“You! Why do you trust him so much?!”
The vermilion gate stood slightly ajar as Chu Mingse, holding a broom nearly as tall as herself, slowly swept the ground before the courtyard entrance. A smile lingered at the corners of her lips, and a cheerful tune hummed from her mouth.
Yesterday, she had successfully slipped into Xuetuan-gege’s room and stealthily peeled off all the paper pasted over the windows. As she was leaving, she noticed the brilliant evening glow streaming through the window lattice, its flowing light and shadow washing the dusty room in warm, beautiful hues. It made the once cold and lifeless space seem to carry a bit more warmth.
After returning home, her father and mother had kept praising her for doing well. They said Xuetuan-gege was already feeling down, and staying cooped up in a pitch-dark room without seeing the sun would only make him more depressed. Now that the room was brighter, perhaps his mood could lift a little too.
That reassured Chu Mingse, who had been a bit worried she might have been rude. Next time she went, she would be sure to take a good look around the room for any other bad things that might be affecting his mood.
At the thought, the corners of her mouth curled up again.
When she left yesterday, she had specifically asked Xuetuan-gege if she could come through the estate’s main gate to visit him openly from now on. Xuetuan-gege had only said, “You climb the wall every day—aren’t you afraid you’ll slip and fall and turn into a fool?”
He hadn’t refused. That meant he’d agreed.
So today, she no longer needed to climb the wall!
She could even bring some of the little pastries her mother had made, along with freshly scented flower tea, and try inviting Xuetuan-gege to sit in the courtyard together.
If all went well, she could even invite Xuetuan-gege to meet her father and mother someday.
Chu Mingse giggled to herself, feeling quite proud of how capable she was.
“Sese!”
An urgent call interrupted her thoughts. She turned and saw Lin Ergou running over with a grim expression.
“Sese, something’s happened to Chestnut!”
Chu Mingse was startled and immediately tossed the broom aside against the wall, running off after Lin Ergou.
Behind the tall banyan tree, by the corner of the wall, a pair of hands parted the tangled weeds as three little heads peered together into the empty grass nest.
Ah Hua wiped at her tears, her phoenix eyes swollen into walnuts, sobbing in self-reproach: “I—I saw that person take Chestnut away, but I was scared, I didn’t go save him… What do we do? Could Chestnut already be…”
“We’ll get Chestnut back.” Chu Mingse moved closer, patting Ah Hua’s hand and wiping away her tears.
Chestnut was the kitten born to the mother cat Ah Hua had secretly raised, only two months old now.
Ah Hua lived at the entrance of Denghua Lane. With so many siblings in her family, her mother was busy from morning to night, taking odd jobs washing clothes for others to help make ends meet, with little energy to look after her. So she had secretly kept a cat to keep her company.
But her father was a night watchman, on duty every night and sleeping at home during the day. When the mother cat went into heat in the courtyard and kept him awake with her yowling, he ordered Ah Hua to send the cat away.
Ah Hua could only keep the cat outside, coming by every day to feed it. After little Chestnut was born, she came to check on him three times a day. Now that little Chestnut had been taken, she was frantic with worry, and even more so, she blamed herself for not having the courage to stop the cat thief. Her tears wouldn’t stop flowing.
“I secretly followed for a bit—he seemed to head that way.”
Ah Hua tightly gripped Chu Mingse’s hand, pulling her and Lin Ergou forward a few steps before timidly hiding behind Lin Ergou, poking only half her head out and pointing with trembling fingers at a small door.
It was precisely the side gate leading to the Pei family estate.
Lin Ergou gnashed his teeth. “I knew those outsiders who stay cooped up all day couldn’t be up to any good! If they dare harm Little Chestnut, I’ll make them pay!”
With that, Lin Ergou charged furiously toward the Pei estate to demand an explanation, only to be stopped by Chu Mingse grabbing the hem of his clothes.
“Wait, we haven’t confirmed that Little Chestnut was taken by them. Besides, maybe they thought she was a stray cat and wanted to take her in to raise?”
Ah Hua timidly interjected, “That person was so strange—he’d cackle with a creepy laugh. He didn’t seem like a good person!”
“Have you forgotten about the ‘Golden Silk Tiger’ from Wutong Lane?”
The “Golden Silk Tiger” was a large cat with yellow striped markings, often seen strutting majestically along the streets, charming people into feeding it. But one morning a week ago, everyone discovered the “Golden Silk Tiger’s” corpse beneath a tree—its bones were shattered, a truly pitiful sight.
Someone immediately reported it to the authorities, but when the constables arrived, they claimed it fell outside their jurisdiction and left without investigating. The residents of both alleys could only furiously condemn the cat abuser while conducting their own investigation, but in the end, they never managed to catch the culprit.
Lin Ergou said, “When the ‘Golden Silk Tiger’ incident happened, it was the very day after they moved in. Maybe they did it too!”
Ah Hua’s face grew even paler, tears welling in her eyes. “What’s going to happen to Little Chestnut?”
Chu Mingse bit her lip. She trusted Brother Xuetuan, but the servants who had traveled with the carriage weren’t necessarily all above suspicion.
“But without evidence, if we rush over to confront them now, we’ll just be thrown out.”
“Then we’ll sneak in and catch them in the act!” Lin Ergou looked at Chu Mingse. “You must have a way to get us in.”
With a cat’s life at stake, Chu Mingse led the two into her own courtyard and, one by one, climbed over the wall into the Pei estate using a ladder.
The three of them crept around the estate, peering about cautiously, searching for any trace or clue.
Chu Mingse considered seeking help from Brother Xuetuan, but Lin Ergou disagreed. “What if they’re in on it together?”
“Ah, it’s him!” At that moment, Ah Hua yanked the two of them behind a tree, pointing outside with a trembling hand.
A slightly hunched figure carrying a cage covered in fine cloth walked unsteadily along the corridor.
A faint, feeble kitten’s mew came from within the cage.
The figure spoke in a sinister tone, “You little thing who bullies the weak and old—let’s see if you can still mew in a bit.”
The three hidden behind the tree covered their mouths in terror, waiting silently as the figure passed by.
Ah Hua’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Where is he taking Little Chestnut?”
Lin Ergou said in a low voice, “From what he said, he must be catching cats for someone else. If we follow him, we’ll catch that cat abuser!”
The three crept after him on tiptoe.
Chu Mingse watched as he approached a familiar chamber. “Impossible—Brother Xuetuan isn’t that kind of bad person!”
The moment Lin Ergou heard that, he realized the new playmate she’d found after abandoning him and Ah Hua was the person inside that room. He snorted in annoyance. “You’ve only known him for a few days, and you already trust him that much?”
The door of the side room creaked open, and the man at the threshold handed the cat cage he was carrying inside, the kitten’s faint cries growing louder.
“I told you he wasn’t any good!” Lin Ergou looked around, grabbed a branch, and charged out, “Cat abuser! Stop right there!”
“Ouch!” Steward Wang was knocked straight into the door by Lin Ergou, who had burst out like a firecracker, clutching his old back and groaning in pain.
“Lin Ergou!” Chu Mingse watched as Lin Ergou raised the branch to strike inside, and she dashed out after him.
The descending branch halted abruptly mid-air.
A slender, pale hand firmly gripped the other end of the branch.
Pei Zhaoxue turned slightly, his dark, cold eyes locking onto Lin Ergou.
“Who are you?”
“Xuetuan gege!” Chu Mingse ran up breathlessly, raised her hand to push aside the branch in Lin Ergou’s hand, and hastily explained, “He’s my good friend, called Ergou.”
She looked eagerly toward Pei Zhaoxue’s arms, asking knowingly, “Xuetuan gege, you, what’s that in your arms?”
Pei Zhaoxue lifted the thin cloth covering the cage, revealing the little tabby cat inside.
Ah Hua arrived belatedly: “Xiao Lizi!”
Lin Ergou: “Sese, look, the evidence is right in his hands! Now will you still say he’s a good person?”
Chu Mingse looked at the cat cage and became even more certain: “Yes!”
She pointed at the cage for Ah Hua and Lin Ergou to see, “The nest Xiao Lizi sleeps in is clearly newly sewn, and there are even dried fish snacks on it.”
The bottom of the cage was lined with a thick, soft cushion, with two dried fish scattered beside Xiao Lizi. It rolled over contentedly, revealing its soft belly, and stretched out a little paw to scoop a dried fish into its embrace.
“They treat Xiao Lizi so well, they definitely aren’t cat abusers!”
Steward Wang finally understood what was going on and hurried forward to explain, “So this kitten has an owner? It’s my fault. I thought it was a stray, so I took it upon myself to bring it here, wanting to keep it for my young master to relieve his boredom. I’m sorry for causing you all to worry.”
Lin Ergou didn’t believe him and glared sideways at him, “Then why did you threaten Xiao Lizi on the road earlier?”
He vividly mimicked what he had overheard Steward Wang saying on the way.
Steward Wang glanced sheepishly at Pei Zhaoxue. He had only said that casually, thinking that the young master’s cold demeanor could subdue the kitten—he hadn’t expected it to be misunderstood like this…
“It must be a misunderstanding.” Chu Mingse shielded Pei Zhaoxue, “I believe Xuetuan gege.”
Pei Zhaoxue’s fingers gripping the cat cage tightened slightly, his gaze falling on Chu Mingse. She stood with her back to him, her height only reaching his shoulder, unable to even block his figure, yet she stubbornly protected him.
“You! Why do you trust him so much!” Lin Ergou glared angrily at Pei Zhaoxue, finding him more and more disagreeable.
Ah Hua timidly peeked out from behind him, “Maybe it really isn’t him? He’s so handsome, he doesn’t look like a bad person.”
Then she shrank back in fear. Although the young man before her was pretty, he looked cold and intimidating. How could Sese be so bold, acting so familiar with him!
“You two fools!” Lin Ergou was furious, “Someone like him, a cripple with a lame leg, is most prone to a twisted heart! I think he’s just relying on his good looks, putting on a nice front, but behind the scenes, who knows how vicious he really is…”
Steward Wang’s expression shifted. “You child, what nonsense are you spouting!”
Pei Zhaoxue’s gaze turned cold. It was only now that he recognized the voice—it belonged to the child who had shrilly shouted “cripple” from the crowd on his first day in Denghua Lane. The child’s voice was sharp and piercing, cutting heedlessly into his ears.
He hadn’t reacted back then, simply because he had heard such words far too many times.
But he hadn’t expected this person to come knocking on his door, slandering him with baseless accusations out of thin air.
“To spout reckless accusations based solely on your own dark conjectures—what are you, exactly?” His slightly hoarse voice was cold as needles, each word merciless, spoken at a low pitch yet carrying an oppressive chill. “Take him to the authorities!”
Pei Zhaoxue was several years older than them to begin with, and the bearing cultivated from a childhood of luxury and privilege now transformed entirely into a biting, majestic pressure, like a blast of frigid wind.
Intimidated by his presence, Lin Ergou instinctively took a step back.
“Lin Ergou!” Chu Mingse stepped forward, her face for the first time devoid of smiles, replaced only by disapproving anger. “You can’t say that about Xuetuan-gege. You need to apologize to him!”
Lin Ergou had actually felt some regret the moment the words left his mouth, but seeing Chu Mingse defend the other so fiercely, a stubbornness mixed with shame and indignation surged straight to his head. He craned his neck and shouted, “I didn’t say anything wrong! Why should I apologize?”
With that, he spun around and charged out without looking back.
“Hey, Ergou-ge!” Ah Hua looked back and forth between the two in distress, stamped her foot, and chased after Lin Ergou. “Sese, I’m leaving first!”
The two children swept out like a whirlwind, and the air fell silent.
“I’m sorry, Xuetuan-gege…” Chu Mingse turned around, hanging her head in guilt, twisting her fingers as she apologized. “My friend was just too worried about Little Chestnut. He’s not usually like this… I-I’ll definitely make him come apologize to you!”
Steward Wang watched this lone remaining girl with curiosity. How did she seem so familiar with the young master? And she called him “Xuetuan-gege” so intimately? He hadn’t heard any servant report that the young master had received visitors.
“It’s not your concern.” Pei Zhaoxue couldn’t stand seeing her look so downcast.
“Then will you take in Little Chestnut?” Chu Mingse pressed eagerly.
At that moment, Little Chestnut in the cage happened to roll onto his back, blinking round eyes up at him and letting out a soft, tender “meow.” It was exactly like Chu Mingse, who was looking up at him with her face raised.
Seeing that his young master was actually willing to converse with this girl, Steward Wang was overjoyed and chimed in, “Young master, didn’t you once want to keep a cat? I’ve already prepared the adoption gifts. Why not—”
“No. Take it away.” Pei Zhaoxue mercilessly set the cat cage down on the ground.
Steward Wang: “…”
Chu Mingse picked up the cat cage and pushed it back into his hands. “Little Chestnut’s father and mother are both gone. He’s very pitiful. Please take him in.”
Pei Zhaoxue handed the cage to Steward Wang. “He has an owner. Send him back.”
Chu Mingse followed him, reaching out to Steward Wang, who quickly handed her the cage. She then pressed the cage back into Pei Zhaoxue’s arms, explaining, “Ah Hua also wanted to find him a good home. It’s just that many people found him adorable but only played with him for a bit before leaving—none were willing to take him home. That’s why it was delayed…”
“If he follows me, he won’t live long.”
Pei Zhaoxue understood perfectly well why everyone found the kitten adorable, yet few were willing to take it home. Once you agreed to keep it, you were essentially bearing the weight of a life upon your shoulders. Now that he could barely manage his own existence, what did he have to offer in taking responsibility for another life?
Little Chestnut suddenly extended a tiny pink paw from the cat cage, gently resting it on the hem of his robe.
Pei Zhaoxue’s brow twitched slightly. He raised an index finger to brush the little paw away, but it softly pressed down on his fingertip instead.
Chu Mingse could tell that Brother Xuetuan clearly liked Little Chestnut. She mulled it over—since he didn’t want to keep it, why not let her raise it instead? That way, Ah Hua could come to her home to see Little Chestnut, and she could also bring Little Chestnut over to play with Brother Xuetuan.
“Then I’ll keep it!”
She said, reaching out to gently take the cat cage back into her arms, then looked up at Steward Wang beside her, her eyes sparkling: “Uncle, Brother Xuetuan has already agreed to let me come find him every day to play. Could you help me open the door?”
Steward Wang glanced at his young master’s expression. Though his brows were furrowed tightly enough to crush a fly, he hadn’t voiced any objection. A flicker of joy rose in Steward Wang’s heart, and he nodded eagerly: “Alright, alright! I’ll give the orders right away and have them open the door for you!”
Steward Wang rubbed his hands together and smiled tentatively: “The daylight is so lovely today… Would the young miss like to accompany my young master to the courtyard…”
“I’m tired.”
Pei Zhaoxue cut him off flatly, placing both hands on the wooden wheels of the Plain Sedan Chair and pushing hard to turn it around.
Chu Mingse saw his palms pressed against the rough axle, where several fine red marks had already been worn.
In the evening, Chu Qingyuan accompanied Qu He home after buying flower seeds. The moment they stepped into the courtyard, they heard a faint rustling sound coming from his carpentry workshop.
“Have we got mice in the house?”
Author’s note:
I discovered this chapter was scheduled for November 30th.