Overdo

He truly had official business to attend to. In the evening, there was a semi-official, semi-private dinner engagement where all seven or eight guests were heavy drinkers. The wine was Huadiao, with a lingering potency that soon flushed their faces red and made them feel feverish. On the way back, he opened the car window to let the wind in, but it didn’t make him feel any better. As soon as he got out of the car at home, he spotted a familiar vehicle parked nearby. Turning his head, he saw Lei Shaogong and raised an eyebrow. Lei Shaogong understood immediately and signaled to the attendants with his eyes, prompting them to quietly disperse. Murong Qingyi entered alone through the back door along the corridor, tiptoeing past the small parlor entrance, but Madam Murong happened to see him and called out, "Third Son." He had no choice but to step inside and said with a smile, "Mother, it’s really lively today."

It was indeed lively—a room full of female guests. The moment he entered, the chatter died down into complete silence. Among the crowd, he caught a pair of eyes gazing at him with a mix of reproach and resentment. After greeting Madam Murong, he deliberately turned to speak with Jin Rui: "Eldest Sister, your new cheongsam is truly beautiful." Jin Rui pursed her lips and said, "Don’t think you can smooth things over with jokes today. How are you going to apologize to our birthday girl?"

Murong Qingyi, his head swimming from the wine, was desperately sleepy. But given the situation, he had to suppress his impatience and said, "It’s my fault. I’ll treat Miss Kang to a meal another day to make amends." The moment the words "Miss Kang" left his lips, Kang Minxian’s face instantly changed. Seeing the tension, Jin Rui quickly intervened, "Third Brother is truly drunk. Go upstairs and rest for a while. I’ll have the kitchen send up some sobering soup." Murong Qingyi was only too eager to seize the opportunity. Seeing an opening, he promptly took it: "Mother, Eldest Sister, I’ll take my leave now."

Kang Minxian watched him stride away as if no one else were there, struggling to hold back her tears, which nearly spilled over. Fortunately, she was a woman of great composure and immediately began chatting with Jin Rui about other matters as if nothing had happened. She stayed for a while longer with Madam Murong after all the other female guests had left before finally taking her leave. Once she was gone, Jin Rui let out a sigh. Weiyi, being straightforward and too young to hold back, remarked, "Third Brother’s heartlessness is truly chilling." Her words actually made Madam Murong smile. "Why are you taking up her cause here?" After a pause, she added, "Minxian is a very sensible child. It’s a pity Third Son has always been indifferent to her." Jin Rui said, "Third Brother’s flaws are all because you’ve spoiled him."

Madam Murong replied, "These are just minor matters now. As long as he doesn’t make mistakes in important affairs, that’s enough." Her voice suddenly softened. "I don’t dare pressure him in this matter, for fear of what happened to Qingyu." Mentioning her eldest son, her eyes immediately reddened. Weiyi felt a pang of sorrow, while Jin Rui said, "Mother, why bring that up for no reason?" Tears glistened in Madam Murong’s eyes as she sighed softly. "Although your father hasn’t said it outright, he deeply regrets it. If it weren’t for... Qingyu wouldn’t have had that accident." Her voice choked slightly on the last sentence. Jin Rui’s eyes also reddened, but she tried her best to console her: "Mother, it was an accident. Please don’t blame yourself." Madam Murong said, "I feel heartbroken whenever I think about it. Yesterday, your father went to Liangguan and shut himself in his study for a long time afterward—he must be suffering even more than I am. I can avoid thinking about it, but he still has to attend the flight exercise every year."Jin Rui forced a smile. "Weiyi, this is all your fault for upsetting Mother." Weiyi took their mother's hand and said, "Mom, don't be sad. Actually, it's Third Brother who's at fault. Let's punish him tomorrow by making him water all the flowers for you." Jin Rui said, "That's a good punishment, though I'm afraid he'd still be watering them by nightfall." Weiyi replied, "All the better! Who told him to be away all day, so busy we never see him? He ought to spend a day with Mother." Jin Rui said, "Count on him to keep Mother company? Forget it—the moment he gets a phone call, he'll vanish without a trace." The two of them chatted aimlessly, deliberately changing the subject. Madam Murong said, "I'm going upstairs to check on Third Son. He really seemed drunk today." When she entered her son's bedroom upstairs, Murong Qingyi had just finished bathing. Madam Murong said, "How can you sleep with your hair still wet? You'll catch a cold and get a headache." Murong Qingyi replied, "I'm not a child anymore." He added, "Mother, Minxian and I really aren't meant for each other. Please tell Elder Sister not to deliberately push us together like she did today." Madam Murong said, "I thought you two had always gotten along well. Ever since you returned to the country, you've been spending time together frequently. Why are you saying this now? Your father quite likes that child—he says she's very proper." Murong Qingyi yawned and said, "If Father likes her—Mother, you should be careful."

Madam Murong lightly scolded, "How can you speak so improperly, without respect for hierarchy?"

Murong Qingyi said, "Anyway, I don't like her."

This statement made Madam Murong frown. After a long pause, she asked, "Is there someone else in your heart?" She waited but heard no reply, only even breathing—he had already fallen asleep. Madam Murong smiled faintly, tucked him in, and then left the room.

As it was the off-season at year's end, the troupe had suspended performances, but the four weekly training sessions continued as usual. The practice hall had no heating, but once they started dancing, everyone worked up a sweat and didn't feel cold. Mulan, who hadn't trained since her foot injury healed, changed into her dance attire and shoes that afternoon and practiced for three hours, working up a sweat herself. As it was almost time, she sat in a corner wiping her sweat with a towel while watching Susu practice.

Susu seemed somewhat distracted, her movements a bit stiff. After a while, she stopped practicing as well, came over to drink water and wipe her sweat. Even the beads of sweat on her lovely face seemed crystal clear. Noticing that everyone else was far away, Mulan asked quietly, "What's wrong with you?"

Susu shook her head without speaking, but Mulan understood the reason and deliberately asked, "Did you have a disagreement with Third Young Master?"

Susu said softly, "How could I possibly quarrel with him?" Hearing this, Mulan guessed most of the story. She said, "I heard from Chang Ning that Third Young Master has a bad temper. Given his status, it's inevitable." Susu remained silent. Mulan continued, "We haven't seen him these past few days—he must be busy."

Susu finally said, "I don't know." From her tone, Mulan surmised they really were at odds. She sighed softly and said, "There's something I'm not sure I should tell you." After a pause, she added, "But I must advise you not to take this too seriously. I heard he has a very close girlfriend—Sixth Miss of the Kang family—and they might get engaged by the end of the year."Susu listened without saying a word. Mulan said, "I think Third Young Master is sincere toward you, but what kind of family is the Murong clan? Over these years, I've seen through the fickleness of human relationships. The Xu family only rose to prominence in the last decade, yet everyone from top to bottom acts as if they're above everyone else. Chang Ning treats me this way and still can't mention marriage, let alone Third Young Master."

Susu remained silent. Mulan sighed again, gently patted her back, and asked, "Today is your birthday—I really shouldn't be saying such things. How about I treat you to a meal later?"

Susu finally shook her head and said, "Aunt asked me to go for dinner." Mulan said, "You agreed? Better not go, or you'll come back upset again." Susu replied, "No matter what, she did raise me after all. If it's just about money, I'll give her my salary from the last two months."

Mulan said, "I won't bother with you anymore—you never listen anyway."

Susu changed her clothes and went to her uncle's house. The journey was long, and the pedicab moved slowly; by the time she arrived, it was already dark. She got off in front of the grocery store, where her cousin Yin Xiang was minding the shop. Seeing her, Yin Xiang turned and called into the house, "Mom, Susu is here." Her aunt was the same as always, wearing a floral-patterned blue cotton-padded jacket that made her look even plumper. Upon seeing Susu, she beamed with joy. "Susu, come in and sit down. Last year, you turned twenty, and we didn't celebrate your birthday. This year, we'll make up for it." She added, "Yin Xiang, pour your cousin some tea and chat with her. I'll finish stir-frying two more dishes, and then we'll eat."

Yin Xiang poured her a cup of tea and made small talk, asking, "That outfit is new, isn't it? The fabric and color are lovely—did you buy it at the foreign firm?" She continued, "Last time, A Yu next door and I saw something like it at the foreign firm—it cost eighty dollars per foot." Susu said, "Mulan gave this to me last year. I had no idea it was so expensive." Yin Xiang then asked, "Miss Fang is so generous—is she a concubine for some wealthy man?" Hearing this, Susu felt angry but didn't respond. Yin Xiang added, "Being pretty really has its advantages. If a rich man takes a liking to you, being a concubine might sound bad, but what matters is getting money."