Fei of previous was no longer. Jiang Li Ling meant nothing to her.

“Well, if it isn’t Jiang san xiaojie,” spoke a young woman’s voice. Su Mei Rong’s voice was soft and polite, but there was a bit of a haughty undertone. She strolled over to Su Jing Fei’s table, followed by a group of other young noble women. “It is quite an interesting sight to see you around nowadays. How coincidental that you happened to meet my jie jie on her first trip out since returning to the capital.”

“Yes, well fate can be a bit funny at times, isn’t that right, Su er xiaojie?” replied Jiang Li Ling with a bright smile. “Perhaps one has also heard the rumor that a few princes will be visiting the Oak Tree Courtyard today. Su er xiaojie must be very excited!”

“Oh? This one has not heard.” Su Mei Rong’s voice remained calm, but there was just a hint of hatred in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Li Ling’s smiling expression. At her side, one of the other noble girls suddenly spoke up. “It seems like Jiang san xiaojie knows a lot about the princes!” Another chimed in, “Must be due to one’s own ambitions; lowly fishermen will naturally look to where the dragons swim for bigger fish!”

“You…!” Jiang Li Ling looked angry as she heard those women’s words. However, she schooled her expression into a pitiful one, exactly the same as the expression that Su Jing Fei had seen the girl use before. This was the beginning of her victim act.

However, the other young noble women weren’t afraid and continued to berate Jiang Li Ling. Su Mei Rong was surprisingly quiet, letting the other women speak while still remaining silent as though she was innocent and separate from all this.

Su Jing Fei’s eyes flickered between Jiang Li Ling and Su Mei Rong, feeling like there was quite a bit of hatred between the two. Of course, when one’s ambition was the phoenix, naturally one would be able to see the enemies who also wish to rise on those wings. Su Jing Fei continued to watch on in amusement, seated carefully in the middle of the quarrelling women with a calm and relaxed expression.

It was quite unexpected when the young women at Su Mei Rong’s side suddenly quieted, and their eyes shifted nervously to the figure over Jiang Li Ling’s shoulder. A clear and crisp young woman’s voice filled the air. “San-mei, do you intend to continue your embarrassment to the Jiang family?”

A look of anger flashed across Jiang Li Ling’s expression, but she quickly schooled her expression and meekly turned around, respectfully greeting the other young woman. “Jie jie, it was not my intention! I merely came over to greet Su da xiaojie but one’s good intentions were twisted and received many grievances…”

Looking at the other young woman, Su Jing Fei saw a stern and unyielding expression and recognized her as Jiang Li Xiu, the da xiaojie of the esteemed Minister of Justice’s family who also happened to be Jiang Li Ling’s older di sister. Straight brows, lips set in a firm line, lean face; these were all the things Su Jing Fei could recall from the movie Blossoms in the Wind. In the movie, Jiang Li Ling often dealt with the oppression from her older di sister Jiang Li Xiu; her and her yiniang mother were often embarrassments of the Jiang family in public society, which obviously struck the ‘righteous’ Chen Hui Zhe as being undoubtedly unfair to treat others poorly just because of whether they were a di or shu child. Su Jing Fei could agree with him on the latter point; however, what Chen Hui Zhe did not realize was that people didn’t like Jiang Li Ling or her mother just for those reasons. It was also in part because of Jiang Li Ling’s rude behavior, playing victim whenever someone called her out for her lack in propriety and manners. He was really a poor embarrassment for a righteous hero-type male lead.

“Mama, will you please escort Jiang san xiaojie back to the carriage? It has been a long day which has undoubtedly caused her to feel tired and be so unreasonable.” Jiang Li Xiu gestured for the servant women at her side to ‘escort’ Jiang Li Ling away. The young girl had a pitiful expression filled with many wrongs. It looked like she wasn’t going to go without a fight.

“Why has such a large crowd gathered around?” It was a familiar voice this time that spoke in an observing manner. Su Jing Fei could recognize that voice anywhere; in her memories, she’d dreamed about that voice whispering her name lovingly, those dark eyes gazing at her affectionately, and the dream that one day they’d be married. She felt the anger stir in her heart for the old Su Jing Fei, knowing just how much the other girl had truly loved this man. But here he was, appearing before her after a year and a half, and it was like nothing had changed. He still had the same handsome appearance and ignorant expression. Chen Hui Zhe stood near the walkway surrounding the garden’s edges. He was not alone, however. At his side, Su Jing Fei’s sharp eyes could distinguish the familiar face of the fourth prince Chen Hui Lang and a few high-ranking officials’ sons.

In just a few moments, Chen Hui Zhe’s expression changed rapidly. It went from surprise at the crowd, then shock at seeing Su Jing Fei, then anger when he noticed that Jiang Li Ling was being pulled away from the courtyard almost forcibly. He stomped over angrily as crowd left a wide part for his path to them. Everyone bowed respectfully before the princes, excluding Jiang Li Ling who somehow had suddenly bursted out crying.

“Su Jing Fei, this one had heard that you’ve just returned and now you’re acting the same as always! Bullying others! One had thought that you would have changed with time, but this one sees now that a snake may shed one’s skin and appearance but underneath is still a snake!” Chen Hui Zhe hurled self-righteous indignant remarks her way, and honestly, Su Jing Fei could not be bothered to care about this ignorant prince. He was the one making a fool of himself if he thought he knew the situation well enough to make accusations.

“This lowly one greets his Highness,” Su Jing Fei said respectfully towards him. Her gaze was warm yet cool, making others feel quite confused. Her own tone of voice was calm in comparison to Chen Hui Zhe, and she never made a nervous move, looking as relaxed as though insults had not just been thrown in her face. Everyone had thought that Su Jing Fei would cry and throw a tantrum, but one could clearly see that the young woman was unperturbed at all! “Hoping the third prince has been well. This one also greets his Highness, the fourth prince.” Su Jing Fei bowed respectfully towards Chen Hui Lang as he showed a surprised expression.

“You wish to dare ignore this prince? I thought I told you to stay away from Jiang Li Ling!”
Chen Hui Zhe remarked in a rude tone, not caring who heard him.

Whispers erupted around them as men and women heard his words. They had always known that the third prince had broken off his engagement from Su Jing Fei due to the Oak Tree Courtyard incident involving Jiang Li Ling, but until now, it had only been rumors that the third prince and a shu daughter had such romantic notions towards each other. The gossiping mouths could not just remain idle at the news!

“Perhaps his Highness would like to question Jiang Li Ling to find out the truth of the matter.” Su Jing Fei replied calmly.

Jiang Li Ling bit her lip nervously as everyone turned to look at her. Indeed, she had been the one to approach Su Jing Fei, but she hadn’t done anything wrong! She’d merely given a polite greeting! It was true that she was hoping to provoke a little something maybe… Because she’d known that Chen Hui Zhe was coming to Oak Tree Courtyard today.

Chen Hui Zhe turned to look at Jiang Li Ling, and the corners of his eyes softened, becoming a more gentle appearance. “Jiang Li Ling, are you okay? Were you being bullied again?”

“I…” Jiang Li Ling began, but she saw Jiang Li Xiu’s darkening expression and knew that if she made any more of a mess, she’d never be able to leave their residence again. She also could not lie under everyone’s watchful gaze, so she bit back her tears and replied, “I was the one who approached Su Jing Fei first. I just wanted to know if she was doing well since returning to the capital from Fuo Lan. Things got out of hand and… this lowly one apologizes for disrupting the peace in Oak Tree Courtyard.”

Chen Hui Zhe looked a little surprised that Jiang Li Ling would take the initiative to approach Su Jing Fei, especially knowing their history. However, hearing that the young girl only had well meaning intentions, he nodded his head in acceptance. Then he turned to Su Jing Fei with a stern expression. “Su Jing Fei, you should also apologize.”

Su Jing Fei almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Chen Hui Zhe had barged in without knowing anything and then demanded that she apologize for what? Sitting here as annoying people came to bother her? “This lowly one hopes that his Highness can elaborate. What exactly am I apologizing for?”

“Apologize for disrupting the peace in the Oak Tree Courtyard and bullying Jiang Li Ling, of course. When one has done causing significant trouble to those around them, then one should apologize.” He stated the words so matter-of-factly that everyone was quite confused at the sudden turn of events. While Su Jing Fei had been present during the fight, it was obviously Jiang Li Ling and Su Mei Rong’s entourage that disrupted the peace. In one’s eyes, there was a little bit of a sour feeling towards this third prince for making accusations based on nothing. However, they were also a little afraid because they wondered if there could come a day when this third prince also accuses them of something that had not been done.

Surprisingly, it was the fourth prince Chen Hui Lang who spoke up. “Third brother, perhaps we should inquire about the matter from a third party.” He had noticed the strange glances directed towards Chen Hui Zhe, and he knew of his older brother’s hot-headed outbursts. Without waiting for Chen Hui Zhe to reply, Chen Hui Lang quickly called for a nearby person to come over. The young noble woman looked red in the face as she was called by Chen Hui Lang and scurried over with a meek expression. “You’re the da xiaojie of the Minister of Land’s family, correct?”

“Yes, your Highness! My name is Mu Rong Li.” The young woman squeaked out her reply, looking quite frightened.

“It is alright, Mu xiaojie, as long as you speak the truth, there should be no issues.” spoke Chen Hui Lang in a calm voice with a smile. Nearby women shot envious glares at Mu Rong Li which caused the young woman to only get more nervous. “Can you help clarify what had happened here?”

“Yes, um…” Mu Rong Li flickered a glance towards Jiang Li Ling and then Su Jing Fei. When her eyes met Su Jing Fei, they dropped nervously back to the ground as the young woman continued speaking. “Part of what Jiang san xiaojie said was true. She approached Su Jing Fei first. And then Su Mei Rong and the others came and got in an argument with Jiang Li Ling. Then Jiang Li Xiu came to take Jiang Li Ling home. And then his Highnesses the third and fourth princes showed up…”

“This one thanks Mu xiaojie for shedding light on the matter.” Chen Hui Lang smiled warmly, which only caused the young woman to stutter more as she excused herself and shuffled back into the safety of the crowd. He turned to Chen Hui Zhe, speaking lightly. “Third brother is a righteous individual and has mistaken some things due to a sense of justice in upholding the proper order in Oak Tree Courtyard. Third brother has always tried to maintain the peace, but it seems this time was only a misunderstanding.” He spoke words with that pleasant expression, smoothing over the previous ill emotions until everyone nodded their heads in understanding. In regards to previous incidents, Chen Hui Zhe had been right in his accusations against Su Jing Fei and everything… who knew that it would be Su Jing Fei that had changed so much? Everyone felt a little calmer in their hearts and the negative emotions towards Chen Hui Zhe dissipated. However, many of them also looked towards Chen Hui Lang in a new light, seeing that the fourth prince was a reasonable and level-headed man. His handsome appearance was also quite good to look at for the young noble women.

However, Su Jing Fei’s eyes turned cold as they fell on Chen Hui Lang. In just a few minutes, the man had managed to get rid of everyone’s doubts towards Chen Hui Zhe, raise his own reputation among the noble youth, and simultaneously insult Su Jing Fei by stating that Chen Hui Zhe’s angry insults were merely ‘misunderstandings.’

“His Highness the fourth prince speaks well,” Su Jing Fei said observingly with a smile. “It is true that a misunderstanding had caused things to get out of hand. Then according to the princes’ logic, if one must apologize for disrupting the peace, then should that not also apply to the misunderstanding?” Meaning that if Chen Hui Zhe insisted on her apologizing, then by their own logic, Chen Hui Zhe would also have to apologize for his ignorance on the matter.

Hearing her words, everyone couldn’t help but see the reason. However, although they agreed with Su Jing Fei’s bold words, they dared not speak in fear of being reprimanded for going against an imperial prince!

It seemed as though Chen Hui Zhe was going to argue, but surprisingly, no angry words came out; there only remained a scowl on his face as he glared at Su Jing Fei. For some reason, whenever he looked at her, there would be irritation boiling in his blood at this thick-skinned woman’s haughty appearance. There was no one in this world who angered him quicker than this girl who had clung to his sleeves as a ‘future Princess consort.’ However, seeing her now, she was calm and collected; not even a trace of emotion in that polite expression. He thought that she must still be concealing that vicious nature under that facade, but it almost appeared as though Su Jing Fei was truly without a care in the world. In fact, she had barely even glanced in his direction except for the one time she had spoken to him. What exactly was she playing at?

Without saying another word, Chen Hui Zhe whirled around and left. He’d suffered enough humiliation today, and with his mood soured, he no longer had an interest to stay at Oak Tree Courtyard any further. Chen Hui Lang and the other young men quickly followed him away, and slowly, the crowd dispersed. There was a slight feeling of disappointment at such an anti-climatic ending, but there was not a disappointment of things to gossip about!

Jiang Li Xiu politely bid them farewell and also departed with Jiang Li Ling in tow. Jiang Li Ling looked visibly upset that Chen Hui Zhe had walked away without even saying goodbye to her, and she looked about ready to throw another tantrum. Su Mei Rong also looked upset and immediately wanted to go home, ordering Xi mama to go get the carriage to come around. Su Jing Fei didn’t bother to argue as she was also getting tired and sick of the place. They left quickly, and as the carriage rolled away, Su Jing Fei released a small sigh, feeling a painful ache against her temple as she swore to herself that she’d never go back to Oak Tree Courtyard for fear of contracting chronic headaches.

 

Chapter 30

Spoiler

The next day was an important day for the Su family as a wide array of noble families were invited for the coming of age celebration for the Su er xiaojie, Su Mei Rong. When the noble families pulled up into the residence, they were greeted at the door by an impressive number of servants, and when the men and women separated, the women moved to an impressive backyard that had been filled with colorful and fragrant spring flowers. However, they were also met with a surprising individual; Su Jing Fei received the female guests alongside the Su Er Furen, Su Mei Rong, and Su Lao Furen.

Many knew about Su Jing Fei’s embarrassing situation as well as her previously embarrassing behaviors, but seeing the young girl now, they did not recognize the young woman who stood before them with a pleasant smile and refined appearance.

Swiftly and elegantly, Su Jing Fei greeted the furens and daughters of these noble families with a pleasing attitude. Her polite expression did not change even when the Jiang family arrived. Jiang Furen stepped out of the carriage first, followed by Jiang Li Xiu. Then came another young lady; her gentle expression differed greatly from Jiang Li Xiu’s stern one and Jiang Li Ling’s childish one, and one could tell that this young lady was quite well-mannered and subdued in character compared to her sisters. Jiang Li Qin was quiet and yielding to Jiang Li Xiu and Jiang Furen, but she was still the er xiaojie of the Jiang family and so looked quite similarly in appearance. After her, Jiang Li Ling stepped out of the carriage, looking quite shy and childlike in her expression. However, upon close inspection, one could see the hint of distaste in those doe eyes.

The men and women were kept separately until dinner was to be served, so currently, the women were seated in the backyard amongst the flowers and enjoying warm tea and snacks. Su Mei Rong, Su Jing Fei, and Su Yan Mei were made to accompany the group of young women through the garden while the older women were entertained by Liu shi and Su Lao Furen.

As the young women strolled through the garden, there was some pleasant chatter among them. “This one has never been to Fuo Lan before but has heard many great things! Is it true that the variety of pastries outdo the capital’s?”

Su Jing Fei smiled and answered all the innocent questions with honest brief answers. “Fuo Lan has a wide variety of pastries made from many different ingredients from all over the country of Chu. However, the capital city has pastries made from the most high quality ingredients that can be found. Both are impressive in their own way.”

The young women were quite impressed with Su Jing Fei’s answers but were also quickly becoming bored at the topics. Suddenly, someone brought up the topic of the young eligible bachelors among the nobility. This got everyone to become excited as every young woman dreams of these honorable men wooing them with words of love.

“This one heard that Li wangye was in Fuo Lan for a bit of time! Did Su da xiaojie ever get to meet him?” asked one of the girls excitedly.

“Only for a brief moment among polite company.” Su Jing Fei replied.

The young women were a bit jealous of Su Jing Fei’s good fortune of being able to meet Li wangye, but they knew that the daughters of a Prime Minister would have more opportunity, especially since Li Wei Sheng was also a high ranked Prime Minister and worked with Su Xuan Mo often.

Su Mei Rong looked quite surprised at Su Jing Fei’s answer though, as she hadn’t known that Li Wei Sheng and Su Jing Fei were acquainted. There was a flash of jealousy in her eyes, but little did she know, there was another young woman stewing with hatred for Su Jing Fei.

Jiang Li Ling followed after her older sisters, glaring at Su Jing Fei. In the past year and a half, Jiang Li Ling had worked hard to capture Chen Hui Zhe’s heart, but concubine Fang, Chen Hui Zhe’s birth mother, refused to let Chen Hui Zhe see her. They met every now and then, but she could see that Chen Hui Zhe’s interest in her had become waning… especially since he was quickly losing favoritism from the Emperor and others. No one wanted to support Chen Hui Zhe if they knew he was involved with a shu daughter…and so, Chen Hui Zhe had been making many excuses about currying favor with other nobles and haven’t been able to meet Jiang Li Ling in private for awhile now. Jiang Li Ling cursed her poor fate to be born to a yiniang and not the legal wife like Su Jing Fei. Su Jing Fei had everything going for her! She had an engagement to Chen Hui Zhe and was born with a silver spoon, but Jiang Li Ling had to work ten times harder for anything she wanted, especially under the oppression of Jiang Li Xiu.

“This one has heard that the sixth prince Chen Hui Zhong has recently returned to the capital!” Someone chimed in, sounding very excited the matter.

Chen Hui Zhong… Su Jing Fei knew quite a bit about this sixth prince as he was the main antagonist in the movie Blossoms in the Wind. Chen Hui Zhong and Chen Hui Zhe hated each other as both were the top candidates to take over the throne. The return of Chen Hui Zhong to the capital must be referring to his return after dealing with flooding and poverty issues in southern Chu. Chen Hui Zhong was a brilliant scholar and intelligent strategist and politician; however, Chen Hui Zhe had great military prestige and had the respect of many soldiers. Where one lacked, the other one excelled in. It was no wonder that the heir to the throne was quite a conflicting matter, especially since the Emperor had not announced an official heir.

Suddenly, a yatou approached them, bidding them to return because the dinner was starting. The young women returned to the garden and followed their mothers and the older furens to the dining hall. The men were already seated accordingly, and the women followed suit.

At the head of the table, Su Xuan Mo sat with Su Lao Furen and Liu shi on one side as the other side was Su Xuan Zi and other men. Next to Liu shi sat Su Mei Rong as where Su Jing Fei was seated beside Su Lao Furen. Yun shi and Su Yan Mei sat on Su Jing Fei’s side where the other women were seated. Su Xuan Mo spoke a few words of thanks to everyone who had showed up before gesturing for the servants to begin serving.

“This one has seen that Fei’er has matured greatly. If only my Mei’er could be half as mature and intelligent as Fei’er,” spoke Yun shi with a pleasant smile.

Su Jing Fei sipped at her tea as Yun shi spoke. It was only after she set down her cup that she gave her reply. “Yun shi is too kind. Mei’er is still young and has many years to grow. The capital city is a place filled with many learning opportunities. However, this one has been gone for quite awhile and is unfamiliar with things in the capital. I believe Rong-mei is much more well-versed in opportunities to grow and learn in the capital city.”

“Jie jie jests! This one has only learnt the basic teachings of what any xiaojie should.” Su Mei Rong spoke with a carefree attitude, appearing as innocent and sincere as one could.

“Fei’er indeed is far more intelligent than my Rong’er. This one just learned that my Fei’er owns three businesses in Fuo Lan. It takes a good mind and sense to be able to achieve such success.” Liu shi spoke the words offhandedly, but everyone seemed quite surprised. The only other person who had not looked surprised was Su Lao Furen who had known about the matter from Si Qiang.

“Wow, three businesses in Fuo Lan? Fei’er definitely has such great ability!” Yun shi said, but there was a hint of resentment in her voice. Her maternal family had a few businesses in Fuo Lan also but the success of these businesses were always difficult.

Su Yan Mei was also aware of this fact and looked enviously towards Su Jing Fei. Without thinking, she spoke. “Hmph, this one wonders how Fei-jie was truly able to afford such businesses.”

“Mei’er!” Yun shi spoke her daughter’s name in a reprimanding tone, but instead of continuing to scold Su Yan Mei, she glanced at Su Jing Fei, waiting for an answer.

Su Jing Fei smiled politely, seeing through Su Yan Mei and Yun shi’s poor act. “The three businesses were left to me by my late mother, the Da Furen, before she passed away. I believe it would count as part of my dowry.”

“Dowry? Then shouldn’t Mother be handling that as the current Er Furen and caretaker of the household? I mean, it would be the most proper and correct thing to do.” Su Mei Rong said innocently, looking towards her mother and Su Lao Furen for confirmation.

Ah, so this was the reason why Liu shi had mentioned the businesses. It was true that if something was to be part of the dowry, then usually the household’s furen would take care of the land and business contracts until the daughter was married off. It seemed like Liu shi was looking to take away the businesses, most likely attracted to the fact that Su Jing Fei had been able to afford nice things to return home with. It wasn’t like Su Jing Fei needed the businesses anyway because she’d be receiving a monthly allowance once more now that she resided at the main residence. However, who knew if Su Jing Fei would actually be able to keep those businesses once she was married of; most likely, Liu shi hoped to absorb them into the household and then distribute them equally between Su Jing Fei, Su Mei Rong, and Su Yan Mei.

Su Lao Furen furrowed her brows a bit, looking a little bit conflicted. “It is true that the proper thing to do would be to let the Er Furen take care of things until Fei’er has been married off.” Su Lao Furen has always been a stickler for proper manners and etiquette, including the running of the household so she couldn’t avoid commenting on the matter.

“That is true,” Su Jing Fei began, looking quite calm as she seemed to ponder a little bit about the matter. “However, unfortunately, since the contracts possess my name, I am unable to hand them over to Mother to take care of.”

Everyone looked quite surprised at Su Jing Fei’s open refusal, especially Su Mei Rong and Liu shi. “Jie jie, Mother is only looking to help you, and you’re going to refuse Mother’s help?” Su Mei Rong spoke the words, emphasizing the fact that Su Jing Fei had just refused to give the businesses to Liu shi.

“It is alright, Rong’er. Fei’er received those businesses from her late mother. Mother understands that Fei’er wishes to honor her late mother by keeping the businesses. It is alright.” Liu shi said in an appeasing tone as she smiled at Su Mei Rong and then at Su Jing Fei. “If Fei’er ever needs help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Fei-jie is too selfish! Won’t even let bomu help her. One does not really know where Fei-jie’s boldness comes from!” Su Yan Mei spoke in a childish tone.

Su Jing Fei looked calm in the face of Su Yan Mei’s insults, sipping her tea lightly. Su Yan Mei was really still only a child, speaking her mind without a filter. However, Su Jing Fei much preferred Su Yan Mei’s direct words as opposed to Su Mei Rong and Liu shi’s implied words. “Mei-mei is mistaken. It is not that I do not wish to refuse Mother’s help. However, since the contracts possess my name, I am unable to give them to anyone to take care of, even if I wished to. Surely, everyone must have heard of the Feng family incident.”

Liu shi remained outwardly calm, but her eyes gazed at Su Jing Fei with slight apprehension. She knew the exact details of her distant cousins’ demise, and she had made sure to cut off all ties with them. Their family relation was distant and not well known since Liu shi had married into the Su family, but she was still hesitant about whether Su Jing Fei knew about this fact or not. She was just a little more cautious as the conversation continued.

“What does the Feng family’s incident have to do with you?” asked Su Yan Mei in a confused and annoyed voice.

Everything. They had everything to do with Su Jing Fei. But she merely smiled in response before answering plainly. “Ever since the Feng family’s corruption was exposed to the Emperor, new laws had been placed on Fuo Lan as the biggest trade city in Chu. The laws dictate how trade and business contracts are handled, including the fact that a family may not buy and sell land and businesses using their children’s names in an effort to bypass the new restrictions. The previous restrictions stated that a family could only hold a limited amount of contracts under their name in the city of Fuo Lan. It seems that there was a flaw that allowed parents to buy land and contracts under their children’s names, allowing for large and influential families to monopolize the trade market in Fuo Lan. This corruption caused a new law to be put in place; whoever the contract’s name is under is the one who will be in charge and responsibility cannot be handed off. If the contract holder is deemed incapable of managing the contract’s terms, then the contract’s property will return to the city and state and be put up for auction. Therefore, unfortunately, I will have to handle the businesses in Fuo Lan in the meantime.”

The other women looked at Su Jing Fei with strange expressions. Some were of confusion, some envy, and some were shocked. None had thought that Su Jing Fei would be so well-versed in the laws of the land, especially the previously selfish and childish Su Jing Fei!

“I-Is that so…” spoke Yun shi in a hesitant tone. “Well, Fei’er has definitely learned a lot while in Fuo Lan!”

Su Jing Fei smiled but spoke no further and went back to eating. However, it was Liu shi who was irritated at the fact that Su Jing Fei had openly refused her and humiliated her on top of that! With her display of knowledge, it clearly showed her incompetent knowledge as well as Rong’er’s. As they were supposed intelligent and scholarly women, how could they not know about such things? Liu shi had been too careless, and now, she could only eat quietly as the other women started small conversations around her.

"Wow, these dishes are exquisite!” Many people began praising the food, causing Su Xuan Mo to become very pleased. When people began asking Su Xuan Mo about the food’s ingredients and the recipes used, he flickered a glance in Su Jing Fei’s direction. The young woman ate quietly and sipped her tea with a pleasant and calm expression.

“Yes, well, my first daughter has just returned to the capital after recovering her health in Fuo Lan. These are some of the best ingredients used for some of the most popular recipes in Fuo Lan!” Su Xuan Mo explained with a broad smile, appearing as charming and likable as a prime minister should.

One of the men spoke up, asking a curious question. “This fish is delicious! I must know where you got this fish from.” It was the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Che Xiao Tong; a man with a wide girth around his belly and a wide gaping mouth that stretched every time he laughed or talked about food.

“Ah, yes, well…” Su Xuan Mo looked hesitant, reluctant to talk to Su Jing Fei. She had previously caused him disgrace, even being looked down upon from others in court. He was quite reluctant to let her speak in front of others for fear of having her embarrass him again. However, he could not provide the answer that Che Xiao Tong was looking for, and Chu Xiao Tong was a man that Su Xuan Mo needed good relations with. Although Che Xiao Tong was only the Assistant Minister of Revenue, he was a more likable personality than the Minister of Revenue Shao Yang Zhu who was strict and to the books. “It was obtained in Fuo Lan by my eldest daughter, Su Jing Fei.”

“Su da xiaojie, I must implore you, where did you get such delicious fish from?” Che Xiao Tong inquired with a wide smile.

Su Jing Fei set down her cup of tea, smiling pleasantly as she turned to reply to the man. Her voice was steady and calm as she answered. “The fish was obtained from the Lu Hai Lake in Fuo Lan. If the Assistant Minister of Revenue likes the dish, then this one will gladly send the recipe to the Che residence.”

Liu shi froze, her chopsticks hovering over the fish that was on her plate. The Lu Hai Lake… that was the lake where the Feng family had their lakeside residence! But not only that, Liu shi knew the secrets of that residence and its relationship with the lake. When the Feng family needed someone to disappear, that person would most likely end up at the bottom of the Lu Hai Lake as fish food! If this fish was from there, then there was no doubt that these fish had fed on the flesh of human bodies that were sent to the bottom of the lake!

Su Jing Fei’s eyes flickered over to Liu shi, watching carefully as the older woman set down her chopsticks and put a hand to her mouth. There was no doubt about it; Liu shi had definitely been aware about the truth of the lake. Su Jing Fei’s lips curved into a smile, and there was a warm joy that radiated from her happy expression.

Everyone was stunned at Su Jing Fei’s suddenly beautiful expression; it was an unfamiliar first expression. Even the Su family was taken aback by it. No one had ever seen Su Jing Fei show such an alluring expression. The young woman’s cheeks were slightly flushed pink, and those chestnut shaped eyes curved into a delightful expression. Everyone could see that Su Jing Fei was very happy, but they were all confused at the young girl’s sudden joy.

Liu shi noticed everyone’s distracted attention and looked towards their gazes. The color drained from her face as she noticed that Su Jing Fei was displaying an extremely happy expression while staring at her. There was no doubt now! Su Jing Fei definitely knew about Liu shi’s involvement with the Feng family in Fuo Lan!

“Mother, is something the matter?” came Su Jing Fei’s clear voice as her expression fell back into a pleasantly calm one. Everyone blinked, feeling a little strange at seeing Su Jing Fei’s expression change so fast. They were unsure if the delightful and beautiful expression on Su Jing Fei’s face was merely an illusion, but they eventually returned to eating heartily, wishing to stuff themselves on the delectable foods before them.

Liu shi carefully controlled her expression, but her hand still remained covering her lips. She saw the expressions of those around her; she watched as they happily ate away at the fish. And she thought about the fact that they didn’t know that the reason the fish were so plump was because they had feasted on human flesh, thanks to the Feng family. As everyone gorged themselves on the food, Liu shi felt increasingly nauseous. Then she remembered her daughter, Su Mei Rong, who was innocently eating beside her! “Rong’er!”

“Mother, are you alright?” asked Su Mei Rong with a concerned expression. The young woman could feel her mother’s fingers trembling against her own, and she suddenly felt afraid. What was her mother so scared of?

Liu shi turned her gaze to Su Jing Fei who continued to watch them with a pleasant smile. This despicable Su Jing Fei… Liu shi had truly underestimated her!

 

I hope the author can continue this novel ... i really liked this novel

 

Chapter 31

Spoiler

Su Jing Fei watched as Liu shi’s expression twisted into fear, then anger. For the first time in a long time, she felt a joyful warmth coursing through her blood, and her nerves tingled with excitement. Everyone continued to happily eat at the banquet, but Liu shi and Su Mei Rong barely touched their food. In fact, Liu shi looked like she was going to be sick. Her face paled as she watched others at the table. “Mother, are you feeling alright?” Su Jing Fei inquired with a worried expression.

Others took notice and paid more attention to Liu shi, taking note that the Furen did indeed look a bit sickly. Su Lao Furen furrowed her brow and said, “Furen must take care of one’s body. If one is not feeling well, it is best to stay in bed.”

Taking this moment in stride, Liu shi nodded gently. “Mother is right. This one has not been feeling too well today. However, since it was my Rong’er’s special celebration, this mother could not miss it.”

“Mother should go rest for a bit. Rong’er will accompany you.” Su Mei Rong spoke quietly as she gracefully supported Liu shi up.

“Rong-mei should stay. It is your special day after all.” Su Jing Fei spoke with a small smile. “I can accompany Mother to her chambers.”

Su Mei Rong bit her lip, looking worriedly between her mother and Su Jing Fei. Su Lao Furen nodded her head in agreement however. “Fei’er is right. Rong’er should stay. Let Fei’er accompany the Furen back to her courtyard.”

Su Mei Rong reluctantly let go of her mother, watching as her mother stiffly walked away with Su Jing Fei following quietly behind. She glanced at her father who had barely looked in their direction. He continued to chat amicably with the men by his side. She knew that Su Jing Fei had probably done something to upset her mother; she gently rubbed the spot on her arm where her mother had clutched onto her so tightly. Su Jing Fei better not be up to no good or else she’ll regret it!

Su Jing Fei followed after Liu shi and her entourage of servants. After entering her room, Xi mama helped Liu shi into bed and left to go get some tea to help Liu shi regain some strength. Su Jing Fei sent Yize out of the room as well. After a few minutes, the two were alone with Liu shi sitting upright in bed and Su Jing Fei seated on a chair nearby. The air was tense and heavy, but Su Jing Fei kept a calm appearance as she folded her hands onto her lap neatly.

“You…” Liu shi began hesitantly, furrowing her brow as she contemplated her words. There was something that had been strange about Su Jing Fei since she had returned to the capital city. Her odd behavior, mature mannerisms, and even her sweet words; they all seemed so unfamiliar. Although Liu shi was not close to Su Jing Fei, she did watch the young girl grow up however. This Su Jing Fei was a stranger to her. Could a year really change a person so much?

“Do I seem changed to you, Mother?” Su Jing Fei spoke the words as though she was reading Liu shi’s mind. However, she didn’t need to because the older woman’s thoughts were written on her face. How could someone not think that Su Jing Fei had changed? Everyone had noticed since her return. But Liu shi recognized that there was an underlying message in Su Jing Fei’s tone.

“How much do you know?” Liu shi ultimately decided to drop her motherly act as the lines of her face fell into a cold expression. She was older, wiser, and held much more power than Su Jing Fei at the moment. There was no need to fear such a young inexperienced woman, but somehow, there was still a tiny ripple of uncertainty. Perhaps it was the relaxed composure that Su Jing Fei held or the fact that Su Jing Fei seemed unlike her prior self, but something didn’t sit right with Liu shi.

“Hmm, are you talking about the time that you tried to poison me on my way to Fuo Lan or the fact that you had the Feng family kill my mother and siblings?” Su Jing Fei had done a bit of work looking into the poisoning event and found that the cook had been hired on a contract to kill her in exchange for his family to be taken care of financially. Of course, he’d hidden the contract away, but through hard work, Su Jing Fei had found it hidden in the handle of a knife that the cook had left for his son. The family had been compensated generously for their cooperativeness. And now, Su Jing Fei had the contract in her hands as well as the evidence her mother left behind. The Feng family were dead though, so there would be no one to corroborate their killing of her mother and family; it had angered Su Jing Fei for the longest time. But Su Jing Fei knew that bringing Liu shi’s actions to light in front of the emperor and imperial court, even if she did have all the evidence, it would only result in an unsatisfying ending at best. No, Su Jing Fei wanted more than that. She wanted Liu shi to suffer. “You’ve been trying so hard to get rid of me and my family for so long.”

Liu shi’s face hardened, but she remained seemingly unfazed by Su Jing Fei’s abrupt words. Of course, she was smart enough to know that Su Jing Fei would find out sooner than later. Getting rid of Su Jing Fei was the number one way to ensure that there would be no obstacles in securing a bright future for her own daughter, Su Mei Rong. Even though Su Jing Fei had a worse reputation and worse prospects than Su Mei Rong at the current moment, there would always be a possibility that Su Jing Fei could use her relation with the Qu family to suppress them. She couldn’t have that. Before, Liu shi could not touch Su Jing Fei because of the royal family, but now was different. Su Jing Fei didn’t have the protection of the royal family. She only had the Qu family, and Liu shi knew for a fact that the Qu family had no close relationship with Su Jing Fei. Her time to strike had to be soon!

Su Jing Fei’s lips curled into a smile as she watched Liu shi quietly. “You wish to kill me still, don’t you?” Liu shi did not respond, but her hard expression was an answer in itself. “Mother is intelligent and knowledgeable. Does Mother know how Feng Ruo Qian died?” Su Jing Fei lifted her hand in a swift graceful movement, plucking a hairpin out of her head. It’s beautiful light blue beads dangled from the flower ornament, intertwining together and shimmering underneath the light. The end of the hairpin was a sharpened edge, and as the polished silver reflected Liu shi’s cold expression, Su Jing Fei lifted the hairpin up and cradled it carefully in her hands. “With this.”

Liu shi’s eyes flickered to the hairpin. “Feng Ruo Qian died in the fire before his family was executed for treason. If you wish to threaten me and my family, I suggest you move past these meaningless mind games, Su Jing Fei.”

There was a small twinkle in Su Jing Fei’s eyes. “Of course. Then let me be frank with you, Mother. Feng Ruo Qian’s body did indeed perish in the fire. However, he did not die because of it.” Her fingers slowly and deliberately wrapped around the pin, gripping it in the same way as that day. “Many times, I plunged this dagger into Feng Ruo Qian’s body. I watched as the blood spilled from his wounds, still warm from his body. I saw the light of life extinguish from his eyes as his face was contorted in agony.” Su Jing Fei described it in a gentle and calm tone, as though she was simply describing the sky or the weather. “That’s how he died, Mother.”

Liu shi held a trembling hand up to her lips, staring at Su Jing Fei as though looking at a stranger. Su Jing Fei was crazy! A mad woman! Was this truly the same Su Jing Fei as before or did some evil spirit take over the body of Su Jing Fei? However, her momentary fear became clouded with concern and anger at the clear threat that Su Jing Fei was making. “And you wish to get your revenge? By killing me and Su Mei Rong? Do you think killing us will be that easy!?”

“Why of course not, Mother.” Su Jing Fei smiled as she gently tucked the hairpin back into its place. “Killing you would be too merciful. I desire greater things.” Her hands returned to their carefully folded and neat position on her lap. “Well, I hope you feel better soon, Mother. I’ll have someone send over some of the Zhu Qin tea that I got from Fuo Lan. It should soothe your body of aches and pains. Take care, Mother.” And without another word, Su Jing Fei got up and took her leave.

As Su Jing Fei left, Xi mama finally returned with some warm tea. “Furen, what’s wrong?” The older woman asked as she took note of Liu shi’s expression. “Is something the matter? Did Su Jing Fei do something?”

Liu shi almost screamed, feeling anger wash over her at Su Jing Fei’s indignant and threatening attitude. She took the cup of tea and threw it at the door where Su Jing Fei had left. The fragile cup shattered into pieces as the tea spilled onto the wall, dripping down the hard wood and soaking the floor.

Xi mama fell to her knees at Liu shi’s side, taking the woman’s hand in her own. “Furen! Furen, what is wrong?”

“That Su Jing Fei dares to threaten me and my daughter! She’s going to die an even worse death than her slut of a mother!” Liu shi’s face was red with anger and her throat hoarse with exertion. Xi mama comforted Liu shi carefully, coaxing the other woman into the bed.

“She dares not! I’ll make sure to take care of Rong’er. You rest now, Furen.” Xi mama said in a soothing voice as Liu shi finally relented, resting in the bed.


Back at the banquet, it seemed that dinner had concluded, and everyone had moved to the garden where performers were singing and dancing to entertain the guests. As Su Jing Fei entered, Su Mei Rong watched as the other woman took a seat on the other side of Su Lao Furen. “How is Mother, jie jie?”

“She is resting now and will be better soon.” Su Jing Fei replied with a smile before turning her attention to the performers.

Su Mei Rong was suspicious of Su Jing Fei’s words, but she didn’t wish to dwell on the matter. Especially since she was more concerned for her father’s upcoming words. She anticipated the moment with excitement as the performers ended their show, and Su Xuan Mo gathered everyone’s attention. “With full bellies, this one wishes to hear some music as the daylight wanes. Luckily, my daughter Su Mei Rong has prepared a piece on the qin to play for everyone. She wished to express her thanks with a song, and I thought it would be a great accompaniment to some fine wine!” Su Xuan Mo laughed heartily as others laughed as well. He gestured towards the servants to begin serving the fine wine that he had prepared for the night.

At the same time, the stage in the middle of the courtyard bustled with activity as guqin was set up with some accompanying beautiful lanterns to set a warm atmosphere. As Su Mei Rong took her seat at the guqin, everyone couldn’t help but look on with admiration for the beautiful scene. With Su Mei Rong’s delicate features and pale complexion, the warm glow seemed to add an ethereal atmosphere to her graceful appearance. With slow movements, Su Mei Rong raised her arms and began to pluck at the strings; clear notes rang in the air. Its melodic tone was soothing and pleasant to the ear. The song was somber and beautiful, bringing out different emotions among its listeners. The other young women looked on enviously at Su Mei Rong’s talented performance; of course, everyone knew Su Mei Rong’s skill with the guqin was unmatched in the capital city. The unmarried men watched with bright and interested gazes, and their approval of the Su er xiaojie increased greatly. The furens of households took note of Su Mei Rong’s beautiful appearance and skill with the guqin; on top of that, she was the daughter of the Right Prime Minister. She was definitely a viable candidate to enter any household of nobility.

As the guqin’s somber notes reverberated, lingering in the air, Su Jing Fei sat quietly while sipping a cup of wine. She watched as Su Mei Rong swayed people’s opinions towards her in a favorable fashion. However, she held back a small laugh after catching sight of Jiang Li Ling’s horrible expression. The young girl’s face was twisted in anger at Su Mei Rong’s performance; a mixture of jealousy was apparent in that childish expression as well.

As the performance came to an end, Su Mei Rong bowed respectfully before the crowd before returning to her seat. Su Xuan Mo laughed heartily as others praised Su Mei Rong’s wonderful performance, and the young girl herself looked pleased at the many gazes directed her way. Su Mei Rong gave a shy and demure expression as she hid a little behind the sleeve of her dress while Su Xuan Mo praised her greatly.

“Su er xiaojie is truly gifted! Such talent with the guqin!”

“And a beautiful appearance to accompany it! I almost thought a fairy had appeared before us!”

The people sang her praises, and both Su Xuan Mo and Su Mei Rong looked pleased with themselves. Su Jing Fei looked on with a pleasant expression. The rest of the night was rather uneventful, and as the guests left one by one, Su Jing Fei eventually returned to her courtyard. As Mu Tan and Yize helped her prepare to settle down into bed, Su Jing Fei’s mind became preoccupied with many things. The Qu family would be returning within a week’s time, and tomorrow, the Assistant Minister of Revenue Che Xiao Tong’s daughter was returning to the capital with her mother and would be hosting a small get-together. It seemed that Su Mei Rong and Che Li Xue were quite friendly with each other.

As the night settled down and the next morning came, Su Jing Fei rose early to pay her respects to Su Lao Furen as usual. As a good daughter, she didn’t hesitate to visit the Er Furen afterwards to fulfil her filial duties; however, the Er Furen was apparently ‘sick’ and could not be seen so Su Jing Fei paid her respects outside the Er Furen’s room doors. As Su Jing Fei left the courtyard, it was then that Su Mei Rong showed her face finally.

“Good morning Fei-jie,” Su Mei Rong said with a gentle expression and bright smile. “How are you doing this morning?”

Su Jing Fei’s eyes flickered to Xi mama’s cautious expression behind Su Mei Rong. Her lips curled into a pleasant smile. “I’m doing well. How are you this morning, Rong-mei?” If Su Mei Rong wanted to waste her time on meaningless pleasantries, Su Jing Fei could play along.

“This mei mei is doing well,” Su Mei Rong spoke in a soft tone. She played the part of a gentle and supportive younger sister well; if not for the knowledge gained from reincarnation, perhaps Su Jing Fei would’ve fallen foolishly for the young woman’s innocent act. “This morning, we received the formal invitation for tea at the Assistant Minister of Revenue’s manor. Che Li Xue is a good friend of mine, and she is really excited to meet jie jie.” Su Jing Fei almost believed that Su Mei Rong really wished to introduce her to friends. The younger woman was quite the actress.

Su Jing Fei furrowed her brows however, and she gave a confused expression. “Oh, Grandmother didn’t mention anything about the invitation this morning.”

Su Mei Rong stared at Su Jing Fei with an innocent expression. “Mother received the invitation early this morning.”

“Oh, I thought Mother wasn’t receiving any guests nor invitations today since she is sick in bed.” Su Jing Fei replied with a smile. “She must’ve been feeling well enough to receive the invitation letter this early morning then. But, how come Rong-mei knows this news since Mother is not seeing anyone right now?”

Su Mei Rong looked a little taken aback by Su Jing Fei’s forwardness. However, Xi mama stepped forward quickly to reply. “The Furen is indeed not feeling well, so she sent me to inform the xiaojies of the invitation.”

“Oh? Is that so? Well, in the future, there’s no need for Xi mama to trouble herself with bothering Rong-mei. As the oldest daughter, it will be my responsibility to inform Rong-mei of such news. Next time, just come find me.” Su Jing Fei spoke sweetly. However, her true meaning hinted at the fact that Xi mama most likely informed Su Mei Rong first and didn’t even bother to find Su Jing Fei. It seemed the servants treated Su Mei Rong more like the da xiaojie than the actual one. It was about time to show them who the real da xiaojie really was. “And next time, Xi mama should not interrupt my conversation as I was speaking to Rong-mei and not to you.”

Xi mama looked a bit surprised with Su Jing Fei’s words; however, as a mere servant, she could not refute them. Outwardly, she knew that the Er Furen still wanted to maintain an amicable facade because of the Su Lao Furen. “Yes, da xiaojie.”

“Fei-jie, that was a little harsh…” Su Mei Rong’s voice was soft and concerned, and anyone who heard it would think that Su Jing Fei was bullying her instead of putting a servant in her place.

“Rong-mei, you may think it is harsh, but this is just a reminder of proper etiquette. Imagine if you were speaking to someone else who was not family and a servant interjects in the conversation of her master, would that not be disrespectful to the other person? When a servant puts herself in front of her master and acts disrespectful, it’s only reasonable to punish them. However, I am already being lenient by not informing Mother and Grandmother of Xi mama’s insubordination or else there would be punishment on hand.” Su Jing Fei smiled and gave such a reasonable explanation that one was not able to object.

“T-That’s true, I guess.” Su Mei Rong said, a little flustered by Su Jing Fei’s threatening words.

“Next time, take care to properly answer in a timely manner as well.” Su Jing Fei smiled at Su Mei Rong.

Su Mei Rong bit back her words and begrudgingly thanked Su Jing Fei for her guidance. As they parted ways, Su Jing Fei returned to her courtyard.

“Wow, da xiaojie really put Xi mama in her place!” Yize said with a bright smile as they entered Su Jing Fei’s room.

“If the Liu shi, Xi mama, and Su Mei Rong still want to keep up the act, of course I’m going to have to play the part of a respectable and kind da xiaojie well.” Su Jing Fei laughed.

After a bit of time and getting ready, a servant came to inform Su Jing Fei that the carriage was ready for them to head to the Che manor. Su Jing Fei took Mu Tan along with her and entered the carriage where Su Mei Rong and Su Yan Mei were waiting for them. Su Jing Fei took note that Xi mama seemed to be following Su Mei Rong everywhere; probably on the orders of Liu shi due to their conversation previously. It seemed like Su Mei Rong was fed up with acting amicable to Su Jing Fei, so most of her attention and chatter was directed at Su Yan Mei.

Once they reached the place, Su Mei Rong quickly got out first, not bothering to wait for Su Jing Fei. Su Yan Mei scrambled after her without a care for Su Jing Fei as well. As Su Jing Fei slowly exited, Su Mei Rong’s excited voice called out, “Xue’er!”

An equally ecstatic voice replied. “Rong’er! I’m back!”

The two young woman happily reunited with Su Yan Mei standing awkwardly to the side; however, as Su Jing Fei neared them, the happiness seemed to die away and a pair of black prying eyes stared down Su Jing Fei’s figure. Su Mei Rong stepped aside and introduced Su Jing Fei. “This is my jie jie, Su Jing Fei. She just returned from Fuo Lan.”

“It’s nice to meet your acquaintance, Che da xiaojie, Che Li Xue.” Su Jing Fei said in a pleasant tone.

“I’ve also just returned from Fuo Lan. There was quite a lot of rumors about Su da xiaojie, but is it true that you’ve met Li Wei Sheng in Fuo Lan?” Che Li Xue seemed quite curious and sounded almost a little jealous.

“I only happened to make his acquaintance when attending an event.”

“Su da xiaojie is so lucky! You were previously engaged to the third prince and have even met the elusive Li Wei Sheng!”

“Xue’er!” Su Mei Rong scolded slightly but she couldn’t contain a little upward turn of a smile on her lips at Su Jing Fei’s humiliation brought to light.

“Oops, sorry!” Che Li Xue looked apologetic, but there was a sarcastic undertone to her words. Su Yan Mei snickered beside them.

Su Jing Fei smiled. So it was going to be like that.

“We should get going. Mother is entertaining the other guests, and we wouldn’t want to keep them waiting!” Che Li Xue hooked arms with Su Mei Rong and began to walk through the courtyards of the Che Manor. They strolled through quite a large pavilion that branched out to many different buildings. As Su Jing Fei took in the surroundings, something nagged at her memory. When they entered a pretty little garden seating area, Che Li Xue brought Su Mei Rong to sit with her and her mother while Su Yan Mei left to go talk to some other young girls who were in attendance. Because Su Jing Fei did not know anyone, she quietly took a seat at a table by herself. However, a familiar face suddenly caught Su Jing Fei’s attention. It was Jiang Li Ling!

Wait… this place and also Jiang Li Ling… As Su Jing Fei put two and two together, she realized that she recognized this place from an important scene in the movie Blossoms in the Wind!

 

Hooray! Thanks for continuing this novel. Author, you are a miracle! ))))

 

Thanks for your continued support bb!

 

Chapter 32

Spoiler

“Da xiaojie, is there something wrong?” Mu Tan asked worriedly as she took notice of Su Jing Fei’s suddenly serious expression.

Su Jing Fei shook her head, but the scenes played through her mind like a movie. This was a pivotal moment in the movie in which Jiang Li Ling finds an important item and uses it to win the favor of imperial concubine Shui who is Chen Hui Zhe’s birth mother! It was after this event that the tides of favor sway to Chen Hui Zhe in the imperial court and among the public, raising his chances of becoming the next Emperor. A world where Chen Hui Zhe was Emperor was not a world that Su Jing Fei looked forward to, so she knew that she had to steal the item before Jiang Li Ling discovered it!

At another table, Su Mei Rong and Che Li Xue sat and watched with amusement at Su Jing Fei’s isolation. “Your sister holds no candle to your looks,” scoffed Che Li Xue. “Yet she dares throw herself at Li Wei Sheng’s feet in Fuo Lan!”

“It was merely by chance,” Su Mei Rong added with a small smile. However, those black eyes glinted with slight irritation in Su Jing Fei’s direction. “Jie jie was quite hurt when her engagement to the third prince was called off.”

Che Li Xue clicked her tongue, shaking her head. “You’re too nice. She’s shameless! You can’t let a slut like her ruin your marital chances, especially since you have feelings for Li Wei Sheng since he returned to the capital last year!”

“My sister is the da xiaojie, so of course, I can’t get married before she does…” Su Mei Rong noted with a pitiful expression.

“Peh! She’s a used rag who’s already past her marrying age. If she thinks that she can do whatever she wants, let me put her in her place!” Che Li Xue gave a haughty expression and quickly related to Su Mei Rong her plans to embarrass Su Jing Fei. As the young woman’s plan came to light, Su Mei Rong’s smile widened quite a bit. She was looking forward to seeing it!

Suddenly, Che Li Xue called over a few servants and whispered into their ears. Then she called over Su Yan Mei to their table. Su Yan Mei wasn’t used to Che Li Xue treating her well, so she was quite happy when Su Mei Rong and Che Li Xue allowed her to participate in the plan. As the daughter of a lower noble, usually Su Yan Mei wouldn’t be able to even interact on such a friendly level with other young ladies, but she was still the niece of the Right Prime Minister after all. Her main goal was to win Su Mei Rong’s favor so that when it came to her own marriage, that the Er Furen would help her find a match above her own status.

After a few minutes, Che Li Xue turned to her mother and had the Che Furen announce to everyone that they would start going in groups to explore the larger garden beyond the pavillion. The crowd of young women were separated into smaller groups, and it just so happened that Su Jing Fei was in the same group as Che Li Xue and Su Mei Rong. Surprisingly, Su Yan Mei, the Jiang sisters, and another girl were also a part of the group. The last girl looked a bit familiar, and after awhile, Su Jing Fei recognized her to be the Minister of Land’s da xiaojie Mu Rong Li. As the young girls followed their host Che Li Xue into the garden, they naturally walked in rows of two with Che Li Xue and Su Mei Rong leading the lines. Next was Jiang Li Xiu and Jiang Li Qin. Then Su Jing Fei and Jiang Li Ling; followed lastly by Su Yan Mei and Mu Rong Li.

“Su da xiaojie looks well.” Jiang Li Ling said with a bright smile.

Su Jing Fei’s gaze turned to the younger girl’s direction as she put on a pleasant expression. “Jiang xiaojie has not changed much in a year.” In one way, it was a compliment to hear that one still retains the youthful appearance of last year, but in another way, it could be said that Jiang Li Ling’s personality was still as horrible as before. The double-edged compliment caused Jiang Li Ling’s expression to darken slightly.

Strolling leisurely through the garden, they stepped onto a beautiful stone pathway laid beside a pristine pond filled with colorful fish. “Be careful of your steps here,” warned Che Li Xue as she turned to address the other girls. “Sometimes, the stones become wet from the pond and may be a bit slippery.”

Su Jing Fei smiled, knowing full well what Che Li Xue had planned for their stroll along the stone path. After walking halfway across the pond, a sudden shriek could be heard with a loud splashing sound accompanying the cry. The scene was quite a pitiful one as an “accidental” trip caused Su Yan Mei to step on Su Jing Fei’s dress, ripping it and causing the latter to stumble and bump Jiang Li Ling into the pond. The pond was quite shallow so Jiang Li Ling was quickly back on her feet, but her clothes were soaked. As for Su Jing Fei, there was now a long tear across her dress, revealing a bit of her legs. Luckily, there were only women around so their appearances weren’t quite so scandalous, but it was still quite embarrassing!However, Su Jing Fei remained calm in appearance as she extended a hand to help Jiang Li Ling out of the pond.

“You pushed me on purpose!” cried Jiang Li Ling as she covered herself and glared at Su Jing Fei with hatred in her eyes.

Su Jing Fei shook her head, retracting her hand as Jiang Li Ling remained stubbornly glaring at her. “It was an accident. As you can see, my dress is ruined now too.” She turned around to show the back of her dress which was torn away to reveal a bit of her legs.

Both women turned to look at Su Yan Mei whose expression was apologetic but there was a bit of ridicule in the upward turn of her lips. “I’m so sorry! The rocks were so slippery, and my foot slipped…”

“You..!” Jiang Li Ling shouted at Su Yan Mei, but was suddenly pulled out of the water by Jiang Li Xiu.

“Stop making a ruckus in the home of another,” Jiang Li Xiu said in a stern voice. In the same breath, she turned to Che Li Xue and said politely, “I apologize for my younger sister’s behavior.”

“No need to worry! I should have known better than to bring us along this dangerous path,” Che Li Xue said with a small sigh. “I’ll have the servants escort Su xiaojie and Jiang xiaojie to rooms to get cleaned up.”

“Many thanks, Che xiaojie.” Jiang Li Xiu replied.

“Jie jie, I’ll have to borrow your servant to go back home to grab you a change of clothes.” Su Mei Rong spoke up with a sweet smile. Mu Tan glanced at Su Jing Fei who gave a small nod.

Two servants approached them and led them away from the pond and back to the courtyard. Su Jing Fei was brought into an empty room as Jiang Li Ling was led somewhere else. As the door closed behind her, Su Jing Fei found herself completely alone. For now at least. The ‘scheme’ that Che Li Xue had thought up was originally intended for Jiang Li Ling in the movie Blossoms in the Wind; it involved putting Jiang Li Ling in quite a precarious situation by allowing a male servant to enter the room and pretend to be her “lover.” However, because of Su Jing Fei’s presence, it seemed Che Li Xue’s target had changed to her. But this was also a golden opportunity for Su Jing Fei to obtain the valuable item instead of Jiang Li Ling.

Su Jing Fei wasted no time and left the room. The hallways were empty of servants as she strolled them with her memories as guidance. It wasn’t long before she reached Che Xiao Tong’s office. She stepped inside, making her way to the stacks of books and papers scattered across the man’s desk. However, the valuable item she was looking for was stowed away in a drawer with a key dangling from the lock. Che Xiao Tong must’ve left in a hurry to attend to another matter or else he’d never leave such an item in a vulnerable situation. Kneeling down, Su Jing Fei pulled open the drawer and sifted through the contents before taking out a blue covered notebook. This was it!

Su Jing Fei quickly flipped through the pages and confirmed that what she had in her hands was Che Xiao Tong’s detailed writings of business bribes and transactions! As the Assistant Manager of Revenue, he had a direct line of control in collecting taxes and payments from the other noble families; however, this book detailed the families who gave him bribes to ‘change’ their earnings so that they could pocket more of their own money for themselves. This book would be able to turn the tide of power in the imperial court as it could be used to expose corruption or used as blackmail.

Su Jing Fei closed the drawer and tucked the book into her clothes as she headed towards the door. However, the door suddenly opened, causing Su Jing Fei to be forced to hide behind a decorative screen. There was a shuffling of feet as someone entered and began searching through the office. Su Jing Fei didn’t need to take a peek to know who it was; it was no doubt Jiang Li Ling looking for the same book!

In the movie, Jiang Li Ling must’ve heard about Che Xiao Tong’s corruption from Chen Hui Zhe. With no hard evidence, they couldn’t do anything, but with the book, the power would be in their hands. This young girl was quite the ambitious one! She probably knew she could win Chen Hui Zhe’s favor if she managed to get him such evidence. But unluckily for her, the book was now in Su Jing Fei’s hands. Eyeing the still open door, Su Jing Fei managed to slip out while Jiang Li Ling rummaged through doors with her back turned.

In another part of the Che manor, Su Mei Rong had an excited expression as Che Li Xue led them back to the garden seating area. They slowly passed through a hallway as Che Li Xue suddenly waved down a servant. “Let us check in to see if Su xiaojie and Jiang xiaojie are ready to return to join us for some afternoon tea.” Her smile was wide as she let the servant lead them to rooms. They headed straight for Su Jing Fei’s room with Che Li Xue leading the way. The young woman didn’t even bother to knock on the door as she pushed it open and glanced inside.

However, the scene inside was not at all what Che Lie Xue and Su Mei Rong had expected! A young woman’s cry sounded out as Mu Rong Li turned her eyes away from the half-nude man who stood in the middle of the room, staring blankly back at Che Li Xue and the other young ladies. “Che xiaojie!” cried the male servant as he knelt before her.

Che Li Xue glared at the man, noticing Su Jing Fei’s absence in the room. However, her expression shifted into a fake one as she cried out in shock. “Why are you in Su Jing Fei’s room?”

Hearing the cry from Mu Rong Li, some other people gathered, including Che Furen who gave a shocked expression at the half-nude man in the room. “Insolence! What is going on here!?”

“I can explain! I’m actually Su Jing Fei’s secret lover!” The man proclaimed as he was forcibly detained by the Che family guards.

Everyone gasped at his sudden admission, and their minds tried to wrap around the fact that the Su da xiaojie actually had a secret lover! “Su Jing Fei dares to have a secret tryst in the Che manor?” cried Che Li Xue in an angry voice. “Someone go find her!”

“Find who?” came a familiar voice from the back of the crowd. The women parted in the middle to reveal Su Jing Fei’s sudden appearance. Everyone stared at her, unsure of what was happening.

“This man is claiming to be your secret lover,” Che Li Xue stated, motioning the guards to drag the man forward. “You dare to have a secret tryst in the Che manor? How shameful!”

Su Jing Fei’s expression was unperturbed at Che Li Xue’s sudden accusations. Instead, she responded in a calm manner with a clear voice. “Che xiaojie is mistaken. I don’t know this man nor was I having a secret tryst with anyone. Does Che xiaojie have any evidence to back up this claim?”

“You…!” Che Li Xue’s expression twisted into anger. “This man appeared in your room specifically claiming to have relations with you. His own presence is proof itself!”

“So Che xiaojie is choosing to trust the words of an unknown man over the da xiaojie of the Su family?” Su Jing Fei’s eyes were cold as she spoke her words with a sharp tone.

“Jie jie, that’s not the case at all! We’re just concerned for you since your dress was ruined during the walk today…” Su Mei Rong said with a nervous and concerned expression.

The Che Furen glanced at her daughter. From the moment she encountered the scene, she knew that this must’ve been something set up by her own daughter to humiliate Su Jing Fei. “That’s not it, Su da xiaojie. We’re just concerned about the appearance of an unknown man in the Che manor, and since this man knows your name while you claim to not know him, we must be sure to investigate both sides thoroughly.”

Su Jing Fei’s eyes flickered between the Che Furen and Che Li Xue. Quite a harmonious pair of scheming mother and daughter. Her cold eyes settled last on Su Mei Rong who felt a slight chill run up her spine at Su Jing Fei’s gaze.

Che Li Xue’s plan’s success relied on Su Jing Fei’s flustered reactions and a shock factor. Seeing as Su Jing Fei was not the least bit flustered, the crowd seemed to settle a little bit but were still watching the scene with curious eyes. “Then if there is no other evidence of my supposed tryst, let me bring out witnesses to my innocence.” Su Jing Fei gestured behind her. Mu Tan and Si Qiang stepped forward.

“Our xiaojie is innocent! I met up with da xiaojie when returning with a new change of clothes. Because remaining in her ruined dress was precarious, we decided to change her clothes in the carriage with the Su family guard Si Qiang guarding outside.” Mu Tan explained.

“Yes, what she says is correct and true.” Si Qiang affirmed. He looked slightly angered at the accusations being thrown at his xiaojie’s face, but managed to keep a firm and clear tone.

Everyone noticed that it was true that Su Jing Fei was dressed in slightly different attire than what she arrived in, so she had indeed changed her clothes. Su Jing Fei suddenly turned to face a rather young looking yatou who was standing nearby. “When I was lost in the hallways, did I not ask for your guidance to the front door to meet up with my yatou who would be returning with my clothes?”

The young yatou looked flustered at being called out. She was clearly a part of the Che family’s servitude, so one knew that she would not be merely covering for Su Jing Fei as with the possibility of Mu Tan and Si Qiang. “Yes, Su da xiaojie did ask for my help, and I took her to the front entrance.”

“All these don’t prove your innocence! They only prove that you had changed your clothes! Who knows if you had your tryst before you changed your clothes or not?” Che Li Xue was adamant and visibly angry and annoyed. Everyone reasoned that it was quite possible that Su Jing Fei could’ve had a tryst before changing…

“You didn’t let me finish, Che xiaojie.” Su Jing Fei said with a smile. Turning to Su Mei Rong, she asked in a clear voice. “Rong-mei, is this my first time in the Che manor?”

Su Mei Rong was confused at Su Jing Fei’s question. “Yes…” She wasn’t quite sure what Su Jing Fei’s point was.

“Che xiaojie, you agree that this is my first time in the Che manor?” Su Jing Fei questioned.

“Of course, but what does that have to do with anything?” Che Li Xue said in an annoyed tone.

However, Su Jing Fei seemed to be quite pleased with their answers. “Since this is my first time in the Che manor, as supported by my younger sister and Che xiaojie, how could I possibly give directions to a man to enter the Che manor and meet me for a secret tryst?”

Everyone was quite surprised by Su Jing Fei’s reasonable explanation! Of course there would be no way that Su Jing Fei knew the Che manor well enough to do that! Then, if Su Jing Fei did not have a secret tryst and the man was not her secret lover, then who is he and why was this happening?

Che Li Xue cursed inwardly at Su Jing Fei’s cleverness, and she gritted her teeth as she thought of ways to rid herself of the situation. Su Mei Rong looked outwardly concerned, but inside, she was quite upset at the lack of humiliation on Su Jing Fei’s part. Now it seemed that the trouble was thrown back at Che Li Xue who had been accusing her so adamantly!

“I believe the man is lying to cover up something,” Su Jing Fei continued when Che Li Xue failed to respond. “Perhaps he is a thief and hoping to hide his true intentions.”

Che Li Xue was surprised at Su Jing Fei’s suggestion, but she suddenly found herself a way out of the mess. “A thief in the Che family manor? How insolent! Guards, send him to be imprisoned and held for questioning!”

Su Jing Fei held back a laugh at how quick Che Li Xue was changing her tune. First the man was her secret lover and now he was a thief. To an outsider, it would seem that the Che xiaojie was quite a gullible person. To Su Jing Fei, she knew that she had just provided a perfect out for Che Li Xue.

As the conclusion to the disruption came to a close, the Che Furen and Che Li Xue apologized to the guests as they needed to attend to the ‘matters of the thief’ so the gathering was cut short. Su Mei Rong looked quite upset as she returned to the carriage with Su Yan Mei in tow. Su Jing Fei also returned to the carriage, sitting across from Su Mei Rong and Su Yan Mei who were quiet and brooding on the way home. Su Jing Fei smiled as she enjoyed the silence on the carriage ride back the Su manor.

Also leaving the Che manor in a sour mood was Jiang Li Ling who had changed to new clothes. She had gained the perfect opportunity to find evidence of Che Xiao Tong’s corruption that Chen Hui Zhe had mentioned previously; this was supposed to be a way for her to snag Chen Hui Zhe’s attention as well as to possibly gain favor with imperial concubine Shui, his birth mother! However, the search had proven fruitless; although, apparently there was some disruption that caused everyone to leave home. A man who claimed to be Su Jing Fei’s lover but was actually a thief? Perhaps the Che manor was doing Su Jing Fei a favor and covering for her and the man was actually her love; Jiang Li Ling knew she had to mention to Chen Hui Zhe next time they met!

Once they reached home, the three young women were called into the family gathering hall by Su Xuan Mo. In regards to the reason for this sudden meeting, there was no doubt that they would have to explain themselves about today’s incident!

 

Chapter 33

Spoiler

Su Xuan Mo was fuming as he waited. When he had returned home initially, Su Lao Furen had told him about Su Jing Fei’s dress ripping at the Che manor. How could Su Jing Fei be so careless to put herself in such a scandalous situation like that!? Does she not realize that her actions are a bad reflection on the Su family name?

The three young women arrived and took their respective seats. Su Mei Rong kept a gentle expression, but one could see the irritation and stiffness in those pursed lips. Su Yan Mei was younger and not as good at controlling her expressions, so one could clearly tell the annoyance apparent on her face. It was Su Jing Fei who entered last and kept a calm appearance as she took a seat beside Su Lao Furen.

Liu shi was seated on the other side of Su Xuan Mo, and she carefully looked over Su Mei Rong to make sure her daughter was unharmed. Once she was sure that Su Mei Rong was alright, she kept a pleasant smile on her face, knowing full well that Su Xuan Mo was going to unleash a world of anger upon Su Jing Fei.

“You…!” Su Xuan Mo pointed a finger at Su Jing Fei angrily. “How could you be so careless as to let yourself be put in such a vulnerable position like that? If the other noble families knew that you were caught in such a scandalous state, who would want to marry you!? Our family would lose face!”

Su Jing Fei scoffed inwardly. Of course Su Xuan Mo would twist this incident to somehow be her fault. It was always her carelessness that would threaten his ‘reputation.’ The only thing he ever cared about was his reputation; not that Su Jing Fei needed his fatherly love. It was the original Su Jing Fei that she pitied; the young girl bore the brunt of Su Xuan Mo’s selfish and biased anger. Everything bad that ever happened to the Su family was her fault. Perhaps, it was time that Su Xuan Mo learned a little fear about this ‘tough love’ of his.

Before Su Jing Fei could speak out however, Su Mei Rong suddenly put on a pitiful expression as she began to cry. “Father, it was not jie jie’s fault! We were just walking along a path when jie jie’s dress was stepped on and ripped by accident when Yan-mei tripped. And then afterwards…” The young girl sniffled, hiding her face into her sleeve. “An unknown man appeared out of nowhere and claimed to be jie jie’s lover! But jie jie would never!”

Su Xuan Mo’s face turned beet red with anger at hearing Su Mei Rong’s words. He had heard about the dress, but he had not known about the latter situation. He felt like his head would burst! “Shameful! After your previous antics, I forgave you and let you come home and now this! Do you not care about how your insolent actions would put me in an early grave!?”

If only. Su Jing Fei wanted to laugh. Yes, Su Mei Rong was kind enough to mention the man but omit the fact that he was proven not to be her lover. Su Jing Fei turned to Su Mei Rong and gave a smile. “Many thanks, Rong-mei for your support in my innocence. However, it seems that Rong-mei forgot to mention that the man was proven to be a thief who was using me as an excuse to hide his true intentions.”

Su Xuan Mo still looked quite angry, but a steady hand fell on his arm. Su Lao Furen gave her son a stern look. “Sit down for now, my son. Let us listen to what happened first.” The old woman knew that Su Jing Fei had changed after returning to the capital, so she believed that her oldest granddaughter would not be one to behave so frivolously like before.

Su Xuan Mo grit his teeth but took a seat again. He calmed down a little bit but was still sure that Su Jing Fei was nothing but trouble. It seemed like this black stain in his family would never go away!

“Explain what happened today at the Che manor, Fei’er.” Su Lao Furen spoke in a firm voice.

“Yes, Grandmother.” Su Jing Fei said with a smile. “The Che Furen had their guests form small groups to go flower-viewing. While going for a stroll through the garden, Yan-mei slipped on a wet rock near the pond and stepped on my dress, causing it to rip in the back.” Su Jing Fei gestured a hand to Mu Tan who appeared with the ruined garment. There was a clear footprint on the bottom of the dress where the tear originated. “Of course, accidents happen and they’re no one’s fault, right Yan-mei?” Su Jing Fei turned and addressed Su Yan Mei with a smile.

Su Yan Mei looked flustered and quickly nodded her head. Inwardly, she wondered why Su Jing Fei’s sweet smile caused her to feel so frightened. Could Su Jing Fei have known the truth that Che Li Xue had set her up for a scheme? There was no way!

Su Jing Fei gave a rather pitiful expression however, looking regretfully at the dress as she sighed. “I just regret that Grandfather will not be able to see me wearing the dress he sent as a gift.”

Su Xuan Mo froze, feeling the air stutter in his lungs. Grandfather? Since Su Xuan Mo’s father was not around, there was only one grandfather that Su Jing Fei could be referring to. It was the Qu Zhi Qiang, the honorable general! He felt suddenly queasy; he was stupid to have forgotten the true reason why he’d allowed Su Jing Fei to return in the first place! The Qu family should be returning to the capital in a few days time!

Everyone else looked just as shocked as Su Xuan Mo when Su Jing Fei mentioned her ‘grandfather.’ They knew it meant none other than her maternal grandfather Qu Zhi Qiang! “Fei’er, your grandfather has been so busy fighting on the borders of Chu country. When has he had the free time to contact you?” Su Xuan Mo asked timidly.

“Grandfather is indeed busy, but he is still family. Hearing that his granddaughter's engagement was broken and that she had moved to Fuo Lan… these things are something he naturally should know.” Su Jing Fei stated calmly.

Su Xuan Mo felt as though the air had been squeezed out of his lungs! They had known everything!? Just what exactly had Su Jing Fei told them!? He shook his head however; he had to calm down. He was the Emperor’s Right Prime Minister right now; he was a man who had power! Not like before… Before marrying Qu shi, Su Xuan Mo had little to nothing to his name. And although he was still afraid at the mention of the Qu family, he knew that they couldn’t do anything to him publicly. But he still had to tread carefully! The Qu family was a family of praised military lineage and loyalty to the throne that even the current Emperor had to give them proper respect! “Accidents happen, and one should not dwell on the past! This Father will send for some new clothes to be made, so Fei’er should not be so sad!”

Liu shi looked shocked at Su Xuan Mo’s sudden change in attitude as she was still trying to grasp onto the fact that Su Jing Fei had a relationship with the Qu family. Her mind reeled with thoughts of whether Su Jing Fei had enclosed to the Qu family about Liu shi’s schemes. Previously, she had thought that she could easily kill off Su Jing Fei and be done with her, but now the matter was not so simple! If Su Jing Fei died, there was no doubt that the Qu family would demand a thorough investigation that could lead back to herself or possibly even Rong’er. She had to think of a much more difficult scheme if she was to be rid of Su Jing Fei without any repercussions!

Su Jing Fei was quite pleased with the Su Xuan Mo’s sudden groveling, but she had other things in mind. “No, I can’t trouble Father to go to such lengths for just a dress. But perhaps, if Yun shi does not mind, I believe the the Yun family has a couple of dress shops in town. Could I trouble Yun shi to help me get another dress?”

Su Yan Mei glanced nervously at her mother, unsure of why Su Jing Fei was so intent on using her maternal family’s dress shops. But… considering that Su Yan Mei did ruin the dress that the Qu family had sent Su Jing Fei, she hoped that her mother’s agreement could appease Su Jing Fei in the meantime!

Yun shi quickly nodded her head in agreement. “Of course, I would love to help Fei’er find a new dress. Tomorrow, I’ll call for one of the dress shop tailors to come!”

“Many thanks, Yun shi.” Su Jing Fei said with a pleased expression. She turned back to Su Xuan Mo and relayed the rest of the incident at the Che manor. With Su Xuan Mo’s new perspective, he quickly rose up to defend Su Jing Fei’s honor by promising that he’ll make sure the unknown man receives justice for slandering her name. Afterwards, Su Xuan Mo dismissed everyone, and they returned to their respective courtyards.



In another place, that same unknown man was currently being tortured by Che family guards as Che Xiao Tong barked orders at his men. On the other side of the manor, Che Li Xue cursed Su Jing Fei for causing her humiliation! It was supposed to be Su Jing Fei’s downfall, but now, Che Li Xue was the one who looked like an idiot for accusing Su Jing Fei! However, her father would make sure to kill that man before he could speak any words or accusations against her… She’d already threatened the other servants to keep quiet about her scheme. The only thing she had to worry about now was how to get revenge on Su Jing Fei making an idiot out of her!

“Please, I’m innocent!” wailed the servant as the guards continued to whip his body. His hoarse pleas fell on dead ears as Che Xiao Tong glared at him with an intense anger.

“Who ordered you to come into my home and steal it? Where did you put my book!?” Che Xiao Tong shouted with a red face.

“I did not steal anything…” The man cried with tears and snot smeared across his face. Specks of blood dotted his face, but below his neck, fresh wounds oozed red. “Che xiaojie ordered me to enter Su Jing Fei’s room and pretend to be her lover!”

“Nonsense!” Che Xiao Tong spat as he grabbed a heated rod and pressed it against the man’s chest. The stench of burning flesh was accompanied by the man’s wails of pain before he passed out. “Make sure he doesn’t die! I need to find that book!” Che Xiao Tong ordered his men as he stormed out of the underground dungeon.



Back at the Su family manor, Su Jing Fei returned to her room. “Set aside the clothes and treat them carefully. We want to keep up the facade of their importance.” Su Jing Fei said as Mu Tan put away the ruined dress.

“Da xiaojie is clever! Using the ruse of the Qu family to threaten Su Xuan Mo was effective or else who knew what that wretched man would accuse you of next.” Mu Tan replied with a sigh.

“Little do they know that it’s merely an ordinary dress that da xiaojie obtained in Fuo Lan!” giggled Yize with a satisfied smile.

“Shush, we have to be careful. The walls might have ears. This place is still crawling with those new servants that Liu shi sent over,” warned Su Jing Fei but she also had a pleased smile on. “Anyways, keep quiet for now and stay sharp.”

“Yes, da xiaojie.” The two yatou replied. They helped Su Jing Fei prepare for bed, leaving only a single candlelight on before they were out the door.

Sitting at the edge of her bed, Su Jing Fei pulled out the blue book she had stolen from the Che manor. This item definitely couldn’t fall into Chen Hui Zhe’s hands! But she also had no use for it. But there was a man she owed, and perhaps, this valuable book could repay some of that debt. She took out her mother’s old jewelry box, carefully running her fingers along its carved edges as she felt a nostalgic sadness wash over her. Her mother… The younger brother she never met… and Da Chun… She opened the box, pulling out the twin jade pendants and the letters of her family. She felt the same sadness that had consumed her since the day Da Chun died; the darkness tugged at the corners of her emotions, threatening to pull her back into a nightmare. She felt her resolve strengthened. As time had passed, the sharpness of the emotions dulled a bit, and she had felt infinitely guilty. But such was the human mind, spirit, and body. The pain will dull, but the scars remain.

With a sigh, she gently placed all the items back in the box, including the blue book. After everything, she had a lock installed on the box to keep her most important objects safe. The key was safely tucked into a small compartment hidden in a plain bracelet she wore. She kept it close to her always. After she put away the box, Su Jing Fei stood up and walked to the window of her room. Pushing it open, she glanced into the darkness of the night for a moment before speaking in a clear voice. “Tell your master to come pay me a visit. I have something for him.”

Silence.

But she knew that her intuition was not wrong. It was the same feeling as back in Fuo Lan. All she had to do was wait for them to relay the message. So she returned to the table and pulled out a few books to study. With her attention preoccupied, she didn’t notice the rustling of leaves outside her window.

Hours passed. The candle dwindled in size, flickering slightly from the night breeze. When a dark shadow came through the window, the candle’s flame extinguished in a single moment. The man’s steps were light as he walked towards the table. There were opened books beside a sleeping Su Jing Fei. Her head was nestled between her crossed arms on the table.

“Couldn’t even wait properly for me,” chuckled the man as he glanced down at Su Jing Fei’s sleeping face. “You haven’t changed at all, Su Jing Fei.”

The man was none other than Li Wei Sheng. In a year’s time, he’d grown even more handsome than before. With his sharp features, chiseled jaw, highbrows, and dark obsidian eyes, he looked like a celestial who had come to whisk away the maiden in the night. However, his eyes reflected humor instead of love. There was perhaps a small inkling of fondness for the curious girl who had caught his eye a year ago; and a bit of sadness for her too.

With gentle movements, Li Wei Sheng lifted Su Jing Fei into his arms, easily carrying her to the bedside. He placed her in the middle of the bed, thoughtfully pulling the covers up to her shoulders. With her face unhidden and revealed by the moonlight, Li Wei Sheng noticed that the young woman of last year had actually changed quite a bit, in terms of physical appearance at least. The youthful roundness of her face had sharpened, and her features had grown into the leanness of her face to reflect the pleasant appearance of a beauty. For a moment, he wondered if her cold smile was still the same. Perhaps, she’d show an interesting reaction when he teased her.

Suddenly, Su Jing Fei’s brow furrowed, and it looked like she was suffering from a nightmare. Her body trembled, and her pale appearance was like a ghost. She shivered, and he didn’t know if it was the cold or from her nightmares. Li Wei Sheng felt just a bit troubled, so he reached out and rubbed away the wrinkle on her forehead. “Still just a worrisome girl.” However, suddenly, Su Jing Fei’s hand grabbed onto his sleeve as she mumbled something. Her thin fingers clutched tightly onto the cloth that Li Wei Sheng could not pull away easily. The corner of his lip raised in amusement. “Still asleep and so demanding. Fine, I’ll stay awhile.”

He waited until her nightmare seemed to pass before he got up and left. There was no use in lingering since the morning light was beginning to spread into the sky. He was too late the previous night, but he was sure to make a return visit tonight...



The next morning, Su Jing Fei awoke in her bed with a slightly confused expression. Somehow, she had managed to get into bed and fall asleep. She sighed, feeling a dull ache beat against her temple. She’d tried her best to stay up, but ever since Da Chun had died, her sleep was rather irregular. Sometimes, she’d suffer sleepless nights and other days, she’d sleep like the dead. Maybe it would be wise to get some herbal teas to relax her body.

“Good morning, da xiaojie.” Greeted the two yatou as they entered the room and helped Su Jing Fei prepare for the morning. They were not surprised to find that Su Jing Fei was already awake and up at such an early hour; they were quite aware of her irregular sleeping habits as well.

“Da xiaojie, Yun shi has sent word that the tailor has arrived and is ready whenever da xiaojie wishes to take her measurements and pick out some fabrics to make new clothes.” Mu Tan relayed the message as she began combing Su Jing Fei’s hair. “Xi mama has also arrived early with a message that there is no need for da xiaojie to greet the Er Furen in the mornings anymore since you’ll be busy preparing for the Qu family’s arrival at the capital.”

“How thoughtful of her.” Su Jing Fei laughed, knowing full well that it was merely an excuse so that Liu shi did not have to deal with Su Jing Fei in the mornings anymore. “Well, I still have my filial duties to greet Grandmother, so maybe I’ll pay Yun shi a visit afterwards.”

“Yes, da xiaojie.” And with that, the two yatou diligently helped Su Jing Fei get ready for the day to come.

 

Chapter 34

Spoiler

Su Jing Fei first paid her respects to Su Lao Furen as usual. They had their tea and chatted about a few happenings in the capital; on Su Jing Fei’s way out of Su Lao Furen’s courtyard, she encountered Su Mei Rong. They gave polite smiles and exchanged brief words, but there was no doubt that Su Mei Rong and Liu shi were definitely avoiding Su Jing Fei for the time being.

After her morning duties, Su Jing Fei finally took Yize and Mu Tan along with her and headed to Yao shi’s courtyard. The servants bustled about anxiously upon her appearance, quickly informing their mistress of the young miss’s arrival.

Inside her receiving room, Yun shi was filled with grievances upon having to wait for Su Jing Fei the entire morning while worrying about whether she could appease Su Jing Fei. Ever since Su Jing Fei had returned to the capital, the young woman was no longer the same childish and naive girl like before; there was a cold cleverness in her eyes hidden behind a polite facade that even Yun shi had managed to see through to. Upon receiving notice of Su Jing Fei’s arrival, she quickly ordered the seamstresses to properly prepare so that they wouldn’t waste anymore time.

“Su da xiaojie has arrived!” announced the servant as the doors were pulled aside. Su Jing Fei stepped inside quietly, her black ink eyes surveying the room in a brief sweeping movement.

The second household’s servants were unfamiliar with Su Jing Fei’s new appearance; the aloof air and cold gaze were nothing like her previous self. So they could only keep their heads facing downwards to avoid those sharp eyes.

“Please, have a seat, da xiaojie.” Yun shi was quick to please, motioning for servants to pull open a chair for Su Jing Fei. Two fresh cups of tea were placed on the table.

“Many thanks for your accommodations, Yun shi,” smiled Su Jing Fei politely as she took a seat. Her eyes flickered to the seamstresses who stood nearby.

They wasted no time as Yun shi ordered the seamstresses to lay out bolts of pretty colored fabrics. Su Jing Fei carefully picked out a few muted and plain colors. Yun shi was a bit surprised because she knew the young woman typically favored the bold reds, pinks, and purples; however, she didn’t argue and instructed the servants to carefully put away the favored fabrics. Once Su Jing Fei’s measurements were taken, the seamstresses were dismissed, leaving Yun shi and Su Jing Fei alone to converse about a few things.

“My family’s shops are very capable. The dresses should be finished in time for the Qu family’s arrival and celebrations.” Yun shi said with a slightly nervous smile. Her face was a bit stiff from the shame of having to suck up to such a young girl; if only her daughter had been more careful, less impulsive to scheme against Su Jing Fei! But now she could only hope that the young girl could be appeased by her words and actions today.

At Yun shi’s words however, Su Jing Fei did not show a sliver of appeasement or happiness. She acknowledged the words with a polite smile before speaking firmly. “Now that the matter of the dress has been settled, this one wonders if Yun shi has a bit of time to speak privately?”

The older woman blinked in surprise at Su Jing Fei’s mysterious words. What private matters would she wish to discuss? There was a sense of foreboding, and Yun shi felt a slight chill run up her spine. “Of course,” She managed to say as her sleeve swept across the room, motioning all the servants to leave. Su Jing Fei also dismissed Mu Tan and Yize to wait outside. Once the door was closed firmly behind the exiting individuals, Su Jing Fei and Yun shi were left alone in the quiet room.

“Does da xiaojie have something she wishes to discuss specifically?” Yun shi inquired nervously.

Su Jing Fei smiled, remaining calm in appearance as she answered. “Yes, actually. Is Yun shi aware of the specifics of the Feng family incident?”

At the mention of ‘Feng,’ Yun shi’s face paled considerably. Her heart began thumping deep in her chest as she guessed at Su Jing Fei’s intention. There should’ve been no way that Su Jing Fei knew of her involvement! She had barely a sliver of influence in its events, but even her minor role in it had caused undoubted fear for days after the news of the Feng family’s demise!

Seeing Yun shi’s expression, Su Jing Fei was unsurprised; it’d taken her a long time to piece together the puzzle pieces. “For a long while, I searched for a person who had once been in the servitude of Mudan-Yu. I had wondered, where could such a person disappear to? I didn’t know their family name, only the servant one. They had seemingly appeared out of nowhere to become the head steward of our countryside manor. And after the Feng family incident, they had similarly disappeared as if they’d never existed in the first place. I was wondering, does this person sound particularly familiar to Yun shi?”

How could Yun shi forget? That person was in fact her cousin! The lowly son of her father’s brother who had begged for a position of power from Yun shi back in the day. To appease her family and to get on Liu shi’s good side, Yun shi had offered a person who could be used and remain loyal due to family blood ties. This person was none other than Zihuan, the steward who had betrayed Su Jing Fei and put her in the Feng family’s grasp!

Seeing that Yun shi was still speechless, Su Jing Fei sipped lightly at her tea, waiting for the older woman to calm down and respond properly. Her dark eyes were sharp as a knife, and a vicious aura came from the killing intent in those eyes. Yun shi found herself quite frightened at the menacing aura of such a young woman!

“D-Da xiaojie is mistaken! I don’t know of any such man!” Yun shi denied vehemently.

Su Jing Fei set down her teacup, placing her hands neatly on top of her lap as she gave a beautiful expression. Her rose pink lips stretched wide in a smile as those jade black eyes grew bright and knowing. “I don’t believe I ever mentioned that this person was a ‘man.’”

Yun shi froze in place, terrified at the young woman’s beautiful yet threatening smile. Inwardly, she cursed herself for cowering so easily; what did she have to fear a young woman who was barely of age!? She’d lived many years and was married to the brother of the Right Prime Minister! Although Su Jing Fei had a higher status than her as the da xiaojie of the first son’s family, she was still but a lowly shamed girl who was disfavored in the family! However, despite Yun shi’s inner thoughts, the overwhelming fear in her blood remained.

“Well, since I’ve had my questions answered, there’s no use in lingering anymore.” Su Jing Fei stood up from the table, making her way to the door. She paused for just a moment, glancing back at the still frozen Yun shi. “I must remind you, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ “ In Su Jing Fei’s heart, the proverb echoed softly, blood for blood. “Take care, Yun shi.”

Su Jing Fei opened the door and called for Yize and Mu Tan to accompany her as she returned to her courtyard. Yun shi remained frozen in fear, letting her blood warm and heart to settle before quickly calling her servants to take away the tea. The older woman gripped the table and immediately sought out for some ink and paper to write to her family. She knew that after the Feng family had fallen, her cousin had returned home to hide; but as it remained, if the prestigious military Qu family knew of their involvement in Fuo Lan, the Yun family, who were mere fifth ranked nobles,would have difficulties for generations to come! Quickly, she had to find and kill that Zihuan!

When Su Jing Fei returned to her courtyard, Yize and Mu Tan helped her prepare for lunch. However, the young woman asked to be left alone for awhile. She needed time to think. The two yatou could sense their master’s intense emotions, so they dismissed themselves without much of a fight. Finally alone in her room, Su Jing Fei sat down at the table as her knees grew weak. Her hands trembled and shook heavily; the barely suppressed anger in her heart boiled in her blood. Zihuan! Yun shi! Liu shi! Everyone who had a part to play in Da Chun’s death; they would soon find that death would be more merciful than the fate she had planned for them!

Su Jing Fei’s fingernails dug deep into the palm of her hands, drawing blood from the intensity of her emotions. Right now, the threats that she gave would be the beginning to their sufferings. She wanted them to know exactly who was coming for them and fear for what she had in store for their fates. But she was weak still… all she could do was borrow the power and fear of the Qu family name… Frustrating! She banged her fists against the table, smearing blood on the wood.

Every day since Da Chun died, Su Jing Fei had wracked her thoughts to figure out why she had transmigrated into such a world. Why did she die and get put into this life if she couldn’t even save her own blood sister? What was her purpose? In her previous life, she was an orphan with no blood family; she had a job working as a manager of a Chinese-style inn, but there was nothing amazing about her skills or past! Why did the hands of fate torture her like this? What was the point? Her life was meaningless!

The intensity of Su Jing Fei’s emotions made her blood turn hot and cold until a thin layer of sweet coated her skin, and her heart beat hard and thunderously. She was alive but barely felt living most days; if it wasn’t for Yize, Mu Tan, and countless others who she owed a debt to, she would’ve followed Da Chun into that other world. She would’ve apologized to the original Su Jing Fei for failing to do the one thing that she should’ve been able to do.

But since she couldn’t die yet, the least she could do was enact revenge. Blood for blood!

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Su Jing Fei forced herself to calm down. Settling into the chair with a large sigh, she listened to the speaker.

“Da xiaojie, Yuan has arrived!” Mu Tan’s voice was loud and clear from the other side of the door.

“Send her to the receiving room. I’ll be in shortly.” Su Jing Fei replied. Taking one of her handkerchiefs, Su Jing Fei wiped away the blood on the table, cleaning up after her display of anger. The wounds on her palm had stopped bleeding as she wiped away the remaining evidence of her carelessness. Carefully, she applied a bit of ointment to the wound before wrapping a bit of cloth around the palm and hiding her hand in her sleeve to avoid worry from Yize and Mu Tan. She then left the room with Yize trailing after her as they entered the receiving room.

“Da xiaojie!” cried Yuan as the other woman fell to one knee in extreme respect. Her tanned skin and strong features showcased a woman of beauty and strength; this woman was someone who Su Jing Fei had a lot of trust and respect for. The other woman known as Yuan was only a few years older than Su Jing Fei however.

“Please rise,” Su Jing Fei said with a smile. She regarded the other woman with a gentle demeanor as they both moved to sit at a table. “The journey must’ve been a long one. Please rest as much as you need for all your efforts.”

“It is my honor,” Yuan said quietly as she gazed at her young master with a bright smile. “These are the documents that require da xiaojie’s attention.” The woman pulled out a thick packet of documents that were wrapped and bound tightly; then she placed them on the table.

“En, thank you,” Su Jing Fei nodded her head as Mu Tan grabbed the documents and left to place them in a secure place. “I’ve yet to have lunch. Would you care to join me?”

Yuan looked shocked and refused, saying that she did not deserve the honor, but Su Jing Fei insisted. The other woman had no choice but to relent because she could not deny her young master’s kindness. The servants brought out the lunch and prepared an extra set for Yuan. As the two began eating, Su Jing Fei cared not for those useless proper manners and instead, opted for a pleasant conversation with the other woman to get all caught up on everything back in Fuo Lan.

“How has everything been since I left?” Su Jing Fei inquired.

Yuan swallowed a mouthful and gave a bright smile. “Everyone is doing well! Since da xiaojie has taken care of us out of kindness, we naturally are trying our best. Everyone has mastered the basics of reading and writing; along with the Guo family’s guidance, we have learned quite a lot about the merchant trade business and are reaching further outside of Fuo Lan with our influences!”
“You all must be careful, however,” warned Su Jing Fei lightly as she sipped at a cup of tea. “You never know whose toes you might be stepping on by exercising such influence in foreign parts of this country.”

“Da xiaojie need not worry! Everyone is very careful, and shifu has taught us a lot of ways to protect ourselves in case we run into trouble!” Yuan replied.

With a small smile, Su Jing Fei asked, “How is your shifu? Is Heng still as stone-faced as usual?” The young woman recalled the expressionless face with her thin face, pallor complexion, and unmoving eyes. Heng was a female slave that had been detained by the Feng family in their dungeons; due to being poisoned, she was unable to properly fight her way out. The older woman had come from Xinyi to search for her sister who had been captured and sold as a slave to the Feng family; however, her sister had long died under the hands of Feng Ruo Qian. However, after the Feng family’s demise, she had been saved from the dungeons and given a new lease on life. After learning that Su Jing Fei had killed Feng Ruo Qian with her own hands, Heng came to Mudan-Yu and swore her loyalty to Su Jing Fei. If it had been any other ordinary person, Su Jing Fei would’ve turned them away, but Heng was actually a very important individual in the Blossoms of the Wind universe. This older woman was the previous inner sect disciple of an esteemed Xinyi sect and was actually one of the people who Jiang Li Ling would have at her side in the future! She was a talented martial artist, even better than Mu Tan; that was why Su Jing Fei had not turned the older woman away and instead, she accepted the woman’s sworn servitude.

“Heng is doing fine, still the same!” laughed Yuan. Yuan often reminded Heng of her younger sister, so the two women got along very well.

Along with Yuan and Heng, Su Jing Fei had inquired about the others one after another. After the Feng family’s demise, quite a few men, women, and children were found in the dungeons who had no family and no place left to go. The government had compensated for their sufferings with money and a temporary place to stay, but Su Jing Fei offered a permanent home. Although the public was not aware of Su Jing Fei’s deep connection to the Feng family, many people knew that the Su da xiaojie had been captured and tortured as well. The people who had suffered under the Feng family felt a close kinship with the young girl and had allowed themselves to heal and recover under her guidance and kindness. Afterwards, many of those individuals chose to remain in servitude to Su Jing Fei and became taught by the Guo family to become travelling merchants for Su Jing Fei’s own businesses. With their knowledge and their martial arts skills, trained by the talented Heng, these people became known as was called the Floating Cloud Merchants. However, little did people know that these merchants were actually a network of information-gathering individuals that called Su Jing Fei their master.

After catching up properly and speaking for a long while, Su Jing Fei found that it was getting dark and that night was fast approaching. She offered Yuan a place to sleep in one of her rooms, in which the other woman gladly accepted. Then Su Jing Fei returned to her room and prepared to settle down for the night, skipping dinner and letting Mu Tan and Yize leave to eat and rest for the night. Once the door was closed after them, Su Jing Fei once again prepared to call for Li Wei Sheng tonight in order to hand the book to him. But just as she had gotten the blue book out and was turning to the window, she noticed that it was already open.

She furrowed her brows and frowned. “Wangye should get rid of this habit of entering young unmarried women’s rooms uninvited.”

A low chuckle came from the curtains as they fluttered aside and Li Wei Sheng’s tall figure came into view. “I wanted to surprise you, but I should’ve known that you aren’t a fun person to surprise.”

Su Jing Fei eyed the man suspiciously; his relaxed demeanor and sly smile was still the same. Those eyes seemed to be making fun of her as usual; however, she took note of his more mature appearance. Perhaps, if he kept his mouth shut, he’d be more likable towards the opposite sex. “I’m not a person who likes surprises all too much.” She replied, then gestured for him to sit as she also took a seat. “You didn’t come last night.”

Li Wei Sheng’s dark eyes twinkled mischievously at her words. “Su da xiaojie is mistaken. I did come last night, but you were already fast asleep.”

“Then you came too late. But since I was the one who troubled you by calling you, it’s my apologies.” She conceded with a calm expression.

“Mmm, apology accepted. However, it was still a good visit. Who knew that a resting tiger would still look just like a small kitten during slumber?” He replied in an amused tone.

“Perhaps, but a tiger is still a tiger. I hope wangye can remember that.” Su Jing Fei said calmly. However, there was not much of a threat to her words. She still found him irritating but she was not a thankless person to ignore a debt. “Let’s ignore all this useless chatter. I have something for you that I think you’ll find useful.”

“Oh, and what would that be?”

“This.” She placed the blue book on the table and pushed it over to his side of the table.

Li Wei Sheng’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly grabbed her wrist. He lifted her hand up, staring at the bandaged limb with a cold gaze. “What happened?”

“Nothing of your concern.” She replied. “If you could please let go of my hand, then it would be much appreciated.”

His grip loosened, and she pulled away and returned to the business of handing over the book. “This is a record of Che Xiao Tong’s secret bribes and business dealings for the past couple of years. I hope you’ll find it useful in your endeavors.”

Li Wei Sheng stared at Su Jing Fei with a strange indiscernible look like he couldn’t quite figure her out. He didn’t even bother to open it, but instead, tucked it into his clothes for safe keeping. It seemed he trusted her enough to believe her words for now. “How’d you come across it?”

“I was invited to the Che manor and happened to stumble upon it.” Su Jing Fei said.

It seemed that Li Wei Sheng wanted to say something as he pursed his lips, but he merely sighed and leaned back in the chair as though this had all been such a troublesome affair. “You’re a strange one, Su Jing Fei.”

“I know my debts.” She answered in a disinterested tone, but the look in her eyes revealed a distant faraway gaze. As though she was remembering things from last year; things she really did not want to.

“Then consider them paid. There’s no point in me saving your life when you’re just putting yourself in trouble and harm’s way.” Li Wei Sheng replied coldly. In his head, he wanted to say more. He wanted to say that she should try to keep her happiness and perhaps return to what a normal young woman should be worrying about; thinking about useless things like the weather and flowers and parties. But he knew that Su Jing Fei was nothing like that; she’d suffered and persevered through a horrible experience that had probably changed her forever.

Su Jing Fei gazed at Li Wei Sheng with cold distant eyes as though to say ‘I didn’t ask for you to save my life.’ But this ungrateful sentence was something she could not say, for he had indeed saved her life and now she could carry on her revenge. However, sometimes she still thought about if she had died back then, would she be able to be with Da Chun or return to her old world? Would there be something else better for her after this life?

Li Wei Sheng saw the seriousness in those black ink eyes and sighed, knowing full well of the young woman’s stubbornness. “As stubborn as a mule, you are.” He sighed, however those dark eyes seemed to glint in a teasing manner. “Do you know that yesterday you clung to my sleeve and wouldn’t let me leave your bedside?”

Su Jing Fei furrowed her brows. “Why were you at my bedside?” She paused, and then added. “Wangye needs to get over these perverted tendencies. The countless women in the capital would be disillusioned if you continue such actions.”

“You looked so uncomfortable sleeping on the table, so I merely put you in bed to save you a day of pains and aches.” Li Wei Sheng gave an innocent expression with a wide smile.

Su Jing Fei frowned even further. Li Wei Sheng held back laughter at seeing her clearly displayed expression of displeasure. He’d never encountered such an interesting person. Alright, he’ll admit defeat for tonight. Since she did go to the trouble of getting him something useful, he’d spare her his teasings for the rest of the night. When he got up to leave, she merely watched and waved her hand impatiently as he lingered by the window.

“If you ever need me again, feel free to just call out like you did before.” Li Wei Sheng knew that Su Jing Fei was well aware that he had placed a hidden guard to watch over her. She didn’t seem bothered so he wasn’t going to deny it.

“No need. I’m tired. Go so that I can sleep.” She said plainly.

It seemed that she had completely disregarded his position as a wangye and now treated him as some annoying pest. He grinned mischievously before bidding her good night and disappearing into the darkness beyond the window.

 

I am really liking this novel. It's very well written and the female lead is great. I love it how you let her compassion shine through her actions. (Whether it's saving the little boy or being kind to servants). Perhaps I am speaking too soon but I think this story is as good as Rebirth of the malicious empress and Princess Wei Yang. Keep up the great work. By the way I have to ask.. Who is the Male Lead? Is it the left prime minister Li Wei Sheng or is it the Sixth Prince Chen Hui Zhong? Personally I am hoping it will be the Sixth Prince. I want Chen Hui Zhe to suffer, and what better way is there besides his ex-fiancee ending up with his biggest enemy and becoming Empress

 

Hi bb! Thanks for reading I'm glad you've been enjoying it so far~ A lot of people have been comparing my novel to those two novels, and honestly, I'm so happy because those two are my top favorite revenge novels!! (Rebirth of the Malicious Empress is currently my favorite )

Since the beginning of the novel, I've known that there would probably only be one male lead cuz I love loyal love interests and protagonists! Honestly, I wanted to put Chen Hui Zhong and Su Jing Fei together originally, but I've actually decided to have Li Wei Sheng be my male lead. Of course, I want Chen Hui Zhe to suffer a lot so there will definitely be a lot of revenge and he is going to regret ending his engagement to Su Jing Fei!! But I also know that the kind of person Su Jing Fei is, she actually wouldn't want to really be Empress cuz she doesn't really care enough about anyone other than the few people who are like family to her. Plus, I'm thinking that in a more realistic-ish way, the Emperor would probably still have concubines if he has to keep relations with other countries (even though I love it when they don't and are loyal to one person) and even though he might not visit them, I want Su Jing Fei to have a loyal husband who only marries her! Hence, Li Wei Sheng.

But you guys haven't seen Chen Hui Zhong yet so that's probably there's still some people hoping to ship Chen Hui Zhong and Su Jing Fei.

Thanks for all your support! Reading your comments really motivate me to continue writing!

 

Extra Story Chapter 1​

DISCLAIMER: This extra story chapter may contain spoilers. It is a glimpse into the future of Su Jing Fei's married life. Please read at your own discretion.

This is a gift for all my lovable supports who have been with me a long time ~ Hope you can enjoy this and look forward to how we're going to end up here!!

Spoiler

The little bun-shaped boy stood with his stubby legs waddling precariously back and forth as he moved from tree to tree. In the small courtyard, he had run away from the servants and was currently looking to find something fun to play with! The jade forehead scrunched in concentration as the little bun boy stumbled over to a bush that surprisingly had some fruits on it!

“Young master!” cried the voices of servants from afar.

But the young bun boy was determined to taste these sweet berries fresh from the bush! Reaching out greedily, his tiny fist grabbed a few of the berries, but when he stumbled backwards, that little palm closed tightly and crushed the berries into juice in his hands! “Oof!” came the sound from those small lips as the young bun boy fell onto his butt. His tightly closed eyes slowly opened and a pair of large doe eyes stared at the hand that was wet and sticky from the crushed berries.

The servants ran up to the young boy, wondering if he would cry from such a hard fall. But the young bun boy’s ink black eyes lit up, and surprisingly, he started licking his palm to taste the berries! They all started laughing however when they noticed the boy’s pink lips pursing together tightly from the sourness of the not-ripe berries.

“Hmm, I wonder, did I raise a wild animal or a son for the past three years?” A warm voice said in an amused tone.

The little jade bun’s ears perked up at the sound of the familiar voice, and he quickly disregarded everything else as he pushed himself off the ground and ran towards a woman’s figure. “Mama!” He cried excitedly, throwing himself in the woman’s warm embrace.

The woman smiled down at her adorable son and wrapped him up in her arms without regard for the fact that he was honestly sticky and messy from the berries. She was just about to pick him up when a strong but gentle hand was placed on her back and a deep warm voice spoke. “Fei’er, you have to rest your body like the doctor said. I’ll take him to go get cleaned up.”

The little jade bun clutched onto his mother’s skirt and refused to let go as he glared at his father from behind the cloth. “Papa, you’ve been hogging mama all morning! It’s my turn now!” Since he’d woken up this morning, his mama and papa had left the manor all day and it was only by late day that he’d seen his mama again! Papa was really too much!!

“Ling’er, don’t you want to play with your little sister?” The man said as he leaned down and easily scooped up the young boy into his arms. His movements were effortless and graceful, despite the fact that the little boy was rather plump and messy. However, looking at the small family, one could see the warmth in their gazes and familiarity in their beautiful features that one could only sigh at the lucky fate of this beautiful appearance household.

Hearing the words ‘little sister’ made the young Ling’s ears perk up excitedly. Those black ink eyes stared at his papa with expectation. “I’m finally getting a little sister!?”

The pretty woman furrowed her brows. As a woman with memories of modern times, she knew that one could not really tell the gender of a child without the use of advanced medical equipment, but the mysterious world of ancient China had their ways as well… so quite a few doctors had confirmed with certainty that the child in her stomach was indeed a girl.

“Go get cleaned up and then you’ll be able to play a little with your sister, okay?” The man smiled at the little jade bun who shook his head vigorously in a nodding motion and had long forgotten his grudge against his mama-hogging papa. The young boy was handed off to a servant and then left to go get cleaned up. With a wave of his sleeves, the servants dispersed and allowed for the man and woman to be alone.

Without missing an opportunity, the man moved forward to embrace his wife and leaned down to kiss her soft lips. “Remember when we used to kiss here in the courtyard?”

Su Jing Fei laughed as she lightly pushed the man away with a smile. “You were so shameless back then.”

“But you were too cute, being all stiff and defiant. I couldn’t help teasing you.” The man grinned, tilting his head to murmur softly into her ear in a low and deep voice. “You like it when I tease you though.”

Su Jing Fei rolled her eyes, but she also couldn’t contain the slight flush of her skin upon hearing her husband’s seductive voice. He really did know how to rile her up… “Really too shameless, Li Wei Sheng.” However, two could play at that game. Before Li Wei Sheng could comprehend her mischievous intentions, she had placed her hand on his shoulders to keep him in place and turned her head to lightly nip at his earlobe, murmuring in a soft voice. “But you also like it when I tease you.” She felt Li Wei Sheng’s body stiffen under her touch and with a light laugh, she stepped away to look at his unguarded expression of surprise.

However, the man quickly recovered and chased after his wife shamelessly; he wrapped his arms around her hips, careful of her extended stomach filled with his second child, and then leaned down to capture those pink lips to silence the teasing laughter. “This wangfei really knows this wangye too well!” She really did know how to rile him up too!

The servants avoided the area but could hear the laughter and knew that their wangfei was teasing wangye again. The pair had been married for a long time now and yet still act like newlyweds… The young unmarried servants were a bit envious and really wished to receive that kind of love one day…

The two oblivious lovebirds were still kissing when the little jade bun returned to see his parents being loving without him in the middle! Not fair! His stubby legs propelled him forward at a frighteningly unstable speed until he crashed into his papa’s leg; luckily, Li Wei Sheng had noticed the angry little bun and was able to scoop him up before he fell. “You guys are playing without me again!” Those little lips pursed together, looking quite wronged.

“Don’t you want to play a little with your sister first?” Li Wei Sheng said with a smile.

Upon hearing those words, the little jade bun was easily appeased and nodded his head with a wide smile. Li Wei Sheng ordered for the servants to set up a table with chairs. Once seated, Li Wei Sheng sat in a chair with their son on his lap while Su Jing Fei sat opposite them. Sitting down, one could tell the shape of Su Jing Fei’s stomach was quite bigger than the clothes revealed.

“Watch papa, alright?” Li Wei Sheng spoke gently and waited for the young boy’s attention before reaching out carefully and placing a hand softly onto Su Jing Fei’s pregnant stomach.

Little Ling looked between his mama and papa in a slightly confused expression, but he didn’t argue and merely followed his papa’s instructions. Carefully, he leaned forward and placed a small plump hand on his mama’s tummy. Then they waited for a few minutes until…


Kick!


Something pressed up against little Ling’s hand from under his mama’s belly. “Mama!” cried the little jade bun in a worried voice. He was terrified that he had somehow hurt her! He’d never felt that before! “Mama, are you okay!?”

Su Jing Fei gave her son a loving smile, reaching out to gently rub his head to soothe his worries. “It doesn’t hurt, Ling’er. That’s your little sister.”

Hearing those words, it took a minute for little Ling to comprehend. He knew that his mama and papa had told him that his little sister was in his mama’s belly and would come out in a few months… He still didn’t really get it, but now, he knew that there really was a little sister in his mama’s belly! His bright eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement. “Mama, I felt it!!”

Su Jing Fei laughed at his obvious excited state. Li Wei Sheng placed his free hand on his son’s shoulder, gently speaking his next few words. “When your little sister is born, you’ll have to protect her everyday because you’re a big brother now. And you must also protect your mother and listen to her well, okay?”

Little Ling nodded his head vigorously with the bright smile plastered to his face. He was going to be the best big brother in the whole world!! Perhaps it was out of excitement, but little Ling began to talk to his mama’s belly in hopes that his little sister could hear his voice and know that he was waiting patiently for her and wanted to play with her a lot in the future.

Su Jing Fei gazed at the scene before her and wondered how lucky she was to have such a loving husband and son. Remembering all the difficult times in the past… she wanted to tell her past self to not give up and that there was definitely going to be a happy future for her someday. Just like today.

 

Hi! I am so glad I stumbled upon this novel! It's a gem in creating and no offense to anyone, but much better than some published novels with thousands of repetitive plots. Even if the cliché are used here it's in a good way and the events are explained and not rushed. And there is a personal reason for revenge, not the usual since I am in your body I will avenge you! I am so sorry I can't review on that site since I am not registered and grandly I don't want to but I will continue to read so please continue to write and also post the update here! Thx!

 

Thank you so much for your kind words!! I am glad that you enjoy WDfR, and I really appreciate thoughtful comments; they really help motivate me to continue writing! Although I know my writing is not on a set schedule, having the knowledge that people are still interested in the story, it makes me very happy as I try my best and work diligently on continuing the story until it's finish. Thank you so much for your continued support

 

In the sky verifisig

 

Just stumbled upon this novel and read it in one sitting. looking forward to what will happen next. Thanks @Lukha for the story.

 

Chapter 35

Spoiler

“Young master, forgive my insolence, but how can you trust Su xiaojie’s words so easily?” Shan Yu was at his master’s side back in the Li household manor. Although Shan Yu was a servant and should not dare to speak so forthright, he was also one of Li Wei Sheng’s most trusted individuals and often spoke up when he was suspicious or unsure of certain matters pertaining to his master’s safety. This Su Jing Fei… Shan Yu knew just how much his young master had kept an eye on the mysterious xiaojie’s actions over the past year and a half. She was quite formidable, and the knowledge and secrets she obtained could not be found out even by Shan Yu’s deep investigation or observations.

Li Wei Sheng was seated at his desk, briefly flipping through the pages of the blue book that Su Jing Fei had given him. “Am I the type to trust so easily?”

Shan Yu pursed his lips but remained in a respectful position before his master. It wasn’t that he disliked Su Jing Fei or anything… He had also been present during the Feng family scandal and knew the details of her plight. However, Su Jing Fei displayed a sharp mind and a mask that even his young master was unable to tell the emotions hidden beneath.

Li Wei Sheng was well aware of Shan Yu’s worries. He was also well aware of Su Jing Fei’s character, especially her growth over the past year and a half. He had one of his secret guards watching over her actions back in Fuo Lan, updating him on her daily life. It was not for worry over her life or care, but more precisely his curiosity after he learned about her taking in the victims of the Feng family. Was she as truly compassionate as that? Did she have any other ulterior motive for allowing them to become her people? He had learned that some now worked in her businesses as travelling merchants similar to the Guo family. Perhaps, he had been thinking too deeply. However, upon her return to the capital, their first interaction consisted of her giving him a book full of corrupted officials within the capital. How had she obtained such information?

“I won’t deny that this book is exactly the type of thing that would be beneficial to us.” Li Wei Sheng stated as he finished flipping through the book. It’s legitimacy was confirmed by the fact that he already knew of this piece of evidence. It was singular item linking chains of corrution, but ultimately, was something that Li Wei Sheng had put in the back of his mind since returning to the capital. But why would Su Jing Fei give him such an important thing? Hadn’t she been engaged previously to the third prince Chen Hui Zhe? Unless this was to get back at their broken engagement. Although Li Wei Sheng wasn’t around in the capital at the time, he was still well aware of the gossip among the nobility, especially such a high profile situation involving one of the princes. Li Wei Sheng sat in his study quietly contemplating Su Jing Fei’s hidden intentions.



The following days were quiet until it was only two days till the Qu family were set to return with a large banquet being held by the Emperor. After finishing her morning reports, an unexpected guest stealthily appeared in her room.

“Shut the doors, I’ll be in my room reading.” Su Jing Fei commanded Yize and Mu Tan to enclose the inner room to avoid the other servants from disturbing. After hearing the light sounds of exiting footsteps, Su Jing Fei approached the kneeling figure and sat down at the table. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you, Heng. How have you been?”

The kneeled figure gave a respectful bow before standing and addressing her. The older woman had a sturdy figure built from years of martial arts; she had a heroic face with a stern expression and wheat-colored skin. “Thanking da xiaojie for her concern. This lowly servant has been well.”

“En, please, sit.” Su Jing Fei gestured towards a chair. There was no need to maintain strict formalities. It was only the two of them.

However, Heng was a strict individual and declined the seat. She remained standing and slowly reported to Su Jing Fei about the matters concerning her unexpected visit. Hearing Heng’s words, Su Jing Fei’s expression grew dark. “So Yun shi has finally started making her move…”

“Yes, da xiaojie.” Heng kept her head lowered.

A cold and dark feeling seeped into Su Jing Fei’s bones, but there was a bittersweet taste in the feeling of anticipation. “Take me there tonight.”

Heng hesitated for a moment, but ultimately could not deny her xiaojie’s order. “Yes, da xiaojie. I’ll make preparations. This lowly one will return.” As quietly as she came, Heng receded from Su Jing Fei’s room.

As Yize and Mu Tan returned to the room, Su Jing Fei informed them of her plan to leave the manor for the night. “Tonight, Yize, you shall rest in my bed impersonating me for the night. If anyone asks, the eldest daughter of the Su family has fallen sick and wishes to recuperate to be in good health for the return of her maternal grandfather.” No one would disturb her with such an excuse for fear of incurring Qu Zhi Qiang’s wrath.

“Da xiaojie, I will accompany you.” Mu Tan spoke heavily as she lowered her head in front of Su Jing Fei.

“You shall accompany Yize and make sure no one disturbs my ‘rest.’” Su Jing Fei replied in a quiet voice.

Yize and Mu Tan’s lips were pursed from unspoken words. They wanted to be with their da xiaojie, but could only agree quietly to her plan. As the sky darkened and night came, Su Jing Fei changed into light clothing. When Heng appeared, Yize and Mu Tan took up their positions for the night, allowing Su Jing Fei to slip out of the manor quietly with Heng. Although Su Jing Fei was someone without martial art skills, Heng had acquired the ability of light and fast steps and was able to move at a fantastic speed even while carrying Su Jing Fei on her back.

As the clouds settled onto the ground and covered the dark earth in a light mist, Su Jing Fei and Heng slipped outside the city walls and entered the forests surrounding the imperial city. In about an hour of journeying, Heng arrived at the bottom of a large cliff. However, looks were deceiving. Behind the dense natural foliage scaling the cliff’s walls, there was a hidden cave entrance. Its smooth walls had been carved through many years of wind and rain, and as they stepped into its mouth, Su Jing Fel felt the air grow silent and cold. As they stepped further into the cave, it was as though all sound and light was swallowed by the shadows.

Until the darkness finally gave way to a small flickering light that chased away the shadows. As they approached the light, Su Jing Fei’s eyes could barely make out a dark silhouette resting against a rock. Her footsteps felt heavy as she recognized the person. Each breath she took was slow and deliberate; every nerve in her body tingled with awareness. As they finally arrived at the seated figure, Su Jing Fei’s dark eyes never left the lowered head. The person’s hair was still pulled back in a neat appearance, and the clothes on their body revealed a well-off lifestyle. To anyone else, this person looked rather pitiful upon closer appearance due to the dirt and grime coating every inch of the individual’s clothes, hair, and body. But to Su Jing Fei, this unsightly appearance was nothing.

“How did you manage this?” Su Jing Fei asked quietly.

The seated figure did not move.

Heng’s expression was unperturbed as she explained her ‘preparations.’ “He made it easy. Leaving the city walls meant less protection and less detection from unnecessary individuals. The carriage only had one driver and two guards guarding a large box.”

“A box…” Su Jing Fei murmured. She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. He thought he could hide from her by being transported in a box of all things. But it was more like a dead man being delivered in a coffin to his death. “The destination?”

“Xinyi.”

“He was being sent out of Chu?”

“It seems his maternal family has relations living in Xinyi for business.”

“Hmm…” Su Jing Fei finally stepped closer, leaning downward as she became eye level with the seated figure. “You’ve been feigning sleep for long enough. Wake up.”

The seated figure’s slack posture stiffened as his fake act was found out. However, at the sound of the young woman’s cold voice, fear caused the man to tremble slightly. He raised his dirt-stricken face and revealed a familiar appearance. “D-Da xiaojie. Please, I beg you… Dear gods… I know I was wrong... ”

Hearing those words spoken in the familiar voice, the corner of Su Jing Fei’s lips rose slightly. “I was once in your position, wondering if death would come swiftly. I wondered if my family was safe. I begged the gods to help me. I begged them to spare her. Do you think the gods have heard our pleas? If so, I think the lives of sinful mortals like us aren’t worth sparing. Wouldn’t you agree, Zihuan?”

 

Chapter 36

Spoiler

The older man felt that the appearance of the smiling young woman was terrifyingly menacing. Those dark eyes seemed to pierce straight into his soul, and his every limb shivered in protest while the cold of night seeped into his blood. “Da xiaojie, I was being forced to… If I didn’t then he’d kill my family!”

Su Jing Fei rested her hand in her hands as she stared at his face, watching his changing expressions filled with pity and sadness. Her own expression was tranquil in appearance. “You’re still going to keep up the act? We both know the Yun family were in no danger. You must have a better excuse than this.”

Zihuan’s chapped lips were pursed together tightly, brows furrowing. “Da xiaojie, please…”

“‘Please’ you say…” Su Jing Fei’s words were soft, but the corners of her lips fell into a frown as a dark feeling gripped her heart. “The begging comes to you so easily, and I have not even drawn blood yet.”

Zihuan’s face paled at her words. “Da xiaojie, about Da Chun, I-”

“Don’t you dare say her name!” Su Jing Fei shouted in anger; the sudden change of emotion was as fast and harsh as a whip. Her hand flew out and gripped his hair, fingers entangling in the strands as she yanked his head to the side. “If you dare defile her name with your filthy mouth again, I’ll cut your tongue out.”

The movement caused Zihuan to bite down on his lip and a trickle of blood seeped from the wound. “I-I’m sorry…Please d-don’t hurt me!”

Su Jing Fei loosened her hold, pulling back her hand as she stood up. She looked down at Zihuan’s sorry figure. His hands were restrained behind his back with rope, and he kicked up dirt to scramble away. His back hit the wall of the cave, and he stared fearfully in her direction.

“You’re going to answer my questions, Zihuan. I expect you’re going to tell me the truth.” Su Jing Fei spoke, walking up to him.

Heng’s quick figure appeared at his side to hold down his struggling movements as Su Jing Fei leaned down once more. She reached back to grasp a hair pin, and within a single breath, the silver ornament was embedded into Zihuan’s left leg.

“Ah!!” The man screamed, jolting in pain as tears welled up in his eyes.

“Are you going to speak?” Su Jing Fei asked calmly.

“I’ll speak!” He cried out; his breaths stuttered from the pain.

“We’ll start with the easy stuff then. Who put you in charge of the Fuo Lan Manor?”

Zihuan gasped as his expression twisted from suppressing the pain. “S-Su Furen…Da xiaojie’s stepmother…”

“Yun shi recommended you for the job, correct?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Have you ever met my mother?”

“Yes…”

“Before or after she got married to Su Xuan Mo?”

“It was a-after…Please, ah… my leg hurts…” Zihuan’s lips turned blue and a layer of sweat coated his face.

“I know you were put in your position after my mother was killed by Feng Ruo Qian. To cut out the weeds, you must pull them from their roots. The news of my mother’s murder was suppressed by you and the Feng family. The servants were silenced, either killed or bribed. Correct?”

“D-Da xiaojie, please, they were o-orders I h-had to...” He begged.

Su Jing Fei’s fingers twisted the hair pin, digging it a little deeper in the flesh as a deep red soaked the man’s pant leg. “Yes or no?”

“Y-Yes…” A small whimper signaled his acquiesce.

“Does Su Xuan Mo know the truth of my mother’s death?”

“N-No…”

Su Jing Fei figured as much. If Su Xuan Mo had known that Liu shi had smothered his chances of having a son, an heir, a decade ago… His pride would definitely not stand it. And Su Lao Furen wouldn’t have either. This ignorant son and mother pair probably did not even care to know the truth of her mother’s death and so did not investigate properly. A healthy woman suddenly falling ill and then dying in the countryside… It took less than a year for Su Xuan Mo to bring Liu shi into the household after her mother’s death. And she had a young daughter in tow as well; a daughter of Su Xuan Mo’s who was less than a year younger than Su Jing Fei. Outsiders probably thought that Qu shi had finally caught wind of Su Xuan Mo’s cheating and died from anger or sadness. Su Jing Fei felt the anger surge in her heart from the injustice her mother suffered. “An ignorant scum like that… I wonder what my mother saw in him.”

“My mother was healthy, but suddenly, she fell ill and fought with Su Xuan Mo often, resulting in him banishing her to the countryside.” Su Jing Fei murmured, looking thoughtful. “But you know, I think my mother feigned illness to hide her pregnancy. She hoped to escape the capital to hide her condition. But why would she do that? Why would she need to hide the fact that she was pregnant?”

Zihuan looked confused. “I-I don’t know…”

“I, too, was confused at first. But then it dawned on me. She wasn’t trying to hide, specifically. There was no point in doing so because the prospect of a son would’ve made Su Xuan Mo favor my mother. However, instead of hiding, what if she was trying to protect them from someone else?”

“T-That’s…”

Su Jing Fei didn’t pause for Zihuan’s reply. In fact, she’d been thinking long and hard about her mother for many sleepless nights. Why did such a strong and independent woman fall for such a stupid ignorant man? Why would her mother need to hide a pregnancy to protect her unborn children? “Do you know that my mother had difficulty birthing me? From second-hand stories told, my mother had fallen ill and almost lost the baby. I had almost died as a newborn. But luckily, my life was saved. But you know what I think? I think I was spared a death not by luck, but due to the fact that I was born a daughter and not a son. However, for my mother’s second pregnancy, she wasn’t willing to take the risk again. She knew someone had tried to kill her children before; perhaps, she had come to the same conclusion as I had. If she bore a son, her life would no doubt be threatened, so she tried to distance herself and hide away in Fuo Lan. She saved a young female martial artist and was able to have someone protect her life for a while. Until that is, the baby in her stomach was confirmed a male. It was due to that fact that my mother was killed.”

Zihuan remained silent but trembled as the cold took root in his body; his leg felt numb from the pain emanating from the stab wound where the hair pin was still deeply embedded into this thigh.

Su Jing Fei’s eyes looked far away; her expression was distant and thoughtful. “Who would want to kill my mother and prevent her from having a son, Zihuan?” Su Jing Fei almost wanted to laugh because the answer was so clear, but it still didn’t make sense.

“Of course there’s only one person that I can think of. My stepmother, Liu shi. She wanted my mother dead so that she could marry Su Xuan Mo. They were childhood lovers after all. But then Su Xuan Mo married my mother for her status, but with such a high status, why would my mother stoop so low as to marry an ignorant man with a commoner status? I don’t think Su Xuan Mo was cunning enough to win my mother over with the same cheap tricks he used on Liu shi. It feels like all the puzzle pieces fit together, but there is still one central piece that is missing that ties everything together.” Su Jing Fei murmured quietly. “I’ve thought about it long and hard, and you know what? I think I finally figured it out.”

Zihuan’s pale face and quivering lips displayed his fright, but he still managed to converse with Su Jing Fei relatively easily. “W-What was it?”

“A third party,” Su Jing Fei said simply. “There was someone manipulating the scenes from the background. A lower class noble family like Liu shi’s would not be able to threaten my mother who was the only daughter of the esteemed military Qu family. So, there was someone else who used Liu shi’s hand to deal with my mother. The only question is, who?”