Cui Huaying’s embroidery tower was three stories high, with the stairs built on the outside. The winding three-story staircase railings were all tied with colored ribbons and hung with lanterns, looking lively, festive, and magnificent.
Cui Huaying was leaning on the third-floor terrace watching them. Seeing them arrive, she hurriedly descended several steps of stairs, grabbed one in each hand, and sighed: “I thought you two were quarreling and wouldn’t come.”
As cousins, Cui Hualuan, Cui Huaying, and Cui Huayi had been extremely close in childhood, but later Cui Huayi and Cui Huaying followed Cui Shaoting to take up his post in Fujian, and later went to the capital. Having not seen each other for many years, they really couldn’t generate much closeness. She smiled faintly and took a gold lacquer box painted with peonies in gold from Danzhu’s hands behind her, presenting it with both hands to Cui Huaying: “A small trinket between sisters. See if you like it?”
When Cui Huaying opened it to look, she discovered it was a complete set of citrine jewelry. Just the hairpins inlaid with citrine alone made up a set of twelve in various sizes, all gleaming brilliantly. Under the light from the third floor, they were so magnificent one couldn’t look directly at them. She was somewhat astonished: “This is really too precious…”
Cui Hualuan’s maternal clan was the imperial family. This set of citrines was priceless and unavailable on the market, yet she didn’t think much of it. Hearing this, she just laughed: “They’re nothing but lifeless objects. How could they compare to the affection between us sisters? As long as younger sister likes them, that’s what matters.”
Previously she had indeed made Cui Huayi lose face. Since Cui Huayi had come representing her aunt-in-law Yu Shi, it was equivalent to making her aunt-in-law lose face. Naturally the gift should be more substantial.
Cui Huaying had no choice but to have someone put them away, then asked Song Chuyi: “Is your injury completely healed? I originally wanted to visit you personally, but I’ve been confined and can’t move about. How are the medicines I sent over working?”
Cui Hualuan’s gift was really too heavy. Although Cui Huaying wasn’t inexperienced with fine things, she had offered goodwill with sincere intentions, yet Cui Hualuan used such an extravagant gift to overwhelm her, as if unwilling to have much affection with her. She wasn’t someone who would repeatedly offer warmth to someone’s cold indifference. Her heart felt somewhat chilled.
Song Chuyi sighed inwardly, thinking that a young lady was ultimately still a young lady. Even though she’d been raised to become a great family’s clan matriarch or even the Grand Imperial Grandson’s consort, this young miss’s temperament couldn’t be concealed at all. She also didn’t want to deliberately act too close to Cui Huaying just to undermine Cui Hualuan’s dignity. She nodded slightly, said they were almost healed, then turned to look at Nanny Xu. From Nanny Xu she also took a long box to present to Cui Huaying: “This is to add to elder sister’s trousseau.”
Actually, when Cui Huaying had been playing in the capital earlier, the sisters she was close with had already sent trousseau gifts once before. Song Chuyi had also sent some. Sending again now was because of the change in location. Since Cui Huaying had opened Cui Hualuan’s gift, it wouldn’t do not to open Song Chuyi’s. She opened it in front of everyone and saw it was a riding crop with flowing, radiant colors. She immediately beamed with joy: “It’s a riding crop personally made by Master Ma! I’ve had people trying to commission one for several months with no response…”
Although the riding crop was fine, compared to that set of citrines it really wasn’t much. Song Chuyi felt somewhat weary of this endless back-and-forth. She squeezed Cui Huayi’s hand and lowered her head gently: “Cousin sister, tomorrow Yan gege will be escorting the bride to Jinling. I still have some matters to instruct him about. I’ll come back later.”
After descending the stairs, Nanny Xu sighed softly: “Discord between sisters, loss of harmony—this is an ill omen.”
Just like Miss Song Si, Song Chumi, back then—out of jealousy between sisters, it was very easy to make mistakes and give others an opportunity to exploit. Song Chuyi stood still and turned back to look at this brilliantly colored embroidery tower, slowly shaking her head: “Nanny shouldn’t worry too much either. Everyone in the family understands clearly.”
Cui Yingshu did, as did Cui Yingtang and Cui Yingyun. There were also Old Madam Cui and Xie Shi who controlled the inner residence. Although they said nothing, they saw everything. Little Nanny Xu by Cui Hualuan’s side, along with the serving attendants—each one was extremely astute.
Nanny Xu realized she’d spoken out of turn. She lowered her head and fell back a step to follow behind Song Chuyi. Yes, Cui Hualuan was merely a young lady who hadn’t yet had her coming-of-age ceremony. She still had plenty of opportunities to correct herself. It was just that having followed an exceptionally perceptive master like Song Chuyi for so long, she felt that Cui Hualuan had currently lost too much sense of propriety.
Song Yan was currently staying in a courtyard on the western route connecting the rear and front courtyards. Song Chuyi had just passed through the moon gate and descended from the covered corridor when she saw Zhou Weizhao talking with Song Yan in the center of the courtyard. She couldn’t help but freeze.
Zhou Weizhao’s status was special. Moreover, he was currently recuperating and had even been assassinated before. He should properly stay in his own place. At such a late hour of night, how could he still be out wandering about everywhere?
These days she increasingly couldn’t figure out her own feelings toward Zhou Weizhao. Now suddenly seeing him, her instinctive reaction was actually to turn and leave. But her reaction was somewhat delayed—Zhou Weizhao had already noticed her and smiled at her, grinning to reveal a mouthful of brilliant white teeth.
Song Yan had already turned his head and run toward her, reaching out to take her hand with a smile: “I was just wondering why elder sister hadn’t come over to instruct me about what I should pay attention to on the road, and here you are.”
Song Chuyi couldn’t help but laugh. Song Yan had learned a great deal from Song Jue, and this skill of honeyed words especially he’d learned with precision. Hearing this, she pinched his ear: “You’re grown now. What more do I have to instruct you about? Besides, Aunt and the others won’t let you suffer any grievances, and everything for this journey has surely been prepared thoroughly. I came over because of elder brother’s message—to give you another person to accompany you, lest you get too wild playing around.”
Song Yan had never had a time when he played too wildly. From childhood he’d understood how to restrain his own desires. Song Jue sending Wangyue was naturally to protect him.
“This truly is a coincidence.” Song Yan turned back to look at Zhou Weizhao who was slowly approaching, then raised his head to look at Song Chuyi: “His Highness also came to send me someone. He’s having Cuiting accompany me to Jinling together.”
Song Jue’s intuition had always been keen. His sending of Wangyue already made Song Chuyi feel uneasy. Now Zhou Weizhao had also given Cuiting to Song Yan. These two people both making the move to place people by Song Yan’s side—could it be they also felt this trip to Jinling might involve some danger? Song Chuyi frowned faintly. Before she could ask, Zhou Weizhao, who had already walked to her side, said softly: “It’s just to prevent trouble before it happens.”
“Prevent trouble before it happens”—these mere four words sounded light and casual, but exactly what trouble was there to prevent? Song Chuyi’s whole body broke out in goosebumps. She herself feared nothing, but as long as it concerned Song Yan, she had no way to remain too calm and rational.
Song Yan looked at his elder sister then at the Grand Imperial Grandson, somewhat unsure what riddle these two were playing. Standing between the two of them, thinking about the two capable people he’d inexplicably gained, he felt both confused and puzzled.