Zhоu Shаojin buried her fасe in the sоft bedding, teаrs strеаming unсоntrоllably. Sоon, the quilt was soaked thrоugh, lеaving hеr faсе dаmр and stiсkу.
Shе shiftеd tо anоther spot аnd сontinuеd crying.
Chunwаn stood аnxiouslу bу thе bеdsidе, bеnding оver with a wоrriеd eхрrеssion shе darеd nоt fully show, аnd whisрerеd softly, "Seсond Miss, what's wrоng? Аrе yоu feeling unwell? Shоuld I infоrm thе Eldеst Мiss аnd аsk fоr а phуsiсian..."
"Nо!" Zhou Shаojin's voiсe wаs mufflеd but urgеnt. "Don't tеll Sistеr! If уоu tell her, I'll nevеr speak to yоu again."
What shоuld she do thеn?
Cоuld shе just stand bу and watch the Second Miss cry so sorrowfully on the bed?
Torn between options, Chunwan thought for a moment and gently suggested, "How about I make some pear soup with rock sugar for you, Second Miss?"
Crying often leaves the throat dry and scratchy.
Zhou Shaojin remained silent.
Taking her silence as consent, Chunwan quietly slipped out of the inner chamber.
Xiao Tan and the others were waiting anxiously outside the door. As soon as Chunwan appeared, they gathered around and whispered, "What did the Second Miss say?"
"She wouldn't say anything," Chunwan replied with a grave expression, shaking her head. "When Imperial Physician Cao was examining her pulse, we were dismissed, and only Mama Li and Physician Cao remained in the room... If necessary, we might have to ask Mama Li?"
The young Jixiang asked uneasily, "Could it be that Miss's illness..."
"Don't speak nonsense," Bitao scolded her in a hushed but stern tone. "If Miss's illness were serious, why would Fourth Master Chi and the Eldest Miss be sitting there so calmly?"
"But why is the Second Miss crying so bitterly?" Xiao Tan frowned. "Could it be that Fourth Master Chi said something?"
At this, Chunwan's eyebrows shot up. She instructed Jixiang to prepare the pear soup for Zhou Shaojin and told Bitao to guard the door. Then, pulling Xiao Tan aside under the corridor eaves, she lowered her voice and asked, "Did you hear something?"
They had waited in the side room for a long time, but no one had called them into the main chamber.
It was Xiao Tan who had peeked out to check on the situation earlier.
Xiao Tan hesitated for a moment before whispering, "The courtyard was completely quiet and empty at the time. I thought I heard the Fourth Miss crying... but it was intermittent, and I couldn't be entirely sure... You know what happened afterward—after Fourth Master left and we came in, the Second Miss was already like this!"
"This is truly maddening!" The matter of Song Mu. Chunwan decided to keep it buried in her heart and naturally couldn't bring it up. Yet, aside from that, she couldn't think of anything else that would make Zhou Shaojin cry like this.
She could only say, "Forget it! If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. If something really is wrong with the Second Miss, there's still Fourth Master Chi and the Eldest Miss, isn't there? Our duty is simply to serve Miss well."
Xiao Tan suggested, "Should we consult with Nanny Fan and Nanny Shang?"
"Better not!" Chunwan feared that making a fuss might draw attention to the matter of Song Mu. "They are both experienced nannies. If the Second Miss is still crying like this tomorrow, we can tell Nanny Fan and Nanny Shang then. No need to make them think we can't handle minor troubles."
Xiao Tan still felt they should inform Nanny Shang, but Chunwan clearly opposed the idea. Reluctantly, Xiao Tan didn't press further.
They decided to follow Chunwan's suggestion and wait another day.Perhaps the second young lady was just momentarily overcome with compassion?
The room gradually grew quiet, and Zhou Shaojin had cried herself out.
The handkerchief in her hand was crumpled into a ball.
Uncle Chi... was truly detestable!
How could he treat her like that!
He had held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
And then he said she should be obedient, not let her thoughts wander. That he would handle everything...
She didn’t believe a word of it!
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed red.
When he spoke, he had leaned so close that his breath fanned against her ear. Warm, gentle, ticklish, lingering around her neck—goosebumps rose all over her skin, yet she dared not move a muscle...
At this thought, her face paled.
Her mind conjured up those eyes reddened by wine, the rough, turbid panting... and the searing pain as if her body were being torn apart...
Why did she have to encounter Cheng Xu?
Why?
Tears streaming down her face, Zhou Shaojin leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited.
"Shaojin!" It was her elder sister, Zhou Chujin, who rushed over. Panicked, she gathered her younger sister into her arms and sharply scolded Chunwan and the others, "The second young lady is in such a state, and you’re just standing there dumbly? Go fetch a physician for the second young lady at once..."
Before she could finish, her younger sister tightly grasped her hand.
"I’m fine," Zhou Shaojin lifted her pale face, forcing a smile through red, swollen eyes that tugged at the heartstrings. "I choked a bit from crying earlier..."
Zhou Chujin didn’t believe her.
She dismissed the servants in the room and asked suspiciously, "Is it because of Young Master Song?"
"No!" Zhou Shaojin quickly replied. "Sister, don’t guess wildly. It has nothing to do with Young Master Song."
Zhou Chujin was frustrated by her unwillingness to speak up.
Zhou Shaojin could only offer a weak, bitter smile.
Young Master Song was destined to bear this blame unjustly!
Since she had already wronged him, she could only let him endure a bit more grievance.
Zhou Shaojin said, "Sister, I want to bathe."
"Now?" Zhou Chujin was taken aback. "It’s almost time for the evening meal..."
"I know," Zhou Shaojin smiled. "Brother-in-law will be back soon! Sister, don’t worry about me. I just feel... very dirty."
Seeing the vomit by the bed, Zhou Chujin didn’t object further and instructed Chunwan to assist Zhou Shaojin with her bath.
Zhou Shaojin submerged herself entirely in the water, only breaking the surface with a splash when she was nearly out of breath.
Chunwan was terrified and repeatedly pleaded, "Second young lady, you mustn’t do that! If you choke on water, it would be disastrous!"
Zhou Shaojin repeated this several times until water entered her nose, then she leaned against the edge of the wooden tub, letting Chunwan and the others wash her hair.
Jixiang gazed at her flawless, snow-like skin and couldn’t help but exclaim, "The second young lady is truly beautiful."
Chunwan shot Jixiang a warning glance.
For some reason, the second young lady disliked it when others praised her beauty.
She stole a glance at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin lowered her eyelids, her long lashes casting a shadow beneath them, as if she hadn’t heard.
Chunwan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly continued washing Zhou Shaojin’s hair.
Zhou Shaojin felt as if her mind were clogged with paste, utterly unable to think.
Just a few days ago, she had been overjoyed, having planned out her future life. But now, she had no idea where she should go or what she should do.
What exactly did Uncle Chi want?
Could she never have to see him again?No, it's about never meeting Uncle Chi again... She just wanted to forget all of this... Occasionally catching a distant glimpse of him...
Could she still smoothly become a lay Buddhist?
If she became a lay Buddhist and Uncle Chi still treated her this way, what should she do?
Could it be... could it be that she should just let him act so recklessly?
Her waist suddenly began to ache faintly, as if still retaining the sensation of Cheng Chi tightly gripping her waist.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but grit her teeth.
She wanted to return to Baoding Prefecture!
Zhou Chujin pushed the door open and entered.
"Why are you still in the bathtub?" she asked in surprise. "Although the weather is slowly warming up, you can't afford to be so careless. Quickly put on your clothes and come out, I have something to tell you."
With Chunwan helping to dry her body, Zhou Shaojin asked her sister from behind the screen: "Has brother-in-law not returned yet? What did you want to talk to me about?"
"Your brother-in-law said that a colleague from the Hanlin Academy invited him to dinner today, so he'll be back later." Zhou Chujin sat before the dressing table, curiously fiddling with Zhou Shaojin's jewelry while smiling. "I wanted to talk to you about moving..."
"Moving?" Zhou Shaojin peeked out from behind the screen, gave Zhou Chujin a strange look, then withdrew again. As Chunwan helped her into her undergarments, she said, "Move where? Did your mother-in-law ask you to move into the Liao family's residence in the capital? Weren't they previously against you getting too close with the Liao relatives in the capital?"
"It's not me who's moving!" Zhou Chujin laughed. "It's you, Madam, and Youjin moving—to live at Uncle Chi's Yuqian Lane."
"What?" Zhou Shaojin ran out wearing embroidered slippers. "Given the delicate situation, why should I move to Yuqian Lane? I won't go!"
Chunwan chased after her and draped a robe over her shoulders.
Zhou Shaojin thought of the kiss earlier, her face burning hot.
Was this his idea?
He really dares to think!
And he wants her to move in with him!
She absolutely won't live with him!
He definitely wants to bully her... she's not stupid.
"Why has your temper become like firecrackers?" Zhou Chujin saw her usually gentle sister suddenly becoming restless. She couldn't help but laugh. "Today, Uncle Chi went to see me after leaving your place and mentioned my mother-in-law coming to the capital. Uncle Chi's point is that after my mother-in-law arrives, she'll definitely socialize with the Liao relatives in the capital. This house was bought for your brother-in-law and me with my mother-in-law's dowry income, and those people were already envious. Seeing you living here, I'm afraid they'll say all sorts of things. Uncle Chi probably doesn't want you and Madam to suffer such gossip from the Liao family, so he invited you to move..."
Having lived two lifetimes, no one understood her sister's difficulties with the Liao family better than Zhou Shaojin.
In her previous life, during her stay at her sister's house, she hadn't suffered any less from the Liao family's disdain.
Moreover, when she first moved into Yushu Lane, she had felt uneasy—the place was so cramped. If Madam Liao came to the capital, would her sister, brother-in-law, and Guan Ge have to vacate the main room and move into the west wing that served as a storeroom?
Moving out seemed reasonable, but she didn't want to move to Yuqian Lane.
Even in Yushu Lane, Uncle Chi dared to act recklessly. If she moved to Yuqian Lane, wouldn't she become a piece of meat on Uncle Chi's chopping block?
But not moving out would only make things difficult for her sister and brother-in-law.She said, "Then let Uncle Chi go live in Apricot Grove Lane, or at the very least, move in to keep Second Elder Master company!"
Zhou Chujin was both amused and exasperated. "I never noticed before—you're so bold! You dare to decide where Uncle Chi should live? He kindly offered to let you stay at his place, and here you are, trying to drive him off to Apricot Grove Lane... He really is too good, raising someone who doesn’t know gratitude..."
"What do you mean, 'doesn’t know gratitude'?" Zhou Shaojin stammered, her face flushing. "I... I just thought that since Uncle Chi’s household lacks someone to manage domestic affairs, it wouldn’t be proper for me and the ladies to move in like that..."
"Of course!" Zhou Chujin shook her head with a laugh. "Uncle Chi already thought of that. After you move in, he’ll relocate to his residence near Chaoyang Gate—he won’t be living with you at all!"
※
Dear readers, here’s today’s bonus update.
O(∩_∩)O~
For the regular update, please check back tomorrow morning!
PS: It’s the end of the month—please consider supporting with your pink votes...
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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