Fu Tingyun had never thought of herself as beautiful.

When she was young and visited relatives with her sisters, those male cousins, family friends, and young uncles always liked to pull her hair ribbons and frighten her with ghost stories.

Once, Sixth Aunt’s younger brother Shu Ming came to visit. He said her landscape painting didn’t look good and insisted on painting it for her. It was homework assigned by her teacher, and her mother had always told her not to cheat. She refused to let him paint it, and in the ensuing tussle, the inkstone was knocked over. Her newly made peach-red Hangzhou silk skirt was splattered with ink, which made her so angry that she trembled. She started fighting with him, and the servants couldn’t pull them apart.

When Sixth Aunt’s mother found out, she gave Shu Ming a severe beating, confined him for a month, and cut his monthly allowance for half a year. After that, whenever he encountered Fu Tingyun, he would call her “ugly freak.”

She was indignant at the time: “I’m not an ugly freak. Grandmother likes me the most.”

Shu Ming snorted coldly: “That’s because she’s your grandmother. Look at others—whenever you stand there, everyone stares at you twice.”

Fu Tingyun didn’t believe him and argued with him for a while, but secretly began to observe. She discovered that, indeed, as Shu Ming had said, no matter where she went or whom she was with, others would give her a second glance.

She felt deeply hurt and cried into her pillow.

When her wet nurse found out, she comforted her: “That’s because our Ninth Miss is the most beautiful.”

Fu Tingyun didn’t believe it: “You say that because you’re my wet nurse.”

The wet nurse said she would tell her mother, “I’ll let Madam speak to Madam Shu. I’d like to see if the Shu family’s young master still dares to talk nonsense.”

She felt even more depressed: “So you’re saying I am ugly?”

“No, no,” the wet nurse hurriedly denied. But Fu Tingyun had already buried her face in the bed and started crying again: “If you complain to Madam Shu, she’ll punish the Shu family’s young master again, and he’ll go around calling me ‘ugly freak’ again!”

These were just childish disputes. Even if the wet nurse told Fu Tingyun’s mother, her mother wouldn’t go to Madam Shu over such a trivial matter. Besides, Madam Shu had already punished Shu Ming. If the Fu family expressed any more displeasure, people would say the Fu family was narrow-minded and intolerant. The wet nurse said this merely to console Fu Tingyun. Now, seeing that she had become fixated on this, the wet nurse could only say: “For a noble lady, modesty, prudence, steadiness, and dignity come first. As for appearance…” The wet nurse thought for a while and said, “Which woman became a primary wife just because of her looks? Otherwise, why would there be talk of ‘Three Obediences and Four Virtues’ or learning ‘women’s work and needlecraft’? Everyone would just compete on appearance!”

Fu Tingyun thought of the beautiful concubines in Fourth Uncle’s household, and her crying gradually subsided.

The wet nurse breathed a sigh of relief and gently comforted her: “Our young miss will be a mistress of a household in the future, managing the inner affairs. If you want to learn, learn from the Old Madam, the First Madam, and your mother—be virtuous, gentle, chaste, quiet, respectful, and obedient…”

Fu Tingyun deeply agreed and put effort into the virtues of womanhood: morality, speech, appearance, and skills.

When she studied with her sisters under their teacher, she was always very serious. Though she joined in the laughter and play with her sisters, when alone, she would always practice quietly. Over time, she became the best among her sisters in everything, excelling in all areas. Her grandmother constantly praised her innate intelligence and took her along when visiting her aunt in Nanjing. Because of this, she gained Madam Yu’s favor and became engaged to the Yu family, making all her sisters envious… From then on, she became more convinced of her wet nurse’s words.

But now, Zhao Ling had said, “Shu brocade sells for fifteen taels of silver per roll, and blue and white porcelain has long gone out of fashion in the capital…”

Was he complimenting her?

Could it be that he found her attractive?

Fu Tingyun lay in bed with a foolish smile.

He must be complimenting her.

She thought of when he mentioned the flaky mooncakes.

“…I heard you made them. The filling is sweet but not cloying, even better than the pastries from Mingyue Tower!”

He had gazed at her quietly, his eyes brighter, gentler, and more serene than the bright moon above. It was as if rippling water waves were hidden between his brows, making one want to immerse oneself in them and never awaken.

She didn’t dare look too long and slightly lowered her head.

Thinking of this, Fu Tingyun’s face reddened.

She knew of Mingyue Tower in Suzhou. When people mentioned Jiangnan pastries, they would mention Mingyue Tower.

Or was Zhao Ling just consoling her?

As always, finding a way to save her face!

She immediately couldn’t lie still and jumped out of bed to look at herself in the mirror.

Skin as delicate as flower petals, eyes sparkling like morning stars, lips as red as cinnabar…

Fu Tingyun’s jade-like fingertips slowly slid from her cheek to her chin, and she pressed her lips together in a smile.

The young woman in the mirror smiled back, like a blooming flower, momentarily radiant.

He must like her too, right?

She slammed the mirror down on the dressing table with a “bang.”

He was the first to think she was beautiful.

If it were someone else, she naturally wouldn’t believe it. But Zhao Ling… naturally wouldn’t deceive her, wouldn’t lie to her.

So in his heart, she was indeed beautiful.

Fu Tingyun felt her face burning hot. The joy in her heart was like ocean waves crashing against a cliff, each wave higher than the last, making her spirit sway. Not knowing what to do, she closed her eyes and lay face down on the bed, burying her face in the quilt.

When preparing her wedding clothes, she had spotted a fabric she liked—bright red with gold ground, woven with honeysuckle, lilies, peonies, and roses… splendid and dazzling, very eye-catching. She liked it very much. Her mother, however, said that the fabric wasn’t very good, and the embroidery was too bright, not dignified enough. She chose a sapphire blue with gold ground, woven with peonies, chrysanthemums, orchids, and plum blossoms. It was beautiful, but the pattern was too orderly, not like that bright red fabric which exuded a charming allure.

Would Xi’an Prefecture also have that kind of bright red fabric woven with honeysuckle, lilies, peonies, and roses?

She imagined what she would look like wearing such a garment.

Black hair, snow-white skin, rosy lips complementing the bright red garment—surely she would be radiantly beautiful!

Would Zhao Ling be dumbfounded when he saw her?

The more she thought about it, the more she liked it, and she secretly smiled under the covers.

Tomorrow morning, she would greet Zhao Ling, then go shopping with Madam Lü. Perhaps they could buy the same fabric!

But with a change in thought, the smile froze on her face.

She… she was still in mourning!

How could she wear bright red clothes?

Fu Tingyun couldn’t help but sit up.

There’s a saying: “For a woman to be attractive, wear mourning.”

Unfortunately, she had never had much affinity with elegant colors like moon-white, lake-color, or pale blue. These colors on her couldn’t match the clarity of her skin, making her black hair seem too dense and her lips too red, like ink spilled on plain silk or crimson dotted on white paper. The colors were too bright, appearing out of place.

She sighed, remembering the memorial service she needed to arrange for her uncle.

Since arriving in Xi’an Prefecture, one thing had followed another, and she had completely forgotten about this. Though Zhao Ling had suggested arranging the memorial service for her uncle, he had been busy these days. He needed to arrange everything before going to the military camp, including matters related to his property. This was a plan for a hundred years, not to be taken lightly, so she decided not to disturb him. Instead, perhaps she could ask Madam Lü to accompany her to Wenren Temple tomorrow?

Fu Tingyun began to worry.

Besides the gold and silver jewelry given by her mother, she only had the two thousand taels in silver notes. She had given the silver notes to Zhao Ling, and she couldn’t bear to part with her mother’s jewelry… So what money could she use for her uncle and aunt’s memorial service? Had she known, she shouldn’t have given all the silver notes to Zhao Ling; she should have kept at least one or two hundred taels for emergencies.

What should she do tomorrow?

Could she ask Zhao Ling to return the silver notes to her?

At this thought, Fu Tingyun felt both ashamed and guilty.

What kind of person would that make her?

What would Zhao Ling think?

What should she do now?

Fu Tingyun no longer felt the joy she had earlier.

What to do?

What to do?

It was so frustrating…

She sighed deeply.

Apart from selling the jewelry her mother had given her, she couldn’t think of any other solution.

Fu Tingyun tossed and turned, only falling asleep when the sky began to lighten. When she awoke, the sun had already risen, well past breakfast time.

Zheng San Niang was playing with Lin Chun in the hall. Hearing movement, she hurriedly went to fetch water.

Fu Tingyun quickly washed up.

Madam Lü came over and smiled: “The Ninth Master said that the young miss had worshipped the Moon Goddess in the courtyard last night, so we shouldn’t disturb you this morning.” Then she asked Lu Wei to set up breakfast.

Fu Tingyun tried hard to conceal her discomfort.

Last night, as they were chatting casually, Old Master Lü and the others had returned.

She thought about how she had said she was tired and wanted to rest in front of Madam Lü and the others, and how Madam Lü had specifically helped her wash up before leaving. If they had seen her and Zhao Ling sitting in the courtyard chatting… how would she explain to Madam Lü and the others?

Zhao Ling was surprised too and said: “Why are they back so soon?”

At that moment her heart had panicked, and she hastily said, “I don’t know either, I’ll go back to my room first,” and quickly returned to her room. Only moments later did she realize that the teacups, table, and chairs in the courtyard hadn’t been cleared away… If Madam Lü and the others saw them, even if she hid in her room, they would guess what she and Zhao Ling had been doing. She hurriedly opened the door and saw Zhao Ling deftly moving the table and chairs into the side room. Watching his back, she felt he also seemed somewhat flustered… Her heart stirred, and she quietly closed the door, then pushed the window open a crack to peek outside. The courtyard had been tidied up, and Zhao Ling was walking out while responding, “Coming, coming…” Now it seemed that Madam Lü and the others must have found the incense and candles she had left in the courtyard when worshipping the Moon Goddess this morning.

Fu Tingyun tried to appear casual, saying “Oh” and lowering her head to eat breakfast.

Madam Lü sat beside her, carefully examining the winter clothes she had nearly finished sewing, repeatedly praising: “The young miss’s needlework is truly excellent!”

Fu Tingyun had been taught since childhood that “one doesn’t speak while eating or sleeping.” She smiled in response, and only after finishing breakfast and accepting the tea offered by Lu Wei did she smile and say: “You’re too kind.” She considered her needlework to be quite good and didn’t want to diminish herself in words, so she smiled and changed the subject: “Has the Ninth Master already gone out?”

“He left early this morning,” Madam Lü smiled. “He took not only Young Master Yang, San Fu, Shi Zhu, and Zheng San, but also my old man with him.”

Fu Tingyun was slightly startled. There was a commotion from the front courtyard, and just as she was about to call Zheng San Niang to check, Lu Wei ran in: “Madam, Zheng San and San Fu, Shi Zhu are escorting the Master back with a lot of silver!”