The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Dragging his tired body, Song Zhiqing returned to the residence. Last night he had kept vigil over the spirit at Xingshan Temple all night, had even taken sick leave from morning court. That could be counted as fulfilling the bond of husband and wife he once had with Bai Shuilian.

He entered the Leisure Courtyard; everything inside was as before, not the slightest change. In the main room, it was as if that person would, like in the old days, lean against the doorframe, smiling charmingly as she nodded to him and said, ”Sanlang, you’re back.”

But after he waited a moment, nothing—she did not come out.

Or rather, she would never come out again.

Song Zhiqing could not say what he was feeling, only that his chest felt stifled. Looking around, he saw no servants moving about the courtyard either. As if, with the people of this courtyard gone, those who served them had also seized the chance to slack off.

A surge of nameless anger shot up from the soles of his feet.

Song Zhiqing walked into the main room, only to see Jingshui coming out from the bedchamber. Dressed in plain mourning clothes, hair simply combed and hanging down, she froze for a moment when she saw him, then hurried forward in small steps and knelt down. ”Master.”

”So you’re here.”

Jingshui lifted her head, lips pressed tight, her eyes completely red, as if holding something back.

Seeing this, Song Zhiqing all the more could not tell what it was he felt. He said, ”Get up and talk.”

Jingshui rose from the floor and spoke in a voice tinged with sobs: ”Master, Aunt she...”

Song Zhiqing felt somewhat guilty and said, ”Your Aunt... it was all an accident. She just had no blessings, a poor fate.”

Jingshui staggered a little, not knowing whether she was grieved by Bai Shuilian’s unexpected death, or incensed by how callous those words sounded.

”How could it turn out like this? She left the house perfectly well to burn incense and pray to Buddha—how could she simply not come back? Pitiful Fifth Young Master and Fifth Young Miss, losing their own mother. What are they to do in the future?” She began to sob softly.

Song Zhiqing said, ”Don’t worry. With me here, I won’t let them suffer any grievance.”

Jingshui nodded, but in her heart she sneered. Those were words to hear, nothing more.

People have always said you hear only the newcomer’s laughter, never see the old one’s tears. Even while Bai Shuilian was still alive, his heart had already changed—how much more so now that she was gone?

Once a person leaves, the tea grows cold. Perhaps right now Song Zhiqing would grieve for Bai Shuilian, but as time passed, he would gradually forget. Especially once a newcomer entered the gate, once new children were born, he would forget all the faster.

”Master, Madam sent people over this morning to tidy up Aunt’s things,” Jingshui reported again, saying, ”This servant also knows the rules; it’s not that we must keep Aunt’s belongings. It’s just that thinking of the two Young Masters and Young Misses being still so young, we ought to leave one or two items at least, so they can have something to remember her by. That way, there will always be someone who remembers Aunt once existed.”

Song Zhiqing froze and looked around. No wonder he had felt something odd when he came in. Now he knew where the strangeness lay: quite a few things were gone. Aside from some large pieces, those small, trivial items were all missing—those were the things Bai Shuilian usually used.

He went into the bedchamber again; it was even emptier inside. Only the bedframe remained; the curtains, quilts and such were all gone.

He opened the wardrobe: empty as well. The whole room felt particularly bare and desolate, as if no one had ever lived there at all.

Madam Lu—she was actually in such a rush.

The person had been gone only a single day, and she was already in a hurry to erase her existence. Did she take him for a dead man as well?

Outside, the cry of an infant sounded, extremely mournful, enough to wrench the heart of anyone who heard it.

Anger surged up from his chest. Song Zhiqing turned and strode out of the bedchamber, left the Leisure Courtyard in one go, and headed straight for the Plum Garden.

Jingshui followed a few steps, then watched his disappearing back, her gaze as calm and still as water.