“How dare you!”
You Yuji suddenly shouted in anger, scaring the concubines outside into a startled silence. They stopped their chatter and tasks, tilting their heads to look towards the small room.
For so long, they had never seen the lady of the house this furious.
“Disrespectful, vulgar, and utterly lacking in manners! Someone, drag her out and give her twenty slaps!”
Lady Jing waved her hand sternly, and two old maids immediately rushed forward, grabbing Si Han and dragging her outside.
Si Han, who had been a concubine for Sun Guangliang for some time, was no longer the high-spirited princess she once was. Yet, she never expected the mistress would punish her so severely for a few words she said to another concubine.
“Madam…” She wanted to explain, but Lady Jing immediately stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth.
“The lady probably doesn’t want to hear the concubine speak. Sorry about that,” Lady Jing said politely, but her words were anything but courteous.
They quickly dragged Si Han into the courtyard. Before the slapping, they pulled out the gagging handkerchief. Lady Jing slowly rolled up her right sleeve, took the wooden stick, and personally administered the punishment.
With the first slap, Si Han’s mouth immediately swelled up.
“Concubine, bear with it,” Lady Jing advised coldly, showing no mercy with her strikes.
She had waited too long for this day to establish the mistress’s authority!
The servants of Tanxiang Yingyue and the maidservants of the other concubines all sneaked glances, not daring to breathe too loudly, maintaining a perfect silence.
After twenty strikes, Si Han’s face was a bloody mess, and even the front of her clothing was stained with a large patch of blood.
Chunxing had long stood up from her chair, watching the scene in fear, her shoulders hunched. That fear of the mistress crept back into her heart. Recently, You Yuji had been too kind to them, so kind that even the timid Chunxing dared to speak casually with the mistress. The twenty slaps on Si Han’s face today also woke Chunxing up—the mistress was the mistress, and concubines were concubines. No matter how kind the mistress was, she still held their lives in her hands.
Cuiyu and Lin Yingying also fell silent. They didn’t know why Si Han was being punished, but at this moment, they shared the same thought as Chunxing—they were lowly concubines.
Who would choose to be a concubine if they had a choice?
The two women sneaked a look at You Yuji standing at the door. You Yuji stood there with dignity, watching Si Han’s punishment with her own eyes.
Lady Jing handed the stick to the old maid beside her, turned to You Yuji, and respectfully reported that the punishment was completed.
The anger in You Yuji’s heart had not completely subsided. She said, “From today, you are confined to reflect on your actions until you come to your senses.”
Not only had Si Han been beaten, but she was also to be confined indefinitely.
The maid assigned to Si Han after she arrived at the prince’s mansion was young, and the scene turned her face pale with fear. Trembling, she helped Si Han leave.
You Yuji coldly watched Si Han being helped out of the courtyard with difficulty before turning around. The three concubines carefully studied her expression. Even the usually talkative Lin Yingying was at a loss for words.
You Yuji paid no attention to the thoughts of the three concubines. She walked straight into the small room adjacent to the flower hall.
The door to the small room had been open the whole time, and Si Que had seen what had happened outside.
You Yuji stepped over the threshold without closing the door.
She looked at Si Que, and the cold expression on her face gradually turned into a gentle smile. She didn’t lower her voice; in fact, she raised it slightly: “As long as I’m here, no one can bully you.”
Only then did the concubines and the servants in the courtyard realize that Si Han had been punished because she had offended Princess Que.
The varied gazes from outside fell on Si Que, but he did not notice them. He sat quietly at the edge of the narrow bed, watching You Yuji as her angry expression slowly softened, and she smiled at him tenderly.
Is this what it feels like to have someone back you up?
Si Que suddenly found it a bit amusing.
When he was Princess Que, no one backed him up. When he was the master of the Poison Pavilion, he didn’t need anyone to back him up.
This new feeling crawled into his heart, like a light June drizzle.
Seeing no reaction from him, You Yuji walked over to the narrow bed and sat down, reaching for his hand.
“She was talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart,” she said softly, gently shaking Si Que’s hand, her voice growing even softer, “Don’t be unhappy, alright?”
Zhenxu’s eyelids twitched, fearing that the scene that followed might not be suitable for others to witness. She quickly walked over and closed the door to the small room, then sternly scolded the servants in the courtyard, “Get back to your tasks. Don’t gather here.”
The servants dared not linger and quickly dispersed.
Chunxing spoke timidly, “Please inform the lady that I have something to attend to and must leave.”
Cuiyu and Lin Yingying also found excuses and hurriedly left.
Once everyone had left, Lady Jing rubbed her sore wrist. She looked at the closed door of the small room and felt a sense of resignation.
She had waited so long for a chance to assert the lady’s authority, but it turned out to be for another woman…
Inside the small room, Si Que lowered his eyes, staring for a long time at their intertwined hands.
His initial desire for this woman had gradually grown into much more—greed and infatuation.
You Yuji hadn’t expected Si Que to remain silent. Assuming he was upset by past memories, she leaned in, touching her forehead gently to his, whispering, “Don’t be unhappy, okay?”
“Sister…” Si Que’s long eyelashes slowly fluttered open. He looked at her with clear, watery eyes, a layer of grievance and a desire to please floating in them. “Could you…”
“What?” You Yuji tightened her grip on his hand slightly. She didn’t know what he wanted, but seeing his vulnerable state, she was willing to do whatever he asked.
“Kiss me?”
You Yuji was taken aback.
A ripple of emotion appeared in Si Que’s eyes, turning into a gentle, almost drowning smile. He stared at her unblinkingly, waiting quietly, feeling her breath getting closer.
She was already very close, and soon she leaned in and gently brushed her soft lips against the corner of his mouth.
The tender sensation spread from the corner of his lips, rippling outwards, washing over his body, and finally gathering in his heart, where it exploded in a warm, gentle burst.
But before he could savor it, she had already pulled away.
How stingy of her, to just brush his lips and then retreat.
Before a trace of disappointment could appear in Si Que’s eyes, he was enveloped in a warm embrace. She gently hugged him, her hand softly patting his back in a soothing manner. She rested her chin on his shoulder, her delicate face nuzzling against his cheek. She spoke softly, “What she said was wrong. How could no one like you? I like Ah Que very much.”
She smiled sweetly and added, “Baisui also likes Ah Que very much.”
But Si Que couldn’t smile.
Fortunately, she couldn’t see his expression now, so he didn’t need to smile. He lowered his eyes, immersing himself in her unique, elegant fragrance.
The Ah Que she liked was someone wearing a mask.
The masked Ah Que was not the real him.
Could there really be a lie that could be hidden for a lifetime?
If You Yuji knew the real him was a beast, how would she react? She would probably never smile at him again, never show him any warmth. She would despise him and ignore him.
Fortunately, his life was short. Perhaps hiding the truth wouldn’t be so difficult.
He slowly smiled and obediently said, “I like Sister too.”
—
In the evening, Chen Anzhi stormed into Tanxiang Yingyue, angrily questioning, “You Yuji, you really think you’re something, who gave you the right to beat Si Han?”
You Yuji was sitting at the square table, trimming a branch of red plum blossoms in a fine porcelain vase.
“Why are you playing dumb? Didn’t you say that if I agreed to sign the divorce papers, you wouldn’t interfere with the affairs of the inner residence anymore? What, are you going to use my mother as an excuse like last time when you took away the deeds of several concubines?” Chen Anzhi sneered, “Or have you regretted it, and that’s why you’re starting to take it out on my concubines?”
Chen Anzhi suddenly realized, “I understand now. Look at how you’ve dressed Chunxing, Cuiyu, and Lin Yingying in such gaudy colors! You’re subtly encouraging them to dress in ways I dislike! Well done, You Yuji, I only realized today how deep your scheming goes! Your methods of vying for favor are truly impressive!”
You Yuji was taken aback, her hand slipped, and she accidentally cut a beautiful branch of red plum.
Seeing this, Chen Anzhi mocked, “Did I hit the mark, so now you feel guilty?”
You Yuji sighed softly, put down the scissors, and turned to seriously examine Chen Anzhi.
One had to admit that Chen Anzhi indeed had a handsome face. Despite her strong dislike for him, You Yuji had to acknowledge that among the princes and grandsons, he was the most striking in appearance. She couldn’t quite figure out if it was his extraordinary looks that made him so arrogant, or if the goddess Nüwa had been overly meticulous when crafting his face but forgot to give equal attention to his brain.
“What are you looking at?”
“You spent a fortune to buy Si Han to please Princess Que. But did you first investigate their relationship?”
Chen Anzhi was stunned.
You Yuji smiled faintly and said earnestly, “I’m helping you win Princess Que’s favor.”
As Chen Anzhi left, he kept pondering You Yuji’s words and repeatedly recalled her captivating smile. Despite his disdain for this woman’s lack of virtue, Chen Anzhi had to admit that she was an enchanting beauty. When she smiled, the entire world seemed to lose its color, leaving only her in his eyes.
Leaving Tanxiang Yingyue, Chen Anzhi went to Hongzan’s room in the Anxiang Courtyard as usual. Hongzan greeted him respectfully.
Chen Anzhi lifted Hongzan’s chin, raising her face.
The women in the rear courtyard all knew that the young master preferred elegant ladies, always greeting him in white clothes with light makeup. However, Hongzan did not have a naturally refined face but instead a certain innate charm. She wore loose white clothing with her hair unadorned, appearing somewhat out of place.
Chen Anzhi released her and casually remarked, “That purple dress in your wardrobe is quite pretty and suits you.”
—
You Yuji trimmed another red plum branch and placed it in a vase before carrying it into the bedroom.
Baisui was crouched on a wicker chair under the window, and Si Que was sitting in a wheelchair opposite him. Si Que was teasing Baisui with a purple silk handkerchief of You Yuji’s, and Baisui, agile and unwilling to let go, held onto the other end with his claws. One person and one cat each pulled at one end of the handkerchief, neither willing to let go, stretching the silk into a taut line.
You Yuji found it amusing, her eyes slightly curved.
Si Que, while tussling with Baisui, asked, “Did the young master come to bother sister again?”
“He’s already gone. He can’t bother me,” You Yuji replied with a smile, placing the red plum aside temporarily and looking around, considering where it would look best.
She was in a good mood at the moment. Earlier, Lady Jing’s people had returned with news that this winter would be harsher than usual, with frequent heavy snow, and the Western Empress Dowager would not return to the capital early for the Eastern Empress Dowager’s birthday. This meant time wouldn’t be so pressing, allowing You Yuji to breathe a little easier.
You Yuji finally found a good spot for the red plum. She moved a small embroidered stool in front of a tall cabinet, holding the vase in one hand and lifting her skirt with the other to step onto the stool. However, as she lifted her second foot onto the stool, she accidentally stepped on her skirt. Her hand holding the skirt was too late to grab the cabinet, and she let out a cry as she lost balance and fell backward.
“Yuan Yuan!” Si Que exclaimed, letting go of the silk handkerchief he was tugging with Baisui. He quickly got up and rushed toward You Yuji, catching her firmly in his arms, even steadying the vase she was holding.
The startled red plum trembled slightly.
You Yuji blinked and turned her face to look at Si Que’s legs.
You cannot copy content of this page 