The voice behind Ru Yi was calm. Too calm. Like a child that was caught doing something they’d been warned about in the past—

She turned slowly

Madam Lin stood a few steps away, her expression composed, her hands folded neatly before her. It was a far cry from the anger Ru Yi thought would be threatening to consume her.

"I...I..." Ru Yi couldn’t come up with an excuse, because she was caught right in the act. Snooping around her employer’s room.

The light filtering in through the window caught in the silk sleeves of Madam Lin’s robe, making them shiver as she moved closer.

Ru Yi took a cautious step back.

"I don’t take kindly to servants that are disobedient," she said in a quiet voice. "I told you not to move or touch anything without my permission."

Ru Yi’s heart pounded. She didn’t want to lose this job, especially not on her first day. "I was just cleaning," she said quickly. "I thought I heard something...Like someone was..."

"Voices?" Madam Lin tilted her head slightly, as if considering it. "Chains, perhaps?"

Ru Yi hesitated. "Yes."

For a brief moment something unreadable flickered across Madam Lin’s eyes. Then she smiled. It was supposed to be soft and reassuring, but Ru Yi became even more troubled.

"You have a vivid imagination," Madam Lin said.

The words settled over Ru Yi like something heavy and desperate.

"I didn’t imagine it," Ru Yi insisted, quieter now. "I heard—"

Madam Lin stepped closer.

Close enough that Ru Yi instinctively stopped speaking.

"Come," she said, her tone still gentle, but leaving no room for refusal. Her hand rested lightly on Ru Yi’s shoulder.

Not firm.

Not forceful.

Ru Yi allowed herself to be led.

-

-

The vanity table gleamed under the light, its polished surface reflecting the delicate arrangement of brushes and pins. A bronze mirror stood at its center, slightly aged, its reflection softened at the edges.

"Sit," Madam Lin instructed.

Ru Yi obeyed without questions.

Her reflection stared back at her—uneasy, uncertain. This was the first time she was seeing her face in such great detail.

Strands of her hair were already escaping the single braid Yexue had attempted to pull them into. Something warm started to creep in.

Ultimately, her hair was a mess. But it was the thought that Yexue wanted to do that for her, that counted.

Madam Lin moved behind her, bringing Ru Yi back to her present predicament.

"I would prefer we get along," Madam Lin started, her voice smooth as silk. "This house is much quieter when there is harmony. And it will be a shame to let you go after I promised Madam Xiao to help you."

Her fingers reached for Ru Yi’s braid. "She said you have no family, and no home of your own."

Ru Yi nodded. It wasn’t far from the truth.

She didn’t realize what Madam Lin was about to do until she started loosening her braids.

Ru Yi pulled away. "You don’t have to. My job is to take care of you, not the other way round. I can have it redone myself if it’s not to your liking."

"It’s a rule for all my maids to look tidy," Madam Lin replied. "But I know you have no one to do it for you. Please...let me."

How could Ru Yi possibly say no?

She gave a small nod and Madam Lin started loosening her hair.

"I never got the chance to do this for my daughter," Madam Lin’s voice took a grave tone. "So I hope you can let me close enough to still enjoy these little things I wished I got to do as a mother."

"I...is it okay if I ask what happened to her?"

"We do not speak about her," Madam Lin answered in a clipped tone. "About what you heard...It is normal to have many sounds in such a large house. Wood settles. Pipes shift. The mind fills in what it does not understand."

Her fingers slid through Ru Yi’s hair, slow and deliberate, undoing the work Yexue had done earlier.

"We should not let imagination create distance between us," she continued. "It would be such a waste."

Ru Yi swallowed hard. She was sure of what she heard. Both now and back then in Empress Lihua’s residence.

"I think—"

Madam Lin tapped her temple lightly. "You think too much. Focus on my fingers instead, they should bring you some calm." Her hands moved to gather Ru Yi’s hair when all the strands were finally loose.

That was when Ru Yi saw it...In the reflection of the mirror.

It was only for a brief moment when Madam Lin’s sleeve shifted slightly as she reached forward. Beneath the silk, at her wrist...was a mark.

It was dark.

Faint, but unmistakable.

A ringed bruise.

Like something had been fastened there. Tightly.

Ru Yi’s breath caught, and Madam Lin immediately noticed.

Then deliberately, she coughed—a soft controlled sound—as she adjusted her sleeve, letting the fabric fall back into place, hiding the mark completely.

"Pay it no mind, it’s an old injury." As if the explanation had already been asked for. "Nothing of importance."

Ru Yi said nothing, but her eyes remained on the mirror.

Madam Lin’s gaze met hers through the reflection. Smiling.

Then her fingers resumed their work.

First, she picked up the jade comb on the table and ran it through Ru Yi’s hair. After it she pulled all the strands into a single braid.

Each movement was firm, controlled, less gentle than before.

When she finished, she smoothed it once, her hand lingering briefly at the base of Ru Yi’s neck. "There, that’s much better."

Ru Yi did not agree. While Madam Lin’s was much neater, a proper braid in its own right...she still preferred Yexue’s.

Whether it was the brief touches...or the soothing calm she felt when Yexue massaged her scalp with her slim fingers.

"Thank you..." Ru Yi wasn’t sure what else to do.

"Don’t worry about it. I can do this for you everyday, I quite enjoy it." Madam Lin put her hands on Ru Yi’s shoulder at the same time the door opened abruptly.

The sound cut through the room like something sharp.

Yexue stepped inside without waiting to be invited in. Her gaze moved quickly, starting from the new braid, down to Madam Lin’s hand on Ru Yi’s shoulder.

Something in her expression hardened.

"Ru Yi." It wasn’t a greeting, it was a command. "Let’s go."

Ru Yi stood immediately, already sensing Yexue’s foul mood. But at the forefront of her emotions was relief.

Madam Lin did not turn right away. Her hand smoothed the braid down Ru Yi’s back in a slow agonizing movement. She held Yexue’s gaze for a moment before she finally withdrew her hand.

"How sudden," Madam Lin said, her tone unchanged. "Time really does fly fast in the company of someone you like."

Yexue stopped forward. "She’s leaving. Now!"

Madam Lin smiled again, serene as ever. "Of course, I’ll see her tomorrow."

Ru Yi bowed her head towards Madam Lin. "Thank you for your kindness."

Yexue immediately grabbed Ru Yi’s hand and pulled her along. Her face was set in a frown, her entire body rigid and tense.

She did not slow down her pace until they were outside. She immediately turned to Ru Yi. "Did she touch you?"

Ru Yi blinked. "What?"

Yexue’s gaze flickered to the braid. Her jaw tightened. "Never mind. Let’s go home."

Ru Yi followed, walking beside her. "I heard something in her room."

Yexue stopped.

"I heard the voice of someone groaning in pain. And when I asked if someone was there...something like a chain moved."

"Are you sure you were not imagining it?" Yexue asked. "I don’t think she can hide someone there without anyone else finding out."

"That’s the problem. There was nobody there but the two of us, and the man that ushered us in."

Yexue nodded. "I noticed it the first time I came with Madam Xiao. When I asked, she said Madam Lin used to suffer from a disease, so she’s more comfortable when there’s no one around."

Ru Yi’s eyes furrowed in confusion. "That was not what she told me when I asked about other maids."

"What did she say?"

"That they were kidnapped." Ru Yi scratched the back of her neck. "I mean...it did make sense at first. But now? I’m not so sure."

"One of them has to be lying," Yexue replied, her eyes still on Ru Yi’s hair. She wanted nothing more than to take out that braid and punish Ru Yi for letting someone else touch her.

Yexue took a deep breath to ground herself. "Madam Xiao has nothing to hide, there’s no need for her to lie. But Madam Lin on the other hand..."

Ru Yi wasn’t completely sure about Madam Xiao. Not after seeing her and those strangers at the back of the house. She wanted to confirm her suspicions first before telling the triplets.

"Let’s get home first. How is Xiao Yi?"

Yexue groaned. "You care about that boy more than me."

And somewhere behind them—

Hidden beneath silk, wood, and silence...the sound of rushed chains dragging across concrete could be heard.