Chapter 3: 002 Lion's Roar

The Shen residence sits at the northeast corner of the crossroads, covering an area of seven hundred mu.

Shen Yan bypassed the tightly shut main gate and hurried toward the bustling Wuyi Lane on the northwest side. Breathless, she burst through the west corner gate, ignoring the chatter of the Shen household servants she passed along the way.

The gatekeeper’s greeting of "Second Young Miss" died halfway in his throat as he watched her lift her skirts and stride into the west courtyard with a complete lack of decorum.

The people she needed to see right now were her parents; she couldn't care less what anyone else thought of her!

After more than a decade, Shen Yan could still find her way back to Xiyue Hall with her eyes closed, guided by memory. Her mother, Madam Hua, would surely be sitting by the window of the main room, one hand supporting her temple, her brows slightly furrowed as she inspected the peony embroidery she had worked on that morning, or perhaps the recent shop ledgers, while chiding Nanny Huang with mock annoyance about how disobedient she had been.

And on the kang table beside her, there would certainly be the snacks and flower tea that she had asked Bingli to prepare—the ones Shen Yan loved most.

If she turned toward the study, Moju Pavilion, she would nine times out of ten find her father, just returned from the yamen, sitting behind his desk handling the secondary branch’s domestic affairs or official business. Or perhaps he would be rolling up his sleeves, tending to the various chrysanthemums on the flower rack in the courtyard—her mother’s favorites. Father used to say that if he took good care of them in the spring, Mother would be able to see beautiful flowers in the autumn.

With a heart full of sorrow, she watched Xiyue Hall draw closer with every step.

She rushed into the main room like a gust of wind. The smiles that had just appeared on the faces of the servants she passed vanished the moment she sped by, the slight disdain in their expressions as fleeting as a breeze brushing against the weeping willows by the steps, not worth a second thought.

Under the quiet, deserted veranda of the courtyard, Shen Yan steadied herself against a pillar. She finally saw her mother sitting inside, turned slightly toward the window, puffing out her cheeks as she grumbled to Nanny Huang, who stood before her: "Where has Yan-jie'er gone off to again? When she returns, tell her to recalculate these two ledgers. If she can't get them right, she’s not allowed any snacks!"

Her mother’s voice was soft and delicate, laced with a helplessness that masked her annoyance.

The kind-faced Nanny Huang smiled and replied, "The young miss is still young, Madam; don't be too hard on her. Our young miss is exceptionally bright and knows her place. In the days since we returned to the capital, she hasn't given Yaori Hall or the east courtyard the slightest excuse to find fault. For that alone, Madam should be at ease."

"You all just know how to coddle her..."

The afternoon sun filtered through the camphor tree, its new green leaves casting light on Madam Hua’s lightly powdered face. The shadow of the red-gold peony flower, thin as a cicada’s wing, fell across her brows and eyes, making her look exceptionally charming and graceful. She stood up, resting her hand on Nanny Huang’s wrist, her face showing deep disapproval, yet it did nothing to diminish her elegance.

Except when she was spanking her, Madam Hua never let anyone see her fierce side.

Shen Yan dug her fingernails into the cracks of the pillar, and tears streamed down her face.

Having wandered between life and death, she had not returned too late after all. Her mother was still here; her lips were clean of poison, and her face was free of anxiety and melancholy. She was still alive, living in the lap of luxury, beautiful as a flower, waiting to lecture her.

"Yan-jie'er?"

Madam Hua stepped out of the room and immediately spotted Shen Yan crying uncontrollably at the end of the courtyard. She gasped, "What’s wrong with you?" People who were prone to causing trouble rarely cried; seeing Shen Yan like this was truly rare. She let go of Nanny Huang’s hand and took small, hurried steps across the courtyard, her previous annoyance replaced by surprise.

Because she had such down-to-earth parents, Shen Yan had never really experienced the feeling of being confined to the inner chambers, never stepping out the front or back doors. Plus, when they were in Jinling, the Hua family rules weren't as strict as the Shen family’s, so Shen Yan’s childhood had been nothing but wonderful and carefree. For someone like her to be so heartbroken and tearful was harder than seeing snow in June.

Shen Yan knew she had startled Madam Hua, but she couldn't stop. Who could understand the feelings of someone who, after a lifetime of sorrow and irreparable mistakes, had lost and then regained the chance to return to that initial crossroads?

In this moment, let her cry to her heart’s content.

"Mo... ther!"

She threw herself into Madam Hua’s arms, her tears quickly soaking her mother’s clothes. She felt her mother’s soft hands stroking her hair, a sensation that felt as if it were being smoothed directly into her heart.

In her memory, every time her mother punished her, she would comfort her just like this, explaining things in her own unique way. After her mother died in her past life, she had faced countless setbacks and dilemmas, and every time, she would dream of her mother accompanying her with such gentle silence—though, of course, she dreamed more often of the feather duster hanging on the east wall.

"What is this? Which nerve has been struck?"

Madam Hua bent down, her lips—red even without lipstick—parting slightly. "Could it be that the Mistress scolded you?"

At the mention of "the Mistress," her voice turned strangely cold and hard. Aside from Shen Yan, perhaps the only other person Madam Hua could never treat with a normal heart in this life was her mother-in-law, Madam Shen.

Shen Yan shook her head, unable to speak through her sobs.

But clearly, Madam Hua had already decided this was the truth. She hugged her tighter and frowned at Nanny Huang. Nanny Huang’s face also showed concern, but as a loyal old servant, she bowed her head and said gently, "What exactly happened to the Second Young Miss? Don't be afraid; we still have the Second Master."

When Madam Hua couldn't step forward, Shen Mi usually did.

Madam Hua dabbed at Shen Yan’s tears with a handkerchief, but Shen Yan couldn't utter a single word.

How could she tell them that she was thanking the heavens for allowing her to return to their side?

At this moment, Fusu approached on tiptoe: "Madam, Yaori Hall has sent Qiuxi over."

Madam Hua’s hand paused on top of Shen Yan’s head.

Qiuxi was the head tea-serving maid for Madam Shen, one who could enter the inner chambers of Yaori Hall without being summoned. Usually, Xiyue Hall didn't seem to have the honor of her visiting in person. What was this about today?

Madam Hua didn't understand, and while Shen Yan was equally puzzled, she immediately stopped her tears.

In her past life, nothing had happened after she returned home. But just because she was fine didn't mean the secondary branch was. Calculating the time, Madam Hua’s suicide was only three months away. Every event had a cause. Madam Hua’s life in the Shen household, surrounded by wolves, had been very difficult. At the time, her uncle was far away in Jinling, and it wasn't until half a month after her death that the Hua family received the news.

Since Madam Hua’s death was linked to her husband, there must have been secrets in the Shen household that she didn't know about.

Shen Yan still didn't know the truth behind her mother’s suicide; she only knew that before her mother died, she had run around trying to save her father, who had been imprisoned. When her father was finally released, she had ended her life with a cup of poison that very night.

She didn't know where the poison came from; that night, only her father had entered the main room where her mother was.

Although her father remained a widower for the rest of his life, she had regarded him as her lifelong enemy.

It wasn't until she heard his dying words that she realized everything had been wrong, but she had already been defeated by regret and guilt, unable to investigate the facts.

Her mother’s death was the dividing line that made her a completely different person in her past life. Now, holding Madam Hua’s warm body, it still felt somewhat unreal. She never expected that heaven would give her a chance to uncover the truth and continue to be happy. The life she led in the latter half of her past life was like a dark cloud frozen in her heart, but now those clouds were gone. Everywhere she looked, there were flowers blooming; there was no shadow of blood or hatred.

In these moments of weeping with Madam Hua, she didn't have the energy to think about the path ahead. She only felt how happy she was to return to this moment. But as the name "Qiuxi" rang in her ears, these familiar names pulled her back to reality.

She was in the Shen residence now, so not only was Madam Hua here, but everyone in the Shen household was here too. Not only would Qiuxi appear, but everyone else would as well. She wouldn't just face Madam Hua’s care; she would also face all the thorny people and matters outside of Xiyue Hall. This place had once been her mother’s graveyard; she could not be as naive as she was in her past life.

Getting stuck in negative emotions wasn't her style. The quick reflexes she had honed in her past life allowed her to wipe away her tears immediately. She habitually pressed her face into the handkerchief in Madam Hua’s hand to clear the remaining tears and stood up straight.

She had just arrived; how things would develop in this life—whether they would continue along the original trajectory or if heaven would take a whimsical turn—was uncertain. She had to observe carefully, including the reason for Qiuxi’s visit.

She lifted her leg to follow Madam Hua to the flower hall, but Madam Hua blocked her with a wave of her hand: "I’ll go. With me here, no one dares to bully you!" Qiuxi’s sudden arrival clearly made her more convinced that Shen Yan had been mistreated by Madam Shen, and she didn't want her to show her face again.

Seeing her insistence, Shen Yan said nothing. After she left, she slipped into the side room of the small flower hall, familiar with the layout.

Just as she found a spot and stood still, Qiuxi took her leave.

Madam Hua stood in the hall, her body trembling slightly.

Shen Yan walked in and gently tugged at her sleeve.

The perfectly elegant Madam Hua instantly turned into a bristling lion, roaring, "Don't touch me!"

Shen Yan jumped back two steps, bumping into Nanny Huang, who had rushed in behind her. Nanny Huang hurried over to pull her into her arms, urging, "Madam, take care of your health. Yan-jie'er is still young; don't scare the wits out of her."

Madam Hua pointed a trembling finger at Shen Yan’s forehead, baring her teeth as she squeezed out the words: "I finally know why you were crying! You’re quite something, aren't you? Very capable! Now you even dare to hit the young heir of the Duke of Rong’s mansion. Do you think life is too peaceful for you?!—Nanny Huang, go get the cane. I’ll beat her, and then I’ll go to Yaori Hall to apologize to the Heir’s wife!"

Shen Yan finally understood. It turned out Gu Song had played the villain and complained first, and the Heir’s wife from the Gu family had come to the Shen house to throw her weight around!

She hadn't hit Gu Song in her past life. That move earlier had been out of desperation, just to effectively get him to move out of the way. She hadn't expected it to lead to this. But she was just a girl; how heavy could her strike have been? Besides, they were the ones who had bullied her first. She hadn't expected them to have the nerve to come and complain!