---
Meanwhile in Su Wanning's courtyard…
The night stretched on, cold and endless.
Even after leaving Orchid Pavilion, Shen Yulan remained unsettled. Her head nestled on the embroidered pillow beside Su Wanning's, but her limbs twitched beneath the covers, and her breathing never fully calmed. She mumbled incoherently in her sleep—broken fragments of "red veil," "mirror," and "blood"—barely audible, but enough for Su Wanning to remain half-awake beside her.
The hours dragged.
It was only well past midnight that Shen Yulan finally drifted into what seemed like deep slumber, her chest rising and falling evenly. The candles in Su Wanning's chamber had long since been snuffed, leaving the room bathed in the pale, colorless glow of pre-dawn.
And then—
A choked scream.
Shen Yulan jolted upright, eyes wide, hair wild and sticking to her sweat-slicked face. Her arms flailed, tangling in the bedcovers like they were chains binding her limbs. She thrashed violently, her breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps.
"No—no, she was here! The veil, she—she touched me!" Shen Yulan cried, clawing at her neck as though trying to tear something away.
Su Wanning was already out of bed, her heart hammering as she grabbed her daughter by the shoulders. "Yulan! Look at me. It's just a dream! Wake up, child!"
But Shen Yulan wouldn't stop screaming.
"She was burning—Mother, she was burning! Her fingers were like ash, and she touched my face! I felt it—I felt it!"
"Enough!" Su Wanning shook her hard, once, then again. "You are not a child. It's just a nightmare."
But her grip trembled.
Xiao Yue and Xiao Tong came rushing in, still in their sleep robes, faces pale in the low candlelight. They stared at Shen Yulan with eyes wide, unsure whether to move closer or not.
"She's possessed," Xiao Tong whispered, backing a step toward the door. "She's really—"
"Silence!" Su Wanning snapped. Her voice cracked like a whip across the room.
She turned back to Shen Yulan, who had curled in on herself now, sobbing against the covers. Her nails had left red welts across her collarbone, and her eyes darted from shadow to shadow, unable to settle.
"She kept saying something, madam," Xiao Yue said hesitantly. "Something about… mirrors. And a voice that sounded like hers but wasn't hers."
Su Wanning's brows furrowed. That detail was too specific. Too intentional. Her thoughts spun.
Mirrors.
The red veil.
A voice that wasn't hers…
No. This wasn't a random fright. This was definitely methodical. It was clerly planted—layer by layer—into her daughter's mind like a seed taking root.
And if she was not wrong, then it was planted by wretched girl.
Shen Yuhan.
Su Wanning's jaw tightened.
"Bring in the monk at once," she said, each word clipped and icy. "And send the words back to Su residence, ask my eldest brother to come and see me. I want them here by midmorning."
"Yes, madam," Xiao Yue said quickly.
"And you," Su Wanning pointed at Xiao Tong, "take care of servants and gaurds in the Residence. Threatened them or bribe them, make sure they keep their eyes and ears closed. If even a bit of this incident got out of this residence, I'll make sure none of have it easy. Did you hear me?"
Xiao Tong paled and bowed low. "Yes, madam."
Su Wanning turned her attention back to Shen Yulan, whose sobs had quieted to low whimpers.
She smoothed her daughter's hair back gently, but her eyes remained sharp, calculating.
"Yulan," she said softly, "look at me."
Shen Yulan looked up, dazed. Her eyes were red-rimmed, haunted.
"We will end this," Su Wanning said. "I promise you. Whatever specter Shen Yuhan has conjured, whatever madness she thinks she can spin—we will snuff it out."
Her words were soothing, but behind her eyes burned a quiet fury. She would not allow herself to be toyed with in this manner.
She had not clawed her way to power in the Shen household just to be made into a fool by the girl she once dismissed.
And if Shen Yuhan wanted to play with shadows?
Then Su Wanning would teach her what it meant to be consumed by them.
---
Inside the Osmanthus Courtyard...
After finishing her morning training session, Shen Yuhan freshened up and took a seat at the dining table.
Ah Zhu had prepared her a modest but well-balanced breakfast—plain steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and a thin millet porridge still steaming faintly. Ming'er poured her a warm cup of tea while standing to the side, glancing occasionally toward the doors as if expecting news.
Munching on a bun, Shen Yuhan let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "It's really boring to eat such bland breakfast every day. I wonder when our days of wealth will come. Sigh."
Ah Zhu, ever unflustered, poured another spoonful of sugar into the porridge. "Wealth comes to those with patience, miss. Right now, safety is worth more than gold."
Ming'er giggled softly, catching the teasing tone beneath her mistress's words. "Didn't you say last night that watching others lose sleep while we rest peacefully was the best kind of wealth?"
Shen Yuhan smiled faintly, lifting her cup. "I did. And I stand by it."
She took a sip of tea and turned her gaze toward the window. "The monk arrived this morning, didn't he?"
"Yes, miss," Ah Zhu said, placing a fresh bun on her plate. "They brought him in through the back gate before the sun rose. Su Wanning had servants waiting. It's said he's from Mount Chanyi—famous for spiritual rites and warding off vengeful spirits."
"How convenient," Shen Yuhan murmured, chewing slowly. "The moment the madness can no longer be ignored, a savior appears from the mist."
Ming'er leaned closer. "Should we… be worried? About retaliation?"
"Oh, undoubtedly," Shen Yuhan said calmly. "Su Wanning's not the type to swallow humiliation quietly. And now that she's certain I'm behind Yulan's nightmares, she'll retaliate—but not immediately. She'll try to reclaim the board before striking."
She dipped a piece of bun into the porridge, unhurried.
"That means we've bought ourselves some time. Let her waste it chasing ghosts and hiring monks. The more she grasps at shadows, the more unbalanced she becomes. And the more she burns incense, the more frightened Yulan will grow. They'll both dig their own graves if left long enough."
Ah Zhu added with a straight face, "And if not, we can always help dig a little deeper."
Shen Yuhan chuckled. "Exactly."