Chapter Thirty-Five: Passing Notes

Xue Fanzhi had never interacted with Lady Thirteen in her previous life, but Lady Thirteen was well-known for her good reputation, though her fate was less fortunate. She was once betrothed to the Seventh Prince, but as he died young, she nearly became a widow before even marrying. Later, she wedded Wenxian’s elder brother, Wen Zhangqiu. At this time, she was likely still in the midst of marriage discussions with the Seventh Prince.

However, Xue Fanzhi had no desire to befriend anyone connected to the Wen family, regardless of how pleasant they might be. She spoke politely, hoping Lady Thirteen would lead her to her own sisters.

Old Madam Xue had only brought her along, and as they departed last, they were not with the rest of the Xue family.

Lady Thirteen, ever the gracious hostess, took Lady Fourteen and brought Xue Fanzhi along as well.

The young ladies, separated from the young men and elders by the garden, had a space of their own for merriment.

By the meandering stream where music gently played, Xue Fanzhi and her companions arrived just as the group was admiring the spring blossoms before their seats.

At the head of the gathering sat a middle-aged lady, resplendent in her attire and with a dignified, prosperous appearance, introducing the names and blooming periods of the flowers to the girls.

Lady Thirteen motioned for Xue Fanzhi to wait, then approached the woman and spoke a few words. The woman glanced at Xue Fanzhi and then exclaimed, “So you are the Eighth Lady of the Xue family! No wonder you look so blessed—come, take a seat of honor!”

Xue Fanzhi recognized her: she was the second sister-in-law of Xie Feng, since the first lady of the Xie family had passed early, and so Madam Wang, the second aunt, managed the household.

Madam Wang was not known for being easy to deal with. Her youngest son had taken a liking to the beautiful Fifth Lady of the Xue family. Xue Wu, thinking herself about to ascend to greatness, was instead met with public scorn from Madam Wang, who called her a shameless vixen out for the Xie family’s wealth. In the end, the marriage was called off because Madam Wang wanted her own niece to marry her son—a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her aims, never mind whom she harmed. She was not known for magnanimity. Yet today, she was as amiable as a Buddha.

Xue Fanzhi dared not accept such goodwill and, after expressing her thanks, found her way to her own family’s gathering.

Lady Fourteen was already annoyed with her, and seeing Xue Fanzhi’s indifference, neither Lady Thirteen nor Madam Wang pressed her to stay.

Sweeping her gaze around, Xue Fanzhi spotted the Sixth Lady of the Xue family sitting by a trellis draped with yellow jasmine and went to sit beside her.

Seeing her younger sister arrive, Sixth Lady’s tension eased a little. She greeted her, “Eighth Sister, you are talented in both painting and calligraphy. Could you please advise me later?”

Puzzled, Xue Fanzhi asked, “What’s the matter?”

It turned out the flower appreciation was more than just admiring blossoms; it also required a display of talent.

Across several flowerbeds were the young gentlemen’s group, and all the girls seemed eager, not wanting to be looked down upon by the young men.

Hearing the rules of the game, Xue Fanzhi smiled. Sixth Sister’s true love was not among this crowd but was a young general stationed at the mouth of the Yangtze, a relative of the Shen family.

Sadly, their marriage was ruined by the jealousy of Fifth Sister, who brought about Sixth Sister’s death, and the young general, in his grief, took his own life.

Xue Fanzhi patted her sister’s shoulder and said, “Don’t be nervous. You are gifted in song; simply sing a flower-themed tune.”

Sixth Sister was embarrassed to sing before so many, but encouraged by Xue Fanzhi’s praise, she felt a bit more confident.

While talking, the girl beside Sixth Sister, Xue Jiaoyue, finally noticed Xue Fanzhi and interjected, “Why are you here?”

Xue Fanzhi ignored her.

Noticing that no one else was watching them, Xue Jiaoyue felt her embarrassment was contained and her expression improved. Seeing the bright red dress Xue Fanzhi wore, she felt relieved. Lady Thirteen had invited her but had yet to appear, and she’d been uneasy about the appropriateness of her attire but hadn’t found a chance to change. Now that Xue Fanzhi was present, if the red dress proved problematic, at least she wouldn’t be alone.

No longer speaking, Xue Jiaoyue left Xue Fanzhi in peace—or so Xue Fanzhi thought, until a familiar voice sounded to her right.

“Eighth Lady Xue, how are you here?” The newcomer was clearly surprised.

Turning, Xue Fanzhi saw Wenxian, accompanied by Lady Thirteen, Lady Fourteen, and another young lady she didn’t know. They were here for the flower viewing.

If she didn’t care for Xue Jiaoyue, Xue Fanzhi cared even less for Wenxian.

Wenxian, afraid that Xue Fanzhi’s presence might change everyone’s fate from their previous lives, originally wanted to send her away. But then she noticed Xue Fanzhi’s red dress and recalled her father’s warning to her mother: “At the Xie family gathering, under no circumstances let her wear red. Today, Lord Shou will attend—he’s an old villain fond of young girls, especially those in red. If he gets his hands on one, she’ll be ruined for life, if not dead. Remember that well!”

If Xue Fanzhi were to be taken by Lord Shou, injured or killed, Wenxian would be rid of a rival forever!

The thought excited Wenxian, though she hid it well. Seeing Xue Fanzhi ignore her, she was unfazed and continued with forced enthusiasm, introducing her to the group: “This is the Eighth Lady of the Xue family, from the main branch!”

Lady Thirteen said nothing, Lady Fourteen curled her lip, but another girl spoke up in surprise, “From the Xue family? Didn’t one of their ladies get disgraced by a lowborn man? Wasn’t it the Seventh Lady? Is she here?”

At this, Xue Jiaoyue’s face went pale.

Though Xue Fanzhi bore a grudge against Xue Jiaoyue, this girl’s loud, tactless mention of the Xue family’s scandal in front of so many was either foolish or malicious. Xue Fanzhi didn’t even glance at her.

Wenxian’s eyes flickered as she said, “I remember it was the Eighth Lady who was lost, wasn’t it? How did it become the Seventh? I suppose the Eighth Lady was fortunate enough to later run into Lady Zhaoyang, right?”

Originally, Xiao Yi’s plan was for Xue Fanzhi to stay with Zhaoyang, but with Wenxian’s remark, it now seemed as though Xue Fanzhi had only met Zhaoyang afterward, and all external rumors suggested Zhaoyang was covering for her.

But “the more one tries to cover up, the more obvious it becomes”—thus, it appeared that Xue Fanzhi was indeed the one who had suffered the disgrace.

Xue Jiaoyue nodded in agreement, confirming Wenxian’s words.

If this had been the old Xue Fanzhi, she would have swallowed her anger in silence.

But now, Xue Fanzhi simply smiled at Wenxian and said, “How do you know all this so well, Lady Wen? Oh, I almost forgot—you were with me, weren’t you?”

Wenxian’s face changed at once, as did those of Zhang San and the others.

Xue Fanzhi gave Wenxian a warning look. If anyone tried to slander her, she’d drag Wenxian down with her.

In her past life, she’d been falsely accused and survived the storm. What was there to fear in this one?

It was the sheltered young ladies, used to being protected, who would crumble under malicious gossip.

As expected, Wenxian fell silent.

Finally, Xue Fanzhi felt vindicated. She raised the bronze cup to drink, but suddenly felt something new in her hand. Looking down, she saw a maid, pouring wine, had slipped her a note.

Though Xue Fanzhi had a clear conscience, the note still made her uneasy. She had no idea who had sent it or why. After hesitating, she opened it. Written inside was: “Come out. Change your clothes.”

Such a curt, commanding line—only Xiao Yi could have written it.