Chapter 8 Miss Xu’s Good Tactics

“Hah… Hmph!”

After a long pause, Second Master Luo’s voice finally rang out—the first sound resembling a rough pant, the second a heavy snort. “Wasted my time thinking you had something worthwhile to say. Turns out you just picked up some hearsay and dared to bluff me. Who broke Young Master Zhang’s arm? There’s a whole courtyard of witnesses! Spouting nonsense and trying to pin it on me?!”

Bai Fu’s brother replied calmly, “Since Your Honor claims such innocence, then may I ask—what about Xiaoliuzi Alley? With one hand, you dragged the Lord of Ji’an to the Imperial Music Academy, landing him in prison, and with the other, you pocketed the pouch sent from the Marquis of Changxing’s Mansion. Even if I’m talking nonsense, these eyes of mine are sharp. I saw it clearly—a big, bulging pouch. Your Honor’s hands were quick as lightning, slipping it into your sleeve. If I’d blinked, I might’ve missed it—”

“Shut—your mouth!” Second Master Luo roared, his voice grating from his throat.

Bai Fu’s brother indeed fell silent. Moments later, Second Master Luo spoke again, “Fine, what a sharp tongue you have, slandering me so boldly. If I don’t teach you a lesson today, word will spread that I let a scoundrel like you trample over me, tarnishing my reputation!”

Hearing the malice in his tone, Bai Fu grew anxious and tried to stand, but Xu Rong swiftly pressed her back down, shaking her head to signal patience.

Amid this exchange, Bai Fu’s brother chuckled from the next room. “Your Honor is worked up again. No need for that. Crushing someone like me would take you no effort. But have you considered—how would a lowly scoundrel like me, who can’t even catch a glimpse of Your Honor on ordinary days, let alone the elite circles of the Duke of Ying’s Mansion or the Marquis of Changxing’s Mansion, know such things? And how did I manage to arrange this meeting with you here?”

Silence.

For a long while, no response came from next door.

Xu Rong smirked, lifting her teacup for a sip.

No need to listen further—she knew it was done.

Bai Fu clutched her chest nervously as her brother, after a pause, continued, “I’ll be frank, Your Honor. Born into lowly status, I seek nothing but wealth—nothing else is within my reach. If Your Honor parts with some silver, you buy my silence and the name of whoever seeks to harm you. Think carefully—isn’t this a bargain worth making?”

“……”

Second Master Luo seemed to mutter something, but his voice was too faint. Bai Fu pressed her ear to the partition but caught nothing.

Her brother asked, “Hmm? What was that, Your Honor? I didn’t quite hear.”

Second Master Luo’s voice finally rose. “I asked—who is it?”

“Your granddaddy, that’s who!”

BANG!

A thunderous crash followed—not only was the door of the neighboring room kicked open, but even the partition in Xu Rong’s room trembled.

Then came an unrelenting barrage of noise.

“Damn your mother! You’ve got a death wish, scheming against me! I’ll tear you into eight pieces today—see if you still don’t know who I am!”

*Slap! Slap! Slap!*

“Young Duke, mind your hands! Leave the dirty work to us!”

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

“Ah—ah—!”

Screams, tables flipping, curses—all blended into chaos.

Amid the uproar, a heavy *thump* sounded.

“Hey, you little rat! Don’t run—stand your ground! After him, you idiots! Move!”

“Young Master, we can’t leave. If we brothers go, you’ll be left alone. We sneaked out today, and if anything goes wrong, the old madam will have our hides.”

“What could go wrong with me? I can handle this piece of trash. Hey, why aren’t you going? If you two won’t listen, I won’t bring you out next time!”

Xu Rong stood by the window, withdrawing her gaze from the young man who had jumped down to the hall, scrambled up, and fled. She called to Bai Fu, “Your brother has gotten away. Let’s go too.”

Bai Fu nodded eagerly, her face alight with excitement.

Xu Rong put on her veiled hat and pushed the door open with light steps.

This row consisted of private rooms separated by partitions. Her Sweet Dew room was on the far left, next to the Rain Flower room where Bai Fu’s brother and Second Master Luo had been. Beyond that was the room prepared for Zhang Weiling. Stepping over the chaotic remnants of the commotion, she was about to quickly pass the makeshift stage when she suddenly heard Zhang Weiling’s furious shout from behind: “Take this trash back! I’ll interrogate him properly!”

Xu Rong stiffened. The Duke of Ying’s Mansion, the Marquis of Changxing’s Mansion, and the Marquis of Ji’an’s Manor were all connected by distant familial ties. She wasn’t sure if Zhang Weiling had ever seen her before. If he chased after her and recognized her, it wouldn’t disrupt the grand scheme, but it might cost her the advantage of staying hidden in the shadows—

She grabbed Bai Fu’s hand and quickened her pace.

Ahead, a private room labeled “Pine Needle” hung its sign. Past this room lay the staircase leading downstairs.

The wooden door creaked, and a hand with distinct knuckles reached out, gripping her shoulder and pulling her inside.

Xu Rong, who had barely moved much since her transmigration, was physically frail and couldn’t resist at all. With another creak, the door closed behind her. She collided with the shut door, a startled cry stuck in her throat before she could even utter it.

“Ah!” Bai Fu let out a small yelp.

The white gauze of her hat swayed chaotically before her eyes, and the shadowy face of a young man flickered in her vision.

Xu Rong steadied herself, removed the veiled hat, and flashed a smile at the person opposite her. “Young Master Xiao, you startled me.”

Xiao Xin withdrew his hand and took two steps back, gesturing toward the table and chairs. “Sit,” he said tersely.

Xu Rong walked over and obligingly took a seat.

Xiao Xin sat across from her, lifting his gaze. His eyes were cold and deep. “Miss Xu, I need an explanation.”

That he had waited until now to ask showed considerable patience. Xu Rong nodded. “Very well.”

She began recounting the events.

Her explanation was interrupted once—not by Xiao Xin, but by the teahouse attendant, who, seeing the commotion upstairs had temporarily subsided, finally dared to approach and inquire. A brief argument ensued outside, naturally ending with Zhang Weiling’s victory as he led his guards away, dragging the battered Second Master Luo behind him like a dead dog.

“Miss Xu, you are quite resourceful,” Xiao Xin remarked darkly.

“I wouldn’t dare take credit,” Xu Rong demurred. “It was all thanks to my maid’s brother. I hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly.”

Not only had Second Master Luo been lured into the trap, but Bai Fu’s brother had also escaped unscathed, fulfilling his mission almost perfectly.

Bai Fu smiled sheepishly. “It was all thanks to the young lady’s guidance.”

“I didn’t teach your brother to lure Second Master Luo with the promise of a hidden mastermind, nor did I teach him to jump from the building to escape. That was all his own brilliance.”

Bai Fu bit her lip, blushing.

The mistress and maid exchanged mutual praise, thoroughly pleased with themselves.

Xiao Xin: “…”

Whatever he had intended to say died on his lips. If even Xu Rong’s personal maid saw nothing amiss, what right did he—an outsider who barely knew her—have to suggest there was anything strange about Xu Rong?

His slender fingers moved slightly on the table as he could only say, “Miss Xu, what are your plans next?”

“Nothing for now,” Xu Rong replied briskly. “Let others make the first move. Once they’re done, we’ll act accordingly.”

She added, “If things go smoothly, perhaps we won’t need to do anything further.”

The absurd engagement between her and Xiao Xin stemmed from Xu Huazhang’s imprisonment. Now that it had been proven a third party was involved, Xu Huazhang’s chances of release had significantly improved. Naturally, Madam Xu no longer needed to force her to sacrifice herself to save her brother.

Xiao Xin remained silent for a moment before saying, “Not necessarily.”

Xu Rong raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“My mother won’t admit it.”

“Of course she won’t,” Xu Rong agreed. “To salvage her son’s reputation, she used her brother as a bargaining chip. If I were her, I wouldn’t dare admit it either. But,” she smiled, “so what? Let them fight it out in court. We’ll just wait. After all, we’re still officially engaged. If we need to communicate, we at least have that pretext.”

Xiao Xin: “…”

His face darkened instantly. His lips moved as if to say something, but in the end, he remained silent, only glaring at her.

Xu Rong guessed she had overstepped again—after all, even phrases like “tied to the same rope” were too much for him. Suppressing a laugh, she said, “Alright, this is just temporary. It won’t come to fruition, so don’t worry.”

Xiao Xin lowered his eyes, his expression stiff. “You should leave first.”

Xu Rong understood. It wouldn’t be proper for them to leave the private room together, especially since Bai Fu’s brother had done his job exceptionally well. In high spirits, she stood up and said with a smile, “Then I’ll go first. Don’t dwell on it too much. Go back and focus on your studies—don’t neglect what’s important.”

In her eyes, Xiao Xin was about the age of a high school student, nearing his final year. Adults encountering youths of that age invariably asked about grades or urged them to study. Her limited social skills, borrowed from observing elders around her, naturally came into play here.

She thought it was a perfectly ordinary remark, but to her surprise, Xiao Xin turned his head away and muttered under his breath, “What studies? Mind your own business.”

The comment wasn’t meant for Xu Rong—just his own grumbling—but since she heard it, she paused her departure and said generously, “Are you training in martial arts? Then practice well.”

“…” Xiao Xin responded with a defiant yet perfectly rounded back of his head.

Xu Rong chuckled. Truthfully, she wasn’t all that concerned about Xiao Xin. When her polite remarks went unappreciated, she simply pushed the door open and left.

The wooden door closed behind her.

Xiao Xin stared at the table for what felt like an eternity. Then he stood up, went downstairs to settle the bill, and left.

**

Marquis of Changxing’s Mansion.

Previously, Xiao Xin had lived in the eastern wing of his birth mother Wei Shi’s courtyard. But now that he was to replace his elder brother in the marriage, Madam Xiao had cleared out a small, independent courtyard for him.

The courtyard was tucked away in the remote northeastern corner, adjacent to the rear servants’ quarters. Xiao Xin had only moved in a few days ago, and the place was still in disarray. He loathed what the courtyard represented and refused to tidy it up or allow the servants to do so. Most of his belongings remained haphazardly piled in boxes.

He walked in, sat on the bed for a while, then expressionlessly dragged a box out from underneath it.

A thunderous rummaging ensued.

The head maid Cai Die, who had followed from Wei Shi’s courtyard, stood by the door and tentatively asked, “Second Master, what are you looking for? Let this servant help you.”

Xiao Xin grunted a refusal, “No need. Leave.”

This young master was notoriously temperamental in the household. Even though Cai Die was considered one of his own people, she didn’t dare provoke him. With a quiet “Oh,” she turned and left.

Xiao Xin finally found what he was looking for.

It was a copy of *The Analects*.

The book was both new and old at the same time.

New in that its pages were stiff and barely touched, old in that several dust marks stained its cover, clearly showing it hadn’t been well kept.

Xiao Xin stared at the paradoxically new-yet-old cover for a full quarter of an hour, his brows knitting into a tight knot. Finally, he reached out and flipped open the first page with his finger.