Glass Perfume (One) — "I Want to Stand"

Golden Curtain Terrace had previously only opened the ground floor and the top floor for guests to view the glassware at their leisure. Now that the wine was ready, it was only natural to pick a day and start selling it.

When Zhou Yao returned to the back courtyard of Golden Curtain Terrace, she noticed every maidservant was holding a delicately packaged box of face powder.

"Have you heard? Fragrance Pavilion recently released a new line of face powder. Let's wait until we get our monthly wages and go buy some!"

"Yes, yes! Anyway, Golden Curtain Terrace pays well, so even if we buy all the powder we like, we'll still have money left over!"

She thought for a moment. "But I think the incense Qing'er and Su'er blend is just as good—not a bit worse than Fragrance Pavilion's."

Another girl said with a slight note of regret, "It's just that they make so little each month."

"Exactly. Especially Su'er—back at Qingyun Terrace, she was the most skilled among us at making incense. Coming to Golden Curtain Terrace seems like a waste of her talent..."

Face powder... Their few words suddenly reminded Zhou Yao that before she had gone to the Nine Kilns that day, Qing'er had seemed about to tell her something.

If she guessed right, it was probably something related to face powder.

Zhou Yao quietly filed this thought away in her mind, resolving to develop it further another day.

She found the wine in the back courtyard, ladled out several dozen bowls, and then added honey to the wine before distributing it to the staff at Golden Curtain Terrace and Zhao's Wine Shop to share.

"This wine... this is how it tastes when it enters the mouth?!" the shopkeeper exclaimed in admiration. "The grape's fruitiness is rich, and amid the slight sweetness there's a hint of astringency. Other fruit wines can't achieve this."

"Making wine doesn't require soaking it in liquor either..." Zhou Yao lowered her eyes and drank the last drop of wine at the bottom of her bowl. "From now on, when we start producing wine in large quantities, could the wine shop take on the hiring and production?"

The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly, laughing as he said, "You pay us subordinates more than three times what we earned before. It's an honor to work for you, haha!"

"Don't worry, you can leave this to us."

Over the next few days, Zhou Yao put Chen Yuwen in full charge of the Nine Kilns and the new apprentices he had brought in, delegating both the glassmaking and firing work.

Custom glass orders at Golden Curtain Terrace were also temporarily suspended. After delivering the first batch to customers' residences, Zhou Yao had her servants deliver another four or five batches of glass cups. To maintain the current quality of the Nine Kilns' output, new orders had to be put on hold for the time being.

Zhou Yao shifted Golden Curtain Terrace's focus to selling wine. She arranged the first floor as a display area for various glassware, and set up the second and upper floors as a tea and wine house.

Previously, Golden Curtain Terrace had not held a license to sell alcohol, but things were different now. With Zhao's Wine Shop joining forces, Golden Curtain Terrace could openly sell wine under the name of the wine shop's supply.

Only after setting the date and purchasing all the wooden tables did Golden Curtain Terrace formally begin selling wine.

Unlike other establishments that served drinks in earthenware bowls, Zhou Yao's wine was far more precious—all the tableware and drinking vessels were made of glass. A single lacquered wooden spoonful of wine sold for as much as a thousand gold pieces.

"Shopkeeper, the wine is good and certainly novel, but why is the price so high?" a curious customer came to ask. "Ordinary wine costs only a few coins, and even the most expensive doesn't come close to a thousand gold pieces!"

"With just a little bit of wine, the price rivals a glass cup? On my meager salary, I simply can't afford it!"

Zhou Yao smiled and replied, "You wouldn't know this, sir, but these grapes are tribute from the Western Regions. They take a long time to ferment into even a little wine, so naturally the price is high~"

"I see." The customer nodded in understanding. "In that case, I'll give it a taste."

"Of course! You're a regular, sir, so I'll have them give you a bit extra." Zhou Yao beckoned a maidservant over. "Quick, bring out that golden-flecked glass cup and fill it to the brim for this gentleman."

This single cup of wine, if sold separately, would fetch a full one hundred and fifty thousand gold pieces. With a few casual words, Zhou Yao had given it away. The maidservant beside her winced at the loss, but the customer was exceedingly pleased.

"Shopkeeper Yao is far too generous! I'll be sure to recommend this place to everyone!" He clasped his hands in salute and went to sit by the window.

Meanwhile, people drawn by word of the wine were filtering into the shop one after another. It was an unprecedented spectacle for Golden Curtain Terrace—even livelier than opening day.

After a full day of work, Zhou Yao had sold wine worth over ten million taels of gold. Added to the gold earned from previous glassware sales, she could now be counted among the wealthiest merchants in Chang'an. If she were second, then the only one who could claim first would be that lady of the Gu household.

Zhou Yao had set aside a portion of the wine in advance and had Cui Wei deliver it to Qi Manor earlier. She had heard that Qi Yanhan had always loved wine, so naturally she wanted to send him some of the newly brewed vintage.

Consider it her compensation to him. She hoped Qi Yanhan would appreciate this belated "gift."

After all the guests had left Golden Curtain Terrace, Zhou Yao locked the doors and went to find Qing'er. The last time she had come looking for Qing'er, it was because Qing'er had told her her sister had fallen gravely ill. After that, she had only seen Qing'er quietly working in Golden Curtain Terrace, and the two had barely exchanged a few words.

If not for the two maidservants mentioning it today, Zhou Yao might never have remembered to put face powder production on the agenda.

"Qing'er, are you still awake?" Zhou Yao, dressed in a plain robe, stood outside Qing'er's door and asked, "That day you came to find me, did you have something important?"

Qing'er was busy with something inside and came to the door looking flustered and hurried. She stammered, hiding something behind her back. "M-Madam..."

"It's... I wanted to give you this..." Qing'er handed the powder box clutched in her hand to Zhou Yao. "Thank you for saving my sister that day. Thanks to the physician's care, her condition has improved greatly!"

Zhou Yao nodded in understanding. "I'm glad she's recovering."

Seeing her still standing outside, Qing'er quickly invited her in.

"Did you make this powder yourself?" Zhou Yao opened the small porcelain jar, pressed a little powder onto her wrist, and sniffed it carefully. The fragrance was so natural it surprised her. "It smells wonderful."

Seeing Zhou Yao's pleased expression, Qing'er shyly lowered her head and said bashfully, "I'm glad you like it, madam."

She had been standing stiffly two or three steps away from Zhou Yao, so Zhou Yao rose, took her hand, and guided her to sit beside her. "Do you have a reliable petal supplier?"

Qing'er, who had been sitting restlessly, hesitated for a moment when Zhou Yao asked, then shook her head. "I've always bought what I need on the spot. I never paid attention to such things... But a few days ago, I spoke with Su'er. Given her experience, she might know?"

"Then what if I let you and Su'er take full charge of making face powder, and open a shop for the two of you separately here in Chang'an? How would you feel about that?"

Qing'er hurriedly rose and bowed. "I only want to stay at Golden Curtain Terrace and serve you devotedly. In my spare time, I just want to be with my sister. I have no other intentions—please don't send me away..."

Zhou Yao helped her up from the ground. "You kneel to me at the slightest thing. If you must kneel, kneel to heaven and earth and your parents. I don't mean to send you away—I mean for you and Su'er to be in charge of making face powder and help run my other shop."

"This way, you can earn more money, and you and your sister can live better. When you're older, if you two want to leave, you can do so anytime."

Seeing the hesitation on Qing'er's face, she said considerately, "Tomorrow you can discuss it with Su'er. If the shop opens, besides your monthly wages, you'll also take a cut based on how much you sell."

After a moment's thought, Zhou Yao said, "After deducting my costs for each bottle of face powder, I'll give you forty percent of the remaining profit, split between the two of you."

Qing'er nodded. After Zhou Yao left, she got up and hurried to find her sister next door.

Zhou Yao for her part went to see Su'er. Su'er was extremely agreeable and even assured Zhou Yao that she would handle the petal supply. By the time Qing'er agreed, word had already spread through Chang'an's black market that Golden Curtain Terrace was buying large quantities of flower petals.

Having learned from the experience of running a shop staffed entirely by women who got bullied, Zhou Yao was extremely careful this time in choosing the new shop's location. She chose a spot not far from Golden Curtain Terrace, in a highly visible position on the street—close enough that if anything happened, they could come to Golden Curtain Terrace for help in time.

While selecting the location, Zhou Yao also purchased several residences in Chang'an. Only when the deed was fully handed over to her and the plaque reading "Ninth Princess Mansion" was hung did Zhou Yao finally possess a residence in the vast city of Chang'an that belonged to her alone.

This was her residence. Her future home. For her, the imperial palace had never been "home," nor could it ever be the resting place of her heart.

All the other princesses had clan estates once they came of age; she had never had one. The other princesses had fiefs and titles; she had never had them. The other princesses had married men they loved; only her marriage had been sacrificed to power.

From this moment on, Zhou Yao, who refused to accept her fate, officially welcomed her "rebirth." This was the best "dowry" she had won for herself. No need to depend on men, no need to rely on others' charity, no need to put on a pitiful act to win a man's sympathy...

The only thing she still lacked was supreme power. Only by reaching the pinnacle of authority could she achieve what she truly desired with all her might—a world where all were equal!

After spending a fortune to buy the shop and the deed, Zhou Yao threw herself back into a busy life. She left the decoration and furnishing to the other women, while she herself went to find Su'er and Qing'er to help make face powder.

Purchasing flower petals was far simpler than sourcing materials for glass or wine. Within days, cartload after cartload of petals filled the courtyard of the Ninth Princess Mansion.

Zhou Yao had Su'er and Qing'er move into the princess mansion directly, so that after making the face powder, they could conveniently go manage the new shop.

The residence she had bought was in a good location—close to both the new shop and Golden Curtain Terrace, making daily trips convenient. Not far from the princess mansion was Qi Manor.

Qing'er and Su'er spent half a month working nonstop at the new shop, while Zhou Yao and Cui Wei led the new servants in renovating the princess mansion. They only rested once the new shop officially opened. In just over a month, the princess mansion boasted a lotus pond, a pavilion, enclosed walkways, and wooden blinds with glass windows—gorgeous adornments that were eye-catching yet not gaudy. Rockeries dotted the grounds, verdant bamboo filled the garden, and winding paths led to secluded beauty.

Once the new shop was mostly settled, the three of them sat in the courtyard and separated out the fresh petals one by one, washing them. Qing'er was responsible for drying the petals in the sun, while Su'er blended the petals with other spices in fixed proportions and ground them into a fine powder. Finally, they packed the powder into small blue-and-white porcelain bottles fired at the Nine Kilns, each painted with the flower used in that particular powder.

While every other shop sold their face powder in plain white porcelain, the blue-and-white ware at Fragrant Orchid Pavilion was uniquely exquisite. You could search the entire country and never find another ceramic bottle with such intricate, interwoven blue-and-white patterns.

The shop offered a wide variety of recipes, but judged by the effects of the formulas, they couldn't match the century-old shops at making medicated incense, nor could they compete with the cosmetic shops that used lead-based powder, which was finer and adhered better to the skin.

Zhou Yao mulled over how to create a "face powder" that was novel without losing its essential character. She had Qing'er and Su'er first produce a batch according to popular recipes, filling the blue-and-white jars and placing them on the shelves at Fragrant Orchid Pavilion—her new shop.

Quite a crowd gathered on opening day. Many people wandered around, looking this way and that. Though she heard plenty of praise for the exquisite porcelain, very few actually bought any powder.

Puzzled, she went over to where customers were gathered and listened in.

One woman said, "These little porcelain bottles are lovely, but the price is a bit high. If I buy one today, I'm afraid I won't have enough monthly allowance left... What a shame."

"Exactly. And besides, these are just ordinary recipes. Why don't we go to Fang's Apothecary later and buy the ingredients to grind our own?"

"Good idea! That would save us a lot of money!"

The two women finished speaking and left. Zhou Yao wandered to another part of the shop and overheard, "This porcelain's pattern is truly unprecedented. What a pity it's so small—only good for holding powder and such small things. If they sold the porcelain on its own, I'd definitely buy some!"

The woman beside her seemed to notice something and said in surprise, "Quick, look at the bottom of this bottle!"

"What?" The woman who had been inspecting the powder looked down, and within a moment, her face showed the same astonishment.

Driven by curiosity, Zhou Yao followed their gaze—there, on the bottom of the porcelain bottle, was the distinctive seal of Golden Curtain Terrace.

"Hey, hey, my aunt's nephew works as a senior guard at a great house, and he said he's seen glass before! When he came back, he described it to me—it had this exact pattern stamped on it!"

She spoke excitedly to her companion, momentarily forgetting to keep her voice down. By the time she realized it, people around her had already snatched up the remaining bottles on the counter.

"Look what you've done! You and your big mouth. The shopkeeper didn't even mention that the bottles were made by Golden Curtain Terrace..." The two, who had only managed to grab a single bottle of powder, felt deflated.

"Don't you know how hard it is to get a reservation at Golden Curtain Terrace these days? Finished glassware is even harder to buy. Well, that's that."

Zhou Yao followed the crowd to the checkout counter. Sure enough, it was a sea of people. The two women's words gave Zhou Yao an idea.

Golden Curtain Terrace was all the rage in Chang'an right now. Why not use that fame to promote the new shop? Since the store was newly opened, she could offer customers some discounts—lower prices meant more buyers, and more buyers meant more profit for her.

Once the new face powder was ready, she would first raise the price by forty percent, then offer customers a twenty-two percent discount. That way, both sides won.

And when she earned more, she would distribute more to her subordinates. They would work harder making the powder, and she would earn even more.

Thus money would breed money, and wealth would roll in ceaselessly!

The powder prepared earlier had been swept clean by those customers. As the patrons were walking out with their purchases, Zhou Yao spoke up: "Thank you all for coming! Anyone who purchased face powder today can bring their small blue-and-white bottle back on the fifth of next month to try their luck in the lottery."

"The grand prize is a glass cup from Golden Curtain Terrace. The second prize is a reservation slot for next month's glassware or porcelain from Golden Curtain Terrace. Everyone who participates gets a twelve-percent discount, valid at both Golden Curtain Terrace and Fragrant Orchid Pavilion. And if a regular customer refers a new customer, they'll get a thirty-percent discount on new arrivals, plus buy five get one free."

"Welcome, everyone~" Zhou Yao beamed with satisfaction at the piles of gold beneath the counter. To the customers, it seemed like her sincerity.

After all the guests had left, Zhou Yao instructed Su'er and the other servants, "We didn't prepare enough face powder. Since it's all sold out now, we'll close the shop early today."

"When you get back, have the sisters at Golden Curtain Terrace who know how to make incense come help for a few days. Thank you all for your hard work today. Go rest—once I've tallied the accounts, I'll give everyone a little bonus!"

A bottle of face powder sold today for three thousand coppers, roughly five taels of gold. Eight hundred bottles had been prepared today, earning four thousand taels of gold in total.

Four thousand taels... Zhou Yao had never bothered to calculate these figures carefully before. She only knew that she could now be counted among the foremost merchants in the city.

She hadn't expected the wealthy sons of the city to burn through money so extravagantly. Outside the city walls, countless bodies of the starved lay strewn about, a scene of devastation, while those official families dined on fine clothing and delicacies, unable to tell grain from chaff.

Zhou Yao did some careful arithmetic and thought to herself, *It's about time.*

She had been absent from the palace for so long, and now she had stirred up such a commotion in Chang'an. With her father's intelligence network, it would be hard for him not to know. Rather than sit idle and wait for death, she should take the initiative.

She packed all the counted gold ingots into wooden crates and had the servants carry them to the princess mansion. According to the agreed proportions, she divided the profits between Su'er and Qing'er.

Of the remaining gold, after deducting costs, each person received five ingots. Distributed by head, she decided that since the Nine Kilns staff had worked hardest in the sweltering heat, each of them would receive eight taels of gold, and Chen Yuwen would receive one hundred and fifty taels.

"We really earned a lot today!" Su'er happily counted the gold in her wooden box.

"No need to rush. In the future, we'll only get more." Zhou Yao calmly took a sip of tea. "Let everyone rest for a bit, then load the remaining face powder from the storehouse onto the cart and arrange it at Fragrant Orchid Pavilion before the shop opens tomorrow. Everyone, work hard for a while longer—while the flowers are in season, let's prepare more."

"Qing'er, Su'er, I heard you two can blend your own incense recipes. This time, why not reduce the basic formulas and work on developing some exclusive ones for Fragrant Orchid Pavilion? That way, we can keep the business going for the long term." Zhou Yao lowered her eyes in thought. "Once business stabilizes, start working on that."

"Yes!" The two replied with smiles.

After they left, Zhou Yao went alone to the back courtyard. She had left Cui Wei at Golden Curtain Terrace, Chen Yuwen at the Nine Kilns, the shopkeeper managing the Chen family's shop, and Qing'er and Su'er at Fragrant Orchid Pavilion. She had added many new hands lately, yet she still felt somewhat alone.

Petals were still drying in the back courtyard. Zhou Yao picked one up and examined it under the moonlight, thinking: *If only I could infuse the fragrance into water—something like an oil-based cream. But face cream is too greasy for summer. What I need is something refreshing with a pleasant scent.*

Face powder was only good for burning indoors or scenting clothes. The moment you stepped outside, the wind would carry the fragrance away...

Before she could think further, an idea struck her. She took down most of the freshly washed petals from the racks, wrapped them up, and hurried over to Zhao's Wine Shop nearby before the curfew.

The wine shop's candle was still burning—the shopkeeper was tallying accounts at the counter. Without waiting for him to speak, Zhou Yao carried the petals to the stove area.

Zhao's Wine Shop had all the necessary facilities, which would make implementing her idea much easier. If she could infuse the fragrance into water like fruit wine, and use the spirit's quick-drying property—wouldn't that be the source of the "refreshing" feeling she wanted?

She placed the fresh petals into a clean porcelain bowl lined with thin gauze, set it into the earthen stove, and added a ring of cold water around the bowl. Then she placed the distilling apparatus on top of the earthen stove.

She fed the firewood she'd carried from the back courtyard into the stove and lit it, then covered the top with a condensation pot filled with cold water, sealed the connections with gauze, and placed a porcelain bottle beneath the drainage tube.

Before long, drops of floral dew began to drip from the tube. During the process, she kept adding cold water to the condensation pot until no more floral dew emerged.

She took out another batch of petals, added them to the porcelain bowl, replaced the condensation pot, added cold water, and repeated the distillation. She continued until the night grew deep and the night watchman's call rang out again before completing the initial batch of floral dew.

At this point, the fragrance of the dew didn't last long enough—still short of what she envisioned.

So she poured the floral dew back into the pot and repeated the distillation step again. When she finally finished, day had already broken.

She dipped a pair of chopsticks into the floral dew and let a single drop fall into a porcelain bowl filled with water. To her surprise, the distilled dew lingered on the surface for a while before slowly dissolving, its fragrance lingering for a long time. Zhou Yao then took a bit of wine base from a jar and added it to the floral dew, stirring until well blended, then sealed the lid and tucked it into her sleeve.

By the time everything was finished, it was broad daylight. Zhou Yao didn't think much of it and, deciding to sleep nearby, lay down in a room at Golden Curtain Terrace.

Having worked all night, she naturally couldn't stay awake during the day. She hadn't even told Qing'er and Su'er the good news about the floral dew before she collapsed into sleep—never imagining that the princess mansion would be in an uproar.

Early the next morning, Su'er finished washing up and went straight to Zhou Yao's western courtyard. She stood outside the door for a long time before calling for Zhou Yao to wake up.

At this hour on any other day, Zhou Yao would have long been up and carrying out the day's plans. But today was different. The breakfast left outside the door had gone cold, untouched, which made one worry that the relentless pace of recent days had made Zhou Yao fall ill.

"Madam, it's time for breakfast!" Su'er waited outside the door for a good while. No answer. Unwilling to give up, she asked again, "Are you still going to check on the business at Fragrant Orchid Pavilion today?"

Still no answer after a long while. Su'er hesitated, then pushed open the door. The room was neatly arranged, and the bed showed no sign of anyone having lain in it.

The thought that the madam had disappeared exploded in Su'er's mind. She rushed to find Qing'er and Cui Wei.

When Zhou Yao finally woke up and stepped out the door, she found them all standing in a neat row waiting outside, with a physician standing at the very front.

Bewildered, she looked at Su'er at the head of the line. "What are you all doing?"

"This is a renowned physician from Chang'an, madam. If you're feeling unwell, you should rest for a few days. The shops will be fine—we sisters will manage them." Su'er looked at Zhou Yao with worry, her brows knitted tightly.

"I'm perfectly fine." Zhou Yao turned to Cui Wei. "Cui Wei, see the physician out. Su'er, Qing'er, come with me."

They exchanged glances, nodded, and followed Zhou Yao into the room.

Zhou Yao handed them the perfume she had made that morning. "Take a look at this."

Su'er was the first to open the porcelain bottle, and a rich floral fragrance immediately filled the room. Qing'er used the stopper to dab a drop onto her wrist; within moments, it spread across her skin, leaving behind only the lingering, fragrant scent.

"What is this? It's not like face powder that needs to be burned, nor like incense pellets that need to be carried in a container. It's so convenient!"

"Yes, and you can place the scent wherever you like." Qing'er looked at the slightly weary Zhou Yao and ventured, "Madam... you weren't up all night working on this, were you?"

"Not a wink of sleep?"

Zhou Yao nodded and walked over to the desk to sit down. Qing'er, taking the initiative, added water and ground ink for her.

She carefully recorded the method on a piece of silk. "Find a craftsman and have him make a few more sets of the distilling equipment to keep at Fragrant Orchid Pavilion."

"Over the next couple of days, transfer some hands from Golden Curtain Terrace to clear out the back courtyard. Also, buy more petals—and make sure to get a variety."

"Is there still face powder in the storehouse?"

Qing'er nodded. "They made another batch today. Along with what's in the storehouse, it should last until the fifth of next month."

"While preparing the face powder, remember to prepare some perfume as well." Zhou Yao lowered her eyes in thought for a long moment before saying hesitantly, "The perfume will be limited to thirty bottles per month. If any high officials want some, have a servant deliver it to their residence and charge them extra."

*These corrupt officials line their own pockets using their positions. Since that's the case, I might as well use these novel goods to rake in a harvest from them.*

"We need to make another bottle today, no matter what. The Elder Princess has always loved citrus scents, so I'll bring some when I visit her tomorrow." Zhou Yao paused, then quickly stopped the two who were about to head to the wine shop's kitchen to make the perfume.

"Find a few sisters to go to the Nine Kilns and have them give you the small glass bottles they made the other day."

"Remember—take three sets each of glass cups, glass goblets, and glass tea sets, and six pieces each of glass bracelets and glass bead necklaces. Also take out a jar of the newly brewed wine. When the perfume is ready to be bottled, don't use the blue-and-white porcelain bottles. Switch to the clear glass bottles that let the light through."

"As for blue-and-white ware, pick out some fine pieces from Kiln No. 4."

"Yes!" The two replied and took their leave.

After reviewing the gift list, Zhou Yao still felt something was missing. Golden Curtain Terrace's business was thriving, and launching the perfume now, at the critical moment of the new shop's opening, wasn't the best timing.

Golden Curtain Terrace and Fragrant Orchid Pavilion needed someone powerful behind them—not just for the shops, but for herself as well. The invitation to the Elder Princess's birthday banquet was a godsend.

She thought carefully back to the consorts who wielded the most power in the palace and the forces behind them. The Elder Princess stood apart from all the aristocratic clans.

If one had to put it bluntly, she was the only person who could command a modicum of respect from her father. Besides the emperor himself, the Elder Princess was likely the only elder who could help her petition Consort Xi for a fief...

After finalizing the outfit and accessories she would wear to the Elder Princess's residence tomorrow, Zhou Yao left, bought five baskets of citrus at the market, and brought them back to the wine shop's kitchen.

Autumn oranges, the best kind, weren't in season yet. In summer, the only ones available were summer oranges transported by human labor from the south. Though not as good as the real thing, they would suffice for making perfume.

She called all the resting girls over and told them to leave the peels after eating the oranges, and had the one in charge collect their recent feedback.

After gathering and washing all the peels, she removed the white pith and chopped them into fine pieces. The tart, crisp citrus scent burst open like an explosion in the room, and beneath its sharpness, one could discern a faint bitterness.

She placed the chopped peel bits into a porcelain bowl and carried them to the stone mill in the back courtyard.

After cleaning the mill, Zhou Yao added the peels and water together and ground them repeatedly. It took a long time before even a little perfume was extracted.

"Madam, the glass bottles are here!"

Su'er trotted over to Zhou Yao and, quick on the uptake, placed a glass bottle beneath the mill's spout. Zhou Yao, noticing, thought of something and said, "Qi Yanhan has always loved sandalwood incense. When we make sandalwood perfume in the future, send some to Qi Manor first."

"Don't leave the glass bottles here. Go fetch some of the wide-mouthed porcelain bowls from the kitchen." Zhou Yao looked up in the gap between turns of the mill and found Su'er standing frozen in place, her gaze fixed on the back door of Golden Curtain Terrace.

A faint sound of heavy breathing reached her ears. Su'er stood there, hesitating as she warned Zhou Yao, "Madam... look who's coming..."

In an instant, a man covered in blood stumbled through the back door and rushed into Golden Curtain Terrace.

Zhou Yao recognized him at once.

*We only met not long ago,* she thought. *What did he do today to suddenly invite murder?*