In the mountains of Crouching Dragon Temple, as dusk fell and the sky darkened, a light drizzle began to patter down. The rain carried a biting chill with it. Gu Yu closed the window and turned to Shen Miao, saying, "Miss, be careful not to catch a cold."
Jing Zhe draped a cloak over Shen Miao and spoke with concern, "The mountain paths are already difficult to traverse. If the rain continues all night, I wonder if we'll be able to set off tomorrow morning after offering incense. Walking on muddy roads might force us to stay an extra day here."
"An extra day wouldn’t hurt," Gu Yu chuckled. "The scenery here is lovely, and the environment is peaceful—certainly better than..." She swallowed the rest of her words, but it was clear she meant it was preferable to the hypocrisy of those in Shen Mansion.
Shen Miao sat at the table, arranging a chessboard. Lately, she had grown increasingly fond of chess, though none of her maids knew how to play, leaving her to play against herself. Occasionally, Gu Yu and Jing Zhe found it odd—when their mistress played alone, she sometimes wore strange expressions that sent chills down their spines.
The door creaked open, and Granny Gui entered with a beaming smile, carrying a tray of food. "Miss, this is the temple’s vegetarian fare. Though it’s all simple dishes, Crouching Dragon Temple’s vegetarian food is quite good. I even specially requested a bowl of Crystal Osmanthus Soup. The eldest and second young ladies have already eaten and praised it."
"Oh, just leave it there," Shen Miao replied indifferently.
"Miss, it’s best eaten while hot. It won’t taste as good once it cools," Granny Gui urged warmly, lifting the bowl to hand it to Shen Miao.
"No need to rush, Granny," Jing Zhe intercepted the porcelain bowl smoothly from Granny Gui’s hands with a smile. "The miss said to leave it. She wasn’t feeling well earlier and will eat later."
Granny Gui felt a flicker of irritation but noticed Shen Miao neither affirmed nor denied Jing Zhe’s words. She gritted her teeth inwardly. In the past, Shen Miao had always prioritized Granny Gui’s words. If there was ever a dispute between Granny Gui and the maids, the maids would be the first to be reprimanded. But at some point, Jing Zhe and Gu Yu had gained Shen Miao’s favor.
Lost in thought, Granny Gui was startled when Shen Miao suddenly spoke, "Granny, you’ve been by my side for fourteen years now, haven’t you?"
Granny Gui’s heart skipped a beat as she looked at Shen Miao. Shen Miao met her gaze with clear, childlike eyes—unchanged as ever. For a moment, Granny Gui was lost in reminiscence.
Unconsciously, the wailing infant had grown into a delicate little girl, and now into the poised young lady before her. Granny Gui sighed inwardly. Back then, Shen Xin and his wife, constantly away at war, had entrusted her with Shen Miao’s care. Fourteen years had passed in the blink of an eye.
"You’ve always been close to me," Shen Miao said softly. "I remember one night when I had a fever, and it was raining just like now. The mansion sent for a physician, but he took too long to arrive. Worried, you ran out to find one yourself, slipped on the road, and hit your head. Yet you still insisted on finding another physician."
Granny Gui froze, her expression softening. "You still remember that, miss."
"Of course I do. You’ve been with me for over a decade—longer than even my parents. I see you as family.""Young lady, you flatter this old servant too much." Granny Gui sighed inwardly, not expecting Shen Miao, who had been distant with her lately, to suddenly show such warmth today. Amidst her sigh, a trace of reluctance rose in her heart. People weren’t always like this from the start. When Shen Xin and his wife first assigned her to be Shen Miao’s nanny, her son had yet to marry, and she had no grandchildren then. Naturally, she had treated Shen Miao as her own granddaughter. There had been genuine affection between them once, but... every man for himself, and the devil takes the hindmost. After all, Shen Miao wasn’t her real granddaughter, and the eldest branch had promised that if things went well, her son’s entire family would benefit.
Wealth comes from risk, and Shen Miao truly couldn’t offer her anything. The emotions in Granny Gui’s eyes shifted several times before she finally smiled and said, "Young lady, the night is chilly. It’s best to eat early and rest. When you’re tired, light some scented incense, sleep soundly, and burn incense tomorrow morning to pray for blessings for your parents. That would be best."
"Thank you for your concern, Granny." Shen Miao also smiled, though her smile seemed to carry an ambiguous meaning. She said, "You may leave first, Granny. I’ll eat on my own."
Granny Gui wanted to stay longer, but seeing Shen Miao’s unyielding manner of dismissing her, she could only retreat awkwardly. After leaving the room, she didn’t go far but instead lingered beneath the window, carefully listening to the sounds inside.
Moments later, Gu Yu’s voice came from within: "Young lady, the food is getting cold."
"Set the table."
Following that was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, as if someone had sat down to eat. Jing Zhe asked, "Young lady, how is the osmanthus soup?"
"Good," Shen Miao’s voice replied. "It suits my taste."
"Then have some more," Gu Yu said with a laugh.
After listening for a while, it seemed Shen Miao had finished eating. The sound of dishes being cleared echoed in the room, and Gu Yu carried the food basket out. Only Jing Zhe’s voice could be heard: "Young lady, will you read for a while longer?"
"I’m a bit tired. I’ll read for another quarter-hour. Go light the scented incense," Shen Miao’s voice sounded weary.
Granny Gui straightened up and let out a deep sigh of relief. She glanced back at the window before leaving the courtyard. Once outside, she couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, "Young lady, don’t blame this old servant for being cruel. The eldest madam wants to deal with you, and no one can stop her."
After Granny Gui left, she didn’t notice the figure of a man appearing behind her. Watching her hurried departure, his face darkened with anger.
Inside the room, Jing Zhe looked at Shen Miao with concern. "Young lady, Gu Yu has left. I still don’t understand—what exactly are you planning?"
For some reason, Jing Zhe felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen in the quiet depths of the mountains. She asked, "Young lady, you just put on that act to deceive Granny Gui. Does she have some trick up her sleeve?" Shen Miao’s earlier kind words to Granny Gui had made Jing Zhe nervous, fearing that Shen Miao might once again obey Granny Gui blindly as before.
Shen Miao watched the flickering lamp flame, the tiny sparks crackling softly, a stark contrast to the steady drizzle outside.
Pretending to eat, pretending to light the scented incense—it was all just a temporary measure. As for why she had spoken those words to Granny Gui, it wasn’t because she had softened.On the path of vengeance, no one can turn back. Past kindness is no excuse for future wrongs. The wicked never deserve mercy—such words are like those spoken by the victor to the vanquished in the harem, final words before the execution.
She gently closed her eyes.
"Miss, what should we do now?" Seeing that Shen Miao didn’t answer her, Jing Zhe had no choice but to ask another question.
"Wait."
"Wait for what?"
The young woman’s lashes fluttered slightly, and the corners of her lips lifted.
"Wait for the moon to darken and the wind to howl—the perfect night for murder and plunder."
－－－－－－Author’s Note－－－－－－
My young marquis is about to make his entrance (laughs with hands on hips). Even I’m smitten with this pairing :—d I have a feeling the romance will be even more intense than in The Calamitous Consort ~\（≧▽≦）~
...
OpenNovel