5
Five delicate dishes were laid out on the small table—more than enough for the two of them.
Du Qianqian had little to say, and Rong Xuan certainly wouldn’t initiate conversation with her. He ate with refined elegance.
Du Qianqian, however, was rather picky. Of the five dishes, only the braised pork knuckle caught her eye. She had loved this dish in her previous life—crispy, tender, and fragrant—so she focused on it. But it seemed Rong Xuan also had a fondness for pork knuckle, as his chopsticks kept reaching for the same plate.
She ate with her head down, and before she realized it, their chopsticks collided. Rong Xuan withdrew his hand and fixed his narrow peach-blossom eyes on her, studying her intently. “You like this?”
Du Qianqian nodded, looking rather simple. “Yes.”
Rong Xuan thought she looked just like the cat he kept in his courtyard—unable to look away when it came across something delicious.
He smiled, a beautiful smile that could make anyone’s heart flutter, and said maliciously, “I like it too, so it all stays with me. You’re not allowed to eat any more of it.”
What a refined gentleman—nonsense! For a scholar, he was remarkably petty, squabbling with her over a bit of pork knuckle.
Du Qianqian lowered her face, too angry to even look at him.
This only made Rong Xuan think she resembled his cat even more—when upset, she simply ignored him. His mood inexplicably lifted a few notches, as if teasing her was a most amusing pastime. Compared to before, he found her much more agreeable now.
After all, on that morning when he had woken up to find an extra person in his bed, he had been so furious he nearly strangled her on the spot.
In good spirits, Rong Xuan ate more than usual. The entire plate of pork knuckle ended up in his stomach, leaving not even a drop of sauce for Du Qianqian. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to warn her: “I heard you want to see your family.”
He paused, then continued, “Seeing them is harmless enough. But don’t think you’ll have any chance of going home. You cost me three thousand taels—since I bought you, you belong to me.”
Rong Xuan’s expression was rather frightening at that moment—his face blank, his deep eyes dark and unreadable, as if scheming something.
Though Du Qianqian had never been close to him, she understood his nature somewhat. Perhaps because he had never been loved as a child, Rong Xuan had an almost obsessive possessiveness over what belonged to him.
When she was ten, she had visited the Rong household and spotted a little kitten in his courtyard. She had been captivated by it. Seeing how gentle and amiable he always seemed, she had boldly asked him for it.
They were the only two in the courtyard—no servants or maids in sight.
Rong Xuan had let out a cold laugh, cradling the fluffy white kitten, and sneered, “Why should I give you what’s mine?”
Du Qianqian hadn’t insisted on taking what he cherished—he had a whole litter of kittens, and giving her just one wouldn’t have hurt—but since he refused, she couldn’t very well snatch it. So, she waited until he was away and secretly played with the little kitten for a while. Unfortunately, he caught her red-handed.
Startled by Rong Xuan, who had appeared out of nowhere, she let go of the cat and stumbled backward. Rong Xuan’s deep gaze fixed on her hands. Cold sweat trickled down Du Qianqian’s back, her legs trembling as she discreetly hid her hands behind her. She was terrified he might pull out a knife and chop them off—judging by his expression at the time, he had certainly looked like he meant it.
After that, Du Qianqian never dared touch anything of his again.
Now that Rong Xuan had claimed her as his property, if she ever betrayed him, he would likely skin her alive.
At that thought, she couldn’t help but shiver. This was truly a man she couldn’t afford to provoke.
She nodded like a pestle pounding garlic, utterly obedient. “Yes, yes—this concubine belongs to you, in life and in death.”
Rong Xuan, unusually talkative, extended three fingers to lift her chin, where the marks from last night still lingered. He forced her to meet his gaze. “And one more thing—I don’t care what you did in Yangzhou. Once we’re in the capital, you will curb all those cheap tricks and wanton ways.”
A cold glint flashed in Rong Xuan’s sharp eyes, a chilling edge seeping into Du Qianqian’s skin. Goosebumps rose on her arms, and her lips turned pale.
She could feel the murderous intent emanating from him.
“This concubine will never cause trouble—I will be perfectly obedient to you.” She had no choice but to go along with his words.
It seemed Miss Shen Qianqian’s reputation was truly abysmal.
Rong Xuan’s expression softened somewhat at her reply, and the killing intent receded a little. His unpredictable temperament was truly exhausting to deal with.
After seeing him off, Du Qianqian finally let out a breath. She called Luyi over and downed half a cup of water to soothe her dry throat. “Luyi, are you coming with me to the capital?”
Luyi bit her lip. “This servant’s indenture contract is still with Mama Liu.”
That meant she couldn’t leave. Over the past few days, Du Qianqian had grown fond of her. Besides, Luyi likely knew about her past—if Du Qianqian ever needed answers, she could ask her.
She propped her head on her hand and thought for a moment, then asked, “What if I asked Rong Xuan—” she quickly corrected herself, “—asked Master Rong to buy your contract and take you to the capital with me?”
Luyi’s eyes lit up considerably. If she could, she didn’t want to stay with Mama Liu, where she was beaten and scolded at every turn. Besides, her mistress’s temperament had improved so much lately, and she had grown accustomed to serving her—she couldn’t bear to part ways.
“Could that really happen?”
Du Qianqian wasn’t entirely sure herself. She patted Luyi on the shoulder and reassured her, “It shouldn’t be a problem.”
That afternoon, word came from Mama Liu’s side that the Shen father and son had been brought in.
Du Qianqian dressed herself simply and sat waiting for them to arrive.
Before long, she saw her father and brother. Though their robes weren’t made of expensive fabric, they were certainly not coarse or shoddy. The moment Old Man Shen saw her, tears streamed down his weathered face, and he couldn’t even speak properly for a long while.
A heaviness settled in Du Qianqian’s chest too—she couldn’t quite explain the feeling. She thought of her own father, still suffering at the frontier. She wondered if news of her death had reached him. She hoped not—it would only break his heart.
She took out her handkerchief and wiped Old Man Shen’s tears away, her throat dry and tight. The word “father” felt foreign on her tongue. “Father, please don’t cry anymore.”
Old Man Shen wept with both grief and joy. “You still resent me for not watching over you back then. You used to call me ‘Daddy,’ and now…”
Du Qianqian softly uttered, “Dad.”
Old Man Shen stopped his tears, nodding repeatedly and murmuring his approval. Then he quickly pulled the man behind him forward. “This is your elder brother. I don’t know if you still remember him. Back then—” His voice caught again with emotion. He continued, “Back then, you were so young when you were taken—you probably don’t remember.”
Du Qianqian followed his lead and looked at this stranger. The man was tall and straight, with sharp brows and bright eyes, strong features, and a cold, hard jawline. He exuded an icy, don’t-come-near-me aura.
She called out awkwardly, “Brother.”
Shen Fu’s gaze softened as he looked at her. “Little sister.”
Father and son couldn’t stay long—Mama Liu’s people were already urging them to leave. Old Man Shen’s gaze lingered on her for a long time. “Qianqian, your father is useless. But don’t worry—once I sell the land and the house, your brother and I will come find you in the capital. Then you’ll have family to rely on.”
“Father, don’t worry about me.” Du Qianqian’s heart softened involuntarily at the sight of him.
Under the servants’ urging, they had no choice but to leave.
Just before they departed, Shen Fu, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. His voice was deep as he said, “I’ll find a way to buy you out.”
Du Qianqian only half-listened, not taking it to heart. Once a woman became a concubine, there were official documents and contracts binding her. Unless Rong Xuan divorced her or sold her off, she would have to remain with the Rong family even in death.
And with Rong Xuan’s possessive, twisted nature…
Even if she died, he wouldn’t let her go to anyone else.
Du Qianqian felt utterly miserable. How could she be so unlucky? Every man she encountered turned out to be no good.
After they left, Du Qianqian sat with her head propped on her hand for a long while. Her thoughts drifted to her son. By now, he would be nine years old—almost a young lad. He looked more like Chen Queyu, except for his eyes, which resembled hers. His temperament was just as cold—quiet, reclusive, unwilling to speak or see anyone.
Returning to the capital, she’d have to keep her distance. Du Qianqian never wanted to see that heartless man Chen Queyu again—she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from clawing him to death.
Dwelling on it was pointless. She still had one important matter to attend to—she needed to beg Rong Xuan to let Luyi come along tomorrow.
Du Qianqian went to the kitchen and fetched a bowl of red date and lotus seed soup. Carrying the small basket, she swayed her way to the door of his quarters. A guard stood watch outside—she recognized him as a loyal retainer, though she couldn’t quite remember his name.
She smiled at him and said softly, “Would you be so kind as to announce me? I’d like to see the master.”
“He’s not here.”
What a liar! Du Qianqian had inquired beforehand and confirmed that Rong Xuan hadn’t gone out today, which was why she had trotted over so eagerly.
She forced her smile to hold and didn’t expose him. Instead, she feigned surprise and said, “Oh, he’s not here? Then I must have seen a ghost in broad daylight I could have sworn I saw the master practicing his swordplay in the courtyard earlier.”
Shuying’s expression remained unchanged. “You must have been mistaken.”
Du Qianqian shoved the bowl of red date and lotus seed soup into his arms and said with a beaming smile, “That’s fine—I’ll just wait here for the master to return. In the meantime, would you mind holding this soup for me? It’s rather heavy.”
The corner of Shuying’s mouth twitched, his disgust for this woman deepening.
He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words came out, an icy voice rang from within the room: “Let her in.”
Suddenly, Du Qianqian felt a pang of regret. Her courage had failed her; her scalp tingled with apprehension, and she felt the urge to turn tail and flee.
**