Chapter 38: This Young Master Does What He Should

They didn’t speak when Lan Fen returned from the medicine garden and after that night he hadn’t seen her since. She moved back to her room in the manor and kept her distance. With her sensing, it was child’s play to avoid him. Not that he went to search her out. He stuck to his office, poring through the Young Master’s atrociously small library.

Song Yuelin took it upon himself to keep tabs on Lan Fen, following her out on various assaults on Lan family properties. Medicine gardens, caravans, ranches, mines, Lan Fen was relentless and with so many eyes already on them the Lan family couldn’t hide the news. They were forced to finally open their doors to various delegations sent by the other families. That didn’t stop Lan Fen’s assaults though, soon enough the Lan family would have to respond and once they tried and failed to stop Lan Fen their enemies would rise to carve out their slices of flesh.

“You seem down, Young Master Chen.”

He didn’t look up from his book. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Your wife seems to detest being called your wife.” Song Yuelin picked at his ear, bored. “In fact, I don’t recall ever seeing her refer to you as husband without me forcing her.”

He didn’t need Song Yuelin to tell him that. He wasn’t blind to why the man always needled her about the marriage. The idea of it genuinely rankled her. It was obvious whenever she had to act as his wife, in the way her fingers wrapped like knives around his neck. Lan Fen hated the marriage and one didn’t have to be a genius to know why.

He closed his book. “I said tell me something I don’t know.”

“Just making sure,” he shrugged. “I must say your relationship confuses me. What I see and what I’ve heard are so at odds that I’m left putting together a puzzle with all the wrong pieces.”

Was this the moment then? Song Yuelin was perfectly suited to spotting something amiss with Chen Haoran. His actions last night might have been the last clues he needed. Honestly, it had surprised Chen Haoran that it took this long for him to say anything. Was he waiting for this moment? Lan Fen was too far away now. He had no way out.

Chen Haoran closed his eyes. “And what do you think.”

“That it was amusing to annoy the both of you. I’d appreciate it if you could fix your issues so I can continue doing that.”

That… wasn’t what he had been expecting.

Chen Haoran opened his eyes. “Are you concerned?”

“No, just bored. Drama is only interesting when I cause it.”

“Crazy bastard,” Chen Haoran sighed. “I never know what to expect from you.”

Song Yuelin smiled. “I would consider myself lacking if you could.”

Yet another mystery to be added to the assassin’s motives. Nothing about the man or the Chen family had been clear-cut ever since he got involved with them. Perhaps he should be grateful though. If they were direct it might mean he’d get a knife in the back sooner rather than later.

“Do not fear, Young Master Chen.” Song Yuelin proudly patted his chest. “I have extensive training in resolving marital conflicts!”

“I’m not trying to kill Lan Fen.”

“My word Young Master Chen who do you take me for!”

An assassin. Though he wisely held that thought to himself.

“I have a foolproof plan I’ll have you know,” Song Yuelin pouted.“Clearsprings City is actually the best place to resolve marital issues. Everything gets washed away in the waters of its crystal pools.” He whipped out two tickets. “I’ve made reservations at the best bathhouse in the city!”

“Put those away,” Chen Haoran snorted.

“But Young Master Chen!”

“I already have an idea of how you can help.” He drummed his fingers against the desk.

“Yes?”

“I’m going to need paper and ink, a lot of it.”

————

Six hours had passed and Chen Haoran’s desk had become cluttered with letters once again, this time of a much more personal nature. He had organized them into stacks as best he could, but he was running out of space. It was time to start sending some out.

“Song Yuelin-”

The man shushed him and hooked a thumb towards the door. Chen Haoran glanced toward it and when he looked back Song Yuelin had disappeared, taking the finished letters with him.

“Take the treasury key too,” he said to the air.

“I did,” the air replied.

Chen Haoran patted his robes. So he did.

There was a knock at the door. He didn’t bother stretching his sense out. He knew who it was. “Come in.”

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Lan Fen entered his office. She wore a green peony-printed dress. Her long white hair was loose. Golden eyes regarded him calmly. For a moment he was struck by how young she was. Song Yuelin had given him the numbers, at least a hundred people dead. She was only eighteen. It was both terrifying and humbling.

“May I sit?” she asked.

“Of course.”

She primly took a seat. Her face was neutral and unreadable to his eyes. Not that he’d ever had a good measure of her to begin with. Just another of her many talents. Or was it because he never bothered to look at her properly?

He straightened into a more proper posture. “How can I help you?”

“I would like to set a proper schedule to train you in the Canyon Carving Sword now that I have time,” she said. “At least until I am sure you can reach Harmonization.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes,” came the perfunctory answer.

“Did you really come to see me just for training?”

“I still owe you a debt,” Lan Fen stated. “I do not keep debts.”

“Okay then,” he sighed. “Just let me finish here and we can hash it out.”

Lan Fen’s eyes roamed over his desk. “What are you writing?”

Chen Haoran looked down at the letter he had been working on. “Do you remember when you looked into the crimes I committed?” He dashed out the last few lines before neatly stamping his seal on the letter. Song Yuelin had somehow already placed his own when he wasn’t looking. “I’m writing apologies to my victims and sending compensation.” It was something long overdue.

Lan Fen frowned. “Why?” the unspoken half was clear: ‘You did not commit those crimes.’ Song Yuelin must be listening in on this conversation.

“I have the power to help them.” So he did. It was something he could have done sooner but didn’t. He had excuses, they didn’t matter. This was something he chose not to do earlier. He hadn’t lied when he told Song Yuelin he didn’t like how he had been acting.

“Here.” He gave the letter to Lan Fen.

Lan Fen frowned and read it. She shot up when she saw the contents. “What is this, Chen Haoran?”

“What I should have done a long time ago. You’re one of my victims too.”

‘I Chen Haoran, swearing upon both Family and Heaven, declare that I have not consummated the marriage with my wife Lan Fen.’

That was the gist of it at least. It was couched in much longer legalese and flowery language but the effect was the same. He couldn’t just give her divorce papers, not in this world, but this way they could break the marriage with her honor intact. “I’ve stamped my personal seal and Song Yuelin will serve as a witness. If we need it though I can have Manager Lin dragged back to place his seal too.”

Lan Fen gripped the paper tightly. “I can annul the marriage with this,” she whispered. She looked up. “Why would you give this to me?”

He frowned. “I’m not a monster. I was never going to force you to stay married to me.” Even if it was in his best interests that she did. “I should have spoken to you about this sooner when I saw how uncomfortable you were.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”

“No- it’s not…” she hesitated.

“You don’t need to say anything, Lan Fen. Letting it get to this point was because of my selfishness.” It wasn’t just the rewards of the Gifting power were too tempting for him. He had grown too comfortable with Lan Fen.

Lan Fen looked… uncertain. Her expression was a far cry from the cool, collected, confidence he had always seen her have. What had she thought of him, that this action was enough to blindside her? Chen Haoran didn’t want to know the answer.

He watched Lan Fen steel herself. “I am sorry.”

He blinked. “For what?” he asked, confused.

“This was a marriage meant to destroy me,” she quietly said. “Although it turned out to be for the better that does not change its tainted origins. When I am called wife I can only hear mockery and pity behind it. The word was to be the final title I ever held, my ignominious end.”

“Lan Fen-”

“I do not hate you,” she said. “But I cannot forget what was done. I refuse to forget it.” She reached out to touch his face. Her fingers stopped just short of doing so. “I cannot forget your past.” She retracted her hand.

He had heard hints of it before. Of his predecessor’s desire for Lan Fen. With how he behaved, there was no way Lan Fen hadn’t been aware of it as well. No way that the Young Master didn’t make it known to her. Lan Fen had told him what she knew of the Young Master to help him play his role. She never told him how she knew.

“Thank you,” Lan Fen sat back down. “For this, for everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

He didn’t know what else to say.

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