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"Master Tan, stay your hand." Gu Yansheng stepped sideways, shielding Xiang Yi.
Tan Ting had just felt a flicker of relief seeing that his wife had no intention of staying, only to find this man interposing himself between them. A significant distance already stood between the couple; now, they were truly cordoned off.
The furrow in Tan Ting’s brow, which had not yet smoothed, deepened into a sharp press. His gaze turned toward Gu Yansheng, his eyes growing cold and piercing. "What is the meaning of this?"
Gu Yansheng, unruffled, first offered a formal cupped-fist salute. "I am deeply grateful that Master Tan was willing to let me go. However, we have only discussed official business. Is it not time we spoke properly of private matters?"
He gestured, inviting Tan Ting to sit and continue the conversation. Tan Ting’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of "private matters."
"I am unaware of what private matters I could possibly have with you," Tan Ting replied, his voice low and heavy. Yet, his gaze shifted quietly toward his wife, hidden behind the man’s frame.
Could Gu Yansheng actually make her stay? And what of her? Does she wish to remain?
Tan Ting stood rooted, refusing to move an inch. Seeing that he had no intention of sitting, Gu Yansheng nodded and began to speak.
"I thank Master Tan for the grace of not reporting me. However, Xiang Yi is my sworn sister. It was out of consideration for me, her elder brother, that she kept the truth from you. Beyond that, she has committed no wrong."
Gu Yansheng had read Tan Ting’s character; he was no petty man. Yet, Xiang Yi—Yizhen, was Tan Ting’s wife. Once she stepped through that door, Gu Yansheng could no longer protect her. He needed a clear stance from the man.
Knowing exactly what her brother was doing, Xiang Yi looked at him with silent gratitude but shook her head. Though no words passed between them, their eyes exchanged a full conversation.
In the cramped room, Tan Ting watched this, the sight stinging his eyes. Was he truly the only villain in this house?
He looked at his wife; Gu Yansheng looked at her as well. Under the weight of their combined gaze, Xiang Yi stepped forward. She was never one to hide behind others in times of trouble.
"Regardless of the circumstances," she said softly but firmly, "I shall return to the Tan estate with the Master first."
She had indeed deceived him, and she had deceived the Tan family. Whatever punishment he chose to deal, she would accept it. Though she did not voice these thoughts, Tan Ting somehow read the "disposal at his will" in her demeanor.
The narrow room felt increasingly suffocating. Tan Ting stared intensely at his wife, his chest tightening painfully. Sensing Gu Yansheng waiting for his reaction, he instinctively refused to discuss marital affairs in front of him. After a few heavy moments of silence, he turned and walked out the door.
Gu Yansheng raised an eyebrow at the abrupt departure, but Xiang Yi stopped him before he could speak. "Brother, do not worry. I will be fine."
Gu Yansheng was far from reassured. The habitual smile vanished from his face as he grew quiet. "Yizhen, do not put on a brave front for me."
Xiang Yi’s lips curved into a faint, gentle arc. She placed the medicine she had quietly prepared for her brother on the small side table. "Brother, there is no need to worry about me. Your recovery is what matters. I am truly fine."
At worst, she thought, the Master will simply ask me to leave the Tan family.
Tan Ting waited in the courtyard. Seeing that she had not yet emerged, he could not help but look back. Just then, the door curtain fluttered, and she stepped out. Meeting his gaze, she merely lowered her head in a polite bow before brushing past him.
There was no further communication between husband and wife. Tan Ting did not linger, following her lead as they departed.
Only Gu Yansheng remained under the eaves. The bustle in the courtyard died down instantly as he caught the faint sound of Tan Ting’s voice. True to his word, the head of the Tan clan no longer interfered, ordering his men to withdraw immediately.
The servant Qiu Ying stepped forward, his face etched with worry. "Master, the Madam... she won't be in trouble, will she?"
The wind brushed against the walls. After a moment, Gu Yansheng shook his head. "Likely not. That Tan clan leader, Tan Ting... he is a gentleman."
The Silent Return
Tan Ting and Xiang Yi returned in the carriage. Throughout the journey, Xiang Yi kept her head lowered, waiting for the Master’s verdict. She would not admit to things she hadn't done, but she would never shirk responsibility for what she had.
She had lied to him and the clan. She would accept whatever he decided without a single word of self-defense.
To her, silence was a refusal to make excuses. But to Tan Ting, her total lack of explanation brought back memories of their past. He knew he had been wrong before, and he could understand her not wanting to explain then. But this time, though he didn't think she was in the wrong from her perspective, he wished she would say something. Even a simple confirmation that she and Gu Yansheng were truly just sworn siblings.
Yet, he could not bring himself to ask directly.
The carriage was deathly still. Both seemed to be waiting for the other to break the silence. But aside from the rhythmic creaking of the wheels, nothing disturbed the air. Qinglong County was not large; in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, they had arrived home. Not a single word had been exchanged.
Zheng Ji came running to meet them. "Master, the clan elders request your presence at the Discussion Hall."
"When?" Tan Ting finally spoke.
"Right this moment," Zheng Ji replied hurriedly.
Tan Ting nodded. He glanced back at his wife, forced to break the silence between them. "Return to your room first."
Xiang Yi complied, bowing before she departed. Tan Ting’s heart felt heavy, but with the elders waiting, he had no choice but to head to the hall.
Back at the main courtyard, the usual household trifles awaited the Mistress’s decision. Xiang Yi handled these matters first before retreating to her bedchamber.
Qiao Xing approached to help her change. "Madam, your outer robes carry the chill of the outdoors. Let us change you into something more comfortable for the house."
Xiang Yi shook her head with a light sigh. "There is no need. We may be leaving soon."
Qiao Xing was stunned. "But Madam, you haven't done anything wrong! You simply didn't tell the Master the whole truth. On what grounds can he drive us away?"
Lightly speaking, Xiang Yi had only hidden a few things. More seriously, she had harbored a fugitive, even if his "crimes" were questionable. Furthermore, her efforts to support the commoner class were diametrically opposed to Tan Ting’s interests as a member of the landed gentry. Their marriage had been forced by her hand; perhaps parting ways now was for the best.
Xiang Yi had hoped to wait until her brother Xiang Yu was older and had passed the juren examination, but if the Master asked her to leave, she would not stay.
She surveyed the room. Her belongings were few, mostly the various carving knives and tools at her seal-engraving desk. After a few silent breaths in the center of the room, she called to Qiao Xing.
"Let us pack our things."
Qiao Xing was beyond shocked, but knowing nothing of the details between the Master and Madam, she could only follow orders helplessly. As Xiang Yi gathered her carving tools, Qiao Xing went to the dressing table.
The Madam’s jewelry box used to be small and empty. Ever since the Master had sent several sets of headpieces, that old box had been insufficient, and he had ordered a large, fine huanghuali wood chest from the storehouse for her. Qiao Xing had thought things were finally looking up.
"Madam, shall I separate your original jewelry and pack the Master's sets to be returned to the storehouse?"
Xiang Yi nodded with a small smile. "You have become much more organized than before."
The praise brought Qiao Xing no joy; she only sighed. However, when she moved to the wardrobe, she hesitated. The cabinet was full. The Madam’s old clothes were few; most were new sets the Master had commissioned for her. Clothes were different from jewelry.
Xiang Yi paused as well. Jewelry was valuable, a part of the family estate. She could return them to the storehouse to be melted down or used by a future wife. But clothes were tailored to her body.
"Pack the clothes too," Xiang Yi decided. The Tan family would not miss a few robes. Since they were made for her, she would take them rather than leave them behind to cause awkwardness for whoever came after.
Aside from a single large chest of clothes, there was very little else. Looking around the room, it was as if Xiang Yi had never truly settled in.
After leaving the Discussion Hall, Tan Ting went straight to the main courtyard. He had heard that his wife had handled some household affairs and then retired to her room as usual. He felt a strange sense of comfort, thinking it was good that they could act as if nothing had happened.
But the moment he stepped into the room, his vision blurred. The room looked the same, yet it felt empty. He saw his wife, still in her traveling clothes, sitting quietly beside packed crates. At his entrance, she rose and bowed.
"The Master has returned…"
"Where are you going?!" Tan Ting interrupted, stepping toward her.
Xiang Yi blinked, confused by the question. Where else could she go but back to the Xiang family?
But Tan Ting’s mind jumped to another possibility, his heart trembling. "Are you... are you going with him?"
Does she no longer wish to stay? Is she leaving with her 'brother'?
He stared at her intensely. Xiang Yi was utterly bewildered until the realization hit her. He thought she was eloping.
Her face hardened, and her tone turned uncharacteristically cold. "I am well aware that the Xiang family does not have a sterling reputation, but a daughter of the Xiang house would never stoop to such a thing!"
Her words were heavy, her expression icy. Tan Ting realized his mistake immediately. She wasn't leaving with that man. Then why pack all this?
Xiang Yi spoke again, her voice sharp with the need to defend her family's honor. "The Master should know that I have no intention of eloping with anyone. However, given the circumstances, it is no longer appropriate for me to stay. Whether the Master wishes for a peaceful divorce or to cast me out, I shall follow your command."
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. "I am grateful for the Tan family’s care. I only hope the Master takes care of himself in the future..."
Before she could finish, the man was suddenly in front of her, his hand clamping firmly around her wrist. They had never exchanged such sharp words, let alone had physical contact.
Xiang Yi gasped, looking up to see a trace of panic in the complex gaze beneath his furrowed brows.
"I have no intention of a divorce, let alone casting you out," he said hurriedly, his eyes locked on hers. "I never blamed you."
He was so close she could hear his labored breathing. Xiang Yi’s mind went blank. The proximity was stifling; she instinctively turned her head away. But his palm remained clamped on her wrist, burning like a hot iron, with no sign of letting go.
She was lost. Why was he acting so differently from what she expected? What was wrong with Master Tan?
Before another word could be said, the sound of running footsteps echoed in the courtyard. Yang Zhen came bounding toward the room, sword in hand.
"Sister-in-law! Mother wants us to go to Autumn Radiance Courtyard for dinner!"
She burst through the curtain, only to stop dead in her tracks at the sight of the Master and Madam nearly face-to-face. Even Yang Zhen was stunned.
"Uh..." She hadn't expected Tan Ting to be home.
Xiang Yi, startled, quickly wrenched her wrist from his grasp. Tan Ting let go, fearing he might hurt her. Fortunately, Yang Zhen couldn't see the position of their hands from the doorway.
Tan Ting looked at his wife, who had scrambled back, and felt a wave of helplessness. Yang Zhen, sensing the atmosphere was off, prepared to retreat, but then she saw the packed crates.
"Wait, why are the crates out? Is someone leaving?"
The question cut to the quick. The issues between husband and wife were too complex to explain to the younger siblings. Tan Ting cleared his throat. Xiang Yi quickly masked her emotions.
"There was a mouse in the room," they said simultaneously.
Realizing they had used the exact same excuse, they both fell silent. Yang Zhen, unsuspecting, let out an "Oh" of understanding.
"Mother is waiting for us at Autumn Radiance Courtyard. Are you coming now?"
Xiang Yi remained silent. Tan Ting looked at his wife, let out a slow breath, and called to her softly. "Yizhen, go ahead with our sister-in-law."
Xiang Yi froze at the use of her name. Yang Zhen, however, chirped happily and grabbed Xiang Yi’s arm. "So Sister-in-law’s name is Yizhen! What a beautiful name!"
She half-pulled, half-led Xiang Yi out the door. Xiang Yi was still reeling from the confusion. She truly didn't understand what the Master meant.
As they walked away, she heard his voice behind them, calling to the maids. "Qiao Xing, Chun Sun. Unpack these crates. Put everything back exactly where it belongs."
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