Chapter 3

Chapter 3

After parting ways with Li Shishi and her party, I arrived at Bai Mansion, yet the woman’s bitter smile still kept surfacing before my eyes.

When I gave my Buddhist name, the servants of Bai Mansion immediately received me with the utmost respect and led me into the inner residence. We passed through gates and courtyards along the way. Within Bai Mansion, rocks had been arranged, trees planted, and flowers, birds, fish, and insects placed throughout. Though all of it was man-made, it seemed born of nature itself, carrying more than a little rustic charm.

Lady Bai had heard the announcement and was already waiting in the pavilion with her maids.

When she saw me remove my headscarf, revealing a plain, clean face, she clapped her hands in delight. “Look at the Song woman! You’ve grown so tall now, and you’ve even become quite pretty!”

The old nun was weary and had already gone to the guest room. With no outsiders around, I immediately dropped to both knees and touched my forehead to the ground.

“I must still thank you, my lady, for saving my life.”

Seeing this, Lady Bai hurriedly reached out to help me up. “What are you saying such things for?”

“The Song family and I have some friendship between us. I have always treated you like one of my own children. Why be so distant?”

Before she could finish, a young married woman beside her laughed affectionately. “Mother, if you treat her like your own child, then what am I?”

Lady Bai did not even look at her. She kept holding my hand, clearly on purpose. “I was not blessed with many children. The ones before are gone, and only these one or two foolish things remain by my side! Song woman, you mustn’t be like our eldest girl, muddleheaded and stubborn every day, as if she’ll never grow up…”

Only then did I remember that Bai Mansion did indeed have a widowed daughter. Like me, like Lady Bai, she was a widow whose name had been carved on a chastity arch.

Though she, too, had lost her husband young, she seemed different from me-still innocent and lively, like an unmarried girl in her boudoir.

Seeing that her mother was ignoring her, the eldest daughter kept wheedling. Lady Bai finally let go of me and took her into her arms, calling her “my darling” and “my own flesh” over and over.

I was feeling somewhat awkward when several servants came forward with news, all of them beaming.

“My lady, my lady!”

“Ninth Young Master is back!”

At that, Lady Bai’s eyes reddened as well. She no longer cared about her daughter and immediately gathered up her skirts and strode outside.

“That wretched boy!”

“So he still knows to come home!”

Ninth Young Master?

Just as I was thinking the name sounded somewhat familiar, a great gust of wind suddenly rose, carrying in a sharp, rich fragrance.

The clamor drew nearer and nearer. A crowd poured into the inner courtyard with a rush, and every servant of Bai Mansion, whether maid or page, clustered warmly around that person. It was clear their affection was genuine.

I wanted to put my headscarf back on, but it was already too late.

In just a few breaths, the embroidered hem of a robe patterned with galloping horses was right before my eyes.

Seeing that we were about to meet face-to-face, I had no choice but to bury my face in my book and pretend I was reading scripture.

But that person had already passed the pavilion, only to turn back for some reason. As though he had never seen a nun before, he even made a point of stepping into the pavilion to greet me. “This nun-teacher.”

When he heard me answer in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Your book is upside down.”