The morning sun poured over the Wen Merchant Clan estate like molten gold.
Silk banners fluttered, koi splashed in the lotus ponds, and the distant chiming of wind bells echoed softly across the vast courtyards.
For Rouyuan and Bai Yanyu, it felt like stepping inside a dream.
Exploring the Estate
Wen Xianyi grabbed Rouyuan's hand as if she were a long-lost little sister.
"Come! Come! I'll show you everything!"
Her bright voice filled the garden.
Bai Yanyu walked beside them, calm and curious, absorbing every detail like a scholar observing a new world.
The Gardens
Wen Xianyi led them first through the grand lotus gardens, where the air smelled of fresh blossoms and dew.
"This is where Aunt Rouying used to paint," Wen Xianyi said proudly.
"My dad said, she always sat under the Jade Pavilion."
Rouyuan paused, imagining her mother sitting there, brush in hand, robes swaying lightly with the breeze.
The lotus petals drifted gently across the pond.
She couldn't explain it—but she felt her mother's presence everywhere.
The Silk Towers
Next, they reached a tall building covered in shimmering banners.
Inside, dozens of silk looms clattered rhythmically.
Fabrics of every colour hung in layers like floating clouds.
"Wow…" Bai Yanyu whispered.
Wen Xianyi grinned. "Impressive, right?"
"Our clan is the biggest silk supplier in Lingnan and all over Yunhuang Empire!"
Rouyuan touched a bolt of pale lavender silk.
It was soft… impossibly soft.
She smiled behind her veil.
Mother must have grown up surrounded by beauty like this.
Jewelry Workshops
They continued deeper into the estate, entering a wing filled with artisans carving jade, polishing gemstones, and setting diamonds into intricate designs.
"This hall belongs to Grandpa's youger brother," Wen Xianyi explained.
"He's very strict, but his jewellery sells across the empire!"
Rouyuan stared at a table filled with sapphire hairpins.
Each one shimmered like frozen moonlight.
Bai Yanyu murmured, "No wonder Mom was so elegant…"
The Empty Wing
Then Wen Xianyi suddenly stopped.
"This way!" She pulled them toward a quieter, older part of the estate.
Rouyuan noticed the atmosphere shift— the halls here were silent, almost sacred.
"Ah Yi…" Bai Yanyu frowned. "What is this place?"
Wen Xianyi bit her lip.
"This… used to be Aunt Rouying's wing."
Rouyuan's footsteps slowed.
A soft breeze rustled the hanging silk curtains.
Dust sparkled in the sunlight filtering through the windows.
It felt untouched… preserved…as if waiting.
Wen Xianyi hesitated before sliding open a wooden door.
"Cousin Rouyuan… this belonged to your mother."
Her Mother's Room
The room was breathtaking.
Not luxurious—but warm, delicate, filled with the remnants of a gentle woman's presence.
Paintings of lotus flowers hung on the walls.
A guqin rested in the corner.
Bookshelves were lined with scrolls on art, herbs, and fragrance.
A vase of dried plum blossoms sat by the window.
Rouyuan stepped inside quietly, almost afraid to breathe.
"Mom…" she whispered.
Bai Yanyu touched the bookshelf with trembling fingers.
"I faintly… remember her reading from these…"
Wen Xianyi sniffled a little, "All the family said, Aunt Rouying was the kindest person here."
"The clan never touched her room."
"Not even Grandpa."
Rouyuan's throat tightened.
But Wen Xianyi's eyes brightened suddenly, "There's more. Come!"
The Forgotten Fragrance Workshop
Wen Xianyi opened a smaller side door.
Rouyuan stepped inside—and gasped.
The small workshop was filled with glass bottles, stone grinding plates, herb cabinets, old incense burners, half-finished formulas, silk-wrapped fragrance manuscripts, and dried petals preserved in jade boxes.
The room smelled faintly of orchids and sandalwood.
"This…" Rouyuan whispered, "was…"
Wen Xianyi nodded gently, "Yes. Aunt Rouying's fragrance room."
Bai Yanyu turned in awe, "She was… incredible."
Wen Xianyi beamed.
"She created all the perfumes and incense our clan once traded."
Rouyuan touched a half-written recipe on the table, "Lotus Moon Fragrance — for calmness and clarity."
Written in her mother's elegant handwriting.
Her vision blurred.
Bai Yanyu placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
Rouyuan whispered, "Mom… I'll continue what you could not finish."
Wen Xianyi clapped her hands.
"You should! Grandpa said our clan lost its perfume business after Aunt Rouying died."
"No one else understood fragrances like she did."
Rouyuan smiled through trembling lips.
A quiet promise formed in her heart.
A Future Begins
Here, in this room filled with memories and fragrance.
Bai Rouyuan found her calling.
A place where medicine, herbs, perfume, and the legacy of her mother intertwined.
Bai Yanyu looked at her with gentle determination.
"Ah Yuan Meimei… we will make Mom proud."
Rouyuan nodded slowly, "Yes."
She lifted one of her mother's perfume bottles, the light catching on its crystal surface.
"From now on," she whispered, "The Wen fragrance legacy… will live again."