PingZe went missing the moment the three brothers reached the inn doors. Back to his wanton ways, thought MingYu as he realised the youngest brother had vanished into the moonlit night. At that moment, the twins also arrived at the inn, dragging an unconscious childe with them over the inn's stone steps.
"What happened?" ZhiYi asked in surprise.
"FenFen hit him!" FuFu said. She was flushed and shooting her sister sharp glances.
"I just made him co-operate. He didn't want to come back. Something about male-pride." FenFen said gleefully.
"You didn't accidentally kill him, did you?" MingYu asked instead, displeased of the girls' tendency to kidnap people left and right.
"Can I kill him?" FenFen seemed a tad too hopefully.
"No and no! He is just unconscious." ZhiYi said and ushered them up the stairs into his room.
It was the next day that childe Jiang came to. FenFen didn't look like it but she held quite a punch. Blinking rapidly and groaning from the thumbing pain everywhere in his body, Jiang Feng pushed himself into a sitting position on the bed and looked around through swollen eyes.
"Where am I?" Jiang Feng groaned.
"At the inn. How are you feeling?" ZhiYi asked from the table in the middle of the room. MingYu was peeling pears in a distraught manner next to him, occasionally shoving the pieces in ZhiYi's mouth, his eyes wandering over childe Jiang and his bruises.
"Like I've been to hell and back." Jiang Feng's half-shut eyes stopped at FenFen, who was standing by the window with FuFu. He tried to grimace with his bruised up face. "You hit me."
"You made me." It was partly true. After a while of pulling and shoving, Jiang Feng had been adamant of not going back. FuFu had almost bawled in the alley because the childe might die of a few bruises. FenFen had no other choice but to hit him by his nape to render him unconscious. Of course, she could have been more gentle, but she could have also broken his neck.
"You are childe Jiang?" ZhiYi asked. Jiang Feng looked like he was smiling. It was hard to tell from his state. All facial expressions looked the same - painfully swollen.
"Yes. Why? You want to keep me hostage? I'm telling you, no one will pay for my life currently." The childe broke into a humourless snicker.
"We don't need your money, childe Jiang."
"Then why am I here? You like seeing me in this state, don't you? Some kind of sick fun?"
"Why were you kicked out by master Li?" ZhiYi was leisurely eating the peeled fruit MingYu just handed him.
"Don't mention that name in front of me!" Jiang Feng was turning deep red from all the places not covered up in bruises.
"Why? He seems like a great man. Everyone loves him. He even treated you as his own." ZhiYi pushed on. He was studying childe Jiang with minute attention. The childe looked like he would spit blood.
"A wolf in disguise, that's what he is!"
"Are you mad that he cut your funds?"
That seemed to push Jiang Feng over the edge. He was trembling of anger.
"Don't talk like you know us!"
"Enlighten me then. Why did he kick you out?"
Childe Jiang opened his mouth, then thinking better of it, shut it tightly. MingYu had stopped peeling the fruit in his hand and was now steadily looking at Jiang Feng. A heavy thought had been clouding his mind, and now that childe Jiang was in front of him, battered and barely breathing, MingYu had to admit to himself that the Jiang's weren't living as carefree and lavishly as he had originally thought.
"Childe Jiang, is there a peony garden in front of your sister's room?" MingYu's question seemed to slap life into Jiang Feng. He blinked and turned towards the monk.
"How did you know?"
"Madam Li asked me to bless her room."
If it was humanly possible, blood drained from Jiang Feng's face and even his bruises seemed duller. He failed to utter a word for a while. Then with quivering lips, Jiang Feng whispered, "Was- was MeiLin there?"
"I didn't see her. It was only the two servants and madam Li. The room seems to have been vacant for a while now." Seeing the ghost-like appearance of the childe, MingYu unconsciously added, "I'm sorry."
"You know? I really am good for nothing." Jiang Feng sounded amused and on a brink of crying.
"No-" FuFu said and tried to move closer but FenFen firmly kept her in place.
"I couldn't even protect my own sister."
There was an expecting silence, but the childe didn't continue, he was lost in thought.
***
PingZe returned a few days later. He had been visiting Gui, checking on XiaoHe. XiaoHe was doing exceptionally well, he learned everything fast to everyone's surprise and even went by the name PengHai now. Soon he will be sent to RuRong's master's care and learn spirit capturing there. PingZe looked troubled as he finished telling of his swift journey.
"PingZe, is everything alright?" MingYu asked as he placed the medicine bottle in his hand on the table. He seldom saw PingZe so distraught, it was making MingYu uncomfortable and worried. PingZe cracked a smile, brushing away the crinkled brows and the heavy air that hung above him just a moment ago.
"Yes. But, why is there a medicine bottle? Did you get hurt, brother?" PingZe was looking at MingYu from head to toe. MingYu seemed perfectly fine.
MingYu dismissively waved his hand at the room door and sat down next to ZhiYi, who was meticulously drawing talismans on a yellow paper stash. MingYu could see through PingZe's cheery facade but didn't push it.
"Childe Jiang is all bruised up, so we have been treating him for a few days now. He is resting in the next room. The girls are there with him."
"You found the Jiang kid?"
MingYu briefed him on what had happened while he was gone. PingZe smirked, "I can't believe you just let him be. And you just got to the good part."
"He's injured, let the poor kid be for now." ZhiYi said without raising his gaze.
"It's been a few days, no? How long do a few bruises take to heal?"
The answer came knocking on their door. Jiang Feng stepped in and closed the door behind him. He was looking a lot better. Most of the swelling had subsided and the bruises had now turned from purple to greenish. They watched as the childe paced ZhiYi's room, looked out the window, then moved to sit down next to PingZe. He was looking at PingZe with his guards up.
"He's my brother, PingZe." ZhiYi said and childe Jiang relaxed. They waited patiently as Jiang Feng thought about what to say. Then he started, "Who are you exactly?"
ZhiYi and PingZe exchanged looks, then PingZe said, "We work for his majesty." He even rummaged around his robe and pulled out a little jade plate, carved with the most intriguing insignia. Childe Jiang stiffened at the sight of it and bowed his head swiftly.
MingYu realised that the square jade plate in question was issued only by the emperor to their most trustworthy subordinates. With the jade plate, one represented the emperor himself. Wu TianLan must have issued it for PingZe. MingYu's eyes widened as the information crashed over him. He had issued such an important jade to PingZe of all people? Wu TianLan must have been over his head crazy!
"We travel through cities and make sure no money laundering is happening. Jade business is big nowadays, so we came by to see everything is good and proper."
PingZe seemed to lie all the time, his words came out in a truthful manner and Jiang Feng nodded slowly.
"Then you came here for nothing, that mutt Li can be many things, but a thief he is not. He does his business legally."
"Oh, we know." PingZe said and gave Jiang Feng a smug grin. The childe looked taken aback and he faltered for a brief moment. PingZe continued, "We are more interested in what is going on in the house."
"I- I don't understand what you mean."
"But I think you do. What is wrong with your sister? I heard all proposals were shot down." PingZe grin widened, and for a moment, he looked almost evil. MingYu and ZhiYi were now marveling at how PingZe would crack the boy. They stayed quiet.
"I-"
"I firmly believe a proud father is never ashamed or angry that his daughter is sought after. With her supposed beauty and grace, she could marry big and live a lavish life. Unless..."
Jiang Feng swallowed and so did MingYu.
"You-"
"Unless your parents are not very proud of her. Tell me, childe Jiang..."
Childe Jiang was looking at PingZe with wide eyes. He had gone white as a ghost and his fists were drawn tight.
"How dare you-"
"Did your sister get a lover? Maybe a servant? Some player? Did she get pregnant?"
PingZe caught the punch Jiang Feng had tried to throw his way. The childe was shaking, his eyes were shooting lightning bolts but PingZe was still grinning. He looked pleased with the childe's reaction.
"Don't ever disgrace my sister like that! She is not indecent like you think!" The childe spat.
"Oh? Then, we don't have many options left." PingZe shoved Jiang Feng's hand away. "Do you want to tell us, what is really going on, or should I keep throwing possibilities?"
"It's shameful... I- I can't do this to her!" Jiang Feng hit the table with his fist, dishevelling the neat pile of talismans ZhiYi had stacked up, spilling ink everywhere.
"Well, I'm shameless. If you don't say it, I will spell it out for you. Should I?"
Jiang Feng looked at PingZe with horror but held his lips in a tight line. He wasn't going to talk, so PingZe did.
"If she was a good girl, then, we only have one possibility left." PingZe stopped and waited, but the childe did nothing. Jiang Feng stood rooted in place, stiff and not responding. "Then, we must assume, that she truly was a beauty, who captured every men's attention in Lunan. Even the one who had promised to protect you two."
Jiang Feng let out a soft cry and crumpled down on the table.
"I like to be right in many things, but this is one of those times, I'm very sorry to be right." PingZe looked very stern as he said those words. "More importantly, what happened to her?"
Jiang Feng raised his head and with his empty eyes looked at the three men. "What happened? I failed as a brother! I was too busy living lavishly, enjoying my youth! I didn't realise how she became less talkative, less bright. Like a flower without sunlight... I didn't realise until a month ago."
"It was a good day. I had just won a load of money through gambling. I was thinking that for the first time in my life, I will buy MeiLin a present with my own self-earned money." Jiang Feng had a painful smile on his face. His lips quivered as he continued,
"I went to knock on her door, sure that she would be very happy to see how heavy my money pouch was. But she didn't answer. I tried again but no one opened up. I thought it was odd, during the afternoons she would be sowing in her room. I turned to look for her elsewhere, but then I heard sounds coming from the room. Like someone was struggling. I kicked the doors and screamed for her. After no one opened up I had to force my way in."
A single tear wet his cheek, and Jiang Feng hurried to wipe it with his sleeve.
"I saw her - hanging from the fabric she had ripped from her blanket. Her feet were still kicking but she was turning blue. It was just like father - but she was still alive. I took her down but she tried to kick me away and she kept screaming. Asking me to let her die-"
Jiang Feng's voice broke and they sat in silence.
"She kept saying she was filthy. I didn't get it. Why would she act this way? Then she took my hand, " Jiang Feng lifted his right palm, and looked at it with disgust, "and pressed it against her abdomen."
The hand clutch into a fist and rammed against the table, sending the talisman papers fluttering to the ground.
"She must have been halfway through the pregnancy! All this time, she had been wearing loose robes, hiding it. After she couldn't hide it anymore, she had no other way... I told her it was ok. We had the money, we can raise the child. We could say it was my illegitimate child, I was a man, I wouldn't be ridiculed in the public. How naive I was."