It was rare that she was not raucous; she sat there quietly with her chin in her hand, her long and slender legs outstretched. She was holding a blade of grass in her hand, and fiddled with it every now and then. With that manner of hers, she, in fact, gave one the feeling that she stood alone in the cold wind and dew, sober enough to know that the memory of starry nights of yesteryear were no more.[1]

Wen Kexing pushed the door open and walked outside. Looking at the back of Gu Xiang's silhouette, he sighed all of a sudden, as though a thread of wistful melancholy was unfurling within him from seeing a daughter grown, under his wing[2]. Slowly, he walked out of the room, raised his head to glance at Zhou Zishu, and then sat quietly by Gu Xiang's side.

Gu Xiang looked at him, and said without cheer, “Master.”

Wen Kexing smiled. This smile of his did not have the ribald air of a ruffian, but was instead very faint, almost gentle. He asked, “Why, did you and Famous Scholar Cao have a tiff? Did he infuriate you?”

Gu Xiang continued to say without much cheer, “If he dares to, this old maid will castrate him.”

Wen Kexing started to self-reflect. A proper maiden, who looked just like any other maiden; where had he erred in raising her, that she now had this sort of behaviour?

He yawned, patted her head roughly, and asked, “What is it then? It's the middle of the night and you are not asleep--what are you stewing in sorrow over in the courtyard?”

Gu Xiang gave him a listless glance, her chin in her hands, and did not speak.

Wen Kexing sighed. He patted Gu Xiang’s head and said, “I say, why have you started going about to rescue people with that silly fool Cao Weining? Gathering merits by doing good deeds, too...why, are you afraid that the old men at Qingfeng Sword Sect will not allow Cao Weining to have you?”

Gu Xiang dropped her gaze. She puffed up her cheek and bit her lip, not saying a word, and picked at the tile on the ground with her index finger, as though she was still a very young girl.

When it came to contests of skill, she was fearless; of looks, she was equally dauntless, but she was afraid when it came to her status.

Even if she was undefeatable in martial arts, even if she was beautiful enough to topple cities, these could not triumph over her status. Claim that you’re a maiden of good standing--who would believe you?