Chapter 007: Brothers Contending for a Wife

That night, after speaking with Zhou Yuanting for a while, Bai Yuning climbed out through the window.

As soon as she emerged, she saw the second young master standing with his arms crossed, his expression icy as he glared at her. Frowning, he spoke each word deliberately: “I just heard him say he wants to marry you.”

The young man, unaware of love or hatred, acted purely on instinct. Rashly, he blurted out all the accumulated discontent, seemingly accusing her, yet his words seemed to carry something strange—like inexplicable jealousy and sharp shards of ice, mixed together and hurled directly at her. An ordinary person might have thought he despised her.

But Bai Yuning, standing before him, was no ordinary person.

She was such a clever and perceptive young lady, able to stir Zhou Yuanting into bringing her back with just a few words, and with a single glance, provoke Zhou Chiye to turn against his elder brother.

The elegant and serene young lady’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she whispered to him, “That is your elder brother’s wishful thinking. He has always wanted to divorce his wife and marry me instead, but my parents would never agree, nor would I bear such a disgrace. I only came with him before because I had nowhere else to go. After my family fell into ruin, no one was willing to help me. Today, I came merely to repay the kindness he showed me. I am poor and have nothing to offer him in return, so I could only visit him. In the future, I will not seek him out again, and I wish him and his wife harmony.”

Under the moonlight, the young lady needed only two sentences to calm Zhou Chiye’s restless heart. He thought, indeed, it wasn’t her fault. It was his elder brother who was insatiable. Her family had fallen into decline, and she was a delicate woman struggling to survive. He shouldn’t blame her.

She seemed unaware of Zhou Chiye’s sharp, restless, and inexplicable emotions, merely saying softly, “I must trouble the second young master to escort me back. Once I recover from my illness, I will leave this place.”

Zhou Chiye pursed his lips and once again picked her up to carry her away.

This time, she did not cry out in alarm, nor did she stiffen her bones in rejection. Instead, she was like a pool of soft water, nestling into his embrace, causing Zhou Chiye’s heart to inexplicably race.

The distance to the Houfu suddenly felt so short, so very short. The wind rustled the bamboo in the courtyard, making his ears tingle. The soft young lady in his arms, with her gentle touch, made his breath quicken inexplicably.

When he returned her to the guest room where she was staying, he could barely hear what she was saying, his gaze fixed intently on her. Only after she entered the room and disappeared from his sight did he realize his heart was pounding deafeningly.

After she had gone, he was about to leave when he suddenly noticed a handkerchief left on the ground—it seemed to be hers.

Driven by an indescribable impulse, he picked up the handkerchief and took it with him.

From that day on, Zhou Chiye felt restless all over.

Paying respects to his mother felt dull, and he had no desire to visit the Ancestral Hall to see his elder brother—seeing him only brought annoyance. He didn’t want to attend to his father’s illness either, tired of listening to his father’s words. Day after day, he wandered aimlessly around the estate, harboring a secret hope.

Perhaps today, he might see her again.

But he did not.

The young lady, as pure as pear blossoms, never appeared in the estate again.

Instead, he grew increasingly restless. Finally, under the pretext of “returning the handkerchief,” he went to see her once. She accepted the handkerchief with surprise and then gifted him some pastries she had made.

Then, she never came to find him again.

Of course, she was such a proper and rule-abiding young lady—how could she take the initiative to seek him out? Yet he felt an indescribable restlessness, constantly urging him to do something.

This restlessness was suppressed day after day, until the night before he was about to leave the estate to study martial arts at the Martial Arts School, when it finally could no longer be contained.

He took the initiative to look for her, but that night, he saw her weeping with her face covered in her room.

It was the first time he had seen her cry. The slender young lady sat in the side chamber, her tears glistening like snow, her delicate face as radiant as the moon. With just one glance, she captivated his soul. Uncontrollably, he climbed in through the window and asked her, “Who has wronged you? Has my sister-in-law forced you?”

The young lady sitting by the table stood up in surprise, hurriedly wiping the tears from her face, and asked with a choked voice, “Why has the Second Young Master come?”

“Who bullied you,” Zhou Chiye said with a furrowed brow, each word deliberate. “I’ll avenge you.”

The delicate young lady wiped her face and, after a moment, softly replied, “No one has bullied me. I just miss my mother a little.”

After a brief silence in the side chamber, Zhou Chiye lowered his gaze and said, “Where have they been exiled to? I can send someone to inquire. Perhaps they can offer some assistance along the way.”

Bai Yuning wiped her tears and, as if feigning nonchalance, said, “There’s no need. Such matters shouldn’t trouble you, Young Master.”

Zhou Chiye’s thin lips trembled slightly. His fox-like eyes gazed deeply at her as he said, “I truly want to help you. Whatever you desire, tell me.”

Bai Yuning hesitated for a moment, as if gathering courage, and then said, “I… I do have something I want. After my family was raided, I lost everything. I miss my mother, but I don’t know what to hold onto to remember her. However, I know that many years ago, my mother gifted a hairpin to the Marchioness as part of her dowry. If possible, would you be willing to help me find that hairpin?”

It was a somewhat peculiar request, but upon hearing it, Zhou Chiye immediately said, “No problem.”

A young man overwhelmed by affection could hardly see the poison hidden within the sweet treat. He joyfully leaned in and swallowed it whole.

“Would Lady Qin agree to let us search her storeroom?” Bai Yuning seemed uneasy. “Lady Qin is already displeased with my presence, believing I’ve harmed the harmony between Shiziye and his wife, and wants me to leave sooner. If we involve the storeroom as well—”

Seeing the young lady he adored so troubled, Zhou Chiye immediately said, “I’ll take you there secretly. I used to play in my mother’s dowry storeroom often as a child. I know exactly where everything is.”

Qin Chanyue had never guarded against her son. He knew all her belongings, so at this moment, a mother’s love became his vulnerability.

That night, Zhou Chiye successfully took Bai Yuning to the storeroom. Holding an oil lamp, he opened every dowry chest, allowing Bai Yuning to search for the hairpin her mother had gifted.

In the dim storeroom, only the faint glow of the oil lamp illuminated the space. Bai Yuning examined the dowry chests, while Zhou Chiye watched her. The gentle candlelight flowed over her face, and her image was reflected in his eyes.

Then, at a certain moment, the young lady looked at him with shyness and timidity, softly saying, “You’re so kind,” before suddenly leaning in and gently pressing her rosy lips against his cheek.

Like a fierce west wind blowing against the eyelashes, like wild clouds shattering defenses, the oil lamp in his hand fell to the ground. In the ensuing darkness, Zhou Chiye stood frozen in place, clutching his unruly, nearly bursting heart.

Meanwhile, Bai Yuning groped in the dark, picked up a piece of oilcloth, and swiftly tucked it into a pocket sewn inside her skirt.

The midnight palpitations of that night remained unknown to anyone, with only Zhou Chiye immersed in them, nearly drowning. Yet the oilcloth hidden in that pocket was silently carried out of the Houfu from the dowry storeroom, concealed within the folds of her skirt, and eventually flew all the way to the residence of the Second Prince.

In the Second Prince’s mansion, countless individuals meticulously examined this piece of oilcloth, using it as a reference to discuss numerous plans. Finally, one command after another emerged from the Second Prince’s residence and flew toward Nanjiang.

The turbulent undercurrents in the dark night were like a sinister night rain, growing only in shadowy corners. By the next day, it was yet another bright and sunny morning.

——

It was the eighth month of midsummer.

Zhou Chiye should have left the Houfu to attend the Martial Arts School, but due to his reluctance to part with Bai Yuning, he requested leave from the school and lingered in the mansion, secretly meeting with Bai Yuning every day.

Bai Yuning’s visit to the Qin Mansion was solely to steal the strategic map. That day, she had already succeeded with Zhou Chiye’s help, lifting a great burden from her heart and feeling considerably lighter. When Zhou Chiye sought her out, she was willing to share a few sweet moments with him.

Love grew wildly, and spring tides surged. Gradually, the two of them cast aside caution and defenses, almost flaunting their relationship openly.

They believed they had kept the matter well hidden, unaware that many eyes in the mansion were secretly watching them. No sooner had they slipped away for a secret rendezvous than someone reported the incident to Qin Chanyue.

That day, Qin Chanyue had just returned from feeding her dear husband his soup and was resting when she received this report.

The matron below spoke with great indignation: “The Second Young Master has truly lost his senses! How could he help such a woman of unknown origins steal from his own family? And she’s a woman connected to the Eldest Young Master! He’s inviting disaster upon himself! Madam must discipline him strictly!”

The noble Madam reclined on the low couch, her expression showing no anger but rather a hint of mockery.

Discipline? She had disciplined enough in her past life. In this life, she would not discipline them—she would only let them taste the bitter fruits of their own actions.

The events of the past few days, which they believed no one knew about, were entirely within Qin Chanyue’s control. Even the map Bai Yuning had painstakingly stolen was a fake Qin Chanyue had prepared long ago.

Qin Chanyue’s heart bled with hatred for them, but she had no intention of exposing the matter now. The Second Prince had planted this pawn in her domain, and she had to pretend ignorance and continue maneuvering against him. However, she had no desire to let this wretched pair live comfortably. After a few moments of thought, she said, “Summon Shizi Furen. Tell her I have something to instruct.”

Today, she would drag Liu Yandai along to witness a fine spectacle.