Chapter Fifty-Five: Entanglement

The two stood nearly ten feet apart. Chen Zhi faced Cui Liu, laughing foolishly as he fumbled in his coat. Cui Liu thought he was reaching for a letter, and involuntarily stepped closer, closing the gap so that she was within arm’s reach, ready to take whatever he might hand to her.

After searching for a moment, Chen Zhi finally pulled something from his breast and pressed it into Cui Liu’s outstretched hand. She took the object. It was already dusk, the daylight fading, with only the hazy glow from the lantern at the second gate casting a dim light. She couldn’t see clearly, but by touch and guesswork, she knew it was a box of rouge or some other cosmetic for women.

She was momentarily bewildered. Had her younger brother changed his nature, suddenly caring for his sister? But she soon realized this could not be from her brother. There was only one possibility: Chen Zhi was giving it to her.

Cui Liu’s face darkened. She wanted to throw the box of rouge back at Chen Zhi, but worried it would fall and break. She knew anything kept in such a box wasn’t cheap—probably worth half a tael of silver. Chen Zhi was not wealthy. Though his presumptuousness annoyed her, she didn’t want him to lose money. After all, they were at least fellow townsfolk, and more importantly, she didn’t want to owe him a favor.

After a brief hesitation, Cui Liu quickly shoved the box back into Chen Zhi’s hand, then stepped away even faster, restoring the distance between them to ten feet. With a cold face, she said, “I don’t want it.”

Chen Zhi’s face, already flushed, turned even redder at her open rejection. He disregarded their surroundings and shouted, “Why? Cui Liu, you know I’ve waited for you all these years. We’re from the same place, working in the same household—we know each other well. What’s wrong with that? I always thought you minded that I wasn’t accomplished, that I hadn’t made anything of myself. But it’s different now. I’ve become the most trusted person by the master’s side. What more could you want?”

Cui Liu’s brow furrowed deeper. She bit her lip and retorted angrily, “I’ve made it clear before—there’s nothing possible between us. No matter what you become, even if you become a magistrate tomorrow, I will not marry you.”

With that, she turned to leave. But emboldened by drink, Chen Zhi leapt forward, grabbing her, refusing to let her go, still demanding to know why.

Now truly angered, Cui Liu wrenched his hand away. “There’s no reason. Just take it that I’m not good enough for someone like you, Chen Zhi.”

Again he grabbed her sleeve, hiccuping and sneering, “Not good enough? Who are you fooling? I know you too well. You must think I’m beneath you. Tell me, is there someone else? No—don’t tell me you fancy the master and want to be his concubine? Cui Liu, let me tell you, don’t delude yourself. Be sensible. With me, at least you’ll be a proper wife, have some dignity.”

The stench of liquor nearly made Cui Liu retch, and his words almost left her breathless with fury. If she were not someone who had never struck another, she would have slapped him then and there.

At this hour, most of the maids and young menservants were in their own quarters. No one else was at the second gate. The gatekeeper woman had clearly been bribed by Chen Zhi—despite all the commotion, she hadn’t come out to look. So their struggle went unseen, except by Cui Yu, who had just arrived.

Cui Yu had come from the inner courtyard and happened to see the two in the lantern’s light. Her own spot was shrouded in shadow, and with the two so absorbed in their argument, they did not notice her. Cui Yu saw everything clearly. The man was Chen Zhi, a guard in the household and a fellow townsman of Cui Liu. She had seen him before and even teased Cui Liu about him once, not expecting Cui Liu to react so fiercely, insisting that she and Chen Zhi were entirely separate and not to be mentioned together. Though somewhat naive, Cui Yu was still a girl and understood from that day that Cui Liu did not care for Chen Zhi—in fact, she disliked him.

Now, seeing Chen Zhi manhandling Cui Liu, Cui Yu’s eyes flashed with anger. Did he not know how important a girl’s reputation was? If anyone with ill intent saw this and spread the tale, Cui Liu would have no choice but to marry him. He was deliberately trying to ruin her so he could force her to agree.

Cui Yu was about to rush to Cui Liu’s rescue when Cui Liu finally broke free, stumbling away. Seeing Cui Yu, she acted as if she hadn’t and ran past her. Cui Yu glared hatefully at Chen Zhi in the distance, stomped her foot, and chased after Cui Liu.

Meanwhile, the scuffle had sobered Chen Zhi somewhat, leaving him with a sense of dread and some regret. Though the Liu household was not strict, everyone held to proper conduct. There were no messy scandals. For a man to harass a maid openly—especially one from the household—if the master found out, he would surely be displeased. It might even affect Chen Zhi’s position.

Shrinking his neck, Chen Zhi returned to the gate, fished a few more coins from his pouch, and handed them to the gatekeeper woman, reminding her once again. The woman’s nephew also worked for the master and was under Chen Zhi’s command, so she agreed readily.

Chen Zhi finally felt at ease. Leaving through the gate, he began to hum a tune. Though Cui Liu’s rejection stung, he had expected it—she had turned him down many times before. Yet, the more he was rejected, the more determined he became; he always imagined that one day she would be moved by him and change her mind.

In truth, he did not even fully understand his own feelings. Did he truly like Cui Liu so much? Perhaps not. Though she was gentle and attractive, she was not quite the equal of Xiao Yu, the courtesan at Drunken Spring Pavilion. But Xiao Yu could not be taken as a wife, regardless of family approval or others’ opinions. Even if none of those were obstacles, Xiao Yu herself would never agree. Her standards were exceptionally high—she had seen all manner of wealth and status. If not for his position as the master’s favored man, she would not even look at him, let alone consider sharing a life with him.

Thinking of Xiao Yu, Chen Zhi snorted. Well, if you don’t want it, I’ll take the rouge to Xiao Yu at Drunken Spring Pavilion tomorrow—she loves this fragrance and will certainly be pleased. The very thought made his heart itch with anticipation. If he weren’t on night duty, he would have gone straight away.

Cui Yu chased after Cui Liu for a while, noticing she didn’t return to Plum Court but instead slipped into the garden and hid in a secluded corner, quietly weeping. The garden at night was deserted, the uncertain moonlight leaving everything shrouded in darkness and an eerie silence. If Cui Liu were not nearby, Cui Yu would have run away in fright.

Now she stood stamping her feet, worried about leaving her mistress in the care of Xiao Hong, but also unwilling to leave Cui Liu alone. As she hesitated about what to do, Cui Liu’s sobs ceased. With her back turned, she said, “Go back and look after the mistress. I… I’ll return later. Don’t tell the mistress about me.”