Chapter 419 Pattern

Chapter 419: The Motif

Meng Wan hadn't slept a wink all night. He forced himself upright through his exhaustion and ate two steamed buns. Even without an appetite, he couldn't let himself starve—in case something went down in the Dark City tonight and he needed the strength to run. "Xiaoyu, give me the waterskin."

He didn't dare touch a single thing from the Luo family. After chugging a couple mouthfuls of water, Meng Wan collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep. But since this wasn't his turf, he slept fitfully, plagued by a bunch of weird, twisted dreams.

In one dream, he was marrying Song Tingzhou. The ox cart had already rumbled a good ways off when A Yan suddenly appeared from behind, chasing the cart, sobbing and demanding why they'd left him behind.

In another, he was back to when he'd just transmigrated into the Luo family, pinned to the ground, about to be dragged off and beaten to death with clubs. His mother was suddenly sitting in the main seat Bai Fuling used to occupy, cold-faced, declaring she'd marry him off to her idiot son. When he got to the bridal chamber, the idiot son turned out to be Song Tingzhou.

The moment knocking sounded at the door, Meng Wan's eyes flew open. Chi Yu had already opened it and was speaking softly with someone outside. The sky was still dark, but a shade lighter than when he'd fallen asleep. It must be daytime now—or rather, afternoon.

"What is it?" Meng Wan's voice was soft and raspy. If Chi Yu didn't have superhuman hearing, he wouldn't have caught it.

Chi Yu closed the door and came in. "Fulang, they're calling us in for a meal."

Meng Wan wanted to say "not hungry," but given the role he was playing right now—someone interested in cooperating with the Luo family—he should go to this meal to feel out the Luo family's strengths and weaknesses and dig up more dirt on what's really going on in the Dark City. He couldn't just skip it.

He pried his eyes open and struggled to sit up, feeling like his body was weighed down from sleep, his arms and legs all rubbery. "What time is it?" he asked Chi Yu.

Chi Yu walked back to Meng Wan's bedside. "Around the You hour, maybe?" He hadn't really slept, just dozed with his eyes closed. Even though he knew they had people watching their backs, he still had to stay alert.

The Luo family had plenty of their own experts too. Song Tingzhou's people didn't dare get too close—only Ge Quan moved in and out like he owned the place.

"Oh." Meng Wan sat up and shook off his drowsiness. "Then let's go."

Chi Yu opened the door again, and the maids waiting outside filed in, their footsteps light and silent. They came in two by two, each holding a camphor-wood tray. Once inside, they first curtsied in unison to greet Meng Wan, then stood off to the side with their things, waiting to serve him.

A silver basin of clean water, toothbrush and tooth powder, a blue-and-white porcelain cup for rinsing the mouth, a gilded bronze kettle keeping the water warm beside it, and a young attendant holding neatly folded silk face towels. His companion took a towel, soaked it in warm water until soft, then wrung it out until half-dry.

Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou didn't like people hovering over them. After brushing his teeth and washing his face with clean water, he grabbed a towel to dry off, skipped all the lotions and creams, and looked at the garments the maids behind him were holding.

Eight maids, each holding an outfit of light, silky fabric, all in shades of teal and blue.

Meng Wan's own outer robe was fine—just a little wrinkled from sleeping—but it'd be rude to receive guests like that. When he had the option, Meng Wan wasn't about to shortchange himself. He took off his outer robe, casually picked a water-blue long gown, and put it on. He took out his hairpin and re-did his hair into a topknot. "I'm ready."

"Yes. Fulang, please follow me." A lead maid bowed.

Meng Wan waved off the maid's offer and held his own umbrella, with Chi Yu following behind. They left the courtyard and walked through the covered corridors, running into Luo family women also headed to the banquet.

Normally, a banquet for a gē like Meng Wan would have the inner-court wives hosting. But Meng Wan's status was special—even the Clan Elders had to bow and scrape to him—so they should host him personally to show proper respect. So they had to break convention and mix men, women, and gē at the same tables. It wouldn't break etiquette, but it'd still show they took him seriously—a win-win.

When the inner-court women spotted Meng Wan from a distance, they all stopped and curtsied, hiding the curiosity and prying looks they'd had that morning.

Meng Wan paused mid-step and gave a slight nod.

"Ugly slave boy." Someone called out to him, not knowing when to quit.

When Meng Wan looked over, Bai Fuling covered her mouth in a fake, theatrical way. "Sorry, Meng Fulang. I misspoke."

A proud, arrogant young miss wouldn't know how to put on an act. Everyone saw right through her clumsy act—or maybe she never meant to hide it. The young miss thought hiding her feelings was beneath her—she'd stay arrogant to her dying breath.

"Miss Bai is still as blunt and dumb as ever." Being called by his old slave name didn't shame Meng Wan like Bai Fuling had hoped. Instead, he stated it flatly, like it was just a fact.

He wasn't arrogant. The blue gown made him look quietly refined, like a gentleman raised in a scholarly household. But these outward changes couldn't change the fact that Meng Wan's ruthless tactics had forced the Luo family's hidden elders to host him personally. Sharp and bold—that was the real him.

Sure enough, his next words carried a faint threat. "But I'd advise you to keep those disgusting thoughts to yourself. This fulang is someone you don't want to mess with."

Meng Wan just hadn't gotten around to dealing with her—not that he couldn't. If Bai Fuling kept bouncing around in front of him, Meng Wan wouldn't mind taking her out first. After all, the Luo family was willing to throw away even their clan head to win him over, let alone Luo Zhan's wife, who had no use to them anymore.

He walked off without a second glance at Bai Fuling's face, which had gone instantly pale. The other wives and fulangs trailed after him, occasionally shooting Bai Fuling weird looks as they passed.

Can't she see which way the wind's blowing? Deliberately poking at Meng Wan—no wonder people called her dumb. Did she still think Meng Wan was her old second-class servant, someone she could push around and make bow and scrape?

"Fulang, she looks even more pissed after what you said." Chi Yu shot Bai Fuling a warning look, but she was too wrapped up in her own feelings to notice.

The rain kept falling, stringing bead curtains of water off the eaves, occasionally splashing up onto the wooden walkway. Meng Wan stepped on the damp boards and gave a faint smile. "Good that she's mad. I was afraid she'd be too level-headed."

If she were rational, he'd have no excuse to get back at her for nearly having him beaten to death.

If he hadn't come to Lin'an, Meng Wan wouldn't have bothered with Bai Fuling. But now that he was here, and she was prancing right up to him picking a fight—did she really think he was a pushover?

Six tables were laid out in the dining hall, with men, women, and young gē all mixed together. The maids led Meng Wan directly to the head table, a table full of clan elders and their wives. Even Luo Zhan didn't rate a seat at that table—he and Bai Fuling sat at the next table with all the younger folks.

"Young" here meant the younger clan members at the old estate. Almost none of the clan members who'd come were unmarried gē or women—they were all Luo family daughters-in-law and fulangs. No matter how much mistress-of-the-house energy they had at home, in front of the elders, they all kept their eyes down and mouths shut, demure and obedient—including Bai Fuling.

Bai Fuling was the last to enter. By then, Meng Wan was already lounging in the seat of honor. Once he was settled, the servants started bringing out the food in silence. The whole room waited for Sixth Granduncle to make the first move with his chopsticks, but Sixth Granduncle was waiting on Meng Wan. He picked up his chopsticks, then put them back down. "Looks like one person's running late."

The Luo family had already done their homework on his background and knew all about his history with Bai Fuling. Who knows how many eyes in the old estate were watching Meng Wan—the elders had already gotten word of his run-in with Bai Fuling in the corridor.

Sixth Granduncle didn't scold Bai Fuling. He just shot Luo Zhan a look.

Luo Zhan hadn't seen what happened in the corridor, but he knew Bai Fuling's temper all too well. He frowned at her, out of some lingering regard for their marriage. "Go eat somewhere else."

Bai Fuling's face had been dark ever since Meng Wan called her out. Getting scolded by Luo Zhan in front of everyone, with so many familiar faces watching, she could barely keep her mask on. But she couldn't throw a fit. Proud as she was, she knew how Sixth Granduncle dealt with people—her dead second uncle had been killed on his say-so.

Without a word, Bai Fuling gave Meng Wan a long, hard look and backed off.

Meng Wan silently sighed in disappointment. He'd been waiting for Bai Fuling to make a scene, but she actually held it together. Not caring who was watching, he undid the pouch at his waist right in front of everyone and pulled out his little silver spoon to eat with.

No one was dumb enough to ask what it was. The meal was stifling—even the clink of bowls and chopsticks was so quiet you could barely hear it.

Meng Wan wasn't there for the banquet; he was there to fill his belly. He picked two light, filling dishes and ate, no matter how they tasted.

"Fulang, go rest a bit more. Before the Zi hour, I'll send someone to fetch you."

Meng Wan nodded faintly. "Fine."

The same maids led him back the same way. Chi Yu was quietly memorizing the route, not paying attention to his surroundings. Outside the small courtyard, Bai Fuling's woman, Mother Li, was waiting at the gate.

Meng Wan dismissed the guiding maid with a wave, held his umbrella, and raised an eyebrow. "You look familiar, Mother."

Mother Li's back stiffened, then quickly hunched again. "Meng Fulang flatters me. Back in the Bai household, I did speak with you a couple times."

She deliberately skipped over Meng Wan's time as a servant, afraid of hitting a sore spot. But Meng Wan didn't care at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "I think I remember now. Back then, I was almost beaten to death by the young miss at the Luo estate. Actually, Mother, you're the one who made me who I am—if not for you, my bones would be rotting by now. How would I be living so well today?"

Someone without sense might've thought Meng Wan was thanking her. But Mother Li wasn't stupid. Her whole body went stiff, cold shooting from her chest through her limbs, numbing her head. "F-Fulang..."

She was about to break. But Bai Fuling, who should've shown up by now, was nowhere in sight.

—

"My lord, Lord Ge sent over a woman. She was apparently plotting against your fulang." Tao Shi dragged the tightly bound Bai Fuling into the woods and flung her to the ground before Song Tingzhou.

Bai Fuling seemed dazed and terrified. When the rag was pulled from her mouth, she opened it to scream at Song Tingzhou—but Tao Shi Yi was quick, slapping his hand over her mouth before she could make a sound.

Her determination to deal with Meng Wan had never stopped, but she hadn't planned to act personally. How had she been discovered and caught?

Who was this man? How did he come to be on Xian'ge Mountain? My lord? Fulang? Could he be... the new Jiangnan Governor, Song Tingzhou!

The more Bai Fuling thought about it, the more frightened she became. For once, this stubborn, pampered young lady felt a flicker of regret.

"Are you the legitimate daughter of the Bai family?" Song Tingzhou's robes were similar in color to Meng Wan's—the same shade, yet two entirely different temperaments.

If Meng Wan was a luminous jade hiding its edge within warmth, Song Tingzhou was a blade tempered in frost—born with the icy bearing of one accustomed to power. A single word from him sent Bai Fuling into an icy abyss, draining most of her will to resist in an instant.

"I hear your father has been transferred to Jianping. With the war raging in the north and His Majesty in a fury, I wonder whether the Bai family will dodge this bullet..."

—The rain had fallen without pause for a full day and night, and as the hour of zi approached, it still showed no sign of letting up.

Meng Wan had slept through the day and was now raring to go. He picked up his gaudy, gem-studded dagger and admired it, rising immediately when the knock came at the door.

Just as Lady Yu had said, those entering the underground city had their eyes covered. Meng Wan took the mask the maidservant handed him. "What is this?"

The maidservant said softly, "Meng Fulang, the Clan Elder has instructed that it must be worn."

Meng Wan studied the mask in his hand. He couldn't identify the material, but it had a heft to it. Except for openings for the facial features, it covered nearly the whole face. Chi Yu also held one of the same design, both in the same unremarkable ink-black color.

"And if I refuse to wear it?" Meng Wan asked with a smile.

The maidservant bent low, saying nothing.

No mask, no entry.

"Ah." Meng Wan sighed. "Then I'll wear it."

The maidservant's delicate hands took the mask from Meng Wan, placed it gently over his face, and cinched the straps at the back of his head. The mask fit perfectly over his face. Her fingers found some hidden spot on the mask, and with a soft click, the two openings at the eyes sealed shut, plunging Meng Wan into darkness.

As if sensing his unease, Chi Yu tugged at his sleeve. "Fulang, I'm right behind you."

The maidservant led the two out of the courtyard, and they walked for a while in some direction. Sixth Granduncle's voice sounded ahead of Meng Wan. "Meng Fulang need not be nervous. This is a rule of the Luo family—not only you, but even we must comply."

With his eyes bound in blackness, his ears grew sharper. Outside, the rain pattered like countless fine drumbeats hammering at one's heart. Meng Wan felt he had walked a great distance, and wondered whether all these twists and turns had even taken him out of the Luo estate. There were few footsteps around him, and what he was truly curious about was—if everyone had to be blindfolded, then who was doing the leading?

He'd been pampered for so long that his stamina was only so-so. He did not know how much time had passed, but his feet felt numb. Chi Yu, who had been holding his sleeve, gave a gentle tug.

Sixth Granduncle also spoke up. "We've arrived. You two, wait a moment."

"No need to trouble yourself. I'll handle it."

He seemed to be reaching for the mechanism on Meng Wan's mask, but Chi Yu intercepted him.

"Best not to remove the mask entirely, you two. Simply release the cover over the eyes," Sixth Granduncle reminded.

Chi Yu released his grip on Meng Wan's sleeve, then reached up to the side of Meng Wan's ear and fiddled with a metal clasp that looked like mere decoration. With a soft click, the black panel covering the eyes sprang upward, revealing two oval openings beneath.

Meng Wan blinked, letting his eyes adjust to the sudden change in light. He found himself standing in a spacious stone chamber, brightly lit within. The walls were smooth, and the gaps between bricks were so tight that only the thinnest paper could fit—even a blade could not pierce through.

The air was thick with the damp smell of earth and a faint trace of sulfur. Meng Wan's first instinct was to look back at the path they had come, only to find a solid stone wall behind him as well.

Three sides were walls. The only passage lay straight ahead—an ancient wooden gate with two main pillars, each flanked by a smaller pillar front and back, forming four support points. The roof was slightly gentler in pitch than a standard overhanging gable, simple in structure, with wood so dark it verged on purple, giving it an exceedingly somber and weighty appearance. Yet the overall height was not particularly tall—Song Tingzhou would have to duck his head to enter. Meng Wan estimated it to be around one meter eighty.

Meng Wan stepped forward two paces and noticed a peculiar pattern on the door. Being trained in painting, he keenly recognized it as a perfectly square chrysanthemum design. Counting silently, he found it had exactly sixteen petals.