Unknown to Mo Lixia, after dinner that night, the atmosphere in her father's study was suffocatingly somber.
"Who is behind this?" Madam Mo broke the silence, her voice trembling with indignation. "What has our Li'er done to deserve such slander? If her reputation is ruined, how will she ever find a proper marriage?"
"Father," Mo Zhanchen said, his fists clenched, "this is clearly a calculated attack."
Mo Wushang nodded. "This rumor is far more malicious than the previous one. Someone is trying to destroy her character before she even enters society. Zhanchen, handle this quietly but firmly."
"I understand, Father."
The rumor was indeed vile. It claimed that while Mo Lixia had been missing in the mountains, she had led a promiscuous life, eventually giving birth to a "bastard son." To hide her shame, she supposedly presented the boy to the General's family as her "disciple."
By the time Lixia woke up the next morning, the scandal was the talk of every teahouse in the Capital.
Lixia listened to her maid Xiqiu's anxious reporting with an air of indifference. She wasn't one to care for the opinions of strangers, but she knew that a wildfire of gossip could only be fought with logic, not force. Her mother, fearing Lixia would be driven to despair, stayed by her side all day.
However, by the second day, the rumor began to collapse under its own weight.
"Miss! The whispers have changed!" Xiqiu ran in with a wide grin. "People are laughing now. They say that since you are only sixteen and the Little Master is eight, you would have had to give birth at the age of eight! No one believes it anymore. Now, they are praising your kindness for adopting an orphan and treating him like your own."
Whether this logical counter-attack was spontaneous or a subtle maneuver by her father and brother, Lixia didn't know. But feeling the protective warmth of her family made her heart swell.
The Prime Minister's Manor: A Mask of Ice
In her private chamber, Beiye Yinman, the Capital's foremost talented woman, was focused on her latest painting. Her maid, Micui, was chattering incessantly by her side.
"Miss, that mountain girl's rumors were suppressed," Micui scoffed. "Someone even turned it around to make her look like a saint. Prince Su's plan was a waste! If it were up to me, we should have hired some beggars to really take her virtue. A girl without her chastity is as good as dead in this city..."
Micui was getting excited by her own cruelty until she felt a piercing chill. She looked up and saw a cold, deadly light in Beiye Yinman's eyes.
Micui's voice died in her throat. She fell to her knees, trembling. "S-Slave deserves death! Please forgive me, Miss!"
"Jingqiao," Yinman said softly, not even looking away from her brushwork. "Twenty silver needles."
The other maid, Jingqiao, immediately stepped forward. She grabbed the terrified Micui and covered her mouth before dragging her out of the room.
Outside, Jingqiao let go of the sobbing maid. "Stop crying. You know the Miss's temperament. Do you think we are in any position to suggest things to her? Come... receive your punishment."
Silver needles left no visible scars but caused agonizing pain—a characteristic signature of Beiye Yinman's "gentle" discipline.
A Warm Reunion
Oblivious to the darkness brewing elsewhere, Lixia spent the next few days perfecting her needlework under her mother's guidance.
"The orchids you embroidered look almost real," Nanny Guirong praised, holding up Lixia's silk handkerchief.
Madam Mo took the silk and smiled dotingly. "Our Li'er has gifted hands."
"Mother, don't tease me. I only learned a bit from an auntie in the mountains," Lixia said, her thoughts momentarily drifting back to Aunt Shen and the quiet village life.
"Mochen is coming home today for the weekend," Madam Mo reminded her. "Zhanchen has likely already picked him up from the academy."
"Mochen is back?" Lixia's eyes lit up. "He must be exhausted from his studies. I'll go make him something delicious!"
Lixia hurried to the kitchen with her two maids. Looking at the abundance of ingredients, she decided on Zhajiangmian (Noodles with Black Bean Sauce)—a hearty, comforting meal. She also had Hongshang put a large watermelon on ice.
Soon, the sound of horse hooves echoed in the courtyard. Mo Zhanchen entered, leading a dusty but smiling Mochen.
"Godmother! Master!" Mochen cried out, though he still hesitated slightly with his new title for Madam Mo.
"Sit, sit! You must be parched," Madam Mo said, pulling him into a chair. "Guirong, bring the iced watermelon Lixia prepared."
"Did Master make food for me?" Mochen's face lit up with pure joy.
"Brother specifically went to fetch him today," Zhanchen teased, sitting down as well. "Sister, is there enough for me?"
"Of course! There's plenty for everyone... but where is Father?"
"He should be home soon. Oh, and Snowy sent some new summer clothes for Mother and Sister. She even included sets for Mochen and Father," Zhanchen said, signaling his attendant to bring in the beautifully wrapped parcels.