A trial at the age of ten

Soon after, a maid arrived to arrange a room for Qin Shi. Mingyue seized the opportunity to question one of them, “What happened to your young mistress?”

The maid answered earnestly, “Miss, we don’t have a young mistress.”

Her sincerity only left Mingyue more puzzled. She switched to another question, “I mean the one your master is fond of?”

At this, the maid’s gaze darted away, and her previous smile faded. She stammered, “Oh, her… I’m not quite sure, but I think she’s probably dead…” With that, she hurried off, as if afraid Mingyue would press her further.

“What do you think, who exactly is this woman?” Mingyue asked, gesturing in the direction the maid had left, though both in the room knew whom she meant.

Qin Shi shook his head calmly and replied in a cool tone, “The master doesn’t know, and as I’ve just arrived, how could I? Along the way, I’ve heard no rumors of the head of Gentleman’s Hall ever having a wife.”

Mingyue scratched her head and retreated to her own room. As usual, supper was delivered by the maids, making it clear that the Jun family did not wish Mingyue and Qin Shi to appear openly at Gentleman’s Hall. That night, Mingyue tossed and turned on her bed, unable to sleep, and finally knocked on the wall separating her from Qin Shi.

After a short while, Qin Shi pushed open the door and entered, only to be greeted by Mingyue’s rebuke.

“Next time, remember to knock before you come in!”

With that, Mingyue strode out. She and Qin Shi shared a small courtyard with three rooms. Mingyue had noticed earlier that morning, when they went to see Jun Xiao, that the courtyard was tucked away in a remote corner of the Gentleman’s Hall’s back garden. It wasn’t near any other place, and even if they wanted to go out, it would take quite a detour. At the gate, Mingyue beckoned to Qin Shi, “Since Jun Yi and the maids won’t talk, let’s go meet the person at the heart of this story ourselves.”

“If you seek the Thread of Longing, will you not be told the truth when the time comes?”

Mingyue shook her head. “Given the state of the Jun family, who knows if Jun Xiao will speak frankly? If he lies, the ones who suffer will be us two. I have no desire to repeat what we went through before. Tonight, let’s investigate first. If Jun Xiao is willing to talk, all the better; if not, I’ll dig out the truth myself!”

Instead of heading straight along the morning’s route to the main hall, Mingyue took a side path into a secluded bamboo grove. Beyond the bamboo was a tranquil lake, and Mingyue and Qin Shi stood on the shore, able to see, across the water pavilion, a tall man in black standing with his back to them. Mingyue fancied herself a martial artist, imagining she could stride across the water to approach him, but reality forced her to walk around most of the lake to enter the pavilion.

“Master Jun.”

Jun Xiao’s surprise at seeing Mingyue and Qin Shi lasted only a moment before his cold composure returned. He looked back at the water and asked, “It’s late—why are you both still wandering outside?”

“To be honest, it’s because I’m still confused,” Mingyue replied, sitting down unceremoniously and tapping her fingers on the stone table. “May I ask why Master Jun needs the Thread of Longing?”

Jun Xiao countered gravely, “Is that necessary, Miss Mingyue?”

Her dark eyes flickered as she waved her hand with a smile, “No need for formality, just call me Mingyue. As for your question, it’s certainly necessary. Since you had someone invite me here, you must understand something about the Thread of Longing. The risks aren’t small, but not overwhelming either. Still, if anything goes wrong, the loss to Gentleman’s Hall would be great.”

Jun Xiao snorted and turned around, noticing the glass lamp in Qin Shi’s hand. “Is this the servant you mentioned?”

“That’s right.” Mingyue patted Qin Shi’s arm. “Without him, I couldn’t manage.”

Jun Xiao nodded. Perhaps influenced by the soul lamp, his expression softened, and after a long silence, he said, “She passed away from illness half a year ago.”

Illness, again? Mingyue’s heart skipped a beat, and she muttered, “Why are so many dying of illness?”

“What did you say?”

Mingyue quickly waved her hand. “Nothing. Was it your wife?”

“We knew each other for four years and were together for three. She was the only beloved wife of my life.”

Mingyue stared unblinkingly at Jun Xiao’s face. She saw genuine grief, but before he answered, a hint of hesitation crossed his brow, and he didn’t reply directly at first, only adding the last sentence later.

So Mingyue asked again, “May I ask where your wife was from?”

“What difference does it make?” Jun Xiao’s tone was heavy, tinged with impatience.

“Please don’t be angry, Master Jun. I need to know a few things in advance to make a proper judgment.” Mingyue waved her hand with a smile. “Since you’re unwilling to elaborate, then please grant me half a month more. In half a month, I’ll formally begin with you.”

With that, Mingyue pulled Qin Shi to retrace their steps. Halfway, she heard Jun Xiao call out behind them, “No, she wasn’t local…”

Mingyue didn’t stop, but once they were back in the little courtyard, she couldn’t help sighing, “What are we supposed to make of this situation? It’s one thing for others to be evasive, but even Jun Xiao can’t answer directly—why can’t he be more forthright?”

“Didn’t you already expect he wouldn’t tell the truth?”

“It’s still frustrating! If we learn nothing in the next half month, we should drop this business altogether and flee back to Yinzhou.” Mingyue ruffled her hair, grumbled, and ran back to her room.

Early the next morning, Mingyue awoke groggily to voices outside—it seemed Qin Shi was speaking with someone.

“Does Mingyue have any other family in Yinzhou?”

“No.”

“Has she married?”

“I don’t know.”

“Does she have someone she loves?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do you know about her?”

Qin Shi fell silent. Mingyue, turning in bed, smiled to herself. Who was questioning her and ended up asking Qin Shi? Qin Shi had lost his memory, and had only been by her side for four months—what could he possibly know? Wait…someone was inquiring about her? Who would so openly ask about her? Mingyue instantly woke up, grabbed her outer garments, and hurried outside.

In the courtyard, Jun Yi and Qin Shi stood side by side in the gentle morning sun. One was smiling, handsome and radiant; the other, with pursed lips and lowered brows, slim and refined. Mingyue watched for a while, then decided that her Qin Shi was the more comfortable and endearing one. Just as she was about to close the door and return to sleep, Jun Yi flicked open his folding fan and laughed, “Is Mingyue so eager to see me? You didn’t even bother to fix your hair before coming out.”