Li Qu knew Zhou Jin’s patience was limited. She also knew that Auntie Li’s warning represented Old Madam Zhou’s final tolerance.
She was unwilling to accept it.
It felt as though a stone had been placed on her shoulders, trying to bend her spine, grind away her pride, and pin her firmly into the mud.
She found it difficult to breathe.
It was as if she had returned to Yicheng, returned to Prince Yan’s Residence.
As if Lin Wanru had pulled her behind a screen, where she had then witnessed Princess Consort Yan beat a concubine to death with her own eyes.
Li Qu no longer remembered the reason. She only remembered that vivid life disappearing from this world of spring blossoms and autumn moons amid fear, pain, and despair.
Lin Wanru had looked at her worriedly. “Did I frighten you?”
She had smiled with gentle grace. “Don’t be afraid. This sort of thing happens all the time. In an inner household, as long as a concubine knows her place, she can usually live out her years in peace.”
Like a caring elder sister, she had gently soothed Li Qu’s back. “What’s frightening are concubines who have fallen out of favor. If they’re lucky, they’re sent to some remote courtyard to live out the rest of their lives. If they’re unlucky, they may be passed from hand to hand several times, their final circumstances worse than death.”
“After all, a concubine can be bought and sold, just like a pig or a sheep—or a pig or a dog.” Her hand had paused before withdrawing, and she had patted Li Qu’s shoulder.
Her smile had remained gentle and composed.
But Li Qu remembered how her heart and liver had trembled, how her hands and feet had gone cold.
Auntie Li watched Li Qu remain silent, her eyes staring blankly ahead as her body seemed to tremble more and more. Her solemn expression became tinged with worry. “Concubine?”
Nanny Xu hurried forward to support Li Qu, only to discover that her entire body was burning hot. She cried out, “Concubine!”
A breath suddenly lodged in Li Qu’s chest.
Shut up!
Shut up!!
She was a free commoner. She had money and beauty. She could clearly become a principal wife. How could she possibly become a low-status concubine who could be bought and sold?
Her vision went black, and Li Qu collapsed onto the bed.
Fragrant Splendor Court descended into chaos.
Li Qu seemed to have returned to that afternoon six years ago. Snow had been falling heavily throughout Prince Yan’s Residence, while red plums bloomed in profusion. The young man had kissed her cheek.
She had been stunned.
His cheeks had flushed slightly, and his gaze had been gentle.
At that moment, her heartbeat had gradually become like thunder, while all sorts of romantic fantasies had flashed through her mind like scenes from a play.
The red plums beside the window were not as brilliant as his lips.
She had also seen the heat and affection in Xiao Cong’s eyes.
A fifteen-year-old boy simply could not hide his feelings.
And a fifteen-year-old young nobleman had no fear of expressing them.
After first testing the waters with a tentative touch and a kiss as light as a dragonfly skimming the surface, he had leaned in again. This time, he had been in complete control, having everything planned out.
It was only after she left the strictly regulated, imposing compound of Prince Yan’s Residence and returned to her own chaotic two-courtyard home that she suddenly realized she had been living out a spring dream.
After waking from that dream, she did her best to avoid being alone with Xiao Cong. Though she remained respectful toward him, she also added a measure of distance.
She knew that, despite disguising herself as a man and mingling among young noblemen, she could only be compared to the dogs kept at their sides.
But Xiao Cong mistakenly thought she was proud and was stringing him along because she coveted the position of Heir Consort.
He had said, “Aqu, the Heir Consort of Prince Yan’s Residence needs to know the qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting to cultivate her character. Knowing how to manage a household and run businesses is nothing remarkable either. The responsibilities of the principal wife of the clan are not something an ordinary person can bear.”
She remembered the look in Xiao Cong’s eyes at the time: indulgent affection, careless possessiveness, and a hint of lofty admonishment.
She had avoided his gaze and pretended to admire the scenery in the distance.
The only people present had not been Li Qu and Xiao Cong. Her benefactor, Wu Xubai, had also been there.
Wu Xubai had clearly known something.
He had smiled and picked up the thread. “Our Aqu is only lacking in birth. If not for that, she wouldn’t need to humble herself before anyone.”
She had understood the hidden meaning in their words and seized the opportunity to express her true thoughts.
At the time, everything had been going smoothly for her. The silver in her account at Tongbao Bank had already reached five figures in dividends.
“Since my birth is humble, I have no intention of reaching above my station. Then there’s no need for me to humble myself before anyone.”
By coincidence, Sanbao, the assistant to the shopkeeper of their jointly owned Xianbao Studio, had arrived to deliver the account books.
Sanbao was the shopkeeper’s nephew. His birth mother had passed away, and his stepmother was harsh, so he had left home at a young age to live with the shopkeeper of Xianbao Studio.
He was diligent, clever, hardworking, and ambitious—and three years older than she was.
She and Brother Sanbao were truly of the same social standing.
She had said sincerely, “Someone of my background is suited to someone like Brother Sanbao.”
Sanbao did not know that she was a woman. Terror filled his eyes as he dropped to his knees and knocked his head against the floor. “Please spare me, Master! I don’t like men!”
Li Qu spat out a mouthful of tea and burst out laughing, easing the indescribable stifling atmosphere in the room.
But the next day, Sanbao disappeared.
Ever since she had met Xiao Cong at the age of eight, she had always kept a low profile and carefully catered to him. Because of what had happened to Sanbao, the two of them quarreled for the first time.
Xiao Cong had told her bluntly, “Aqu, you’ve always been clever. Now that you’re like a budding lotus attracting attention, you’ll only become more so in the future.
“Since I’ve kissed you, I won’t allow anyone else to kiss you.
“With your background, being elevated to a respectable concubine would already be reaching above your station.
“If you insist on marrying someone else, I can’t guarantee that I won’t continue to think about you.
“After all, our interests are tied together. We can’t sever all contact.
“But sneaking around like that would be less fair to everyone than making things proper and aboveboard.
“What do you think?”
Fortunately, she had been only ten years old at the time, with a long, long while to go before reaching marriageable age.
Xiao Cong had been only fifteen. Though intelligent, precocious, and deeply versed in human nature, he was ultimately still a boy.
What had she done?
She had chosen to lie low, engage in false civility, deliberately entice him, exploit him to the fullest—and then turn around and flee…
Li Qu had developed a fever. It had risen quickly and subsided just as quickly. After one night, her mind was clear again.
She had just sat up in bed when Nanny Xu opened the curtains. “Concubine, you’re awake?”
She then felt Li Qu’s forehead, and when she found that the fever had broken, she hurriedly murmured, “Amitabha.”
Breakfast was a light bowl of lean pork congee. Li Qu ate two bowls, and some vitality returned to her body.
Auntie Li came again, this time bringing a physician with her.
After taking Li Qu’s pulse, the physician said that the illness was caused by a combination of shock and pent-up distress, resulting in strain on the heart. Once the emotional knot had been untangled and the illness had broken out, she would be fine.
He also prescribed a tonic for her health.
Li Qu refused to take it. “Unless my Second Sister personally buys the ingredients and brews the medicine, I won’t take it.”
Nanny Xu advised, “You can’t possibly trouble Second Miss Li to come running to the residence all day.”
Li Qu ignored her. Propped against a soft pillow, she said weakly to Auntie Li, “I was being willful before and caused you trouble, Auntie.”
Auntie Li was slightly surprised. Seeing that Li Qu had come to her senses, she also breathed a sigh of relief.
It was rare for Third Master Zhou to be willing to approach women, so she did not dare deal too harshly with this Concubine.
“As long as you’ve thought it through.”
“Please tell Old Madam Zhou that I was in the wrong before. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll go apologize to her and pay my respects.”
Having set down a major burden, Auntie Li bowed to Li Qu before leaving with the physician.
The moment Auntie Li left, Nanny Xu hurried forward. “Concubine, what about the concubinage contract…”
Li Qu closed her eyes. “I’ll speak to Master about it myself.”
Seeing that Li Qu did not wish to say more, Nanny Xu did not press the matter and instead called Hongguo and Cuiguo to help Li Qu get up.
Li Qu rested for two days, and her body grew increasingly listless.
Seeing the smile disappear from Li Qu’s face, Nanny Xu did not dare mention the concubinage contract again.
She stayed by Li Qu’s side, sometimes wiping the table, sometimes using a feather duster to brush the dust from the furnishings.
Li Qu removed the handkerchief covering her face. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Nanny Xu then began offering her heartfelt advice.
“Concubine, please don’t hold it against this old servant for striking you with that whip before. If I hadn’t made myself look ruthless and had Third Master deal with you directly, it wouldn’t have ended with just one lash.”
“You’re a clever woman, Concubine. You managed to coax every master and mistress in the entire residence into smiling before. Coaxing Third Master shouldn’t be difficult for you.”
“As for what you said to Third Master about having someone you loved, whether it was true or not, you must never mention it again.”
“Once the principal wife enters the household, if you can give birth to a son or daughter, you’ll have security for the rest of your life.”
“Since Hongguo, Cuiguo, and I were assigned to Concubine’s courtyard, our fortunes are now tied to yours. If you’re willing, the three of us can work together as one. In the future, we’ll surely be able to establish ourselves in the Zhou family’s third branch.”
Hongguo and Cuiguo nodded vigorously in agreement.
Li Qu burst out laughing, tears glimmering in the corners of her eyes.
Cuiguo said earnestly, “What are you laughing at, Concubine? Never mind everything else—just your beauty and figure alone are enough to keep Third Master interested!”
The other two nodded vigorously in agreement.
Sure enough, Third Master Zhou came to Fragrant Splendor Court again that evening.