Carrying an exquisite tray, I carefully navigated the garden paths of Hongyan Tower toward the lakeside.
A gentle breeze blew, and the sky was ablaze with a brilliant sunset reflected in the lake. It was so beautiful it took one's breath away. No wonder it was called "Sunset Lake"; the scenery at dusk was truly magnificent.
I stood lost in the view for a moment before walking toward the languid, red-clad figure in the lakeside pavilion. This woman was named Hong Mei, the tower’s top courtesan. According to the servants, she had a fiery temper and was the most difficult lady in the establishment to please. However, I found her personality straightforward—she was likely my best point of entry.
This was my third day at Hongyan Tower. Since the head manager, Madam Yan, had been taken into custody, the temporary manager, Yu Jie, hadn't made things difficult for Old Uncle Lin, the floor runner. She had simply said, "Poor child. If he wants to stay, let him. But we don't raise idlers here; let her help out the ladies."
This played right into my hands. My only fear was that they wouldn't let me roam around. Upon arriving, I discovered that although Madam Yan was in jail, the authorities hadn't officially shuttered the place. Thus, Hongyan Tower continued its business as usual, though it was significantly quieter than normal due to the looming legal troubles.
I placed the tray on the small tea table beside Hong Mei and gave her a sweet greeting. "Sister Hong Mei."
Hong Mei turned her head and pinched my cheek with a smile. "You certainly have a sweet tongue, child. You should stay with me from now on."
I smiled back at her. "I’d love to stay with you, Sister Hong Mei. But Auntie Yu said I have to brew medicine for Sister Yu Huan in a little while. I need to go keep an eye on the pot."
As expected, Hong Mei curled her lip in disdain. "That wench," she muttered before turning back to me. "Don't mind her. She’s always looking for trouble just to get people to notice her."
I carefully handed her the teacup and asked casually, "I wonder what illness Sister Yu Huan has? The kitchen staff says she’s been drinking medicinal soup for half a month now."
Hong Mei took a sip of tea and sneered. "What illness? She’s just trying to purge her own ill omen."
"Ill omen?" I truly didn't understand.
Hong Mei glanced at me and laughed. "Yes, an ill omen. So don't bother with her if you can help it. She’s the most cursed person here."
I was still confused. What did that mean? Was it some kind of professional slang or a code word?
Seeing my dazed expression, Hong Mei gave a charming smile, nipped my cheek again, and whispered, "The guest she took in died the very next day. Now tell me, is that an ill omen or not?"
A jolt went through my entire body. Could the person who attended to Li Liang have been her?!
This massive secret had been casually dropped by this loose-lipped top courtesan. For a moment, I could hardly believe it. It seemed my strategy was correct—they really didn't take me seriously at all.
Hong Mei interpreted my expression as fear. She smiled triumphantly and comforted me, "Don't be scared, don't be scared. Just know she’s bad luck and stay away from her."
I nodded quickly.
"Xiao Qing, why are you hovering here again?" Yu Jie’s dissatisfied voice came from behind me.
I turned around and bowed. "I’m going to the kitchen right now."
Hong Mei grabbed my hand and looked up at her with a smile. "Yu Jie, why don't you give this child to me? You know I haven't had a capable person by my side since Xiao Fu died last year."
Yu Jie hesitated, her tone conciliatory. "How about this? Let her help out for a few more days before she moves to your quarters. With the Big Sister away, we don't dare take in outsiders, and we’re short-handed for chores."
Hong Mei couldn't argue further and let go of my hand, looking disgruntled.
Yu Jie turned to me. "Get to the kitchen. Remember to deliver the medicine to Miss Yu Huan’s room."
I gave my assent and hurried toward the kitchen, suppressing my excitement. Behind me, I heard Hong Mei’s languid voice complaining to Yu Jie: "You’ve been scared out of your wits. Such a fine child, and you waste her on chores. If you gave her to me to train, in two or three years, wouldn't she be another money-maker for you?"
I stumbled slightly—I never imagined I had that kind of "potential." However, those who seek great things do not fret over trifles. I had more important matters to attend to; I filtered her words out automatically.
When I delivered the medicine to Yu Huan’s room, a brawny old woman with a face full of coarse features blocked my way. I didn't get to see the mysterious woman herself. I was somewhat disappointed, but it was only my third day here, and I had already made some small gains.
That night, I didn't sleep well.
During the first half of the night, Mother Zhang, who shared my room, snored so loudly I couldn't drift off. By the time I finally adjusted to the noise and was about to fall asleep, I heard the faint sound of chattering voices from outside the window. Though muffled and indistinct, they were definitely female voices.
Who would be wandering around the courtyard in the middle of the night?
I quietly opened the door to look, but saw nothing. Could it be that because of the recent death, the place was haunted? Though the thought was absurd, it sent a genuine shiver down my spine.
The next day, while Hong Mei took me out shopping, I mentioned the "ghost" from the night before. She burst out laughing, reached out to pinch my cheek, and said, "What ghosts?"
I grew a bit anxious and pulled her hand. "It’s true. I went out to look, and there was no one in the courtyard."
Hong Mei gave a dismissive smile, then lowered her voice and whispered, "I’ll tell you, but don't go spreading it around. The only person wandering the courtyard in the middle of the night is Yu Huan."
I froze. From Hong Mei’s expression, this wasn't a joke. Did everyone in Hongyan Tower know?
"Why?" I asked softly. "Is she being kept locked up?"
Hong Mei shook her head, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic further, but her grip on my hand tightened. A question suddenly occurred to me: Who exactly was the owner of Hongyan Tower? No one seemed to mention them. Madam Yan was in jail, so the only people who could lock Yu Huan up were Yu Jie or this mysterious owner. Since Madam Yan was away, would she have left any clues in her room?
That day, I waited patiently for nightfall.
I slipped a little something into the water Mother Zhang always drank before bed. Although she usually slept heavily, I wasn't taking any chances. I waited quietly until, finally, I heard her familiar snoring.
I crept out of the room.
We stayed in the servants' quarters in the west courtyard near the outer wall. The ladies lived in the front courtyard. The top courtesans each had their own private embroidery villas, separate from one another. Madam Yan lived in the wing on the far east side of the tower, a place guests rarely visited, making it perhaps the most secluded corner of the establishment. To get there from my room, I had to cross almost the entire back garden.
Just as I turned onto the path by Sunset Lake, I heard a low murmur of voices nearby and quickly ducked behind a cluster of flowers. For this mission, I had specially prepared a set of "night-walking clothes"—the essential gear for heroes in wuxia novels. I was wearing them now, complete with a black cloth mask. Blending into the night, I shouldn't be easily spotted.
I lay flat in the flowerbed, not daring to breathe, as the sound of footsteps drew closer. Suddenly, I heard a soft, young female voice pleading, "Nanny, I want to sit here for a moment. Please?" The heavy note of entreaty in her voice stirred something in me. Could this be Yu Huan?
An aged voice replied impassively, "Miss, please don't make things difficult for me."
The girl sighed. Then, the sound of rustling footsteps followed as the two of them walked away.
I let out a long breath, thinking to myself: If that young woman was Yu Huan, then she isn't sick—she’s being watched. What if Luo Jin just ignored the formalities and hauled her in for interrogation? Perhaps such a direct method would be most effective.
I pricked up my ears and listened carefully. Once I was sure there was no more movement, I continued toward my destination.
I still hadn't quite figured out the exact hours of the ancient "Zishi" or "Maoshi" timekeeping, but I estimated it was nearly two in the morning. There were no all-night performances here, so the guests in the dance hall had long since dispersed. Those staying overnight had been taken back to the ladies' quarters. The servants, exhausted from the day's work, had also retired. I shouldn't have run into anyone, yet I still felt a faint sense of danger in the air.
The gate to Madam Yan’s courtyard was ajar. Just as I slipped inside, I saw the flicker of candlelight within the room.
Knowing I was no martial arts master, I quickly found a dark nook to hide in. On the crimson window screens, the candlelight flickered weakly. The room was silent—no sound of movement, no voices.
As the minutes ticked by, I began to grow anxious. By my calculation, the sedative I gave Mother Zhang would soon wear off. If she woke up and found me gone... or worse, if she woke up just as I was returning in my night-gear, it would be the end of me.
The damn mosquitoes were incredibly resilient; they seemed to exist everywhere. In no time, several itchy, painful bumps had appeared on my exposed forehead. I didn't even dare to scratch them. Just as I was reaching the end of my tether, the door creaked open, and two black-clad figures emerged, one after the other.
The person in the rear suddenly whispered, "Master, Madam Yan has followed you for over ten years. She..."
The man in front cut him off coldly. "This was the Master's decision."
Judging by his voice, the man was likely in his thirties or forties. His tone was icy, like ice cubes clinking against a crystal glass—an unsettling, piercing chill.
The man behind him sighed but said nothing more.
The leader suddenly stopped and looked toward where I was hiding. I immediately felt a wave of cold, murderous intent. Yes, it was killing intent; when such pressure bears down on you, you know with absolute clarity that the person has resolved to kill.
My mind raced: Should I jump out and strike first? Or should I bolt for the gate?
Neither seemed like a good option...
In that moment between life and death, a rustling sound came from beside me, followed by a sound that was like heavenly music to my ears: "Meow."
A pale, fluffy little creature darted past me.
The suffocating killing intent vanished instantly. Had the aura he radiated disturbed the cat's sleep?
The two men in black departed. I remained hidden in my nook. It was only then that I realized the truth of the saying: "Knowledge is only missed when it's needed." If only I were a martial arts expert... if only I could leap over walls like the heroes on TV... if only...
I swore to myself that if I made it out alive, I would find a good teacher and study martial arts diligently. The problem was... who? Baofu? Thinking of this now seemed a bit off-topic...
I crept out and slipped into Madam Yan’s room.
The moonlight wasn't very bright, allowing me to see only the vague outlines of the furnishings: a large bed against the wall, a wide dressing table beside it, several clothes trunks, and a set of table and chairs.
I checked near the bed, around the furniture, and behind the wall hangings—no secret passages. I felt through the clothes trunks—nothing unusual. I stood in the center of the room, thinking hard: If these women wanted to hide something, where would they put it? I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but given her suspicious identity, she had to have left some traces.
I carefully felt my way to the dressing table. The drawers contained boxes of various sizes, some jewelry, and some fragrant items that seemed to be pomades. In the box beneath the bronze mirror, there were two small drawers. The top one held jewelry; the bottom one contained several pieces of stiff, folded paper. Banknotes? Receipts? I couldn't see a thing in the dark, so I simply stuffed them into my tunic.
By the time I safely tucked myself back into my bed while Mother Zhang was still snoring, the sky was beginning to pale.
The items I had taken from Madam Yan’s room were two pawn tickets from the same shop, called "Shunlong Pawnshop." The items pawned were hairpins and jewelry, and the amounts were substantial. I didn't know the fair market value for jewelry here, so after much hesitation, I quietly gave them to Old Uncle Lin at the tower and asked him to find a way to get them to Luo Jin.
To my surprise, only three days after my night raid, Luo Jin sent someone to bring me back to the Ministry of Justice.
"Why?" I looked up, staring directly into Luo Jin’s eyes. My fingertips were trembling with suppressed fury.
Luo Jin sighed, lowered his head, and paced with his hands behind his back.
Looking out the window, I saw a grey-haired old man crouching in the small garden of the Ministry's backyard, tending to the plants. The bright sunlight shone on the green grass and yellow flowers beneath the high walls; the garden was full of life.
I pulled my gaze back and looked at Luo Jin stubbornly. We were the only two in the room, so I didn't care about my image. I stomped my foot and demanded again, "Why close the case? There are clearly so many suspicious points..."
Luo Jin sighed again and crouched down in front of me. When he looked at me at eye level, it gave me the illusion that we were... two colleagues discussing a case.
"Wu Chao, you are a child, yet it is so strange—talking to you about the case feels perfectly normal..." He shook his head in confusion. "Truly strange."
I interrupted his sentimentality angrily. "You’re off-topic."
Luo Jin shook his head and sighed a third time. "Madam Yan has committed suicide by poison. She left a confession."
The conversation between the two men in black in Madam Yan’s courtyard flashed through my mind. I couldn't help but shout, "She was clearly a scape—"
Luo Jin clamped his hand over my mouth, his gaze turning sharper than I had ever seen it.
His expression terrified me, forcing me to swallow the rest of my words.
"You had better forget that, Wu Chao," he warned me with absolute gravity. "Li Liang’s case is closed."
His attitude allowed me to guess the truth. My heart sank again. I looked up at him unwillingly and whispered, "I will never forget this case. But I promise I will never speak of it to anyone else. I am a person of my word; I only ask Uncle Luo for an explanation."
A trace of conflict appeared in Luo Jin’s eyes. After a moment of silence, he lowered his gaze and said softly, "Because of those two pawn tickets you sent."
I stared at him blankly. What did that mean?
He looked at me and gave a bitter smile. "Shunlong Pawnshop is the property of the Second Prince."
I let out an "Oh"—so that was it. For a moment, I felt I had nothing left to say. I turned to leave.
A large hand pressed down on my shoulder, but I stubbornly refused to turn and face him. Luo Jin sighed behind me. "Are you disappointed in me?"
I didn't speak. Since he was telling the truth, what was there to argue about?
"When you grow up, you will understand me eventually."
My hands unconsciously clenched into fists. "When I grow up, I hope I have enough courage to face the things you don't dare to face." With that, I walked out of the Ministry of Justice without looking back.
I walked home slowly, my head hanging low.
The high noon sun beat down warmly on the quiet streets. The autumn breeze carried the scent of osmanthus—faint and ethereal—making me think, despite myself, of the moment Gu Xin pushed me off the cliff.
It was the same sense of defeat.
Only now, it was compounded by a feeling of utter helplessness.
Since arriving here, I had deliberately avoided dwelling on my past failure. But in this moment, surrounded by this crushing disappointment, I had to admit that in that previous mission, I had indeed—failed.
Because I tried to be a hero, thinking I had everything under control...
Because I was unwilling to let go, unwilling to see the clues I had followed for so long be cut off... and so, before backup arrived, I had hurriedly left a trail and pursued those two drug traffickers alone, straight into Gu Xin’s trap.
I had insisted on involving myself in Luo Jin’s case, even at the cost of Wu Chao’s future marriage... to put it bluntly, it was because subconsciously, I still wanted to win a round—to prove myself in a brand new beginning.
That was all.
I sat down against the high wall of a grand residence and buried my head deep in my arms. I felt as though I didn't have the strength to take another step.
I don't know how much time passed before a pair of warm arms wrapped around my small body.
I looked up and saw Father Ji’s warm eyes.
"Tired?" he asked softly, stroking my hair. "Can't walk anymore?"
I shook my head.
Father Ji lowered his head and bumped his forehead against mine. The intimacy of the gesture made me burst into a smile.
Father Ji smiled too. He turned around and took me onto his back. "Let’s go home. Everyone is waiting for you for dinner."
I didn't ask how he found me, nor did I want to. Clinging to his neck, I felt only a sense of peace—a peace so profound it felt as though even if the sky fell, I would have nothing to fear.
"Father?" I called softly.
He gave a grunt of acknowledgement.
I had nothing to say, so I just called again, "Father."
He acknowledged me again.
My tears began to fall, pitter-patter, onto his shoulder.
***
