Jiang Chen's legs burned by the time the Jiang estate came into view.
The manor sat behind a tall wooden wall, its gates marked by a faded family crest — a half-withered plum blossom carved into rotting wood. Two guards in plain armor leaned against the post, chatting idly, barely paying attention to the road.
Neither of them looked his way until he was a dozen steps from the gate.
Then one of them frowned.
"Is that…?"
The second guard straightened, squinting.
Jiang Chen didn't slow down.
The first guard stepped forward, crossing his spear in front of him. "Young Master Jiang…?"
His voice sounded unsure, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Jiang Chen met his gaze. "Open the gate."
The man hesitated. "We… we thought you were…"
"Dead?" Jiang Chen finished for him. His voice came out calm. Flat.
The guards exchanged a glance.
Jiang Chen stared at them until the first one swallowed hard and turned to knock on the gate twice.
A moment later, the heavy doors groaned open.
Jiang Chen stepped inside without waiting for an invitation.
The Jiang courtyard looked smaller than he remembered from this body's memories.
A pair of servant girls sweeping the stone path froze when they saw him. One of them dropped her broom.
Another servant, hauling a water bucket, blinked twice — then spun on his heel and ran toward the inner house like a dog with its tail tucked.
So they really thought I'd die out there, Jiang Chen thought.
He kept walking.
The servants stayed out of his way. Some whispered. Most stared.
He didn't bother looking at them.
He headed straight for the main hall.
The doors were half open when he reached them.
Inside, three men sat around a low table — his father, Jiang Wei; his eldest brother, Jiang Yun; and his second brother, Jiang Ming.
Jiang Wei sat at the head, dressed in deep blue robes that had seen better years. His face looked like carved stone — sharp lines, hard eyes, no warmth.
Jiang Yun sat to the right. Broad-shouldered, arms crossed, face blank. The picture of a perfect heir.
Jiang Ming sat to the left, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he sipped tea like he owned the room.
The moment Jiang Chen stepped inside, all three of them stopped talking.
Silence settled over the hall like a weight.
Jiang Wei's eyes narrowed. "You're alive."
Jiang Chen met his father's gaze. "It would seem so."
Jiang Yun gave a quiet snort. Jiang Ming set his cup down with a soft clink.
"No thanks to your family," Jiang Chen added. His tone stayed even.
Jiang Wei's face didn't change. "You've always been weak."
Jiang Chen gave a slow nod. "And yet, here I stand."
His father's eyes flickered, just for a heartbeat.
Jiang Yun leaned forward. "You should've stayed in that alley."
Jiang Chen looked at him. "You should've made sure I didn't get up."
Jiang Ming chuckled under his breath.
Jiang Wei raised a hand, and the room went silent again.
"Why are you here?" Jiang Wei asked.
Jiang Chen stepped forward, closing the distance until he stood just short of the table. "I live here."
"You've been a disgrace to this family since the day you were born," Jiang Wei said coldly. "Your presence brings shame."
Jiang Chen kept his voice calm. "Then you should've done a better job raising your sons."
Jiang Ming's smile faded. Jiang Yun's fists clenched.
For a moment, Jiang Wei said nothing. Then he exhaled, slow and sharp.
"You've grown a tongue."
Jiang Chen didn't blink. "I've grown tired of being beaten like a dog."
Jiang Wei stood. "Watch yourself, boy. You have nothing. No power. No future. You are a stain on this family's name."
Jiang Chen met his father's gaze evenly. "Not for long."
The old man's eyes narrowed into thin slits.
Jiang Yun stood. "You think you're going to become something? You're a cripple."
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "So I've been told."
"You're not welcome here," Jiang Wei said.
Jiang Chen shrugged. "I'm not here for your welcome. I'm here for what's mine."
"And what would that be?" Jiang Ming asked quietly.
Jiang Chen met his eyes. "My life."
A tense silence followed.
Jiang Wei stared at him for a long moment, then finally sat back down. "Fine. Stay."
Jiang Yun looked at his father sharply. "Father—"
"Let him stay," Jiang Wei cut him off. "He'll fall on his face soon enough."
Jiang Chen didn't flinch. "We'll see."
Without waiting for permission, he turned and walked out of the hall.
He could feel their eyes on his back the entire way.
---
The sun was starting to dip behind the rooftops by the time Jiang Chen reached his small courtyard.
The place was a joke — a tiny, half-forgotten corner of the estate barely big enough for a shed.
He stepped inside, shut the door behind him, and leaned against it.
His heart pounded hard in his chest. Not from fear. Not from anger.
From the simple fact that he'd done it.
He'd walked back into the house that wanted him dead.
And now…
Now it was his move.