Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Master, do you really believe the Fifth Young Lady's ramblings?" Fu Lianyin changed her sitting posture and, facing Yun Yang with a choked voice, said, "It's all because Consort offended the Fifth Young Lady due to the Seventh Young Lady recently, which led to this kind of retaliation. Master, Consort is wronged."
Yun Yang expressionlessly threw out a sentence: "You still haven't answered my question."
"Consort has nothing to say," Fu Lianyin boldly replied without dodging, her voice cold. "Since Master has already made up his mind, what does it matter if I say more?"
"Very well," Yun Yang stood up. "I have nothing more to discuss with you." He then addressed the elderly present, saying, "Mother, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, take your time eating. I'm leaving."
Yun Yang took Yun Kexin's hand and walked out. Fu Lianyin felt anxious, angry, and helpless; she could only glare at Yun Ran with resentment, her eyes filled with a desire to devour her whole. At that moment, Yun Ran finally felt fear: she hadn't anticipated things would escalate to this point. While she did want to retaliate against Fu Lianyin, her main intention was to make things difficult for Yun Kexin, hoping that she would cause a scene over this matter and that the Third House would not tolerate her. Little did she expect that Yun Kexin would remain unaffected and might even drag herself into trouble. The thought of Yun Yang possibly questioning her later made her legs tremble in fear.
"Father, where are you going?" Yun Kexin winced as Yun Yang pulled her hand too hard and couldn't help but try to break free.
"Nowhere, just taking the Seventh Young Lady for a walk," Yun Yang replied absentmindedly.
After that, there were no further words exchanged; he simply held Yun Kexin's hand as they walked through the corridor and circled around the Rockery several times. The three maidservants and other servants following behind didn't dare to speak.
It wasn't until they had walked for half an hour that Yun Yang finally sat down in the corridor to rest.
"Xiner, do you believe Elder Sister Five's 'dream talk'?" Yun Yang asked with a hint of unease.
"I don't believe it," Yun Kexin shook her head innocently. "Father and Mother treat me so well, and Second Uncle is their brother; how could they possibly do such a thing? Xiner doesn't believe it."
Yun Yang looked up at the sky and after a long while turned back to say, "Seventh Young Lady, no matter what the truth is, you must believe that Father has no intention of harming you, understand?"
Yun Kexin nodded seriously and replied ambiguously, "Daughter understands. Father can rest assured; I have always believed in you. I have grown up now and know many things."
Yun Yang was slightly taken aback and hesitated before saying, "Seventh Young Lady, please give Father some time. At least I hope that when you grow up a bit more and understand some human affairs better, we can discuss other matters. Is that alright?"
Yun Kexin did not respond, only nodding her head. She understood that Yun Yang was worried that she, being young and naive, would be unable to accept certain truths about Yun Ran and might end up resenting him as her father.
"Xiner, you go play outside with the three maids. Father wants to be alone for a while," Yun Yang said after staring at Yun Kexin for a moment. He then instructed the maids behind her, "Take good care of Seventh Sister."
"Yes, sir," Shansheng, Shanying, and Shanyue replied in unison. Shanyue took Yun Kexin's hand and softly said, "Sister, let's go."
Yun Kexin only allowed the three maids to follow her while the others stayed behind to serve their master. Once they had walked far enough away, Yun Yang turned to Granny Feng and said, "Go call Eldest Sister here..."
The three maids took Yun Kexin in a carriage through the bustling market. As Yun Kexin lifted the curtain to look at the crowd outside, she suddenly thought of Fourth Uncle and felt a strong desire to visit him. Ever since her father's passing, Fourth Uncle had been visiting the Duke of E's residence even less than before. Just thinking about it made her heart ache; it had been years, and Fourth Uncle was still single. She wondered if Grandmother would be able to wait until he got married.
"Shansheng, tell the coachman we're going to 'Xuanyuan Restaurant,'" Yun Kexin said as she lowered the curtain.
'Xuanyuan Restaurant' was a dining establishment located east of Qinghe City, featuring three floors and a large area. It was frequented by merchants and people of high status. When Yun Kexin was around seven or eight years old, she had eaten there before. At that moment, Yun Cheng was behind the counter calculating accounts with another shopkeeper.
"Fourth Uncle!" Yun Kexin called softly as she and the three maids entered the restaurant.
Yun Cheng paused for a moment as if recalling something, then looked up and smiled slightly upon seeing Yun Kexin.
"Seventh Young Lady? What brings you here?" He appeared pleasantly surprised as he stepped out from behind the counter. "Come sit down; Fourth Uncle will have the cook prepare something delicious for you."
A clever maid quickly stepped forward to guide Yun Kexin and her companions to a table and asked what they would like to eat. Yun Kexin shook her head in gratitude.
"Why aren't you eating anything?" Yun Cheng asked as he sat down across from her, his expression a mix of concern and amusement. "Is it because you had an unsatisfactory meal here last time that you're afraid?"
"Fourth Uncle, there's no restaurant in Qinghe City that can compare to 'Xuanyuan,'" Yun Kexin replied with a light smile. "Xiner has been thinking about it ever since she ate here once; it's just that we just had a meal at home before coming out. Next time for sure, Fourth Uncle—I’ll make sure to eat you out of house and home."
Yun Cheng grinned widely: "You four little girls think you can eat me out of house and home? I'll be waiting."
Several people laughed joyfully. However, Yun Kexin restrained her smile and said, "Fourth Uncle, why don't you go home? It's not a solution to always stay outside."
Cloud City also stopped laughing, his expression showing a hint of loneliness. He glanced around at the guests filling the room and said with a conflicted tone, "This is not what Fourth Uncle wishes. One way or another, I might... drift like this for a lifetime." His tone was filled with indescribable sorrow and desolation.
Yun Kexin felt sad inside. "Fourth Uncle, is there something you can't tell me?"
"I can't; it would only harm you." Cloud City fixed his gaze on the teacup on the table and said firmly, "It's better to avoid trouble. As long as the Yun Family lives peacefully and is not burdened by me, that's enough."
Yun Kexin was surprised: Could the Yun Family be burdened by Fourth Uncle? In her previous life, she had little interaction with Fourth Uncle, so she knew very little about his matters. Now, when it came to Fourth Uncle's issues, she always found herself at a loss. It felt rude to pry too much, yet she couldn't bear to remain uninformed; it was truly frustrating.
"Fourth Uncle, you once said you would take Kexin to see the world. I was still young then; perhaps in three or four years," this was something Yun Kexin had always longed for. "Now that I am already nine years old and much freer, I wonder if it's convenient for Fourth Uncle to take me?"
Cloud City raised his eyes and smiled as he replied, "Finally, my niece brings this up! Fourth Uncle was thinking of asking Third Brother and Sister-in-law next year to let me take you. So when will my niece come? Or should Fourth Uncle come to pick you up?"
Yun Kexin thought: Fourth Uncle is so eager for her to come learn this and that; could it be that he wants someone to inherit his business? Has he really prepared himself to remain unmarried and childless for life?!
She suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Fourth Uncle and decided that over time, she would try to resolve his inner turmoil.
"Fourth Uncle, I will come after Cousin Yun Ke passes the martial examination," Yun Kexin said. "In the morning, I will visit Fourth Uncle; in the afternoon, I will attend classes at Tong Mansion; in the evening, I will go to Grandmother's place to copy scriptures."
"You have such a tight schedule?" Cloud City frowned slightly. "Seventh Young Lady, don't make yourself busy like an adult. Play when it's time to play; don't waste it."
"I understand, Fourth Uncle." Yun Kexin nodded obediently with a smile. "I won't tire myself out. After class at Tong Mansion, I'll still have some time to relax before copying scriptures at Grandmother's place in the evening. An hour is enough for practicing writing."
Only then did Cloud City smile with relief. "Spend more time with Grandmother; Fourth Uncle thanks Seventh Young Lady for being filial on my behalf."
After returning from Xuanyuan Tower, Yun Kexin felt an extraordinary strength and hope within her: In her previous life, she had been completely confined within the inner chambers of the Third House, ignorant of worldly affairs and clueless about human relationships. Fu Lianyin had tried every means to prevent her from "seeing the world" outside and taught her nothing about making a living. This time, having established a connection with Fourth Uncle, she must seize the opportunity to learn how Fourth Uncle's inn, restaurant, and jewelry shop operate; she wanted to learn more herself. With money in hand and things going smoothly, she would have much greater freedom... Just thinking about all this made every nerve in Yun Kexin's body leap with excitement.
Feng Yinxiao walked alongside Duchess Ling Chen in the garden, where sunlight filled the ground, and the red morning sun dispelled the chill of late autumn and early winter, bringing warmth and comfort.
"Mother, please take it slow..." As they ascended the steps, Feng Yinxiao carefully supported her while softly reminding her, "It rained last night, and the ground is a bit slippery, so be careful."
"It's alright, with you here, I feel at ease," Ling Chen said, glancing at her increasingly handsome son with a smile. "It's just that lately, for some reason, I've been feeling dizzy and fatigued, lacking energy."
Feng Yinxiao frowned: Mother has not just been feeling this way recently; these symptoms have plagued her for many years. Every year she experiences them two or three times. After consulting several Imperial Physicians, they all said that as people age, they tend to feel weak, fatigued, and drained—nothing serious. But Mother is not even 40 this year; how can we talk about "aging"?
"Sit down and rest for a bit," Feng Yinxiao helped the Duchess sit on a long bench. "Mother, don’t overexert yourself. Have you felt any better today?"
"Much better," Ling Chen gestured for Feng Yinxiao to sit beside her. "Aunt Zhuo sent some nourishing herbs from Jiangnan. I've had the medicinal soup a few times, and it has indeed worked."
Feng Yinxiao nodded: Aunt Zhuo comes from Jiangnan, a place rich in resources, and her family is in the herbal business. Thus, she is quite knowledgeable about herbs. He couldn't help but glance at Mother: her complexion had improved, with a hint of color returning to her lips accompanied by a faint smile; however, her spirit still seemed somewhat lacking, and her gaze was unfocused... Mother, is she really as “better” as she claims?
"Xiao'er, why haven't I heard you mention Seventh Sister lately?" Noticing Feng Yinxiao lost in thought with a furrowed brow, the Duchess suddenly asked with a smile.
Comment 0 Comment Count