Not long after the sisters’ conversation that day, on a pitch-dark, blustery night, several tall, thin figures dressed in night clothes quietly landed outside the window of the west room.
Shen Xihe wore a light, practical green outfit, her long hair tied up to reveal a slender, fair neck. There was not the slightest trace of fatigue on her face—clearly, she had been prepared for this for some time.
“Miss Shen,” the leading shadow guard said in a low voice, “the master is waiting outside. Time is of the essence—we must set off for the capital tonight.”
Shen Xihe had very little to bring with her. The servants of the Xiahou residence had already been knocked unconscious in the outer room. She bit her lip and said, “I want to take one more look at my younger sister.”
The shadow guard fell silent and withdrew into the darkness. Shen Xihe stepped out of the courtyard and cast one last glance in the direction of the east room, only to spot a slender figure sitting upright in the pavilion.
Shen Wangshu was looking at her as well. Her expression was calm, her gaze clear and bright, as if all her tears had already dried that afternoon, leaving behind only a quiet acceptance of everything.
Shen Xihe’s nose suddenly stung. She stared at the hazy silhouette beneath the gauze curtains for a moment, then gritted her teeth, turned around, and left.
In the end, the sisters tacitly chose not to meet for this final farewell. Shen Xihe could feel that gaze following her as she departed; every step felt like a knife cutting into her heart.
Outside the rear wall of the Xiahou residence, beneath a large tree, a low-profile carriage stood quietly waiting. Shen Xihe took a deep breath and forced back the tears in her eyes, though her eye sockets were still red.
A long, bony hand lifted the curtain and pulled her into the carriage. From inside came a man’s low, comforting voice: “Aman, don’t be sad. I will do my best to send people to look after your younger sister…”
After leaving the territory of Moyun City, the carriage would be replaced with fast horses, reaching the capital before dawn.
From that moment on, the Xiahou residence had only one Miss Shen left.
When Shen Xihe left, she only left a letter behind for her grandfather. The two young ladies in Luoying Courtyard rarely showed themselves on ordinary days, so no one noticed her absence at first.
After the unconscious maidservant woke up, she panicked and called for help. Aside from Shen Wangshu, no one knew how a perfectly fine person could have vanished so suddenly. In the end, the old master arrived late, silently surveyed the empty west room, sighed, waved for everyone to withdraw, and ordered that this matter was never to be mentioned again.
With one fewer young lady, the happiest person in the Xiahou residence was Lady Xiahou. Although she did not know the reason, she obeyed the old master’s words and strictly ordered all the servants to watch what they said.
The old master decided to change Shen Wangshu’s surname to Xiahou. To the outside world, she was declared to be a distant relative. Her food, clothing, and daily needs were to match those of the household’s legitimate members, and she would henceforth live in Luoying Courtyard, erasing all traces of the Shen sisters.
After Shen Xihe left, life truly became easier for Shen Wangshu—for the most part. Out of respect for the old master, Lady Xiahou did not skimp on her food or clothing. From time to time, she even sent people with rare medicinal herbs to inquire after her health and forbade anyone from disturbing her.
Shen Wangshu accepted all of Lady Xiahou’s kindness without refusal—whether it was mere courtesy or genuine concern. After all, when the time came to use her in the future, this woman would show no mercy. These things were what she was owed.
Especially the medicinal ingredients—thousand-year-old lingzhi, ten-thousand-year-old ginseng. Even in modern times, such items were priceless and impossible to obtain. Turning them down would be foolish.
Before the new plot developments arrived, Shen Wangshu stayed in her west room studying herbs and nourishing her body. Every morning, when she had nothing to do, she practiced a full set of the Five-Animal Exercises, and calming soups and heart-clearing tonics were never discontinued.
After half a month of this regimen, her frail, frightened body had finally improved somewhat. At the very least, she no longer woke from nightmares in the dead of night or suffered frequent insomnia, and her complexion looked much better.
After spending half a month staying indoors at Luoying Pavilion, the Dragon Boat Festival family banquet arrived.
The old master of the Xiahou family was the prefect of Moyun City, and several of his sons held important official posts. On ordinary days they were extremely busy, so when the Dragon Boat Festival banquet finally came as an opportunity to relax, the entire household naturally celebrated.
Shen Wangshu had been there for several months and would be living in the Xiahou residence from then on, so it was time for her to appear before everyone.
Before the banquet began, she went to see the old master first.
There was only the old master in the study. A painting of a beauty hung on the wall—it was a portrait of the late Lady Xiahou from her younger days and bore an eighty-percent resemblance to Shen Wangshu’s own mother.
“Nian-nian,” the old master said, instinctively lowering his voice at the sight of his granddaughter, whose sickly air had yet to fade, as though even speaking too loudly might frighten her. “Have you been feeling any better these past few days? Once you’ve finished your medicine, have your aunt prepare a new prescription. From now on, treat this place as your home—don’t be restrained.”
Shen Wangshu curtsied. “Thank you for your concern, Grandfather. Nian-nian is much recovered.”
The old master had wanted to talk to her about Shen Xihe, but when he saw his granddaughter’s face, the words inexplicably stuck in his throat. Afraid of stirring up her sorrow, he merely offered a few more words of concern before letting her leave.
After she came out of the study, Taohong led the way and softly introduced her to the Xiahou residence. Aside from Lady Xiahou, whom she had met a few times, everyone else was unfamiliar to Shen Wangshu.
Lady Xiahou had given birth to three sons but only one daughter. She cherished her like the apple of her eye. Although she was not as stunningly beautiful as the Shen sisters, she was bright, lively, and charming—no wonder her mother could not bear to marry her off.
At the banquet, Shen Wangshu chose a secluded seat, but she was immediately spotted by Xiahou Fu, who swaggered over with her maid and sat down beside her, openly looking her up and down. “You’ve been here so many days—today I finally get to see you, Cousin Nian-nian.”
Shen Wangshu heard her inner voice screaming: “Ahhh, she’s so beautiful! Why couldn’t my mother have given birth to me looking like this?!”
The girl’s amazement was impossible to hide in her eyes, yet she maintained a composed appearance and blurted out, “I heard that your family was confiscated and that’s why you—mmph!”
Before she could finish, Xiahou Fu’s mouth was covered by the old nanny behind her, who scolded softly, “Miss! Mind your manners!”
Remembering her mother’s warning, Xiahou Fu guiltily shut her mouth and whispered, “Alright, I know. It’s a secret and can’t be mentioned. I was just curious.”
The old nanny smiled apologetically at Shen Wangshu. “My young lady has been spoiled since childhood and sometimes speaks without thinking. Please don’t take offense, Miss.”
Shen Wangshu smiled gently. “Sister Fu has a straightforward and lively temperament—very endearing.”
Everyone liked sticking close to a beauty, especially one so gentle. Once Xiahou Fu sat down, she refused to leave, clinging to Shen Wangshu for the entire banquet and asking her to talk about affairs in the capital.
It really proved how careless the girl was—she kept poking at other people’s sore spots, all without realizing it. If it were anyone else sitting there, they would have been angered to death.
As she handled Xiahou Fu, Shen Wangshu thought to herself: if this young lady of the Xiahou family were truly married into the Duke’s residence, she would probably offend everyone within days—and might not even live as long as the original owner of this body.