You Yuji was stunned for a moment before she bent down and placed Baisui on her lap. Baisui’s fur was extremely soft, and her slender fingertips repeatedly stroked its fur, absorbing its softness.
In fact, You Yuji knew why Baisui had suddenly appeared here.
She saw Si Que under the eaves, standing quietly and holding Baisui, watching the commotion unfold.
You Yuji sighed lightly.
Outside, Prince Jinnan’s face was extremely ugly. After all, he was a prince. Though he hadn’t always had things his way, he had at least lived a smooth life, and had never been questioned in this manner.
Yet, faced with You Heng’s questioning, he was in the wrong.
He had lived for most of his life, and the only person who could make him lose face like this was this unworthy son of his. He was burning with anger, but he had to maintain the dignity of the Jinnan Prince’s Residence. In a deep voice, he said, “Anzhi was out of line due to drunkenness. Once he sobers up, he will apologize to Yuji.”
Prince Jinnan believed that this was a gracious concession, but You Heng was not satisfied.
You Heng coldly pursued, “May I ask when your son will sober up?”
The words were blunt, and the tone was even blunter.
Prince Jinnan looked at Chen Anzhi with a dark expression.
Chen Anzhi hung his head. The courtyard was shrouded in darkness, and even though there were pavilion lights, the light was dim and couldn’t illuminate his expression. Prince Jinnan thought he saw remorse in him, but in truth, two voices were battling within him. One voice clamored for him to take a sword and stab You Heng, while the remaining shred of reason made his face flush with shame.
“It’s late already. Stay in the residence tonight. We will discuss everything tomorrow,” Prince Jinnan said.
You Heng crossed his arms and said coldly, “I’m an impatient person. I can’t wait for your esteemed son to wake up from his drunken slumber. Since the sobering soup in the residence is ineffective, I’m more than willing to help him sober up myself!”
He moved his hand on his arm, and the sound of his knuckles cracking was heard.
Chen Anzhi suddenly lifted his head and shouted, “Savage! Brute! Barbarian from the prairie!”
“Anzhi!” The princess, who had been silent, suddenly stopped him. Prince Jinnan hadn’t wanted her to come over because she was still early in her pregnancy, and the fetus was not stable. She had already been through enough today, and he couldn’t bear to have her come over again. However, since this was a matter of the inner courtyard and the You family had already come to their door, she insisted on coming.
Perhaps due to her pregnancy, many women’s emotions undergo subtle changes, often becoming more sensitive and fragile than usual. Such was the case with the princess now, looking up at Chen Anzhi, who was taller than herself, with reddened eyes, feeling a deep sadness.
“Apologize to Yuji right now!” she ordered, her voice trembling.
Chen Anzhi stiffened his neck and stubbornly turned his face away. The angrier part of him was clearly winning.
“You…” The princess felt a pang of disappointment. She was not only disappointed in this son but also in her own failure in raising him. She shook off Gu Momo’s supporting hand and walked towards Chen Anzhi, angrily saying, “If you still consider me your mother, go apologize to Yuji right now!”
“I won’t!”
The princess was taken aback. No matter how rebellious this son had been in the past, he at least had one virtue: he was filial and obedient. Even if he was unwilling in his heart, he had never contradicted her like this before.
This is her own son, the son who had been spoiled and pampered! For a moment, a flood of various despondent and heartbroken emotions filled the princess’s heart.
“Scoundrel! You unfilial son! You’ve been foolish and reckless in the past, and now you’ve developed the vice of defying your parents! How did I end up with a son like you!” The princess of Jinnan took another step toward Chen Anzhi, raising her hand in anger to strike him.
However, before her raised hand could fall, it was firmly grasped by Chen Anzhi.
Chen Anzhi glared at the princess, his eyes bloodshot, his expression twisted and hideous: “Whose mother are you? Your son is bullied by this savage, thrown out, trampled underfoot! Instead of standing up for me, you want me to apologize! Have you lost your mind?”
The princess of Jinnan stared blankly at her son’s distorted face, forgetting how to react. The pain from her tightly gripped wrist was nothing compared to the heart-wrenching agony she felt inside.
“Anzhi, let go!” commanded Prince Jinnan.
Seeing his mother’s ashen and dazed face, a brief look of confusion appeared in Chen Anzhi’s eyes. He shook his head forcefully, then released his grip on her wrist.
Suddenly freed from the grip, the disoriented princess swayed and fell backward. Prince Jinnan quickly caught her.
“How are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable?” Prince Jinnan asked anxiously.
The princess’s brow furrowed bit by bit. She placed her hand on her belly, her gaze following. The pain from her lower abdomen made her heart race with panic.
Prince Jinnan shouted the princess’s given name, ignoring the presence of others, and immediately lifted her up in his arms, rushing out of the courtyard while shouting, “Call a doctor! No, issue my command to go to the palace immediately and summon the imperial physician! Bring Imperial Physician Hu here at once!”
“Mother… Mother!” Chen Anzhi stood frozen as if waking from a nightmare. The deep winter night’s cold did not compare to the icy stab in his heart at that moment. He hurriedly chased after them, tripping in his haste. He quickly got up and continued to chase his mother.
You Yuji had already walked out from the flower hall, frowning as she watched the prince and princess of Jinnan’s distant figures, a few hints of worry surfacing in her heart. An innocent child was involved, and the princess had never mistreated her.
“Hahaha…” Suddenly, You Heng burst into laughter.
You Yuji looked up at him in surprise and called softly, “Second Brother!”
You Heng pointed in the direction Chen Anzhi had run and laughed, “Prince Jinnan was once a valiant general on the battlefield, but how did he end up with such a son? He might lose his dignity because of this son!”
You Yuji did not respond to his remark but instead asked Lady Jing if the guest rooms were prepared. Lady Jing nodded, saying that although the guest rooms in the courtyard had never been used, the servants kept them clean and ready for occupants at any time.
“It’s already midnight. Second Brother and Cousin should rest now,” You Yuji said gently.
You Heng stopped laughing, looking at You Yuji with a hesitant expression. He had so much more he wanted to say to his sister. Though they were of the same generation, he was eleven years older than her and had a certain fondness for her as one would for a younger relative. However, it was indeed late, and even if he could stay up, his sister needed to rest.
You Heng nodded and said, “Very well. We can talk more tomorrow.”
You Yuji stood next to You Heng, looking at Jiao Yushu, and said politely, “Cousin, you’ve had a hard day too.”
Jiao Yushu nodded with a smile, without saying much.
You Yuji personally escorted them to the guest room. The rear courtyard of the Tanxiang Yingyue residence had a library, and next to the library stood a three-story small pavilion, which served as the guest room.
On the way to the guest room, You Yuji and You Heng occasionally talked about family matters, but didn’t speak much to Jiao Yushu. Cousins on the mother’s side were different from paternal cousins, who were like real brothers, while maternal cousins required some discretion.
“Sister?” At the door of the guest room, You Jiamu nervously clutched You Yuji’s sleeve and gently shook it. Despite his sturdy build, he acted childishly in front of You Yuji.
Only then did You Yuji look at him.
You Jiamu felt inexplicably guilty.
When You Yuji learned that the person traveling to the capital had changed from their eldest cousin to their second cousin, she knew something must have happened. After all, they were close siblings. One glance at You Jiamu’s expression, coupled with his hesitant demeanor earlier at Wan’an Temple, made her instantly guess that he must have written home to complain.
“Get a good rest.” She patted You Jiamu’s head.
Knowing his sister was no longer angry with him, You Jiamu immediately broke into a bright smile.
After settling her brothers, You Yuji walked out of the pavilion. Passing by the library, she couldn’t help but stop and look up at the window on the second floor.
Late at night, the library was unlit and completely dark.
She stared at the dark window on the second floor for a long time.
Seeing her stand there looking up at the window for too long, Lady Jing couldn’t help but ask, “Madam, is there something wrong?”
You Yuji came back to herself and slowly withdrew her gaze.
“No.” She lowered her eyes slowly and walked forward, stepping through the thin moonlight.
Passing through the carved door and along the covered walkway, You Yuji saw Si Que still standing under the eaves. The cat Baisui, which had been lying on her lap earlier, was back in his arms. In the moonlight, he wore white clothes, and Baisui in his arms was the same color as the night behind him.
You Yuji paused briefly before continuing forward, passing by Si Que without looking sideways, her expression unchanged.
Just as she was about to walk past him, Si Que pinched Baisui hard.
“Meow! Meow!” Baisui stretched its neck.
You Yuji couldn’t help but stop. She instinctively wanted to turn around.
But she restrained herself.
In the end, she didn’t turn back, didn’t look at him, and didn’t look at the cat.
Just as she was about to continue walking, the cold wind of the deep winter night carried Si Que’s casual voice to her.
“Need any help?” he asked, seemingly offhand.
In an instant, You Yuji had already guessed what Si Que meant by offering his help. It must be about killing someone, right? Killing Chen Anzhi, or even Fang Qingyi? Yes, today at Wan’an Temple, she had accidentally seen Si Que appear in Fang Qingyi’s tea room. He must have been intending to kill Fang Qingyi then.
She neither agreed nor disagreed; it simply had nothing to do with her.
She lowered her eyes and calmly said, “No need.”
No need for his help.
You Yuji continued walking forward.
Si Que’s long fingers holding Baisui stiffened slightly. For a moment, he wanted to throw Baisui out to free his hands and grab this vixen.
He listened to her footsteps receding until he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. He finally looked up and saw the door slowly closing behind her, shutting her lilac figure out of his sight.
Si Que continued to stand under the eaves, and no one knew what he was thinking. He stayed there for so long that even Baisui in his arms began to feel cold.
Later, the stars and moon hid away in the night, and it started to snow lightly. Gradually, the small flakes turned into heavy, swirling snow.
Tingyun came out holding an umbrella and placed it over Si Que’s head. “It’s too cold. Let’s go back.”
Si Que raised his hand and gently lifted the umbrella that was blocking his view. He watched the light in You Yuji’s room go out before he turned and went back to his own room.
Winter nights were so cold that no amount of charcoal could keep them warm.
Si Que took out a leg chain belonging to You Yuji from beside his pillow and gently shook it. The small silver bell on the chain immediately made a delicate tinkling sound. As he watched the bell sway, he couldn’t help but recall past moments of tenderness and intimacy.
Baisui, who had been curled up sleeping, perked up at the sound of the bell, happily jumping up to catch it.
Without expression, Si Que tossed Baisui out.
Baisui got up from the ground, hunched its shoulders, and cautiously observed Si Que’s face, not daring to approach again. It whimpered twice, then went to the door, trying to push it open. But the door was firmly closed, and it couldn’t get out to find that sweet, soft person.
Baisui felt very aggrieved.
Si Que’s hand shaking the leg chain suddenly stopped, and the tinkling sound gradually slowed down and then ceased completely. The beautiful memories in his mind also gradually faded away, leaving no trace, as if it had all been a fleeting dream.
She would likely leave the Jinnan Prince’s Residence soon.
If she left, where would he go?
The world was vast, but Si Que always felt there was no place for him.
