At night, the wind howled. Passing through the second-floor corridor connecting Golden Wind Tower to the inner courtyard, he heard a woman's angry shouting from that direction.

"Ungrateful thing! White-eyed wolf¹—"

The voice was shouting at the top of its lungs, sounding like the owner of Golden Wind Tower, that Aunt Yang. But this Aunt Yang was in her forties—though still attractive for her age, she usually dressed well and carried herself with dignity and grace. It was hard to imagine her shouting so recklessly. Xi Junyu stopped with interest. Then, a voice shouted back—another woman, her voice equally strong and pleasant.

"Greedy woman! Leech—"

Golden Wind Tower was built in two layers, an outer and an inner section. The inner building connected to the outer one, and beyond the inner building lay the inner courtyard. All levels were open for business, though Xi Junyu preferred entertaining guests in the outer building. This wasn't about class distinctions—just preference. Now he stood at the passage listening to the words inside. Someone smashed something, probably Aunt Yang.

"Throwing it away! You could have been a respectable young madam... that was your destiny... but you're throwing it all away..."

"So what about being a young madam? I don't care!"

"Cheap—"

It had been muggy at noon today, the weather looking wrong. Near evening the wind started blowing, and tonight would probably bring heavy rain. Golden Wind Tower's business wasn't particularly good. A woman hurried out from that direction, saw him, curtsied, and smiled. "Young Master Xi." This was someone he'd known before. "Are you entertaining guests today?"

"Mm, in the outer building, Spring Dawn room. Almost done." Xi Junyu nodded. "What's happening inside?"

The woman glanced back nervously, clearly torn. "Mother's in quite a state. This whole situation..." She bit her lip, caught between discretion and gossip. Xi Junyu decided not to pry. Just then, a Su family manager called from behind: "Junyu, what's wrong? Why were you gone so long?" He turned back and said, "Coming right away," then turned to bid the woman farewell.

Today he'd been entertaining guests here with that manager, and they were nearly finished. He'd just gone to relieve himself. Now returning, both sides were already saying goodbye. The manager led the people away while he only saw them to the door, then came back to settle the bill and clean up. With the evening's business done, he sent the other girls away, keeping only a familiar musician. She played soft melodies while he picked at the leftover dishes, lost in thought.

He sat by the closed window where, despite the gentle music, gusts of wind carried over the heated argument from next door—an oddly entertaining accompaniment to his meal.

"If some young master or rich man redeems you, I won't say a word—I'll even give you a dowry. But right now you're just being cheap—"

"I'll be cheap if I want! Isn't the redemption money enough or what?"

"I don't care about your money! Without me, without Golden Wind Tower! You think you'd have money? Where does money come from—"

"You just want me to keep working here, keep making money for you! You'd love it if I could never leave—"

"Bullshit! White-eyed wolf! Bullshit... You ask yourself! Go ask around! When has Yang Xiuhong ever sent someone off to marry without being happy and willing! Before there was Sisi, Xiaoyu, Lihong, Bai Duo'er, Pan Shi... I even matched up Bai Duo'er! Which one of them wasn't a star in the tower! When they found good homes, which time didn't I happily give them dowries! But what are you going to do now..."

"I! Like! It!"

"You've been blinded by greed! You show your face in public here, and after redemption you'll still show your face in public, so what's the point of redemption! I knew I shouldn't have been kind. That Nie woman... she used to be from an official's family, head full of unworldly ideas... I shouldn't have been kind and let her do business. She doesn't understand the world, but you don't either? What was your background! You've been blinded by greed..."

"So I'm blinded by greed. Even blinded I want to do this..."

"I won't allow it! What's wrong with not allowing it!"

"..."

"...That Councilor Chen, the young master from the Tie family, and that Master Zheng—which one isn't good? It's not like I'm making you marry an old man. You want money, to be a young madam, then go be one! Who wouldn't I be happy with you marrying? Oh, they don't like you? Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi—great scholars, right? Less money but still wealthy families, right? If they become officials in the future... A young madam's fate! Who you marry is still marriage! You really won't marry in the future? You think anyone will want you after you go sell those eggs? Shameful! Shameful! Later they'll all say the daughters Yang Xiuhong raised are freaks! Strange personalities—"

The two quarreled loudly in the room. When Aunt Yang got angry, her words were punctuated by angry sobs. Xi Junyu found it interesting. She mentioned Cao Guan, Liu Qingdi... Could the one leaving actually be Yuan Jin'er? This woman had been one of the four leading courtesans for two consecutive competitions. Who'd have thought after only two months as the top courtesan, she'd plan to redeem herself? A losing business—no wonder Aunt Yang was so angry. And from what it sounded like, she wasn't going to marry someone but wanted to redeem herself... Was she setting up her own establishment? It didn't seem like it...

With Xi Junyu's status, if he wanted to patronize such headliners, it wasn't impossible, but it was indeed a major expense. So though he'd been to Golden Wind Tower many times, he had little interaction with Yuan Jin'er. He'd only seen her perform a few times in public—all lively and spirited. He wouldn't have thought she'd be so fierce when arguing, not giving Aunt Yang an inch.

"Anyway, the money's here! If you think it's not enough just say so. At worst I'll take everything out and give it to you..."

"You'll still be showing your face in public—what's so good about that? Still showing your face to those people. At least now it's scholars and talents!"

"My head and face are my own!"

"For your whole life! No man will want you!"

"I don't want men either!"

Aunt Yang over there was so angry her voice went hoarse.

"...Even if you go out and set up your own place, I wouldn't be this angry... At least there's still a young madam's fate, at least there's still a young madam's fate..."

Yuan Jin'er remained stubbornly silent.

"...What exactly are you dissatisfied with! What exactly are you dissatisfied with! You came to the tower, I promoted you to top courtesan, made you a star. The people you know are those others want to know but can't—scholars and talents, high officials and celebrities, also wealthy landlords. I let you be willful, didn't make you spread your legs for clients. If you don't like someone I don't let them touch you... Now you're blinded by greed, you want to walk a dead-end road. What exactly are you dissatisfied with... Selling smiles, showing your face... Women have this fate! Relying on yourself? What a joke! Can you rely on yourself for a lifetime? Being a young madam is the best—others beg for it but can't get it! You've cultivated this fortune for several lifetimes! You don't like it? Then go die and reincarnate as a man in your next life... Women have this fate! All have this fate! Cheap—"

Several pitter-patter sounds hit the roof. The next moment, heavy rain arrived with a roar, enveloping the entire city. The voices became unclear, though he vaguely heard Yuan Jin'er shouting: "Then beat me to death..."

Xi Junyu pushed open the window. Due to the long eaves above, the heavy rain wouldn't blow into the room. Looking over from here, shadows moved on the second floor of Golden Wind Tower's inner building facing the Qinhuai River—two women's quarreling silhouettes. Fragments of argument came with the wind and rain, though he couldn't hear everything clearly. He could only roughly identify which fierce arguing shadow belonged to whom. At one point, probably Yuan Jin'er's shadow walked to the window and directly pushed open the two panels facing the river. The candlelight flickered in the room.

"Jump then! Jump in the river and die, be done with it! As if I never raised a daughter like you—"

Amid Yang Xiuhong's shouts, Xi Junyu saw the figure by the window climb up without a word, then half her body emerged from the rain curtain on this side of his view. With a splash, she leaped down into the Qinhuai River. The heavy rain was already churning the water into waves below.

"Ha!" Xi Junyu laughed. He hadn't expected there were still such women these days.

"Miss—" Vague shouts came from the building. Another woman went toward the window, probably Yuan Jin'er's maid. Aunt Yang also shouted loudly: "Shout yourself to death! Shout yourself to death! Better if she dies... She swims so well! She wouldn't drown even if turtles drowned! Bastard! White-eyed wolf—"

"Miss..."

"Take it! Take it! Take your miss's things... Here, the indenture contracts—yours, your miss's... Get out! All get out!"

Aunt Yang was throwing things again. The maid knelt and kowtowed several times, then picked up the things and ran out shouting "Miss."

"Call Master Chen! Row a boat over and follow! Fish that suicidal woman up for me! Don't let people say Yang Xiuhong forced someone to death!"

In the heavy rain, one side of Golden Wind Tower became lively. Xi Junyu watched this scene, laughing on the upper floor for a long time. Soon after, he left the room preparing to depart. In the corridor, he happened to meet some acquaintances—the Wu family's eldest young master Wu Qilong and second young master Wu Qihao. Seeing them, Xi Junyu stood to one side of the corridor to let them pass. The two looked pleasantly surprised.

"Haha, Manager Xi, what a coincidence. You're also at Golden Wind Tower today. Do you have some engagement?"

"I was just entertaining Manager Yu from Flourishing Fortune House. Manager Yu has already left."

"Oh, since you're free, why not join us for a chat? We have no important matters today. Meeting like this is fate."

Xi Junyu smiled and shook his head, then politely declined: "Thank you for your kind invitation, young masters, but Junyu still has some matters to handle. I won't disturb you. Next time, next time..." These two from the Wu family were known for their enthusiasm and courtesy to talent. That Wu Qilong had always appreciated Xi Junyu. The two sides talked for a while, and finally the Wu brothers regretfully smiled and said goodbye. Xi Junyu waited for them to pass, then turned and walked toward the outside.

With such heavy rain today, travel was difficult. Calculating the time, Xiao Chan's father was only buried today. Ning Yi... would probably return tomorrow night. The matter with Flourishing Fortune House was nearly settled, so he should go report on the situation...

He stood at the door watching the astonishing downpour. An attendant brought the carriage over: "Manager Xi, where to next?"

"Back..." He thought for a moment. "To the Su residence."

The carriage clattered into that curtain of rain, traveling along the still-bright long street toward the Su residence. Not long after, on a street by the river not far away, another carriage belonging to the Su family also drove through the rain coming this way. Driving was Dongzhu wearing a rain cape—they had finally returned to Jiangning at night.

The Wu Dynasty had rich nightlife. City gates generally didn't close at night, and when they occasionally did, it was very late. But recently with refugees gathering outside, Ning Yi worried all the way whether the city gates might close early at night recently. On the way back they'd also seen the gloomy weather. Fortunately, the heavy rain only came down after they'd entered the city gates. He called Guard Geng into the carriage compartment, then got a rain cape for the driver Dongzhu to put on. Passing by here, he vaguely heard someone shouting: "Miss..."

He lifted a corner of the side curtain to look. Near the Qinhuai River there were also many buildings, mostly brothels, with lanterns illuminating under the eaves. Though there were people in the buildings, there weren't any pedestrians on the streets. When he lifted the curtain to look, a woman seemed to be climbing up from the stone steps between two wooden buildings by the riverside. Her maid was beside her holding a small bundle.

The woman must have jumped in for her own reasons. Since it had just started raining, the Qinhuai River at night was also churning with waves, quite dangerous. It was remarkable she could still climb up, still appearing at ease. But when this woman fell in she'd been wearing thin clothes. Now she was completely soaked through, her clothes clinging to her curvaceous body, almost translucent. Her legs were beautifully long and slender. One embroidered shoe had probably fallen off in the water, leaving her delicate foot bare. Standing there drenched in the downpour, she made quite a sight.

A few people on the opposite street or in nearby buildings probably saw by accident. The driver Dongzhu should also be watching. The woman wiped her face, then noticed this point. She glanced down at her soaked-through clothes, then looked up defiantly: "Never seen a woman before..."

The words came out fierce but shaky, her voice betraying embarrassment. Without another word, she spun and dove back into the river. In an instant she'd already swum far out in those waves.

"Miss! Miss!" Her maid stumbled along the muddy riverbank, desperately trying to keep up...

"Tsk tsk." Now there was a woman with spirit...

Ning Yi sighed inwardly, vaguely feeling he'd seen that woman somewhere before. But thinking about it seemed wrong—perhaps he'd seen a similar scene with some movie star before. Thinking this, Xiao Chan also leaned over: "Young Master, what are you looking at?"

"Heh, nothing."

"I don't believe you." Xiao Chan shook her head.

"...Dongzhu should have seen it too. Go ask Dongzhu."

"Huh?" Xiao Chan was puzzled for a moment, then lifted the front curtain. "Brother Dongzhu, Brother Dongzhu, what did you all see just now?"

"Wh-what?" Dongzhu was stunned, then embarrassed. "Didn't, didn't see anything, didn't see anything..."

"Eh?"

Ning Yi laughed heartily in the carriage. Xiao Chan looked puzzledly at Dongzhu in front, then at Ning Yi inside, then sullenly retreated to her seat: "Bullying people..."

(End of Chapter)