Because her mind was occupied with the matters of the Su Manor, Qin Jiuye felt as though the better part of the day had vanished in a blur.
As soon as the hour of the *Wei* arrived, she could no longer endure Qin Sanyou’s nagging and began to pace restlessly in the courtyard. Old Tang watched the excitement for a while with Jinbao and that fool Du Laogou, but eventually, complaining of the heat and the mosquitoes, they retreated indoors. This left her alone to face the slowly creeping sun and an unshakeable sense of unease.
Li Qiao was still chopping wood. He had been at it from sunrise until the sun began its westward descent, appearing far more composed than she was.
Qin Jiuye felt that those reclusive cultivators hidden away in their mountain retreats shouldn't bother with the dead-end path of fasting and breath-control; they ought to try their hand at wood-chopping instead.
After an indeterminate amount of time, mole crickets began to chirp from the depths of the overgrown grass.
Qin Jiuye stood guard by the dog hole, squatting at the base of the wall as she spent a long time studying how to move the stone. When she finally looked up, she discovered Jiang Xin’er sitting perched atop the wall, having watched her antics for who knew how long.
Seeing her look up, the red-clad blade-master leaped down, making no effort to hide her disdain for what she had just witnessed.
"So unobservant. I truly do not know why the Young Master insisted on choosing you for this task."
However, before her words could even land, another voice rang out in the courtyard.
"You are half a quarter-hour later than the appointed time. If we are discussing the handling of affairs, you are merely mediocre yourself."
Only then did Jiang Xin’er realize that the youth she had met once before had been standing in the shadows not far away the entire time, and she had failed to notice him.
A surge of inexplicable frustration rose in her chest. Jiang Xin’er tossed the bundle behind her toward the thin woman standing nearby, her voice cold.
"Put these on. Move quickly. I have only secured enough time for half a stick of incense."
"If you’d said earlier that you had clothes prepared, why would I have gone to all that trouble last night..."
Qin Jiuye muttered half a sentence before shutting her mouth. She truly had no heart for bickering right now. She obediently took the bundle, handed the manservant’s attire within to Li Qiao, and hurriedly changed into the maidservant’s *ruqun* herself.
Just as she finished tying the sash at her waist and stepped out, she was suddenly hoisted up.
Jiang Xin’er hooked an arm around her waist and turned her face toward the youth standing in the courtyard.
"The Young Master only told me to bring her. You’ll have to find your own way."
Bring only her? Hadn't they agreed on two...
Before Qin Jiuye could grasp the meaning of those words, she felt a force lift her by the waist. A spiraling cold wind caught her skirts as she left the ground. She saw her own feet dangling in the air as they cleared the high wall. For a fleeting moment, she seemed to be at a great height, catching a glimpse of half of Jiu’gao City in a single glance.
So this was the joy that those of the *jianghu* never bothered to explain to outsiders?
By the time her feet touched the ground, Qin Jiuye still hadn't fully reacted. She looked up at the wall behind her, which stood over a man's height, her heart filled with a sudden surge of admiration. She had intended to ask Jiang Xin’er how much Xu Qiuchi was paying her, but realizing she could never utter the words "I'll pay double," she simply leaned in and whispered.
"Since scaling walls is so easy for you, why did you make him crawl through that dog hole the other day?"
Jiang Xin’er stiffened. Before she could say anything, the dandy’s voice drifted out from the carriage.
"Shopkeeper Qin wouldn't know, but my Xin’er is a person of propriety. Holding your waist is one thing, but normally she refuses to even touch me. As they say, men and women should not touch while giving or receiving..."
He was about to say more when Jiang Xin’er unceremoniously hoisted Qin Jiuye into the carriage.
"Young Master, if we do not leave now, we will miss the hour."
The annoying voice inside the carriage finally fell silent.
Before ducking into the carriage, Qin Jiuye caught another glimpse of the woman’s aloof profile, feeling that she was quite different from what she had previously imagined.
A few paces behind her, Li Qiao also vaulted over the wall. He reached the carriage in a few strides and was about to enter the cabin when Jiang Xin’er blocked him with a swift hand.
"There is no room for you inside. Sit outside."
The carriage curtain was slowly lowered until the thin woman’s face was completely obscured. Only then did the youth slowly withdraw his gaze and sit silently on the other side of the driver's bench.
Jiang Xin’er glanced at him, her eyes sweeping over his waist.
The boy seemed to have known the rules of entering high-ranking households from the start; his waist was bare, without even a self-defense dagger to be seen, let alone any weapon that could identify his status.
Fine. A fox will eventually show its tail. They would wait and see.
She retracted her gaze and flicked the reins. The carriage sped out of Shouqi Street.
The wheels rattled over the pitted stone road before finally settling into the ruts of the main thoroughfare. As the ride smoothed out, Qin Jiuye peeked out through the half-propped window.
She had never looked at this city from this angle before. In the mid-afternoon, the shadows on both sides of the street were deep and heavy. The expressions of the pedestrians were so blurred, their figures so hurried. The warm wind carried a hint of moisture, and within that moisture was the mingled scent of hearth smoke and street life, feeling indescribably vivid against her face.
After being cooped up in Tingfeng Hall for several days, she truly missed the days of walking outside, free and unconstrained.
Looking back, the tattered lantern at the entrance of Shouqi Street grew smaller and smaller. A few scattered *jianghu* travelers were loitering near the street corner, but there was no sign of the soldiers who had been secretly staking out Tingfeng Hall, nor anyone chasing after them.
"No need to keep looking back. My elder brother is also attending the banquet today. With Lu Zican away, there were few guards left outside Tingfeng Hall to begin with, and Xin’er has already diverted them."
Qin Jiuye ignored him, her head still wedged against the gap in the window.
The carriage made a sharp turn onto another street. The wheels hit a rut, the cabin jolted, and with a loud *thud*, her head slammed hard against the window frame.
A burst of schadenfreude-filled laughter erupted behind her. Qin Jiuye pulled her head back, summoned the full strength of her thousand-year-thick skin, and pointed at the carriage window with a sharp, biting critique.
"This window of yours is truly pathetic. Would it have cost that much more to make it larger? And you call yourself a young master of a wealthy house? I see you're nothing special after all..."
"It seems Shopkeeper Qin is not accustomed to riding in carriages."
The man was clearly used to her tactics, employing his own ten-thousand-year-old mastery of "tit-for-tat" to leave her momentarily speechless.
Yes, she was indeed unaccustomed to carriages. Because she had hardly ever ridden in one.
Not counting the time she had accidentally stumbled into one while fleeing a house agent, this was only the second time in Qin Jiuye’s life that she had sat in a carriage. For someone who had only ridden twice, there was no such thing as being "accustomed" to it.
"I simply do not like carriages," she countered coldly, having no desire to engage in idle chatter on a day when she was being forced to risk her life.
She knit her brows and remained silent, but the silk-clad young master sitting beside her refused to shut up so easily.
"Once we enter the manor, we will inevitably encounter Su Lin. During the banquet, you and your brother must follow me closely. You needn't say much. If anyone approaches to converse, just smile and act as though you are taking your cues from me. I will handle the rest. Do you understand?"
He finished and paused deliberately, seemingly waiting for her response.
The feeling of being suppressed at every turn was truly unpleasant. Qin Jiuye began to admire the way Li Qiao had previously humbled himself before her.
After a long moment, she let out a humiliated grunt to indicate she had heard him. Only then did he continue.
"Su Lin comes from a merchant background and loves to affect an air of refined culture. Half of the guests he invited are city nobles. There likely won't be singing or dancing during the feast, but there will certainly be programs like 'Winding Stream Parties' or 'Composing Poetry by Falling Petals.' Because of this, everyone will be leaving their seats, and it won't be easy to notice who is coming or going. I will drink with three people individually. After drinking, I will claim to feel unwell and wish to walk in the rear garden. You and your brother will follow me, and we will find an opportunity to head toward the inner courtyard. I will have my person guard the boundary of the main courtyard to watch the movements at the feast. Her tolerance for alcohol is excellent, and her social skills are formidable; she can handle everything at the banquet."
Excellent tolerance and formidable social skills? That Jiang Xin’er didn't look like someone who was socially adept or knew how to navigate courtly maneuvers.
Qin Jiuye remained silent, her heart growing more worried. Xu Qiuchi continued at an unhurried pace.
"Although there will be no shortage of high-ranking figures among the guests today, you needn't take most of them to heart; they are mostly just there for show. There is only one person you must be wary of, and that is my elder brother. For this birthday banquet, the Su family clearly did not want to provoke the General of the South’s Manor, but they also couldn't openly offend the Qiu family. After some compromise, they only sent an invitation to me. Yet, my brother managed to solicit another invitation for himself; his intention is already quite obvious. This is the first time he has attended a private banquet since becoming the Protector. While he won't be as targeted as he was when he raided the Treasure Mirage Pavilion, he likely harbors suspicions toward the Su family. However, he has been quite annoyed with me lately and will certainly avoid me unless there is an exceptional circumstance. Use this incense as your limit when you leave. Once the time is up, you must return to the feast regardless of whether you have found anything. Otherwise, even I cannot guarantee we can slip away without a trace."
As he spoke, he pulled out a spherical incense sachet and handed it to Qin Jiuye. After checking it, he personally fastened it to her waist.
Qin Jiuye didn't move, letting him fiddle with it, but her eyes remained fixed on Xu Qiuchi.
He rarely spoke with such a serious expression. This string of instructions and arrangements was not only logically clear but also meticulously considered at every step. It was evident that the rumors of the Second Young Master of the Qiu family being a profligate dandy were merely a facade. He was, in fact, a man of great capability—likely the one truly in charge of the Qiu household now.
For someone with such calm analytical skills to normally act like a flamboyant show-off... thinking deeply on it, it was a chilling realization.
Recalling the time he had sent Jiang Xin’er to deliver the invitation, Qin Jiuye suddenly understood something.
"When the incident at the Treasure Mirage Pavilion occurred, was the Second Young Master also present?"
Xu Qiuchi’s movements paused, and he stepped back slightly.
"You should ask the Lord Protector that question. Wherever he is, I will naturally go."
These words were spoken with a touch of roguishness, neither denying the claim nor answering it, while looping the question back to Qiu Ling.
The two young masters of the Qiu family were not only different in temperament, but their underlying motives also seemed vastly divergent.
Qin Jiuye stared at him, as if trying to pierce through that skin to see what color his bones truly were.
Previously, she had found his clothes too garish and had never looked closely at his face. Now that she did, she saw that he actually shared seventy to eighty percent of his features with Qiu Ling. In terms of pure aesthetics, he was even more refined than the latter.
The eldest son of the Qiu family had left home young and had been tempered on the battlefields. Even during his years at the academy, he had studied arduously, being instilled daily with the grand principles of life and death. His silhouette was firmer, his temperament more resolute and restrained. This second son, however, had been raised in Jiu’gao City. Jiu’gao was a place where killing intent hid within gentle winds and fine rain. Since his youth, he had to manage the household’s affairs, socialize with the city’s powerful, and navigate both official and merchant circles. He had mastered the art of hiding a hook within a dancing sleeve; what showed in his eyes was the kaleidoscope of the secular world.
If the color beneath Qiu Ling’s black armor was a pure, flawless white, then beneath his younger brother’s multicolored shell lay a skeleton of chaotic, murky grey.
This was the immense difference created by vastly different upbringings.
Withdrawing her gaze, Qin Jiuye looked down and toyed with the incense sachet at her waist, asking somewhat bluntly.
"Does the Protector know that the Second Young Master is interfering like this?"
"Do you think that because we are brothers, we must be of one mind and always stand on the same side?"
Qin Jiuye answered with a question of her own.
"Is it not so? If one cannot even trust family, who else can be trusted?"
Hearing this, the man laughed and leaned back against the window. The wind from outside drifted in, slightly mussing his hair.
"Shopkeeper Qin’s understanding of family is a bit too simplistic. Sometimes, the people closest to you, those living under the same roof, are not family. They might be the ones holding a blade, ready to stab you. When it comes to swinging a blade, being further away actually keeps you safer."
Every family has its secrets. His words suggested hidden grievances, but Qin Jiuye was no fool. She knew the feuds of these great houses were not for someone like her to inquire about. Furthermore, she was already overwhelmed with her own troubles and had no leisure to manage the affairs of others.
He wanted her to pry? Hmph, she wouldn't.
When she spoke again, she seemed to have regained some of the composure she’d had the day she burst into his carriage.
"If the Second Young Master is so guarded even against his own family, why choose an outsider like me to be involved?"
"I didn't hold a knife to your throat, nor did I bribe you with silver. Why did Shopkeeper Qin ultimately agree to wade into these muddy waters?"
He spoke the truth, and Qin Jiuye answered truthfully as well.
"I am already in the game. If I do not fight with all my might, the people around me will suffer in the end."
"The affection Shopkeeper Qin has for her family is enviable. You can consider that the reason I chose you," Xu Qiuchi paused, and when he spoke again, his voice held a hint of self-deprecation. "I have dozens of kinsmen still living, yet I was raised by my father’s side and am not close to those distant relatives. After my brother left home, the manor required me alone to support it. I have never enjoyed a single day of familial affection, yet I must fulfill familial obligations. Sometimes when I think about it, I am truly unwilling."
After he said this, there was a brief silence in the carriage.
Qin Jiuye didn't speak for a moment, but in her heart, she was unimpressed.
She knew nothing of the Qiu family’s past grievances. She only thought that if everything was as Xu Qiuchi said—that there were few people left in the Jiu’gao Qiu Manor and his family lacked no money—why speak so mournfully of "supporting it alone"? She was the true model of supporting an entire family alone, yet she never complained.
"I was not born into a family of scholars and nobles; I cannot fully empathize with the Second Young Master’s troubles, though I can understand them to an extent," Qin Jiuye sighed, but then her tone shifted. "However, do not look down on me, Second Young Master, thinking that a bit of emotional appeal can gloss over everything and make me willingly sell my life for you. To you, spending a few taels of silver or bringing a few extra people to a banquet might be nothing, but we both know the current situation is far more than that. Kang Renshou’s death is not that simple, and the Su family certainly has dark corners yet to be revealed. If you aren't truly just here to watch the excitement, then you are already a player in this game. If you don't want to speak of the stakes involved, then don't, but there is no need to use me and my grandfather as an excuse."
As her words landed, Xu Qiuchi maintained his smiling face, seemingly unoffended by her impertinence.
"Shopkeeper Qin is quite formidable. I wonder if you can guess why I am in this game?"
Qin Jiuye shook her head.
"I can't. You be your Second Young Master of the Qiu family, and I’ll seek my poor person’s livelihood. Just know that even an ant clings to life. Even if I am a pawn in this game against my will, I am not the type to be used and then discarded. I will find a way to survive."
The man feigned surprise, then put on a look of heartbreak.
"You speak as if I don't care for your life. It truly wounds me."
He possessed a fine visage; even a slight knit of his brows was exceptionally moving. But the woman before him remained unmoved.
"Does the Second Young Master dare to say that in your repeated interactions with me, there wasn't a single element of exploitation?"
He finally dropped his joking demeanor.
"Then tell me, what part of you is even worth exploiting?"
Qin Jiuye was stumped.
She truly didn't understand why Xu Qiuchi wanted to drag her into this chessboard, nor what kind of piece she was supposed to be.
Based on her experiences so far, perhaps he valued her medical skills, believing that in this mystery of "sickness and medicine," she had the potential to hack through to the truth. But he shouldn't know her that well. Guoran Clinic had no fame, and she wasn't a renowned physician in Jiu’gao. With so many masters from great pharmacies available, why seek her? Simply because she was easy to control?
Feeling a surge of frustration in her chest, Qin Jiuye suddenly grinned. she reached out a finger to twirl a lock of her hair, her voice turning high and thin.
"That’s hard to say. Perhaps you saw my beauty. After all, it was the Second Young Master who first spoke to me and let me into his carriage. The fate between people is just so inexplicable. It hasn't been that long; surely you haven't forgotten?"
As soon as she spoke, it was the other party’s turn to be stunned. For a long moment, he couldn't say a word.
A moment later, the rumbling of the carriage wheels stopped. Jiang Xin’er’s voice rang out from outside.
"Young Master, we have arrived."
At the same time, the dazed Second Young Master of the Qiu family finally regained his senses. He laughed three times, stood up, and lifted the curtain. As he reached the door, he looked back and spoke meaningfully.
"Shopkeeper Qin, keep that attitude you just had. Don't let it collapse when you follow me into the manor."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 未时 | Wei hour | The period from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. |
| 襦裙 | Ruqun | A traditional Chinese outfit consisting of a short blouse (ru) and a long skirt (qun). |
| 曲水流觞 | Winding Stream Party | An ancient drinking game where cups of wine are floated down a winding stream; the person in front of whom the cup stops must drink and/or compose a poem. |
| 飞英赋诗 | Composing Poetry by Falling Petals | A refined literary game involving poetry and falling flowers/petals. |
| 诗礼簪缨 | Scholars and nobles | Literally "poetry, rites, hairpins, and tassels," referring to aristocratic families with a tradition of education and official service. |
| 果然居 | Guoran Clinic | Qin Jiuye's medical clinic/home. |
