Morning light crept into Chen Ming's room in thin bands, cutting across the floor and the edge of his bed.
He stirred, then stopped.
He rolled onto his side and let out a small sound before he could stop himself. His legs felt tight, heavy from the hips down, as though something had been knotted inside them during the night. When he tried to straighten them, the ache spread and he hissed softly through his teeth.
He lay still for a moment, staring at the wall.
Then he pushed himself upright.
His feet touched the floor, and his knees bent at once. He caught himself on the edge of the bed and stood there, breathing slowly, jaw clenched. After a few breaths, he straightened and took a step forward.
Another step followed, slower.
He reached the door and paused, then forced his pace to quicken before stepping out.
Lin Shu was already in the outer room, tying back her sleeves. She looked up when she heard him.
"You're awake early," she said. "Come eat."
"I was already awake," Chen Ming said.
He crossed the room and climbed onto the chair. When he sat, his shoulders dipped slightly before he corrected himself. He reached for the bowl of porridge and pulled it closer.
Lin Shu set a pair of chopsticks beside it. "Careful," she said. "It's hot."
"I can eat while it's hot," Chen Ming replied. Although he blew on the porridge longer than usual before taking a bite.
He chewed slowly.
Lin Shu watched him over the rim of her cup.
"Why are you sitting so stiff?" she asked. "Did you sleep on a stone?"
Chen Ming shook his head at once. "No."
She tilted her head. "Then why are you holding your legs like that?"
"Like what?" he said, then adjusted his position again.
Lin Shu reached out and tapped his knee lightly. He flinched before he could hide it.
Her hand stilled.
"Oh?" she said. "That hurt?"
Chen Ming looked away. "Just a little."
She smiled, not unkindly. "It seems you ran too much yesterday."
"I didn't," he said quickly. "I barely ran."
She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Then why do you look like your bones are arguing with you?"
Chen Ming puffed out his cheeks. "They're not."
She laughed quietly and ruffled his hair. "Finish eating. Otherwise it will become too cold."
When he stood, his hand slid across the table for balance. He pulled it back at once and walked away faster than necessary.
Lin Shu watched him take a few steps across the room.
"Ming'er," she said, "it's bath time."
Chen Ming stopped. "Now?"
She nodded. "Now."
He hesitated, then nodded back and followed her without complaint.
The bathing room was already prepared. Steam rose faintly from the water, carrying a soft, unfamiliar scent. Small bowls sat arranged along the edge of the tub, each holding a different paste or bundle of crushed leaves.
Chen Ming leaned closer, peering into one of the bowls. "What's this?"
Lin Shu dipped her fingers into the paste and rubbed it between them. "Herbs."
He wrinkled his nose. "They smell strange."
She smiled. "They're good for you."
He looked at another bowl, this one darker in color. "Do they hurt?"
"No," she said. "They make your body fragrant."
Chen Ming considered this seriously. "Like Father's robes?"
She laughed quietly. "Something like that."
He nodded, satisfied, and began undoing his robe. Lin Shu helped him, folding the cloth neatly before setting it aside. When he stepped into the water, he sucked in a breath at the heat, then relaxed as she poured water over his shoulders.
He leaned forward slightly as she rubbed the paste along his arms and legs, her movements unhurried.
"It's warm," he said.
"Good," she replied.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "Mother."
"Yes?"
"Can I stay like this longer?"
She smiled and continued washing his hair. "For a little while."
Steam curled upward, softening the room as the sounds of the manor faded beyond the walls.
***
[The Previous Night]
The manor settled gradually as the lamps were lowered one by one.
Chen Ming slept sprawled across the bed, one arm flung over the blanket, his breathing even and deep. The day's exhaustion had taken him quickly, leaving his face slack with sleep, untouched by the restlessness that marked his waking hours.
Lin Shu paused in the doorway and watched him for a moment before stepping inside.
She bent to straighten the blanket where it had slipped and brushed a hand lightly through his hair. He stirred faintly, brow tightening for an instant, then turned his face toward the pillow and sank back into sleep.
Her gaze drifted to the folded clothes at the foot of the bed.
Something was tucked beneath them.
She lifted the cloth and drew out the booklet. It was thin, its edges worn smooth with use, the faded string tied around it frayed in places. She turned it once in her hands, then again, her brows drawing together slightly.
Lin Shu did not wake him.
She carried the booklet from the room and closed the door softly behind her.
Chen Yuan was still awake.
The lamp on the table cast a small, steady circle of light as he read through documents, his brush set aside. He looked up when Lin Shu entered and noticed the booklet in her hands.
"What is it?" he asked.
She set it down in front of him. "Ming'er brought this back today."
Chen Yuan untied the string and opened it. He did not speak as he read, turning the pages slowly, his eyes moving between the written lines and the diagrams with deliberate care.
Lin Shu stood opposite him, arms folded loosely across her front. "He was trying to hide it from me," she said. "I noticed him practising earlier in the evening."
Chen Yuan turned another page.
He paused, then flipped back to the beginning and read through it again, more carefully this time.
"Is it dangerous for him?" Lin Shu asked.
Chen Yuan shook his head. "No."
She exhaled, though the tension did not leave her shoulders. "Then why would he hide it?"
"Because it's new," he said, a faint smile touching his lips. "And because it belongs to him."
Lin Shu watched his expression closely. "You're certain it won't harm him?"
Chen Yuan closed the booklet and rested his palm on the cover. "It isn't cultivation. It doesn't force qi or strain the meridians. It teaches posture, breath, and endurance."
She frowned slightly. "And if he does it wrong?" she asked. "Won't that hurt him?"
"He'll tire himself," Chen Yuan replied evenly. "He'll ache. And then he'll stop."
Lin Shu frowned more deeply. "You make it sound too simple."
"It is simple," he said. "That's why it's safe."
She was quiet for a moment, then said, "He's too young to understand restraint. I'll prepare some herbs beforehand. It should ease the soreness."
"You should do what you think is right," Chen Yuan said. "But don't stop him."
Lin Shu glanced toward the door leading back to their son's room. "He always tries too hard."
Chen Yuan's mouth curved faintly. "Then he'll fall," he said, "and learn how to walk again."
She nodded slowly.
After a moment, she picked up the booklet once more. "I'll put it back."
Chen Yuan did not stop her. "Let him decide how to use it. It will only benefit him if he practises it every day."
***
Lin Shu looked down at him and asked softly, "Does it feel good?"
Chen Ming nodded at once, water dripping from his hair, and she smiled as she continued washing him.
***
The discussion hall was heavy with the smell of burnt incense and old wood.
Elder Zhen stood near the center of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. His voice had lost its earlier edge, worn down by repetition.
"I have said everything that needs to be said," he remarked. "The pill supply has stopped. The shops are closed. Complaints will only grow louder from here."
Chen Yuan remained seated at the head of the hall, his expression tight. "You act as though this were done without cause," he replied. "You know why this decision was made."
Elder Zhen let out a short, humorless laugh. "Causes do not matter to those who lose their livelihoods," he said. "When the family's standing collapses, explanations will not rebuild it."
Chen Yuan did not answer at once.
Elder Zhen turned toward him, his gaze sharp. "Whatever comes after this," he said, "will be on your hands. I never liked you as patriarch for this family."
He did not wait for a reply. His sleeves swept behind him as he strode from the hall, footsteps echoing briefly before fading down the corridor.
Silence settled in his wake.
Chen Yuan leaned back in his chair and raised one hand to his forehead, fingers pressing against his temple. He closed his eyes for a moment, then lowered his hand and straightened.
An attendant entered quietly and bowed. "My lord," he said, "a shopkeeper from one of the Chen family stores has come."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly. "Send him in."
The shopkeeper entered at a run. Before he reached the center of the hall, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor, bowing so low his forehead struck the stone.
"My lord," he cried. "My lord, please help me."
Chen Yuan rose at once and stepped down from the platform. "Calm yourself," he said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "Speak slowly. What has happened?"
The shopkeeper's breath came in broken pulls as he looked up. "My wife," he said. "She's gone. She's Gone. She didn't return last night."
Chen Yuan's hand tightened slightly. "What do you mean? Explain clearly."
"She helps me run the Chen family shop," the man continued, voice shaking. "She closed up as usual and said she would come home after finishing the accounts. When she didn't, I went looking for her. I searched the streets, the neighbors, the night markets. I went everywhere I could think of."
He swallowed hard. "But I found nothing. Not a word. Not a trace. When morning came, I didn't know what else to do."
Chen Yuan listened without interruption.
"I had no choice but to come here," the shopkeeper said. "Please, my lord. I don't know who else to ask."
Chen Yuan drew a slow breath. "You did the right thing," he said. "Stand up."
He turned slightly and gestured to the attendant. "Send two guards with him. Have them search carefully and speak to anyone who might have seen her last night."
The attendant bowed and hurried off.
Chen Yuan looked back at the shopkeeper. "We will find her," he said. "Go with the guards and tell them everything you remember."
The shopkeeper bowed again, deeper this time, tears falling freely as he backed away from the hall.
The doors closed behind him. Chen Yuan stood alone in the hall, his shoulders lowered, his gaze fixed on the floor.