Xu Shuyao knew nothing of the deeper intrigues. She only knew that Liu Qingwan soon fell ill. Following her second and third cousins, she went to her courtyard to visit. There lay the willow‑like young lady, pale in face but with eyes that were anything but weak.
Xu Shuyao even sensed a fierce determination in her gaze. It reminded her of the drowning cat back at the Xu family’s old house—half submerged in mud, yet still turning to strike her aunt with a fatal claw. She wondered what had truly happened to Liu Qingwan.
After leaving the courtyard, gifts from the cousins arrived for the patient. Only Xiao Jinrong came in person; the others sent their maids.
Third Miss Xiao Jinshan, seeing her brother appear, grew displeased:
“Second Brother! You should have let a maid deliver it too.”
Xiao Jinrong turned, saw his sisters and Xu Shuyao, and suppressed his irritation. Glancing at the maids at the gate, he finally stopped: “Very well.”
Xu Shuyao noticed Xiao Jinshan moving closer to her brother, as if to leave together, while Second Miss Jinyi also stood waiting. So she said politely: “I must deliver something to Aunt at Jinhua Hall. I’ll go ahead.”
Xiao Jinshan paid no mind, but Xiao Jinyi gave her a probing look before replying, “All right.”
In the days that followed, Xu Shuyao remained quietly in Jiyun Hall, venturing out only to pay respects at Jinhua Hall and Songhe Hall. Even so, crossing half the inner court each day meant she inevitably encountered the young masters.
She met Xiao Jinrong several times outside Jinhua Hall or on the way back. Remembering his words when she first arrived, she held no fondness for her aunt’s stepson. Yet outwardly she showed nothing—always greeting him properly as “Second Cousin,” never seeking conversation.
Her manner was neither humble nor bold, strictly courteous but not warm. After several such encounters, Xiao Jinrong began to look at her with thoughtful eyes. But he did not believe she was truly meek. To him, her coldness meant she was scheming, like his stepmother—faultless on the surface, but who knew what lay beneath?
Xu Shuyao was unaware of his suspicions. A few days later, word came from Second Master Xiao: arrangements with the Shen family were complete, and Xu Shuheng could begin school the next day.
The siblings were delighted. Jinhua Hall had already sent ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones.
Xu Shuyao instructed Yuzhu to pack everything neatly into her brother’s book bag, then warned the boy servant accompanying him: “You must stay close to Young Master Shuheng. On the road, walk with Fourth and Fifth Young Masters whenever possible. If anyone causes trouble, seek them out. If you encounter something you cannot resolve, return to the Duke’s mansion immediately. Do you understand?”
The servant, Cheng An, was the son of a steward in Second Master Xiao’s household. His father had long hoped he might learn to read, but places for study attendants were limited. With only Xiao Jinrong as the second branch’s heir, there had been no chance—until Xu Shuheng arrived.
When Cheng An’s father heard Xu Shuheng would attend the Shen clan school, he begged Second Master Xiao to let his son serve him. Thus, Cheng An became Xu Shuheng’s attendant.
He listened earnestly to Xu Shuyao’s instructions, afraid to miss a word. In recent days, he had already learned a few characters alongside Xu Shuheng. Excited, he remembered his father’s advice and felt full of determination.
The boy patted his chest at once: “Miss, don’t worry. I understand everything clearly.”
His eyes shone brightly as he spoke—clever and lively, Xu Shuyao thought.
The Shen family lived in the western city, only two alleys away from the Duke’s mansion on Ping’an Street.
Xu Shuyao escorted them to the second gate. After waiting a little, she saw the two young masters of the third branch coming out one after the other.
Fourth Young Master Xiao Jinwen was fifteen; once he turned sixteen, he would no longer need to attend the clan school. For sons of noble families in the capital, the path to the imperial examinations was far easier than for common scholars—sometimes they could skip the provincial exam and go straight to the metropolitan one.
The eldest son had inherited the title, and the third son had gone with the Duke to the frontier. The second son remained at home, intending to request an idle post from the emperor, just as his father had.
Alongside Xiao Jinwen came Fifth Young Master Xiao Jinli, only thirteen.
Xu Shuyao quickly led her brother forward to greet them.
Xiao Jinwen, having received his father’s instructions the day before, naturally drew Xu Shuheng to his side and said: “Later, you’ll ride with me in the same carriage.”
Xu Shuyao’s brows lifted. She looked up at the youth, only a year older than herself, dressed in a pale robe patterned with bamboo, his half‑bound hair secured with a jade pin. He gazed at her with smiling eyes.
“You must be Cousin Xu?” His voice had just begun to change—clear, with a faint huskiness.
Xu Shuyao nodded in surprise. Though the maids had told her from afar that this was the fourth young master, it was their first formal meeting.
“Greetings, Fourth Cousin. Please look after Shuheng…” She stopped, realizing it was presumptuous to ask a noble son to care for her brother. But seeing the encouragement in his smiling eyes, her embarrassment eased: “Then I’ll trouble you, Cousin.”
She believed his invitation to share the carriage meant he intended to instruct and protect her brother.
Turning, she saw Molan carrying a food box. She quickly handed over the pastries she had prepared the night before: “These were made for my brother. If you don’t mind their simplicity, Cousin, perhaps you can take them to snack on in the carriage. They’re in the Huzhou style.”
Xiao Jinwen accepted with both hands and passed them to his servant.
Xu Shuyao then offered another box to Fifth Young Master.
Xiao Jinli was sturdy and childlike. He immediately picked up a piece, chewing as he said indistinctly: “Delicious! Don’t worry—I’ll protect Cousin. No one will dare bully him.”
With crumbs on his lips, he looked every bit the little rascal, making everyone laugh.
Xu Shuyao laughed too, her lips curving as she waved to her brother in the morning sun. She wanted to say something, but held back. Her eyes, full of concern, softened the hearts of those who saw.
Even as the carriage rolled away, Xiao Jinwen turned back and saw her still standing there, reluctant to leave.