The Crimson Lotus Garden held a strategic position within the Silver Cloud Clan complex. It was close enough to the main kitchen for the aromas of lunch to drift in with the breeze, yet near enough to the Pavilion of Silent Bamboo to offer a partial view of the path leading to Xiao Yue's residence. It was a tranquil spot that few disciples frequented, making it the perfect sanctuary for private conversations.
Xiao Zhen held the teacup between his fingers with studied precision. The amber liquid gave off a vapor that dissolved into the afternoon air. Across from him, his brother Xiao Jin reclined in his chair with a posture that bordered on irreverence, one leg crossed over the other as he surveyed the garden with an expression of barely contained boredom.
"Six days in this place and we still haven't managed to talk to her," Jin commented, taking a sip of his tea. "Don't you find that strange?"
"It's consistent with her usual behavior," Zhen replied without looking up from his cup. "Xiao Yue avoids family interactions whenever possible."
Which should make things easier for me. A distant sister is easier to manage than an involved one.
Jin let out a snort of incredulity.
"Distant is a euphemism. The girl is practically a ghost. If it weren't for the servants confirming she's still alive, I'd swear she turned into a spirit years ago."
"You're exaggerating."
"Am I? Tell me, brother, when was the last time you had a real conversation with her?"
Zhen considered the question. The answer was uncomfortable.
"I don't remember when, but what I do recall is that it was... during the Silver Moon Festival."
"Exactly my point. And that conversation, if I remember correctly, consisted of her thanking you for a gift she probably never even opened."
You're right. But that was precisely what I needed. An invisible sister who doesn't interfere.
Jin stretched his arms over his head, an audible snap echoing from his joints.
"So, what's the plan? Do we keep waiting for her to deign to receive us? Because at this rate, the reserves of patience we brought are going to run out before that happens."
"Patience is an investment," Zhen replied in a neutral tone. "Pressuring her now would be counterproductive. The Elders already know we're here. If Xiao Yue continues to avoid us, her impatience will make her look disrespectful. That favors us more than a direct confrontation."
Jin looked at him with annoyance.
"Sometimes your brain exhausts me, you know that?"
"Someone has to think for this family."
"How modest."
Zhen was about to respond when his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the path bordering the garden. His body tensed almost imperceptibly, but Jin, who had spent his whole life studying his brother, noticed the change immediately.
Liling walked down the path with the natural grace of someone completely unaware of the effect she caused. She wore the traditional uniform of a personal clan maid—a set of pearl-gray fabric with discreet embroidery on the sleeves that, in theory, was designed to be modest and professional. In practice, the design was utterly incapable of hiding the generous curves of her figure.
Her ink-black hair was gathered in an elaborate bun with two jade hairpins that captured the sunlight. Her skin was flawless porcelain, and her large, expressive eyes had a warm glow that contrasted with the coldness she showed most people. Her lips, naturally full, curved into a slight smile as she walked, as if she were thinking of something amusing.
There she goes.
Zhen's hand, which had been holding the teacup with perfect stability, trembled slightly. It was a minimal movement, almost imperceptible, but enough for the hot liquid to spill over the rim and fall directly onto his shirt sleeve. The tea stained the white silk fabric with a brown blotch that expanded rapidly.
"For heaven's sake!" Zhen exclaimed, pulling the cup away with a jerky motion that was entirely uncharacteristic of him.
Jin looked up toward where his brother had been staring, saw Liling disappear around a bend in the road, and a malicious smile played across his face.
"Oh, brother. Again."
"Shut up."
"You spilled tea on yourself. You. The man who can hold a cup for hours without a single drop shaking."
"It was an accident," Zhen replied while trying to dab at the stain with a napkin, though the gesture was futile. The fabric had already absorbed the liquid.
"Of course it was. An accident that casually happens every time a certain maid passes by."
"Jin."
"What? It's an objective observation. You've ruined more robes for that reason than during actual combat training."
Zhen clenched his jaw. His brother was right, of course, but admitting it aloud was unthinkable.
Damn it.
"It has nothing to do with that," Zhen lied as he folded the napkin with geometric precision, as if the act of creating perfect creases could restore his dignity.
"Of course not," Jin replied with evident sarcasm. "And I'm the Great Emperor of the Heavens reincarnated."
"Your humor is deplorable."
"My humor is honest. You, dear brother, have been chasing that girl like a lost puppy for years."
Zhen felt irritation beginning to crawl up his spine. It was a familiar sensation, one that appeared every time Jin decided his obsession with Liling was an appropriate topic of conversation.
"I am not chasing anyone."
"Oh, no? Then what would you call what you've been doing for the last... how many years has it been? Five?"
"Six."
The word escaped before Zhen could stop it. Jin burst into laughter.
"Six years! You're actually counting?"
Idiot. Why did you say that?
"Forget it."
"No, no. Six years trying to win over a maid who rejects you with the same regularity that the sun rises."
"She is no ordinary servant," Zhen replied with more vehemence than he intended.
Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Technically, yes, she is."
"Liling is not like the others. She was rescued from the lower district by our mother when she was a child. She grew up in this clan. She received an education, training in the arts, and advanced cultivation. She is more refined than half the noble ladies I've met."
"And she's also the woman who has rejected you with such disdain that she's probably developed specific techniques just to maintain her constant contempt."
Zhen fell silent. He had no counterargument for that.
Because it's true. Every attempt has ended the same way.
Jin leaned forward, his mocking expression softening just a fraction.
"Look, brother, I won't deny it. Liling is... impressive. Her beauty is undeniable. Even I, who prefer more direct solutions to problems, can recognize that woman has an overwhelming charisma. And her body..." Jin made a vague gesture with his hand, "well, I'm a man with a functioning brain. I won't pretend she doesn't inspire certain... thoughts."
"How eloquent," Zhen murmured sarcastically.
"But here's the problem: she doesn't want you. She has never wanted you. And from what I've seen, she never will."
I know. I know perfectly well.
"The situation is more complicated than it seems."
"No, brother. The situation is exactly as simple as it seems. You like a girl. That girl hates you. End of story."
Zhen clenched his fists over his knees.
"She doesn't hate me."
"Excuse me?"
"Liling doesn't hate me. Hate requires passion, emotion, emotional investment. She simply... despises me. With absolute coldness. As if I were an annoying insect that occasionally needs to be shooed away."
Jin let out a low whistle.
"Brother, that's worse than hate."
I know. Damn it, I know.
The memory arrived uninvited. Three years ago, in the northern garden of the complex. He had tried another approach, this one more subtle than the previous ones. He had prepared a carefully selected gift: a set of jade hairpins with pearl inlays, elegant pieces any woman would appreciate.
Liling had looked at the case for exactly three seconds.
"I do not accept gifts from men with transparent motivations," she had said in a perfectly modulated voice, completely devoid of emotion. "I suggest you reserve your resources for someone who values them."
Then she had turned around and walked away, leaving him there with the case in his hands and a sense of humiliation that had taken weeks to dissipate.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The worst part had been seven months ago, when he had tried a different strategy. If he couldn't reach Liling directly, he reasoned, perhaps he could get closer through her sister. Xiao Yue was Liling's mistress, after all. Gaining the favor of one could open doors with the other.
It had been a disastrous plan from the start.
He remembered the conversation with Jin in the training courtyard. They had been discussing Xiao Yue, her stagnation in cultivation, and how little she contributed to the family.
"She's practically dead weight," Jin had said without any filter. "An heiress who doesn't advance, who doesn't participate in family politics, who doesn't even bother to show up at important events. What exactly is she good for?"
"Nothing at the moment," Zhen had replied with cold pragmatism. "But useless pieces sometimes become valuable if circumstances change. It's worth keeping an eye on her, if only to ensure she doesn't become a problem."
He hadn't noticed Liling standing in the adjacent corridor, partially hidden by a column. Not until she had stepped out of the shadows with a frozen expression.
"What an enlightening perspective on your sister, Young Master Xiao Zhen," she had said in a cutting voice. "Now I understand perfectly what kind of man you are."
He had tried to explain. But Liling had already left.
Since that day, her disdain had transformed into something more intense. Every time he tried to speak to her after that, her gaze turned to pure ice.
Months have passed since that incident, and she still looks at me like I'm trash.
"What are you thinking about?" Jin asked, pulling him out of his memories.
"Nothing important."
"Terrible liar. You have that face you make when you're replaying your failures."
Zhen didn't respond. Instead, he poured more tea into a clean cup and drank it slowly.
But lately, something has been different.
Over the last few days, he had noticed a pattern. Liling was coming and going from the kitchen with unusual frequency. It wasn't extraordinary in itself—personal maids often picked up food for their mistresses—but the quantity and consistency were striking.
Two days ago, he had decided to investigate. He had seen her leaving the kitchen with a large basket in her arms. He had approached cautiously, maintaining a respectful distance.
"Liling."
She had stopped but didn't turn around immediately. When she finally did, her expression was one of professional courtesy.
"Young Master Xiao Zhen."
"I see you're carrying abundant provisions."
"A shrewd observation." Her tone was neutral but with a barely perceptible hint of mockery.
Breathe. Stay calm.
"I was just wondering if you needed help. It looks heavy."
"I can handle it."
"I don't doubt your ability. I'm simply offering assistance."
Liling had looked at him then with those eyes that seemed to see right through his intentions.
"Young Master, I have been carrying baskets heavier than this since I was twelve years old. Your concern, while supposedly kind, is unnecessary."
"I understand. Even so..."
"Furthermore," she had continued in a colder voice, "I would prefer not to give the wrong impression by accepting favors from men whose motivations I know all too well."
The rejection had been surgically precise. Not rude enough to be disrespectful toward a blood member of the clan, but clear enough to leave no room for misinterpretation.
Zhen hadn't insisted. He knew his limits. Liling was by no means weak. In fact, her cultivation level, though modest compared to the serious disciples of the clan, was enough for her to carry that basket without any difficulty.
He had watched her walk away, her posture erect, her movements full of natural grace. The basket she carried contained fresh vegetables, quality cuts of meat, and several jars he hadn't been able to identify from his position.
Why so many provisions? Xiao Yue normally eats very little.
After Liling disappeared from sight, he had sought out one of the junior kitchen servants, a young man named Chao who, despite being new to the clan, had a reputation for being a gossip, willing to share rumors in exchange for a few copper coins.
"Do you know what all those provisions the maid Liling has been taking lately are for?" Zhen had asked as he slid two coins across the prep table.
Chao had looked at the coins, then at Zhen, and smiled with that expression of someone who knows they have valuable information.
"Ah, that. Yes, everyone in the kitchen has been commenting on it."
"And?"
"From what I know, a personal servant of the young lady Xiao Yue had an accident about a week ago. Doctor Chen had to treat him."
A personal servant. Xiao Yue has personal servants now.
"What kind of accident?"
Chao had shrugged.
"The details are vague. But what I do know is that the poor wretch turned out to have dead meridians from birth. Practically a cripple in terms of cultivation. He can't advance a single level."
Dead meridians. That's... unusual.
"And what happened to him?"
"That's the interesting part, Young Master. Young Lady Xiao Yue, in her infinite kindness, decided to move him to her personal quarters. He hasn't been seen since that day. As far as we know, she and the maid Liling are nursing him back to health."
The words had hit Zhen hard.
What?
"Are you sure about that?"
"Completely. One of the cooks was complaining because Liling has been requesting high-quality, nutritious, and easy-to-digest ingredients."
"And that servant is in Xiao Yue's pavilion? In her private quarters?"
"So it seems, Young Master."
Zhen had paid Chao and retreated, his mind spinning in multiple directions.
It makes no sense. Absolutely no sense.
He knew his sister. Or at least, he thought he did. Xiao Yue was cold to the point of appearing made of ice. Her reputation within the clan was that of a distant heiress who kept everyone at a considerable emotional distance. The servants who worked for her never lasted long. Not because she was cruel or abusive, but because her constant presence and coldness made working for her emotionally exhausting.
And I know that very well because I tried.
Years ago, when his interest in Liling had begun to turn into something more than fleeting curiosity, he had tried to place people he trusted near Xiao Yue. The logic was simple: if he had informants near his sister, he could find ways to interact with Liling more naturally. Besides, keeping an eye on Xiao Yue was a good family strategy anyway.
He had sent five different people over the course of two years. All of them had been fired within weeks. Some for minor incompetence, others with no explanation at all. Eventually, he had given up on the idea.
Xiao Yue does not tolerate anyone near her. She dismisses servants as easily as others breathe.
And now he was supposed to believe she had decided, of her own free will, to house a male servant in her private quarters? A man? In the personal space of the most inaccessible woman in all of Golden Carp City?
Impossible. There has to be a logical explanation.
Perhaps the servant was significantly older. An elderly man who had served the family for decades and deserved special care. That would make sense. Xiao Yue might act out of filial duty toward a loyal servant.
But then, why does no one know him? Chao said he knew nothing about him.
Or maybe the servant was exceptionally young. A child, perhaps. That would also explain the compassion. Even Xiao Yue might show mercy toward a wounded child.
But that doesn't explain why Liling is so involved in his care.
Liling was loyal to Xiao Yue to the point of devotion. That was common knowledge. But her dedication had practical limits. Caring for a wounded servant shouldn't require her constant attention unless there was something else going on.
What am I missing?
A heavy slap on his shoulder pulled him abruptly from his thoughts. Jin was looking at him with an amused expression.
"Brother, you're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"That trick of yours where you mentally vanish while your body stays sitting here. It's unsettling."
Zhen blinked. He had lost himself completely in his analysis. How much time had passed was uncertain.
"I was processing information."
"You were obsessing. There's a difference."
I am not obsessing. I am being meticulous.
"I've received interesting information about our sister."
Jin raised an eyebrow.
"About the walking iceberg? What could possibly be that interesting?"
"Apparently, she's decided to house a personal servant in her private quarters."
Jin's expression shifted from boredom to genuine surprise in an instant.
"What?"
"A male servant. He had some kind of accident. Blocked meridians or something. She moved him to her pavilion to recover."
Jin fell silent for a moment, processing the information.
"Our sister Xiao Yue, the woman who fires servants faster than a cultivator expels impure Qi, voluntarily decided to have a man living in her personal space?"
"Exactly."
"That's..."
"Incomprehensible," Zhen finished. "I know."
Jin leaned back in his chair, his expression pensive.
"And Liling is involved in this?"
"According to my sources, she's been caring for him alongside Xiao Yue. She's been making constant trips to the kitchen for special food."
That's why I've seen her so much lately.
Jin let out a low whistle.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
"Do you have a theory?"
"Several. None of them particularly pleasant."
Zhen waited. Jin had a tendency toward the dramatic, but his intuition was rarely wrong.
"Option one," Jin began, raising a finger, "the servant is someone significant. Maybe a secret contact, an ally, someone with valuable information. Xiao Yue is protecting him because she needs him."
Possible. But unlikely. Xiao Yue doesn't play family politics.
"Option two," Jin raised a second finger, "the servant has some kind of unique ability she values. Something that compensates for his dead meridians. Administrative talent, special knowledge, who knows."
More likely. But then, why the intense dedication?
"Option three," Jin raised a third finger with a malicious grin, "our cold and inaccessible sister has a weakness no one knew about. And that weakness is a handsome servant with broken meridians."
Zhen frowned.
"Ridiculous."
"Seriously? Is it any more ridiculous than any other explanation?"
Yes. Definitely yes.
"Xiao Yue is not that kind of person."
"And what kind of person is she exactly? Brother, none of us really knows her. She's been an enigma for years. For all we know, she could have a whole secret life we know nothing about."
No. That doesn't fit the data.
"The evidence doesn't support that theory."
"The evidence also doesn't support that she would house a man in her pavilion out of pure charity. Our sister isn't known for her generosity."
Zhen had no answer for that.
Damn it. He's right.
"I need more information," he said finally.
Jin gave him a warning look.
"Brother, you're going to do something stupid, aren't you?"
"I'm going to investigate. That isn't stupid."
"When it comes to Liling, all your investigations end up being stupid."
That is objectively false.
"It has nothing to do with Liling."
"Of course it does. Everything you do lately has to do with her. You're obsessed, brother. And honestly, it's about time you admit it and get over it."
Zhen clenched his jaw.
"I am not obsessed."
"You've spent six years—which you yourself admitted you're counting—chasing a woman who constantly rejects you. If that isn't obsession, I don't know what is."
"It's persistence."
"It's pathetic," Jin replied without cruelty, only with brutal honesty. "Look, brother, I won't lie to you. Liling is incredible."
Thank you for the unnecessary reminder.
"But here's the truth you need to hear: Liling isn't the only woman in the world. There are hundreds, probably thousands, of girls who would kill for the chance to be with a blood member of the Silver Cloud Clan. Beautiful, intelligent, interesting women. Women who would actually want you."
"It's not the same."
"Why not? Because Liling said no? Does that make her more desirable? Does it turn her into a prize you need to win?"
It's not that. It's... more complicated.
"You wouldn't understand."
Jin let out a short laugh.
"You're right. I don't understand. I've never understood why you waste so much time and energy on someone who clearly doesn't want you when you could be building something real with someone else."
Zhen remained silent. Jin's words resonated with an uncomfortable truth.
Maybe he's right. Maybe all this time I've been chasing something unattainable simply because it's unattainable.
"Think about it, brother," Jin continued in a softer voice. "What happens if you get her? What if by some miracle Liling decides that she actually likes you after all? Then what? Does all that tension and obsession just vanish? Or do you find out that the real person doesn't match the fantasy you've built for six years?"
It's not a fantasy. I know exactly who Liling is.
"I know her better than you think."
"Really? What's her favorite food? What does she like to do in her spare time? What are her ambitions, her fears, her dreams? Do you know any of that?"
Zhen opened his mouth to answer and stopped.
I don't. I don't know any of that.
"Exactly," Jin said as if he had read his mind. "You're obsessed with an image, not a person. And meanwhile, there's a mysterious servant living in our sister's pavilion who, for some reason, has managed to capture the attention of both women in ways you never could."
The observation was like a knife between the ribs.
A servant. A damn servant without functioning meridians achieved in days what I haven't been able to achieve in years.
"Who is he?" Zhen murmured, more to himself than to Jin.
"That," Jin replied as he stood up and stretched his arms, "is the right question. And honestly, brother, I think you should find out. Because if a common servant managed to get close enough to Xiao Yue to live in her pavilion, then clearly there's something about our sister we don't understand."
You're right. And I can't afford not to understand something so significant.
Zhen stood up, leaving his half-finished cup of tea on the table.
"I'm going to find out."
"Of course you are. But do me a favor, brother."
"What?"
Jin looked him directly in the eye.
"When you find out, try not to let your bruised ego make you do something stupid. This clan doesn't need any more internal drama than it already has."
"I won't do anything stupid."
"That's exactly what someone about to do something stupid would say."
Zhen didn't respond. He was already walking toward the garden exit, his mind processing plans and possibilities.