Chapter Ten: A Prophecy Fulfilled

Recently, Jin Xiaodao had begun paying more attention to her appearance. She applied makeup to her face, grew particular about her clothing styles, and sometimes pointed at Meng Xiaoli’s plain clothes with a smile, saying, “Your clothes are too simple. Let me tell you, women dress to look beautiful, not just to cover themselves.” Then she would drag Meng Xiaoli to the market to shop. Meng Xiaoli knew that Jin Xiaodao had been accustomed to a refined lifestyle, so her taste naturally far surpassed her own.

Jin Xiaodao pulled Meng Xiaoli from one fabric shop to another, examining and touching the materials as if she had been transported back to the mansion where she once held the title of young mistress. Watching Jin Xiaodao, Meng Xiaoli thought to herself, “She has seen the world. Even though she has fallen from grace and become a maid, what she has witnessed and heard surpasses my understanding. She often says she is worthless, but to me, she is beautiful and poised. Her strength lies not in her actions, but in her mind. As a woman, she is far stronger than I am.”

Lost in thought, Meng Xiaoli was snapped back when Jin Xiaodao sighed, “Oh, I really am something. I used to buy fabric without a second thought, but now I’m worried about how to wash this material.” She shook her head with a laugh. “It’s ridiculous.” Then she draped a piece of fabric over Meng Xiaoli, scrutinizing her from head to toe, before shaking her head. “No, this won’t do. Not only is the material poor, but it makes your skin look dull.” As she reached for another piece, Meng Xiaoli suddenly felt a pang of inferiority. She tugged at Jin Xiaodao’s arm and said, “Don’t choose for me anymore. You pick your own clothes. You’re beautiful enough to wear anything.”

Jin Xiaodao was unwilling to relent, pulling Meng Xiaoli along. “That won’t do. We came all this way. If you don’t wear new clothes home to show to your husband, it’ll all be for nothing.”

Reluctantly dragged along by Jin Xiaodao, Meng Xiaoli changed into a new outfit. The two of them stepped out gracefully, like celestial maidens descended to earth. Jin Xiaodao strode confidently down the street, while Meng Xiaoli, unaccustomed to such attention, shyly followed her lead.

Back at home, Jin Xiaodao dashed inside calling out for Long Ye, “Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!” Hearing her, Long Ye returned from the backyard leading little Long Ze. Jin Xiaodao stood in front of Long Ye, twisting her body in delight. “Brother-in-law, look! Am I pretty?”

Long Ye’s gaze remained fixed on Meng Xiaoli. He nodded approvingly, “Yes, beautiful.” Believing the praise was for her, Jin Xiaodao linked her arm with his, but Long Ye lightly pressed her hand away. He then stepped toward Meng Xiaoli, gently touched her cheek, and bent down to smile at her. “Are you happy today?”

Blushing, Meng Xiaoli bent down to lift little Long Ze and smiled. “Next time, I’ll take you shopping too.” She kissed Long Ze on the cheek, and the little boy waved his toy enthusiastically. “Okay! Okay!”

Watching this affectionate family scene, Jin Xiaodao felt as invisible as air, a jealous fire kindling in her heart. She turned and retreated to her room, lying on her bed with a pout. Seeing this, Meng Xiaoli thought Jin Xiaodao must be tired from shopping and carried Long Ze back inside.

The next afternoon, when Long Ye went to the mountains to practice swordsmanship, Jin Xiaodao hurried to follow him. Meng Xiaoli sat in the courtyard watching as Jin Xiaodao unabashedly linked her arm with Long Ye’s. Long Ye tried to avoid her, but Jin Xiaodao stubbornly pressed closer. A wave of unease swelled inside Meng Xiaoli. This sister seemed closer to her husband than she was. Though the couple treated Jin Xiaodao as a sister, lacking blood ties meant boundaries had to be maintained; otherwise, feelings might change over time.

On the mountain, Jin Xiaodao insisted Long Ye teach her some self-defense moves. He broke off a sturdy branch and handed it to her. “I’ll teach you some simple techniques.” Jin Xiaodao took the branch and mimicked Long Ye’s movements. When her posture faltered, he stepped in to correct her. But Jin Xiaodao’s true intent was not to learn swordplay. She kept her eyes fixed on Long Ye, and when he came close to guide her, she summoned courage and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Meanwhile, Meng Xiaoli, resting on a couch, suddenly felt a jolt in her heart and snapped her eyes open. A sharp, piercing intuition struck her like lightning. She sat up abruptly, nervous, pacing the room. She didn’t know why she felt so unsettled. Sitting by the table, shelling nuts, her thoughts raced: “Could something have happened to Long Ye? Perhaps he met a wild beast in the mountains. With his skill, he should handle it. Or maybe a martial artist attacked him and he got hurt? But even the best can encounter greater forces. Yet Long Ye is not the type to stir up trouble. Could it be Jin Xiaodao who’s in trouble? But how could she possibly be?”

Her mind circled back to the same suspicion. “Jin Xiaodao? Could something have happened between them?”

While Meng Xiaoli fretted, Long Ye was pushed back by Jin Xiaodao after her bold kiss. She lost her balance and fell backward onto the ground. She didn’t hurry to get up, lying there with a gleam of triumph in her eyes. Long Ye looked at her in surprise. “What do you mean by this?”

Jin Xiaodao answered without hesitation, “I love you.” Long Ye knew she cared for him, but he thought it was a sibling affection. Never did he imagine she would be so direct and frank. “Have you considered how Xiaoli feels?” he asked.

Sitting up, Jin Xiaodao replied calmly, “She is herself, and I am myself. If she loves you, it doesn’t stop me from loving you too. We can both love you together.” Then she stood and reached out to embrace him.

Long Ye lifted his sword and pressed the hilt against her neck. “How can you have such thoughts? We saved you.” He pushed her away angrily. “I think you should pack your things and leave tonight.”

Hearing this, Jin Xiaodao was shocked by his coldness. She hurried to explain, “Why? Do you have no feelings for me at all? What did I do wrong? I only love you. Why must you drive me away?”

Long Ye looked puzzled. “Love me? What’s there about me worthy of your love? There are plenty of men in the world. Why love me? You should pack your things and leave tonight.”

As Jin Xiaodao clung to Long Ye, Meng Xiaoli grew suspicious of the two. She thought their lax attitude might stem from indulgence. What if Long Ye felt the same? What if they secretly nurtured feelings for each other? She and Jin Xiaodao were no different—both fatherless and motherless. Did she truly have a home or a future? If all their origins were alike, and Jin Xiaodao was more beautiful, lively, and worldly, what reason could a man have to refuse such a woman? Compared to Jin Xiaodao, Meng Xiaoli felt defeated without even fighting. But this man was no ordinary man—he was Long Ye, her childhood sweetheart and husband. They even had such a lovely child. For the child’s sake alone, Long Ye would not abandon her, would he?

Lost in thought, little Long Ze approached, holding a book and pushing against Meng Xiaoli’s knee. “Mama, how do you read this character?” Meng Xiaoli’s heart softened as she looked at her daughter’s cherubic face. She took the book and said, “This character is ‘huan’—as in ‘raising a tiger brings disaster.’” Before she finished the word, a sharp ringing echoed in her mind. The phrase “raising a tiger brings disaster” repeated in her mouth as her expression grew vacant. Her daughter took the book back without noticing her mother’s strange demeanor.

Suddenly feeling cold, Meng Xiaoli grabbed a cloak from the wardrobe and wrapped it around herself. She paced to the door, eyes hollow as she stared into the distance. All this time, Jin Xiaodao’s behavior had been a declaration of war. She had always thought Jin Xiaodao naive and ignorant, but it turned out she herself had been the fool.

From afar, Meng Xiaoli saw Long Ye and Jin Xiaodao walking side by side. Her expression turned icy. Long Ye intended to tell Meng Xiaoli about his decision to send Jin Xiaodao away, but found her standing motionless at the door, pale and wrapped in a cloak, as if ill. He set aside the topic and hurried to her side, anxiously asking, “What’s wrong? You look terrible. Are you cold wearing a cloak indoors?”

Meng Xiaoli’s eyes remained fixed on Jin Xiaodao, who shifted nervously, tending to drying mushrooms in the courtyard and avoiding their gaze. Coldly, Meng Xiaoli asked Long Ye, “Where did you two go?”

Sensing her unusual mood, Long Ye was puzzled. “Xiaoli, you’re acting strangely today. How do you know what we did at home?” Unaware of a woman’s intuition, he assumed she was ill and didn’t want to upset her. “We practiced swordsmanship in the woods. Nothing else.”

Though suspicious, Meng Xiaoli, lacking proof, replied, “I hope you didn’t do anything else.” Hearing this, Long Ye felt uneasy and glanced at Jin Xiaodao, who looked even more nervous.

Jin Xiaodao knew Long Ye had no romantic interest in her. She feared that after communicating, the two would unite against her and drive her out. So she tried to take the initiative, earnestly pleading with Meng Xiaoli to accept her so she could become Long Ye’s concubine. But Meng Xiaoli flew into a rage and firmly refused, even threatening to expel Jin Xiaodao. Raised in a noble household where men commonly had multiple wives and concubines, Jin Xiaodao thought this was natural. Her boldness backfired, forcing her to kneel and beg for mercy, swearing never to mention it again and to obediently remain a servant.

Long Ye had always regarded Jin Xiaodao as a little sister, naïve but well-meaning. Aside from her affection for him, her character was not bad. So he dropped the issue. Jin Xiaodao then deliberately distanced herself from Long Ye, but from then on, Meng Xiaoli harbored resentment toward Jin Xiaodao. Whenever she complained about her, Long Ye tried to mediate or simply thought Meng Xiaoli was making things difficult for her.

Thus, the delicate balance of their tangled lives hung precariously in the air.