"I suppose I count as your half-brother."
The fire had been extinguished, but the room was still thick with choking smoke. The pressure around her neck tightened further, squeezing until Wen Jiao could barely breathe.
The person behind her breathed coldly and steadily, his arm unmoving. "You slipped in amid the chaos—what do you intend to do?"
It was Song Langyu.
Wen Jiao's heart seized, but her face immediately assumed a look of frightened bewilderment. Her eyes reddened as she struggled weakly. "Cousin? It's me, Jiao Jiao! I saw you rush in and was worried for your safety…"
Hearing her voice, the person behind her stiffened, then released his hold.
"What are you doing here?"
"Aunt… Aunt sent me to bring you a change of clothes." Wen Jiao choked out, the silver needle in her ring already springing forth.
Song Langyu frowned, annoyed. "It's dangerous here. Leave first."
He turned and walked deeper inside. Wen Jiao followed quietly, the silver needle in her hand about to pierce the back of Song Langyu's neck when a constable burst in. Wen Jiao hastily withdrew the needle.
The newcomer reported, "Your Excellency, the fire has been put out, and the arsonist has been apprehended."
The arsonist was a menial laborer from the Ministry of Justice. Before he could be interrogated, he had bitten off his own tongue and died.
Looking at the laborer's corpse, Sun Chengyuan's face was clouded with gloom.
"He Gui, the Miaoshan case has far-reaching implications. Those items brought back from the secret chamber are crucial evidence. The mastermind behind this failed arson attempt will likely strike again."
Song Langyu pondered for a moment, then said, "The Ministry of Justice has too many eyes and ears. Keeping the evidence there is indeed unsafe."
"You're thinking of placing it in the Court of Judicial Review?"
Song Langyu shook his head. "The Court of Judicial Review is not a safe place either."
It needed to be both hidden and constantly within sight—Sun Chengyuan was also stumped.
"I'll trouble you, Brother Sun, to find a chest."
Meanwhile, Wen Jiao was like an ant on a hot pan, but she could only wait idly in the side chamber. Time passed unbearably slowly.
After what felt like an eternity, footsteps approached the door. Wen Jiao hurriedly rose to greet them. The moment the door opened, she nearly collided with Song Langyu's chest.
Her hair was disheveled, her face and clothes smeared with black soot, her eyes anxious and bright. The first words out of her mouth were: "Cousin, are you alright? Were you hurt? Are the pieces of evidence safe?"
Because Wen Jiao had just confessed her feelings to Song Langyu and had recklessly charged into the fire to find him, he assumed she was deliberately clinging to him. He felt only burdened and annoyed.
His expression turned cold. "Mother always sends a servant boy to deliver my things. Why did she send you today?"
Wen Jiao's face paled. She stammered, "It was… I happened to be going out, so I brought the things along the way."
Song Langyu's gaze grew even colder, wearing an expression that said "I knew it."
"That day in the study, I made myself clear. If you still insist on pestering me, don't blame me for disregarding your dignity and reporting this to Mother."
"Cousin…" Wen Jiao's eyes reddened, tears carving two pale streaks down her soot-covered face as she begged in a trembling voice, "Please don't. I truly won't dare again…"
She was living under someone else's roof. If she incurred Madam Wu's displeasure, there was no guarantee she wouldn't be thrown out of the Duke's mansion.
Song Langyu was not a hard-hearted man, nor did he wish to make things difficult for a young lady. As long as Wen Jiao stopped pestering him, he could coexist with her peacefully.
The two walked out one after the other.
"Cousin, were you hurt? Were the pieces of evidence damaged?" Wen Jiao timidly asked.
Song Langyu did not pause his steps, only brushing her off with a terse "It's nothing." Wen Jiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The carriage stopped at the gate. As soon as Wen Jiao boarded, she saw the locked camphor wood chest inside.
Her heart pounded wildly as she heard Song Langyu outside instructing the constables:
"These pieces of evidence involve a major case. Escort them to the Court of Judicial Review and keep them under strict guard."
A breeze lifted the corner of the carriage curtain, and Wen Jiao saw the constables loading chests onto another carriage.
If evidence wasn't safe at the Ministry of Justice, would it be safe at the Court of Judicial Review?
Wen Jiao stared fixedly at the camphor wood chest before her, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Before long, Song Langyu also boarded the carriage. The two sat facing each other, but the entire journey passed in silence.
The carriage drove straight into the grounds of the Duke of Zhenguo's estate, where each retired to their own courtyard to wash and change.
After Wen Jiao had made herself presentable and was pondering how to get close to that camphor wood chest, Song Langyu sent someone to summon her—but this time, he did not have her enter the study. Instead, she was brought to the West Warm Chamber.
"Sit."
Wen Jiao sat down nervously.
Song Langyu had already changed into a set of moon-white casual robes, his brow and eyes cold and stern.
"Earlier, you confessed your feelings to me. Though I rejected you, because you are a woman, I did not rebuke you at length. But your conduct today has been rash and frivolous. Though we are cousins by marriage, upon reflection, I suppose I count as half an elder brother to you. There are some principles worth explaining to you—it can do no harm."
Hadn't he already lectured her before? Why wouldn't he let it go?
Wen Jiao was inwardly annoyed, but outwardly she wore a look of guilt and panic, murmuring softly: "Elder Cousin is naturally my elder brother. Jiao Jiao has behaved improperly—please, do lecture me as you see fit."
The door of the warm chamber was left open, but for the sake of Wen Jiao's reputation, Song Langyu had already cleared the courtyard of all servants.
"Do you know where you went wrong?"
My mistake was not knocking you unconscious sooner.
Of course, she couldn't say that aloud. Wen Jiao could only shed two tears and choke out: "Jiao Jiao is alone in the world, of humble status. I should never have harbored improper thoughts toward Elder Cousin, and certainly should never have confessed my feelings, causing you distress."
In the past, Song Langyu always received her in the study, but today he had changed to the warm chamber—that camphor wood chest must be hidden in the study.
Among the noble houses of the capital, marriage prospects had always valued family standing. Though Song Langyu was not so driven by worldly ambition, his wife must be literate, fond of reading, virtuous, refined, and proper—absolutely not a woman like Wen Jiao, who behaved with such frivolity and impropriety.
"A woman should strictly observe the boundaries between men and women. One must not speak openly of affection or admiration. From now on, you should mind your words and conduct, and not act in a frivolous manner."
"Jiao Jiao understands." The young woman hung her head even lower, looking utterly dejected.
"Since I have already rejected you, you should not have come to pester me again. I have already asked Mother about today's matter—she did not send you to deliver anything to me. You truly acted with ill intent."
Though Song Langyu had a handsome face, his temperament was truly unpleasant. If he hadn't held something she wanted, who would have the patience to listen to his stale, pedantic lectures?
Seeing Wen Jiao with her head bowed in silence, Song Langyu continued: "Today, when you saw me enter the room, you recklessly rushed in after me without regard for your own safety. That was foolish. A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall—the same applies to women."
Wen Jiao had long grown weary of listening. She knew that unless she put on a show of remorseful repentance, weeping and admitting her faults, Song Langyu would never let the matter rest. Just as she was working herself up to cry, she heard Song Langyu say: "Hold out your hand."
She looked up in surprise and saw that Song Langyu was actually holding a ruler—it seemed he intended to strike her!
"Elder Cousin, I know I was wrong! I won't dare do it again!" Wen Jiao cried, hiding her hands behind her back.
Song Langyu's brows furrowed slightly, his voice cold and stern: "When there is a mistake, there must be punishment, so that it will not be repeated."
A tense silence hung between them.
"Big Cousin, you—you be gentle!" Wen Jiao closed her eyes and extended her hand, but her fingers were clenched tightly into a fist, refusing to obediently flatten out for the strike.
She waited for a while, but nothing happened. Wen Jiao secretly cracked an eye open to look, and saw Song Langyu with a cold face, his expression dark and intimidating. Thinking that there was no escaping it today, she steeled herself, gritted her teeth, and tremblingly spread her palm open.
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
The bamboo discipline ruler was icy and smooth. When it struck her palm, there was first numbness, then a searing, burning pain. Wen Jiao's eyes stung with tears, and her shoulders trembled slightly.
"After today, you should remember this lesson well and not repeat the offense."
Wen Jiao's palm had taken three strikes of the ruler. That night, it was red and swollen, hurting so much she could hardly fall asleep. She had a maid bring a basin of cold water and immersed her entire hand in it, and only then did the burning pain ease somewhat.
The next day, when she went to pay her respects to Madam Wu, she ran into Song Langyu again. Wen Jiao was like a mouse seeing a cat—restless and uneasy.
Song Xiangyu noticed something was off with her and asked in confusion, "Jiaojiao, what's wrong with you today? Are you feeling unwell?"
Wen Jiao sat up straight, her hands placed properly on her knees. She shook her head and said in a small voice, "I'm not sick. Don't ask anymore, please."
"You're usually the most talkative one. Why the change of character today?"
Wen Jiao pressed her lips together. Her palm still hurt terribly, and she truly was a bit afraid of Song Langyu.
When she paid her respects to Madam Wu, she also instinctively hid the hand that had been struck. But during breakfast, she gave herself away—
The injured hand was her right one. When she picked up her chopsticks, the pain made her unable to grip them properly, and the chopsticks slipped from her fingers.
"What's the matter?" Madam Wu asked with concern.
Wen Jiao quickly covered it up, smiling as she changed the subject: "My hand just slipped. Auntie, you said Uncle will be returning in a few days? The household will be lively then."
"What's there to be lively about? He might as well keep patrolling the border. When he comes back, his head and his mouth will still be full of military camp matters, just needlessly irritating." Madam Wu complained, though in her heart she had long been looking forward to his return.
Song Langyu finished his breakfast quickly and rose from his seat to leave.
"Jiaojiao, you were frightened yesterday. Go back and rest well today. Xiangyu can stay here and help me manage the household affairs—that's enough." Madam Wu patted Wen Jiao's head affectionately.
Wen Jiao acknowledged the words, rose, and took her leave. She had barely stepped out of the courtyard gate when she saw Song Langyu standing right at the entrance.
He had just punished her yesterday, and today he was blocking her way again?
Wen Jiao felt a surge of frustration in her chest. She thought to herself that even if she were made of mud, she would still have some temper. How could he keep tormenting her like this without end?
If Song Langyu came to make her miserable again, then he couldn't blame her for making a scene right in Madam Wu's courtyard. Those words she had said were heard by Song Langyu alone—there was no witness and no evidence. As long as she stubbornly denied everything, what could Song Langyu do? At worst, they would both go down together. Neither of them would get off easy!
With that thought, she greeted him with a sweet smile and asked, "Big Cousin, what do you need from me?"