Volume One, Chapter Nine: A Night Visit to Ma Nu

The bitter cold of winter pressed in, but outside bloomed early snow plum blossoms, releasing a faint, chilly fragrance along the way.

Shen Rong walked through the corridors until she reached her own chamber, the Rongyin Pavilion.

Stepping inside, she saw a maid with her hair styled in twin buns asleep, leaned over the table in the outer room. Nearby lay a basket of unfinished needlework.

This was Lian Xiang, one of her two main maids in the household.

Shen Rong did not call out to her, instead passing silently into the inner room.

Every item felt both familiar and strangely distant.

The tables, chairs, and soft couches were all made of exquisite yellow rosewood, elegant to the utmost. On the small window-side table sat a brazier burning top-grade agarwood incense, its warm, curling fragrance seeming to chase away the chill from her body. Before the dressing cabinet lay an array of pearl flowers, hairpins, rouge, and powders...

Shen Rong stood quietly before the bronze mirror, gazing at the delicate face reflected back. At fifteen, she was in the prime of youth, free from the weariness of a trapped soul—vibrant and tinged with the innocence of girlhood. Yet precisely because of this, the natural allure and radiant charm at the corners of her eyes and brows were all the more striking.

Had it been otherwise, when she sought help from Qin Ying in her previous life, she would not have been trapped in the back residence, nor given away as a gift to Xie Xun.

Shen Rong let out a soft, bitter laugh and forcefully pressed the bronze mirror down.

In her past life, no amount of sincerity or wit could outmatch those schemers. The Shen family fell, costing both her father and herself their lives.

But in this life, she would see whose acting was more skillful...

Lian Xiang, awakened by the noise outside, quickly stood and lifted the curtain to find Shen Rong seated before the dressing cabinet. Startled, she dropped the basket of needles to the floor, her face pale.

“Miss, I did not expect you to return early... I thought it might be a thief breaking in.”

Shen Rong glanced back at her. “If you thought a thief, why didn’t you call for the guards? You’re bold to come in yourself.”

“I did not think so far.”

This maid had originally served behind Man He, bearing a steadiness akin to hers, though prone to panic in emergencies, yet loyal.

In her past life, Shen Rong often ran about, never paying heed to those in her own courtyard, nor caring whether they lived comfortably. She now realized how self-centered she had been.

When the Shen family fell, many of these people either perished, fled, or were captured, all left adrift. Especially those in her courtyard; none fared well. It was a debt the Shen family owed them.

By noon, sunlight streamed through the window, and she suddenly felt drowsy. Having been reborn, she knew her father’s side would be more cautious, and she had devised preliminary plans. The tension eased, and her eyes grew heavy.

“Don’t let anyone disturb me. I’m going to sleep a while.” Yawning, she walked to the bed. “Tell Man He to visit the main residence.”

After slipping off her shoes and wrapping herself in a quilt, she fell silent, leaving Lian Xiang bewildered.

Shen Rong slept deeply, and when she awoke, her body relaxed and the sky outside was dark.

Her stomach growled in protest.

“Lian Xiang, prepare the meal!”

Calling out energetically, she waited as Man He and Lian Xiang entered with the evening dishes.

The Rongyin Pavilion had its own small kitchen; Shen Rong’s daily provisions were separate, and accounts did not pass through the main residence.

They all understood Shen Rong’s taste—flavors balanced and varied—with a bowl of vegetarian soup prepared as well.

When Man He placed Shen Rong’s favorite lotus leaf chicken, still steaming, on the table, Shen Rong merely raised an eyebrow at her before sitting down. She felt she could devour an entire ox.

Man He arranged the dishes and said, “Miss has slept for a full day and two nights; you must be terribly hungry.”

A day and two nights!?

She had thought it was only an afternoon nap. No wonder she was so ravenous.

“Did anything happen after you returned from the main residence?”

“I informed Madam Meng there and then came back to attend to my duties. During your rest, the lady of the house sent people to check on you three times, but I turned them away each time. Master came to see you this morning, but seeing you asleep so soundly, he did not wake you. He then left with the chief guard, saying he’d return in three months.”

Nodding slightly—her father often traveled, sometimes taking her along, which she never found strange.

Though she ate quickly, it was natural and smooth, never seeming crude.

But Madam Meng had come to see her three times?

No doubt, Shen Rong thought, she must have scolded Nurse Sun upon her return; that old woman surely spread gossip behind her back.

Now the Shen household’s back residence was effectively run by Madam Meng; Shen Yu only assisted. Meng devoted herself to cultivating Shen Yu, claiming she managed the household to raise Shen Yu’s reputation and secure a better marriage.

Shen Yu had come of age last year and was now at an ideal marriageable age.

Having dealt with people close to Madam Meng, who was used to wielding power over the Shen family, it was natural she would not sit idly by.

Still, Man He managing to turn away Madam Meng’s people three times surprised Shen Rong.

Man He glanced at her, pursed her lips, then added thoughtfully, “Strangely, when the eldest miss returned from Jing’an Temple, she brought back a strange man and left him to work in the stables. No one knows why.”

Shen Rong looked at Man He with approval. For her to notice such an oddity amid the chaos showed her attentiveness.

In her past life, this A-Jiu’s days in the Shen household were a complete blank; she suspected it was related to what happened that night at Jing’an Temple. When he recovered remains a mystery to her.

“Find a doctor to examine that man. If he asks, say Madam Shen Yu had him brought in. Also, inform Shen Xu of this.”

“Alright.”

Man He’s expression did not change as she agreed and stepped out with light footsteps.

After finishing her meal and sipping some tea, Shen Rong felt sticky and uncomfortable, so she ordered preparations for a bath.

Immersed in a tub filled with flower petals, Shen Rong leisurely flipped through a book filled with bold, vivid illustrations, causing Lian Xiang, who attended her, to blush as if her cheeks were aflame.

Her mistress was far too daring.

They were about the same age, so how could the young lady withstand such shocking images before even coming of age?

“What is your body made of to be so fragrant, so soft…”

Shen Rong read the dialogue in the book with a serious tone, pondering deeply, nearly causing Lian Xiang to drop her handkerchief.

Though Shen Rong’s memories of past worldly pleasures were vague, seeing such images made everything clear.

If one is to indulge, then do so without restraint!

Throwing the book aside, she closed her eyes and submerged herself, the suffocating pleasure soon flooding her entire body, stirring her into exhilaration.

Breaking the surface, water droplets dripped down her delicate cheeks. Her long lashes caught the beads of water, and amid the mist, she looked like a fairy—rosy-skinned and flawless as jade.

Like a lotus emerging from the water, she captivated even Xiang Lian, who had come to serve her.

Her beauty was perfect in every detail, the curve of her waist especially rare...

Though it was midwinter and bitterly cold, the inner chamber burned silver charcoal, warm and cozy. The window was propped open slightly despite the chill.

Wrapped in a furry blanket that looked warm and soft, Shen Rong sat by the window, idly stirring the bird’s nest before her with a spoon. Outside, the plum blossoms bloomed solitary and hardy in the cold—a scene both elegant and delightful.

The curtains parted, and Man He returned.

Knowing her mistress’s direct nature, Man He got straight to the point.

“Miss, the stable hand originally left in the wood shed—I took the liberty of moving him to a separate servant’s room in the northwest corner,” she said, seeing Shen Rong admiring the plum blossoms without interruption, “The doctor diagnosed he is severely poisoned. Fortunately, he took a detoxifying pill that prevented the poison from spreading, but his heart pulse remains damaged. The extent of any aftereffects will only be known when he awakens. He must take medicine every seven days; the ingredients are expensive, so it requires your decision.”

Shen Rong nodded. “Do as the doctor advises. Fetch the required funds from the account.”

Man He hesitated. With Madam Meng running the household, such large expenses might cause unrest.

Shen Rong ignored her expression. “Man He, remember this: the entire Shen family’s funds are under my authority! Just because I’ve been indifferent does not mean the main residence rules alone!”

Man He’s face paled, suddenly realizing how deeply the household’s deference to the main residence had influenced her. Ultimately, the family head was Shen Zheng, her mistress’s father.

Her hesitation vanished completely. “Understood, Miss.”

Shen Rong nodded. “Did the doctor say when he might recover?”

“Minimum six months, up to a year.”

She knew well what his aftereffects were. In her previous life, he had somehow regained his memory and stayed with the Shen family for over a year. No one believed he had no ulterior motives.

Man He left, and Shen Rong half-reclined on the soft couch.

Outside, the world was frozen and harsh; she knew the servant’s room must be bitterly cold—like an ice cellar.

Her eyes deep and inscrutable, a faint, strange smile curved her lips.

That would surely be the last straw for someone already ill.

Rising from the couch, she draped a heavy cloak over herself, loosely tied back her long hair with a band, picked up a warmed wine flask, and stepped out of her chamber alone.