Sunlight filtered through the carved windows of the winding corridor, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
Madam Su stood beneath the corridor, dressed in a moon-white jacket embroidered with blue orchids, her long skirt trailing the floor as she moved with the grace of a noble lady. Born into a distinguished family, she had long shed the naivety of youth after years of marriage to the Su household. Her gentle, quiet demeanor and fair, delicate features made everyone praise her as a kind and compassionate mother.
Only Qing Yan, by her side, knew the cold heart hidden beneath that gentle exterior.
Qing Yan stood half a step behind her, tall and well-built, his features unusually handsome for a servant. Even in plain servant's attire, his striking looks could not be concealed. He kept his head bowed in obedience, yet stayed unusually close to her, as if accustomed to this intimate proximity that defied the rules between master and servant.
Yun Xiu approached slowly, holding a thin cloak. Seeing the unnatural closeness between the two from afar, she pretended not to notice, bowed respectfully, and said, "Madam."
Madam Su lifted her eyes faintly, her voice soft as the wind: "How has the young lady been in the mansion lately?"
Yun Xiu kept her head lowered, choosing her words carefully, speaking only of hierarchy without mentioning personal feelings: "Your Ladyship, the young lady is pure and kind, always treating others with generosity. But the servants in the mansion, seeing how gentle their mistress is, have gradually grown disrespectful, even ignoring her authority. The young lady has been troubled and depressed all day because of this."
Madam Su sighed softly, the smile on her lips remaining gentle, yet a glint of coldness flashed in her eyes: "I knew it. Wan'er has been too sheltered by me; she always thinks everyone in the world is as kind as she is."
She turned slightly toward Qing Yan, her fingers brushing the blooming crabapple flowers by the corridor, her voice soft as a murmur: "Look at the flowers and trees in this yard. A branch growing too wild, stealing nutrients from the main trunk, must be plucked early. If not cleared completely, even the main trunk will be dragged to ruin."
Qing Yan bowed in response: "Your Ladyship is correct."
Yun Xiu's heart tightened slightly, but she kept her respectful expression unchanged.
Madam Su turned around, smiling gently at her, her voice light as casual chatter: "I have been in this mansion for many years, and Master has treated me well. Unfortunately, I am not blessed enough—after all these years, I only have Wan'er to protect."
She paused, her fingers gently stroking the translucent jade bracelet on her wrist, her voice faint, almost lost in the wind: "Others only say I am weak and cannot keep my children. But how would they know there are too many unclean things in this mansion? If I am not ruthless enough to clean them up, how can I protect my only daughter?"
Qing Yan's hands at his sides clenched almost imperceptibly for a moment.
Yun Xiu bowed immediately: "Your Ladyship's kind motherly heart is all for the young lady."
Madam Su smiled, harmlessly beautiful, yet her voice carried a bone-deep coldness: "That is why people must be divided into different ranks. A master must carry the dignity of a master, and a servant must know his place. If you are too good to servants, they will lose all respect; if you are too soft on hidden dangers, you will not even know how you die."
As she spoke, her gaze casually fell on a young maid who was distracted while sweeping. She uttered one word calmly: "Punish her."
Qing Yan stepped forward without hesitation and slapped her sharply.
The maid staggered to the ground, knelt hurriedly, and kowtowed, trembling all over, not daring to beg for mercy loudly.
Madam Su did not even spare her a glance, still speaking gently: "See? Rules are not earned through tolerance, but through establishing authority. Being merciful to servants is being cruel to yourself."
Yun Xiu bowed quickly: "Your Ladyship has taught me well. This servant remembers."
The wind swept through the corridor, and petals fell to the ground.
The gentle, stunning madam looked like a harmless white magnolia.
No one knew how many unborn bones lay buried beneath the peaceful garden.
Madam Su stood up slowly, her skirt swaying elegantly: "Let us go see Wan'er. She is wronged; as her mother, I must comfort her."
Qing Yan stepped forward and lightly supported her elbow, his movements natural and intimate, with no restraint. Madam Su did not push him away, letting him hold her. The two shared a silent understanding, having long crossed the line between master and servant.
The group walked to Su Liwan's courtyard. As soon as the gate opened, they saw the young girl sitting alone on the soft couch, her eyes red and her expression gloomy. Her usually clear and lively eyes were now filled with grievance and confusion, looking as if she had been wronged terribly with no one to talk to.
At the sight of her mother, Su Liwan stood up quickly and walked over, her voice choked with sobs: "Mother…"
Madam Su hurried to hold her in her arms, her movements extremely gentle, her voice full of affection: "My Wan'er, what is wrong? Who has wronged you? Tell Mother; I will stand up for you. No one shall bully you."
Su Liwan leaned against her mother's warm embrace, her nose stinging, tears almost falling: "Mother, I feel so sad… I feel like I am a failure at being a person. No matter what I do, it is wrong."
Madam Su patted her back softly, speaking tenderly, every word piercing her heart: "Silly child, how could you be a failure? You are the treasure of my life, the legitimate daughter of the Su family, the most beautiful woman in Qingxi. You were born to be noble and superior. The reason you are upset is simply that you are too kind, too good to others, so they do not take you seriously."
Su Liwan raised her head, her eyes reddened: "But I have always treated others kindly, never harshly…"
"Being kind is not wrong, but the mistake is having no edge." Madam Su interrupted her, her voice still gentle yet firm beyond doubt. "People always fawn on the powerful and bully the weak. The more you back down, the more aggressive others become; the gentler you are, the more others think you can be bullied."
She gestured with her hand. At that moment, a young maid in the courtyard walked by carrying tea, her steps a little hasty, nearly bumping into the pillar.
Madam Su's eyes turned cold, her voice soft: "Qing Yan."
Qing Yan stepped forward and kicked the maid to the ground, saying coldly: "How dare you be so clumsy and disrespectful in front of your master! Do you know any rules?"
The maid kowtowed repeatedly in fear, her cries suppressed in her throat: "Your Ladyship, please spare me! Young lady, please spare me! This servant did not do it on purpose…"
Su Liwan was startled and instinctively tried to stop her: "Mother, she only did it by accident…"
But Madam Su gently held her hand, stopping her words, smiling gently yet speaking forcefully: "Wan'er, look. If you treat them kindly, they dare to be rude; a little authority makes them fear. That is human nature. That is the rule."
Su Liwan stared blankly at the scene before her, and a long-held belief in her heart began to quietly crumble.
Madam Su continued to coax her softly: "You have been unhappy lately, haven't you? Because someone does not obey you, even disrespects you?"
Su Liwan blushed, finding it hard to say, but nodded slightly.
Madam Su's eyes flashed with understanding, her voice becoming more certain: "That is it. You have been too polite and tolerant to him, making him think you can be disrespected and unappreciated."
Su Liwan's heart skipped a beat, and a thought uncontrollably crossed her mind: Could it be… I was too good to Zhou Hu, so he dared to reject and ignore me like this?
She instinctively looked at Yun Xiu beside her, her eyes seeking confirmation.
Yun Xiu stepped forward immediately, bowed, and whispered: "Young lady, Her Ladyship is absolutely right. You have always treated others kindly, but some people do not know how to cherish it. Instead, they think you are weak and easy to bully, so they dare to be so presumptuous."
"Is that really true?" Su Liwan muttered to herself, her eyes dazed. "I thought… if I treat others sincerely, I would be treated well in return."
"Kindness is a virtue, but kindness without an edge is weakness." Madam Su stroked her hair gently, her voice full of sincere "good intentions." "You are the young lady of the Su family, born to be cherished and respected. Why should you humble yourself to accommodate others?"
Su Liwan was greatly shaken. Her original grievance and self-doubt gradually twisted into another direction. She stood up from her mother's arms, her eyes gradually firming: "Mother, I want to go ask Young Master Qin."
Madam Su nodded gently, her voice indulgent: "Go. Young Master Qin is a sensible man. He will teach you the truth and not let you suffer in vain."
Watching her daughter's hurrying back, the gentle smile on Madam Su's lips deepened, a hint of unnoticed calculation flashing in her eyes.
Qin Ruhai… a poor scholar selling books on the street, with no family background, no support, no foundation.
Compared with those aristocratic sons eyeing the Su family covetously, trying to seize the Su family's business through marriage, a man with nothing was the most obedient, the easiest to control, and the most reassuring to her.
If Wan'er truly fell for him, she could take him into the mansion as a live-in son-in-law in the future. Her daughter would still be under her watch, and the Su family's wealth and property would never fall into others' hands.
This outcome was even more appropriate than she had expected.
Without hesitation, Su Liwan walked straight to Qin Ruhai's bookstall on the street corner.
Just as she reached the alley entrance, she heard a burst of noisy scolding.
Several rascals were beating a stray dog with wooden sticks. The dog whined and fled, but the more it hid, the more fiercely they hit it.
Qin Ruhai stood with his hands behind his back in front of the stall, watching the scene calmly, his expression unchanged.
Su Liwan walked up to him and spoke softly, filled with confusion and urgency: "Young Master Qin… am I too kind and tolerant to others, so I am disrespected and unappreciated?"
Qin Ruhai did not answer immediately. He lifted his chin slightly, gesturing for her to look at the street scene: "Wan'er, look at that dog."
Su Liwan followed his gaze, her heart tightening slightly.
Qin Ruhai's voice was gentle yet piercingly clear: "The weaker it acts, the more it hides, the more people think it can be bullied and hit harder. If it had bared its teeth and barked fiercely from the start, people would have feared it instead and dared not act rashly."
He paused, his voice slow yet sharp, piercing her heart:
"There is no difference between people in this world and this stray dog. All bully the weak and fear the strong; they respect power, not kindness."
Su Liwan's body trembled slightly, and she stood frozen in place.
"If you treat others with kindness, they may not treat you kindly in return." Qin Ruhai turned slowly to look at her, his eyes gentle yet oppressive. "The gentler and more tolerant you are, the more others think you can be bullied and humiliated; the sharper and more decisive you are, the more others respect, fear, and obey you."
"So… was I wrong to treat him like that before?" Su Liwan asked softly.
Qin Ruhai shook his head gently: "You are not wrong. You just do not understand human nature. You gave him no reason to respect you, so naturally he does not know how to appreciate your kindness."
"Kindness itself is not wrong, but kindness without an edge is weakness." He spoke calmly yet clearly. "You are noble and should be respected. Those who do not appreciate you are not your fault; they just do not know their place and do not deserve your gentle treatment."
Su Liwan looked at the miserable stray dog, then thought of her initiative and grievance in front of Zhou Hu, and the fear of the servants when her mother established authority in the mansion. She suddenly saw the light, yet was completely twisted.
So… all her grievances were simply because she was not fierce enough, not cruel enough, too easy to bully.
Yun Xiu whispered appropriately beside her: "Young lady, you are of noble birth. You should be respected. Why back down blindly and let others disrespect you?"
Su Liwan closed her eyes slowly. When she opened them again, all confusion and softness had disappeared from her eyes, leaving only the arrogance and coldness of the Su family's legitimate daughter.
"I understand."
She spoke softly, her voice calm yet carrying a twisted resolve after breaking free:
"I was too good to him, so good that he forgot his hierarchy and place, daring to be so ungrateful."
The sun set, stretching the young girl's figure tall and cold.
The kind-hearted Su Liwan, who would plead for servants and reflect on herself, died completely on this dusk.
In her place stood a true young lady, brainwashed by her mother's authority, the street metaphor, and Qin Ruhai's words, raised with arrogant bones and blood.
She would no longer reflect, no longer back down, no longer be kind.
Because she had "learned":
Kindness = being bullied; arrogance = self-protection.
Anyone who disobeys her is ungrateful.
The wind swept across the street, stirring up clouds of dust.
Qin Ruhai watched her leaving back, a faint, cold smile curving at the corner of his mouth.
Another chess piece had completely fallen into place.