Chapter 2 — Incense Smoke in the Qi Manor

Watching the bewildered expression on Shen Nu’s face, I let out a long, weary sigh.

"I pulled you aside to watch this today because it concerns you directly," I began, my voice low and steady. "Qi Wenkai did not purchase this incense to spice up our marital life; he bought it with the intention of using it on you. I had invited you to tea that day, but minor errands took me to the Warm Pavilion first. That was when I caught him surreptitiously dropping the drug into the burner. That is why I grew suspicious and ordered my maid to investigate, eventually uncovering the truth."

Upon hearing this, Shen Nu’s confusion evaporated, replaced by a mixture of shock and fury. She gripped my sleeves, her hands trembling with helplessness. "Sister Ruo-Ren, what should I do?" I patted her hands gently, offering a soothing warmth. "Do not be afraid. I have already devised a plan. For the time being, you must stay within Mother’s living quarters. When you go out, you are never to be without a trusted maid by your side. I have already scouted a few capable guards and attendants; you and Mother should choose whoever you find most reliable. Once this period of danger passes and you are safely wed to another, no matter how depraved his intentions, he will be powerless to act against you."

Shen Nu nodded repeatedly, her eyes shining with profound gratitude. As I saw her off, I cautioned her once more to keep this matter strictly confidential. Such scandalous talk, if leaked, would hardly damage Qi Wenkai’s reputation, but it would inevitably invite vile gossip upon Shen Nu. In my past life, when I first stumbled upon that chaotic scene in the Warm Pavilion, my very first instinct had been to judge her, to believe she was a woman of loose morals. As I recalled this, Shen Nu suddenly turned back and threw her arms around me. "Sister Ruo-Ren, thank goodness I have you." My body stiffened involuntarily at the contact.

After she departed, I remained lost in thought. In my previous existence, we had been close for three years, followed by over twenty years of bitter enmity. The time spent in friendship was far too brief, while the decades of hostility had been agonizingly long. That fragile bond had long ago been eroded by countless nights of resentment and bitterness. Furthermore, she had indirectly died by my hand. When she lost her favor with Qi Wenkai, a jealous concubine accused her of past indiscretions—accusations I had orchestrated myself. Qi Wenkai ordered her to be severely beaten. Between the grievous wounds and the relentless cruelty of the other concubines, she fell into a fever from which she never recovered.

Yet, when she died, I found no joy. I spent the rest of that life in a haze, and it was only on my deathbed that I finally grasped what it was that haunted me so. The year the incident occurred, she was but fifteen, while Qi Wenkai was twenty-two. Between an adult and a young girl, between a scholar and one who spent her days stitching silk, even if Shen Nu had been foolish, Qi Wenkai bore the ultimate responsibility. In this lifetime, I stumbled upon the truth of her innocence and resolved to provide her with a better path. More than that, it was an attempt to untie the knots of my own past regret. We had been adversaries for too long; I was not accustomed to such intimacy. That she, who had died because of me, should now cling to me in this life, whispering, "Thank goodness I have you," felt deeply, unsettlingly strange.

I shook my head, casting these intrusive thoughts aside. The priority remained securing a future for her. Qi Wenkai was a man of perverse character, but upon my return to this life, I discovered I was already carrying my child from the previous one. I could not yet make a final decision about the remainder of my own life. Once Shen Nu truly understood the monster Qi Wenkai was, she applied herself with intense diligence to finding a suitable marriage. Within two days, she and Mother had settled on a candidate: the son of a modest family. Though not of high nobility, the house was wealthy, the young man was a scholar of good character, and the family was small and uncomplicated. Aside from the discrepancy in social status, it was an ideal match. If she married into that home, her life would surely be peaceful.

Seeing that both Mother and Shen Nu were pleased, I set to work on the preparations. As she was an adopted daughter, not of the Qi bloodline, Mother provided eight hundred taels of her own silver, tasking me with managing the dowry. This was a respectable sum—enough to purchase over a hundred acres of farmland. We also gathered her clothes and jewelry from the Qi estate, ensuring she would leave with dignity. Watching her stitch her wedding gown with such newfound joy, I was reminded of her in my past life, draped in pink silk as she poured tea for me. She had served me in pink then; now, she would wear deep crimson, and I was the one ensuring her dowry was secure. A soft sigh escaped me as I felt a weight lift from my heart. I quietly added another eight hundred taels of my own silver to her chest.

When Shen Nu saw the bank notes, she waved her hands in refusal. "I cannot accept this. You have already done so much for me; I am already indebted to you for my life. How could I possibly let you spend more?" I firmly pushed the notes back into her hands. "Just live your life in peace and comfort," I said softly. "Seeing you happy is all the reward I need."