She just didn’t want Gu Lanyin to gain favor again. She feared that if Madam Wang started caring about the young miss, her mistress would be ignored.
Gu Qing pursed her lips, her fingers curling tightly under her sleeves.
She couldn’t say she wasn’t affected by those harsh words. No one could remain indifferent in the face of such accusations. But she had to admit—“Coming to Bianjing in the first place was my mistake. The situation between her and Ah Ye is something I can’t completely absolve myself from. And besides, she is my elder sister. If Mother chooses to care for her, it is only natural. You…”
She wanted to say more but saw Xueya lower her head and wipe her tears.
She sighed softly.
Over the years, she and Xueya had relied on each other. In the end, she didn’t have the heart to continue reprimanding her. “Forget it. Just this once. If it happens again, even I won’t be able to protect you.”
With that, she turned to look at her mother, who was now nearing Jinxiu Hall.
She really didn’t want to go over.
She didn’t want to see Lanyin.
It wasn’t just because of Xiao Ye. Deep down, she had always been afraid of and resistant to her elder sister.
She hadn’t felt this way before, but ever since that day in Chengbo Manor, when she had encountered Lanyin’s cold gaze, she hadn’t dared to approach her again.
Just thinking about those indifferent eyes made her afraid.
The two cheerful, playful figures in her memory had almost faded beyond recognition. Occasionally, in dreams, she would hear a string of bell-like laughter. She could tell it was Lanyin, and the figure following behind her was herself. But whenever she tried to look closely, the images would blur.
In the early years, Nanny Su often told her that she and Lanyin had been close as children. She had always liked Lanyin the most, and the first thing she did upon waking was to find her. Wherever Lanyin went, she would follow.
But she no longer remembered those things.
All she knew was that she was Xiao Ye’s wife—the wife of the man she loved. All she knew was that if not for her, she could have married Xiao Ye.
But what could she blame her for?
She and Xiao Ye had been betrothed long ago. If there was anything to blame, it was fate that had played such a cruel trick on her.
Gu Qing couldn’t quite say what she felt toward Lanyin. There was resentment, of course, but not to the point of hatred. If Yanru had not died, if she were still Lady Fang, then perhaps, over the years, the four of them might have eventually been able to sit together and talk.
But Yanru had died.
And her heart was still filled with Ah Ye…
Thinking of Xiao Ye, she felt a wave of bitter sorrow.
She stood there in silence for a long time, watching as her mother entered Jinxiu Hall. In the end, she sighed and took a step forward, following after her.
—
Tingyun had felt uneasy the moment she first saw Madam Wang earlier. She feared that she would come over, so after returning to the shop, she had been waiting in the first-floor hall, prepared to intervene if necessary. If Madam Wang truly came, she could at least receive her properly and prevent her from saying anything unpleasant that might tarnish her mistress’s reputation.
Right now, Lanyin was in a private room on the second floor. Manager Sun had just finished attending to a few wealthy customers and was about to tally the accounts when he caught sight of Tingyun’s expression out of the corner of his eye.
“What’s wrong?”
He walked over, assuming something had happened with Lanyin.
He had once served in the Wang household. Tingyun hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to hide anything. She was just about to speak when she heard a series of heavy footsteps behind her, followed by a familiar voice.
“Madam, slow down.”
Her expression instantly changed.
She no longer had time to talk to Manager Sun. She hurriedly stepped forward to intercept.
“Madam.”
Madam Wang took one look at her face and immediately became certain that everything Xueya had said earlier was true. The fury in her heart surged, and it showed plainly on her face. She wanted to lash out but caught a glimpse of the many customers inside the shop and restrained herself. Even so, her voice was chillingly heavy.
“Where is Gu Lanyin?”
Manager Sun had now also spotted her, and in his surprise, he blurted out, “Young Miss?” He had called her by the title from the past.
Madam Wang, however, did not recognize him. She simply nodded faintly in acknowledgment and asked again, “Where is Gu Lanyin?”
“The owner is upstairs.”
Manager Sun knew that the relationship between mother and daughter was strained, but he wasn’t aware of just how deep the rift was, nor did he understand the source of Madam Wang’s fury. Without waiting for Tingyun to respond, he chuckled and said, “Shall I have someone call her down?”
Madam Wang glanced toward the second floor and let out a cold laugh.
“She’s got quite the airs. I’ll go up and see her myself.”
With that, she flung her sleeve and strode toward the staircase.
“This…”
Manager Sun was visibly startled. He glanced at Tingyun’s pale face and, growing uneasy, asked, “Did I say something wrong?”
But what could Tingyun say?
She simply shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just mind the shop.” With that, she hurriedly followed after Madam Wang, along with Nanny Su.
The door was pushed open from the outside just as Lanyin was sitting by the window reading a book. The setting sun cast a golden glow, and outside the window, the streets were filled with the bustling sounds of the city. Yet inside the quiet room, she remained still. Beside her sat a potted spider plant in full bloom, while a gilded incense burner, shaped like a mythical beast’s ears, exuded wisps of lingering fragrance—the scent of premium plum blossom incense.
The delicate aroma was soothing, making anyone who breathed it in feel at peace.
Lanyin had nearly finished her work for the day. Since there wasn’t much time left before Qi Yubai finished his duties at court, she decided to wait at the shop while reading. The moment she heard the heavy footsteps outside, so forceful they seemed capable of cracking the floorboards, she already knew who had come. So when the door was thrown open in a fit of anger, revealing a furious face at the threshold, she showed no surprise.
Behind her stood an uneasy Nanny Su and Tingyun.
Ignoring Madam Wang’s dark expression, Lanyin gave a calm instruction to Tingyun. “Tingyun, serve tea.”
Madam Wang had come intending to confront her, but the moment she actually saw Lanyin’s face, the words she had prepared to lash out with suddenly became difficult to say. Stifling her sour expression, she sat down across from Lanyin, thinking that as long as Lanyin spoke a few kind words, she wouldn’t be angry anymore.
But Lanyin acted as if she weren’t even there. Aside from ordering tea, she didn’t spare another word, merely continuing to read as if nothing had happened.
How could Madam Wang endure this?
“You saw me earlier, didn’t you?” she asked in a low voice.
“Mm.”
Lanyin didn’t even lift her head as she turned a page in her book.
Her indifferent attitude completely enraged Madam Wang, who suddenly snapped, “Gu Lanyin!”
At that moment, a servant arrived with a tray of pastries and fruit. Startled by the loud outburst, they nearly dropped the tray. Thankfully, Tingyun reacted quickly, taking the tray and sending the servant away before anything could fall.
Lanyin, however, finally showed a hint of impatience, frowning slightly. “Are you here to settle accounts with me?”
She closed the book in her hands and set it aside before looking up at Madam Wang.
Before Madam Wang could respond, Lanyin continued, “For what? Because you think I ignored you?”
Her words left Madam Wang with no outlet for her anger. She gritted her teeth and slowly forced out, “I am your mother.”
“So?”
Lanyin’s hands folded neatly in her lap, her demeanor so composed that it starkly contrasted with Madam Wang’s fury.
“So what? So what? Is this how you treat your mother? Is this what your grandmother taught you?” Madam Wang was livid. Seeing Lanyin’s unruffled face, so devoid of any trace of agitation, only fueled her rage further.
She was about to scold her further when suddenly, the woman who had remained calm all this time grew cold.
“What right do you have to speak about Grandmother?” Lanyin’s tone finally carried a trace of anger. She could tolerate anything Madam Wang said about her, but she had no right to bring up Grandmother. “You call yourself my mother, but tell me, in what way have you ever acted like one?”
“Would a mother abandon her own daughter on the streets, leaving her to fend for herself?”
“Would a mother knowingly allow her younger daughter—who harbors feelings for her elder sister’s husband—to follow that very man back home?”
Madam Wang’s face instantly turned pale, but Lanyin didn’t care. She sneered.
“You call yourself my mother, yet have you ever shown me even the slightest bit of care? Do you know what I love most? Do you know when I had my first menstrual cycle? Do you know how terrified I was the night before my wedding?”
“You know nothing.”
“You live in your own world, in your dreams, in your guilt and remorse toward Gu Qing.”
“You may be a good mother, but only to Gu Qing. As for me, you merely gave birth to me. Perhaps…”
Lanyin paused, as if something had crossed her mind. Her voice softened slightly. “Perhaps, you once treated me like a mother should. But that was too long ago—I can no longer remember.”
She rarely lost her temper like this.
Most of the time, she was gentle, composed. If Madam Wang hadn’t brought up her grandmother earlier, she might never have said these words in her entire life. But now that they had been spoken, she felt neither the satisfaction of revenge nor the regret of overstepping.
The room fell into silence.
No one spoke, not even Madam Wang.
Gu Qing had been about to step through the door, but upon hearing those words, she hesitated. In the end, she chose not to enter and instead turned away, leading Xueya back downstairs.
“Young Miss is truly too much. She’s actually blaming you, when you are clearly the victim,” Xueya grumbled.
Gu Qing pressed her lips together. “In this matter, both she and I are victims.”
She no longer remembered much of the past, but she knew that her disappearance had nothing to do with Lanyin. On the contrary, it was because of her that Lanyin had fallen out of favor with their mother.
But her grievances toward Lanyin had never been about that.
The only irreconcilable thing between them… was Xiao Ye.
“Miss!”
“Enough. Don’t say any more.”
—
“Y-young Miss…”
It was Nanny Su who finally broke the silence.
She looked at Lanyin, who sat across from Madam Wang, and for the first time, she found her somewhat unfamiliar. Then, glancing at Madam Wang—whose face was pale, her eyes dazed—Nanny Su felt an overwhelming fear that this mother and daughter would never be able to mend their bond.
In desperation, she blurted out, “Madam saw a red jade hairpin earlier, and the moment she did, she thought of you!”
She had wanted to ease the tension, but when she turned to fetch the hairpin, she realized that in their rush earlier, they had left all their purchases behind at the jewelry shop.
Her expression changed drastically. Her voice carried a note of panic. “The hairpin is still at the shop! This old servant will go retrieve it immediately!”
She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, Lanyin spoke.
“There’s no need, Nanny Su.”
Her voice was as gentle as ever, but her words were cold.
“I’ve grown up now. If I want something, I can buy it myself.”
“Young Miss…” Nanny Su’s face turned pale.
“You don’t intend to acknowledge me as your mother anymore, do you?”
Madam Wang finally found her voice.
Her hands clenched into tight fists. Her voice was hoarse, her eyes red. She stared at Lanyin without blinking. She wanted to get angry as she always had, but she found that she couldn’t. Instead, a foreign emotion—one she could only describe as panic—had seized her entire being.
“Gu Lanyin, you don’t want me as your mother anymore, is that it?”
She asked again.
She didn’t even realize that her voice was trembling.
Lanyin looked into her eyes.
For the first time, she saw this expression on her mother’s beautiful face. She was surprised—but only surprised.
She pursed her lips and replied in a calm tone, “You gave birth to me. In terms of blood, you will always be my mother. But I think… the way things were before might be best for us.”
She neither longed for this maternal bond nor wished for it to disrupt the peace she had now.