While Zhuang Hanyan was lost in her thoughts, Wei Tingyu turned his head, his deep eyes fixed on hers. "Third Miss," he asked, "are you hiding something else?"
At that moment, Zhuang Hanyan's heart pounded like a drum. In his eyes, she saw that he hadn't believed a word of her story. His gaze was like a piercing ray of light, and she felt as if all her secrets were exposed. But she had to go on.
Suppressing her panic, she met his gaze bravely. "I have no knowledge of such things, and I have not lied to the Duke. I am but a humble girl. I only fear that over time, the authorities will forget my uncle and aunt's case and stop investigating. I ask that the Duke uses his influence to urge the Dali Temple to capture the bandits and give my family justice."
She then began to cough softly into a silk handkerchief.
Wei Tingyu saw her performance and withdrew his gaze. "Good," he thought. "I don't have to worry about her storytelling." Her story was more than enough to fool the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice. But he couldn't let her get too comfortable. Her troubles had just begun.
"If you're hiding anything, it won't stay hidden for long," Wei Tingyu said, standing up and looking at the "coughing" Zhuang Hanyan.
She stopped coughing and looked at him warily. She knew he hadn't been completely fooled. As their eyes met, Wei Tingyu simply said, "I'll take my leave."
He turned to walk out.
"Take care, son-in-law," Shu Hong said, bowing slightly.
Wei Tingyu nodded, pleased with the clever maid. Her remark was a perfect little nudge.
"What did you call him?" Zhuang Hanyan, who had followed him, asked Shu Hong with a frown.
"Son-in-law," Shu Hong said, blinking.
"What son-in-law?" Zhuang Hanyan was baffled. What connection did he have to her family? Had he married one of her cousins?
"Miss," Shu Hong said, seeing her mistress's confusion. "The Duke carried you all the way back to your room. Many servants, even the other son-in-law, Minister Fu, saw it. The news will surely spread. The Duke will have to marry you now."
Shu Hong's voice trailed off, her head bowed in embarrassment. Zhuang Hanyan, however, was not concerned with Shu Hong's impropriety. Her mind was in a whirlwind. The maid was right. If the news got out, their marriage would be announced. But then she remembered the masked man, the Jade Fox! He had demanded she repay him by giving herself to him. She had promised him her hand after she completed her mission. What would he do if he found out she had married the Duke? He was a top-tier master. His anger could lead to unimaginable disaster.
"I must keep my distance from the Duke," she thought. "I can't let my revenge be derailed by becoming a ghost under the Jade Fox's sword."
Wei Tingyu walked into the snow-covered courtyard. He saw two women approaching from the pavilion: his main wife, Dou Zhao, and Zhou Ruyin bowing and scraping beside her.
"My dear husband!" Dou Zhao's eyes lit up when she saw him. She rushed to his side and opened her umbrella, shielding him from the snow.
"What are you doing here?" Wei Tingyu asked, surprised to see her. He also noticed the two female Golden Guard assassins disguised as maids who were always with her.
"I came to bring you an umbrella, of course," Dou Zhao said with a faint smile, giving him a knowing look about Zhou Ruyin.
"I didn't know how long the Duke would be staying," Zhou Ruyin chimed in, smiling brightly. "I feared your wife would be worried, so I sent someone to let her know you were a guest here."
"Who would have thought that the Duke and his wife are so loving? The Madam insisted on bringing the umbrella herself," Zhou Ruyin said.
Wei Tingyu and Dou Zhao couldn't help but laugh. Zhou Ruyin's little scheme was so obvious. Dou Zhao had already pieced together the situation on her way over. Zhou Ruyin, of course, was not fond of the third miss and wanted her own daughter, Zhuang Yushan, to marry the Duke. She was also determined not to let Zhuang Hanyan steal the opportunity. So, after Wei Tingyu carried Zhuang Hanyan back to her room, she immediately sent a messenger to "catch them in the act."
Zhou Ruyin didn't realize how transparent her actions were. She saw Dou Zhao's smile and thought she was grateful. She was proud of her "two birds with one stone" plan: ruin any chance of a relationship between Wei Tingyu and Zhuang Hanyan, and win favor with the Duchess. She even glanced triumphantly at Zhuang Hanyan in the pavilion.
"You could have sent a servant with the umbrella," Wei Tingyu said, his heart aching for Dou Zhao's red, cold hands. He gently rubbed them, his eyes full of affection.
"That wouldn't be right," Dou Zhao said, shaking her head. "It's my duty as your wife to take care of you. I can't let a little cold stop me."
Dou Zhao had no shortage of help at home. With He Weifang, Li Dabaoshouhua, and now Xiao Yan, the household was running smoothly. Her days were mostly free.
Wei Tingyu breathed on her hands, a look of adoration on his face. Zhuang Hanyan, watching from the pavilion, felt a pang of envy. She had never been so cherished.
"Are you staying longer, husband?" Dou Zhao asked, seeing Zhuang Hanyan. She knew he was wooing the girl. "Should I go back first?"
"We'll go back together," Wei Tingyu said, holding her hand. "I've asked what I needed to ask."
Dou Zhao was happy. She smiled and turned to Zhuang Hanyan, making direct eye contact. Zhuang Hanyan bowed, feeling a little nervous. She was afraid the Duchess would misunderstand their relationship and ostracize her from the noble ladies of the capital.
But Dou Zhao simply nodded in return, giving her a meaningful look before walking away with Wei Tingyu, her arm linked in his. Zhuang Hanyan sighed in relief. The Duchess wasn't the jealous type.
The snow grew heavier, quickly obscuring the couple's retreating figures. Zhuang Hanyan's thoughts drifted back to her own situation. She had always dreamed of being a noble lady in the capital, and her first day back was filled with unexpected events, including meeting the Duke and his wife. She felt like an invisible hand was pulling the strings of her fate, but she didn't know who or what it was.
"Is there a place for me here?" she wondered, a sense of unease filling her. She then turned and walked back to her room.
On the carriage ride home, Dou Zhao lay in Wei Tingyu's arms. "Are you interested in the Third Miss?" she asked.
"Why do you ask?" Wei Tingyu replied, playfully cupping her chin.
"You can fool the world, but you can't fool me, husband," Dou Zhao said, a triumphant look on her face.
"I suppose so," he admitted.
"If you like her," Dou Zhao said, "I'll arrange a betrothal tomorrow. Master Zhuang is just a minor official, and the Third Miss has just returned from out of town. The Zhuang family would be happy to marry her into our family, even as a concubine."
Dou Zhao's logic was sound, but Zhuang Hanyan's need for revenge would prevent her from accepting such an offer.
"It's not that simple," Wei Tingyu said, kissing her forehead. "And not everyone in the Zhuang family will agree to the marriage."
"Are you talking about that Zhou woman?" Dou Zhao said, frowning. "She's just a concubine. What can she do if Master Zhuang agrees?"
"It's not just about Zhou Ruyin," he said, and he began to tell her the story of the "Barefoot Ghost."
Dou Zhao listened intently, her eyes widening. "Barefoot Ghost?!" she exclaimed after he finished. "Someone in the Zhuang family's inner quarters must have been trying to harm the Third Miss and her mother! So she's back for revenge?"
Dou Zhao had figured it out. "I hate these kinds of things!" she said, raising a fist. "We must help the Third Miss! We'll help her get her revenge, and then you can marry her!"
Dou Zhao knew all too well the treachery that could happen in a household's inner quarters. Many of the women in their household had similar experiences. They all had a strong sense of empathy for each other. Dou Zhao knew that her "sisters" would all agree to help Zhuang Hanyan get her revenge. As for what would happen after that, it was up to Wei Tingyu to decide.