Chapter 10

He nodded expressionlessly. Though it was impossible to tell whether he was pleased or displeased, he did not press further, showing no sign of blaming her for her incompetence.

Fu Tingjun was alarmed.

He nodded, turned, and left—but after just two steps, his body paused. Before her eyes could register the movement, he had vanished.

She turned and shook her head at him, signaling that he could not get out for now.

She hadn't expected him to be so agreeable.

Before him, she was as fragile as porcelain; he could decide her life or death at any moment. Asking such a favor was somewhat excessive, so she could only tempt him tactfully: "My father is a Hanlin Academy expositor, and my mother manages the household well, having acquired property over the years. If you, brave sir, could lend your aid, my mother would certainly be deeply grateful. Then you could settle down with your brothers—this would both relieve my peril and give your young brothers a place to recuperate. Would that not be a solution benefiting both sides?"

She sensed his displeasure.

Someone covered her mouth.

Since Hanyan's whereabouts had been exposed, Nanny Chen must certainly know how Hanyan had gotten out. To eliminate any future trouble, Nanny Chen had most likely sent someone to seal the window lattice from the outside.

Every time they were made to kneel in punishment, Nanny Li, acting on Grandmother's orders, would drone on: "Young misses wear silk and satin, dine on delicacies, ride in carriages when going out, and have serving women in attendance. Each day you need only rise at dawn, recite the Nüjie , do embroidery and cutting, and present bowls and chopsticks—how is that so hard to bear! You must understand, the Fu family's standing rests on such rules. You are daughters of the Fu family; since you enjoy the Fu family's protection, you ought to uphold the Fu family's rules. How can there be a principle of taking without giving? Whoever breaks the Fu family's rules breaks the toil of generations of the Fu family, and that person is unworthy to be a Fu daughter, and unworthy of the Fu family's protection!"

What in this world could stop him!

Nanny Chen called for Nanny Fan to move the bamboo couch.

"Brave sir, please wait a moment!" she said, and in three quick steps reached the bedside. From between the bedboards she retrieved brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Pouring water, grinding ink, dipping the brush, she wrote a letter home as quickly as she could and handed it to him.

Her heart gave a sudden lurch.

Red light from outside the window fell across his face. She noticed his brows were thick and dark, his eyes deep and heavy—like the profoundest waters beneath willow shade, so deep they seemed tinged with blue, arresting to the soul.

If there was one person Fu Tingjun least wanted to see right now, it was Nanny Chen.

Just as she was wondering about this, she heard very soft footsteps.

So they were hunters.

Fu Tingjun knew who it was without even looking.

What was she here for?

Finished, finished—she had completely forgotten his matter!

Her face went pale with fright, and she opened her mouth to scream.

She was about to ask him what had happened when she vaguely heard some commotion outside the house.

She took a deep breath: "I've already thought it through. There are so many people in the nunnery, and the kitchen keeps no overnight grain, so the daily meals must be rationed per person. That means they have to go to the granary every day to fetch grain. As long as I watch the kitchen nuns during meal preparation times, I can find out where the granary is..."

The corners of his mouth tightened slightly.

The footsteps drew closer and stopped before her door: "Ninth Miss, this servant is Nanny Chen."

But he pointed at the roof.

The courtyard and house she had considered safe were as good as nonexistent to him.

Fu Tingjun looked up at the white translucent tiles, let out a long sigh, and felt as though her body had grown lighter.

Fu Tingjun could not help but burn with anger.

She paced restlessly in circles around the room.

Now she only felt a chill running down her spine.

He suddenly said: "That Siwu Pill of yours—do you still have any?"

Outside, two coarse-serving matrons were laying out bedrolls on the floor while murmuring to each other.

"Nanny Chen is someone from Eldest Aunt's side; as a junior, how would I dare use her services." Fu Tingjun said with a hint of mockery. "I won't trouble Nanny Chen." Then she added, "It's getting late, and I'm rather tired. I'd like to rest early, so I won't keep talking with Nanny Chen."

"Can't you be more composed!" His voice was low, tinged with impatience.

In the past, she had excelled at needlework and reading, and had never given much thought to Nanny Li's words.

There was a commotion outside.

How could there be a man in her room?

Truly, the sky is high for birds to fly, the sea is wide for fish to leap!

Glass was still a Western novelty—rare and precious. Even the Fu family had only fitted glass into the six doors of the main hall a few years ago. Ordinary households pasted paper over their windows, and even in daytime the rooms were dim, so they would set a few translucent tiles in the roof to let in light.

But it wouldn't do for him to stay in her room like this.

Fu Tingjun remembered that when she was little, the sisters all loved to play in Grandmother's room.

He took the letter and tucked it into his bosom, lifted the translucent tile, climbed out, and replaced the tile over the roof.

He raised an eyebrow, as if to say she was making a fuss over nothing.

Fu Tingjun had not lit the lamp, so she could not see clearly. She only knew that he wore a short coarse garment and was clean, without any unpleasant odor.

"What is it?" Her voice was very cold.

But at this moment, she no longer had such confidence, such certainty.

Fu Tingjun was quite surprised: "That's all."

Fu Tingjun was somewhat puzzled.

Fu Tingjun secretly let out a sigh of relief.

For some reason, a weight lifted from Fu Tingjun's heart: "Hero, rest assured, I will ask for some medicine for external injuries for you tomorrow."

Fu Tingjun stared at him in astonishment.

He made a gesture telling her not to look around.

"It's fortunate the weather is hot, so Nanny Chen needn't worry about catching cold." Fu Tingjun curled the corner of her mouth, rattling the door bolt loudly to show she was not welcome.

"There is something I wish to discuss with you, hero." She stood with her back to the window lattice, straight as a rod, her face hidden in the darkness, her expression unreadable. "You can see that my situation is dire. The matter you entrusted to me may prove somewhat difficult."

He did not speak, quietly gazing at her.

She exerted her strength.

She and her sisters had all been punished by their grandmother with kneeling.

In the moonlight, he frowned, but still jumped down.

The window lattice remained unmoving.

"Lü'e needs to care for Hanyan, so I thought Ninth Miss would have no one to keep the night watch," Nanny Chen said in a similarly indifferent tone. "This servant once served First Madame and knows some of the rules. While Hanyan is ill, why not let this servant keep the night watch for Ninth Miss?" It was not a request for her opinion, but a declaration of a decision.

She smiled bitterly and hastily said, "My maid sprained her ankle today, so I didn't have time to inquire about the grain storehouse, nor did I prepare the vegetable buns..."

She beckoned to him, signaling him to follow her, then went to push open the window lattice of the eastern side room.

The inner chamber was on the east side; besides a window facing east, there was also one facing south. The south-facing window was under the eaves, which was where Nanny Chen had placed her cool bed. The only other way out was the door to the inner chamber.

Fu Tingjun trembled with anger.

She immediately understood.

The person outside the door was silent for a moment, then said, "In that case, I shall have someone move a cool bed over and rest under Ninth Miss's eaves for the night."

Fu Tingjun was greatly alarmed and looked around, only to find him sitting on the beam of the room.

She had not even prepared the vegetable buns.

"Since that is so, let this matter be dropped!" he said without taking offense. "As long as you do not reveal my whereabouts, I will not come to disturb you again..."

Thinking that the task he had given her had made no progress at all, she felt uneasy and hastily said, "Hero, may I ask what you need the medicine pills for? The nun Huiguo at the nunnery is skilled in medicine. How about I ask Huiguo for some suitable medicine tomorrow?"

It seemed there was no movement again.

Why not...

"Where is the letter?" he suddenly said, interrupting her words.

Fu Tingjun looked up at him in surprise.

She bit her lip and pondered for a long time. Seeing that he was about to tear off all the translucent tiles, she beckoned to him.

Fu Tingjun was overjoyed, but dared not show it, fearing that one careless move might anger this unpredictable man and cause complications in her affairs. She had no mind to ponder the strange gleam in his eyes.

"I ask you, where is the letter?" he said unhurriedly, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

He had already leaped onto the beam, then stood on tiptoe to reach the translucent tiles and gently lifted them up.

"Hero, deliver this letter to a woman called Bi Bo's Wife," Fu Tingjun said. "Ask her to pass it on to my mother."

"No, no, no," Fu Tingjun said urgently while letting out a sigh of relief. "You misunderstand my meaning." Then she paused and said softly, "Some days ago I quarreled with my cousins and was punished by my grandmother, who sent me to Biyun Nunnery to reflect on my mistakes. Thinking of my mother worrying about me at home, I felt uneasy and wanted to write to her, but these serving women, under my grandmother's orders, would not let me leave Jingyue Hall. My mind was divided between two concerns, my energy scattered, and my actions were inevitably not thorough. Now that one of my maids is ill and the other must tend to her, I can devote myself wholly to handling this matter for you, hero. Whether you need grain or medicine, I will find a way to help you. It's just that I truly worry about my mother—could you deliver a letter to her for me?" She had not meant to deceive him; with such shallow acquaintance, she could not speak deeply, and some things were simply hard to say.

Indeed, the tall walls of Biyun Nunnery and the fierce dogs could not stop him, let alone a small Jingyue Hall.

He leaped down from the beam without making a sound.

But now the arrow was already on the string and had to be released—what use was cowardice?

Her expression stiffened.

Fu Tingjun's greatest worry in the past had merely been whether she would adapt to the customs of Jiangnan after marrying into her husband's family. She never dreamed that someone would use such despicable means to frame her. Even though she had fallen into such dire straits, whenever she thought of her loving mother and doting grandmother, she always felt that things could still be salvaged—that she was not yet at the end of her rope.

Her grandmother always looked at them with a cheerful smile. Whatever they wanted to eat, she would immediately order the servants to prepare; whatever they wanted to wear, she would immediately open the storeroom to fetch. If a bowl was broken, she did not get angry; if something was lost, she did not fret. But if anyone violated the rules set forth in the Fu family's Instructions for Women , her grandmother never showed leniency.

Fu Tingjun suddenly felt a twinge of timidity.

Fu Tingjun listened intently.

The window lattice did not move at all.

Suddenly, her nose stung with acridity, and she pitched headlong into a hard, unyielding chest.

She peered out through the crack in the door.

She was clearly determined to wear her down!

"Ah!" The event was too sudden; Fu Tingjun did not react in time.

A flicker of hesitation passed through his eyes, but he quickly said, "I have a young brother who was injured by a tiger trap."

Could it be that someone dressed in rags could possess such skill!

Fu Tingjun's delicate brows knitted slightly.

Or perhaps she had used the wrong approach?

That was unmistakably a man's chest.