The fallen Baisui pulled the silk handkerchief away from her face and curiously stared at the two people in front of the cabinet. These two had been motionless for a long time, how strange.
You Yuji reacted first. She didn’t say anything but supported Si Que’s forearm and stepped back onto the embroidered stool to place the vase of red plum blossoms properly.
She even leisurely adjusted the angle of the vase, letting the fuller side of the blossoms face outward. After getting down from the stool, she moved the stool back to its original place at a relaxed pace, and then gracefully walked towards the bed. Sitting by the bedside, she quietly lifted her eyes to look at Si Que.
“Come here,” she said.
Her tone was always gentle, and Si Que listened carefully but couldn’t discern if she was angry.
Si Que walked over and sat down beside her. Before he could speak, You Yuji bent down, grasped his ankle, and lifted his “injured leg” onto her lap. She pushed his snow-colored skirt up to his knees and slowly rolled up his trouser leg, revealing the “injury” fixed with narrow wooden boards.
She unwrapped the layers of white gauze on his leg, removed the two fixed wooden boards, and finally saw his “wound.” His calf was intact, without even a scratch.
“No wonder you never let me see you change the dressing,” You Yuji said softly as she put his leg down and then fell silent.
Si Que couldn’t detect any anger in her tone. However, he despised deceit, and putting himself in her shoes, if he were You Yuji, he would have been furious.
Although her tone was calm and her expression showed no anger, Si Que didn’t believe she wasn’t upset.
He gazed deeply at You Yuji, guessing her thoughts and pondering how to explain himself.
Suddenly, he heard You Yuji sigh lightly, and he immediately looked at her cautiously.
“Don’t do this,” she said gently. “Whatever the reason, you shouldn’t lie and make those who care about you worry.”
You Yuji recalled the scene of him jumping from the second floor of the library that day, and her heart still felt uneasy. So much time had passed, but whenever she thought of that scene, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Si Que lowered his lashes, not wanting to meet her eyes. He said, “Sister, why do you still speak so gently, not angry at all.”
He heard her say—
“It’s true you jumped, but it’s fortunate you weren’t injured.”
Si Que closed his eyes.
You Yuji placed her hand on Si Que’s slightly cold hand, surprised at how cold it was. She suppressed what she originally wanted to say and asked first, “Are you cold?”
She held his hand in her palms to warm it. The warmth from her hands gradually spread through his entire body.
You Yuji glanced at him, realizing he seemed unwilling to speak, and continued, “I won’t abandon you. You’re already weak; please don’t harm your body anymore, okay?”
Si Que remained silent.
He inexplicably felt a bit tired, unwilling to wear a smiling mask and put on an act. He withdrew his hands from You Yuji’s grasp, got up, and walked towards the chaise lounge by the window.
Sitting on the chaise, he picked up the wine on the small square table and slowly poured himself a cup.
When Chen Anzhi came over to talk to You Yuji, he had been casually drinking here. He had almost finished a pot of plum wine, with only a little left in the pot.
He swirled the wine in the cup, watching it sway under the candlelight, and drank it all in one gulp.
You Yuji silently watched his every move, her brows slowly knitting together.
Si Que finished his drink, set the cup down, and poured another.
You Yuji stood up and walked briskly towards him. Just as Si Que was about to drink, she grabbed his wrist.
Si Que lifted his eyes to look at her.
“I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, your health is poor, you really shouldn’t drink so much.”
Si Que continued to look at her expressionlessly, neither speaking nor letting go.
It was You Yuji who first looked away, her eyes downcast, her voice tinged with sadness: “At first, I wanted to find a man to help me have a child. I just wanted a child, without wanting much involvement with the child’s father. I thought, this child wouldn’t have a father, but I could give him double the love and let him grow up happy and healthy. But my mother is very important to me, and so is my father. If a person doesn’t have a father, no matter how much mother’s love they receive, it’s still a regret, isn’t it?”
Her eyes reddened slightly, and she looked at him tenderly.
“Take better care of yourself, okay? I don’t want our child to never be held by their father or to not remember what their father looks like.”
Si Que’s gaze fell on the redness at the corners of her eyes, and he softly asked, “Are you pregnant?”
You Yuji was slightly stunned, gently biting her lip. She awkwardly let go of his hand, lowering her head in disappointment. The sense of loss and frustration from not being pregnant swept over her once again.
Si Que’s gaze fell on the wine cup in his hand. The wine still swayed gently under the light, emitting a faint aroma. He brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip, letting the fragrance linger in his mouth for a while longer.
Then, he set the cup down on the table.
From this day on, Si Que never touched a drop of alcohol for the rest of his life.
“Sister,” he slowly revealed a smile, putting on that beautiful smiling mask again.
He took You Yuji’s wrist and pulled her into his arms. He placed his palm over the back of her hand, overlapping on her lower abdomen, and called her once more: “Sister.”
“Hmm?” You Yuji turned her face to look back, her soft lips gently sliding over his cheek from the corner of his lips to his temple.
You Yuji didn’t do it on purpose, and she awkwardly pulled back a little.
“From now on, I’ll listen to Sister,” Si Que said, his tone utterly compliant.
He lifted You Yuji’s hand again, kissing her fingertips. His kisses were delicate and scattered across the back of her hand, as if he wanted to consume her but was afraid of causing her pain, leaving behind one lingering kiss mark after another.
He suddenly thought, maybe living another year or two wouldn’t be so bad after all.
At night, while You Yuji slept soundly, Si Que quietly watched her serene face. Time passed slowly, the stars and moon climbing in the night sky and then fading away, but his gaze on You Yuji never wavered.
Today, he had gained yet another layer of greed in his heart.
One day in the future, if his smiling mask were to be removed, revealing his true face to her, he prayed he might receive even a fraction of the gentleness and forgiveness she showed him today.
At the very least, he hoped she wouldn’t be sad.
Si Que raised his hand and gently traced the outline of her eyes with his fingertip.
The next morning, Zhenxu and Baohe were hiding in a corner, whispering about something. They had been standing in the corner of the corridor, whispering for so long that they had drawn the attention of many servants. But the two were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn’t notice the looks from others.
Lady Jing saw them and shook her head disapprovingly, muttering, “How improper! It’s only because the madam is kind-hearted. If it were another master, you’d be whipped!”
Lady Jing raised her voice, “What are you two doing still standing there? Go inside and serve!”
Only then did Zhenxu and Baohe stop talking. They exchanged a glance, tidied their skirts, and quickly went inside to attend to their duties.
Upon entering, they saw Si Que standing by the window and couldn’t help but glance at his leg.
“Can a broken leg heal this quickly?” Baohe whispered in Zhenxu’s ear.
Zhenxu didn’t answer directly but instead said, “This actually works well for our plan!”
Baohe’s eyes lit up, thinking that made sense!
While combing You Yuji’s hair, Zhenxu casually remarked as she styled her hair, “Madam, I’ve heard that the night scenery in Lianshui River is quite beautiful lately.”
“Lianshui River?”
Zhenxu quickly added, “Yes, yes. Probably because the New Year is approaching and it’s Empress Dowager Dong’s birthday. The area has been decorated early. At night, floating lanterns cover the water, reflecting the starry sky, creating a stunning scene!”
Not wanting to be outdone, Baohe, who was handing over a hairpin, jumped in, “I’ve heard there’s a three-hundred-year-old mimosa tree there. Lovers who make wishes under the tree can secure a bond for three lifetimes!”
Remembering that Princess Que was in poor health, Baohe quickly added, “You can also pray for peace and health! It would be great if madam could take Princess Que there to relax!”
You Yuji looked at them in the bronze mirror, amused, and asked with a smile, “Could it be that you two are bored of staying in the mansion and want to go out for a stroll?”
Zhenxu shook her head repeatedly, “No, no, we are thinking of madam’s well-being!”
Baohe, however, rolled her eyes and said, “Of course we want to go out and have fun.”
Zhenxu gave Baohe a surprised look.
Baohe continued smiling, “But madam is more important. We just noticed that Princess Que’s health has improved a lot, and it would be good for her to go out and relax!”
You Yuji turned to look at Si Que.
He didn’t like listening to the chatter of the maids and had already walked out, standing alone in the courtyard. You Yuji could only see a bit of his clothing through the open window.
“Alright,” she said.
Zhenxu and Baohe exchanged a pleased smile.
The first step of their plan was a success!
Once they got to Lianshui River, they had a second and third step…
Today, when You Yuji went to the flower hall, she noticeably felt that Chunxing, Lin Yingying, and Cuiyu were talking less than usual. Lin Yingying and Cuiyu were better, but Chunxing hardly dared to say a word.
You Yuji understood why, but she didn’t want to bring up yesterday’s events.
She took the tea handed to her by a maid, sipped it, feeling the warmth spread through her body. She then said, “I heard that the night scenery in Lianshui River is quite beautiful recently. I’m planning to go and take a look in a few days. Would you like to come along?”
Chunxing wanted to refuse, but she didn’t dare to be the first to decline.
Lin Yingying smiled sweetly, her eyes curving, “Sure! I’ll accompany you, Sister!”
You Yuji smiled back at her and casually asked, “I haven’t seen you doing much needlework lately. Are the things for your sister’s wedding all prepared?”
“Almost everything is ready. There are just a few small items left that she can do herself.”
You Yuji then asked a few more questions about Lin Yingying’s sister’s husband’s family, and Lin Yingying answered each one with a smile. Cuiyu occasionally joined in the conversation. The atmosphere gradually warmed up, returning to its usual state.
Chunxing sat quietly for a long time, her initially stiff posture slowly relaxing.
She took the tea offered by a maid, thinking that her fear was probably excessive. The madam was kind and clearly did not pay them much mind, nor did she intend to target or suppress them. As long as they did not provoke the madam, she would always be this kind.
Chunxing raised her eyes and sneaked a glance at Princess Que, who was quietly sitting beside the madam. Suddenly, she felt her previous thoughts were not quite right. Not only should she avoid angering the madam, but she should also not provoke Princess Que.
Lady Jing entered the room and reported that Zhuo Wen had returned.
You Yuji naturally handed the hand warmer she was holding to Si Que beside her, got up, and walked out to listen to Zhuo Wen’s report. She had sent Zhuo Wen to track down Yi Yuhuan’s whereabouts, but despite following the route You Yuji had described, Zhuo Wen could not find any trace of Yi Yuhuan.
You Yuji frowned but could only instruct Zhuo Wen to continue the search, having no other recourse.
Originally, You Yuji had planned to visit Lianshui River tonight as Zhenxu and Baohe had suggested, but her menstrual period had started, and she couldn’t handle cold water, so she postponed the trip.
After her period ended, there was a bout of heavy snow. They had to wait for the snow to stop and then find a sunny day to take a carriage to Lianshui River with a few concubines.
Lianshui River was not far away.
They left after dinner, and when their carriage arrived at Lianshui River and they boarded the painted boat, it was just dusk.
Qi Mingcheng stood at the second-floor window of the restaurant, feeling agitated about the Empress Dowager Dong’s birthday banquet. He raised his eyebrows and looked into the distance, his gaze landing on the painted boats on the water. With one glance, he spotted Si Que stepping onto one of the boats.
Qi Mingcheng’s previously relaxed posture immediately straightened.
