Su Shi did not stay long at the Western Residence before a steward from the Eastern Residence came to report matters. Su Shi took her leave and returned.
Ren Yaoting did not wish to return with Su Shi so soon, and since Old Madam Ren had invited her to stay for a meal, she remained.
No matter how proud Ren Yaoting's temperament might be, a teenage girl still enjoys liveliness, so Ren Yaoting liked visiting the Western Residence.
The four sisters chatted in Glory and Splendor Courtyard, though Ren Yaohua paid little attention to Ren Yaoting. Usually, Ren Yaoting would talk with Ren Yaoqi, while Ren Yaoyin occasionally chimed in. Alternatively, Ren Yaoyin would exchange a few words with Ren Yaohua. Thus, the conversation never grew awkward.
Ren Yaoting recalled the butterfly-catching activity from her last visit to the Western Residence and felt a tinge of excitement. "How about we go catch butterflies?"
Ren Yaoyin teased her, "Aren't you afraid of the heat? Look at you—your face is flushed like Guan Gong after just a few steps. Aren’t you worried about getting sunburned under such a strong sun?"
Ren Yaoting’s attitude toward Ren Yaoyin was relatively good. She smiled and replied, "That’s why I don’t like going to my own garden. The spot where Fifth Sister and I caught butterflies last time was quite shady."
Ren Yaoyin shook her head. "I won’t go. I promised Sister-in-Law yesterday that I’d help her sketch some patterns and agreed to give them to her today. Why don’t you go ahead and play? I’ll join you later."
Among the Ren sisters, Ren Yaoyin was known for preferring quiet over activity, something everyone was aware of.
Ren Yaoting pouted. "Fourth Sister, you’re just making excuses again. By the time you come looking for us, we’ll have long finished playing."
Ren Yaoyin didn’t argue. Instead, she covered her mouth and chuckled, as if admitting that it was indeed an excuse. This made it hard for anyone to stay annoyed with her, and even the proud Ren Yaoting merely glared at her.
This was typical of Ren Yaoyin, the fourth daughter of the Ren Family. She wasn’t particularly close to any of her sisters, yet from Ren Yaohua to Ren Yaoting and even Ren Yaoyu, she never managed to provoke any of their dislike.
Though undercurrents of tension often swirled among the Ren sisters, they never seemed to reach her.
Ren Yaoting didn’t bother asking Ren Yaohua. Instead, she tugged at Ren Yaoqi’s hand. "Since Fourth Sister isn’t going, will you accompany me, Fifth Sister?"
Ren Yaoyin glanced at Ren Yaoqi with a smile. She didn’t show any surprise at the sudden closeness between Ren Yaoting and Ren Yaoqi, as if harmony and intimacy among sisters were the most natural things in the world.
Ren Yaoqi nodded in agreement and glanced at Ren Yaohua.
Ren Yaohua turned directly to Ren Yaoyin and said, "I was thinking of embroidering a forehead band for Grandmother. Could you help me choose which pattern would be suitable?"
Among the sisters, Ren Yaoqi’s embroidery skills were average, but she was the best at drawing patterns. Ren Yaoyin knew that Ren Yaohua was using the excuse of discussing patterns to avoid going to the small garden to catch butterflies with Ren Yaoting. Without exposing her, Ren Yaoyin smiled warmly and agreed.
Ren Yaoting led Ren Yaoqi out of the courtyard.
Once they left Glory and Splendor Courtyard, Ren Yaoting began expressing her dissatisfaction with Ren Yaoyu to Ren Yaoqi. "...Earlier, I held back because my mother was present. Otherwise, I would have asked Grandaunt to teach her a proper lesson!"
Ren Yaoting was not from the Western Residence, so whenever she visited, Old Madam Ren treated her more affectionately than her own granddaughters—a natural human tendency. Additionally, Ren Yaoting was used to being the center of attention in the Eastern Residence, which made her temperament even prouder and more aloof than Ren Yaohua’s.Ren Yaoqi listened to her complaints, offering a few timely words of advice without joining in to criticize Ren Yaoyu. Ren Yaoting didn’t mind this.
When Ren Yaoqi had come out, she had sent her maid back to fetch a butterfly net. The two of them still went to the small garden near the Glazed Tile Courtyard, where there were two large camphor trees and some horsebell bean vines. The shaded area beneath the greenery was a favorite resting spot for butterflies. The sisters of the Ren Family loved coming here to chase butterflies in the summer.
Ren Yaoting wasn’t in a hurry to chase butterflies. Instead, she pulled Ren Yaoqi aside to talk in the nearby covered walkway.
Ren Yaoting chatted with Ren Yaoqi about going to Yunyang City for the Dragon Boat Festival. Ren Yaoting told Ren Yaoqi that she had sent a message to Han You, asking if she would go, but Han You hadn’t given a clear reply. Ren Yaoting then urged Ren Yaoqi to also send a message to Han You. They both knew the situation in the Han Family, and Ren Yaoting thought that if more people invited Han You, the Han Family might be willing to let her go.
This was actually Ren Yaoting’s purpose for inviting Ren Yaoqi out to chase butterflies today. With Han You present, her chances of interacting with Han Yunqian would increase significantly.
Just as Ren Yaoqi was about to speak, she noticed voices in the garden.
Ren Yaoting, annoyed by the interruption, frowned and looked over, then exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? Why have we run into them again?”
Ren Yaoqi followed Ren Yaoting’s gaze and saw that, whether by coincidence or not, the two people locked in a tense standoff in the garden were none other than Ren Yaoyu and Concubine Kang. Just like the last time Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaoting had encountered them, the atmosphere between the two was still strained.
Ren Yaoting paused to listen to the commotion for a moment, then pursed her lips and whispered to Ren Yaoqi, “Come on, let’s go see what’s happening. This seventh sister is really becoming more and more outrageous.”
Ren Yaoqi was pulled along for a couple of steps before suddenly exclaiming, “Ouch!” She halted, rubbing her left eye with the hand not held by Ren Yaoting, blinking repeatedly as if something was irritating it.
“What’s wrong?” Ren Yaoting stopped and turned to look at Ren Yaoqi suspiciously.
Ren Yaoqi took out a handkerchief to dab at her eye, saying dejectedly, “It seems like the wind blew something into my eye—a tiny bug or something. It’s really uncomfortable.”
Ren Yaoting examined her eye. Ren Yaoqi’s left eyelashes were still fluttering rapidly, as if trying to blink out whatever was causing the discomfort, and her left eye was redder than her right.
Her maids quickly gathered around. Pingguo said, “Miss, why don’t you sit down in the walkway for a bit? I’ll try to blow it out for you.”
Ren Yaoqi nodded, her eyes red, and said to Ren Yaoting, “My eye is bothering me. I’ll go sit over there for a while.”
Ren Yaoting, however, still held a grudge against Ren Yaoyu and wanted to go see the dispute between Ren Yaoyu and Concubine Kang, thinking she could later use it as an excuse to complain about Ren Yaoyu to Old Madam Ren.
“Then you go sit for a bit. I’ll go over and take a look?” Ren Yaoting suggested.
Ren Yaoqi waved her hand dismissively and, without another word, let her two maids help her turn back to sit down in the walkway.
Ren Yaoting, followed by her own maid, made her way through the flowers and willows into the garden.
After helping Ren Yaoqi sit down, Pingguo meticulously blew into her eye. Ren Yaoqi glanced subtly in the direction of Ren Yaoting’s retreating figure, perfectly concealing the thoughtful glint in her eyes.Since Ren Yaohua had already arranged for someone to secretly keep an eye on Concubine Kang, Ren Yaoqi actually knew that Concubine Kang would come to the Glazed Courtyard at this time every morning.
Although Old Madam Ren had previously instructed Concubine Kang not to come to pay respects to Fifth Madam Lin to avoid causing her distress, Concubine Kang now had a seemingly legitimate reason for visiting the Glazed Courtyard. She was here to act as a mediator for Fifth Master.
Fifth Master had not returned to the Glazed Courtyard for some time and was still in a cold war with Fifth Madam Lin. It was said that after Madam Kang had tried several times to persuade Fifth Master without success, she became very uneasy. Therefore, she came to the Glazed Courtyard every day, not only to report to the mistress about Fifth Master's daily life but also to plead with Fifth Madam Lin not to vent her anger on the innocent Fifth Master. She herself was willing to accept any blame from Fifth Madam Lin.
In short, in the eyes of everyone in the Ren Family, this newly arrived Concubine Kang was very kind-hearted and reasonable.
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi merely smiled.
Knowing that Madam Kang would come at this time, Ren Yaoqi thought about the situation when Ren Yaoyu left the Glory and Splendor Courtyard and followed Ren Yaoting here.
However, she did not come here to involve herself in this dispute. So when she heard that Concubine Kang had indeed "encountered" Ren Yaoyu again, she did not rush to join them.
Ren Yaoqi sat in the covered corridor for a while, and her left eye gradually recovered, no longer red. However, she had no interest in going over to watch the commotion and simply remained seated quietly, listening to the faint sounds of argument coming from that direction.
After some time, a sudden scream and a gasp of shock came from over there. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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