"Mm, and remember to tell me about the results of your investigation too."
Xia Jian had crafted her persona around the male and female protagonists as a girl who loved gossip and had a strong sense of curiosity. Sharing the fragmented information she had uncovered with the two protagonists was also a way to satisfy her own curiosity by learning the truth more quickly.
Liu Ruoteng naturally nodded. "Miss Xia, rest assured. If we find any clues, we will definitely inform you."
With the three-way discussion concluded, Liu Ruoteng stood up and drew aside the bamboo curtain. The midday sun was blazing, enveloping her in its light. Her bright red dress blazed like fire, and her waist, cinched by a sash, was slender and straight.
Xu Zhi opened the door, lifted the hem of his blue robe, and sat back down. The cuffs of his sleeves, revealed at the wrists, shimmered brilliantly.
"Huh?" Only then did Xia Jian notice how splendidly the two protagonists were dressed today. "Sister Liu, Brother Xu, why are you both dressed so formally today? Are you going out?"
"Hmm?" Liu Ruoteng sat back down. "Miss Xia, you don’t know?"
"Know what?" Xia Jian was somewhat bewildered.
"There’s a banquet in the mansion tonight. They say it’s to entertain us and… those so-called wandering mystics."
At the mention of wandering mystics, Xu Zhi instinctively frowned.
"So that’s how it is." Xia Jian nodded, recalling her experience at the last banquet hosted by Madam Chen. She subtly touched her left wrist, where the wound had yet to heal.
As Liu Ruoteng had mentioned, after Xia Jian left the courtyard where the protagonists resided and returned to her own Qingling Yuan, Shaoyao informed her that Madam Chen would be hosting a grand banquet that evening to entertain the wandering mystics who had come from afar.
"What a grand affair! Several chefs have been invited, and the front courtyard is almost too crowded to walk through."
Shaoyao fetched the clothes Xia Jian was to wear for the family banquet that evening and called for an elderly servant from outside to bring an iron to smooth out the wrinkles in the garments.
From a distance, Xia Jian could already hear the clamor of voices. She stepped out and looked toward the opposite side. Sure enough, beyond the moon gate, she saw a constant stream of servants bustling about in the courtyard, carrying pots, pans, bowls, and golden-threaded tablecloths. The translucent screen behind the moon gate cast shadows of the dense crowd on the other side, and from afar, she could faintly catch the aroma of hot oil sizzling with scallions and garlic.
As evening approached, the scent of food grew even stronger. While helping Xia Jian dress, Shaoyao couldn’t help but salivate.
"Come with me, and bring a food box. We’ll pack some extra to bring back and share with Mother Song and the others."
"You’re so kind, Miss Cousin!" Shaoyao was delighted and took extra care while styling Xia Jian’s hair, fashioning it into a beautiful hanging bun.
The mistress and her maid left the courtyard, passing through two arched gates. Bright yellow palace lanterns hung from the eaves, illuminating the bluestone ground and reflecting the shimmering flashes of Xia Jian’s skirt as she walked.
"Shaoyao," Xia Jian lifted the hem of her skirt, "will my eldest cousin be attending tonight?"
"This… I’m not too sure," Shaoyao replied. "The eldest young master is frail and dislikes such occasions. He usually never attends, but with you here now, perhaps he might come today."
Shaoyao’s words were meant to please her, but Xia Jian’s attention was diverted by one particular remark. "My eldest cousin never attends family banquets?"
"Never," Shaoyao shook her head without a hint of hesitation. "The eldest young master is frail and sickly, and since he passed the imperial examination at the age of twelve, his health has only declined year by year."
"What illness does he actually have?" Xia Jian asked.
In the original novel, Pei Guanzhu had been taking medicine for years, but the author never described the specific cause of his illness. Moreover, Pei Guanzhu possessed the exceptional talent of a serial killer—a face of Guanyin-like compassion, seemingly frail yet endowed with Innate Monstrous Strength, ruthless and cunning with movements as swift as a ghost. Against such an unshakable, terrifying power, Pei Guanzhu's need for medicine seemed like an insignificant detail the author had added to his character, something no one ever paid attention to.
But now Xia Jian had to pay attention.
Without the protagonist halo, this illness could very well kill Pei Guanzhu.
"Hmm…" Shaoyao couldn't explain it clearly either. "I've only heard it's an illness he's had since birth, a congenital weakness. Beyond that, I don't know much."
"Has he ever mentioned where he feels unwell?"
Xia Jian pressed further. Just as Shaoyao was about to reply, a strange "plop" sound came from across the way. Both mistress and maid were startled. Shaoyao's expression changed abruptly as she hurriedly shielded Xia Jian, lifting the palace lantern to peer ahead.
"Who… who's there?" Shaoyao's voice trembled.
Xia Jian leaned out slightly from behind and immediately spotted someone sitting by the lotus pond across the way. The night breeze brushed past, stirring the red hair ribbon tied in his dark hair. The question didn't make him turn around. Instead, clutching a handful of fish food, he pinched a bit and tossed it in, then was about to drop a small stone into the water with another "plop"—a truly malicious quirk.
"I know who it is," Xia Jian tugged at Shaoyao's sleeve. "Shaoyao, you go to the main hall first. Tell Auntie I've been delayed and will arrive shortly."
"What has delayed Miss Xia?"
The person across the way spoke up, tossing several stones from his hand into the lotus pond with a series of "plops." He patted his hands, now stained with fish food, stepped down from the stone slab, and approached the mistress and maid, his wooden clogs clicking against the ground. His dark hair was half-tied, cascading down to his waist.
Shaoyao was already stunned. In her years at Pei Fu, she had rarely seen the eldest young master. The last time she accompanied her mistress to the main hall, she had only caught a hurried glimpse with her head bowed.
The eldest young master's appearance and demeanor were nothing like the elegant, refined gentleman one would expect from Pei Fu, known for its grace, noble bearing, and emphasis on literature over martial arts.
Instead, he seemed eerily sinister, with a gaze that fell upon her with clear malice and unmistakable disdain.
"Miss… Miss Cousin," Shaoyao didn't know why her heart was trembling so violently. "Then I'll go to the main hall first. Miss Cousin, please hurry over too."
"Mm." Xia Jian nodded, watching Shaoyao walk away before shifting her gaze to Pei Guanzhu's face.
"What is Young Master Pei doing here?"
"I was waiting for Miss Xia," Pei Guanzhu said, suddenly raising his hand to her face.
A nauseating fishy odor assaulted her senses. His palm was damp and shiny, still smeared with unwashed fish paste. Xia Jian wrinkled her face and quickly covered her nose and mouth. "Ugh—!"
"But Miss Xia was too slow. I waited so long my hands picked up the smell." Pei Guanzhu narrowed his eyes. The lack of light here made his pupils appear even darker and more shadowed.
"…Why were you waiting for me, Young Master Pei?" Xia Jian felt sickened by the fishy odor clinging to him. What a madman. She didn't even know what to say anymore.
"I'm not sure," Pei Guanzhu moved leisurely, appearing in a very good mood. He took a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands, and the earlier gesture of raising his not-quite-clean hand toward her seemed like just a small joke. "I only heard there's a banquet in the mansion today, and I wanted to go with Miss Xia."
"Ah, haha…" Xia Jian couldn't figure out what the serial killer was thinking either, but it definitely wasn't anything good.
The lotus pond was just a few steps from the main hall. Before they even entered, they could hear a clamor of voices. A messenger maid with a strange look in her eyes led them inside. The dining hall was still filled with maids and matrons dressed in gaudy colors, their faces flushed as they all smiled like paper effigies lining the walls. Xia Jian followed closely behind Pei Guanzhu, feeling inexplicably less afraid than she had been during her first banquet.
Even though the atmosphere in the main hall this time was no less intense than before—if not more terrifying due to the addition of some oddly dressed wandering mystics—Xia Jian found herself strangely unperturbed.
Because standing beside her was the most terrifying serial killer in the entire book.
She shuffled over to Pei Guanzhu's side, and the two of them bowed in greeting. When Xia Jian looked up, she saw Madam Chen, seated in the main position, her mouth half-open, staring at them with hollow eyes.
Seeing that Madam Chen hadn't invited them to sit, a matron beside her gently nudged her arm. "Madam?"
"Pfft." A snicker came from beside her. Xia Jian glanced over and saw Pei Guanzhu looking straight ahead, appearing in an excellent mood.
Xia Jian: …
Did he wait for her by the lotus pond just so they could come in together and scare Madam Chen?
Then why didn't he just come alone? Why drag her into it? Was he trying to show that they were on good terms?
Madam Chen feared Pei Guanzhu, and her gaze toward Xia Jian had changed as well. Last time, she had invited Xia Jian to sit beside her, but this time, she simply looked panicked and remained silent. Fortunately, she was surrounded by many exorcism masters who bolstered her courage; otherwise, she might have fled the room in a frenzy again.
Xia Jian didn't want to sit with Madam Chen either. She walked straight past the crowd and took a seat beside the protagonist group. Before she could even greet Liu Ruoteng, she caught a whiff of a cool sandalwood scent—Pei Guanzhu had sat down beside her.
Xia Jian: …
Xia Jian frowned slightly and turned her head. Although she usually acted submissively toward Pei Guanzhu, that didn't mean she was willing to be an unwitting pawn. Pei Guanzhu disliked her so much he probably wished he could kill her. She didn't believe his earlier gesture of waiting for her by the lotus pond was without ulterior motives. He likely wanted to publicly align her with his side, or perhaps he misunderstood her relationship with Madam Chen and wanted to turn them against each other, leading to mutual harm. In either case, she would be the one to suffer.
Their gazes met, and Pei Guanzhu's eyes fell on the furrow between Xia Jian's brows. He seemed momentarily taken aback before suddenly leaning close to her face.
"Are you angry, Miss Xia?"
His sudden closeness caught Xia Jian off guard, and she instinctively leaned back. Unexpectedly, the wooden chair wobbled, and she lost her balance, nearly falling backward.
"Ah—!" Xia Jian let out a short cry, but a pair of cold hands quickly grabbed her arm and lifted her by the waist, pulling her upright.
The wooden chair crashed to the floor with a loud thud, and in an instant, everyone in the room turned to look.
Xia Jian slowly opened her tightly shut eyes.
"What's wrong with Miss Xia today? How strange." Pei Guanzhu hadn't expected Xia Jian to react so strongly, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement. He didn't anticipate that Xia Jian would suddenly slap his hand away, say it smelled bad, decline the maid's assistance, and move her wooden chair back herself.
Pei Guanzhu's face instantly darkened.
After that, the two didn't exchange another word. Madam Chen, seated in the host's position, watched them back and forth, exchanged a long look with the black-clad Hu sorcerer beside her, and nodded.
"A wedding to ward off evil is a good method, and cleansing impurities is also most important," the sorcerer said in broken Chinese, pulling out a handful of copper coins from his pocket to show Madam Chen. "This is Jinghui Copper, brought from the Nanzhou Temple in Dongzhou. Those who possess it can be blessed with peace and have calamities driven away. Madam, you may keep it for yourself or distribute it to your relatives."
"Thank you, Master," Madam Chen said gratefully. Perhaps because the master beside her was truly powerful, she seemed much more composed today. She handed the pile of copper coins to her son. "Zhuo Nu, you're small. Go distribute these now."
Zhuo Nu nodded, holding the copper coins and about to step down from the stool when his mother suddenly pulled him back.
Madam Chen bent down and whispered in his ear, "This Jinghui Copper is a good thing. Don't give any to Jingnu, understand? Keep Jingnu's share for yourself."
"Alright, Mother." Zhuo Nu agreed, his small figure weaving through the banquet as he distributed the copper coins to everyone, soon reaching the main group.
"What is this?" Xu Zhi asked, taking one.
"It's Jinghui Copper, a good thing for ensuring peace and dispelling misfortune," Zhuo Nu replied, letting Liu Ruoteng and Xia Jian each take one before preparing to leave with the remaining coins.
Xia Jian softly exclaimed. Earlier, in her fit of temper, she had moved her chair far away from Pei Guanzhu and hadn't noticed the order in which Zhuo Nu distributed the Jinghui Copper. Turning back, she saw Pei Guanzhu still sitting in his place, aloof and cold, his pale fingers tracing the blue-and-white porcelain cup as he watched the two men across from him examining the Jinghui Copper by candlelight.
Did he not receive any?
"Young Master Pei," Xia Jian called softly to him, dragging her chair over to sit extremely close to Pei Guanzhu.
"What is it? I smell bad, don't let it bother Miss Xia." Pei Guanzhu wore a faint smile on his face, his gaze distant. At first glance, he seemed no different from when they first met, but a hint of annoyance had crept into his brow. He glanced at Xia Jian before looking away.
"It's not bad, it's not bad," Xia Jian said softly. "I have a gift for you, Young Master Pei. Hold out your hand."
"What?" Pei Guanzhu didn't move, his gaze suspicious.
The girl's face was incredibly warm in the candlelight, her eyes clear and bright, her voice soft. "Young Master Pei, hold out your hand."
Pei Guanzhu held his ground for a moment before reluctantly extending his pale palm.
With great solemnity, Xia Jian placed her own Jinghui Copper into Pei Guanzhu's palm.
Pei Guanzhu saw it clearly and let out a scoffing laugh. "I thought it was something special. Does Miss Xia really think I care for this?"
"Not at all," Xia Jian leaned in, mimicking Pei Guanzhu's closeness, and smiled brightly. "I wanted to give it to you myself, Young Master Pei. I heard it's a good thing—it ensures peace and dispels misfortune. I'm giving mine to you. Whether you care for it or not is none of my concern; I'm giving it because I want to."
The flickering candlelight reflected in the young woman's clear, shallow eyes, illuminating her fair, jade-like, and lovely face. She curved the corners of her mouth, her gaze affectionate, smiling like a charming little cat.
Pei Guanzhu stared blankly, then suddenly frowned.
"Miss Xia, your smile is quite peculiar."