On the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month, Qu Qing and Qu Yi celebrated their sixteenth birthday.
For young ladies from prominent families, birthdays were typically grand occasions—hiring renowned opera troupes, hosting banquets, inviting relatives and friends, and even seeking blessings from monks or Daoist priests to pray for fortune and connections. Yet for the Qu Family, which secretly harbored twin demon children, such celebrations were naturally out of the question.
Early that morning, Jian’er brought two new outfits: one a moon-white brocade gauze dress with silver-threaded water ripple patterns, the other a misty green brocade gauze dress with a watercolor wash. She then carefully helped the Qu sisters dress and apply their makeup.
Qu Hanzhang was still away on business and unable to return. As usual, he sent many trinkets favored by young ladies to his two younger sisters, and he specifically included several rare ancient books on mysterious formations for Qu Yi.
In the end, the birthday celebration was kept simple—just the family gathering for a sumptuous birthday banquet. During the meal, although Du Youxia remained cold-faced throughout, she ultimately did not mention the matter of the Crown Prince. Qu Youyu offered a few words of advice and auspicious blessings to each of his daughters before the affair concluded.
The night was as serene as water, with the jade-paved courtyard path shimmering under silvery moonlight. Qu Yi, arm in arm with Qu Qing, strolled leisurely through the estate grounds.
As they walked, Qu Yi suddenly stopped and turned to Qu Qing, her expression turning serious. “Sister, I actually overheard everything you and Father discussed about the assassination attempt on Prince Zhen that day.”
Qu Yi had expected Qu Qing to be surprised, but her sister merely replied calmly, “Hmm.”
“You knew?”
“I guessed as much.”
Qu Yi chuckled awkwardly. “Sister’s intuition is truly sharp.”
Qu Qing asked, “What did the Crown Prince say to you?”
Qu Yi pouted. “He mistook me for you. At the time, all I could think was that I mustn’t let the Crown Prince discover we are twin sisters. Otherwise, the Qu Family secretly raising twin daughters would be considered deceiving the emperor.”
A cold glint flashed in Qu Qing’s eyes. “I had no idea the Crown Prince even knew of me.”
“From what the Crown Prince implied, it seemed he was fully aware of the assassination attempt that day—perhaps he was even observing from the shadows. And he caught the embroidered ball specifically to gain access to the influence of your pavilion. But after much thought, Yi’er still believes Sister must not enter the Crown Prince’s Residence,” Qu Yi stated firmly.
Qu Qing chuckled lightly. “If I cannot enter, how could you, who lacks even the strength to tie up a chicken, possibly manage it?”
“Yi’er believes the Crown Prince wants to imprison Sister to control Shumiao Pavilion. Even if he eventually discovers I am not you, Yi’er will make him understand that imprisoning me achieves the same goal as imprisoning Sister. Moreover, if Sister were truly trapped in the Crown Prince’s Residence, both the Qu Family and Shumiao Pavilion would fall entirely into the Crown Prince’s grasp. If the Crown Prince were to turn against us then, the Qu Family would have no room to maneuver. Besides, if Sister entered the Crown Prince’s Residence, the Qu Family could no longer afford to have a Qu Yi in existence. Without Sister, I could not survive in the jianghu. Even if I hid away in some secluded mansion, what meaning would there be in living a life of anonymity?”
Qu Yi delivered this lengthy speech without pause, clearly having pondered it repeatedly over the past few days. Once finished, she looked eagerly at Qu Qing, hoping for her approval.
Yet Qu Qing seemed not to have truly taken in her words, merely smiling faintly as she asked, “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘When the cunning hare dies, the hunting dog is boiled’?”
Qu Yi lowered her gaze. “I have.”
“If you wish to wade into these murky waters, are you fully prepared?”
“Yi’er believes Sister will surely prepare a retreat for me.”
Qu Qing wore a faint smile, and after a long while, she said softly, “Your words all seem reasonable, yet none hold water. For instance, you said that imprisoning you or imprisoning me is the same for the Crown Prince. You are wrong. Imprisoning you is a gamble on my temperament. Once I abandon you, you become utterly useless. Only by imprisoning me can he truly control Shumiao Pavilion. Moreover, you said that if I enter the Crown Prince’s Residence, there will be no way out. You are wrong again. My way out has always been the martial arts skills Master taught me. If I am unwilling, the Crown Prince’s Residence cannot hold me. Lastly, you will not be left with nowhere to go. Since you overheard my conversation with Father, you should know that what weighs upon our Qu Family now is not just the Crown Prince but also the Empress Dowager. The entire Qu Family must hide, so you will not be alone.”
Qu Yi sighed with disappointment. She did not argue further but instead took out a pair of mutton-fat white jade pendants from her sleeve.
These pendants could be clasped together or separated into two halves: one was a crescent-shaped jade pendant carved with swirling cloud patterns, and the other was a round jade piece depicting a moonlit crane. When clasped together, the crescent embraced the full moon, the two halves fitting seamlessly, while the jade veins on the back formed a yin-yang fish pattern, head to tail.
Qu Yi gently separated them and handed the crescent pendant to Qu Qing. “Sister, this is the birthday gift I specially prepared. This half is for you.”
Qu Qing took it and examined it carefully. The jade was lustrous and smooth, the carving exquisite, clearly purchased from a renowned jade shop. She asked, “Is this what you risked being noticed by Shang Jieshi to buy earlier?”
Qu Yi replied slowly, “Yi’er recently read in a book about sisters who were separated for many years and later reunited by recognizing a pair of jade pendants. So, I thought Sister and I should have such a pair too.”
“Sister will never let you get lost.”
Qu Yi lowered her head. “Mm, Yi’er knows.”
The two fell into a rare silence, with only the chirping of cicadas breaking the quiet of the night.
After a long while, Qu Yi murmured softly, “Sister, they say that after twin-born children come into the world, the demon child will absorb the other’s fortune to mend its own flawed fate. Perhaps I really am a monster in disguise, one that will drain Sister’s vitality. Aren’t you afraid?”
Qu Qing sighed softly. “I have never believed the nonsense those Taoist priests spout.”
Qu Yi paused, then whispered again, “But Yi’er thinks their words seem somewhat reasonable. Ever since birth, Sister had to leave home because of me, enduring countless hardships over the years. When I was eight, Sister nearly lost her life saving me. And on Sister’s tenth birthday, if I hadn’t insisted on keeping Sister home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, Sister wouldn’t have been separated from Old Master Xiao, leaving no news of him to this day.”
Qu Qing gently interrupted, “Yi’er, none of this is your fault. You don’t need to think this way.”
But Qu Yi paid no heed and continued on her own, “Sister, in this world, only you truly care for Yi’er. Father is kind to me too, but in his heart, Mother always comes first. Since Mother dislikes me, Father has always kept a distance from me. Yi’er knows Sister is very capable, but I don’t want to always be protected by you. I want to do something for you too. I want to prove that I am not a monster in disguise and would never harm Sister. I can protect Sister. Sister, Yi’er only has you. I cannot stand by and watch you be imprisoned in the Crown Prince’s Residence without doing anything.”
“Sister, since you accepted the jade pendant I gave you, will you grant Yi’er a birthday wish? Give Yi’er a chance… to protect you.” Qu Yi tightly grasped Qu Qing’s wrist, lifting her gaze as tears gathered in her eyes slid down her cheeks, shimmering with a watery glow under the moonlight.
“Alright.”
The two soft words drifted into her ears, and Qu Yi could hardly believe it, asking foolishly, “Sister, you agreed?”
Qu Qing raised her hand to wipe the tears from Qu Yi’s face, smiling gently. “Mm.”
Seeing Qu Qing smile, Qu Yi knew her goal had been achieved. She hurriedly wiped her tears and vowed, “I will never let you down.”
After saying this, Qu Yi swept away the earlier gloom and cheerfully pulled Qu Qing back to their room. Lying in bed, Qu Yi couldn’t sleep and softly called out, “Sister.”
Qu Qing closed her eyes and responded, “Mm.”
Qu Yi whispered, “Actually, when I was little, I really didn’t like having a sister. Because even when she wasn’t home, this sister would take away Father and Mother’s affection. No matter how hard I tried to please Mother, she wouldn’t spare me a second glance. But later, I realized how fortunate I was—if I truly am a monster—to have encountered Mother among the vast sea of people. Sister, Yi’er is so grateful that you never resented Yi’er, never looked down on Yi’er like others did, and never abandoned Yi’er even when your own safety was at risk. Yi’er is so thankful to the heavens for giving me a sister.”
Qu Qing didn’t open her eyes but turned on her side, gently embracing Qu Yi, and said softly, “Your sister’s fate is tough. Even if you are a monster, I can still take care of you. Don’t worry, sleep now. It’s getting late.”
Qu Yi buried herself in Qu Qing’s embrace and said nothing more. A faint glimmer of tears could be seen at the corner of her eye, hazy and indistinct.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, there came a series of “thump, thump, thump” knocks on the door, accompanied by Jian’er’s soul-summoning calls, “Miss? Miss?”
Qu Qing hurriedly got up to open the door. “What is it?”
Normally, the two young ladies wore different-colored outer robes, so Jian’er could tell them apart. But looking at the young lady before her without an outer coat, Jian’er grew confused, blinking her eyes as she asked, “Which young lady are you?”
Everyone in the household knew Jian’er was simple-minded, but no one mocked or looked down on her. Instead, they all cared for and doted on her.
Qu Qing looked helplessly at the dazed little girl before her and finally smiled gently. “Qu Qing.”
“Oh, it’s Miss Qing’er,” Jian’er grinned. “That’s right then. There are two people outside looking for Miss Qing’er.”
“Who are they?” Qu Qing asked.
“How would Jian’er know that?”
“Then how do you know they’re looking for me?”
Hearing this, Jian’er looked up at the sky and scratched her head, her eyes darting around. After a moment, she suddenly understood. “Mother said that among the two people outside, she’s seen one of them before—she’s from Miss Qing’er’s pavilion. Mother also said Jian’er has seen that sister before, but Jian’er was too young then and can’t remember.”
“I understand. You can go about your business now.”
“Alright, Miss. If you need anything, remember to call Jian’er. Jian’er’s ears are very sharp!” After saying this, Jian’er skipped away.
Seeing Jian’er so carefree, Qu Qing didn’t know whether to be happy or worried for her. She pitied Qiao Shi, who had lost her son in her youth and her husband in middle age, finally gaining a daughter only to fear she carried some of her father’s illness from the womb. And now, this was how things stood.
“Sister?”
A soft call from Qu Yi came from inside the room. Qu Qing turned and went back in, finding her already sitting up.
Still drowsy, Qu Yi yawned repeatedly. “Sister, is something the matter?”
“The helper I found for you has arrived. Since you’re awake, get up and come with me to the front hall.”
“Helper?”
Qu Yi didn’t understand what she meant, but she hurriedly got up, changed her clothes, and followed Qu Qing.
When they reached the front hall, only three people were in sight: Tian An, who was busy pouring tea; the helper Qu Qing had found; and an uninvited tagalong. Seeing the two young ladies enter, Tian An withdrew.
“Master!” Upon seeing Qu Qing, Bai Fu’s face lit up with delight for a moment. He jumped down from his seat and ran toward her, stopping just short before dropping to one knee in a deep bow.
Ling Su, who stood nearby, had applied rouge but still looked quite pale. Moving a little slower, she also stepped forward and knelt before Qu Qing, saying, “Greetings, Pavilion Master.”
And this Ling Su was the helper Qu Qing had found for Qu Yi.