Blossom

Dou Dechang quickly gestured to Dou Zhao to keep quiet, smiling as he said, "Don't tell Seventh Uncle! Boyan came here secretly and is staying at Yuan'en Temple. The folks at Huai Tree Alley don’t even know yet!"

Dou Zhao was startled. "Did something happen? Why didn’t he greet the elders when he came to the Capital? With the New Year approaching, where is he staying? Who’s taking care of his daily needs?"

Dou Dechang chuckled. "Boyan was originally planning to return to Zhen Ding for the New Year, but his friend ran into some trouble and had to come to the Capital to sort it out. So he accompanied him and is staying at the Gaosheng Inn in Yuan'en Temple Alley with his friend. He plans to visit Fifth Uncle after the New Year."

But Dou Zhao sensed there was more to the story. After a moment’s thought, she said, "Is his friend’s situation very troublesome? Boyan wants to help his friend but is afraid of putting Fifth Uncle in a difficult position, so he’s staying at the inn to see how things develop first."

Dou Dechang sighed. "Why aren’t you a boy!"

"What’s wrong with being a girl?" Dou Zhao teased him. "In what way am I inferior to you?"

Dou Dechang just grinned.

Dou Zhao then instructed Gan Lu to fetch two silver ingots and handed them to Dou Dechang. "Since he wants to keep his presence hidden, I won’t go visit him. If there’s anything I can help with, just have him send a page to let me know."

Yuan'en Temple Alley was west of the Shuntian Prefecture School, while the Duke of England's Mansion was to the east—only a twenty-minute walk apart.

Dou Dechang accepted the silver without hesitation, laughing. "You’re the wealthy one—just the crumbs from your fingers could keep us fed for a while. I’ll accept this on Boyan’s behalf."

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but smile and teased him, "Should I give you some personal savings too?"

"No need for personal savings," Dou Dechang said with a cheeky grin. "But could you spare a couple of nice jade pendants? I’d like to give them as gifts for the New Year."

Why not?

She treated Dou Zhengchang and Dou Dechang like her own brothers.

She personally accompanied Dou Dechang to the storeroom to pick out the jade pendants.

As they walked, they began discussing Dou Qijun’s friend.

"...His surname is Kuang, given name Chao, courtesy name Zhuoran. His family is in the maritime trade and is quite wealthy in Panyu, Guangdong. That year Boyan went to Zhongnan Mountain and was bitten by a snake—luckily, he ran into Kuang Zhuoran, who saved his life... This time, Boyan went to Guangdong to repay the favor. Unexpectedly, Kuang Zhuoran’s family ran into trouble... Apparently, since this September, the Kuang Family’s shipments have repeatedly gone wrong. They’ve lost nearly two hundred thousand taels of silver, and it’s starting to hurt their foundation. Then an old business contact introduced a wealthy merchant from the Capital who wanted to buy their shipping business—but at half the market price.

"Naturally, the Kuang Family refused.

"Then one of their ships sank.

"They had to call in favors from their ancestors’ connections to find out that a powerful figure in the Capital had taken a liking to their shipping business and wanted to seize it. Kuang Zhuoran is a scholar and can negotiate with other scholars, so the family decided to send him to the Capital with a few capable stewards to see if they could persuade the big shot to take a stake instead.""Boyan, remembering Kuang Zhuoran's life-saving grace, decided to follow along to take a look. If there was any connection to our family, he planned to ask Fifth Uncle to mediate and turn hostility into friendship. Although Kuang Zhuoran didn't know Boyan's identity, he recognized his steady and insightful nature and invited him along to help brainstorm ideas. Thus, they both came to the Capital together."

"As the New Year approached, they still hadn't found the person. Boyan couldn't rashly go to Huai Tree Alley, so he ended up staying at an inn with Kuang Zhuoran."

"Just who is this big shot?" Dou Zhao curled her lips disdainfully. "Their behavior is utterly disgraceful."

"Exactly," Dou Zhengchang picked up a peach-blossom frozen peony ornament and asked Dou Zhao, "Isn't this pretty?"

Dou Zhao's heart stirred as she thought of Ji Lingze, but she kept her expression neutral. "Of course it's pretty! Just look at whose collection this is. But this piece suits a young woman—who are you planning to give it to?"

"Oh," Dou Dechang replied with a hint of guilt, masking it quickly, "I haven't decided yet." He swiftly changed the subject back to Kuang Zhuoran. "Still, I feel the Kuang Family is overthinking it. A family like theirs only stands out in Panyu—why would a Capital big shot even notice them? It's probably just someone under that big shot waving a tiger's skin as a banner. The Kuang Family has no connections in the Capital, so they were easily intimidated." As he spoke, he set aside the peach-red jade pendant and picked up a jade cicada, its green hue vivid as if freshly washed. He held it up for Dou Zhao. "What do you think of this one?"

"Not bad," Dou Zhao smiled. "In summer, thread it with a red cord and wear it around the neck—it’d look cool and elegant."

"That’s what I thought too." Dou Dechang tucked both jade pieces into his sleeve.

Brat! The moment he has a sweetheart, he forgets his own mother!

Dou Zhao grumbled inwardly as she selected a Maitreya Buddha jade pendant, a bamboo-jade ornament, a gold hairpin adorned with garnet pomegranate blossoms, an inkstone from Duanxi, and a box of wolf-hair brushes. "The Maitreya pendant is for Sixth Aunt, the wolf-hair brushes for Sixth Uncle, the Duan inkstone for Eleventh Brother, the gold hairpin for Eleventh Sister-in-law, and the bamboo-jade ornament for Qi Jin. Deliver these for me when you go home."

Dou Dechang exclaimed, "What about mine?"

Dou Zhao glanced pointedly at his sleeves and gave a cold smirk.

Dou Dechang clutched his sleeves protectively. "Fine, fine, I’ll deliver them for you." With that, he dashed out of the storeroom.

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle. She instructed Gan Lu, "Pack everything into matching boxes."

Gan Lu hurried off to comply, while Dou Zhao headed to the Reception Hall.

Dou Dechang said, "It’s getting late. I should go discuss with Boyan about how to handle this."

Dou Zhao saw him off and whispered, "Make sure to come when the heir isn’t home."

Dou Dechang’s eyes lit up with understanding. "Got it—we can’t let Song Yantang know about this."

"Why are you so dense?" Dou Zhao complained. "If the heir is home, how could he, as a son, stand by and do nothing?"

Dou Dechang stopped and looked at her, his expression gradually turning serious. "Do you... really like Song Yantang?"

"Don’t talk nonsense!" Dou Zhao retorted, though her face inexplicably burned. "Just worry about yourself and stop meddling in others' affairs."Dou Dechang was taken aback, his face showing surprise. Then he became hesitant, and after a long pause, he tentatively asked, "My matter? What matter of mine?"

Dou Zhao secretly regretted her slip of the tongue.

Some things are better addressed openly than suppressed.

Given Dou Dechang's stubbornness in his previous life, bringing things into the open would only make him more reckless and less restrained.

Just as she was about to smooth things over, Song Mo returned.

He immediately sensed the tension between them and feigned surprise with an "Oh?" before saying, "Why are you two standing here talking?" He then bowed to Dou Dechang with a smile. "I heard my brother-in-law was visiting, so I told the kitchen to roast the venison gifted from the palace the other day. Coincidentally, we still have a jar of the imperial Pear Blossom White—rich and mellow, perfect with roasted meat. The plum blossoms in the backyard are also in bloom. How about I accompany you to the warm pavilion for a few drinks?"

Dou Dechang eagerly agreed, almost fleeing with Song Mo to the warm pavilion in the backyard.

After seeing Dou Dechang off and returning to their room, Song Mo changed his clothes with the help of a maid while smiling at Dou Zhao. "What did your brother say? You looked quite upset."

Dou Zhao wasn't sure how to explain. Some things had happened in her past life but were only just beginning to surface now.

She leaned against the large bolster, frowning as she curled the pages of her book.

After changing and rinsing his mouth, Song Mo sat by the kang, gently tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. Softly, he said, "Didn't I say I'd handle everything? What's troubling you?"

Dou Zhao thought for a moment, dismissed the maids, and leaned against Song Mo's shoulder, telling him about Dou Dechang and Ji Lingze.

Song Mo asked, "Do you need my help?" His tone was icy, completely different from his usual gentleness, reminding her of the cold, guarded man standing under the eaves in her past life.

Dou Zhao shivered and quickly said, "No, I don't need your help—you'd only make things worse."

"Underestimating me?" Song Mo pinched her cheek.

She was afraid he'd be too heavy-handed and ruin Dou Dechang's happiness. After all, in her past life, they had been a loving couple.

"Aren't there Sixth Uncle and Sixth Aunt?" Dou Zhao hugged his arm. "We can't overstep our bounds, can we?"

Perhaps it was best to let things take their natural course.

If fate willed it, they would be together. If not, they would part ways, with or without her interference.

Song Mo said, "But that woman is a widow after all..."

"And I was once rejected in a marriage proposal!" Dou Zhao worried that if Ji Lingze did become her sister-in-law, Song Mo might look down on her.

"That was Wei Tingyu's lack of discernment!" Song Mo scoffed. "I just got lucky. Do you think everyone has my good fortune?"

Dou Zhao burst into laughter, her mood lifting. She complained, "That Zixian—to impress another woman, he actually took things from his own sister's treasury!"

Zixian was Dou Dechang's courtesy name.

Song Mo couldn't care less about whom Dou Dechang married. All he cared about was Dou Zhao's happiness.

Now that she was in better spirits, he continued teasing her. "Too bad he's my brother-in-law, or I'd demand them back. How about I open my treasury and let you pick a few things you like for yours?"Dou Zhao teased him playfully, feigning surprise, "Isn't yours mine? I always thought what's yours is mine. Why would I need to move my own things around?"

Song Mo laughed heartily, his smile as radiant as summer sunshine, leaving Dou Zhao momentarily stunned.

His laughter grew even more unrestrained as he embraced her and whispered tenderly in her ear, "Let me see!"

"See what?" Dou Zhao was momentarily confused.

Song Mo's hand slipped into her collar, gently caressing her abdomen as he asked, "Let me see our child!"

Her waist remained slender, her belly still flat—there was nothing visible yet.

Dou Zhao hesitated slightly.

But Song Mo knelt before her and undid her collar.

Her jade-white skin was exposed to the winter air, sending a slight chill through her.

Song Mo leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her belly.

The warm tenderness of his lips sent a shiver through her, but the reverent expression on his lowered face made her heart tremble and her eyes well with tears.

She held Song Mo's head tightly, feeling as though she had fallen into a vat of honey—sweetness enveloping her from head to toe.