Early morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Xu Wan woke up, rubbing her bleary eyes. As she lifted her hand, she realized she hadn’t even changed out of her clothes, yet she had slept the entire night tucked under the covers.
Huh?
Hadn’t she been sitting by the bed last night, waiting for Zong Zhao?
"Madam, you're awake," Cui Zhi entered, carrying a basin of water.
Xu Wan pushed back the covers, slipping on her shoes as she replied, "Did… did my husband not return last night?"
"Ah?" Cui Zhi looked surprised. "He did! He came back before 11 pm - 1 am. Didn’t you notice, Madam?"
Xu Wan’s eyes widened. She quickly glanced back at the bed—she had been lying right in the middle, with no trace of another person. "I must have fallen asleep. I don’t remember anything."
Cui Zhi suddenly understood and chuckled. "Then the Young Marquis must have chosen not to wake you. No wonder we waited outside all night without hearing a single sound from the room."
Xu Wan: "..."
What were they waiting for? What did she mean by "no sound"? And why did Cui Zhi have to say it to her face like that? How mortifying!!
Xu Wan stood up and scanned the room. There was no daybed or reclining chair—only a single chair by the desk.
She walked over and saw a sheet of paper on the table with three bold characters written on it:
"Return by month’s end."
The handwriting was neat, dignified, and forceful—Zong Zhao’s.
Had he slept here last night?
A strange feeling stirred in Xu Wan’s heart. In this era where husbands were supreme, wives were expected to rise early and retire late to serve their spouses. When had there ever been a husband who chose to sleep uncomfortably at a desk just to avoid disturbing his wife’s rest?
What kind of man was Zong Zhao, really…?
Xu Wan couldn’t make sense of it. She turned to Cui Zhi and said, "My husband has gone out on business. He left a note saying he’ll return by the end of the month. Send word to his parents. Also, take down all the red decorations in the room—they’re making me dizzy."
"Yes, Madam."
Only after the room was restored to its familiar appearance did Xu Wan’s tense heart finally settle.
"Mother, where’s Father?" The little troublemaker, Zong Jincheng, bounded in excitedly, looking around.
Xu Wan waved the note in her hand and said airily, "Gone."
"Ah!! How could he leave??" Zong Jincheng gasped and rushed over. After reading the note, he let out a relieved sigh. "Oh, he’s coming back at the end of the month. You scared me! I thought he was going to disappear for years again."
Xu Wan chuckled. "Last time was called ‘missing,’ not ‘disappearing for years.’ Who in their right mind wouldn’t come home for so long?"
The little troublemaker nodded. "Good point. Then I’ll keep waiting for him. Heehee!"
"By the way, hasn’t He Zheng returned yet?" Xu Wan asked.
Zong Jincheng shook his head. "Nope. No idea what’s going on at his house. Maybe his family member is really sick?"
"Then we’ll just have to wait a little longer," Xu Wan said.
Zong Jincheng suddenly brightened. "Oh! I should write He Zheng a letter to tell him my father’s back! Hahaha—"
The little rascal dashed off before he even finished speaking.
Xu Wan sighed in amusement. "So impulsive. That kid has endless energy."
By evening,
The maids carried in clothes and items that the old madam had specially ordered for Zong Zhao, filling the room bit by bit. Xu Wan sat and watched them work, observing as the once-spacious room gradually became crowded with another person’s belongings. Soon, that person would be sharing her daily life.
Xu Wan thought to herself: Stay calm, stay calm. It’s just like having a roommate.
Every student in her elite class had one!
But ever since she started thinking of Zong Zhao as a "roommate," Xu Wan’s mood grew increasingly serene. She even took charge of arranging the items, organizing the room until it was packed to the brim.
She sighed. "The joy of having a big bedroom to myself is about to vanish…"
Three days later, Zong Jincheng couldn’t sit still any longer.
He rushed in, frantic. "Mother! I wrote He Zheng a letter, but it’s been three days and he still hasn’t replied!"
Xu Wan said, "Perhaps he’s been delayed by something."
Zong Jincheng shook his head vehemently. "No way! He Zheng cares about me more than anything. Even if he skipped meals and sleep, he’d make time to write back. This isn’t normal—did something happen to him?"
Xu Wan frowned. "He Zheng went back to his own home. What could possibly happen?"
Zong Jincheng fretted, "Did his father beat him again? Maybe he’s too hurt to write!"
Xu Wan stiffened.
That… wasn’t impossible.
Seeing her reaction, Zong Jincheng immediately turned to leave, muttering, "I’m going to Minister He's Mansion to check on my brother. What’s going on? Three whole days without a reply…"
"I’ll go with you," Xu Wan said, catching up to him. The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt—especially considering how Madam He had acted when she took He Zheng away. Something was off.
"Alright!"
Mother and son boarded the carriage and set off for Minister He's Mansion.
At the He residence,
Madam He, upon hearing of Xu Wan and Zong Jincheng’s arrival, hurried to receive them in the main hall. Meanwhile, in a small courtyard, He Zheng also got the news.
Overjoyed, he ran to the door, pounding on it as he shouted, "Jincheng! Auntie! They’ve come for me! Open the door! Let me out! Let me out!"
He had been locked in this room for five days.
During those five days, he had scoured history books, studying the reasons entire families had been implicated in the past. Combined with recent news from the capital and Jincheng’s situation, he had pieced it together.
The person his father feared was Luo Jingfeng.
Because the Great General of Pacifying the West was about to return to the capital, his father couldn’t risk letting him remain friends with Jincheng, who had once offended Luo Jingfeng. Otherwise, Luo Jingfeng might hold a grudge against his father too.
But why? Why did it have to be so cruel—taking away his best friend?
"Let me out! I want to see Father! I want to see Father!" He Zheng continued pounding on the door.
He hadn’t expected an answer, but to his surprise, Minister He actually appeared.
The door swung open, and Minister He stood silhouetted against the light, his expression unreadable.
"Father!" He Zheng cried out, immediately launching into the debating skills he’d honed in the elite class. "I understand what you’re worried about now, but I think you’re overreacting. Jincheng is just a child—if anything, he was the one bullied by Luo Jingfeng. A Great General wouldn’t stoop to holding a grudge against a child. It’s been almost two years since Luo Jingfeng left for war—he’s probably forgotten all about Jincheng by now—"
Minister He cut him off. "Zong Zhao has returned."
In his hand was the letter Jincheng had written to He Zheng.
He Zheng took it, staring at Jincheng’s handwriting in shock. "Jincheng’s father…"
Minister He’s voice came from above. "Before, when Zong Zhao was missing, the Yangyuan Marquis Manor was just a house of women, children, and the elderly—they couldn’t do anything. But now? Zong Jincheng’s father is back. Do you think he’ll let it slide that his son was nearly strangled to death by Luo Jingfeng?"
Minister He knew how much He Zheng had matured over the past two years, so he didn’t treat him like a child anymore—laying everything out plainly.
He Zheng shook his head. "No, that’s not how it is. Even the Crown Prince wouldn’t dare provoke Luo Jingfeng. Uncle Zong wouldn’t either."
"Of course he dares. He even managed to rescue the Crown Prince. Zong Zhao is both a scholar and a warrior, having grown up alongside the Crown Prince. Naturally, he would strategize for him to overthrow the Luo family—this is something everyone anticipated." Minister He spoke with rare calmness. "Do not wade into these troubled waters. The consequences would be too grave for our family to bear."
