Chapter 009: The Scarlet Brocade Handkerchief

Yu Ziqi did not accompany Ning Qian back to their courtyard; halfway there, he was called away by a young maid. He went to the main study at the front, where Madam Yu Min and Master Yu were waiting. After bowing, Yu Ziqi took a seat to the side. “Mother, Father, may I ask why you have summoned me?”

Madam Yu Min pushed a brocade box forward. “Ziqi, what is the meaning of this?”

Yu Ziqi leaned back in his chair, visibly relaxed after glancing at the box. “It’s exactly as it appears.”

With a loud smack, Madam Yu Min slammed her palm onto the table. “Nonsense! Did you orchestrate this on purpose? The entire city of Huizhou knows the eldest Miss Ning is no longer pure. So what are you trying to do now? Is this just for show, or are you trying to silence the gossip? Ziqi, I am deeply disappointed in you.”

Master Yu’s face was equally thunderous; he had restrained himself before so many people earlier, but now his patience was at its limit. Suddenly, he stood up, seized a teacup from the table, and hurled it.

“Oh dear!” Madam Yu Min cried out in alarm. “Master—”

The teacup struck Yu Ziqi’s head squarely. In his rage, Master Yu had thrown it with great force; blood soon welled up. “Jiaoran, quickly fetch the medicine box,” the old lady urged.

A lively, clever-looking maid dashed in. Seeing the blood on Yu Ziqi’s head, she bowed without a word and hurried out. Clearly, she had been rigorously trained.

Despite the incident, Yu Ziqi’s face remained serene, his gentle smile unwavering, showing no other expression. After Jiaoran left, he stood up. “Father, Mother, I know you are angry about my marriage to Ning Qian. But what happened today is the truth; I did not tamper with anything. The rumors in the marketplace are just idle gossip, and I certainly would not give up a good woman over mere hearsay. Father, Mother, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”

Master Yu sat down with an angry huff. “Scoundrel, scoundrel, what a worthless son.”

“Master—calm yourself, don’t let anger ruin your health. Our son can still be taught. Besides, it can’t all be his fault. Surely that woman from the Ning family must have played some trick in secret. Wouldn’t you agree?” Madam Yu Min said.

“Hmph!” Master Yu snorted coldly. “If it weren’t for the advantage this marriage brings, I would never have agreed. A woman without virtue has no right to enter the Yu family.”

“But now the situation is set, and there’s nothing we can do.”

Master Yu stared icily at Madam Yu Min. “Is that so? Isn’t this exactly the sort of thing you women excel at? Driving a woman out, is that so hard?”

Madam Yu Min stepped back, flustered. “Master—”

With another cold snort, Master Yu swept out of the room. After he left, an older woman entered. “Madam, is the master talking about that matter from the past again?”

“Did I really make a mistake back then? I don’t believe I did. I only wanted to keep this family together; everything I did was for the Yu family. Ling Ma, tell me, where did I go wrong?”

“Madam, what’s past is past. There’s no use dwelling on it; it only brings needless anxiety. Besides, the young masters are grown now, and however upset the master is, he won’t say much more. Especially the third young master…”

Madam Yu Min gave Ling Ma a sharp look. “I don’t want to hear any rumors that shouldn’t exist about the Yu family. Ling Ma, if I ever find out, even if you are my nursemaid, I won’t be merciful.”

Ling Ma bowed her head fearfully. “Madam…”

“That’s enough, Ling Ma. You’re getting on in years; you know well what can and cannot be said. I’ll rely on you for much more in the future. I’m weary now; come, accompany me back to my room.”

“Yes, Madam.”

After returning to their courtyard, Ning Qian and Nian Yu did not venture out again. Now, they knew nothing about the Yu family’s affairs; running out recklessly would only bring trouble. Ning Qian was cautious by nature—she decided to observe for a few days before making any decisions.

“Young Madam, the young master has returned,” Nian Yu lifted the curtain and entered.

Ning Qian set her book aside and, with Nian Yu’s help, straightened her clothes before moving to the door. When Yu Ziqi came in, she bowed, “My lord, you’ve returned?” Truth be told, if she had a choice, she wouldn’t bow at every turn—she wasn’t Japanese, nor was she enamored with foreign customs.

“Mm. Nian Yu, you may leave,” Yu Ziqi waved her off carelessly.

“Yes.” Nian Yu gave Ning Qian a meaningful glance before departing.

Ning Qian looked up in surprise. What was that about? Just now, Nian Yu’s glance seemed to indicate something. She stole a peek—and was startled. “My lord, your head?”

“It’s nothing, just a scrape.”

With that vivid red patch, he claimed it was just a scrape? No wonder Nian Yu had been signaling her. “Shuni, bring a basin of hot water, and some clean gauze. Oh, don’t forget the wound powder.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Soon enough, Shuni had everything prepared. Ning Qian took a soft cloth and gently cleaned his wound. “My lord, this injury is quite severe. What did you hit?”

Yu Ziqi lay there with his eyes closed, silent for a long while. Just as Ning Qian thought he would not speak, he suddenly said, “It’s done; there’s no point in discussing it further.”

Ning Qian shrugged—if he didn’t want to talk, so be it; she wasn’t really that nosy. She’d only asked because the wound looked bad, nothing more. Did he think she truly cared about him?

After a long while, Ning Qian finished tending to his wound. “My lord, it’s done. My lord… my lord…” She called several times, but Yu Ziqi did not respond. Looking closely, she saw he had fallen asleep.

Asleep, Yu Ziqi’s face lacked its usual gentle smile; in fact, he looked somewhat cold, his brows tightly furrowed, as if weighed down by worries.

Propping her chin, Ning Qian studied him carefully, inwardly muttering—just what kind of man was he? Outwardly, he appeared a gentle, refined gentleman, but beneath that mask of warmth, what kind of face might he truly wear?

“Madam?” Nian Yu whispered.

“Shh!” Ning Qian gestured for silence, waved her hand, and motioned for Nian Yu to follow her outside. In the little tea room next door, she furrowed her brows and lowered her voice, “Nian Yu, do you know what happened?”

“Uh, it’s all because of that brocade handkerchief.”

“Brocade handkerchief?”

“The one stained with a maiden’s blood.”

Ning Qian’s cheeks flushed, and she asked bashfully, “What happened with the handkerchief? You saw Shuni put it away in the box; there shouldn’t be any issue. Nian Yu, are you hiding something from me?”

“Ah! Whether the blood is real or not, it seems the whole Yu family is speculating about it now.”

Ning Qian stood up, her face pale, her body trembling. “They don’t believe it?”