This was Chen Yuan's first time seeing Lu Yan's vindictiveness.
He watched her instruct her maids, handing over Lu An's handkerchief.
Later at dinner, as Lu Yan had predicted, the drama occurred.
But it was slightly different from what she'd expected. It wasn't her cousin sister Lu An who started it.
Rather it was a maid of her aunt's.
As Chen Hai passed her, she lightly reached into his pocket, drawing out the handkerchief.
As it fell to the ground, another maid exclaimed loudly, "Oh, isn't that the handkerchief our miss lost earlier?"
Chen Hai paused, and picked up the handkerchief.
He seemed flustered when he said, "You must be mistaken. This is my wife's handkerchief."
The maid immediately backtracked, slapping her mouth, saying, "Oh- Of course, this servant is wrong."
A silence fell over the room. Everyone's eyes were glued to the handkerchief in Chen Hai's hand.
Finally, Lu Yan's aunt snapped, "Bring the handkerchief over."
Chen Hai glanced at Lu Yan, before lightly spreading out the handkerchief on a table. The embroidered 'Yan' was obvious at a glance.
"Like I said, this is my wife's handkerchief," he repeated.
Finally Lu Yan spoke, "It's strange that cousin lost such a personal item, and instead of searching for it, your maid accused my husband immediately. Do you want my maids to help you look, sister?"
Lu An's face turned white.
Before her aunt could stop her, Lu Yan gestured to her maids, "Go and help search for my cousin's handkerchief."
At that moment, someone rushed into the room in a panic, panting, "Second Madam! A man at the door... is asking for the young miss... saying she cheated him. He has her token! A crowd of people has gathered."
There was a moment of shocked silence before the room erupted. Everyone rushed outside to take a look.
Lu Yan's aunt shot a poisonous look at Lu Yan before running outside.
After the hullabaloo died, Lu Yan and Chen Hai were the only ones left in the big room.
"Should we go after them?" Chen Hai asked uncertainly.
Lu Yan sank into a chair lazily. "It's not good for me to be running around in my condition."
Chen Hai shot her a disbelieving look.
Lu Yan smiled sweetly up at him.
He shook his head, and took the seat beside her, "Isn't it too much to damage her reputation?"
"When she was playing her little trick, did she care about your reputation?"
Chen Hai felt inexplicably pleased, "So you're doing this for me?"
Lu Yan glanced at him, and admitted honestly, "Part of it is for you. But also..." She paused before adding softly, "After all these years, I suddenly find myself wanting revenge."
They sat in silence for a bit.
Then Chen Hai said, "Won't you aunt create trouble for you?"
Lu Yan shook her head, "She'll be too busy dealing with uncle. Besides, we need to leave soon if we want to get home before curfew."
Suddenly, she stood up. "Actually, let's leave now. I don't want to deal with all the yelling."
She instructed one of the maids, "Prepare the carriage. Have it leave by one of the side entrances."
Chen Hai asked, "Won't it be too obvious that we did it if we leave now?"
"This little trick. Everyone with a little brains must have seen through it already. It doesn't matter either way." She yawned. "But I'm really tired. Let's go before they come back."
Chen Hai couldn't help but look at her. Her mouth was wide-open. She covered it with a palm, and closed her eyes as she yawned deeply.
He was a little stunned by how easily she had turned the whole thing around. Her vindictiveness surprised him too. Normally, she seemed so friendly.
But since she'd opened up about her childhood experiences, he finally understood her disregard for her family. Before, he'd always been puzzled by her coldness towards her parents.
Now, he felt he could sympathize with her.
After a moment, he took her hand, and said, "Alright, let's go home."
The Lu family had finally gotten the handkerchief from the heckler at their door. By paying him several pieces of silver and threatening to take him to the magistrate, they'd managed to buy his silence too.
The chaos died and order returned to the Lu family entrance.
When they returned to the hall, they found Lu Yan and Chen Hai had long left. The only thing left behind was a polite message saying they were expected at the Chen ancestral home before curfew.
Everyone was feeling mixed emotions.
Lu Yan's younger brother was secretly gleeful in his heart. Her mother was angry at Lu Yan playing dirty tricks. Her father was mostly indifferent.
Her uncle was furious at his own daughter's incompetence: playing tricks and being slapped back so cleanly. Her aunt, grandmother and cousin sister were in a raging fury.
But Lu Yan was gone, and, clearly, Lu An had started the whole thing.
The brunt of the incident thus fell on Lu An. Her mother slapped her, her father berated her, her grandmother scolded her, and she was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall for a fortnight.
But the worst was still to come.
By the next morning, rumors that Lu An had a love affair with a wild man would spread all over the capital. These rumors would follow Lu An all her life, and even lead to a broken engagement with her childhood sweetheart.
But Lu Yan didn't care about whatever happened in the Lu ancestral home.
She went to the Chen ancestral home, ate a big dinner with Chen Hai and went to bed.
It was Chen Hai who followed the gossip being told at banquets and brought it back to her.
These days, he was always out painting. The group that had initially warmed up to each other in the princess' palace was now meeting several times a week without fail. They painted, critiqued paintings, gave each other tips, and generally had a good time with like-minded people.
Chen Hai was becoming very popular among this circle. The other artists respected his talent and kindness.
Even the fifth princess asked him to help her improve her skills.