Chapter 5

I sat on the stone steps with my chin in my hand, growing more dejected by the moment.

Was I really supposed to chase him all the way into his study?

That would be beneath me.

I, Jiang Miaoli, had never chased a man in my life.

Just as I was about to give up, Chunju came over with a mysterious air and some gossip. A duke's daughter had taken a fancy to Second Young Master. The two families were arranging a meeting.

“A-Li, Miss Zhou is narrow-minded. They say she won't let her future husband keep a bedchamber attendant. What will you do?”

She offered some advice.

“Why not ask Second Young Master for a favor? Have him release you so you can marry someone else. Better to leave with your head held high than be thrown out.”

I lowered my head and said nothing.

No wonder he had been avoiding me.

He was getting married and afraid I would get in the way.

“Mm. I'll find a chance to speak to him.”

Chunju looked at me with pity and pressed a pastry into my hand, as though afraid I might do something desperate.

I clutched it but did not eat.

I felt a little lost.

I had meant to get pregnant and run. Apparently, that road was blocked too.

So be it. It was not as though Jiang Miaoli could not live without him.

It was only a pity I still had not been reimbursed for those five taels.

10

I went to ask Xie Hui for my money.

At the study door, I heard voices inside.

“Such demands from a mere bedchamber attendant.”

“Then send her to the other estate.”

I froze.

The steward beside him hesitated.

“But what if she makes trouble…?”

“Have someone keep watch over her.”

My head buzzed.

Send her to another estate? Have someone watch her?

Plainly put, he meant to lock me up.

In all my twenty years, no one had ever schemed against me like this.

Well done, Xie Hui.

If he meant to be ruthless, he could hardly blame me for returning the favor.

At noon that day, I put a double dose of aphrodisiac into his tea.

Then I changed into a thin robe and lured him into the room.

Xie Hui braced himself against the desk and stood, meaning to reach the door, but his steps were unsteady.

His gaze fell on the gauze covering me. His throat moved, and he turned his head away.

“You… get out.”

I stayed.

He approached step by step, his breath hot, his hand reaching toward my waist.

As I watched his reason slip away, I suddenly raised my hand and slapped him sharply.

“Kneel.”

Xie Hui stared.

Those eyes, usually so calm and restrained, held only confusion and feverish agitation now.

He looked at me. Slowly, his knees gave way, and he knelt.

I spared him no dignity, making him try every position in the picture books.

Whenever he used too much force and hurt me, I slapped him and ordered him to start again.

Xie Hui gritted his teeth, the veins standing out on his forehead. But he dared not argue and could only begin again.

By the time the drug wore off, he was utterly spent, his legs limp as overcooked noodles. Bracing his hands against the floor, he crawled out of the room.

I used shopping as an excuse to go out, deliberately left a pair of shoes beside the lake to make it look as though I had drowned myself, and fled.

11

On my third day in Yangzhou, Father came to ask, “Is Xie Hui still alive?”

“Yes,” I replied blandly.

He was probably grinding his teeth right now, desperate for revenge and unable even to fish up my corpse.

Mother patted her chest in relief.

“Thank goodness. As long as he's alive. When your father returns to the capital, at least we won't have offended him beyond all repair.”

She advised me to find a husband here in Yangzhou. It was a fresh start; no one knew my old temper.

I agreed.

To pray for a smooth match, Mother took me to the Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon to draw a fortune stick.

I wandered around idly while she took the stick to the abbot for an interpretation.

Beneath an old pagoda tree, a scholar crouched on the ground, carefully bandaging a kitten's injured leg.

Slanting sunlight fell across his profile.

My heart skipped a beat.

What a jade-like seducer. No, a handsome scholar.

Once he finished the bandage, the kitten rubbed against his hand and mewed softly twice.

Then it spotted me. Dragging its three injured legs, it limped over to my feet.

I bent to pick it up.

The scholar looked up in surprise.

“Is this tabby yours, miss?”

I composed myself and pretended to be shy.

“No. Perhaps we're simply meant to meet.”

“How did it get hurt?”

“I heard it fell out of a tree.”

That clumsy?

I wondered privately.

I said I wanted to adopt it but had no experience with cats.

The scholar's surname was Cui, his given name Yu. As his name suggested, he really was as warm and gentle as fine jade.

He had kept cats twice before, he said, and carefully explained how to look after one.

I put on a troubled expression.

“You've told me so much, Master Cui. I'm afraid I won't remember it all. Could you leave me your address? Then if I have difficulties, I could come and ask.”

His cheeks colored slightly. He hesitated.

I hurried to explain.

“Please don't misunderstand. I'm not a bad person. My father is the prefect here.”

That put his worries to rest. He clasped his hands in greeting.

“Then you must be Miss Jiang. Master Jiang treated poor scholars kindly in years past and opened his library to us. We owe him a debt. Naturally, I'll do all I can to help his daughter. I only hesitated because I was afraid of damaging your reputation.”

A truly upright gentleman, proper in every way.