Chapter 14: The Unfathomable Human Heart  

Xijin watched as Qiuling wept bitterly, her sobs heart-wrenching, and felt a pang of alarm. “What happened?”  

Sun Momo approached with a sigh. “It’s all because she was fooling around!”  

Recalling the chaos on the streets earlier, Xijin pressed urgently, “What exactly happened?”  

Between Qiuling’s tearful sniveling and Sun Momo’s unhurried explanations, the story eventually came out.  

After the family of three had left, Sun Momo had wanted to join the excitement outside and took the two maids with her. Qiuling, however, had stayed behind due to a stomachache from eating glutinous rice balls.  

But once outside, they found themselves caught in a jostling crowd, everyone running and shouting about a fire outbreak. In the confusion, they scattered, not knowing which way to go.  

Sun Momo wiped her tears and sighed. “We were walking, and then suddenly, she was gone!”  

Beside her, Qiuling was frantic. “The streets were packed—where could we even begin to look? I ran out too, but it was so dark, with children crying and adults wailing. I got scared and came straight back.”  

Just then, A Chou suddenly spoke up. “Sun Momo, where exactly did you lose Suier?”  

He had been silent until now, and his sudden question made Xijin glance at him instinctively.  

Under the dim lamplight, his expression was cold, his gaze sharp as it fixed on Sun Momo.  

Seeing this, Xijin’s heart skipped a beat.  

A terrible suspicion began to form in her mind.  

Sun Momo, unnerved by A Chou’s stare, averted her eyes. “It was chaos out there—how could I remember the details?”  

A Chou pressed, “You don’t remember? Then how did you make it back?”  

Sun Momo sighed dramatically, clutching her head. “It was pandemonium! I’m old, and in the dark, with people everywhere, I was stumbling around like a headless fly. By the time I managed to get home, Suier wasn’t with me anymore. What could I do?”  

A Chou regarded her with a quiet, icy tone. “But you must at least remember where you took her before you got separated?”  

Sun Momo grew flustered, then resentful.  

After all, she had served the Ning family for years. After Xijin’s parents passed, she was the most senior member of the household—no one but Xijin herself could make her bow her head.  

And even Xijin was young, a woman who surely wouldn’t have much say, easily manipulated.  

As for A Chou, though he was now a male matrilineal marriage partner, his lowly origins made him someone she looked down on. She had always assumed he feared her.  

But now, the way he spoke to her—calm, cold, and quiet—made her heart race, as if she couldn’t breathe.  

Fear crept in, and she turned to Xijin for help.  

But Xijin ignored her pleading look. “Suier is missing. We need to report this to the authorities and gather people to search. You must give us details—otherwise, how can we find her in a city this large?”  

Sun Momo stammered, “But—but with all the lights and my poor eyesight, how could I remember?”  

Xijin said flatly, “If you can’t explain, the responsibility falls on you. When we report this, the authorities will hold you accountable.”  

Sun Momo gasped. “What? But—but I don’t know anything!”

She was, after all, just a servant and didn’t understand the ways of the authorities.

Xijin could roughly guess seven or eight parts of the situation from her reaction.

For a moment, her heart turned cold.

At this point, A Chou spoke to Xijin, “Xijin, you’ve been exhausted all evening. Take Mang Er back to rest first. I’ll handle this matter.”

He looked at her and said, “You don’t need to worry about this.”

Xijin stared blankly at A Chou.

In the courtyard, the colorful lanterns shone brilliantly, and the stars seemed to glow even brighter. A Chou, dressed in a moon-white Bent Collar Brocade Robe, stood tall and composed, his calm demeanor exuding an unusual sense of reassurance.

After a moment of silence, Xijin finally nodded.

Without another word, she took Mang Er from A Chou’s arms and went straight into the house.

Sun Momo watched Xijin’s retreating figure in despair. “Madam, you must take charge! Who else will manage the household affairs if not you? You can’t just ignore this!”

Xijin had already stepped onto the porch. Hearing this, she turned to Sun Momo and said, “The master is here. Can’t he make decisions?”

Sun Momo was stunned.

But Xijin had already entered the house.

Once inside, she closed her eyes, replaying the events of the night in her mind.

She thought, A Chou is actually quite capable of handling things.

***********

To everyone’s surprise, A Chou actually managed to extract the truth from Sun Momo.

Sun Momo had taken Suier out shopping, but when they encountered chaos on the street, she abandoned Suier near the Sun Family’s lantern shop and ran back alone.

A Chou wasted no time. He immediately gathered Uncle Chen and Zhou Fu, along with a few familiar men from the Ning family, to search for Suier and prepare to report the matter to the authorities.

Of course, everyone knew reporting it would be futile. With the chaos outside that night, who would care about such matters?

By the time they finished, the girl might already be gone.

The bustling lantern festival, filled with crowds during the holiday, was the perfect time for human traffickers to strike. A young, pretty maid like Suier could easily be snatched and sold to a brothel for a tidy sum.

Sun Momo was terrified and wept pitifully, while Qiuling was also shaken with fear.

She had almost gone out with Sun Momo—had it not been for her stomachache, she would have been there too. Who knew what might have happened then?

Who would have thought Sun Momo could be so heartless!

Upon hearing this, Xijin handed Mang Er to Mother Chen to put to bed and went to interrogate Sun Momo herself.

Sun Momo knelt on the ground, sobbing, “It wasn’t intentional! Blame that unruly girl—she never listened to me! I only meant to scare her a little. Who knew she’d disappear?”

She still dared to talk back?

Even if she was an old servant of the household, what she had done was outright malicious.

Sun Momo had always been arrogant, often whispering criticisms of A Chou in Xijin’s ear, sowing discord between the couple. Xijin had tolerated much, considering her long service since her parents’ time.

But a servant who harbored ill intent and harmed others? She could never let that slide.

If Sun Momo could harm a young maid today, she might harm Xijin tomorrow—or even sell Mang Er to a human trafficker.

The mere thought sent a chill down Xijin’s spine.

Even the loveliest flower hides thorns—how can one trust a heart not to harbor poison?

Suddenly, she remembered what her mother had written in the Silk Book: “Evil deeds grow easier with repetition. A dog that bites and tastes blood must be put down!”

At that moment, Xijin gritted her teeth and directly ordered Qiuling, “Go fetch the fire poker from our kitchen and beat her with it.”

Qiuling gripped the fire poker hesitantly, unable to bring herself to strike.  

After all, Sun Momo held considerable authority. She usually bossed everyone around and even looked down on the master of the household. How could Qiuling dare to strike her so easily?  

Xijin saw right through her hesitation. “What? Are you holding back?”  

Qiuling shuddered and hastily gave Sun Momo a whack.  

Sun Momo wailed miserably.  

Qiuling’s eyes widened in fear. She had never hit anyone before—the moment the poker struck flesh, she could feel the impact, and hearing Sun Momo’s screams made her hands go weak. She couldn’t bring herself to strike again.  

Seeing this, Xijin casually picked up an embroidered handkerchief, stepped forward, and stuffed it into Sun Momo’s mouth. She then instructed Qiuling, “Hit her! If you don’t, she’ll sell you off tomorrow—straight to the brothel, where filthy men will ride you day and night!”  

Qiuling was stunned. How could she not be terrified? With a clenched jaw, she struck Sun Momo again.  

After the second blow, it became easier. She gripped the poker with both hands and kept swinging, landing over a dozen strikes in one go. Sun Momo curled up on the ground, her eyes glazed over, trembling all over.  

Qiuling panted heavily, her arms exhausted and unable to lift the poker anymore.  

Xijin thought that was enough and pulled out the handkerchief. But to her surprise, Sun Momo sobbed, “If the late madam knew of this, her spirit in heaven would surely be furious! Young mistress, you’ve been bewitched by the master—how can you trust his words?”  

Xijin could hardly believe her ears.  

She was still trying to sow discord? Was this woman out of her mind? No matter how lacking A Chou might be, he was still her husband, her Male Matrilineal Marriage, the father of her son!  

Even if one day he became utterly detestable, he would never harm Mang Er—because he was Mang Er’s own father!  

To Xijin, that was the fundamental difference between A Chou and the servants!  

Yet here was Sun Momo, still trying to stir up trouble even now?  

Did she think Xijin didn’t know? No doubt Sun Momo had long been colluding with Xi Yu—who knew what schemes they had plotted!  

Furious, Xijin’s face turned pale. “You treacherous old worm! You bite the hand that feeds you and conspire with outsiders! Do you think I’ll tolerate you day after day?”  

With that, she ordered Qiuling to gag Sun Momo again. This time, Xijin took the fire poker herself and struck blow after blow against flesh. At first, Sun Momo whimpered and howled, but soon her face turned deathly pale, and she nearly lost consciousness before Xijin finally stopped.  

Tossing the poker aside, Xijin commanded Qiuling, “Drag this old worm to the woodshed. We’ll wait for the master to decide her fate when he returns.”  

Qiuling trembled and hurried to help Sun Momo up.  

Suppressing her rage, Xijin went inside first.  

She checked in on the wet nurse’s room, where Mang Er had already been lulled to sleep.  

The wet nurse’s face was also ashen, and she stammered, “The young master slept soundly—he didn’t hear the commotion outside.”  

Xijin nodded. “Good. Take care of him.”  

The wet nurse nodded fearfully.  

Xijin knew the wet nurse had heard everything outside. That was just as well.  

Returning to her own room, Xijin lay down on the couch, though sleep was impossible.  

She reflected on how Sun Momo had always been insufferable, flaunting her seniority. Xijin had tolerated it out of respect for her age.  

But lately, she had gone too far, forcing Xijin to discipline her.  

Yet who could have guessed she harbored such treacherous schemes?

After some reflection, she realized she had misjudged people’s hearts.  

She had acted too hastily, trying to have Suier and Qiuling replace her, not realizing that those two were still young and lacked cunning.  

Then again, she thought, A Chou was sharp—she hadn’t suspected anything, yet he had immediately recognized Sun Momo’s deceit.  

He was far more capable than she had assumed, yet he had always been so low-key and unassuming, never showing off.  

This man seemed honest, but who knew what thoughts he concealed?  

After much deliberation, she concluded that perhaps only Mang Er truly mattered to him—after all, she was his own bloodline.  

But she couldn’t help but wonder if, in the future, he might also betray her for some benefit, just like Sun Momo had.  

The thought chilled her to the bone.  

As a Male Matrilineal Marriage, under the laws of Great Zhao, if she were gone, he would inherit a third of her family’s wealth.  

Xijin shuddered at the realization.  

Sun Momo had cared for her for so many years, yet she had done such a thing—what about others? Everyone had hidden motives!  

She felt as though there was no one in the world she could truly rely on, no one she could trust.  

Her Mang Er was still so young—it would be years before she grew up.  

Sitting there in a daze, she pondered for a long while before concluding that, in truth, A Chou was still more dependable than the rest.  

At the very least, he cherished Mang Er and would never mistreat her.  

If she couldn’t trust him, who else was there?  

Her thoughts then drifted to Huo Erlang, and she couldn’t help but wonder what her life would have been like had she married him instead.  

Lost in these musings, she suddenly heard footsteps outside.  

It was very late now, the clamor outside had died down, and the courtyard was eerily quiet—the footsteps were unmistakable.  

Xijin sat up abruptly, straining her ears.  

She recognized A Chou’s voice, accompanied by a few of the Ning family’s male cousins.  

Quickly smoothing her clothes, she went out to greet them and saw Suier trailing behind A Chou—her hair disheveled, clothes dirty, eyes brimming with tears.  

Suier was clearly terrified, flinching even at the sight of the lamplight, clinging timidly to A Chou’s side.  

Seeing this, Xijin instructed Qiuling to take Suier back to her room to rest and prepare some glutinous rice balls for her.  

Suier still seemed frightened, casting a pleading glance at A Chou.  

Expressionless, A Chou said, “Obey the mistress’s orders.”  

Biting her lip, Suier lowered her head and silently followed Qiuling inside.  

Watching Suier’s traumatized state, Xijin thought she might have been scared witless—but there was nothing to be done. After such an ordeal, she would need time to recover.  

She then stepped forward to thank the cousins. “On such a festive occasion, I’ve troubled you all to make this trip.”  

The second cousin sighed. “Who could have imagined something like this happening? That she was found at all is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. It’s late now—you should rest early. We’ll discuss matters further tomorrow.”  

Xijin nodded in agreement.  

Soon, the cousins departed, and A Chou accompanied Xijin inside, briefly recounting what had happened.  

It seemed Sun Momo had already struck a deal with the human trafficker—she had taken Suier out, where the trafficker had abducted her, intending to smuggle her out of Ru City and sell her to passing merchants.

Fortunately, A Chou arrived in time, and since it had been reported to the authorities, he brought Suier’s Market Certificate and Household Registry Contract. The human traffickers initially refused to admit their guilt and tried to make a scene. But when they saw the overwhelming numbers on A Chou’s side and the authorities being called, they panicked and tried to flee.  

A Chou said, “The authorities should be able to apprehend them.”  

Xijin listened to all this, but her mind was in a daze. She murmured, “It’s a good thing you spotted it in time and acted quickly. Otherwise—”  

If Suier had truly been abducted, for their household, it would have meant losing a maid, which would naturally cause many inconveniences. They’d have to buy a new one eventually.  

Of course, it would just be a waste of silver—nothing too serious.  

But for Suier, it would have meant a life of misery.  

Those sold through underground trafficking rarely followed the proper official channels. Without a clear identity, they wouldn’t be sold to respectable households. Instead, they’d end up in secret brothels, forced to serve countless men day after day. After a few years of exhaustion, they’d be reduced to old maids doing menial labor, and if they were lucky, they might get a tattered straw mat to die on.  

A Chou asked, “What about Sun Momo? How do you plan to deal with her?”  

Xijin sighed. “I gave her a beating today—just to teach her a lesson. Beyond that, I’m not sure yet. What do you think?”  

When her mother was alive, she would have deferred to her. But now that her mother was gone, she had never had to make such decisions before.  

Today’s beating was already the limit of what she could do.  

A Chou pondered for a moment. “It was too rushed today. Once I found out Suier’s whereabouts, I left immediately to find her. But I still have some questions. I’ll ask more tomorrow, and once we’ve clarified everything, we can decide.”  

Listening to him, Xijin suddenly realized something. “Do you think she’s been betraying us?”  

A Chou paused briefly before replying, “Yes.”  

For a moment, Xijin was at a loss for words.  

Sun Momo had whispered countless complaints about A Chou in her ear. It seemed A Chou had been fully aware of it all along.  

He might even know about Sun Momo’s collusion with Xi Yu.  

Now, he naturally seized the chance to investigate thoroughly.  

At this thought, Xijin frowned slightly. “Actually, just based on her attempt to harm Qiuling, we can’t keep her anymore.”  

A Chou agreed. “No, we can’t. But how to dismiss her—we’ll discuss that tomorrow.”  

Xijin nodded. “Alright.”  

With that, A Chou went to wash up, while Xijin lay alone on the bed, her thoughts inevitably wandering.  

She understood well that Sun Momo couldn’t stay. Whether she was beaten or not didn’t matter much. The beating tonight was deliberate—a warning to Qiuling and the other servants, so they would know the consequences of betraying their masters.  

Otherwise, if others followed her example, who could they trust in the future?  

They also had Mang Er. If anyone ever harbored ill intentions toward him, it would be an unimaginable disaster.  

Just then, A Chou finished washing, extinguished the candles, and climbed onto the bed. He lifted the brocade quilt covering Xijin and slipped in beside her.  

Xijin felt the warmth of his masculine presence, accompanied by the fresh scent of cleansing powder. Her heart softened, and she nestled closer to him.  

A Chou naturally wrapped his arms around her.  

Encircled by his firm, powerful embrace, Xijin felt herself melting like a wisp of cloud, gently pressed against his chest.  

She lifted her eyes to look at him. His gaze was always cool and detached, as if forever separate from the world’s frivolities.  

But now, in the dim light, she saw his well-defined eyelids lower slightly, and in his eyes, there was an unexpected tenderness—a soft, protective affection.  

At that, Xijin’s nose tingled with emotion.

With her parents gone, she knew she had to hold up the family’s reputation, so she always thought ahead, calculating every move carefully.

But today had been too much—first reuniting with Huo Erlang after three years, then encountering chaos in the streets, only to return home and find her maid missing and her longtime nanny betraying her.

All these events were entirely new to her. Though she had handled them calmly in the moment, lying in bed now and reflecting, her heart trembled uncontrollably.

At least she still had this man by her side. He might not be particularly capable, but at the very least, he could stay with her, help her deal with matters, and stand together with her to protect Mang Er.