Chapter Thirty-One: Defied by an Unfilial Daughter

Lang Jiuchuan stepped into the Qichi Pavilion of the Cui family for the first time. Following the funeral and burial of the Old Marquis of the Lang household, the white mourning decorations throughout the manor had been taken down and replaced with somber, plain tones, and her courtyard was no exception.

Because of her widowhood, the Qichi Pavilion was situated far from the main residence on the western side of the Marquis’s estate. Though remote, the courtyard was spacious, quiet, and elegant. It was said to possess a small martial arts practice field, once the domain of the second branch’s master, Lang Zhengfan.

The Qichi Pavilion lacked an abundance of flowers and plants, but it was graced by two towering tallow trees. According to Jianlan, these trees were exceptionally beautiful in autumn, rivals to any maple or ginkgo, and had been planted by the Second Master himself when he was young. In the autumn, Madam Cui had loved nothing more than to sip tea and admire the foliage beneath them.

Although the pavilion lacked other shrubbery, Madam Cui loved orchids—as evidenced by her maids, all named after the flower. A greenhouse had been specially built in the courtyard to cultivate her beloved collection, which, aside from her Buddhist devotions, had been the widowed Madam Cui’s only joy and pastime for many years.

Winter had arrived, and with the twelfth lunar month only days away, the two tallow trees were already burdened by accumulated snow, making the courtyard appear even more desolate.

The courtyard was deep and still. Perhaps because its mistress was so withdrawn, the Qichi Pavilion, much like Lang Jiuchuan’s own residence, lacked any vibrant sense of vitality.

A scent of medicine drifted into Lang Jiuchuan’s nose from the small kitchen in the northwest corner, while the faint sound of coughing emanated from the main hall.

Lang Jiuchuan lowered her eyes and followed Jianlan toward the main hall. At the entrance, a maid of about twelve or thirteen spotted them, hurried inside to announce their arrival, and lifted the curtain.

Upon entering the hall, a wave of warmth greeted them. Lang Jiuchuan looked up to see a Luohan bed placed by the south-facing window. Madam Cui had replaced her heavy white mourning attire with a plain, indigo-colored jacket, paired with a horse-face skirt patterned in a continuous fretwork design. Her low bun was secured only by a single white jade hairpin, with no other ornaments.

She had perhaps just finished coughing, for there was a faint, unhealthy flush on her cheeks, while her lips were deathly pale.

A maid wearing a dark green vest and skirt identical to Jianlan’s passed by, carrying a spittoon. She paused to curtsy and addressed them, "Ninth Miss." This was Molan, one of the four head maids by Madam Cui’s side.

Madam Cui handed the handkerchief she had used to wipe her mouth to Nanny Cheng and picked up a fresh silk one, clutching it tightly. Seeing Lang Jiuchuan standing there, she frowned and remarked, "Have you forgotten how to show respect now?"

Lang Jiuchuan gave a slight nod. "Greetings, Madam."

*Madam.*

Madam Cui stared at her, her hand tightening around the silk handkerchief.

Nanny Cheng sighed and said, "Ninth Miss, even if you won't call her 'Mother,' addressing her as such would be proper."

Lang Jiuchuan scoffed. "I recall that when I returned to the manor, Madam stated that I was not her daughter. How could I presume to call you mother?"

The expressions of everyone present shifted.

Jiang Che drifted out from her spirit platform, transformed into the size of a small kitten, and perched on her shoulder. It looked at Madam Cui, then studied Lang Jiuchuan’s face. "That’s not right. Going by physiognomy, you two clearly have the look of mother and daughter. Why doesn't she acknowledge you? Could it be she sees right through you as a fraud?"

"Shut up!" Lang Jiuchuan snapped, then turned to Madam Cui. "Why have you summoned me, Madam?"

Madam Cui had been simmering with a trace of indignation, but as Nanny Cheng gently rubbed her back, she suppressed her temper. "I will say nothing of how you behaved at the manor in the country, but now that you have returned to the Marquis’s estate, you will be coming of age next year. You must learn the proper etiquette and upbringing, lest you disgrace the Lang family name when you eventually marry into another household."

Lang Jiuchuan was taken aback. What was this?

"Ah, if you’re to be married, what brave soul would be bold enough to take a shrew like you—" Jiang Che’s suicidal remark was automatically silenced by the death-glare Lang Jiuchuan shot its way as she turned her head slightly.

Lang Jiuchuan didn't punish it, but replied, "If I were to marry, wouldn't you have to marry as well?"

Jiang Che was suddenly startled. That was true. Currently, they were one body, and since the physical form was female, if she were to marry, they would have to share the bridal chamber. Wouldn't that mean it would be the one being dominated? No, it was the dignified White Tiger King, mighty and majestic; it was the one who should be on top.

Lang Jiuchuan, oblivious to Jiang Che’s beastly thoughts, said to Madam Cui, "Do not trouble yourself. With a body like mine, incapable of heavy lifting and destined for a short life, I might not even be able to bear children. It is better not to go and be a burden to someone else’s house."

Marriage? What was that? She had no interest.

"You!" Madam Cui was so infuriated that she began to cough violently.

Nanny Cheng hurried to soothe her back and said to Lang Jiuchuan, "Ninth Miss, please do not say such ominous things. Your health will improve with care. Madam has already sent someone to invite the divine physician, Fang Cong, to treat you."

Madam Cui pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Lang Jiuchuan was somewhat surprised. She looked at Madam Cui and said, "I have told you, this body of mine is beyond your help—"

"Must you always oppose me?" Madam Cui, unable to bear it any longer, struck the small side table with a heavy hand, shouting, "Do you hate me so much that you would neglect your own health?"

Lang Jiuchuan stared at her steadily until Madam Cui looked flustered, then said, "You overthink it. I do not hate you."

After all, she was not the original owner of this body, and therefore did not share those deep-seated emotions.

"You're lying," Jiang Che hummed. "You clearly feel resentment."

Lang Jiuchuan retorted without changing her expression, "It is not me; it is the lingering will of the original owner."

Jiang Che scoffed, "Stubborn as a mule."

Lang Jiuchuan looked back at Madam Cui and continued, "I do not hate you. After all, for so many years, I have long been accustomed to the life of an orphan who might as well not exist. I never received your love or care, and having never possessed it, I do not long for it—and therefore, there is no room for hatred. Furthermore, I lived quite well at the villa these past years. You brought me back to fulfill the duties of a filial descendant, but now that the funeral is over, I will return to the villa tomorrow. I feel out of place in this mansion."

Madam Cui’s eyelid twitched.

Nanny Cheng stepped forward, anxious. "Miss, let bygones be bygones. Now that you are back, how can you return to the villa? You are the only young mistress of our second branch."

*Young mistress.* Hearing these words, Lang Jiuchuan felt a complex emotion stir within her. It seemed too late for that.

"We look at each other and feel only dislike; there is no point in this," Lang Jiuchuan said coldly.

Madam Cui’s face turned stony. "You truly are born with a rebellious spirit, just like your father—"

Her fingertips trembled, and she suddenly stopped, a look of agony crossing her face. She clutched her chest, gasping for air.

Nanny Cheng was terrified. "Madam! Has your heart pain flared up? Jianlan, go quickly and get a heart-saving pill! Someone outside, call the house physician at once!"

Lang Jiuchuan furrowed her brows.

Jiang Che, on the other hand, watched the spectacle with amusement. "If she dies, she’ll have been angered to death by your unfilial defiance, won't she?"