Su Jing Fei first paid her respects to Su Lao Furen as usual. They had their tea and chatted about a few happenings in the capital; on Su Jing Fei’s way out of Su Lao Furen’s courtyard, she encountered Su Mei Rong. They gave polite smiles and exchanged brief words, but there was no doubt that Su Mei Rong and Liu shi were definitely avoiding Su Jing Fei for the time being.

After her morning duties, Su Jing Fei finally took Yize and Mu Tan along with her and headed to Yao shi’s courtyard. The servants bustled about anxiously upon her appearance, quickly informing their mistress of the young miss’s arrival.

Inside her receiving room, Yun shi was filled with grievances upon having to wait for Su Jing Fei the entire morning while worrying about whether she could appease Su Jing Fei. Ever since Su Jing Fei had returned to the capital, the young woman was no longer the same childish and naive girl like before; there was a cold cleverness in her eyes hidden behind a polite facade that even Yun shi had managed to see through to. Upon receiving notice of Su Jing Fei’s arrival, she quickly ordered the seamstresses to properly prepare so that they wouldn’t waste anymore time.

“Su da xiaojie has arrived!” announced the servant as the doors were pulled aside. Su Jing Fei stepped inside quietly, her black ink eyes surveying the room in a brief sweeping movement.

The second household’s servants were unfamiliar with Su Jing Fei’s new appearance; the aloof air and cold gaze were nothing like her previous self. So they could only keep their heads facing downwards to avoid those sharp eyes.

“Please, have a seat, da xiaojie.” Yun shi was quick to please, motioning for servants to pull open a chair for Su Jing Fei. Two fresh cups of tea were placed on the table.

“Many thanks for your accommodations, Yun shi,” smiled Su Jing Fei politely as she took a seat. Her eyes flickered to the seamstresses who stood nearby.

They wasted no time as Yun shi ordered the seamstresses to lay out bolts of pretty colored fabrics. Su Jing Fei carefully picked out a few muted and plain colors. Yun shi was a bit surprised because she knew the young woman typically favored the bold reds, pinks, and purples; however, she didn’t argue and instructed the servants to carefully put away the favored fabrics. Once Su Jing Fei’s measurements were taken, the seamstresses were dismissed, leaving Yun shi and Su Jing Fei alone to converse about a few things.

“My family’s shops are very capable. The dresses should be finished in time for the Qu family’s arrival and celebrations.” Yun shi said with a slightly nervous smile. Her face was a bit stiff from the shame of having to suck up to such a young girl; if only her daughter had been more careful, less impulsive to scheme against Su Jing Fei! But now she could only hope that the young girl could be appeased by her words and actions today.

At Yun shi’s words however, Su Jing Fei did not show a sliver of appeasement or happiness. She acknowledged the words with a polite smile before speaking firmly. “Now that the matter of the dress has been settled, this one wonders if Yun shi has a bit of time to speak privately?”

The older woman blinked in surprise at Su Jing Fei’s mysterious words. What private matters would she wish to discuss? There was a sense of foreboding, and Yun shi felt a slight chill run up her spine. “Of course,” She managed to say as her sleeve swept across the room, motioning all the servants to leave. Su Jing Fei also dismissed Mu Tan and Yize to wait outside. Once the door was closed firmly behind the exiting individuals, Su Jing Fei and Yun shi were left alone in the quiet room.

“Does da xiaojie have something she wishes to discuss specifically?” Yun shi inquired nervously.

Su Jing Fei smiled, remaining calm in appearance as she answered. “Yes, actually. Is Yun shi aware of the specifics of the Feng family incident?”

At the mention of ‘Feng,’ Yun shi’s face paled considerably. Her heart began thumping deep in her chest as she guessed at Su Jing Fei’s intention. There should’ve been no way that Su Jing Fei knew of her involvement! She had barely a sliver of influence in its events, but even her minor role in it had caused undoubted fear for days after the news of the Feng family’s demise!

Seeing Yun shi’s expression, Su Jing Fei was unsurprised; it’d taken her a long time to piece together the puzzle pieces. “For a long while, I searched for a person who had once been in the servitude of Mudan-Yu. I had wondered, where could such a person disappear to? I didn’t know their family name, only the servant one. They had seemingly appeared out of nowhere to become the head steward of our countryside manor. And after the Feng family incident, they had similarly disappeared as if they’d never existed in the first place. I was wondering, does this person sound particularly familiar to Yun shi?”

How could Yun shi forget? That person was in fact her cousin! The lowly son of her father’s brother who had begged for a position of power from Yun shi back in the day. To appease her family and to get on Liu shi’s good side, Yun shi had offered a person who could be used and remain loyal due to family blood ties. This person was none other than Zihuan, the steward who had betrayed Su Jing Fei and put her in the Feng family’s grasp!

Seeing that Yun shi was still speechless, Su Jing Fei sipped lightly at her tea, waiting for the older woman to calm down and respond properly. Her dark eyes were sharp as a knife, and a vicious aura came from the killing intent in those eyes. Yun shi found herself quite frightened at the menacing aura of such a young woman!

“D-Da xiaojie is mistaken! I don’t know of any such man!” Yun shi denied vehemently.

Su Jing Fei set down her teacup, placing her hands neatly on top of her lap as she gave a beautiful expression. Her rose pink lips stretched wide in a smile as those jade black eyes grew bright and knowing. “I don’t believe I ever mentioned that this person was a ‘man.’”

Yun shi froze in place, terrified at the young woman’s beautiful yet threatening smile. Inwardly, she cursed herself for cowering so easily; what did she have to fear a young woman who was barely of age!? She’d lived many years and was married to the brother of the Right Prime Minister! Although Su Jing Fei had a higher status than her as the da xiaojie of the first son’s family, she was still but a lowly shamed girl who was disfavored in the family! However, despite Yun shi’s inner thoughts, the overwhelming fear in her blood remained.

“Well, since I’ve had my questions answered, there’s no use in lingering anymore.” Su Jing Fei stood up from the table, making her way to the door. She paused for just a moment, glancing back at the still frozen Yun shi. “I must remind you, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ “ In Su Jing Fei’s heart, the proverb echoed softly, blood for blood. “Take care, Yun shi.”

Su Jing Fei opened the door and called for Yize and Mu Tan to accompany her as she returned to her courtyard. Yun shi remained frozen in fear, letting her blood warm and heart to settle before quickly calling her servants to take away the tea. The older woman gripped the table and immediately sought out for some ink and paper to write to her family. She knew that after the Feng family had fallen, her cousin had returned home to hide; but as it remained, if the prestigious military Qu family knew of their involvement in Fuo Lan, the Yun family, who were mere fifth ranked nobles,would have difficulties for generations to come! Quickly, she had to find and kill that Zihuan!

When Su Jing Fei returned to her courtyard, Yize and Mu Tan helped her prepare for lunch. However, the young woman asked to be left alone for awhile. She needed time to think. The two yatou could sense their master’s intense emotions, so they dismissed themselves without much of a fight. Finally alone in her room, Su Jing Fei sat down at the table as her knees grew weak. Her hands trembled and shook heavily; the barely suppressed anger in her heart boiled in her blood. Zihuan! Yun shi! Liu shi! Everyone who had a part to play in Da Chun’s death; they would soon find that death would be more merciful than the fate she had planned for them!

Su Jing Fei’s fingernails dug deep into the palm of her hands, drawing blood from the intensity of her emotions. Right now, the threats that she gave would be the beginning to their sufferings. She wanted them to know exactly who was coming for them and fear for what she had in store for their fates. But she was weak still… all she could do was borrow the power and fear of the Qu family name… Frustrating! She banged her fists against the table, smearing blood on the wood.

Every day since Da Chun died, Su Jing Fei had wracked her thoughts to figure out why she had transmigrated into such a world. Why did she die and get put into this life if she couldn’t even save her own blood sister? What was her purpose? In her previous life, she was an orphan with no blood family; she had a job working as a manager of a Chinese-style inn, but there was nothing amazing about her skills or past! Why did the hands of fate torture her like this? What was the point? Her life was meaningless!

The intensity of Su Jing Fei’s emotions made her blood turn hot and cold until a thin layer of sweet coated her skin, and her heart beat hard and thunderously. She was alive but barely felt living most days; if it wasn’t for Yize, Mu Tan, and countless others who she owed a debt to, she would’ve followed Da Chun into that other world. She would’ve apologized to the original Su Jing Fei for failing to do the one thing that she should’ve been able to do.

But since she couldn’t die yet, the least she could do was enact revenge. Blood for blood!

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Su Jing Fei forced herself to calm down. Settling into the chair with a large sigh, she listened to the speaker.

“Da xiaojie, Yuan has arrived!” Mu Tan’s voice was loud and clear from the other side of the door.

“Send her to the receiving room. I’ll be in shortly.” Su Jing Fei replied. Taking one of her handkerchiefs, Su Jing Fei wiped away the blood on the table, cleaning up after her display of anger. The wounds on her palm had stopped bleeding as she wiped away the remaining evidence of her carelessness. Carefully, she applied a bit of ointment to the wound before wrapping a bit of cloth around the palm and hiding her hand in her sleeve to avoid worry from Yize and Mu Tan. She then left the room with Yize trailing after her as they entered the receiving room.

“Da xiaojie!” cried Yuan as the other woman fell to one knee in extreme respect. Her tanned skin and strong features showcased a woman of beauty and strength; this woman was someone who Su Jing Fei had a lot of trust and respect for. The other woman known as Yuan was only a few years older than Su Jing Fei however.

“Please rise,” Su Jing Fei said with a smile. She regarded the other woman with a gentle demeanor as they both moved to sit at a table. “The journey must’ve been a long one. Please rest as much as you need for all your efforts.”

“It is my honor,” Yuan said quietly as she gazed at her young master with a bright smile. “These are the documents that require da xiaojie’s attention.” The woman pulled out a thick packet of documents that were wrapped and bound tightly; then she placed them on the table.

“En, thank you,” Su Jing Fei nodded her head as Mu Tan grabbed the documents and left to place them in a secure place. “I’ve yet to have lunch. Would you care to join me?”

Yuan looked shocked and refused, saying that she did not deserve the honor, but Su Jing Fei insisted. The other woman had no choice but to relent because she could not deny her young master’s kindness. The servants brought out the lunch and prepared an extra set for Yuan. As the two began eating, Su Jing Fei cared not for those useless proper manners and instead, opted for a pleasant conversation with the other woman to get all caught up on everything back in Fuo Lan.

“How has everything been since I left?” Su Jing Fei inquired.

Yuan swallowed a mouthful and gave a bright smile. “Everyone is doing well! Since da xiaojie has taken care of us out of kindness, we naturally are trying our best. Everyone has mastered the basics of reading and writing; along with the Guo family’s guidance, we have learned quite a lot about the merchant trade business and are reaching further outside of Fuo Lan with our influences!”
“You all must be careful, however,” warned Su Jing Fei lightly as she sipped at a cup of tea. “You never know whose toes you might be stepping on by exercising such influence in foreign parts of this country.”

“Da xiaojie need not worry! Everyone is very careful, and shifu has taught us a lot of ways to protect ourselves in case we run into trouble!” Yuan replied.

With a small smile, Su Jing Fei asked, “How is your shifu? Is Heng still as stone-faced as usual?” The young woman recalled the expressionless face with her thin face, pallor complexion, and unmoving eyes. Heng was a female slave that had been detained by the Feng family in their dungeons; due to being poisoned, she was unable to properly fight her way out. The older woman had come from Xinyi to search for her sister who had been captured and sold as a slave to the Feng family; however, her sister had long died under the hands of Feng Ruo Qian. After the Feng family’s demise, she had been saved from the dungeons and given a new lease on life. After learning that Su Jing Fei had killed Feng Ruo Qian with her own hands, Heng came to Mudan-Yu and swore her loyalty to Su Jing Fei. If it had been any other ordinary person, Su Jing Fei would’ve turned them away, but Heng was actually a very important individual in the Blossoms of the Wind universe. This older woman was the previous inner sect disciple of an esteemed Xinyi sect and was actually one of the people who Jiang Li Ling would have at her side in the future! She was a talented martial artist, even better than Mu Tan; that was why Su Jing Fei had not turned the older woman away and instead, she accepted the woman’s sworn servitude.

“Heng is doing fine, still the same!” laughed Yuan. Yuan often reminded Heng of her younger sister, so the two women got along very well.

Along with Yuan and Heng, Su Jing Fei had inquired about the others one after another. After the Feng family’s demise, quite a few men, women, and children were found in the dungeons who had no family and no place left to go. The government had compensated for their sufferings with money and a temporary place to stay, but Su Jing Fei offered a permanent home. Although the public was not aware of Su Jing Fei’s deep connection to the Feng family, many people respected the Su da xiaojie’s kindness to the victims of the Feng family’s cruelty. The people who had suffered under the Feng family felt a close kinship with the young girl and had allowed themselves to heal and recover under her guidance and kindness. Afterwards, many of those individuals chose to remain in servitude to Su Jing Fei and became taught by the Guo family to become travelling merchants for Su Jing Fei’s own businesses. With their knowledge and their martial arts skills, trained by the talented Heng, these people became known as the Floating Cloud Merchants. However, little did people know that these merchants were actually a network of information-gathering individuals that called Su Jing Fei their master.

After catching up properly and speaking for a long while, Su Jing Fei found that it was getting dark and that night was fast approaching. She offered Yuan a place to sleep in one of her rooms, in which the other woman gladly accepted. Then Su Jing Fei returned to her room and prepared to settle down for the night, skipping dinner and letting Mu Tan and Yize leave to eat and rest for the night. Once the door was closed after them, Su Jing Fei once again prepared to call for Li Wei Sheng tonight in order to hand the book to him. But just as she had gotten the blue book out and was turning to the window, she noticed that it was already open.

She furrowed her brows and frowned. “Wangye¹prince should get rid of this habit of entering young unmarried women’s rooms uninvited.”

A low chuckle came from the curtains as they fluttered aside and Li Wei Sheng’s tall figure came into view. “I wanted to surprise you, but I should’ve known that you aren’t a fun person to surprise.”

Su Jing Fei eyed the man suspiciously; his relaxed demeanor and sly smile was still the same. Those eyes seemed to be making fun of her as usual; however, she took note of his more mature appearance. Perhaps, if he kept his mouth shut, he’d be more likable towards the opposite sex. “I’m not a person who likes surprises all too much.” She replied, then gestured for him to sit as she also took a seat. “You didn’t come last night.”

Li Wei Sheng’s dark eyes twinkled mischievously at her words. “Su da xiaojie is mistaken. I did come last night, but you were already fast asleep.”

“Then you came too late. But since I was the one who troubled you by calling you, it’s my apologies.” She conceded with a calm expression.

“Mmm, apology accepted. However, it was still a good visit. Who knew that a resting tiger would still look just like a small kitten during slumber?” He replied in an amused tone.

“Perhaps, but a tiger is still a tiger. I hope wangye can remember that.” Su Jing Fei said calmly. However, there was not much of a threat to her words. She still found him irritating but she was not a thankless person to ignore a debt. “Let’s ignore all this useless chatter. I have something for you that I think you’ll find useful.”

“Oh, and what would that be?”

“This.” She placed the blue book on the table and pushed it over to his side of the table.

Li Wei Sheng’s eyes darkened, and he suddenly grabbed her wrist. He lifted her hand up, staring at the bandaged limb with a cold gaze. “What happened?”

“Nothing of your concern.” She replied. “If you could please let go of my hand, then it would be much appreciated.”

His grip loosened, and she pulled away and returned to the business of handing over the book. “This is a record of Che Xiao Tong’s secret bribes and business dealings for the past couple of years. I hope you’ll find it useful in your endeavors.”

Li Wei Sheng stared at Su Jing Fei with a strange indiscernible look like he couldn’t quite figure her out. He didn’t even bother to open it, but instead, tucked it into his clothes for safe keeping. It seemed he trusted her enough to believe her words for now. “How’d you come across it?”

“I was invited to the Che manor and happened to stumble upon it.” Su Jing Fei said.

It seemed that Li Wei Sheng wanted to say something as he pursed his lips, but he merely sighed and leaned back in the chair as though this had all been such a troublesome affair. “You’re a strange one, Su Jing Fei.”

“I know my debts.” She answered in a disinterested tone, but the look in her eyes revealed a distant faraway gaze. As though she was remembering things from last year; things she really did not want to.

“Then consider them paid. There’s no point in me saving your life when you’re just putting yourself in trouble and harm’s way.” Li Wei Sheng replied coldly. In his head, he wanted to say more. He wanted to say that she should try to keep her happiness and perhaps return to what a normal young woman should be worrying about; thinking about useless things like the weather and flowers and parties. But he knew that Su Jing Fei was nothing like that; she’d suffered and persevered through a horrible experience that had probably changed her forever.

Su Jing Fei gazed at Li Wei Sheng with cold distant eyes as though to say ‘I didn’t ask for you to save my life.’ But this ungrateful sentence was something she could not say, for he had indeed saved her life and now she could carry on her revenge. However, sometimes she still thought about if she had died back then, would she be able to be with Da Chun or return to her old world? Would there be something else better for her after this life?

Li Wei Sheng saw the seriousness in those black ink eyes and sighed, knowing full well of the young woman’s stubbornness. “As stubborn as a mule, you are.” He sighed, however those dark eyes seemed to glint in a teasing manner. “Do you know that yesterday you clung to my sleeve and wouldn’t let me leave your bedside?”

Su Jing Fei furrowed her brows. “Why were you at my bedside?” She paused, and then added. “Wangye needs to get over these perverted tendencies. The countless women in the capital would be disillusioned if you continue such actions.”

“You looked so uncomfortable sleeping on the table, so I merely put you in bed to save you a day of pains and aches.” Li Wei Sheng gave an innocent expression with a wide smile.

Su Jing Fei frowned even further. Li Wei Sheng held back laughter at seeing her clearly displayed expression of displeasure. He’d never encountered such an interesting person. Alright, he’ll admit defeat for tonight. Since she did go to the trouble of getting him something useful, he’d spare her his teasings for the rest of the night. When he got up to leave, she merely watched and waved her hand impatiently as he lingered by the window.

“If you ever need me again, feel free to just call out like you did before.” Li Wei Sheng knew that Su Jing Fei was well aware that he had placed a hidden guard to watch over her. She didn’t seem bothered so he wasn’t going to deny it.

“No need. I’m tired. Go so that I can sleep.” She said plainly.

It seemed that she had completely disregarded his position as a wangye and now treated him as some annoying pest. He grinned mischievously before bidding her good night and disappearing into the darkness beyond the window.