Qu Yi was still pondering the meaning of “already met” and how early that could have been, when Qu Qing picked up the veil hat lying beside her and, using three parts of her inner power, threw it, repelling Jing San’s half-extended arm that had just reached past the screen.
Jing San cried out in pain and dared not trespass further, retreating to his original spot while rubbing his arm. “The young lady’s strength is… quite impressive, quite impressive, haha—” He laughed awkwardly twice, but his gaze remained fixed on the veil hat that had been thrown to the ground.
Qu Yi snapped back to attention and chuckled lightly. “Young master, you jest. As a young woman, how much strength could I possibly have? I was merely worried about passing my illness to you and acted hastily in the moment.” At this point, she coughed lightly a few more times. “I am truly feeling quite unwell now. Perhaps you should return first, young master. On another day when I am feeling better, I will surely entertain you properly.”
This was clearly a dismissal.
Jing San did not insist further. Staring at the faint silhouette behind the screen, the corners of his lips curled slightly as he cooperated fully. “Very well. I will have someone send over the finest tonics shortly. Once the young lady has recovered, I shall invite you for a boat ride on the lake and a stroll through the woods.”
“Agreed,” Qu Yi replied readily.
Jing San bowed respectfully. “I take my leave, hoping for our next meeting.”
Qu Youyu, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, was utterly confused. Was this marriage being called off or not? If it was to be annulled, why had Qu Yi agreed to go out with Jing San?
When Jing San emerged from the room, Qu Youyu, uncertain of Qu Yi’s intentions, did not bring up the previous matter again. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he had someone escort Jing San away.
Inside the room, after Jing San had left, Qu Yi tugged at Qu Qing’s sleeve and asked urgently, “Sister, do you know this Young Master Jing San?”
Qu Qing was completely unaware of Qu Yi’s twisted thoughts. After thinking for a long time, she still could not recall any person surnamed Jing who looked like that, so she casually said, “Perhaps I have met him, but I just can’t remember at the moment.”
Qu Yi’s eyes lit up—so they were indeed old acquaintances.
After seeing Jing San off, Qu Youyu strode back in and asked Qu Yi, “Are you still in a hurry to call off this marriage?”
Qu Yi glanced at her thoughtful sister, her eyes darting back and forth, but she did not answer.
Qu Youyu pressed on, “Why are you looking at your sister? If you think it’s good, then let it be for now. If you think it’s not, I’ll immediately send someone to bring him back.”
“I…” Qu Yi bit her lower lip and answered hesitantly, “Let it be for now.”
Upon hearing this, Qu Youyu stood frozen in place. The twists and turns of a young woman’s heart were truly beyond his understanding!
With this matter settled, the Qu family members all boarded the carriage to return home.
Du Youxia sat on one side with Qu Qing, tightly holding her daughter’s hand. She chattered nonstop throughout the journey. “Qing’er, during this year of traveling, did you encounter any interesting stories or strange tales? Did you suffer any hardships?”
Qu Qing replied softly, “Everything is fine, Mother. There’s no need to worry.”
“How could I not worry when a young girl like you is constantly traveling north and south all year round?”
“Mother, I can take care of myself.”
Du Youxia sighed softly and asked, “Why did you return a few days earlier than usual this year?”
In previous years, Qu Qing would only return to the capital a day or two before her birthday. This year, however, the assassination attempt had disrupted her original plans. She was momentarily unsure whether to tell Du Youxia about this, so she fell silent.
“Isn’t it good that Qing’er returned early? Look at you—when the child was away, you missed her terribly, yet now that she’s back, you still have to question her.” Qu Youyu interjected at just the right moment, steering the conversation away from the topic.
Du Youxia shot Qu Youyu a glare and chided, “I’m speaking with Qing’er. Why must you interrupt?”
Qu Youyu looked helplessly at Qu Qing, his expression seeming to say, “The husband’s authority wanes, his status utterly lost—how pitiful and lamentable.”
Qu Qing sensed her father’s gaze but didn’t know how to respond, so she lowered her head.
This small gesture struck Du Youxia as particularly jarring. After years of drifting far from home, Qu Qing remained distant from her parents.
Yet this was an unchangeable reality. In Qu Qing’s heart, her parents were blood relatives, but they were people she saw only a few days each year. While familial affection existed, genuine closeness was lacking.
Moreover, Qu Qing had rarely met her eldest brother, Qu Hanzhang, who was often away on business, or her younger sister, Qu Jiaojiao, who had passed away prematurely. She knew her eldest brother treated her exceptionally well—each year when she returned home, she would find piles of carefully collected treasures he had sent her: exquisite jewelry, beautiful dresses, and all sorts of peculiar trinkets. Yet despite this, their conversations often dwindled after just a few words.
Within the Qu family, only Qu Yi was truly close to Qu Qing. Every time Qu Yi saw her older sister return home, she would cling to her tightly, unwilling to leave her side for even a moment, even holding her hand while sleeping. Though she usually had no idea where Qu Qing was traveling across the land, she would send letter after letter to Shumiao Pavilion’s various outposts.
Qu Qing rarely had much to say, but Qu Yi seemed to have an endless stream of words, constantly writing letters. Sometimes they were about family matters, sometimes strange tales she had read in books, and other times they were simply for the sake of talking—even mentioning how many eggs a particular hen at home had laid.
Occasionally, Qu Yi would attach newly devised, peculiar formations to the end of her letters.
Perhaps influenced by Qu Qing, Qu Yi had little interest in the refined pursuits favored by typical young ladies, such as playing the qin, calligraphy, or painting. Initially, she had wanted to practice martial arts like her sister, but her frail constitution couldn’t keep up with the rigorous training, and she collapsed after just a few days.
Later, she somehow heard about the art of Qimen Dunjia and begged Qu Qing and Qu Hanzhang to collect books on the subject during their travels. Over time, she truly delved into it, gaining some renown, particularly excelling in military formations and array arts.
Whenever Qu Yi made a breakthrough, she would send a letter to Qu Qing, who would then apply these military formations and array arts to reinforce outposts and carry out missions.
Returning to the carriage, Qu Yi wore a smile as she watched her parents and sister chatting warmly about everyday matters. Several times, she mustered the courage to speak up but ultimately couldn’t find a way to join the conversation. She listened quietly for a long while, and when she saw that none of the three had noticed her, she simply turned her head, gently lifted the bamboo curtain by the window, and gazed at the bustling vendors and passersby outside.
A boy by the roadside was clamoring for his mother to buy him tanghulu. The mother spanked him fiercely and shouted, “You’ve already ruined several teeth, and you still dare to eat that!”
As Qu Yi watched, her eyes grew slightly sore. She rubbed them, let the bamboo curtain fall back into place, and leaned against the carriage wall, closing her eyes as if to rest.
After about half an hour, the carriage slowly entered the inner courtyard through the rear gate of the Qu residence.
The Qu residence was situated in the western part of the imperial city. From the outside, it appeared unassuming—vermilion gates and green tiles, no different from any other wealthy household. Yet upon entering, one was transported to another world entirely: towering ancient trees lush and verdant, the faint sound of flowing streams echoing from all directions, and crisscrossing pathways paved with fine white jade. Along both sides of these paths, rare and precious flowers were arranged with deliberate artistry, attracting bold bees and butterflies that lingered and hovered above them.
The group proceeded directly into the main courtyard where Du Youxia resided. Tian An called for someone to take away the carriage and followed behind the others, carrying a box of pastries. To keep the secret, only Tian An, along with Qiao Shi and her daughter Jian’er, were ever permitted to enter this courtyard. These three were also the only ones aware of Qu Qing’s existence.
This Qiao Shi had been Du Youxia’s personal maid since childhood and later became Qu Yi’s wet nurse. The household respectfully addressed her as Nanny Qiao. She had originally borne a son, but he drowned in a river while still young. Later, she finally became pregnant with Jian’er, only to lose her husband before the girl was born. Jian’er herself had been somewhat slow-witted since infancy. Taking pity on the mother and daughter, Du Youxia allowed Qiao Shi to raise her daughter by her side. Now Jian’er was thirteen years old and performed simple tasks within the courtyard.
Whenever Qu Qing returned home each year, she stayed in a side room within the main courtyard. Qu Yi also moved in to stay with her. Qu Yi had originally had a personal maid named Xiangning, but for some reason, Qu Yi later drove her out and had never sought another servant since.
Hearing voices, Qiao Shi came out to greet them. Spotting Qu Qing approaching from a distance, she exclaimed joyfully, “Miss Qing! Miss Qing has returned! Madam, Miss Qing is back!”
“Yes, Qing’er has returned,” Du Youxia said with a smile.
Qiao Shi grasped Qu Qing’s sleeve, examining her closely from head to toe. Her eyes reddened slightly as she said tremulously, “Miss Qing has grown into such an elegant young lady. Are you hungry? This nanny didn’t know you were returning today. I’ll go to the kitchen right away and have them prepare a few more of your favorite dishes.”
As night fell, the hall was set with a table laden with exquisite delicacies. Du Youxia sat beside Qu Qing, constantly filling her bowl with soup and adding dishes, inquiring in minute detail about Qu Qing’s experiences during the past year away from home. Qu Youyu and Qu Yi couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Exchanging glances, the two left the table early, leaving mother and daughter alone.
“Still no word from Old Master Xiao?” Du Youxia asked softly, holding Qu Qing’s hand and gently rubbing it.
“None. In a while, I plan to go north to Lan Sai again. That area is vast and sparsely populated—perhaps the scouts missed something there.”
“Lan Sai? Haven’t you already been there once?”
“Yes.”
“Qing’er, don’t blame your mother for speaking out of turn. I met Xiao Si in my younger years. If he were still alive, he would never leave a child like you to face the turbulent undercurrents of Shumiao Pavilion alone.”
“Yes.”
“Then why must you…” Du Youxia trailed off, though her meaning was perfectly clear.
Qu Qing’s voice grew low and firm. “I cannot accept it. Even if a person dies, there should be a body. Even if the body is burned, there should be bones. Even if there are no bones left… there remains a grievance.”
Du Youxia bowed her head and murmured, “Qing’er, do you blame your mother for failing back then…”
Qu Qing cut her off halfway through. She looked at Du Youxia with certainty and said, “Over the years, you have asked this question many times, and I have answered it many times. I do not blame you. I only hope you can treat Yi’er and me equally.”
Du Youxia did not respond to this, instead asking, “If you’re not angry with Mother, why haven’t I seen you wear the white gauze dress she gave you? You’re still young—wearing dark green all day makes you look too mature.”
“White clothes stain easily. I spend all day walking through wind and sand—it would just ruin a fine dress.”
“What does that matter? If it gets dirty, just throw it away and change into another. If that’s the reason, next time Mother will send you ten, no, a hundred dresses. Though the Qu family holds no political power, we are uniquely wealthy and extravagant—even the imperial family may not compare.”
“Really, there’s no need…” Qu Qing was about to refuse again when she caught a fleeting look of hurt in Du Youxia’s eyes and stopped herself.
Seeing Qu Qing’s rare compromise, Du Youxia felt much better. “By the way, have you seen the man who caught the embroidered ball? What do you think? Your father and I both looked into him—his family background is clean, and he’s also…”
“Does Mother not know yet? There was a mistake. Another man snatched the embroidered ball away.”
“What? Who… who is it?” Du Youxia’s expression momentarily showed surprise but quickly returned to normal.
Throughout their return home and the entire meal, she had not once asked about her other daughter.
Seeing this, Qu Qing sighed. “They say his name is Jing San, and his family is in business. He is quite handsome, but I can’t shake the feeling that he looks familiar, though I can’t remember where I’ve seen him before.”
“You’ve seen him?” Du Youxia frowned, then asked, “And does Yi’er fancy this man?”
“It seems she does, but I find him rather glib-tongued, almost… excessively attentive.”
“Tomorrow, I’ll have your father investigate this man’s background in detail.”
“I was thinking the same.”
It was not until the moon had climbed high that Du Youxia reluctantly let Qu Qing return to her room to rest.
It was early autumn, and the night carried a chill, with only the occasional faint chirp of a cicada. The candlelight along the path flickered uncertainly. Qu Qing had only taken a few steps when she heard the rustle of fabric behind her. Turning, she saw Qu Yi following her with a mischievous grin.
“Sister, you only noticed me now? Yi’er has been following you for a long time.”
Though her words feigned complaint, Qu Yi quickly closed the distance, linking her arm with Qu Qing’s.
“How long have you been waiting? Why are you so cold?” As soon as Qu Yi drew near, Qu Qing felt the chill radiating from her.
“I want Sister to worry about me. You’re never home these days—you probably forgot all about Yi’er.” Qu Yi pouted, stopping in her tracks.
Unable to pull her along, Qu Qing lightly flicked her forehead. “Don’t be childish. It’s late—go back to your room, tidy up, and get some sleep.”
“Ouch!” Rubbing her forehead, Qu Yi teased, mimicking Jing San’s manner from earlier in the day, “Sister, your hand is quite strong, quite strong indeed!”
Qu Qing ignored her and strode ahead, leaving Qu Yi with a cool, distant figure from behind.
“I’m sorry, Sister, I’m sorry! Wait for me! Yi’er waited for you all night—how can you just leave me behind?”
Qu Yi hurried after her, linking arms again and making small talk. “Sister, look how big the moon is tonight.”
“Hmm.”
“The stars are bright too.”
“Hmm.”
“The glutinous rice balls Sister bought were delicious.”
“Then eat more of them.”
The two sisters lay on the bed. Qu Yi had intended to ask more about the identity of that young master Jing, but Qu Qing fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow. In order to make it to today’s assassination attempt, Qu Qing had traveled for several nights and was truly exhausted.
Qu Yi sighed softly, hugged Qu Qing’s arm, and closed her eyes. Perhaps because she felt at ease, she too drifted off to sleep in no time.