After Lanyin and Qi Yubai left, the two elderly madams strolled hand in hand in the courtyard.
As they walked, the conversation inevitably turned to their children. Madam Wang couldn’t help but sigh whenever she thought about Wang Jin’s behavior last night. These were matters she couldn’t easily discuss with others, but with her old friend, there was no need for concealment.
“Back then, her father and I thought that since she was our only daughter, and that a girl would eventually marry out, we feared that once she was in her husband’s household, she wouldn’t be as carefree as she was at home. So we inevitably spoiled her a little too much. Who would have thought… we would indulge her to such an extent?”
The more she thought about it, the more she regretted it.
If she had known that Jin’er would turn out like this, she would never have doted on her so much.
But in this world, how could there ever be such a thing as knowing in advance?
Madam Qi naturally understood the situation in her old friend’s household. Though she didn’t know what had happened last night, she could guess that it wasn’t anything good. Seeing her strong-willed old sister now looking so miserable and sorrowful, she felt uncomfortable as well. Not knowing how to console her, she simply held Madam Wang’s hand and gently patted it.
After a moment, she finally spoke again, “Forgive me for saying this, but your daughter acts so recklessly because she knows you love her too much.”
“How could I not know?”
Madam Wang sighed deeply. “Her father believed in raising daughters delicately and sons strictly. When she was young, whatever she wanted, he and I would try every possible way to give it to her. As a result, she grew up thinking that as long as she wanted something, nothing was beyond her grasp, and that everyone ought to indulge her. You wouldn’t believe it—she’s almost forty now, yet her temper is still like an unmarried young lady’s. Even my granddaughters, who haven’t reached marriageable age yet, don’t make as much of a fuss as she does.”
Madam Qi frowned. “And your in-laws don’t do anything about it?”
She had known a few spoiled young ladies before, but no matter how unruly they were at home, they all settled down within a few years of marriage. She had never seen anyone like Wang Jin, still behaving this way at her age.
Madam Wang sighed again. “My in-law doesn’t meddle in anything. She spends her days chanting scriptures and living in seclusion. Other than writing me a letter back then concerning Hongqian’s heir, she has never made an appearance.”
Originally, she should have been happy that her in-law was easygoing and uninvolved.
After all, as daughters-in-law, who wouldn’t want a mother-in-law who was agreeable and stayed out of their affairs? But now, Madam Wang truly wished her in-law had been stricter—perhaps then, her daughter wouldn’t have been spoiled to such an extreme.
Shaking her head, she continued, “Hongqian can say a few words to her, but he is an honest man. First, he remembers the kindness our family showed his ancestors. Second, he pities her for losing her daughter… And besides, he spends most of the year at Yanmen Pass. Even if he wanted to manage her, he can’t.”
She had been strong-willed and formidable her entire life. In her household, which son or daughter-in-law didn’t heed her words? Yet, at this age, she found herself completely troubled over this one daughter.
“If you know her temperament is like this, you should rein her in. Stop giving in to her every whim just because she’s unhappy.”
“I ignored her last night.”
Her voice was hoarse. Madam Qi knew she must be feeling terrible inside. After a moment of silence, she held her hand and consoled, “Children and grandchildren will have their own fortunes. Fortunately, your daughter is only willful—she doesn’t have any truly terrible traits.”
Perhaps it was because she had been pampered from a young age and had grown up in a good environment. Although Wang Jin was arrogant, she had no real malice in her heart.
That, at least, was a small blessing in an unfortunate situation.
If she had both that temper and a tendency to harm others, then Madam Wang’s hair would likely have turned completely white from worry.
Madam Wang sighed once more. “Right now, I’m only worried about her and Yinyin. In the past, Yinyin never got along with her very well, but I’ve never seen her this distant before… Yesterday, when I saw Yinyin, it was clear that she had been deeply hurt by Jin’er. She wouldn’t even call her ‘mother’ anymore.”
Now that she was old, all she wished for was family harmony—especially between these two, one her daughter and the other her granddaughter. It could be said that all the tenderness and love she had in her life were given to these two. Their poor relationship naturally made her heart ache.
“You’re not thinking of speaking on your daughter’s behalf to Yinyin, are you?” Madam Qi frowned.
“What are you thinking?”
Madam Wang glared at her. “Do you really take me for one of those foolish, muddle-headed people?”
Madam Qi let out a breath of relief. “As long as you’re not.”
Everyone has their own biases and affections—never mind that Wang Jin had such a temperament, even if she didn’t, if mother and daughter were to have a conflict, she would still unhesitatingly stand on Yinyin’s side.
But it was pitiful for her old sister. Both were her cherished ones, and no matter who was unhappy, it would be hard on her.
Madam Wang, of course, knew what she was thinking. She said, “I understand Yinyin’s nature. If I were to speak, even if she disliked it, she would still do as I ask. But how could I bear to force her?” She shook her head, and after a long moment, finally sighed. “Forget it. You’re right. Children and grandchildren have their own fates. If she truly wants this daughter, she will naturally make amends herself. If she remains this way, then it can only be said that fate did not intend for them to have a mother-daughter bond.”
“Let’s not talk about my troublesome daughter anymore,” Madam Wang said self-deprecatingly. She turned the conversation to Qi Yubai, holding Madam Qi’s hand. “It’s been a long time since I last saw your grandson. He’s grown so well, and his temperament has improved a great deal. I still remember how he used to sit at the dining table without saying a single word. Back then, you told me he was just a wooden-headed boy. But now, even though he still doesn’t talk much, he seems much gentler and can even chat with us.”
Isn’t that just because you’re Yinyin’s maternal grandmother? Madam Qi thought to herself. He wants to marry Yinyin, so of course, he has to leave a good impression on you.
She was just about to chuckle when she suddenly heard her old friend ask, “Speaking of which, I remember that Yu’er is already twenty-one this year. Have you arranged a marriage for him?”
Madam Qi’s heart stirred. “Not yet.”
Nowadays, young people focused on their careers—it was the same with her other grandsons. So hearing that Qi Yubai wasn’t yet engaged didn’t surprise Madam Wang. She simply asked another question, “Then does he have someone in mind?”
“What do you think…?” Madam Qi suddenly turned her head and met Madam Wang’s puzzled gaze. She then asked, “How do you think he and Yinyin would be together?”
—
Lanyin had no idea that the two elderly women had already reached an understanding.
She and Qi Yubai were still beneath the flower trellis, unaware of how much time had passed. All she knew was that under Qi Yubai’s relentless advance, her whole body had gone weak, her arms and legs devoid of strength. If not for the arm wrapped around her waist holding her up, she might have already collapsed to the ground.
After the initial fervor, their kisses were no longer as fierce as before. Instead, they were slow and lingering, as if neither of them wanted to part.
Her lips were gently nibbled.
It didn’t hurt.
It was like the teasing of a lover, sending ripples through her heart one after another.
In the haze, a thought flashed through Lanyin’s mind—Why is his kissing so much better after just one night?
Last night, he clearly didn’t know so many tricks.
She thought of how he had lifted her by the waist and pressed her against the wall to kiss her, how his lips had trailed from her forehead to her chin, and how he had looked at her while kissing her—those deep, black-pool-like eyes fixed on her. Lanyin’s face instantly burned, her heart trembling as if a feather was gently brushing against it, leaving a tingling numbness.
“Qi Yubai…” She tried to suppress her shyness, her voice hoarse as she called his name.
“Mm?”
A deep, raspy voice sounded beside her ear, filled with undisguised desire. It struck her senses, making her face flush even more, her body growing even hotter.
With her lips still between his teeth, she struggled to form words. A short sentence took her several times longer than usual to utter, and even then, she was left panting.
“We… we should go outside.”
Qi Yubai said nothing. He simply continued kissing her while watching her.
Unable to hear his response, Lanyin opened her eyes. The moment she did, she was met with the sight of the man right in front of her, his deep gaze fixed on her, with a backdrop of wisteria vines heavy with blossoms.
And he was still looking at her.
The two of them were so close that his long, thick eyelashes brushed against her face, sending a tingling sensation through her skin. But the most overwhelming part was still his phoenix eyes, shimmering as they stared straight at her without wavering.
His black gauze hat had long since been discarded to the side. The young man, with only a wooden hairpin holding up his hair, gazed at her in silence, yet his eyes carried an unhidden, unabashed desire.
If she hadn’t experienced it herself, it would have been hard to believe that this man, known to all as an untouchable, aloof figure, could harbor such intense longing.
And this was just a kiss. If it went further…
Lanyin’s face burned. She didn’t dare continue that train of thought, nor did she dare to look at Qi Yubai.
Her cheeks were flushed with the color of peach blossoms.
She turned her head away, exposing only the side of her face, which was just as red as the front. The blush stretched all the way down to her neck, making it impossible not to imagine more, to want to uncover more of the spring hidden beneath.
Qi Yubai’s grip around her waist tightened at the sight.
Lanyin always felt that Qi Yubai, when pulled down into the world of mortals, was impossible to resist. But she had no idea that to Qi Yubai, her every movement and expression made him sink even deeper.
He wished he could always be by her side, never parting from her.
It wasn’t until he heard a low whimper and saw her frown that Qi Yubai finally snapped out of it. Realizing he had hurt her, he immediately loosened his grip.
“Does it hurt?”
His deep, husky voice carried a trace of guilt, and his thin lips pressed tightly together.
Lanyin could hear it in his tone and quickly reassured him, “It doesn’t hurt.”
But seeing that his lips were still taut, she took the initiative to hold his hand and gently coaxed, “Really, it doesn’t hurt.”