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Yun Kexin suddenly blurted out, "What do you mean 'husband' at just nine years old?" But she wasn't flustered; if they wanted to laugh, let them laugh to their heart's content.
Yun Ran let out a piercing laugh, "Husband? Seventh Sister, did I hear you right? How old are you, and yet you—"
"What do you mean 'yet'?" Yun Kexin interrupted coldly, mocking her. "Elder Sister Five is two years older than me; does she not know what a husband is?" She paused, her smile turning even colder. "If you don't know, let me tell you: Father is a husband to Mother, Uncle is a husband to Aunt... Do I need to give more examples?"
Yun Ran was so angry that her eyes widened, and she tugged at her lips to retort, but Fu Yihang doused her with cold water:
"Fifth Sister, there's no need for you to stand up for me; my affairs are none of your concern."
Previously, Yun Ran had only been glaring in anger, but upon hearing Fu Yihang's words, she felt as if she were on fire.
Yun Kexin was puzzled: why did Fu Yihang always have this attitude towards Yun Ran? Was he acting? Or did he truly look down on her as a Concubine Daughter or harbor some disdain? She was sure he wasn't acting; it must be the latter. So what was the deal with Yun Ran appearing in their bridal chamber on their wedding night and provoking her with words? What had happened after she was harmed?
"Fifth Young Lady, Uncle and Aunt know that you care for Hang'er," Wang Ling said with a mocking smile. "But fairness is fairness; just because of Hang'er, you shouldn't target Seventh Young Lady. After all, she's also your sister; you should give her some leeway."
"Aunt—" Yun Ran blurted out but quickly realized she almost overlooked the issue of titles. She hurriedly corrected herself, "Oh no, the princess is right; I acknowledge my mistake. I was just envious of Seventh Sister's good relationships." At this point, she suddenly smiled coldly and strangely. "According to rumors, Tong Mansion has proposed to Second House..."
Yun Kexin turned her head sharply to look at Yun Ran, unable to believe her ears: Tong Mansion proposed to Second House?! How could that be possible?
Yun Yang was about to bring the teacup to his lips when he heard this and paused in surprise, sitting up straight. "Tong Mansion proposed? Is that true?"
The others looked equally astonished, except for Fu Lianyin, who was furious at Yun Ran for bringing this up in public—she couldn't understand where Yun Ran had heard such 'news.'
Wang Ling sighed with a mix of envy and jealousy. "Oh, someone has come proposing? Truly 'the thin field has no one to till it; when it's time to farm, someone fights over it,'" she said while glancing at Fu Yueze and then looking at Fu Yihang. "Hang'er, it's too late now; it's all because our Mother and Father couldn't keep up with their intentions..."
Fu Yihang looked defeated and frustrated.
Fu Lianyin shot a glare at Yun Ran like a knife and sneered, "Fifth Young Lady, are you confused? Seventh Young Lady belongs to our Third House; did Tong Mansion go to the wrong door proposing to Second House? Where did you hear such nonsense? I want to see who in this household is spreading rumors!"
Yun Ran was taken aback; she didn't dare admit that she had overheard Fu Lianyin talking with several servants. Facing Fu Lianyin's cold demeanor made her feel even more disheartened, but she didn't have the courage to retort directly—
"That's not how it is, Mother," Yun Ran forced herself to appear calm and said with feigned grievance. "I just happened to see Madam Chen from Tong Mansion visiting Second House and heard that she has a very good relationship with Auntie. Because recently Seventh Sister was a student of Tong Mansion and had close dealings with Young Master Tong, I rashly speculated that Tong Mansion was proposing to Second House."
Yun Ran finished speaking without taking a breath and glanced at Fu Yihang, feeling quite relieved.
If it weren't for the presence of so many people, Yun Kexin would have loved to slap Yun Ran. After several bouts of patience, she finally managed to suppress her impulse.
“Fifth Young Lady, you should filter your words through your brain first,” Yun Yang said with an unhappy expression, scolding her. “You shouldn't just think about things like 'hearing' or 'making wild guesses.' Have you considered Seventh Sister's reputation?” At this point, Yun Yang was already showing signs of anger, speaking in a rough voice, “Seventh Sister is a playmate of Young Master Tong. What do you know about what 'close interactions' mean?”
Yun Ran was left speechless by Yun Yang's series of questions. By the time she regained her composure, she was infuriated by Yun Yang's blatant protection of Yun Kexin, gritting her teeth in anger.
“Father is right; I know I was wrong,” Yun Ran said in a low voice, feeling frustrated.
Although Fu Yihang didn't say much, he felt a knot forming in his heart.
“Alright, sister, Fifth Young Lady is still young,” Fu Yueze thought he couldn't remain completely silent and forced himself to comfort her. “Which child isn't chattering away?!”
Fu Lianyin sneered, “She isn't just 'chattering'; she needs to be taught a lesson.”
Ignoring them, he turned his face away to coax Yun Xiao.
“The Prince is right; sister and brother-in-law shouldn't argue with a child,” Wang Ling said with a slight smile. “I was just chatting casually. I came here to catch up with you, not to watch you discipline children.”
Yun Kexin pouted and thought to herself: You get to say both good and bad things while others get nothing.
After chatting for more than an hour, Han Wang and the Princess declined Yun Yang and Fu Lianyin's invitation to stay for dinner and took their leave.
In the twenty-fourth year of Taihe, as Yun Kexin's tenth birthday approached, the Duke of E State Mansion held a grand celebration for her. Yun Kexin invited her usual playmates to come over for a meal and some fun. After dinner, several relatives suggested going up to the attic of the mansion. It was early spring in February, and the chill had not yet faded. Yun Kexin wore a pink cloud-patterned cloak with white trim over a flowing green pleated skirt. Her hair was styled in a round moon bun, and her pair of lively eyes gently watched her playful companions. Her delicate oval face needed no makeup to appear exquisite and refined; the slight smile on her lips suggested she was enjoying the joyful atmosphere. Everything was perfect except for Feng Yinxiao, who had been sent by the Emperor to the Training Ground and couldn't return in time.
Fu Yihang sat beside Yun Kexin, occasionally glancing at her serene and gentle demeanor, feeling both excited and moved—she had become even more beautiful after months apart. However, when he looked across at Tong Zhichen sitting opposite him, an inexplicable discomfort filled his heart: Was it him that Yun Ran mentioned when proposing marriage at Tong Mansion? Did he also like Cousin Kexin? He certainly looked handsome and had shown his knowledge earlier; he just didn't know how his cousin felt about him.
“Cousin Kexin, this is a gift for you,” Fu Yihang said as he took out an exquisitely crafted purple jade hairpin adorned with cloud patterns from his pocket and handed it to Yun Kexin with a smile. “I've had it for a long time but never had the chance to give it to you until now.”
Yun Ran's eyes were fixed on the beautifully crafted purple jade hairpin in Fu Yihang's hand, and an uncontrollable jealousy ignited within her; her eyes turned red: What a beautiful hairpin! It couldn't be bought for less than five taels of silver! She had once longed for such a hairpin and even fantasized about Fu Yihang gifting one to her; now this… Especially when she saw Yun Kexin casually accepting the hairpin and placing it on the table without giving it another glance, it made her feel even more sour and resentful—she wished she could snatch the hairpin away and scold Seventh Sister.
“Thank you, cousin,” Yun Kexin said with a faint smile. “I've seen this hairpin before; it's very expensive. Please don't spend so much next time.”
"I am willing to buy it no matter how expensive it is, as long as it is for you," Fu Yihang said with unabashed affection in his eyes.
Yun Kexin frowned, her eyes flashing with coldness—what did he mean by being so "blunt" with so many companions present?!
Tong Zhichen, unaware of Yun Kexin's discomfort, stood up holding a red pouch embroidered with a white crane spreading its wings and said with a smile, "Yun Kexin, this is a pouch I made for you. It's just a token of my feelings; I hope you accept it."
Yun Kexin displayed an entirely different attitude, smiling as she reached out to take the item from Tong Zhichen, turning it over in her hands to admire it. "What a beautiful pouch," she said playfully, looking up with her sharp gaze softened, "Young Master Tong, please don't tell me you embroidered this yourself."
Tong Zhichen laughed at her mischievousness: "How could that be? As a man, I wouldn't know how to embroider. I had someone else do it. Do you like it?"
"I do! It's really well embroidered," Yun Kexin replied with a smile. "Thank you, Young Master Tong."
"Don't just say you like it; show me," Tong Zhichen said with a teasing smile.
Yun Kexin was taken aback, not understanding his meaning: "Show you?"
"Attach the pouch to your waist so I can see," Tong Zhichen instructed.
"Oh, like this?" Yun Kexin said with a sudden realization and smiled brightly. "Alright, I'll hang the pouch on my waist; I can put some things inside."
With that, Yun Kexin indeed attached the red pouch embroidered with the white crane to her waist. Tong Zhichen felt both happy and shy at the sight.
"Seventh Sister, do you like the pouch? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Fu Yihang observed their chemistry and felt a pang of jealousy. "Tomorrow I'll find the best embroiderer in the capital to make one for you; I guarantee you'll love it. Tell me what kind you like."
Yun Kexin felt annoyed and thought to herself: Fu Yihang, can everything be bought with money?
"No need, thank you," she reluctantly forced a smile and replied perfunctorily. "The hairpin my cousin gave me is also something I really like. There's no reason to receive gifts on my birthday, but since we are all companions and it's a gesture of goodwill, I'm already satisfied. Cousin doesn't need to take it too seriously..."
In just a short sentence, Yun Kexin pierced through Fu Yihang's heart, leaving him feeling ashamed.
"To my cousin, the essence of a gift is the thought behind it, not a means of comparison! Alright, I understand."
"In my opinion, both gifts from Fu Shizi and Young Lord are beautiful and practical," Yun Yan said with a gentle smile. "Seventh Sister, don't you think so?"
"You're right, Sister," Yun Kexin only smiled genuinely and unguardedly when facing family. "Fourth Sister, has Brother-in-law not returned yet?"
"Not yet. He went with Young Lord and hasn't returned to the capital."
For some reason, upon hearing Fourth Sister mention "Young Lord," Yun Kexin's mind drifted back to that sorrowful night they both shared. She had nestled in his arms, gently comforting him over the loss of his mother. To this day, she could not forget those arms that seemed to want to embed her into him, nor the warm lips that brushed against her hair...
Suddenly, Yun Kexin's face turned crimson, causing everyone present to be somewhat taken aback. It was rare for the usually calm and composed Seventh Sister to blush in public.
"Fourth Sister, what's wrong with you?" Yun Yan asked in disbelief.
"Nothing, nothing at all," Yun Kexin hurriedly concealed her inner turmoil and smiled. "I was just thinking about the gift Brother-in-law promised to give me. Today is my birthday, yet he hasn't shown up."
Yun Yan was momentarily stunned, her eyelashes fluttering as if she understood something. Just as she was about to respond, Shan Yue ran up to the loft and smiled at Yun Kexin. "Seventh Sister, Heir Apparent is waiting at the Duke's residence to give you a gift, but he wants you and Fourth Sister to go pick it up together."
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