Overdo

Madam Murong smiled faintly, tilted her face upward, and set down the napkin in her hand. The servant nearby hurried forward, and she instructed, "Go and see if the third young master has returned. If he has, tell him to come see me." The servant complied and left. After a moment, she indeed led Murong Qingyi in. He had already changed his clothes and, upon seeing the three of them, beamed with a cheerful smile. "What a full gathering today—Mother, Eldest Sister, and Brother-in-Law are all here."

But Madam Murong retorted, "Don't give me that cheeky grin. I'm asking you, why didn't you come home last night? Your father had people searching everywhere for you. I'm not covering for you this time—you'll have to explain yourself to him later."

Murong Qingyi continued to smile. "Father was looking for me? He must have forgotten—yesterday, I was ordered to go to Mang Lake and couldn't make it back because it got too late." As he spoke, he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Jin Rui let out a soft laugh, set down her cup, and said, "Third Brother, stop lying. Tell us, what's this?" She pointed at his face. Only then did Madam Murong take a closer look and notice a long, thin scratch under his left eye. She quickly asked, "How did that happen?"

Murong Qingyi replied with a smile, "A branch scratched me on the mountain yesterday." But Madam Murong's expression darkened. "Nonsense, that looks exactly like a nail scratch." Jin Rui examined the mark carefully, pursed her lips into a smile, and said, "I bet it was a woman who scratched him."

Murong Qingyi laughed and said, "Brother-in-Law, listen to Eldest Sister's words. I don't know how you've put up with her all these years." Madam Murong interjected, "Stop trying to distract us with your nonsense. Your father doesn't know about your antics outside, but if he finds out, he'll make you pay dearly."

Seeing her stern expression, Murong Qingyi chuckled lightly and said, "Mom, don't be angry. Didn't the doctor say that anger causes wrinkles?" He then shot a glance at Jin Rui. "Eldest Sister, if Mother gets wrinkles, it'll be because of your big mouth." Jin Rui laughed and replied, "You're always shifting blame. It's you who made Mother angry—what does it have to do with me?"

Murong Qingyi grinned, "How would I dare upset Mother? I'm counting on her to put in a good word for me." Madam Murong said, "I can't control you anymore. I'll just have to tell your father later and let him teach you a lesson you won't forget."

Murong Qingyi then put on an exaggerated look of remorse and said, "Well, there's no escaping it. Fine, fine—I'll just brace myself for a beating." Madam Murong sighed. "Think about it yourself. Last time, your father was so furious—why can't you change your ways? Those people outside are no good; they can't handle serious matters and only come up with frivolous ideas."

Jin Rui chuckled again and said, "Mother, you're being biased. But then, all parents in the world are like that. They always think their own children are good, and even if they make mistakes, it's someone else's fault."

Madam Murong chided, "You silly child," though she knew Jin Rui spoke the truth—she was indeed partial. Having lost her eldest son early, she had indulged this youngest son excessively. But out of deep maternal love, she asked Murong Qingyi, "Have you had breakfast yet?" Then, turning to the servant, she said, "Tell the kitchen to prepare another portion."She examined the injuries on his face closely and asked, "Who exactly did this? How could they be so vicious? If it had been any higher, it might have injured his eyes." Then she turned to the others nearby and asked, "Which of you were with the third young master yesterday?"

Murong Qingyi, however, said, "Mother, it's nothing serious—nothing broken or fractured. If you make such a big fuss questioning them, and word gets to Father, then it might really become a serious matter."

At this, Li Boze finally smiled and said, "Mother, don't worry. If the third young master says it's nothing, then it's nothing." Jin Rui also laughed, "Does this even count as him suffering a loss? Our third young master has always been the one making women suffer, never the other way around." Murong Qingyi chuckled, "Elder Sister, why won't you let me off today?" Jin Rui replied, "I'm doing this for your own good." She added, "Right now, you're like a wild horse, but do you really think you'll never be reined in? I'll have to tell Miss Kang and see what she thinks."

Murong Qingyi, however, said with displeasure, "Why bring her up? What is she to me?" Their sibling bickering was a common sight to Madam Murong, but seeing her son grow angry, she finally said, "I was just about to ask you—I haven't seen her at our home these past two months. What happened between you two?"

Murong Qingyi said, "Kang Minxian and I have long since parted ways. Don't bring her up again in the future." Jin Rui said, "Minxian is beautiful, clever, and kind-hearted. Among our social circle, it's rare to find such an outstanding young lady. Even Father praised her, saying she's 'sensitive, wise, and virtuous, living up to her name.' Why are you treating her like this?" Murong Qingyi merely grew impatient and said, "Mother, I have official business to attend to and must be on my way." Without waiting for Jin Rui to say more, he stood up and left.

Seeing him hurry off, Madam Murong said, "Jin Rui, what's gotten into you today?" Jin Rui replied, "I'm doing this for his own good. The third young master is young and reckless, and I'm afraid he'll cause some trouble. If Father finds out, we'll all be in for it."

Madam Murong said, "It's precisely because he's young that he's always fooling around. Who hasn't been through that? As long as he doesn't cause any real trouble, I'll turn a blind eye and let him be. Your father usually keeps a close watch on him, and if I pressure him too, it might only make things worse. You know the third young master's temper—once he's set his mind, he won't listen to anyone. Last time, when your father was so angry, he didn't utter a single word of apology. If he had just said something soft, why would your father have flown into such a rage? If I hadn't stepped in to stop it, who knows what your father might have done." She added, "Father and son, both with the same terrible temper. Your father, too—whatever he grabs in the moment, he uses. And the third young master is even more stubborn. He just stood there watching as the paperweight was thrown at him, knowing full well it would split his head open, and he didn't even try to dodge. To this day, the scar is only hidden by his hair."

Jin Rui laughed and said, "Mother, Father only disciplined him once, and you've brought it up so many times. This is what they call 'the pain strikes the child, but the mother feels it in her heart.'"After skipping class for a day, Mulan went to find Susu as soon as her own classes ended. The journey was long, so she took a pedicab. She got off at the entrance of the alley and walked in. It was dusk, and every household was preparing dinner. On the coal briquette stoves along the road, steaming clay pots simmered, while groups of children played in the alley, their laughter sharp and piercing. From afar, Mulan saw the courtyard gate closed and wondered, "Could she be out?" As she drew closer, she realized the gate was merely ajar. Pushing it open, she called out from the yard, "Susu!" There was no reply. She took a few steps forward and noticed the door was also slightly open. She called again, "Susu!" The room was unlit, with a few slanting rays of sunset filtering through the west-facing window. In the dim light, she saw Susu lying on the bed. Hearing footsteps, Susu slowly turned over and sat up, asking, "What brings you here?"

Mulan noted that her voice sounded normal. Being a frequent visitor, she casually switched on the light and exclaimed, "Huh? You look so pale—are you sick?"

Susu shook her head. "I just have a headache and wanted to rest." Mulan said, "I knew you weren’t feeling well, otherwise you wouldn’t have skipped class." She added, "Chang Ning is treating us to dinner tonight and planned to invite you along."