“I-I don’t know…” stuttered Zihuan as his eyes widened in surprise. 

“Of course you don’t, you were merely a tool for their schemes.” Su Jing Fei replied quietly as she gave Heng a meaningful glance. The candlelight flickered from their movements as Heng slipped behind Zihuan and tied a simple gag to restrain the man’s mouth. Then he was immobilized with a skillful jab to the correct pressure points; his body stiffened and strained visibly. 

Su Jing Fei leaned down and calmly pulled out the hair pin from Zihuan’s leg. The wound reopened, causing a new burst of fresh blood to soak his pants. As she stared at the scene of an injured Zihuan before her, Su Jing Fei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d dreamt of this moment for so long; the day she could take back a piece of the revenge that Da Chun was owed. She’d conjured up so many scenarios in her head, debating the best way to make Zihuan feel the pain and humiliation that her sister was forced to endure. 

“I’ve endured for a full year and a half, Zihuan.” Su Jing Fei murmured as the hair pin’s tip pressed against the wound, tracing a red line along his leg and up his abdomen. “I’ll see you in Hell again one day.” Her pink lips stretched into a beautiful smile which was a rare sight. In Zihuan’s half-deranged state, Su Jing Fei’s smiling face resembled a young Qu shi before melting into the gentle expression of the young girl Da Chun. But then he was screaming and screaming, yet outside the dark cave, the night was quiet and still. 

After awhile, Su Jing Fei emerged from the dark cave. Her long black hair gently lifted in the cool night breeze, and as she reached up to remove the strands moving against her cheeks, Heng appeared quietly at Su Jing Fei’s side and placed a gentle touch on Su Jing Fei’s moving hand. “Da xiaojie, your hands have been dirtied. Let us return quickly to the Su manor so you can rest. It has been a long night.”

Su Jing Fei’s dark eyes flickered to her blood-stained hands. Then her gaze became distant as she was reminded of a question she had once asked. “I had once questioned the nature of my motives… unsure of whether the things I do are considered good or bad. But now, I realize that it does not matter whether the things I do are good or bad. People will always do as they selfishly please with no regard for others, and I am no exception.” 

Heng bowed her head and merely stood quietly at her xiaojie’s side. Then they returned to the Su family manor just as the sun began to rise over the horizon. Su Jing Fei changed out of the night’s clothes, and the garments were given to Heng to bring away to be burned. As Heng finally left, Yize hurriedly left to prepare a bath for her xiaojie. 

Su Jing Fei sat on the bed as an overwhelming tiredness overcame her. She leaned against the bedpost, closing her eyes. When Yize returned with Mu Tan in tow, the two yatou quietly prepared the bath before Yize gently awoke her xiaojie. 

“Y-You’ve worked hard,” Mu Tan words were stuttered, feeling choked from holding back tears. Finally, after a year of grief, a piece of atonement could be offered to Da Chun. The older woman knelt before her xiaojie and cried. 

Yize’s face was also filled with tears, but the two yatou still assisted their xiaojie to bathe and clean away the dried blood and dirt from last night. Su Jing Fei soaked in the warm bath, closing her eyes once more. “En, this is only the beginning.” 

The next few days passed quietly until it came for the day of the Emperor’s banquet for the great general Qu Zhi Qiang, her maternal grandfather. On that day, Su Jing Fei sat patiently as the yatou toiled away at her hair, face, and hands; after a long morning’s work, the young woman found herself adorned in extravagance. 

Prior to her maternal grandfather’s arrival, the Empress had gifted the Su family some beautifully colored bolts of silk cloth. The Su family knew these gifts were mainly for Su Jing Fei, so they allowed her to choose first. Su Jing Fei chose a deep blue bolt and a few other simple colors; Su Mei Rong had chosen some light and refreshing colors to complement her pure and scholarly appearance, and Su Yan Mei chose bright pinks and yellows to highlight her youthfulness. 

As Su Jing Fei prepared to leave the manor alongside the Su family, there were quiet whispers among the servants. Although the majority of the servants had seen Su Jing Fei growing up to be an ill-natured and brash young girl, they could not deny that the da xiaojie had truly turned over a new leaf with her quiet and elegant demeanor. Although Su Jing Fei was not as beautiful as Su Mei Rong who was adorned in light green clothes that highlighted her fairy-like appearance with soft and delicate features, the da xiaojie looked truly pleasing to the eye with her dark blue dress and silver floral tasseled hair pins. 

“Jie jie looks truly beautiful! With such beautiful clothes and sparkling adornments, jie jie is truly favored by the gods with her elegance and beauty...” Su Mei Rong’s compliments were filled with sarcasm, hinting at the fact that Su Jing Fei could only achieve such ‘elegance’ and ‘beauty’ through superficial means. The young girl was quite bitter at the attention that Su Jing Fei would soon receive as the granddaughter of Qu Zhi Qiang. Why were the gods so unfair? Su Mei Rong’s own maternal grandfather was a lowly ranked noble with an empty title… She had always felt inferior in terms of status to Su Jing Fei although she knew she was much prettier and talented. 

“Rong-mei jests. True elegance and beauty is measured by a woman’s inner character and virtues, by which Rong-mei has mastered as a woman of the four talents and scholarly pursuits.” Su Jing Fei responded with an amicable smile. 

Su Mei Rong’s own smile stiffened as she derived Su Jing Fei’s meaningful words. They were basically stating that Su Mei Rong had become a ‘master’ of portraying a woman with elegance and beauty through her talents and pursuits but not by her inner character and virtues! Su Mei Rong was still young afterall, so she could not properly disguise her anger. Being a pure white lotus meant having to endure and not being able to lash back at Su Jing Fei, so the young girl moved away with a suppressed expression of anger.

When boarding the carriages, Su Jing Fei sat with Su Lao Furen. The next carriage was Su Mei Rong, Liu shi, and Su Xuan Mo, and the third carriage was Su Xuan Zi’s family. The ride through the capital proved an arduous task as carriages of noble families lined up to enter the palace one by one. As the guards checked the carriages, the Su family soon found themselves being led to the front of the line, bypassing the onlooking commoners and jealous noble families. 

Su Jing Fei rested her eyes, remembering back to when she had first arrived in the world. She had taken a carriage like this and come to break off her engagement with Chen Hui Zhe. People talked about it, whispered and laughed behind her back. And now, she was returning as a guest to attend the banquet for her maternal grandfather, a meritorious general of the Imperial Army. And yet, people’s mouths could not be subdued. 

“Fei’er?” Su Lao Furen’s voice sounded a bit worried. 

Su Jing Fei opened her eyes, giving her grandmother a small smile. “Just a little tired. It’s been so long since I’ve seen my maternal grandfather and my uncles.” 

The old woman reached out, patting Su Jing Fei gently on the leg. “Your grandfather has been away from the capital for so long. He must miss you very much ah.” 

“Yes, Grandmother.” She replied amicably, resting her hands on her lap as she gazed through the flap of the window curtains, catching sight of the large palace. 

When exiting the carriage, Su Lao Furen was assisted off first, and then Su Jing Fei followed after. She glanced around, observing the surrounding families that entered the large banquet hall. 

The Minister of Justice’s Jiang family had just arrived and were entering. Jiang Furen was chatting amicably with other furens while the young daughters of the Jiang family trailed behind her. Jiang Li Ling wore a youthful and vibrant pink dress, looking pure and delicate as a spring flower. She looked around excitedly; her big brown eyes sparkled with delight. Even from a distance, Su Jing Fei could read the thoughts running through Jiang Li Ling’s mind; there was no doubt she was excitedly searching for a particular prince’s face.

Surprisingly, a high-ranking palace eunuch came to receive Su Jing Fei and her family at the door, leading them further into the banquet hall. Beautiful decorations adorned the walls; colorful tapestries draped from the ceiling, and golden lanterns illuminated the faces of everyone in the grand hall. 

The palace eunuch led the Su family to their designated seating area which was closer to the front of the banquet hall. The nearby officials gave a nervous and awkward glance at Su Xuan Mo but greeted him respectfully nonetheless. He was the son-in-law of the great Qu general afterall. The fathers and sons sat separated from the mothers and daughters, so the Su family women were led to a different table nearby. 

The Empress sat at the head of the table; accompanied by one side were a few consorts. On the other side, a middle-aged woman sat next to a young woman. They both appeared a little uncomfortable, especially the young woman around Su Jing Fei’s age. Her hair was a warm brown color, resembling the oak of a spring tree, and the rest of her hair and eyes seemed a bit light though her skin was a little tanned. The older middle-aged woman bore the same look. 

When they entered the banquet hall, the chattering voices quieted as the Empress warmly gestured towards the Su family women. They graciously bowed before her with proper greetings. Once the Empress gestured for their reprieve, Su Jing Fei immediately greeted the two unfamiliar women. 

“Su Jing Fei greets jiumu and biaojie.” She politely greeted them both. Her head and body lowered respectfully, and for a moment, the collar of her dress shifted a little to reveal a pale and slender neck like a crane, graceful and elegant. 

“Ah, so you’re my tangmei!” spoke the brown-haired and brown-eyed girl with a wide smile. This was no doubt Qu Ming Zhu, her maternal cousin and the daughter of her mother’s eldest brother. 

“Shush, Zhu’er, don’t exclaim so loudly. Look at your tangmei, she’s so polite and lady-like,” the older woman chided, but she kept a graceful demeanor and a friendly smile as she turned back to Su Jing Fei. She quickly slipped off a jade bracelet from her wrist, placing it in Su Jing Fei’s hands as she affectionately patted their hands together. “Aiya, you’ve grown up so big now, Fei’er. Last time I saw you, you barely reached my knee ah. Quickly, come take a seat next to your biaojie.” This was Wu shi, who was also known as Qu Furen as she was the wife of Su Jing Fei’s eldest maternal uncle.

Qu Ming Zhu didn’t look the least bit embarrassed by her mother’s remark, looking even a little happy as Su Jing Fei took a seat next to her. “I really like how pretty tangmei looks. You remind me of a pretty little bird I keep!” Her words were simple and straightforward, holding no malice nor other intent. It’d been such a long time since Su Jing Fei had seen someone so bright and honest. 

Unconsciously, a gentle smile blossomed on Su Jing Fei’s face. “Su Jing Fei thanks jiumu and biaojie.” She then took her seat beside Qu Ming Zhu while the Empress greeted Liu shi and Su Lao Furen. When they all took their seats, the royal servants began to serve tea and snacks. The Empress gestured for everyone to be comfortable and mingle, allowing the young woman to get up and walk freely amongst themselves while the older women opted to remain seated and chat with one another.

Qu Ming Zhu shifted impatiently in her seat, and sighed a breath of relief as she was able to get up and stretch her legs. Su Jing Fei also got up and accompanied her as they strolled towards a table with snacks. The young woman’s brown eyes lit up at the sight of snacks. “Capital snacks. I wonder if they’re as good as the rumors say!” 

“Try some.” Su Jing Fei spoke, placing a delicate cake in front of the young woman. “This cake is pretty famous in the capital for its refreshing taste. It was created by one of the most famous confectioneries in the capital.” 

Qu Ming Zhu excitedly picked up the snack, but she paused just before she was about to shove the whole thing in her mouth; instead, she took a well-sized bite from one of the ends. As she placed the cake back down, she hummed a little as the cake’s flavor filled her taste buds. “It’s sweet and tart, but not overwhelmingly so! There’s even a hint of a minty aftertaste which leaves my mouth feeling refreshed afterwards!” 

“Since biaojie likes it, I’ll take you to go see the confectionary in the capital sometime.” 

“En! Wow, tangmei is as kind as you are pretty!” 

Qu Ming Zhu’s simple personality was quite refreshing, and after talking a little bit more, Su Jing Fei felt her worries settle a little bit. She had originally been a little nervous and hesitant about being forced to meet family members; especially, important ones such as the Qu family. They were a prestigious military family, but judging from Qu Furen and Qu xiaojie’s attitudes, it felt more like a normal family than the strict noble households. 

“Su Mei Rong greets jiejie and biaojie.” A quiet and gentle voice spoke up suddenly, interrupting their conversation. Su Mei Rong politely inclined her head, appearing sweet and demure with a smile on her beautiful face. Her youthful appearance made her seem quite innocent and lovely, but surprisingly, Qu Ming Zhu actually spoke words of dismissal in response.

“I’m not your biaojie, so don’t call me that.” Qu Ming Zhu said bluntly with a small frown. 

A few whispers spread among the nearby young women, causing Su Mei Rong’s smile to freeze in place. She stiffly raised her lowered head, giving a sullen and sad look. “I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that my jiejie calls you biaojie, so I thought it would be okay for you to call that too…” Her appearance clearly showcased a wronged expression as she continued to speak. “If it truly offends you to have me call you biaojie, I can only concede, Qu xiaojie. I wouldn’t want to offend jiejie and you.” Obviously, she had wanted to grasp onto the fame of the Qu family’s esteemed reputation, hoping to pander to Qu Ming Zhu. But from Qu Ming Zhu’s reply, Su Mei Rong had clearly heard the rejection there. Thus, Su Mei Rong’s following statements were like a spark to a fire of gossip, and Su Jing Fei could already feel the discerning eyes of nearby women sizing up Qu Ming Zhu who had spoken so bluntly. She was clearly painting Qu Ming Zhu up to be a woman without manners, someone who disregarded others’ goodwill. 

In the capital, words among women were like swords in the battlefield, and reputation and honor were like armor among them. Su Jing Fei already knew from her short exchange with Qu Ming Zhu that the young woman was straightforward and honest in character; a type of person who could never beat a victimizing silver-tongued snake like Su Mei Rong. 

Just as Qu Ming Zhu was about to say something, Su Jing Fei gently placed a hand on the other woman’s arm, giving a smile. “Mei-mei seems to be mistaken. As your jiejie, let me correct your mistakes. Firstly, you wronged Qu Ming Zhu by assuming that she was offended and ‘conceding’ to her when she had merely stated a fact.” Her words were spoken in a clear voice, smooth and unhurried in contrast to Su Mei Rong’s pitiful act. “And secondly, you’ve committed an unfilial act and I shall have to speak to mother and father about it when we return home.”

“U-Unfilial act?” Su Mei Rong’s delicate eyebrows pressed together in confusion. “Jiejie, you can’t just throw accusations like that and hurt our family’s reputation.” Somehow, though, Su Mei Rong couldn't help feeling annoyed yet anxious after seeing Su Jing Fei’s calm undisturbed appearance. She felt that her older sister had changed so much from before. Su Jing Fei used to speak openly and brazenly just like Qu Ming Zhu had, but now, her words always seemed like a dagger aimed at Su Mei Rong. 

“Did you not just insist on calling Qu Ming Zhu your biaojie?” 

“I did… but…” 

“Are you not claiming to want to cut ties with Er Furen who is your biological mother, and instead have yourself be regarded as a daughter of the original Furen, my biological mother who was a daughter of the Qu family, by insisting on calling Qu Ming Zhu your biaojie?” 

Su Mei Rong’s face paled. “I-I… That wasn’t my intention at all.” Her large eyes began to waver, glistening with unshed tears. 

Su Jing Fei smiled warmly, stepping forward to tenderly pat Su Mei Rong’s hand. “Mei-mei is still young, which is why your words can just be taken as youthful willfulness. You merely misunderstood Qu xiaojie, right? Don’t worry. As long as you apologize to Qu xiaojie, I’m sure she won’t be offended.” 

Somehow, the tables had turned around on Su Mei Rong, and her insides twisted with hate for Su Jing Fei at the moment. Now she was forced to retract her words or else be seen as having committed an unfilial act or having offended Qu xiaojie. Of course, the latter was far more tolerable to her reputation, but having Su Jing Fei call it ‘youthful willfulness’ was an insult since Su Jing Fei was only a few months older than her. The humiliation and embarrassment made Su Mei Rong’s cheeks burn slightly red. She had never suffered like this before; everyone usually pandered to her. Even the annoying Jiang Li Ling was not a match for her. However, she knew this was her loss. A little begrudgingly, she tilted her head to the side in deference and spoke the words with barely a sniffle. “Su Mei Rong has offended Qu xiaojie. Asking for Qu xiaojie’s forgiveness.” 

Qu Ming Zhu stared at the two of them with a somewhat bewildered expression. Clearly, she hadn’t expected such a turn of events. When the attention had returned to her, she quickly gave a reply. “It’s fine.” 

Su Mei Rong bowed her head and quickly bid them farewell, making her exit as fast as possible to save herself further embarrassment. 

As the young woman left, Su Jing Fei swept her eyes across a bit of the watching bystanders, giving a polite smile. They all turned away quickly. 

“Wow, tangmei is just as fierce as the little bird too! It was this pretty little thing and seemed delicate, but its hard break hurt a lot when it used to poke my hand when I held it.” Qu Ming Zhu laughed. 

“The little bird sounds interesting,” Su Jing Fei returned to Qu Ming Zhu’s side with a relaxed smile. “Maybe I can see it someday if I ever get the chance to visit biaojie’s hometown where the Qu family resides.” 

Qu Ming Zhu’s smile dropped, and she looked a little sad. “Actually, Mother had me set the bird free before we came to the capital since no one would have time to take care of it back home. It flew away somewhere.” 

“It’s okay, biaojie. I’ll keep you company instead and show you around the capital; how does that sound?” 

The young woman’s brown eyes lightened again, and her smile returned just as easily as it left. It was rather quite endearing to Su Jing Fei; she felt like she had gained more of a biaomei than a biaojie instead. 

Suddenly, a royal servant came in and spoke quietly to the Empress. Everyone was asked to return to their seating arrangements, and Su Jing Fei sat at the table with the Qu family women while the Su family’s table were next to them.

Another servant came in, standing off to the side as a figure slowly emerged from the entrance. “The Empress Dowager has arrived!”