Time slipped away like the silent water marks in the ancient well of the Su residence's courtyard—quietly, yet leaving its mark. Before they knew it, it was the ninth year of the Minghui era. The once-scrawny girl Gu Liang, nurtured for four years in Su Wan's courtyard, had blossomed into a graceful young woman.
At eleven, Gu Liang had shot up in height. Though still slender with a girl's delicacy, she no longer bore the malnourished appearance of her youth. Her skin glowed with a jade-like luster, making her eyes appear even more clear and captivating, like ink jade dipped in mountain spring water. Her once sparse hair had grown thick and jet-black, simply tied into twin buns that lent her an air of fresh, otherworldly grace. A trace of timidity lingered in her, but mingled within that timidity was the scholarly grace she had absorbed from Su Wan, along with an unconscious charm nurtured by kindness.
This blossoming beauty, like an orchid quietly blooming in a hidden valley, could not be entirely concealed.
Su Che, the eldest son of the Su household, was sixteen years old. He was the beloved son of the main wife and a notorious playboy throughout Linzhou Prefecture. His days were spent cockfighting, dog racing, and carousing with women. His gaze always lingered with a hint of frivolous interest on any maid in the household who possessed even a hint of beauty.
At some point, he began to notice the young maid named Gu Liang who attended his third younger sister.
At first, he merely thought her eyes were rather pretty. Later, he noticed the girl growing more and more radiant. Her timid demeanor, mixed with a rare, pure beauty, proved more captivating than the deliberately flattering maidservants. Gradually, certain thoughts took root in Su Che's mind.
One day, Su Che strolled over to Su Wan's courtyard, fanning himself with a folding fan. He claimed it was to visit his sister, but his eyes kept drifting toward Gu Liang, who stood waiting nearby.
"Third Sister, your place truly attracts exceptional talent—even your little maid is so bright," Su Che said with a flirty smile. "What's her name? She seems quite clever. Why not give her to me? My courtyard could use someone to grind ink and add fragrance."
Gu Liang paled with fright, instinctively retreating behind Su Wan.
Su Wan's brows furrowed slightly. Setting down her scroll, she spoke gently yet firmly: "Brother, you jest. Liang'er is accustomed to serving me. She's timid and shy—I fear she wouldn't serve you well. Two new maids have recently arrived at my quarters, both quick and capable. I'll have Mother select a suitable one to send to you."
Su Che had hit a soft brick wall, his face flushing with embarrassment. Yet, faced with his perpetually favored younger sister, he couldn't insist. He gave an awkward chuckle, shot another glance at Gu Liang, then shuffled away, fanning himself.
Word of this quickly reached Emma's ears. She was helping out in the laundry room when she overheard several maids whispering about the eldest young master taking a fancy to the maid serving the third young miss. Her heart sank instantly.
She knew all too well the nature of spoiled young masters like Su Che. Once they set their sights on someone, it was like being ensnared by a venomous snake—they wouldn't let go easily. Su Wan might protect Gu Liang for a time, but could she protect her forever?
Emma's expression remained unruffled, yet the force of her hands pounding the clothes grew heavier. She began paying closer attention to the goings-on in the mansion, especially those concerning Su Che and Gu Liang. Using her quiet, almost invisible nature, she moved through every corner of the estate, gathering fragments of information.
She overheard Su Che again pleading with the mistress to claim Gu Liang, only to be temporarily rebuffed with the excuse, "Wan'er likes her, but she's just a maid. Why upset your sister?" She also noticed Su Wan keeping Gu Liang even closer, minimizing her chances of going out alone.
Gu Liang seemed to sense the uneasy gaze upon her. Outside Su Wan's courtyard, she always kept her head down, hurrying along. Occasionally, when she encountered Emma within the mansion, she would cling to her like a lifeline, whispering urgently, "Sister Emma, I'm scared..."
Emma watched her eyes, wide and frightened like a startled fawn, and the thread of reason in her heart tightened further. All she could do was whisper a warning: "Stay close to Third Young Miss as much as possible. Don't go out alone after dark. If... if something really happens, find a way to make noise and run toward crowded places."
These warnings and insignificant reminders seemed all she could offer. The vast disparity in power left her with a profound sense of helplessness. Yet she refused to abandon her vigilance, lurking like a hunter in the shadows, waiting, ever alert.
Su Che remained quiet for now, but Emma knew this was merely the calm before the storm. The greedy, determined look in Su Che's eyes when he regarded Gu Liang convinced her this matter would not end here.
That day, Gu Liang was sent to fetch pastries from the kitchen. On her way back, she was intercepted by a spoiled concubine-born daughter from the second household. The girl deliberately knocked over a dish of freshly dyed rouge onto the floor, forcing Gu Liang to pick it up barehanded.
Gulong stared at the crimson mess without crying or begging for mercy. She merely lowered her eyes and said in a clear yet sufficiently humble voice, "Your Lady's rouge is precious. My hands are coarse; I fear picking it up would soil it, making it unfit to present to you again. Would it not be better if I immediately report to Third Young Miss? She can open the storeroom and have a box of that newly acquired, superior rose rouge sent to you. Would that not be more beautiful?"
She invoked the name of Su Wan, the most favored daughter, and every word seemed to be for the other's benefit. The concubine's daughter froze for a moment, glaring at her hatefully. Ultimately, she dared not truly confront Su Wan, and could only mutter, "Sly little thing," before storming off in a huff.
Gu Liang returned to Su Wan's quarters without mentioning the incident. Only when Emma arrived that night bearing gifts did she whisper softly, as if seeking confirmation: "Sister Emma, today... I didn't cause trouble for the young miss."
Emma looked at her, noticing a hint of survival's sharp edges emerging in the girl's eyes. She nodded, yet felt little comfort—only a deepening weight. The fledgling bird was beginning to peck through its shell, signaling that it would soon face the harsher storms beyond.
This ominous foreboding proved itself one late night several days later.
That night, Emma rose to relieve herself and spotted Su Che's usual sycophantic servant lurking near the quiet path leading to the Third Young Miss's courtyard. He seemed to be holding something before quickly tucking it into his sleeve.
Emma's heart skipped a beat. She made no sound, retreating silently into the shadows, committing the location and the servant's appearance to memory.
Returning to the cold communal bed, Gu Liang beside her seemed restless in sleep, his eyelashes fluttering lightly as indistinct murmurs escaped his lips. Emma lay awake in the darkness, listening to the howling wind outside the window. It felt as though that wind had blown into her own heart, leaving it icy cold.
She had believed that bringing Gu Liang to Su Wan's side would provide her with a safe protective umbrella. Now it seemed this umbrella might not fully shield her from the storms raging all around. Especially when those storms originated within the mansion itself, from the immovable hierarchy of status and power.
Gu Liang's beauty had become her original sin. And her own vulnerability had become fertile ground for breeding malice.
Emma clenched the thin corner of the quilt, her knuckles turning slightly white. She had to find a way—a way that might turn the tide at the critical moment. Though hope was faint, she couldn't stand by and watch Gu Liang fall into the clutches of evil.
The night was deep and still, the Su residence shrouded in silence, broken only by the faint, muffled sound of the night watchman's wooden clapper. Beneath this stillness, dark currents churned. Danger lurked like a beast lying in wait, ready to pounce at any moment and devour the hard-won glimmer of light. In the faint moonlight, Emma's profile appeared unusually hard and cold. For the first time, a flame of icy resolve burned in her usually serene dark eyes.