You Yuji gently hooked his fingertip into the palm of Si Que’s hand and asked softly, “Are you upset?”
Si Que lifted his long eyelashes, displaying a compliant smile, “Just a little tired.”
You Yuji chuckled, “Let’s go back and rest early.”
When they returned to the pavilion, Zhenxu and Baohe had already arrived ahead of them and were busy instructing the maidservants.
From a distance, seeing You Yuji and Si Que walking back hand in hand, Baohe nudged Zhenxu with her elbow and whispered, “Looks like our efforts tonight weren’t in vain!”
Zhenxu still felt uneasy for making decisions on her own.
It was already very late. As soon as You Yuji returned, she instructed the maidservants to prepare bathing items. Standing beside the vanity, You Yuji slightly tilted her head, removing the ornaments from her hair while thinking she needed to be quick. After all, once she was done bathing, Si Que would also need to bathe.
She even considered whether to send him to his own room in the east wing to bathe, so they could both rest earlier.
“Madam,” Zhenxu said with a troubled expression, “the pot for heating water suddenly leaked today, so we don’t have much hot water. There’s also not enough milk.”
Baohe chimed in, “It’s already past midnight. If we start heating water now, it will take very long. How about Madam and Princess Que bathe together?”
You Yuji removed the last ornament from her hair and turned to look at Zhenxu and Baohe.
As soon as Si Que returned, he had sat on the rattan chair by the window, placing Baisui on his lap and teasing it with a small dried fish. Hearing the conversation, he looked up, glanced at the two maidservants, and then turned his gaze to You Yuji.
You Yuji remained silent, staring at Zhenxu and Baohe for a long time. Baohe’s smile became a bit stiff, and Zhenxu was already wondering if she should kneel and plead for forgiveness…
After a long while, You Yuji leisurely said, “Alright.”
Si Que withdrew his gaze and continued teasing Baisui with the small dried fish in his hand.
Zhenxu and Baohe breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a smile, and quickly turned to leave to give instructions. Just as they turned around, You Yuji’s next words came—
“This is the last time.”
Zhenxu and Baohe were stunned, understanding that this was You Yuji’s warning to them. They didn’t dare to respond, quietly leaving the room, and only after they were outside did they secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
Their joy from the whole evening dissipated.
“Let’s leave it at that. Madam has seen through it; we shouldn’t do this again in the future,” Zhenxu whispered.
Baohe responded with a faint hum.
They walked on, and after a while, Baohe muttered softly, “We have to be more careful in the future…”
You Yuji and Si Que walked into the bathing chamber together. Si Que, sitting on a high stool, suddenly asked, “Sister, can I get out of bed tomorrow?”
You Yuji was puzzled and looked back at him in confusion. Meeting his bright, dark eyes, she suddenly recalled Si Que was referring to a teasing remark made by Cuiyu in the carriage.
She didn’t respond to Si Que’s question. Instead, she took a step closer to him, placing the back of her hand against his face and then against her own cheek. His face was indeed somewhat cool.
Noticing how he had sat on the high stool as soon as they entered, she guessed he must be tired from being outside all night. She smiled gently and bent down to untie the sash at his waist.
“Raise your arms.”
She helped him undress with careful and attentive movements.
The two of them sat in the narrow bath tub, the milk inside swaying and spilling over slightly, tracing paths down the wooden grooves of the tub.
—
Chunxing rarely felt as relaxed and happy as she did today, still smiling as she walked back to her place. That is, until she saw Chen Anzhi.
Her smile froze.
“Why are you back so late?” Wangjiang asked, standing at the door and looking at her.
Chunxing didn’t explain, keeping her head down as she walked past Wangjiang. She stepped over the threshold, turned, and shut the door without looking at him once.
Wangjiang lowered his head, watching the lantern hanging from the eaves sway gently in the night wind, casting shadows.
The snowflakes, sparse at first, were now slightly larger, floating down delicately. Wangjiang didn’t stay any longer and started to walk away.
He hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of porcelain breaking, followed by Chunxing’s startled cry.
He immediately turned back and pushed the door open.
Chen Anzhi’s shirt was already untied, the loose fabric hanging limply on his shoulders. He stood by the bed, looking angrily at Chunxing, who had fallen to the ground, clutching her hand, which was bleeding profusely from an unseen wound.
“Master, what happened?” Wangjiang forced a smile.
Chen Anzhi said nothing, picked up the sash from the clothes rack, and tied it around his waist as he strode out with a cold expression.
Wangjiang held back his emotions but couldn’t help but ask, “Mistress, did the young master hit you?”
Chunxing, head down, pulled out the shards of the broken vase embedded in her palm, whispering, “The young master never hits anyone. I just clumsily fell.”
Wangjiang watched her hand. As she extracted the shards, fresh blood welled up again.
His hand at his side slowly clenched into a fist.
He couldn’t help her with her wound, nor could he stay any longer.
Chunxing spoke softly again, “I’ve upset the young master. You should go and calm him down…”
She was urging him to leave.
Wangjiang turned and looked at the distant figure of Chen Anzhi.
He pressed his lips tightly together, his jaw clenched.
—If we perish together, could it buy her freedom?
Once Wangjiang’s footsteps had faded, Chunxing finally lifted her tearful eyes and looked toward the door. Just before her tears fell, she tilted her head back and tightly closed her eyes.
—
The next day, Hongzan came early to Tanxiang Yingyue to pay her respects.
You Yuji had severely punished Si Han over the incident, delivering a harsh warning to Hongzan, reminding her of her place. She arrived early and sat alone in the flower hall, waiting respectfully.
“The lady has not yet risen. If you have urgent matters, you may return first,” Zhenxu said.
“It’s fine, I’ll wait for the lady,” Hongzan replied.
But she waited and waited, and not only did You Yuji not appear, none of the other concubines came either. She sat alone in the flower hall for half the morning before realizing that the lady and several concubines had gone out to Lianshui for entertainment last night and had only returned in the early hours. This explained why they were all still asleep.
The lady not getting up meant the concubines didn’t have to come and pay their respects either.
The concubines seemed to have a good relationship with the lady.
When Zhenxu came again to serve tea and pastries, Hongzan rose to leave. On her way back, she encountered two of Lin Yingying’s maidservants. One of them had accompanied Lin Yingying to Lianshui the previous night and was now recounting how lively it had been.
Hongzan frowned.
If she were closer to the lady, would she have been able to join them for fun last night?
She had heard that the lady often gave the concubines gifts—food, supplies, even precious gold, silver, and jade. It was hard not to be envious.
But… if she were to flatter the lady like the other concubines, would Fang Qingyi be displeased?
Hongzan was in a dilemma.
At that moment, Fang Qingyi was leisurely preparing rice wine, mixing a medicinal herb into it. With one hand lifting her sleeve and the other gently stirring with a long spoon, this was not her first time doing this. Even before Chen Anzhi and You Yuji’s grand wedding, she had added a substance that induced irritability into Chen Anzhi’s drinks.
Now, she was merely increasing the dosage.
—
Near noon, Zhenxu stood at the doorway, lightly knocked, and softly called, “Lady, it’s almost noon.”
It was indeed very late. She had no choice but to come and wake You Yuji.
After a long moment, You Yuji’s languid voice responded from within.
Hearing that You Yuji was awake, Zhenxu finally turned and left.
Before Zhenxu had come, You Yuji had already been awake for a while but, still feeling drowsy, had kept her eyes closed.
Inside the room, the quilt was messily bunched up in a corner, not covering either of them.
You Yuji slowly opened her eyes, and immediately a hand rested on her waist, then gradually moved upward. Feeling the warmth of his palm, You Yuji closed her eyes again, slowly.
“Sister,” Si Que murmured as he moved closer, “it’s not just the young lady who can’t get out of bed.”
You Yuji couldn’t help but smile.
Hearing the footsteps of Zhenxu and a few maidservants outside, You Yuji pushed Si Que’s hand away and sat up. Glancing down inadvertently, she noticed a white mark below her collarbone. She frowned, casually grabbed some clothes to put on, and lazily got out of bed to go wash up in the outer room.
Zhenxu glanced at You Yuji’s dress.
It was Si Que’s dress.
Si Que remained in bed for almost another half an hour before getting up. By the time he went out, You Yuji had already finished her lunch and had gone to the flower hall to meet with some stewards to handle family matters.
With little appetite, Si Que ate a bit, then took a bath. When he finished, You Yuji was still in the flower hall.
Si Que suddenly remembered that one of the stewards in the You family was a pretty boy.
He headed to the flower hall.
The window of the flower hall was open, and from a distance, Si Que could see You Yuji sitting there, attentively listening to the stewards. She occasionally spoke but mostly listened.
You Yuji was listening to Fu Xuesong discussing matters of the school when suddenly, a melancholic sound of a qin drifted in from outside the window.
Surprised, You Yuji looked up and saw Si Que sitting under a tree in the courtyard, playing the qin. It had snowed heavily in the early hours of the morning, and although the snow in the courtyard had long been cleared, the snow on the branches still testified to the snowfall.
A cold wind blew, shaking the branches and dislodging some snow, which fell onto Si Que’s shoulders.
White clothes, black hair, a solitary qin in the cold wind.
“Madam?” Fu Xuesong had finished speaking but received no response, prompting him to call out.
You Yuji snapped back to reality, glanced at Fu Xuesong, and a sudden thought flashed through her mind. She nodded and said, “Do as you proposed.”
With most matters nearly settled, the stewards were about to take their leave when You Yuji addressed Fu Xuesong again, “The school affairs are busy, and you also have to teach. In the future, let Zhao He report these matters.”
Fu Xuesong looked at You Yuji in surprise, then nodded in agreement.
As the stewards walked out, they couldn’t help but steal a glance at Si Que, quickly averting their gaze and lowering their heads as they left.
“Ah Que,” You Yuji’s voice called from the window.
Her voice was gentle, completely different from the tone she used when discussing matters with the stewards.
Si Que’s playing stopped instantly. His long fingers, which had been plucking the strings, paused, pressing down on them. The melancholic tune abruptly ceased, overridden by the sound of a string being muted.
Si Que stood up, cradling his qin, and walked toward the flower hall without glancing at the few You family stewards he passed by.
A loud “clap” echoed as the window was shut.
Fu Xuesong turned his head to see that not only the windows of the flower hall but also several doors were closed.
He paused for a moment before turning to follow the other stewards.
Inside the flower hall, You Yuji was no longer the dignified figure she had been before the stewards. She lounged lazily by the window, holding a vermilion hairpin, idly playing with the slightly curled green leaves of a vase of red plum blossoms on the table.
Si Que’s gaze fell on her slender fingers.
You Yuji continued to fiddle with the leaves, her tone casual as she said, “I’ve made some personnel changes today. One of the stewards who was here earlier won’t be coming back.”
Si Que paused slightly as he set down his qin, then continued.
He responded with a nonchalant “Oh.”
You Yuji kept playing with the leaves, patiently waiting. As expected, it wasn’t long before Si Que spoke, seemingly offhandedly, “Which one?”
You Yuji’s lips slowly curved into a smile.
She knew it; she understood Si Que’s music.
“The one who left last,” You Yuji said, setting down the hairpin and turning to look at him with a smile.
Si Que looked at her slightly raised eyes.
He smiled inwardly, thinking to himself—fox spirit.
