Overdo

Susu smoothed her disheveled long hair and, for some reason, froze for a moment. Mulan continued, "There's no one else, just him and Chang Xuan. They're treating us to Yangzhou cuisine."

Susu said, "In this state, I really can't go. I'm sorry, Mulan." Mulan laughed, "Quick, get up and comb your hair, wash your face. I guarantee you'll feel refreshed." She added, "Your illness comes from being cooped up. Going out for a meal and moving around might just cure you." Susu forced a smile, "I really don't want to go." Mulan took her hand, "No matter how unwell you are, you still need to eat. I remember you love Yangzhou cuisine the most. This time, it's at Twenty-Four Bridges, an authentic Huaiyang restaurant." Without another word, she pushed her toward the washstand, "Hurry and wash your face, change your clothes."

Seven

With no other choice, Susu hastily freshened up and went out with her. Twenty-Four Bridges was the currently fashionable restaurant. They alighted at the entrance, where a waiter respectfully escorted them to a private room on the third floor. The Xu siblings had already arrived, and the four of them settled around the table as tea was served. The appetizers came first: four varieties—Yunsi cakes, Hongfu zongzi, crispy shaobing, and zeng'er cakes. Susu noticed the tea in her cup was a vibrant green, emitting a delightful fragrance. A waiter whispered something in Xu Changning's ear, and she heard him say, "Let's wait a little longer. The host hasn't arrived yet." Hearing this, Susu felt an inexplicable restlessness. Before his words faded, the door to the private room opened. Footsteps echoed from behind the screen, and her heart raced. Sure enough, Xu Changning stood up with a laugh, "Third Young Master, as the host, how come you're the last to arrive?"

She heard him chuckle, "Something came up last minute, keeping you all waiting. My apologies." Only then did Susu look up and see him in full military uniform, casually removing his hat and handing it to the attendant behind him. His gaze turned toward her, and she quickly lowered her head to sip her tea, only to find it lukewarm and slightly bitter. Xu Changning remarked, "You didn't even change out of your uniform before rushing over. I suppose that shows some sincerity."

He laughed, "Not just some—full sincerity."

Dishes were served one by one, each exquisitely prepared, with waiters attending diligently. Susu had no appetite and merely sampled a few bites. A traditional Chinese banquet is a lengthy affair, and by the time the final soup arrived, nearly two hours had passed. Xu Changning suggested, "How about we play cards later?" Mulan replied, "Susu and I need to head back. We have classes tomorrow." Xu Changning said, "Alright, I'll see you home." After a pause, he added, "My car is full with the three of us. Third Young Master, could you trouble you to take Miss Ren home?"

Susu hurriedly interjected, "There's no need. I can take a pedicab back; it's quite convenient." Mulan also said, "I'll go back with Susu by pedicab." But Xu Changning insisted, "It's already so late, and the journey is long. I'd worry about two young ladies traveling alone. It's just a small favor to ask of Third Young Master." He stood up, took Mulan's hand, and turned to summon Xu Changxuan, "Let's go." Xu Changxuan gave Susu a slight smile, and the three of them departed gracefully.The private room was suddenly left with only the two of them. She stood up silently, her palms sweating and feeling clammy, as if her handbag had become unbearably heavy. With her head lowered, she followed him out. Only when they were in the car did he ask, "I heard you weren’t feeling well. Are you sick?" She shook her head. She had left in a hurry today, wearing a short cheongsam with lilac floral patterns on a white background, which accentuated her delicate, oval face, making her appear even more pitiable. Noticing his unwavering gaze, she grew increasingly flustered and slowly lowered her head. She heard him chuckle softly and say, "You’re so childish—still upset about my rudeness?" After a pause, he added, "Alright, let’s say it was my fault." Hearing this, she kept her head down. The road was rough, and the car jolted slightly. He reached over and said, "This is for you."

It was a small brocade box. She refused to take it, so he opened it to show her. Inside was a pair of bracelets, shimmering like two pools of emerald water. Though she didn’t recognize it as "glass jadeite," their radiant brilliance was unmistakable. She shook her head and said, "Such a valuable gift—I’m afraid I cannot accept it." He didn’t press her, only asking, "Then how about going horseback riding again this weekend?"

She shook her head again. The car fell silent. A short while later, they had reached the entrance of the alley. She seemed to let out a soft sigh of relief. After getting out of the car, she politely thanked him. Murong Qingyi waited until she had entered the courtyard gate before telling the driver, "Let’s go."

Lei Shaogong watched as he tied and untied the satin ribbon on the brocade box, repeating the motion several times. Puzzled, he asked, "Third Young Master, shall we return to Shuangqiao?"

Murong Qingyi replied, "We must return to Shuangqiao. I should at least make an appearance before Mother."

The official residence was bustling with activity. Madam Murong had invited several female guests for dinner. The banquet had just ended, and the guests had gathered in the drawing room west of the corridor to drink tea and listen to a renowned Kunqu opera singer perform "The Beggar’s Song." Seeing that the guests were all women, Murong Qingyi paused briefly outside the door. Jin Rui looked up and spotted him, calling out, "Third Brother, why aren’t you coming in?" He stepped inside and greeted, "Mother." Madam Murong smiled and said, "You’re back early today. Why haven’t you even changed your clothes?"

He replied, "I came straight here after returning." Noticing that Madam Murong was intently focused on the stage, he seized the opportunity to say, "I’ll go change." With that, he left and went upstairs. After changing into a Western suit, he came back down and found the west drawing room still filled with laughter and chatter. He turned left along the corridor and headed to the front of the residence, ordering a car. The attendants had not expected him to leave again so soon after returning. Lei Shaogong asked, "Are we going to Duan Mountain?" He replied sternly, "Stop nagging!"

Knowing his temper, Lei Shaogong didn’t press further and arranged for the car. Once they were in the vehicle, Murong Qingyi ordered, "I don’t care how you do it—bring Miss Ren to Duan Mountain to see me." Lei Shaogong acknowledged the command with a "Yes," though inwardly he felt troubled. Yet, he was well aware of the Third Young Master’s stubborn nature—there was no room for negotiation.He was the most trusted personal attendant, and having served by his side for so long, he had practically become a half-friend. Seeing his expression, Murong Qingyi couldn’t maintain his stern face any longer and said with a laugh, “How spineless. When I asked you to invite Ye Fangfei last time, I didn’t see you this troubled.” Hearing this, Lei Shaogong knew the matter was now behind them, so he replied with a cheerful smile, “Although Miss Ye is a big star, when she heard it was Third Young Master inviting her to dinner, she agreed without the slightest hesitation. But this Miss Ren…”

As he spoke, he carefully observed Murong Qingyi’s expression. Sure enough, he seemed preoccupied, restless and unsettled. After a moment, he even sighed. Hearing the displeasure in his tone, Lei Shaogong didn’t dare to say anything. Seeing him wave his hand, signaling that he could leave, he withdrew and returned to the duty room of the attendants’ office.

The evening’s official duties were light, and two colleagues in the duty room had brewed a pot of Tieguanyin tea and were sitting there chatting. When they saw him come in, they asked, “Is Third Young Master going out?” Lei Shaogong replied, “He originally intended to, but changed his mind.” One of the attendants laughed and said, “Even our Third Young Master has run into a brick wall sometimes.” The rules in the attendants’ office were strict, and though they were all colleagues, he only said this much before quickly brushing it off with a smile and moving on to other topics. Lei Shaogong sat down to drink tea, pondering to himself that this Miss Ren indeed had a bit of a temper—he only hoped that Third Young Master’s interest was just a passing whim and that he would naturally forget about her once he met someone else tomorrow.

The next day was Lei Shaogong’s day off. Coincidentally, one of his classmates had returned from abroad, and a group of friends gathered at Phoenix Pavilion to welcome him back. It had been years since these young people last saw each other, so the atmosphere was naturally lively. By the time he returned home, it was already around seven or eight in the evening. As soon as he arrived, he received a call from the attendants’ office and hurried back to Duan Mountain. From a distance, he saw the attendant on duty standing under the covered corridor, while the room inside was eerily quiet. He entered silently and saw a shattered vase on the floor, the bouquet of red spider lilies that had been inside now scattered messily across the floor, their stems strewn haphazardly. Against the navy-blue carpet, they looked like flowers embroidered on brocade. Carefully stepping around the broken chrysanthemum stems, he walked into the room and saw Murong Qingyi half-lying on a rosewood couch, holding an English magazine in his hand but staring blankly at the screen. He called out, “Third Young Master.” Murong Qingyi grunted in response and asked, “Wasn’t today your day off?”