Chapter 70

Not Knowing What's Good for Them

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Chao." The steward loathed the sight of him but had no choice but to maintain a pleasant expression. "Where are you heading?"

"I heard last night, when Young Master Chen You was walking me back, that the second young master is unwell." Chao Musheng smiled. "He went out of his way to welcome me when I first arrived, so I wanted to look in on him."

The steward only now noticed the gift box being carried by the bodyguards behind Chao Musheng. He smiled without warmth. "Mr. Chao's thoughtfulness is appreciated — but the second young master is resting, and I must ask you to return another time."

"Hmm?" Chao Musheng frowned and looked the steward over from head to foot.

That gaze was unsettling in a way the steward couldn't explain. He stepped back. "Mr. Chao — please speak plainly."

"It's perfectly true that you've worked at Chen Garden for many years. But isn't it a little inappropriate for a staff member to make decisions on the employer's behalf?" Chao Musheng opened his phone. "I messaged Miss Chen just now, and she said she'd wait for me at the Listening Wind Pavilion and accompany me to see the second young master."

The steward's face went rigid. He'd forgotten about the young lady.

"Steward." Chao Musheng sighed, and his look toward the steward carried something between disappointment and reproach. "You enjoy Master Chen's deep trust. How could you treat his beloved grandchildren this way?"

That sentence left the steward speechless with suppressed indignation. What does some ignorant young man know about anything?

Normally, when a servant was caught behaving badly toward a master's family in front of a guest, the response would be defensiveness or anxiety. But Xiao He, watching the steward's face, saw only resentment and displeasure being forcibly contained — not a trace of actual fear that Master Chen might hear about this.

Which meant the steward's standing with Master Chen was secure enough that he didn't need to worry.

Dynastic families had such cold versions of affection.

Xiao He, from an ordinary household, found this entirely beyond comprehension.

"You've misunderstood, Mr. Chao — these are the master's own instructions." The steward rearranged his expression and continued smiling. "The young lady is young and doesn't know how to look after the sick."

"Steward." The smile dropped from Chao Musheng's face. "Are you speaking obliquely at me?"

"I — what?" The steward was genuinely baffled. What had he said?

"Miss Chen and I are the same age." Chao Musheng drew out the syllable with deliberate edge. "Of course — I'm only a small assistant to a company president. Hardly comparable to the prestige of Chen Garden's head steward."

He turned and walked away without a backward glance. The bodyguards looked at the steward for a moment, then followed — the look they gave him was not especially friendly.

"What did he mean by that?!" The steward had never felt more unjustly wronged in his life. He hadn't said anything, and somehow he'd caused offense?

"Who does he think he is — Xu Chenzhu's own son, with that temperament?" Having been snubbed in front of the other servants, he struggled to maintain his dignity. He muttered fragments about "the Chen family" and "young people" and "no idea of their place," but couldn't bring himself to say any of it at full volume.

Getting on the wrong side of Chao Musheng was a variable-risk situation. He had to let Master Chen know.

With that weighing on him, he had no patience left for further instructions to You Jiu and Xiao He. He told them to stand watch at the wooden building that night and left in a hurry.

After the steward was gone, Xiao He was the first to smile at You Jiu.

For someone like You Jiu, who had learned never to make unnecessary enemies of any NPC in any instance, a few easy exchanges were almost instinctive. Within minutes he and Xiao He were chatting comfortably, and had even begun working out a schedule for dividing the overnight watch.

When Xiao He had entirely forgotten the steward's instruction that both of them should stand watch together, You Jiu allowed himself a quiet smile. He was particular about intelligence — moments like this were the only times he had any use for people who weren't.

*

"There's something off about this Xiao He." After You Jiu and Xiao He had also gone, Curly Hair and Tiger emerged from behind the rockery. She made a show of helping Tiger clean up the cuttings on the ground. "When Xiao Chao appeared just now, he kept sneaking looks. His expression..."

She looked sideways at Tiger. "The same way you look at Xiao Chao."

Xiao Chao had clearly been picking a fight with the steward on purpose. Xiao He was supposed to be the steward's man — and instead of being annoyed on the steward's behalf, his eyes had lit up.

Completely a double agent.

"Curly Hair's eyes are as sharp as ever." Tiger gave her a thumbs up and said quietly: "That one is an undercover officer. Police, from the look of it. New, though."

New and reckless — going alone into the estate in the middle of the night. If Tiger hadn't tipped off Xiao Chao, the kid would have been caught by the Chen people with his very rudimentary skill set.

"Ah." Curly Hair considered this. She now had a rough idea of who to hand over the information she'd been gathering.

*

Chao Musheng spent the better part of the morning walking Chen Garden's paths with his displeasure written clearly across his face. Other guests, whether out of genuine courtesy or a desire to stay on Kunlun's good side, naturally inquired.

And from asking, they learned: Mr. Chao, hearing that the second young master was unwell, had brought gifts and gone to pay his respects — only to be subtly blocked by the Chen Garden steward, who implied Chao Musheng was being intrusive and didn't understand how to consider the patient's comfort.

The guests were scandalized. Not even Kunlun's chief assistant was worth basic respect, apparently. The nerve.

*

"Mr. Chao." Chen Yue spotted him coming from some distance and came out to meet him.

"I apologize — I ran into your steward on the way and was delayed." Chao Musheng had never been in the residential wing before. Compared to the guest areas, it was more densely built and considerably more elaborate in its feng shui arrangements.

"It doesn't matter — my second brother only just woke up." Chen Yue led him into Chen Fang's courtyard, which was notable for the jarringly modern objects scattered around it.

He stepped inside and found a thin woman in a wheelchair.

"Mom — you came?" Chen Yue moved quickly to the woman's side and crouched to speak with her.

"I heard Xiao Fang was ill and couldn't settle. I wanted to see for myself." The woman had a quietly scholarly quality when she smiled. She looked up at Chao Musheng. "Mr. Chao — please, sit down."

"Hello, Auntie. I heard the second young master was sick and wanted to come by." Chao Musheng looked toward the bed, where Chen Fang lay without energy, two medical staff at his side removing the IV line from the back of his hand.

"Mr. Chao." Even like this, Chen Fang still managed a greeting.

"This is quite serious." Chao Musheng looked at Chen Fang's yellowish complexion, reddened whites of his eyes, unfocused gaze. "Why hasn't he been taken to the hospital?"

"Tomorrow is Grandfather's sixty-ninth birthday — going to the hospital now would be inauspicious. Grandfather would be unhappy." Chen Yue explained: "The doctor has already examined him. It's an ordinary cold — rest for a day or two and he'll be fine."

What did going to a hospital have to do with a birthday?

Chao Musheng couldn't comprehend it, and made no attempt to pretend otherwise.

"I can see now — this is why the steward stopped me on the way here. He was trying to protect your rest." Chao Musheng set the gift box on the table and turned to Chen Fang with an apology. "I'm sorry — I thought the steward had something against me personally and was being deliberately obstructive. I had no idea you were this ill."

The steward stopped Chao Musheng from visiting?

Whatever fog had been in Chen Fang's head cleared with an almost audible snap. He was not a good-tempered person under ordinary circumstances; ill, his temper was even harder to hold. "Mr. Chao — that was entirely deliberate on his part. Don't doubt yourself."

In the ordinary run of things, the steward used his years of standing with Grandfather as license to act with more authority than Chen Fang himself. And Chen You loved to flatter the man on top of it. That steward blocking Chao Musheng from visiting — wasn't that exactly the kind of thing he'd do, to make Chen You look better by contrast?

Seeing Chen Fang's fury building, Chao Musheng had half a thought to add another remark and let the pressure build — but the state of him gave him pause. The risk of Chen Fang keeling over in a fit of anger wasn't entirely theoretical. He relented: "Second young master — your health comes first."

"I knew something was off. Not a single person has come to check on me since last night." Chen Fang worked himself upright, preparing to get out of bed and find the steward.

He made it approximately two steps before doubling over the waste bin. His face, already yellowish, went distinctly waxy.

The two medical staff guided him back into bed and administered an injection of something; within moments he had gone quiet and was asleep.

"Mr. Chao — our family situation is rather complicated. I'm afraid you've seen something embarrassing." Chen Fang's mother had a gentle manner. She asked Chen Yue to stay and look after him, and moved to see Chao Musheng out herself.

At the bottom of the entry steps, where the path flattened into a slope, she was adjusting the speed of her chair when she felt Chao Musheng's hands take hold of the handles behind her.

"Thank you." She looked back.

"Please don't mention it, Auntie." He steered the wheelchair onto flat ground before letting go.

A breeze came through. It lifted the ends of his hair and his shirt hem — the particular freshness of someone young enough that you couldn't help looking.

She watched him in the sunlight. "I hear from Yueyue that Mr. Chao is Professor Song's son?"

"My father mentioned that Miss Chen is very diligent in her studies."

She smiled. Complimenting a person's child was the universal social lubricant, but coming from Xiao Chao it somehow read as genuine. "She's never given me cause to worry."

"It's rare to have you visit — please stay for tea." She paused. "My legs aren't what they were. I don't often have company."

"It's my honor, Auntie."

A soft-hearted child. As expected.

She led Chao Musheng to a small pavilion. A small stove on the table had tea brewing; arranged around it were pieces of fruit and snacks being gently toasted.

"Yueyue doesn't like the grown-up teas — she prefers milk tea, and toasted dried fruit." She poured a cup and held it out. Inside: sweet, creamy milk tea. "Would you try it?"

"Very good." He took a sip. The tea flavor was mild, the sweetness just right.

She smiled at the response. She passed him some toasted peanuts. "After the accident, I stopped going out much. I just tinker with things like this at home."

One side of the peanuts was a little overdone — a faint smokiness to them.

Chao Musheng looked at the thin blanket over her legs and thought of Shen Ran, who still had weeks of recovery ahead before he could step back onto any stage.

"I should mention — your mother and I were in the same year at school." She looked at the lines of his face with something warm in her eyes. "Your eyes and nose — you look very like her."

"You know my mother?" He was genuinely surprised.

"One-sidedly." She smiled. "Chao Yin was a well-known figure in our year. Many people admired her — men and women alike."

She told him a few stories from those school years, and pressed a piece of toasted rice cake into his hand. "Whether at school or in her career — she was always that brilliant."

Watching Chao Musheng listen with obvious pleasure, and seeing pride in his expression at the mention of his mother, her mood became complex.

They must have a wonderful relationship.

"It's almost time for lunch." When the milk tea was finished, Chao Musheng found a natural moment. "I should get back."

"Of course." She stilled the hand that had been about to pour another cup, and walked him to the courtyard gate. "There are a lot of snakes and rodents in Chen Garden in summer. If you go out at night, Mr. Chao — do take extra bodyguards. Don't go alone."

She paused, and added: "The north courtyard especially — there are more neglected areas there, and all manner of insects and creatures tend to gather."

Chao Musheng looked at her face, still carrying its pleasant expression, and nodded slowly. "Thank you for the warning, Auntie. I'll remember."

*

Night fell again. Perhaps from sleeping too late the previous night, Chao Musheng lay awake.

A black shape crept through the room and launched itself at him with full commitment.

"Ink Blob." He caught it one-handed. "Trying to sneak onto the bed again."

"Meow!"

Ink Blob held his gaze with perfect composure.

Human. The King is conducting a patrol of the territory. There is no time for your disruptions.

"Honestly." Chao Musheng found a small towel, wiped Ink Blob's paws clean, and carried it out to the upstairs balcony for some air.

"Mrrr." Ink Blob placed a paw on his shoulder and began patting — alternating paws, leisurely.

Holding this small warm weight, Chao Musheng patted himself down and realized he was in his sleep clothes. No lollipop.

"Still not asleep?" Xu Chenzhu appeared beside him, bringing with him the familiar clean scent of green leaves.

"I've been thinking about the Chen family." Chao Musheng ran his hand along Ink Blob's back. "When I was leaving Chen Fang's courtyard today — his mother hinted that I should keep away from the north courtyard."

"Every powerful household has its share of secrets. I know I should mind my own business." He leaned against the railing, looking out with a lazy calm that didn't quite match the thought beneath it. "But there's something about this estate I can't stop turning over."

That was why he'd gone out to the wooden building at midnight. That was why he'd been looking for things to find.

"If it bothers you, it means something is wrong." Xu Chenzhu held out a lollipop, already unwrapped.

Chao Musheng looked at it without moving his hands, opened his mouth, and took it directly.

Still orange flavor.

Xu Chenzhu reached over and scratched Ink Blob behind the ear. "Ink Blob has been sneaking into your room again?"

"It's a clingy cat." Chao Musheng spoke around the lollipop, voice a little muffled. "A few years ago I rescued something else that was very clingy — but I was young then, and didn't know how to take proper care of something. So eventually it disappeared."

The night breeze was cool. Xu Chenzhu curled his fingers.

"It didn't know what was good for it."