Chapter 2: Unease (Second Update Seeking PK Votes)
Fu Tingyun woke up from the heat.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw four or five toads puffing their snow-white bellows squatting beside her face… She let out a piercing scream and scrambled to her feet.
Startled, the toads hopped away with a series of plopping sounds, disappearing into the grass.
Fu Tingyun exhaled deeply, her throat burning with pain, her head heavy and her vision blurred.
She… wasn’t she dead? How could she still feel anything?
Stunned, Fu Tingyun frantically looked around.
Above her, the glaring sun made it hard to keep her eyes open. The lush branches of a locust tree stretched over the tall, thick wall, casting a patch of shade. Beyond the slope overgrown with weeds and thorns lay a dense grove of mixed trees.
This… was the backyard of Azure Cloud Temple!
Why was she here?
Was she still alive?
The thought flashed through her mind, and Fu Tingyun pinched her arm hard.
It hurt—leaving behind a red mark.
She took a few steps.
Her shadow moved with her.
Her wet nurse had once told her that ghosts had no physical form and would dissipate under the sun.
Fu Tingyun stretched out her hand.
In the sunlight, her skin appeared almost translucent, her pink nails gleaming like pearls.
Squinting at the blinding sun, she burst into tears of joy!
She was alive… she truly was alive…
But this fleeting joy of survival was shattered by the sharp pain in her neck.
The dim, deserted kitchen, the strong hands gripping her, the cold, indifferent gaze, the helpless despair before losing consciousness—the scene before she blacked out resurfaced in her mind!
She hastily wiped her tears, her ears pricking with fear and vigilance as she surveyed her surroundings.
The backyard was silent and empty. A swarm of buzzing insects hovered over a nearby thorny bush, and the bamboo hat she had casually discarded lay lonely beneath the old locust tree… as if nothing had happened. If she just hitched up her skirt and climbed the tree, she could peek over the wall again!
But Fu Tingyun’s courage had vanished.
Had that person left?
Would they suddenly reappear?
If they saw her alive, would they try to kill her again?
The thought sent shivers down her spine. Grabbing the bamboo hat, she fled toward the east like a startled hare…
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Fu Tingyun’s temporary residence was called Tranquil Moon Hall, located in the northeast corner of Azure Cloud Temple’s main hall—the Mahavira Hall. It was a secluded two-courtyard house surrounded by silver-edged weeping willows. Normally left vacant, it was only opened when female members of the Fu family came to the temple to offer incense or stay briefly.
Instead of using the main gate, she took a detour to the narrow eastern passage.
The eastern chamber had a window facing east. Since the building’s foundation was high, Fu Tingyun had to stand on tiptoe to barely reach the lattice covered with white Korean paper.
She tapped lightly twice, and the tightly shut window immediately swung open.
“Ninth Miss!” The maid Lü’e leaned out, her face alight with relief. “You’re finally back!” She handed out a small stool. “Housekeeper Chen came by earlier and brought some watermelon chilled in well water, saying it was to help you cool off.” She grabbed Fu Tingyun’s arm to help her climb in. “If Hanyan hadn’t stopped her with words, she would’ve barged right in… I was scared half to death!” She looked on the verge of tears. “If you hadn’t returned soon, I would’ve had to go looking for you!”Fu Tingyun's head felt heavy, and her body was as if filled with lead. It was only by sheer will to survive that she had managed to run back. Now that she had returned to her quarters safely, hearing familiar voices and seeing familiar faces, the tension in her heart eased, leaving her utterly drained. Standing felt like a struggle, and she longed to collapse onto the bed, too exhausted to speak. But upon hearing that Housekeeper Chen had come by, she had no choice but to muster her strength and ask, "How is Hanyan?"
Her voice was hoarse and dry, a stark contrast to its usual clear and melodious tone.
"Ninth Miss!" Lü'e gasped, staring at Fu Tingyun in shock. Only then did she notice the ring of purplish-red marks around Fu Tingyun's neck, stark and horrifying against her snow-white skin. "What—what happened to you?" Looking closer, she saw Fu Tingyun's face was flushed from the sun, her neatly styled hair now disheveled, with a few strands damp with sweat clinging to her temples. The pale blue sleeves of her dress were dirty and wrinkled, and the once-pristine indigo cotton skirt was torn wide open, revealing the pale blue silk trousers beneath.
Fu Tingyun was well aware of her disheveled state, but now was not the time for explanations. Without a care for her grimy appearance, she collapsed onto the bed. "We'll talk later!"
Snapping out of her daze, Lü'e stepped forward to help her remove her shoes while answering her earlier question. "Sister Hanyan followed your instructions and sat in the main hall with Housekeeper Fan and the others, enjoying the cool breeze and chatting. The housekeepers were so engrossed in their conversation that they never moved from their seats, and no one called for me. When Housekeeper Chen came by, Housekeeper Fan even spoke a few kind words on our behalf!"
Fu Tingyun gave a faint hum and instructed Lü'e, "Fetch some water. I need to freshen up."
She couldn’t let anyone else see her in this state!
Lü'e hesitated. "Fetching water might alert Housekeeper Chen..."
"I'm already back," Fu Tingyun snapped impatiently, forcing the words through her sore throat. "Just lower the bed curtains. As long as they don’t see me like this, it’s fine. Do you really think she’d dare to lift my curtains?"
Lü'e thought for a moment.
She had a point!
After all, the Ninth Miss was the mistress here. Even if these women were close to the First Madam, they couldn’t disregard propriety.
"Oh," she murmured, quickly lowering the bed curtains before stepping out of the room.
The room fell silent. Gone was the scorching sun, the oppressive waves of heat. The pillow carried the cool touch of porcelain, and the summer mat exuded the fragrance of green bamboo. Fu Tingyun exhaled deeply in relief, too spent to even lift a finger.
But her injured throat refused to let her rest, burning with a searing pain.
His gaunt face, sharp eyes, and cold gaze flashed unbidden in her mind.
A chill seemed to sweep through the room.
The walls of Azure Cloud Temple were tall and sturdy, yet he had scaled them as if they were nothing. In broad daylight, he had climbed over the wall and nearly strangled her—proof that Azure Cloud Temple wasn’t as safe as she had once believed.
The thought flickered through her mind, and Fu Tingyun shuddered uneasily.
The sound of hurried footsteps grew closer before stopping outside the door.
"Thank you, both Housekeepers," came Hanyan’s soft, sweet voice. "You can leave the water here—our young mistress hasn’t been sleeping well these days and is feeling rather irritable...""I know, I know!" Mother Fan's booming voice remained loud even when lowered, her tone understanding. "Ninth Miss has been wronged these past days, so naturally she takes it out on you. Just bear with it—that's how it always is for us servants." She added, "We'll take our leave now. It's a good time to report to Mother Chen—she instructed us to inform her as soon as Ninth Miss wakes."
Hanyan politely saw Mother Fan off: "Take care on your way, Mother!"
Fu Tingyun found it odd.
Since when had Mother Fan and Hanyan gotten along so well?
Two maidservants entered, panting as they carried in a tub of water.
Hanyan immediately rushed to the bedside.
"Ninth Miss!" she exclaimed joyfully, lifting the bed curtains. "You're finally back!" Then, like Lü'e, she froze in shock.
"Clean me up first before anything else!" Fu Tingyun struggled to sit up.
Hanyan also realized the most urgent matter was ensuring no one could tell Fu Tingyun had been out.
Flustered, she helped Fu Tingyun up, and together with Lü'e, they undressed her, loosened her hair, and assisted her into the pinewood bathtub, washing her hair.
Fu Tingyun closed her eyes in comfort, but her mind churned like boiling water.
That despicable, shameless Zuo Junjie! If not for his wild accusations, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a state!
The mere thought made her gnash her teeth, wishing she could curse him a few times to vent her anger.
This matter traced back to Eldest Sister-in-law Zuo.
Eldest Sister-in-law had entered the Fu family carrying the ancestral tablet of Fu Tingyun’s eldest cousin. For twenty years, she had been filial to her in-laws, harmonious with her sisters-in-law, caring toward her younger cousins, and devoted to raising her adopted son—her virtue praised by all. Not just within the Fu family, but even in Huayin County, people spoke of her with reverence, never daring the slightest disrespect. So when her youngest brother, Zuo Junjie, came to seek refuge after their parents' deaths, despite the cramped living conditions of the Fu family's six branches, the eldest uncle still cleared out a three-room courtyard in the southeast corner of the outer compound for him—facing south, no less. He was given the same monthly allowance, study expenses, and seasonal clothing as Eldest Sister-in-law’s adopted son, and even enrolled in the Fu family school to study under Fifth Uncle.
Zuo Junjie lived up to his name, earning the title of xiucai at seventeen and juren at twenty-three.
Such achievements might not stand out in the literati-rich Jiangnan region, but in the northwest, where the imperial examinations were divided by region, they were rare and remarkable.
To outsiders, the Fu family’s support had nurtured a talent like Zuo Junjie, earning them a reputation for virtue and appreciation of talent—they should have been proud of him. And Zuo Junjie, with the Fu family’s backing securing him a bright future and the chance to restore the Zuo family’s honor, should have been endlessly grateful. Yet in reality, it was nothing like that.
The Fu family was Huayin’s most prominent clan, renowned for their strictness in guarding their women’s quarters. From the moment Zuo Junjie sought refuge with them, he had wanted to marry a Fu daughter.
Eldest Sister-in-law naturally favored the idea—strengthening family ties while gaining support from his wife’s family. But Fu daughters were never short of marriage prospects. Though Zuo Junjie was tall and handsome, he was a commoner with no assets, living off the Fu family’s charity. The words of a marriage proposal simply couldn’t be spoken.
Yet once this thought took root, it became uncontrollable, and a sliver of hope lingered in his heart. Thus, no marriage arrangements were ever made for Zuo Junjie.It wasn't until Zuo Junjie passed the imperial examination and became a Presented Scholar that during the grandmother's birthday celebration, the eldest sister-in-law half-jokingly, half-seriously dropped some hints.
What kind of person was the grandmother? Having presided over the household affairs of the Fu family for decades, how could she not discern the meaning behind the words of this eldest grandson's wife!
But Zuo Junjie's family background was truly too meager.
If it had been anyone else, the matter would have been brushed off with a few polite words and dismissed with a smile. However, since it was the eldest sister-in-law who brought it up, the grandmother felt she had to give her some face. She called Aunt over to discuss the possibility of marrying the second elder sister from the main branch—a child born of a concubine—to Zuo Junjie.
The second elder sister was around the same age as Zuo Junjie. Although she was born of a concubine, she had been raised under the care of the main wife since childhood, educated in reading and writing, skilled in needlework, and adept at household management and accounting—just like the eldest elder sister.
Aunt was somewhat hesitant.
Hao Jianfeng, the Shaanxi Provincial Advisor, had lost his wife to illness and had no children. Some sycophants sought to play matchmaker and sent word to Aunt, saying that Hao Jianfeng was soon to be promoted to Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shandong and wished to arrange this marriage for the second elder sister.
Though she would be marrying as a second wife, and Hao Jianfeng was over twenty years older than the second elder sister, he was a Presented Scholar who had passed both levels of the imperial examinations and was soon to rise to the third rank in the bureaucracy. Moreover, with no heirs, having such a son-in-law would be a boon for the Fu family, which had not produced a high-ranking provincial official in generations.
Aunt was inclined to agree, but at the time, her husband was serving as the Director of the Bureau of Waterways in the Ministry of Works, overseeing rivers, lakes, bridges, roads, vehicles, ships, textiles, contracts, and weights and measures. He was highly regarded by Qu Yang, the Minister of the Ministry of Works, and rumors suggested he would soon be promoted to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. Concerned about their reputation, Aunt had yet to give a definitive answer to the matchmaker.
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So today is April Fool's Day... Hmm... Wishing everyone a happy April Fool's Day!
(End of Chapter)
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