Si Que did not want to say more.
You Yuji returned to Jinnan Prince’s residence, and the carriage stopped at the main gate. She handed her hand to Lady Jing for support and gracefully stepped down from the carriage. Gu Momo was already waiting by the shadow wall, her face beaming with a smile.
“Madam has returned. Normally, we should have fetched you from the You family, but the princess was unwell and couldn’t leave,” Gu Momo said courteously.
On the surface, it was a polite remark, but in reality, it was also meant for the servants to confirm that You Yuji had been staying at her family’s house during this period.
You Yuji understood the princess’s thoughtful intentions. She curved her lips into a smile and spoke gently, “Is the princess feeling any better?”
“Burns don’t heal that quickly, and she’s pregnant too…” Gu Momo sighed. “But she’s much better than when you left.”
As You Yuji walked towards the residence, she conversed with Gu Momo, inquiring about the princess’s health.
As for Si Que, he was no longer on the carriage.
During this period, You Yuji had nominally gone back to her family to serve her mother, while Si Que had stayed at the residence under the pretense of recovering from an illness, making it impossible for him to accompany her back.
Gu Momo escorted You Yuji all the way to the entrance of Tanxiang Yingyue.
“The princess instructed that you must be tired from the journey. Rest first and don’t rush to greet her,” Gu Momo said.
You Yuji invited her in for some tea, but Gu Momo politely declined, saying she needed to report back to the princess.
You Yuji turned and walked inside. The maids of Tanxiang Yingyue saw her and each smiled as they greeted her.
“Madam has returned.”
“Madam, you must be tired from the journey. The tea is ready, and there are fresh fruits sent from the residence!”
“Madam, would you like to bathe first, or have something to eat?”
She smiled at these familiar faces, understanding that this time upon her return, she would soon leave Jinnan Prince’s residence for good. These young girls at Tanxiang Yingyue wouldn’t see her again in the future.
“No need to rush, we’ll talk later,” You Yuji said as she walked inside.
Suddenly, You Yuji heard the sound of something ceramic breaking inside the room, followed by a black shadow darting out.
A little maid angrily scolded, “I just arranged the flowers to welcome Madam, and you…”
The maid stepped over the threshold to chase after, but upon seeing You Yuji, she paused and swallowed the rest of her words. Her furrowed brows relaxed, and she smiled, “Madam has returned!”
You Yuji had already looked away, her gaze following the black shadow.
The maids in the courtyard, who had been following behind You Yuji, now scattered, leaving the middle space clear.
Among a group of vibrant maids, stood Baisui, bending over with its golden round eyes flashing green. Its long tail swayed gently.
You Yuji was surprised to see Baisui.
After three months, it had grown so large, shedding its kitten appearance entirely.
You Yuji slowly curled her lips into a smile and walked towards it. “Why are you running away? Did someone hit you?”
The little maid who had just been chasing Baisui hurriedly said, “Madam, I wouldn’t dare hit this little ancestor! While you were away, it was the king of the mountain here!”
You Yuji approached Baisui and squatted down beside it, the hem of her soft skirt trailing on the ground. She reached out her hand and, just like when it was a kitten, gently brushed the back of her fingers against its head.
Its fur was no longer as soft as it was when it was a kitten; instead, it had become shinier.
A maid reminded from the side, “Madam, be careful. Cats don’t remember their owners. You’ve been away for months, and it might not recognize you anymore. Be careful it doesn’t scratch you; its claws are very sharp!”
Two other young maids nodded in agreement, whether they had seen it firsthand or experienced it themselves.
Baisui turned its head to look at the speaking maid, squinting its eyes and emitting a faintly dangerous signal.
The maid’s face slightly changed, and she instinctively took a step back.
Baisui glared at her menacingly, looking quite intimidating as if it could pounce at any moment and show her just how sharp its claws were.
In the next moment, Baisui’s body suddenly lifted off the ground.
Baisui quickly turned its head to look at You Yuji, who had picked it up, and it let out a low warning growl. However, You Yuji just smiled, holding it in one arm and scratching its chin with the other as she carried it into the house.
Baisui’s wide eyes gradually half-closed, and the green in its eyes slowly faded.
You Yuji carried it inside and sat down on the beauty couch by the window, gently stroking it with soft movements.
The maids hurriedly came in, some serving tea and fruits to You Yuji, others cleaning up the vase that Baisui had broken.
You Yuji lowered her eyes, looking at Baisui in her arms, still marveling.
— She hadn’t realized that her little Baisui had suddenly grown into a big cat.
She couldn’t help but murmur softly, “I thought I’d be able to watch you grow up, but you’ve grown so much secretly.”
Lady Jing, who was hanging clothes, turned her head with a smile and said, “Madam, this cat is still less than half a year old; it hasn’t really grown up yet.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes,” Baohe chimed in, “When it grows more, who knows what kind of trouble it’ll cause!”
You Yuji pinched Baisui’s little arm, reminiscing about its once short little limbs. Watching it gradually relax and stretch comfortably in her arms, You Yuji finally began to rub its plump little belly.
They say cats don’t like their bellies touched. Sure enough, Baisui, almost closing its eyes, immediately opened them and looked at You Yuji warily.
You Yuji gently tugged on Baisui’s long whiskers and ordered, “Bring me a pair of scissors.”
Next, all the maids watched as this little mountain king had its sharp claws snipped off one by one by You Yuji.
Everyone in the room let out a sigh of relief.
You Yuji had always been kind to these servants, and they spoke freely with her. A young maid, not much older, said with a grin, “Now that the mountain king’s claws are trimmed, I won’t be afraid to wear gauze skirts anymore!”
The room burst into laughter. You Yuji also smiled, lowering her eyes and gently tapping Baisui’s forehead with her soft fingertips, soothing it softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from now on.”
“Meow—” Baisui raised the paw with freshly trimmed nails and covered its face.
You Yuji smiled and reached for its other paw, continuing to trim its sharp claws.
After spending some time with Baisui, You Yuji went to the cleansing room to wash away the dust and fatigue of her journey. Not long after she had freshened up, several of the concubines in the courtyard came over.
“Sister!” Cuiyu opened her arms and dashed towards You Yuji.
From a distance, You Yuji saw her approaching with a somewhat exaggerated expression. She couldn’t help but laugh and let Cuiyu come up to her.
Chunxing stood quietly behind Cuiyu, not saying much.
“Sister,” she called, a rare smile appearing on her face.
Hongzan and Si Han were much more formal, greeting You Yuji properly and then sitting down in an orderly manner.
Si Han picked up a cup of tea from the table beside her and took a sip, saying in a mild tone, “I thought Madam would stay at her family’s house for a long time.”
Her words carried a deeper meaning.
You Yuji smiled and gently petted Baisui, who was lying on her lap, without responding.
Si Han pursed her lips and spoke again, “Madam has returned. It’s surprising that someone hasn’t come to pay their respects. Who knows if they are really ill or if there’s another reason. Everyone in the residence knows how well Madam treats her, yet she hasn’t come over. Even though she is my real elder sister, I can’t speak for her.”
She emphasized the words “real elder sister.”
You Yuji looked up towards the east wing. On the way back, Si Que had gotten off the carriage ahead of time. At this moment, she didn’t know if he had returned. She had long grown accustomed to Si Que’s mysterious comings and goings; he always seemed to have a way to enter and leave freely without being noticed by others.
The flower hall fell silent again.
Si Han had tried to start a conversation twice, but no one responded, making her expression slightly awkward.
Cuiyu rolled her eyes and muttered, “Today’s lunch wasn’t salty at all. Did you sneak off and eat a whole pot of salted vegetables? Look at you, yammering about nothing.”
She rolled her eyes again after speaking.
“You…” Si Han’s face turned pale with anger.
“Hic.” Cuiyu let out a loud hiccup.
She exclaimed “Oops,” apologized for her breach of manners, took a big sip of tea, and didn’t forget to praise, “This is damn good tea!”
“You…” Si Han, extremely upset, started to rebuke Cuiyu.
But as soon as she began to speak, Cuiyu interrupted her with her hands on her hips.
“Are you done yet?” Cuiyu slammed her tea cup on the table, “Sister is back, and we are all happy. Yet you keep yammering and annoying everyone! Do you think you’re the only one with a mouth? What’s with the glaring, are you looking for a fight?”
“I…”
“You, you, you, I, I, I, weren’t you quite good at yammering just now? What, did you use up all the lines you rehearsed overnight and now you’re stuttering? Impressive, really. Tsk, tsk.”
Hongzan kept her head down, struggling to hold back her laughter.
“Madam!” Si Han’s face alternated between red and white. “Aunt Cui’s behavior is so outrageous, and as the mistress, do you really intend to ignore it? Your inaction won’t command respect from anyone!”
You Yuji leaned lazily against the back of her chair, petting Baisui in her lap, not responding.
Not responding at all.
Cuiyu lifted her chin and smiled, “Who doesn’t respect? How is it that we don’t respect her? You, you, and you…”
She pointed at the several concubines in the room and then pointed at each maid, asking, “Does anyone not respect Madam?”
Everyone lowered their heads, no one said a word.
“See?” Cuiyu spread her hands. “Don’t take yourself too seriously. You alone don’t count as ‘everyone’.”
“Alright,” You Yuji finally spoke in a gentle tone, “I’ve just returned and am a bit tired. If there’s nothing else, you can all leave. Cuiyu, you stay.”
Si Han gritted her teeth in frustration, stood up, glared fiercely at Cuiyu, and stormed out. In her heart, she declared Cuiyu her most hated person!
Hongzan and Chunxing also rose and left.
Cuiyu, smiling, leaned close to You Yuji and asked, “Sister, does this count as using the tiger’s power?”
You Yuji looked at her beaming face and said softly, “When you leave the residence and live on your own in the future, you can’t always act like this.”
“I know! I’m very good at bullying the weak and fearing the strong!”
You Yuji couldn’t help but laugh at her proud expression and pinched Cuiyu’s cheek.
Just then, Si Que entered from outside and saw Cuiyu bending over towards You Yuji, with You Yuji touching her face.
Si Que instantly frowned.
There was a “ping” sound as a copper coin was flicked from his fingers and hit the ground.
You Yuji and Cuiyu, who were talking beside the beauty couch, turned their heads in surprise and looked at Si Que.
Si Que kept his eyes down, his expression indifferent as he stared at the spinning copper coin.
Baisui’s ears twitched as it opened its eyes and looked at Si Que. It let out a “meow” and jumped from You Yuji’s lap, leaping towards Si Que.
Si Que, still staring at the coin, waved his hand and brushed Baisui aside to keep it from blocking his view.
Baisui agilely flipped in the air and landed on all fours, looking up at Si Que, its long black tail swishing rapidly.
There was confusion and more displeasure in its eyes.
Si Que ignored it.
The spinning coin finally came to a stop.
— Heads.
You Yuji observed Si Que’s expression carefully and saw a fleeting annoyance on his face.
Si Que raised his eyes, looking meaningfully at Cuiyu.
Cuiyu was puzzled and muttered softly, “It’s been months, and you’re still playing with coins…”