Power Up, Artist Yang!

Before even entering the Yang Villa, Yujia could tell that things had changed.

The moment she stepped out of the carriage, she noticed how the exterior of the Yang Villa seemed to receive an upgrade. The walls were rebuilt. The weeds climbing up the edges were neatly trimmed. The front door was freshly painted. The villa carried the appearance of a newly constructed mansion— not the deteriorating old structure Yujia was familiar with. 

Yujia was familiar with the robes the servants wore in the past. After all, she had to live in the identity of a servant for quite a while as she investigated the villa. The plain and washed-out uniform servants used to have were replaced. As she stepped out of the carriage, a servant at the front door greeting her, she observed the clean muted green robes he wore. Up close, she could tell that even the stitches were newly sewn, with no frayed fabric anywhere.

Yufeng by her side escorting her, other servants carrying gifts following behind her, Yujia entered the villa.. She continued to take in all the surroundings. 

Although it was winter, a time of year where everything should've been wilting, she could still tell that the various trees and shrubbery had been replaced. An elegant pink plum grew in the front courtyard where an old gardenia bush was once potted. A pond was also constructed, iced-over in the cold weather, with carved stone tiles dotting its sides under a dusting of snow.

She also noticed that the servants had all been replaced— of course they were, considering how the old batch of servants were involved with thievery— but there were more in number now. A few kept busy with tasks of sweeping the paths clear of snow, stepping aside and bowing as Yujia walked by.

Yang Chen, the Old Master, must've struck a fortune. She was beginning to see the changes in the villa even before she left, but now, seeing it again after such a long while, the difference was even more apparent.

The servant leading her came to a stop in his footsteps as they arrived at the main room. He pushed the doors open and stepped aside, bowing. Yujia walked in the room. 

There, at the front, sat her supposed father.

His fortune may have increased, but he looked nearly the same as before. His clothes were finer now, a hefty jade ring looped around his thumb, but that was still his face, his expression. Yujia dared to say that he even looked older, but maybe that was just the trick of time.

Just as Yujia observed them, she could feel their eyes on her. She had removed her veil when she stepped into the room. The Old Master must've expected the frail Fourth Miss he had last seen, with her sallow complexion. Madam Zhang had seen her more recently, but Yujia was always dressed in disguise, be it servant's wear or men's wear. Yujia was different now. Healthier. Happier.

Bowing politely, Yujia greeted, "Hello, Sir Yang."

The Old Master stiffened at her distant referral. What was he expecting? "Father"? 

Hesitantly, he replied, "Daughter, have a seat."

A plain, serene smile remained on Yujia's face, but on the inside, she was scoffing. Shouldn't he have known, from the moment she referred to him by "sir"?

Continuing her calm expression, Yujia looked behind her, as if searching for someone. She turned her face back to the Old Master. "Pardon, but who are you referring to?"

His expression fell more. She noticed how he gripped the arm of his chair tighter. He looked as if he wanted to say something between gritted teeth, but a moment passed. His face relaxed, and forcing on a smile, he replied, "I apologize. Young Miss, please have a seat."

Yujia helped herself to a chair on her left. A servant from the Yang Household rushed to pour tea for her, which she didn't bother to touch. Instead, she waved her hand at the servants from the Yue Household. "I bring gifts," she hummed. One by one, the servants stepped forward, lifting the cover off the gift boxes. As they uncovered the gifts, she explained, "Pearl and agate earrings. A matching set of statue and brush stand, made of carved red coral. A jade fragrance set, encrusted with gold. A pure jade tea set."

At the sight of all of these, the Old Master's eyes widened. Yujia thought she could see the flashes of greed in them. "You did not have to bring all these gifts," he hastily spoke.

Yujia tapped the corner of her chin. "How could I not bring gifts when paying a visit to my dear friend?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Friend?" 

"Of course." The servants, at a wave of Yujia's hands, turned to the right, presenting the gifts to none other than the Fifth Miss. "Younger Sister Xiaoyi, what do you think about these gifts I've brought for you? Are they to your liking?"

It was far too satisfying to see the look on her former father's face. From his gritted teeth to his pale knuckles, Yujia took it all in. Did he really think that she would bring him gifts? Him?

Xiaoyi was absolutely flustered at the presentation of all these treasures in front of her. "I—" she stammered, at a loss for words.

"Well, it's fine even if they're not to your liking. Take them for now, and re-gift or sell them if you need to. I'll bring you more in the future," Yujia generously informed.

The room fell silent.

At last, the Old Master spoke up. Quiet but stern, he ordered, "All the servants, leave."

Wordlessly, the servants of the Yang Household backed away, exiting. Yujia gave a nod of her head, and her servants backed away as well, all except Yufeng. The doors were closed behind them.

Eyes meeting hers, Yang Chen spoke, "Let's drop these charades now." His voice seemed to crack. "Daughter… why must you do this to me? You are my own flesh and blood. What is this, with the Yue Family, these new identities, these new names? The Second Miss already did this once to me. Must you do this again? Must you make me lose another daughter?"

Yujia was taken aback by his sudden outward display of emotions, but she forced herself to keep her composure. "The Second Miss should've been a lesson. No one forced Yang Yichen to become Wu Yichen but you, 'Father'." She spat the word "father" out as harshly as she could. "I told you I wanted to cancel the engagement. What did you do? Take my hundred taels and tell me to come up with five hundred. I came up with five hundred, which was stolen at the last minute, and begged for you to believe me. What did you do? Listen to the Madam and keep me locked in my room for my marriage, without even giving me a chance to explain? I did everything you asked of me, and this is what I get in return? I must keep seeing you as my father, is that so?"

"It was my fault then," he exclaimed, his voice rising. "I apologized before, and I'll apologize again now. In person. I know I did wrong. And now I'm putting forth every effort to make it up to you. That's all I wanted, and you— you won't even give me the chance to call you daughter." 

"How could you make it up to me? All those years of neglect, all those years of indifference?"

"I never wished you ill. Everything I did was with the best intentions, even if it did not seem as such!"

"Why now?" Yujia could not help but snap. "After all that time, why now? Now, when I'm about to marry Young Master Yu? Now, when I finally have a little bit of value to you? Is that why?" 

He raised a hand to his face. "Daughter, I—"

"Enough."

She heard enough. She had enough. All he would say were the same words he wrote in the letter, the same words that were worthless to her.

Yujia drew in a deep breath, looking away.

"I'm happy now," she said, "I'm happy with my new life. I'm happy with my new grandfather. For me to go back to being the Fourth Miss will not bring you any benefits. It will not improve your relationship with the Yu Family. It will not bring you new market opportunities. Just let me go. Let me be happy."

He was trembling. His eyes were shimmering. His face drooped. He was the one that looked frail to her now, frail with the passage of time and aging. Perhaps he was sincere. Perhaps he truly wanted to reconcile. 

Except the person he wanted to reconcile with was never her, rather the Fourth Miss. And the Fourth Miss was gone, so long ago, when Yujia entered her body. She could not reconcile with him on the behalf of someone no longer here. 

But perhaps she could give him some peace.

She spoke, slowly, "I want you to be happy too. The Second and Fourth Miss are gone. But the First and Fifth Miss are still here. Treasure them. Don't make the same mistakes again. Please."

Yang Chen looked at her, his gaze unmoving.

At last, Yujia said, "And thank you. Regardless of how those eighteen years went, I still spent eighteen years under your care. So I will thank you— for giving me this life."

Yujia moved, standing up. She walked to the center of the room. Under the gaze of her once-family, she kneeled. She folded her hands. She bowed. Her head knocked against the floor once. 

Then, she stood. She stood, turned, and exited the room.