Qiu Luo lifted her head with a triumphant smile, when suddenly hurried footsteps were heard from outside. It was Ni Ni running back in, announcing as she entered the parlor, "Second Miss is here."
Qiu Luo was startled at first, then her face blossomed into a radiant smile as she hurried forward to greet the visitor. Ye Pingjun rose from the sofa and saw a woman around thirty years old enter, dressed in an apple-green cheongsam adorned with crystal rhinestones and draped with a black wool cloak—elegant yet dignified. The moment she stepped inside, ignoring Qiu Luo's welcoming smile, her sharp gaze immediately fell upon Ye Pingjun, scrutinizing her from head to toe in an instant.
Ye Pingjun felt the piercing quality of that gaze, as if it could see right through a person's heart. She couldn't help feeling intimidated and instinctively clasped her hands behind her back, only to realize how childish the gesture seemed. Flustered, she quickly released them. At this small action, the woman actually laughed. "What a lovely sight. No wonder our Fifth Brother thinks and speaks of you day and night."
Jin Xuan, being the astute judge of character she was, had already sized up Pingjun in her mind. She thought, "So this is the girl—so clean and pure, definitely not some seductive type. No wonder Changxuan holds her in such regard. Seeing her like this, she doesn't seem the scheming sort. Whether we send her away or keep her, she'll be easy to manage." With these thoughts, Jin Xuan relaxed slightly and stepped forward with a smile, taking Pingjun's hand. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Sister Pingjun, right?"
Pingjun nodded, and Jin Xuan warmly continued, "I'm Changxuan's second sister. I've heard so much about you from him and have been wanting to visit you for the longest time." Pingjun looked at Jin Xuan's beaming face and politely replied, "Miss Yu."
Jin Xuan was taken aback, then smiled meaningfully. "That's not the right form of address. You should call me Second Sister."
Pingjun remained silent and did not address her as such. Observing Pingjun's quiet demeanor, Jin Xuan became even more convinced that she lacked ambition. Seeing her standing there in a pink satin robe, looking delicate and pitiable, Jin Xuan genuinely felt a surge of affection for her. She said cheerfully, "Changxuan has gone with Father to inspect the western defense lines. He was worried you'd be lonely staying alone at Maple Terrace, so he specially asked me to keep you company. Come, today I'll take you shopping at the department store and buy you some nice things."
Pingjun initially wanted to decline, but faced with Second Miss's enthusiastic manner and personal invitation, she found herself unable to refuse. She acquiesced, went upstairs to change her clothes, and then followed Jin Xuan out of Maple Terrace. Jin Xuan first took Pingjun to a foreign goods store, where she generously picked out a diamond brooch for her. Pingjun tried to decline but had no choice but to accept it. Next, Jin Xuan dragged her to have several outfits custom-made and then to the department store to buy numerous items. The servants following them naturally carried all the packages. Finally, around three in the afternoon, they went to the famous Green Willow Residence in Golden Mausoleum for a meal.The private room at Green Willow Residence was naturally well-serviced and fully equipped. After the attendant refilled Pingjun's tea and respectfully presented a steaming hot towel, Jin Xuan, who was sitting nearby, suddenly remarked, "Why on earth is this newspaper placed here? It's just upsetting people." Pingjun saw Jin Xuan casually toss a newspaper onto the table. With just one glance at it, her heart instantly pounded like a drum, and she couldn't help trembling.
Jin Xuan sipped her tea while pointing at a photograph in the newspaper and said, "Look, sister, this is Jiang Xueting, the editor of Name Report. He's truly despicable. Relying on his modest talent, he spends his days writing all sorts of nonsense to criticize our Yu family. If not for Fifth Brother's prior instruction to leave him alone, someone would have already dealt with him on behalf of our Yu family!"
Ye Pingjun was still flustered, but her gaze seemed glued to the photograph in the newspaper. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look away. The photo in the newspaper was indeed him—still spirited and smiling at the corners of his lips. She remembered it so clearly, so vividly. For a moment, her thoughts were in turmoil, each one crashing over her like waves, making her tremble uncontrollably. He was now the editor of Name Report. Was he doing well? What did he think of her sudden disappearance? Did he still remember... her? Or perhaps... did he resent her for leaving without a word?
Her mind was in disarray, and she felt her mouth go dry. Softly, she murmured, "He... might not be targeting only the Yu family."
Jin Xuan sneered coldly and said, "You're right about that. Aside from the Mou family, he really does criticize everyone. Just wait and see—someone so young, yet so arrogant and reckless. Our Yu family can't be bothered with him, but one day, someone else will take his life!"
Ye Pingjun felt a cold sweat break out on her back, so much so that she could hardly sit still. Just then, the private room door opened as the Green Willow Residence attendant brought in the first course: a divine duck dish, followed by delicacies such as Beauty's Liver and Squirrel Fish, renowned dishes of Golden Mausoleum. Jin Xuan smiled and picked up a morsel of food, placing it on Pingjun's plate. "Sister Pingjun, stop daydreaming. You're still too thin—eat something first."
Fearing that Jin Xuan might notice something amiss, Pingjun hurriedly lowered her head to eat. She felt her eyes welling up and struggled to suppress the heart-wrenching anguish. Unfortunately, even this world-famous Golden Mausoleum delicacy tasted utterly bland in her mouth.
It was not until evening that Jin Xuan saw Pingjun home before returning by carriage. Pingjun instructed the servants accompanying her to bring the purchased items to her bedroom. Her heart was tangled in distress, and without realizing it, she wandered into the rear courtyard. The garden was lush with greenery, vibrant flowers, and willow trees, while koi fish swam freely in the small pond. After walking a few steps, she suddenly noticed a large cluster of verdant White Jade Hairpin flowers. The soil around their roots was fresh and loose, clearly indicating they had just been planted or divided. Pingjun was startled and followed the jade hairpin cluster forward. There, she saw several attendants cultivating the soil among the flowers, with Guards Captain Gu Ruitong standing nearby. Hearing her footsteps, he turned his head.
Pingjun paused slightly and stood still.When Gu Ruitong saw her, he said, "Miss Ye, before Fifth Master left, he specifically instructed us to cultivate this patch of hosta flowers, saying Miss Ye would surely like them."
Pingjun gazed at the hosta flower bushes and gently lowered her head. "How did he know I like these?"
Gu Ruitong replied, "Fifth Master specially went to East Benevolence Bridge to ask your mother."
Pingjun stood in silence.
The white jade hairpin flowers were planted against the wall, covering a vast area. The pale golden sunset cast its glow, turning the originally tender green leaves into a golden yellow. Pingjun stood beside the hosta flowers, her elegant attire making her resemble a small blossom blooming among the leaves.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind, "I wondered where Miss Ye had disappeared to. So you're here." The tone was exceedingly casual. Pingjun turned around and saw the senior maid Qiu Luo wearing a bright red blouse, leaning against the moon gate with a playful smile as she stood in the wind, watching her and Gu Ruitong, her chin slightly raised.
When she said "you," she deliberately emphasized the word, then bit her lip lightly and lifted her head, still wearing that playful smile.
Ye Pingjun paid her no mind and walked through the moon gate directly back to her room. She saw the items she had bought during the day arranged on the small tea table in the bedroom. Silently, she sat on the sofa, her face revealing a dazed expression. After what felt like a long time, she slowly took out a newspaper from one of her bags—it was the "Name Report," which she had secretly brought back when Jin Xuan wasn't paying attention.
For a long time, she gazed at the newspaper page, her soft fingers resting silently on his photograph and the line of modern vernacular poetry advocated in his column below:
A Note on Black Hair—
You left, like a gust of wind, leaving no trace.
In my memory, you still lean against the door, smiling, with a fluttering scarf lingering in my long dreams.
The jujube tree by the door remains. I, holding a strand of your fragrant black hair, wait in the empty courtyard.
Ye Pingjun slowly placed the newspaper on the tea table. She sat there, staring at it in a daze, so absorbed that she didn't even hear Qiu Luo's footsteps as she entered to serve tea.
Black hair is hard to sever, laden with sorrows.
Yu Changxuan had accompanied his father to inspect military defenses on the western front and had been away for nearly a month. On this evening, the group finally returned to the Yu Family Mansion. The moment Madam Yu saw Yu Changxuan, she noticed he had grown much thinner compared to a month ago. Her heart ached with pity, and after exchanging only a few words, she hurried downstairs to arrange for the servants to prepare Fifth Master's favorite dishes.
Seeing that his mother had left, Yu Changxuan noticed his second sister Jin Xuan sitting under a pink silk lampshade, smiling at him. He walked over and sat beside her, diligently picking up the "sky-after-rain" imperial teapot to pour her a cup of tea. With both hands, he offered it to her and said with a smile, "Second Sister, you've worked hard this past month. Please have some tea."
Jin Xuan accepted the tea but chuckled, "Enough, no need to flatter me. Tell me honestly—how could a girl like that, clearly ambitious and principled, willingly become the Gold Thread Sparrow in your cage? What method did you use to manipulate her?"Yu Changxuan didn't answer directly, only smiling as he said, "So Second Sister likes her too." Jin Xuan nodded and replied, "She's a good child, impossible not to love. It's just a pity she has such an awkward status, always looked down upon by others—and isn't this all your doing?"
Yu Changxuan said calmly, "I am determined to marry her."
Jin Xuan smiled slightly as little Ze Ning came running in from outside, his hands full of biscuits. Jin Xuan asked, "Where did you get those biscuits?" Ze Ning said, "Grandma gave them to me.The people of Golden Mausoleum had their own customs, always calling maternal grandmothers "grandma" and maternal grandfathers "grandpa." Seeing Ze Ning enjoying his biscuits, Yu Changxuan snatched the handful from his grasp. Ze Ning, unable to win them back, stomped his feet and jumped in frustration, squealing in protest. Jin Xuan laughed and tapped Yu Changxuan's hand, saying, "Stop bullying my son. If you like children so much, why not have the one at Maple Terrace bear you one?"
Yu Changxuan was suddenly taken aback. Jin Xuan, still smiling, picked up Ze Ning and offered a pointed remark: "Why can't you see it? If you truly want to keep her, have her bear you a child. Think about it—Mother spends all her time longing for a grandson. If she really becomes pregnant, Mother would be too overjoyed to object, and she'd have to go along with your wishes."
Yu Changxuan returned to Maple Terrace a little after ten in the evening. His arrival was quite sudden, but he didn't disturb anyone. His adjutant, Wu Zuoxiao, went directly back to the aides' office, while only the chief of the aides' office, Gu Ruitong, followed Yu Changxuan to the study. Yu Changxuan took off his coat, along with his military belt and gun, and handed them to Gu Ruitong, who hung them on a nearby coat rack. Turning back, Gu Ruitong heard Yu Changxuan ask, "Has anything happened these past few days?"
Gu Ruitong replied, "The Army Ministry submitted some documents. I've sorted the important ones and placed them on your desk. The rest are minor matters. Also, as per Fifth Master's request, we transferred Feng Tianjun from the Army Ministry to head the sixth intelligence group of the aides' office's second division. That young man is indeed talented—his sharpness might even rival that of Chief Secretary Wang Ji."
Yu Changxuan casually flipped through the stacks of files on the desk and chuckled, "I've taken all the promising people you had your eye on. I suppose Uncle Zhang will come to scold me again soon. You've worked hard these days—I'll treat you to a drink at the Hall of Prominence another time." Gu Ruitong acknowledged and turned to leave. As the door opened, the head maid, Qiu Luo, entered carrying a small, delicate tray with a bowl of something. Seeing Gu Ruitong, she cheerfully greeted, "Chief Gu." Gu Ruitong lowered his gaze and walked out.
Yu Changxuan remained seated behind the desk, reviewing the files, when Qiu Luo set the tray down, the fragrant aroma of lotus leaf soup wafting over. Qiu Luo said with a smile, "Madam specifically called from the official residence, saying that once Fifth Master returns, I must serve you this bowl of soup first. Please eat it quickly, Fifth Master—I still need to report back to Madam."
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