The evening of the thirteenth day of the eleventh month.
Winter had arrived, and cold seeped indoors through the cracks in the window lattice. Steam curled through the bathing room, its cozy warmth dispelling much of the chill.
As usual, Yan Qin and Yan Huai attended Chu Moqi as he bathed. Warm water washed over his body, temporarily easing the stiffness and discomfort of sitting all day. Chu Moqi closed his eyes and let them tend to him, but his mind was not entirely at ease.
He keenly sensed that something was off with the two of them tonight.
Especially Yan Huai. His movements were as deft as ever, but there was no hiding his excitement or the looks he kept exchanging with Yan Qin. He thought he was being discreet, but his tail was practically sticking up into the sky.
Chu Moqi snorted inwardly but betrayed nothing, waiting to see how long they could hold it in.
Sure enough, before he could even ask, Yan Huai could no longer contain himself. Wiping Chu Moqi's back with a soft cloth, he mysteriously lowered his voice, as though sharing some earth-shattering secret:
"Young master, there's something I should tell you." Yan Huai's eyes sparkled. "Madam went to the kitchen herself today and gave the head cook a whole string of instructions. She said... they should prepare ingredients for noodle soup the day after tomorrow: finely milled flour, fresh bones for the broth, and good pork, shiitake mushrooms, tender vegetable hearts..."
"That's all?" Chu Moqi finally opened his eyes and glanced at him, his brows slightly furrowed. "A bowl of noodles, and you thought it worth reporting to me?"
"Oh! Young master, these aren't ordinary noodles!" Yan Huai immediately replied with conviction. "From the sound of those preparations, and Madam's expression when she mentioned the date... she's clearly planning to make longevity noodles!"
Longevity noodles?
Chu Moqi paused almost imperceptibly, then returned to normal, his tone flat. "Her birthday?"
"Exactly! Clever as always, young master!" Yan Huai slapped the water, nearly splashing Chu Moqi's face. "That's just it!"
Chu Moqi dodged in distaste, said, "Oh," and closed his eyes again, as though he had heard nothing more than the most ordinary piece of news. No particular emotion showed on his face.
Yan Huai and Yan Qin exchanged a quick glance, both somewhat surprised. Wasn't the young master's reaction... a little too calm?
Standing nearby, Yan Qin saw that Chu Moqi showed no response and carefully added in a steadier tone, "Young master, in my estimation, these longevity noodles may be more than just birthday noodles. Perhaps... Madam is coming of age."
Coming of age?
Cui Wan's still-childish face, with its frequently reddened eyes, surfaced in Chu Moqi's mind, and he could not help giving a derisive laugh.
That fool kept insisting she was sixteen, but anyone could tell she was only fourteen or fifteen. So she was only just coming of age...
Seeing that he seemed somewhat interested, Yan Huai grew bolder again. He rubbed his hands impatiently, the eunuch fretting while the emperor remained untroubled. "Young master, a girl's hairpin ceremony is every bit as important as a man's capping ceremony! Madam will only have one fifteenth birthday in her life. Once you pass this village, there's no finding this shop again! Shouldn't you... make some gesture? Even just a little token?"
Chu Moqi remained silent.
A girl's hairpin ceremony and a man's capping ceremony were indeed important milestones in life. But what about his own capping ceremony? His father should have placed the cap on his head, and his elder brother should have delivered the blessing. Yet by then, his father and brother had long since perished at South Mountain. His capping ceremony had taken place in the ancestral shrine room, with him slumped in his wheelchair as his mother, tears in her eyes and hands trembling, hurriedly bound his hair and put on his cap. There had been no guests, no gifts, only boundless desolation and bone-piercing hatred.
Why should he... concern himself with Cui Wan's affairs when he had never had those things himself?
A familiar feeling, mingling pain and self-abandonment, welled up within him. His voice turned cold, his words stiff. "What does it have to do with me?"
Yan Huai grew anxious at that and wanted to keep persuading him, desperately signaling to Yan Qin with his eyes.
Yan Qin held Yan Huai back and offered calm but earnest counsel. "Young master, be that as it may, Madam is living in our residence, after all. By both sentiment and propriety, for something as important as coming of age, we should at least hold a simple hairpin ceremony for her and prepare a modest birthday gift to show her due regard."
Chu Moqi still did not answer, merely pressing his lips together.
What did it have to do with him? Why should he trouble himself?
But...
Just as Yan Qin and Yan Huai decided that he was impervious to persuasion and gave up completely, preparing to continue tending to him in silence, Chu Moqi had actually begun quietly making plans.
The hairpin ceremony... As a man who also had difficulty getting around, it really would not be appropriate for him to take part directly. But he could ask his sister-in-law, Tang Xiang. She came from the Tang Family, was educated and sensible, and managed the household. No one could be better suited to preside over a hairpin ceremony for Cui Wan.
As for a birthday gift... what should he give her?
Seeing that Chu Moqi remained silent, his expression unchanged, the two assumed his mind was made up and dared say no more. They carefully lifted him from the bathing pool, dried his body with soft cloths, dressed him in dry, soft underclothes, deftly fitted a diaper beneath him, and put on his underpants. Then they lifted him securely, settled him back in his wheelchair, and pushed him back to his room.
Back in his room, Chu Moqi did not even wait for the wheelchair to come to a complete stop before turning the wheels himself, moving rather urgently to a low cabinet against the wall. He reached out, pulled open a drawer, and began rummaging through it.
Yan Qin and Yan Huai had no idea what he was doing and could only watch from the side.
Soon, Chu Moqi retrieved a long, flat object wrapped in brocade from the depths of the drawer. He unwrapped the fabric, revealing an exquisite ebony sheath inlaid with several fine rubies and pieces of turquoise, which gleamed with a subdued luster in the candlelight.
With a swish, he drew out what was inside.
Cold light flashed!
It was an exquisitely shaped dagger. Its blade was only a palm long, yet as thin as a cicada's wing, with an icy, keen edge. Silver wire wound around its ebony handle, and a deep red gemstone was set into its pommel. Ornate yet sharp, it was a rare and excellent piece.
It was a trophy his elder brother, Chu Molei, had seized from a Wute noble when Chu Moqi was young, and had specially given him to play with. At the time, Chu Moqi had scorned it for being too delicate and dainty to suit his bearing as a future great general. He had kept it put away without using it and had almost forgotten about it.
Now, holding the dagger, he examined it carefully, looked up, and earnestly asked the two men standing frozen before him, "How would this do as a birthday gift?"
Yan Qin: "..."
Yan Huai: "..."
The two exchanged a glance and saw the same helplessness on each other's faces.
Yan Huai was the first to jump, forgetting all distinctions of rank in his urgency. "Young master! My dear young master! Madam is a delicate woman. She wouldn't even dare catch a chicken, and she'd probably faint at the sight of blood! You... if you pull out a gleaming dagger right off the bat, are you trying to frighten her to death?! That's no congratulatory gift. That's a death warrant!"
His words visibly stunned Chu Moqi. His hand paused around the dagger, and he looked at it again with some uncertainty. "Isn't this... pretty? The gemstones are very bright. The blade is very sharp, too. It belonged to a Wute noble. It cuts through iron like mud." He tried to explain its merits. "It's very... practical. Just right for her to defend herself."
Yan Qin fought back the urge to press a hand to his forehead. Stepping forward, he gently blocked Yan Huai, who wanted to keep complaining, behind him and spoke as evenly and objectively as possible. "Young master, this dagger... is indeed a fine dagger. It's beautifully made and very sharp. But..."
He paused, watching Chu Moqi's slightly furrowed brows, and cautiously but clearly offered his opinion. "As a birthday gift for a girl's coming of age, especially for someone as gentle as Madam, perhaps... might it be a little unsuitable?"
Chu Moqi fell silent. Looking at the coldly gleaming dagger in his hand, he seemed to realize the problem as well. His brows drew tighter, and he looked both reluctant and at a loss. "Then... what should I give her?"
Seeing him waver, Yan Qin hurried to strike while the iron was hot. "Young master, why don't... we visit the Flowing Cloud Pavilion tomorrow? It's one of our household's shops, and it carries plenty of fine jewelry sets. The most important thing for a girl's coming of age is the hairpin used in the ceremony. Picking out a suitable, exquisite hairpin would be both fitting for the occasion and proper."
The Flowing Cloud Pavilion was a jewelry shop owned by the Chu Family. It was fairly renowned in the capital and had always brought in good earnings. Its wares were of fine quality and workmanship.
Chu Moqi considered it and thought the suggestion seemed sound. "Then... shall we ask my sister-in-law to visit the shop tomorrow and help pick out a good one? Only... I wonder whether that would trouble her too much..."
Hearing this, Yan Huai grew anxious again. Disregarding how he had just been blocked, he poked his head out from behind Yan Qin and blurted out, "Young master! How could that be the same? Would asking the eldest madam to choose it show your sincerity? Of course you have to pick out the hairpin for her ceremony yourself for it to be sincere! That's what would make Madam happy!"
Go. In. Person?
!!!
Chu Moqi's face instantly darkened until it looked as though it could drip ink. The air around him abruptly turned cold and oppressive.
Yan Huai and Yan Qin were startled by the sudden change and immediately realized they had misspoken, touching the young master's reverse scale. Both fell silent as winter cicadas, not daring to breathe loudly.
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
After a long while, Chu Moqi finally forced a few words through his teeth, his voice icy and stiff. "No leg massage today. I'm going to bed."
With that, he stopped looking at them and turned his wheelchair himself, moving somewhat clumsily but stubbornly to the bedside. Then, supporting his body with his arms, he slowly and laboriously shifted onto the bed, pulled the quilt over himself, and lay down with his eyes lowered, dismissing them through his actions.
Yan Qin and Yan Huai looked at each other, neither daring to say another word. Yan Huai was so remorseful that he wanted to slap himself. They could only step forward in silence to arrange the bed curtains, then hold their breath and tiptoe out, gently closing the door behind them.
The next morning, winter sunlight carried a trace of warmth through the window paper into the room.
As usual, Yan Qin and Yan Huai quietly pushed open Chu Moqi's door, ready to help him get up.
But when they reached the bed, they found Chu Moqi already awake, sitting propped against the headboard and gazing out the window, his thoughts unknown. At the sound of their arrival, he turned his head, wearing an expression that was... exceedingly awkward, as though he wanted to speak but hesitated.
Yan Qin and Yan Huai exchanged a glance, their hearts thumping uneasily. Was the young master... still angry?
Not daring to say much, they silently stepped forward to help him wash and dress as usual.
Just then, Chu Moqi cleared his throat. His gaze still directed elsewhere, he spoke quickly in an exceedingly casual tone, as though merely mentioning something in passing, with even a hint of impatience:
"Well... pick out... hmm, some clothes that look reasonably... presentable."
Yan Qin and Yan Huai paused in their work and both looked up at him in confusion.
Their stares made Chu Moqi uncomfortable. His brows furrowed slightly, and, as though explaining or perhaps complaining, he spoke even faster. "Today... we're going... to have a look at the Flowing Cloud Pavilion."
The Flowing Cloud Pavilion?!
Their eyes flew wide, and they almost thought they had misheard! They turned to look at one another, each seeing immense shock and disbelief in the other's eyes. Then that shock rapidly gave way to tremendous delight!
The young master... was really going out?! To the Flowing Cloud Pavilion?!
Was this... for Madam?!
But before their delight could fully blossom on their faces, Chu Moqi immediately added, his voice lowered further, carrying an unquestionable command and a trace of... barely discernible embarrassment:
"Be careful. Don't... don't let her find out."
"Yes! Yes! Rest assured, young master!" Yan Qin and Yan Huai answered almost in unison, their voices brimming with irrepressible excitement and amusement.
They set to work deftly, even more attentive and meticulous than usual. They carefully selected clothes for him, and after he picked through them, they finally settled on a mountain-green brocade straight-cut robe patterned with subtle clouds, paired with a green jade belt at his waist. The outfit was far more refined and elegant than his usual attire, with less of a military officer's crisp practicality and more of a noble family's young master's distinguished grace.
Throughout it all, Chu Moqi kept his brows faintly furrowed and let them fuss over him.
Finally, Yan Qin brought over a thick, soft fleece blanket and carefully spread it over his legs.
Wheels rumbled as the carriage left through the side gate of the Duke Protector's Residence and joined the capital's morning traffic.
Since his severe injury, this was the first time Chu Moqi had voluntarily gone out in private, apart from necessary outings.
The wheels rattled over the road. Leaning against the carriage wall, Chu Moqi watched the street scenes fly backward beyond the window, his expression somewhat complicated. The familiar streets and bustling voices were much as he remembered the capital, yet they seemed separated from him by an invisible barrier. His hand unconsciously tightened around the blanket covering his legs.
The Flowing Cloud Pavilion stood at the entrance to the capital's bustling East Market Street. Though its storefront was small, it was elegantly decorated and quite well known in the neighborhood. The carriage stopped outside the shop. Yan Huai jumped down first, then worked with Yan Qin to carefully carry Chu Moqi down, wheelchair and all.
There were not yet many customers in the Flowing Cloud Pavilion that morning, but several brightly dressed young ladies were already choosing jewelry at the counters. When Chu Moqi was pushed inside, he inevitably drew everyone's gaze.
He sat in his wheelchair, his posture still straight. His mountain-green brocade robe made his complexion look somewhat pale, and the cold severity and aloofness between his brows had not diminished in the slightest despite his elegant attire. Even so, the contours and features of his face still possessed a striking, almost fierce handsomeness that was impossible to ignore.
The young ladies were initially startled by the wheelchair. Then their gazes landed on his face, and their cheeks flushed as they covered their lips and whispered:
"Oh... isn't that the Chu Family's second young master..."
"It's him, from the Marquis of Ningyang's Residence... Ah, what a pity..."
"He's still as handsome as before, only..."
"Shh, keep your voice down..."
Those whispers and gazes pricked at Chu Moqi, and the pressure around him sank again.
Handsome? They thought he was handsome?
Then why had that little crybaby never said he was handsome? She only ever looked at him timidly with those wet eyes, either scared to death or... smiling foolishly, as she had when giving him the sachet last night.
An inexplicable irritation stirred within him, but his expression only grew colder and more impatient, keeping everyone a thousand miles away.
The Flowing Cloud Pavilion's shopkeeper, Liu Ji, and proprietress, Xu Fuyu, were checking the accounts behind the counter. Looking up and seeing Yan Qin push Chu Moqi inside, both were so startled that they nearly flung away their abacuses.
"S-second young master!" Liu Ji bowed and bobbed his head, his tone so respectful it verged on fear. "What brings you here in person? Your presence truly brings radiance to our humble shop!"
Xu Fuyu hurriedly curtsied as well, then shrewdly turned and approached the young ladies who were still peering over, smiling apologetically. "Young ladies, we're terribly sorry, but the shop has some private business this morning and won't be receiving customers for the time being. If you're not in a hurry, perhaps you could return this afternoon or another day. I'll give you a discount then, along with a little trinket as an apology. Would that be all right?"
Though curious, the young ladies saw that the proprietress had spoken and glanced again at the stern-faced, imposing Second Young Master Chu in his wheelchair. Not daring to linger, they left reluctantly, murmuring among themselves.
After sending off the customers, Liu Ji and Xu Fuyu became even more attentive, welcoming Chu Moqi into a comparatively spacious and quiet part of the shop.
"Second young master, to what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Liu Ji asked cautiously, his heart pounding. This gentleman was their proprietor, but he had never set foot in the shop since his injury. What exactly had he suddenly come to do today?
Chu Moqi swept his gaze over the dazzling array of jewelry in the shop. Rather than answering directly, he said in a cool, businesslike tone, "To inspect the accounts."
Inspect the accounts?
Behind him, Yan Qin and Yan Huai could not help exchanging a quick glance, the same shock in both their eyes.
Those words gave Liu Ji quite a fright. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. Wiping it away with his sleeve, he hurriedly signaled to Xu Fuyu. "Quick! Bring out all the ledgers from the past year for the second young master to inspect!"
Xu Fuyu panicked as well. She hastily answered and jogged into the back room, returning shortly with a large stack of thick ledgers, which she carefully set on the table before Chu Moqi.
"Please have a look, second young master." Even Liu Ji's voice trembled. "The shop's income has been very good throughout the past year, and rent has always been paid to the marquis's residence in full and on time. We wouldn't dare make the slightest error. Every account is clearly recorded..."
Expressionless, Chu Moqi casually picked up the top ledger and leafed through a few pages without much interest. Liu Ji held his breath at his side, his heart almost leaping from his chest.
In truth, Chu Moqi had no interest in the accounts. The Flowing Cloud Pavilion's earnings had always been steady, and he knew there would be no major problems. After a cursory glance through several pages, he put down the ledger and gave a faint "Mm."
Seeing that there were indeed no problems with the accounts, Liu Ji's heart dropped a fraction from his throat, though he still dared not relax.
Only then, as though he had finished his proper business, did Chu Moqi turn his wheelchair and slowly browse the shop, his gaze passing with apparent casualness over counters displaying all manner of hairpins and ornaments.
After making half a circuit, he stopped, his gaze settling on a row of finely crafted hairpins in various designs. As though asking in passing, he said, "In this shop... which hairpins are most fashionable at present?"
Xu Fuyu immediately perked up and hurried forward, her face covered in smiles. Pointing out the hairpins in the counter, she began introducing them as familiarly as counting her own treasures:
"Second young master, this is a pure-gold butterfly hairpin with kingfisher-feather inlay. It uses the finest feathers, and the butterfly's wings are as thin as a cicada's, so lifelike. It's especially popular with young ladies. This is a white jade plum-blossom hairpin inlaid with rubies. The jade has a warm, smooth luster, and the plum blossoms are elegant, suitable for a quiet, refined young lady. This is a gold filigree dangling hairpin set with pearls. Its workmanship is complex, and its tassels sway as the wearer walks, making it most sumptuous. And this one is a newly arrived gilt hairpin with a pearl-play design among flowers. Its design is novel, and the pearls come from the South Seas..."
She spoke without pause, wishing she could introduce every fine thing in the shop.
As Chu Moqi listened, however, his brows drew tighter and tighter. Pure gold with kingfisher feathers? White jade with gemstones? Filigree and gilding? They all sounded much the same, all overly elaborate. Who knew which kind that little crybaby liked? He looked up at Yan Qin and Yan Huai, but both wore blank expressions, plainly knowing nothing about women's jewelry either.
Xu Fuyu was still enthusiastically introducing the pieces when Chu Moqi finally grew impatient. He interrupted her and raised a hand, pointing at the hairpins she had just highlighted, along with several nearby ones that also looked fairly good. His tone was brisk and brooked no argument:
"Enough! Wrap up all the ones you just mentioned, and these as well."
"Huh?" Xu Fuyu and Liu Ji froze simultaneously. They exchanged a glance, both bewildered.
The second young master had suddenly come to the shop and, with a single instruction, wanted all their finest, most fashionable hairpins wrapped up? What was he planning to do?
Besides, the Chu Family owned the shop, so naturally there was no reason to charge the young master for anything he took. But having so many of their finest showpieces taken away at once would be a considerable loss for the shop, especially since some designs had only one piece...
Their stares made Chu Moqi impatient. His brows rose, and he said coldly, "What are you staring at? I'll take them back first! Once the selection is made, the rest... will be returned!"
So that was it!
Liu Ji and Xu Fuyu breathed sighs of relief together, their smiles instantly becoming much more natural and sincere. So the second young master only wanted to choose one but could not decide, which was why he wanted to take them all home and choose at leisure. That would be fine...
"Yes, yes! I understand! We'll wrap them up for you right away and make certain everything is secure!" Liu Ji hurriedly replied. Together with Xu Fuyu, he deftly and carefully removed each hairpin Chu Moqi had indicated, wrapped them individually in soft brocade, and placed them in an exquisite wooden box.
Yan Qin stepped forward to take the heavy wooden box.
Chu Moqi said nothing more and signaled for Yan Huai to push him out.
Only after Chu Moqi's carriage had driven far away did Liu Ji and Xu Fuyu finally relax completely. They exchanged a look and wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
"That second young master really is..." Xu Fuyu still felt shaken.
"Say less." Liu Ji interrupted her, shaking his head. "Don't pry into the proprietor's affairs. Still..." He paused, a thoughtful look appearing on his face. "The second young master coming in person to choose women's hairpins... that is unusual."
On the carriage, Yan Huai drove while still unable to suppress his curiosity, asking through the curtain, "Young master, those hairpins looked very expensive, but our residence can afford them. Why did you say you'd return them? Wouldn't it be better to give them all to Madam so she could wear different ones?"
Inside the carriage, Chu Moqi was looking at the wooden box containing the hairpins. At those words, he raised a brow, his tone carrying a fastidiousness he took entirely for granted:
"Wouldn't giving her all of them seem... very lacking in taste?"
He paused, as though finding a more reasonable explanation for his actions. "We'll just have my sister-in-law... choose the prettiest, most suitable one to give her. Naturally, the rest should be returned."
Outside the carriage, Yan Qin and Yan Huai almost failed to hold back their laughter. They exchanged a meaningful look, each seeing the same barely suppressed amusement on the other's face.
Young master, oh, young master, you really were... one of a kind!