Chapter 7

Wen Yan and Wen Hening crossed paths with Wen Changning in the same corridor as before.

At that moment, Wen Changning was cradling a wooden box in her arms, holding a pearl the size of a little fingernail up to her eyes to inspect it. The pearl was perfectly round, translucent, and possessed a rich, delicate luster—it was clearly no ordinary treasure, and Wen Changning had an entire box of them.

She was focused intently on the pearl, while the maidservants attending her hovered protectively around her, terrified she might trip. Wen Yan and Wen Hening had spotted them from afar, but it was only when prompted by a maid that Wen Changning looked up and noticed them.

Seeing Wen Yan and Wen Hening together, Wen Changning instinctively frowned. Then, seemingly recalling an incident that had previously occurred in this very corridor, she retreated slightly behind her maid, avoiding Wen Yan’s gaze.

Caught off guard by this mid-path encounter with their fifth sister, Wen Hening looked awkwardly between the two. After a long pause, he finally said to Wen Changning, "Changning, you’re back so early today?"

Wen Changning replied in a small voice, "I didn't go out. Mother said it’s chaotic outside and told me not to go out to play."

Wen Hening recalled that his fifth sister had indeed not been out for a long time. Thinking that someone of her temperament must be stifled from staying home for so long, he stepped away from Wen Yan and went up to her, patting her head with affection. "Father has nearly finished dealing with the displaced people; things will be peaceful in a couple of days. I’ll take you out to ride horses beyond the city walls then."

Hearing this, Wen Changning was overjoyed. She hugged her box and beamed, "Really? Thank you, Fourth Brother, you’re the best!"

The siblings began chatting as if no one else were there. Finding her path blocked, Wen Yan simply leaned against a corridor pillar to admire the scenery. In the center of the small pond stood a Lake Tai rock half a person's height, surrounded by a few unfurled water lily leaves floating tremulously on the water’s surface. Once the weather warmed up completely in a few more days, the leaves would cover the entire pond, highlighting the beauty of the surrounding landscape. And when the lilies bloomed in summer, it would be another sight to behold.

The entire estate was filled with such ingenious landscaping. It was said that when the grounds were being renovated, their father had drawn the plans himself. However, Wen Yan felt there was one flaw in his design: he had planted too many trees. There were so many large trees with such dense foliage that rats had plenty of places to hide, making them very difficult to track down.

*My father really does know how to create trouble for himself,* Wen Yan thought with a faint smile.

On the other side, Wen Hening, who was still talking to Wen Changning, glanced at the box in her arms and asked casually, "Where did these come from?"

Wen Changning cast a glance at Wen Yan and raised her voice deliberately. "Second Sister gave them to me, told me to take them back to string into jewelry. Second Sister said the gemstones on that crown from the Treasure Pavilion look flashy, but in terms of quality, they are actually quite inferior. It only costs that much because of the craftsman’s exquisite skill."

As she spoke, she watched Wen Yan’s expression. "Unlike these southern pearls of mine, where a single bead is worth a hundred pieces of gold. Second Sister said these are tribute items; only the ladies in the palace can afford them, and they don't circulate among the common people."

Wen Changning intended to show off and deliberately exaggerated. While it was true that southern pearls were rare tribute items, the pearls she held were far too small to be worth a hundred pieces of gold each—though the entire box combined was certainly worth far more than that. The precious pearls seemed to weigh nothing in her hands, as if they were merely trifles her sister had tossed her to keep her amused.

"Mother just had a new pair of shoes made for me. I’ll attach these pearls to them when I get back; they’ll be beautiful." Her voice grew louder as she went on, and when Wen Yan looked over, she added triumphantly, "Oh, and Mother didn't just make me shoes; she also gave me a full set of head ornaments. They are so pretty."

Wen Yan’s expression remained unchanged, but Qingyun, an outsider, felt deeply uncomfortable hearing this. They were both daughters of the Wen family; yet when the Third Young Lady had bought that crown the other day, the Madam and the Second Young Lady had treated her with nothing but cold looks and disdain.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, the Second Young Lady was gifting the Fifth Young Lady even more expensive pearls, the Fourth Young Master was buying her hairpins, and the Madam was outfitting her with new shoes and head ornaments, all for fear that she might feel slighted. Although the Third Young Lady had been ignored since childhood, such blatant favoritism was truly chilling.

Wen Hening realized this as well. He felt the hairpin in his sleeve pocket suddenly burn, making his heart tighten; he wished he could throw it away immediately so it would never be seen. He dared not look at Wen Yan, fearing what he might see on her face. His third sister was fragile; today, she had been humiliated abroad and was now being treated coldly by her entire family. Though she showed nothing on the surface, who knew how much pain she held inside?

His third sister had always preferred to keep things to herself, bottling them up until she fell ill. Now that she had finally recovered a bit, if she were to harbor resentment or let sorrow fester in her heart, it might shorten her life.

Wen Hening frowned unconsciously and reached out, snapping the box of pearls shut with a sharp *clack*.

Wen Changning was startled by his action and looked at him with dissatisfaction. "Fourth Brother, what are you doing?"

"Go back first," Wen Hening said. "I have something to tell you later."

Wen Changning hadn't finished showing off, and she hadn't seen Wen Yan react to her words at all, so she didn't want to leave. "I’m not going, I—"

"Excuse me." Wen Yan stepped between the siblings, reminding them, "It’s getting late, and I need to return to Cuihua Court. Would you mind clearing the way so you can continue?"

"I'm not—"

Wen Hening quickly covered Wen Changning’s mouth, pulled her aside, and smiled. "Third Sister, please pass."

"Mm." Wen Yan, accompanied by Qingyun, walked past them. Wen Changning struggled, trying to pry her brother’s hand off.

"Oh, by the way." Wen Yan stopped after a few steps and turned back, speaking to Wen Hening from a distance. "Do you feel like there’s been a rat infestation in the house lately?"

"A rat infestation?" Wen Hening was stunned. "Did you see any, Third Sister?"

Wen Yan smiled. "Yes, I’ve seen quite a few. I’m a bit frightened; you should have the steward catch them."

Although Wen Hening didn't believe there were enough rats in the house to constitute an infestation, and while Wen Yan claimed to be afraid but showed no sign of it, since she had asked, he readily agreed. "Don't worry, Third Sister. I’ll have the steward handle it later."

"Make sure you look thoroughly," Wen Yan added. "Don't let a single one escape."

"I will," Wen Hening promised. "Not a single one will be missed."

Seeing his firm guarantee, Wen Yan said nothing more. She had given her warning; as for whether the Wens could catch those "rats" running amok, that would depend on their own abilities. Sometimes, disaster was hard to avoid, and everything had its own fate. She wasn't sure what fate the Heavenly Dao had in store for the Wen family, but given the dog-like nature of the Heavenly Dao, she didn't hold high hopes for the outcome.

She clicked her tongue. *Trouble.*

Watching Wen Yan’s retreating figure, Wen Hening suddenly remembered something and called out to her, "Third Sister! I will speak to Mother about the Xia family matter. Don't worry."

Wen Yan didn't stop, quickly passing through the octagonal gate and disappearing from his sight, seemingly having not heard his words.

"Fourth Brother, what are you doing?" Wen Changning finally pulled his hand away, glaring at him with extreme displeasure. She had finally managed to provoke Wen Yan, only for her brother to ruin it. In her heart, she cursed him as a traitor.

"Have you forgotten the night we knelt in the Buddha hall when she fell into the water?"

Wen Changning’s words were abrupt, but Wen Hening understood. "Changning, how long ago was that? Why are you still holding onto it?"

Wen Changning huffed. "I will remember it, I will!"

Knowing her spoiled nature, Wen Hening didn't argue. He only said, "Changning, stop bullying Third Sister."

Wen Changning became even more indignant. "Fourth Brother, you're being unreasonable! It was clearly her who bullied me first." She began listing evidence of Wen Yan "bullying" her, one by one. "...She snatched my jewelry, my crown, and she’d rather let the fabrics rot in the storage room than let me use them." She paused, then pressed her small face into a serious look. "Fourth Brother, if you keep defending her, I won't like you anymore."

Wen Hening sighed, patted her head, and told her what had happened that day, repeating everything Xia Fangshu had said verbatim. Finally, he added, "The family has never been willing to let you suffer a grievance. Whenever you’re unhappy, everyone—from Father and Mother, down to Big Brother, Second Sister, and me—everyone gathers to coax you. But Third Sister was bullied by outsiders, and when she returned, she had to be bullied by you. Tell me, if you were her, what would you think?"

He spoke earnestly, hoping she would temper her temper and make concessions to Wen Yan. But Wen Changning only focused on his earlier words, and she was furious. "That coward Wen Yan! A dignified Prefect’s daughter, someone rode over her neck and cursed her to her face, and she didn't even know how to fight back! She only knows how to be fierce with me."

"Does she not have hands? Does she not know how to slap someone across the face?"

"Xia Fangshu, you just wait for this young lady. I'm going to deal with you tomorrow."

Wen Hening said helplessly, "Enough. I’ve already dealt with her; she likely won't be coming out for a month. Besides, the Xia family isn't some ordinary merchant household. They have relied on several merchant ships to rise in the world, and their son passed the *xiucai* exam a few years ago—he has a scholarly status. When I kicked Xia Fangshu, she was already in the wrong, so the matter won't be pursued further. If you go after her again, you’ll only bring trouble upon yourself."

"She dared to slander our family in the street," Wen Changning insisted. "I can't swallow this."

Wen Hening’s lips curled, his handsome eyes stained with a meaningful smile. "If you really can't swallow it, go and act spoiled with Second Sister. She has many business dealings with the Xia family."

"And there's Father. I heard he has detained quite a few ships this month; some were held for days before being released."

They were twins, and Wen Changning caught on immediately. Her expression shifted from anger to joy. "Fourth Brother, you are so clever."

...

After plotting with his sister to trip up the Xia family, they parted ways. Wen Hening went to the main courtyard and told Lu the whole story, adding very solemnly, "Mother, we cannot marry Third Sister into the Xia family."

Lu’s face turned pale, then red, feeling inexplicably embarrassed. "I only picked a few suitable families, intending to hold a flower banquet so your sister could take a look. The Xia family was just one of them."

She let out a heavy, uncomfortable sigh. "What is your third sister’s attitude?"

Recalling Wen Yan’s indifferent reaction from beginning to end, Wen Hening said uncertainly, "Third Sister, she... I suppose she was angry..."