Chapter 8

The moon hung hazy in the sky, and the small courtyard was hushed, save for the emerald bamboo swaying in the deep night, casting dancing, fragmented shadows.

Xie Junting scrambled up the wall in a few swift motions. Just as he prepared to leap down, a flash of light from an unknown source caught his eyes, forcing him to blink. He squinted, finally discerning the origin of the glare. On the other side of the wall, from the base stretching outward for two or three feet, rows upon rows of sharp spikes had been scattered. In the moonlight, the needle-sharp tips shimmered with a cold, piercing light that made one gasp.

Xie Junting pressed his lips into a tight line. If he were to fall, he wouldn't just fail to sneak out to find his mother—he would likely be bedridden for weeks. There was no doubt in his mind: only Xie Junyan could devise such a cruel trap.

As he perched on the wall, teeth clenched in frustration, he heard a slight movement behind him. Turning, he saw Xie Junyan standing in the courtyard, looking up at him with a tray in hand, looking entirely at ease. The moonlight was cold and clear, illuminating the youth’s upright posture and jade-like features. His thin, phoenix-shaped eyes—so like their father’s—held a mocking, enigmatic glint, making Junting tighten his fists even further.

"Is the view of the moon better from atop a wall?" Xie Junyan asked calmly, looking at his younger brother’s puffed-up face. "Junting, you truly have an exquisite taste for leisure."

Junting was currently in a predicament, but unwilling to show weakness before his twin, he stiffened his neck and retorted, "I'll look at the moon wherever I please. Is that any of your business?"

His tone was arrogant, and when paired with his handsome, youthful, and defiant face, it was enough to make one shake their head with an amused smile.

Xie Junyan merely said, "Oh. Then do take your time." With that, he placed the tray on a stone table and turned to leave.

"Stand where you are!"

Xie Junyan paused, his voice dropping to a cooler note. "Junting, could you try to be a bit more polite?"

Here it was again! That high-and-mighty, elder-brother posturing!

Furious, Junting’s face tightened. "You want me to be polite? What about you? Why did you put all those spikes by the wall? Are you trying to stop me, or would you be happy just watching me fall and get impaled?"

The temper of youth is volatile and impulsive. Under the influence of anger, words often tumble out without passing through the brain—sharp, biting, and like thin blades, capable of wounding the person opposite with little effort.

Xie Junyan paused. "The gate is unlocked, and the path is clear. Junting, it is you who insists on imagining things in such extremes."

If he had simply walked out the front gate, none of this would have happened.

Junting retorted, "Whatever you do is always justified, and whatever I do is always rash and foolish, right?"

Xie Junyan began to regret coming here. The expression in his eyes grew even more distant. Not wishing to argue further, he turned away, only to meet a pair of weary, helpless eyes.

"Auntie Yuanfang."

Yuanfang sighed. These two brothers—they cared for each other more than anyone, yet the moment they were together, they would inevitably bicker.

"Junting, come down now. Your brother has been worried that you haven't eaten properly today. He specifically brought you some braised lion's head meatballs with spring bamboo shoots. Eat them while they're warm."

Yuanfang was Shi Lingyao’s personal maid, having served her since childhood and accompanied her into the Xie household. Later… she had chosen not to return to the Shi family, staying instead at the Xie estate to raise the twins.

Junting might be stubborn and tempestuous with others—even his father and brother—but he always showed Yuanfang a measure of respect.

"If it weren't for Auntie Yuanfang's sake, I wouldn't care for anything you brought!"

Xie Junyan watched his brother wolf down the food while pretending to be disdainful, his own face expressionless. Yuanfang stood to the side, a faint smile on her lips.

***

Once Junting had finished, he relaxed and let out a burp. He quickly sat up straight, pretending that nothing had happened. But out of the corner of his eye, he snuck a glance, and sure enough, his posturing brother had begun to sneer again. Junting’s face flushed with indignation.

Watching them spar, Yuanfang felt a headache coming on. She decided to change the subject. "In two days, it will be your twelfth birthday. Though we aren't planning a grand celebration, the Old Madam intends for us to have a lively gathering. Junyan, Junting, do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

Xie Junyan shook his head. "Whatever the elders decide is fine."

Junting remained silent. Yuanfang glanced at him, hoping to encourage the brothers to reconcile, her heart aching for this stubborn, difficult child. She smiled and said, "What about you, Junting? You two usually have your own ideas; why have you both become like mute gourds today?"

Xie Junyan and Junting exchanged a glance, then quickly averted their eyes. Yuanfang sighed inwardly. If their mother were still here, she would surely ache to see these two difficult children.

Thinking of Shi Lingyao, Yuanfang felt a wave of sadness, but she did not want to show it before the boys. She gathered the bowls and chopsticks, urging, "Go and get some rest. Don't cause any more trouble when you pay your respects to the Old Madam tomorrow."

Junting snorted. "Who has the time to bicker with him?" His priority now was to find his mother.

Xie Junyan gave him a faint look. "Rest early. And one more thing."

Junting gave his brother a reluctant look.

"Junting, remember to use the front gate next time. Stop climbing walls."

With that, the elegant and refined youth cast one last look at his brother and strolled away, leaving Junting in place, throwing punches at the air in a fit of rage.

***

Upon learning that Shi Lingyao was leaving, Da Ya’s eyes turned red. Before they departed, she tugged at the hem of Shi Lingyao’s robe, sobbing, "Will Mistress Shi come back?"

Tao Hong’s eyes also reddened. Seeing her daughter being so insistent and fearing it would burden Shi Lingyao, she quickly said, "Da Ya, stop being naughty."

But the usually sensible Da Ya stubbornly gripped the pinkish-purple fabric, refusing to let go.

Shi Lingyao stroked Da Ya’s soft, yellowed hair, her own heart feeling sour. "Isn't that Brother Zhou coming to Shanshui Township to collect peach blossoms and silk floss? When I have the chance, I will come back to see you."

Tao Hong wiped away her tears. Mistress Shi had not only given them quite a bit of silver, but she had also brought work to the village, picking peach blossoms and collecting silk floss. For the farming folk, any extra income was a surprise blessing, and the entire family—nay, the entire township—was filled with energy! Thinking of the source of their improved lives, Tao Hong couldn't help but sigh that Mistress Shi was truly a great, kind soul.

After bidding farewell to Tao Hong’s family, they reached the tea hut. Fang Futou did not rush to leave, saying honestly, "I will head back once you have entered the city, Mistress Shi."

They were all good people. Shi Lingyao did not decline out of false modesty and thanked them sincerely.

With Zhou Jun’s help, Shi Lingyao successfully entered the city of Bianjing. Ten years had passed, but Bianjing remained as prosperous as ever—carriages like flowing water, horses like dragons, and a bustling crowd, a true picture of a golden age.

Shi Lingyao was naturally happy to see the dynasty flourishing, but…

"The prices are far too high!"

With fifty taels of silver in her purse, Shi Lingyao dragged her small bundle and said goodbye to Zhou Jun and the others before heading excitedly toward Chunsha Street.

The most fashionable jewelry and clothing shops in Bianjing were all on Chunsha Street. In the past, this was her favorite place to visit; she wouldn't be satisfied unless she spent at least two hours browsing.

But as soon as she entered the Manyu Pavilion, she found the jewelry displayed on the first floor to be mediocre at best. She finally found a pearl hair ornament that was somewhat pleasing to the eye, but when she asked the price, it was ten taels of silver.

In the past, Shi Lingyao had been the naive, pampered young woman who didn't know the cost of firewood and rice; ten taels of silver would have been spent without a second thought. But as she touched the fifty taels in her purse—money she had earned by spending days pounding petals and sifting incense powder herself—she couldn't bear to spend nearly a fifth of it on a single hair ornament.

Furthermore, she was thinking of the twins' twelfth birthday in two days and wanted to save enough to buy them a proper gift.

There were many guests in the pavilion. Seeing her hesitation, the attendant lost interest and, without a word of mockery, turned to greet other customers.

Shi Lingyao took one last look at the ornament. It was crafted in the shape of a crab-claw chrysanthemum using pink tourmaline, coral beads, and rice pearls. The materials weren't top-tier, but the design and the color coordination were elegant and unique.

Sighing, she gave up the idea of checking the second floor and turned to leave.

Shi Lingyao had originally planned to buy a decent outfit to look beautiful when she met the twins, but she hadn't expected that after all these years, the cost of living in Bianjing had reached such terrifying heights!

Shi Lingyao looked down at her own plain clothes with a sense of trepidation. The dress she had bought at a ready-made shop was certainly nothing special in terms of style or fabric. But circumstances were different now; she had to spend her money wisely.

For now, she needed to find a place to settle down. Living in Bianjing was no easy feat. She couldn't return to the Anren or Chongming districts where she used to live. Or perhaps she could? She might go to Anren district another day; if her parents had left a servant to watch over the house, wouldn't she be able to find them?

In any case, reaching Bianjing was the first step toward successfully seeing the twins. She should be happy! As for the clothes and jewelry, Shi Lingyao painfully told herself that she would have them in the future.

After settling into an inn, Shi Lingyao sprawled on the bed, her mind turning slowly. Knocking on the gates of the Xie estate and demanding to see the children was clearly not an option. And she was not ready to face Xie Zongwei, who, after ten years, seemed to have become a man obsessed with power and perhaps even deranged.

Dabao and Xiaobao were only twelve this year. Given their father’s nature as the Chief Councilor, he would likely have enrolled them in the Imperial Academy. Her chances of meeting them would be much higher there.

Shi Lingyao happily rolled over. She would take a nap and then head out to find her children!

But her nap lasted until the lanterns were lit. Watching the bustling crowds outside, she felt a strange sense of returning to the world of the living. She decided to go out and have a good meal first.

In the prosperous night, the young woman’s figure was graceful, her almond eyes shining with curiosity as she looked at the newly opened shops along the street.

A breeze blew by, lifting a corner of a blue fabric curtain.

Inside, the handsome man sitting at the table frowned slightly, his gaze drifting carelessly through the gap in the curtain toward the street outside.

A familiar figure suddenly entered his field of vision. His eyes, usually as calm as a mountain lake, suddenly constricted.

"Stop the carriage!"