The next morning, the Yuan residence was unusually tense.
Not chaotic.
Not loud.
Just… tight.
The kind of tightness that came when important decisions were being made behind closed doors.
Wan Li sensed it the moment she stepped into the courtyard with a broom in hand.
Servants walked faster.
Maids whispered less.
Even the wind seemed to hush itself.
Su Yan frowned softly.
"Miss… the house feels strange today."
Wan Li nodded, clutching the broom a little too tightly.
"Is… is something happening?"
Before Su Yan could answer—
A crisp voice echoed down the corridor:
"Miss Wan Li. Madam Li summons you."
Wan Li froze.
Summons.
Her heart lurched painfully.
Madam Li had not called for her in…
Two years?
More?
She swallowed hard.
Was it because—
Because he came home?
Because he helped her the other day?
Because she had embarrassed herself?
Or—
Because Madam Li wished to speak about her future as—
As his future wife?
Her cheeks flushed immediately with shame and wild hope.
She lowered her head quickly, trying to calm her racing thoughts.
Su Yan stepped forward, bowing to the messenger before whispering to Wan Li:
"Miss… breathe."
Wan Li nodded shakily.
But breathing didn't help.
Her body trembled all the way to the main hall.
--
THE WALK TO JUDGMENT
The hall felt enormous from the outside.
Cold stone.
Tall doors.
A quiet grandeur that pressed down on her small figure.
Wan Li smoothed her sleeves.
Then smoothed them again.
Her hands wouldn't stay steady.
Why now? Why today?
As she approached, two maids opened the doors for her.
Their expressions unreadable.
Wan Li stepped inside.
Light filtered in from high windows, illuminating rows of jade vases and polished furniture. The scent of sandalwood lingered faintly in the air.
Madam Li sat on the raised platform, dignified and composed, a teacup resting between graceful fingers.
She did not smile.
She did not frown.
She merely watched Wan Li walk forward with unreadable eyes.
Wan Li lowered herself to kneel, bowing deeply.
"Wan Li greets Madam Li."
Her forehead nearly touched the floor.
Her heart hammered so loudly she wondered if everyone could hear it.
--
MADAM LI'S FIRST WORDS IN YEARS
Madam Li spoke after a long, suffocating silence.
"I heard you were bullied the other day."
Wan Li's heart stopped.
So it was because of that.
She kept her head down.
"I… I apologize, Madam. It was my negligence."
Madam Li's voice remained cool.
"It was not your fault. Those servants have been punished."
Wan Li blinked in shock.
Madam Li had punished people… because of her?
Her mind spun.
Was this… Kezhen's doing?
Did Madam summon her because he—
He cared?
Her cheeks burned.
Madam Li lifted her cup, took a slow sip.
Then:
"It has been three years since you came to this household."
Wan Li swallowed.
"Yes, Madam."
"You have been quiet. Obedient. Useful. You cause no disturbances. You endure what is given."
Every word struck Wan Li like a hammer.
Not because they were harsh.
But because—
This was the first acknowledgment she had received in years.
Madam Li continued, voice steady:
"You are fifteen now. Old enough to understand your position."
Wan Li's breath hitched.
Her position.
Her position relative to Kezhen?
Her fingers curled tightly.
Madam Li placed the cup down gently.
"Your future must be decided before the Third Young Master leaves for Shanghai."
Wan Li's heart soared—
Then crashed—
Because her next word was:
"Not as his wife."
Wan Li's vision blurred.
Her fingers went numb.
She had not expected…
She had not even dared to dream…
But hearing the rejection aloud—
It hurt more than she thought it could.
Madam Li continued, tone matter-of-fact:
"That position is not suitable for you. You lack the connections. You lack the pedigree of current society. The age of the imperial family is gone. You must understand this."
Wan Li bowed deeper, chest trembling.
"Yes… Madam…"
She tried not to cry.
She tried so hard her throat burned.
Madam Li did not soften.
"But you have a use."
Wan Li's breath froze.
A use.
Not a place.
Not a role.
Not a name.
A use.
Madam Li folded her hands.
"You were once intended for him. And he is now aware of your presence."
Wan Li's face flushed painfully.
Her pulse raced.
Madam Li's gaze sharpened.
"Between men and women, proximity can create attachment. And attachments can be… leveraged."
Wan Li didn't understand.
Not all of it.
But she understood enough to shake.
Madam Li's final words carried a quiet, heavy weight:
"I will speak with him again. If he decides you should remain under his future household, you will be arranged accordingly. If not—"
She paused.
The unspoken ending hovered like a blade.
You will be sent elsewhere.
Wan Li's entire world spun.
Her ribs tightened until she could barely breathe.
She bowed until her forehead pressed the cold floor.
"Madam… I will obey whatever you decide…"
Madam Li nodded once, signaling dismissal.
Wan Li rose slowly, shakily.
She walked out of the hall like a ghost.
Only when she reached the empty corridor did she finally breathe again.
Her vision blurred.
Her lips trembled.
She pressed a hand to her chest—
Because inside, everything twisted painfully.
Fear.
Hope.
Confusion.
Love.
Shame.
And beneath it all—
A tiny, trembling thought she couldn't kill:
He might choose to keep me.
--
TBC