Su Xuan Mo was fuming as he waited. When he had returned home initially, Su Lao Furen had told him about Su Jing Fei’s dress ripping at the Che manor. How could Su Jing Fei be so careless to put herself in such a scandalous situation like that!? Does she not realize that her actions are a bad reflection on the Su family name?

The three young women arrived and took their respective seats. Su Mei Rong kept a gentle expression, but one could see the irritation and stiffness in those pursed lips. Su Yan Mei was younger and not as good at controlling her expressions, so one could clearly tell the annoyance apparent on her face. It was Su Jing Fei who entered last and kept a calm appearance as she took a seat beside Su Lao Furen. 

Liu shi was seated on the other side of Su Xuan Mo, and she carefully looked over Su Mei Rong to make sure her daughter was unharmed. Once she was sure that Su Mei Rong was alright, she kept a pleasant smile on her face, knowing full well that Su Xuan Mo was going to unleash a world of anger upon Su Jing Fei. 

“You…!” Su Xuan Mo pointed a finger at Su Jing Fei angrily. “How could you be so careless as to let yourself be put in such a vulnerable position like that? If the other noble families knew that you were caught in such a scandalous state, who would want to marry you!? Our family would lose face!” 

Su Jing Fei scoffed inwardly. Of course Su Xuan Mo would twist this incident to somehow be her fault. It was always her carelessness that would threaten his ‘reputation.’ The only thing he ever cared about was his reputation; not that Su Jing Fei needed his fatherly love. It was the original Su Jing Fei that she pitied; the young girl bore the brunt of Su Xuan Mo’s selfish and biased anger. Everything bad that ever happened to the Su family was her fault. Perhaps, it was time that Su Xuan Mo learned a little fear about this ‘tough love’ of his. 

Before Su Jing Fei could speak out however, Su Mei Rong suddenly put on a pitiful expression as she began to cry. “Father, it was not jie jie’s fault! We were just walking along a path when jie jie’s dress was stepped on and ripped by accident when Yan-mei tripped. And then afterwards…” The young girl sniffled, hiding her face into her sleeve. “An unknown man appeared out of nowhere and claimed to be jie jie’s lover! But jie jie would never!” 

Su Xuan Mo’s face turned beet red with anger at hearing Su Mei Rong’s words. He had heard about the dress, but he had not known about the latter situation. He felt like his head would burst! “Shameful! After your previous antics, I forgave you and let you come home and now this! Do you not care about how your insolent actions would put me in an early grave!?”

If only. Su Jing Fei wanted to laugh. Yes, Su Mei Rong was kind enough to mention the man but omit the fact that he was proven not to be her lover. Su Jing Fei turned to Su Mei Rong and gave a smile. “Many thanks, Rong-mei for your support in my innocence. However, it seems that Rong-mei forgot to mention that the man was proven to be a thief who was using me as an excuse to hide his true intentions.” 

Su Xuan Mo still looked quite angry, but a steady hand fell on his arm. Su Lao Furen gave her son a stern look. “Sit down for now, my son. Let us listen to what happened first.” The old woman knew that Su Jing Fei had changed after returning to the capital, so she believed that her oldest granddaughter would not be one to behave so frivolously like before. 

Su Xuan Mo grit his teeth but took a seat again. He calmed down a little bit but was still sure that Su Jing Fei was nothing but trouble. It seemed like this black stain in his family would never go away!

“Explain what happened today at the Che manor, Fei’er.” Su Lao Furen spoke in a firm voice. 

“Yes, Grandmother.” Su Jing Fei said with a smile. “The Che Furen had their guests form small groups to go flower-viewing. While going for a stroll through the garden, Yan-mei slipped on a wet rock near the pond and stepped on my dress, causing it to rip in the back.” Su Jing Fei gestured a hand to Mu Tan who appeared with the ruined garment. There was a clear footprint on the bottom of the dress where the tear originated. “Of course, accidents happen and they’re no one’s fault, right Yan-mei?” Su Jing Fei turned and addressed Su Yan Mei with a smile. 

Su Yan Mei looked flustered and quickly nodded her head. Inwardly, she wondered why Su Jing Fei’s sweet smile caused her to feel so frightened. Could Su Jing Fei have known the truth that Che Li Xue had set her up for a scheme? There was no way!

Su Jing Fei gave a rather pitiful expression however, looking regretfully at the dress as she sighed. “I just regret that Grandfather will not be able to see me wearing the dress he sent as a gift.” 

Su Xuan Mo froze, feeling the air stutter in his lungs. Grandfather? Since Su Xuan Mo’s father was not around, there was only one grandfather that Su Jing Fei could be referring to. It was the Qu Zhi Qiang, the honorable general! He felt suddenly queasy; he was stupid to have forgotten the true reason why he’d allowed Su Jing Fei to return in the first place! The Qu family should be returning to the capital in a few days time! 

Everyone else looked just as shocked as Su Xuan Mo when Su Jing Fei mentioned her ‘grandfather.’ They knew it meant none other than her maternal grandfather Qu Zhi Qiang! “Fei’er, your grandfather has been so busy fighting on the borders of Chu country. When has he had the free time to contact you?” Su Xuan Mo asked timidly.

“Grandfather is indeed busy, but he is still family. Hearing that his granddaughter's engagement was broken and that she had moved to Fuo Lan… these things are something he naturally should know.” Su Jing Fei stated calmly. 

Su Xuan Mo felt as though the air had been squeezed out of his lungs! They had known everything!? Just what exactly had Su Jing Fei told them!? He shook his head however; he had to calm down. He was the Emperor’s Right Prime Minister right now; he was a man who had power! Not like before… Before marrying Qu shi, Su Xuan Mo had little to nothing to his name. And although he was still afraid at the mention of the Qu family, he knew that they couldn’t do anything to him publicly. But he still had to tread carefully! The Qu family was a family of praised military lineage and loyalty to the throne that even the current Emperor had to give them proper respect! “Accidents happen, and one should not dwell on the past! This Father will send for some new clothes to be made, so Fei’er should not be so sad!” 

Liu shi looked shocked at Su Xuan Mo’s sudden change in attitude as she was still trying to grasp onto the fact that Su Jing Fei had a relationship with the Qu family. Her mind reeled with thoughts of whether Su Jing Fei had enclosed to the Qu family about Liu shi’s schemes. Previously, she had thought that she could easily kill off Su Jing Fei and be done with her, but now the matter was not so simple! If Su Jing Fei died, there was no doubt that the Qu family would demand a thorough investigation that could lead back to herself or possibly even Rong’er. She had to think of a much more difficult scheme if she was to be rid of Su Jing Fei without any repercussions!

Su Jing Fei was quite pleased with Su Xuan Mo’s sudden groveling, but she had other things in mind. “No, I can’t trouble Father to go to such lengths for just a dress. But perhaps, if Yun shi does not mind, I believe the the Yun family has a couple of dress shops in town. Could I trouble Yun shi to help me get another dress?”

Su Yan Mei glanced nervously at her mother, unsure of why Su Jing Fei was so intent on using her maternal family’s dress shops. But… considering that Su Yan Mei did ruin the dress that the Qu family had sent Su Jing Fei, she hoped that her mother’s agreement could appease Su Jing Fei in the meantime! 

Yun shi quickly nodded her head in agreement. “Of course, I would love to help Fei’er find a new dress. Tomorrow, I’ll call for one of the dress shop tailors to come!” 

“Many thanks, Yun shi.” Su Jing Fei said with a pleased expression. She turned back to Su Xuan Mo and relayed the rest of the incident at the Che manor. With Su Xuan Mo’s new perspective, he quickly rose up to defend Su Jing Fei’s honor by promising that he’ll make sure the unknown man receives justice for slandering her name. Afterwards, Su Xuan Mo dismissed everyone, and they returned to their respective courtyards. 

In another place, that same unknown man was currently being tortured by Che family guards as Che Xiao Tong barked orders at his men. On the other side of the manor, Che Li Xue cursed Su Jing Fei for causing her humiliation! It was supposed to be Su Jing Fei’s downfall, but now, Che Li Xue was the one who looked like an idiot for accusing Su Jing Fei! However, her father would make sure to kill that man before he could speak any words or accusations against her… She’d already threatened the other servants to keep quiet about her scheme. The only thing she had to worry about now was how to get revenge on Su Jing Fei making an idiot out of her! 

“Please, I’m innocent!” wailed the servant as the guards continued to whip his body. His hoarse pleas fell on dead ears as Che Xiao Tong glared at him with an intense anger. 

“Who ordered you to come into my home and steal it? Where did you put my book!?” Che Xiao Tong shouted with a red face. 

“I did not steal anything…” The man cried with tears and snot smeared across his face. Specks of blood dotted his face, but below his neck, fresh wounds oozed red. “Che xiaojie ordered me to enter Su Jing Fei’s room and pretend to be her lover!” 

“Nonsense!” Che Xiao Tong spat as he grabbed a heated rod and pressed it against the man’s chest. The stench of burning flesh was accompanied by the man’s wails of pain before he passed out. “Make sure he doesn’t die! I need to find that book!” Che Xiao Tong ordered his men as he stormed out of the underground dungeon. 

Back at the Su family manor, Su Jing Fei returned to her room. “Set aside the clothes and treat them carefully. We want to keep up the facade of their importance.” Su Jing Fei said as Mu Tan put away the ruined dress. 

“Da xiaojie is clever! Using the ruse of the Qu family to threaten Su Xuan Mo was effective or else who knew what that wretched man would accuse you of next.” Mu Tan replied with a sigh. 

“Little do they know that it’s merely an ordinary dress that da xiaojie obtained in Fuo Lan!” giggled Yize with a satisfied smile. 

“Shush, we have to be careful. The walls might have ears. This place is still crawling with those new servants that Liu shi sent over,” warned Su Jing Fei but she also had a pleased smile on. “Anyways, keep quiet for now and stay sharp.”

“Yes, da xiaojie.” The two yatou replied. They helped Su Jing Fei prepare for bed, leaving only a single candlelight on before they were out the door. 

Sitting at the edge of her bed, Su Jing Fei pulled out the blue book she had stolen from the Che manor. This item definitely couldn’t fall into Chen Hui Zhe’s hands! But she also had no use for it. However, there was a man she owed, and perhaps, this valuable book could repay some of that debt. She took out her mother’s old jewelry box, carefully running her fingers along its carved edges as she felt a nostalgic sadness wash over her. Her mother… The younger brother she never met… and Da Chun… She opened the box, pulling out the twin jade pendants and the letters of her family. She felt the same sadness that had consumed her since the day Da Chun died; the darkness tugged at the corners of her emotions, threatening to pull her back into a nightmare. She felt her resolve strengthened. As time had passed, the sharpness of the emotions dulled a bit, and she had felt infinitely guilty. But such was the human mind, spirit, and body. The pain will dull, but the scars remained.

With a sigh, she gently placed all the items back in the box, including the blue book. After everything, she had a lock installed on the box to keep her most important objects safe. The key was safely tucked into a small compartment hidden in a plain bracelet she wore. She kept it close to her always. After she put away the box, Su Jing Fei stood up and walked to the window of her room. Pushing it open, she glanced into the darkness of the night for a moment before speaking in a clear voice. “Tell your master to come pay me a visit. I have something for him.” 

Silence. 

But she knew that her intuition was not wrong. It was the same feeling as back in Fuo Lan. All she had to do was wait for them to relay the message. So she returned to the table and pulled out a few books to study. With her attention preoccupied, she didn’t notice the rustling of leaves outside her window. 

Hours passed. The candle dwindled in size, flickering slightly from the night breeze. When a dark shadow came through the window, the candle’s flame extinguished in a single moment. The man’s steps were light as he walked towards the table. There were opened books beside a sleeping Su Jing Fei. Her head was nestled between her crossed arms on the table. 

“Couldn’t even wait properly for me,” chuckled the man as he glanced down at Su Jing Fei’s sleeping face. “You haven’t changed at all, Su Jing Fei.” 

The man was none other than Li Wei Sheng. In a year’s time, he’d grown even more handsome than before. With his sharp features, chiseled jaw, highbrows, and dark obsidian eyes, he looked like a celestial who had come to whisk away the maiden in the night. However, his eyes reflected humor instead of love. There was perhaps a small inkling of fondness for the curious girl who had caught his eye a year ago; and a bit of sadness for her too. 

With gentle movements, Li Wei Sheng lifted Su Jing Fei into his arms, easily carrying her to the bedside. He placed her in the middle of the bed, thoughtfully pulling the covers up to her shoulders. With her face unhidden and revealed by the moonlight, Li Wei Sheng noticed that the young woman of last year had actually changed quite a bit, in terms of physical appearance at least. The youthful roundness of her face had sharpened, and her features had grown into the leanness of her face to reflect the pleasant appearance of a beauty. For a moment, he wondered if her cold smile was still the same. Perhaps, she’d show an interesting reaction when he teased her. 

Suddenly, Su Jing Fei’s brow furrowed, and it looked like she was suffering from a nightmare. Her body trembled, and her pale appearance was like a ghost. She shivered, and he didn’t know if it was the cold or from her nightmares. Li Wei Sheng felt just a bit troubled, so he reached out and rubbed away the wrinkle on her forehead. “Still just a worrisome girl.” However, suddenly, Su Jing Fei’s hand grabbed onto his sleeve as she mumbled something. Her thin fingers clutched tightly onto the cloth that Li Wei Sheng could not pull away easily. The corner of his lip raised in amusement. “Still asleep and so demanding. Fine, I’ll stay awhile.” 

He waited until her nightmare seemed to pass before he got up and left. There was no use in lingering since the morning light was beginning to spread into the sky. He was too late the previous night, but he was sure to make a return visit tonight...

The next morning, Su Jing Fei awoke in her bed with a slightly confused expression. Somehow, she had managed to get into bed and fall asleep. She sighed, feeling a dull ache beat against her temple. She’d tried her best to stay up, but ever since Da Chun had died, her sleep was rather irregular. Sometimes, she’d suffer sleepless nights and other days, she’d sleep like the dead. Maybe it would be wise to get some herbal teas to relax her body. 

“Good morning, da xiaojie.” Greeted the two yatou as they entered the room and helped Su Jing Fei prepare for the morning. They were not surprised to find that Su Jing Fei was already awake and up at such an early hour; they were quite aware of her irregular sleeping habits as well. 

“Da xiaojie, Yun shi has sent word that the tailor has arrived and is ready whenever da xiaojie wishes to take her measurements and pick out some fabrics to make new clothes.” Mu Tan relayed the message as she began combing Su Jing Fei’s hair. “Xi mama has also arrived early with a message that there is no need for da xiaojie to greet the Er Furen in the mornings anymore since you’ll be busy preparing for the Qu family’s arrival at the capital.” 

“How thoughtful of her.” Su Jing Fei laughed, knowing full well that it was merely an excuse so that Liu shi did not have to deal with Su Jing Fei in the mornings anymore. “Well, I still have my filial duties to greet Grandmother, so maybe I’ll pay Yun shi a visit afterwards.”

“Yes, da xiaojie.” And with that, the two yatou diligently helped Su Jing Fei get ready for the day to come.