The wind rushed at her face, her heart pounded wildly, making it somewhat hard to breathe.
Zhou Shaojin, living her second life, was running like this for the first time.
Jiang Shi’s pozi called out anxiously from behind.
Cheng Jia let out bell-like laughter.
Zhou Shaojin felt an exhilarating sense of reckless freedom.
Then she saw Pan Qing and Cheng Xu.
Under the large locust tree beside the corridor, Pan Qing was gazing at Cheng Xu with a face full of bashful admiration.
Cheng Xu, dressed in a bamboo-green straight robe, was handsome and upright, like a jade tree facing the wind.
The two were chatting and laughing, deeply engaged in pleasant conversation.
Hearing the commotion, they looked over and both showed expressions of shock.
Zhou Shaojin almost couldn’t help laughing out loud.
Heaven itself was helping her!
Pan Qing had indeed come to find Cheng Xu, and she had succeeded—they were meeting alone, just about thirty steps away from the waterside pavilion, with neither servants nor maids accompanying them.
She only needed to say in surprise, “Cousin Qing, what are you doing here? Didn’t I just tell you that Cousin Xu and the others are at the waterside pavilion?”—those who had been gathered around Lady Mian’s wife would testify for her, while Shi Xiang who remained in the flower hall could use the incident of Jiang Shi’s pozi chasing after her and Cheng Jia to draw the attention of people in the flower hall to this scene… Everyone would “know” that Pan Qing, having learned that Cheng Xu was at the waterside pavilion, had secretly slipped out of the flower hall to find him… Her objective would be achieved!
Zhou Shaojin’s footsteps gradually slowed to a stop.
She looked expressionlessly at Pan Qing and Cheng Xu, holding back Cheng Jia.
Cheng Jia stood beside Zhou Shaojin, gasping for breath, her bright, clear eyes staring unblinkingly at Pan Qing.
Pan Qing had a guilty conscience, and being stared at like this by Cheng Jia, whom she had always suppressed, naturally felt somewhat embarrassed.
Cheng Xu was quite awkward.
He clearly hadn’t expected Zhou Shaojin to catch him meeting alone with Pan Qing. His lips quivered as he wanted to explain, but didn’t know how to explain properly.
From the flower hall came Shi Xiang’s somewhat shrill voice: “Second Young Miss, Miss Jia, don’t run! Be careful not to fall.”
A slight smile curved Zhou Shaojin’s lips, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes.
Pan Qing froze, about to speak, but unexpectedly Cheng Jia jumped out first.
“Pan Qing, you clearly knew that Cousin Shi and the others were at the waterside pavilion, yet you still ran over here? What exactly are you trying to do?” Perhaps suppressed by Pan Qing for too long, or perhaps these words had been in her heart for a long time, she appeared somewhat agitated, with veins bulging at her temples. “This isn’t like that day’s musical competition with only family brothers. Today is the Fourth Branch’s old lady’s birthday celebration—besides the Cheng family’s children, there are also outside men. How can you run out here without bringing anyone? Don’t forget, you’re a guest at the Cheng household! Though our Cheng family indulges our daughters, we’re not without rules…”
Zhou Shaojin’s mouth dropped open in surprise.
How could she have forgotten Cheng Jia’s temper… If she’d known, she shouldn’t have involved Cheng Jia! But without using Cheng Jia, how would Jiang Shi’s people have chased after them, and how could she have drawn the attention of people in the flower hall…
Zhou Shaojin felt guilty.
Jiang Shi rushed over.
“Silence!” Her fair face now resembled the sky before a storm, dark and ominous. “Where is your place to speak! Your Cousin Qing merely happened to encounter your Cousin Xu by chance—what are you making such a fuss about? She’s your cousin, yet you don’t have the slightest appearance of being an older sister!”
Zhou Shaojin turned around.
She saw Cheng Xian behind Jiang Shi.
She bit her lip, her face somewhat pale, her gaze obscure.
Yuan Shi followed behind Cheng Xian.
She wore a smile, but her gaze was like a poisoned knife, glinting with dark, cold light as she looked at Pan Qing.
Shi Xiang, Guo’er, and others followed behind Yuan Shi with panicked expressions.
Over at the flower hall, a crowd of people was squeezed under the corridor.
Zhou Shaojin let out a long breath, her palms covered in sweat.
Finally completed smoothly… without any mishaps…
Shi Xiang ran over, calling out softly “Second Young Miss.”
Her trembling voice betrayed her current nervousness and fear.
Zhou Shaojin took a deep breath and smiled, nodding at her.
Shi Xiang’s expression relaxed slightly.
Cheng Jia, who had been lectured by her mother repeatedly in front of everyone, was heartbroken.
Even at this point, Mother was still protecting Pan Qing… She was her biological daughter, wasn’t she!
Tears suddenly fell as Cheng Jia sobbed: “Mother, why do you always protect Cousin Qing? If she did better than me, I’d have nothing to say if you scolded me. But this matter is clearly her fault—why are you still defending her? Is she the Cheng family’s young lady while I was just picked up from the street? It was the same during the musical competition. That ‘Fengming’ qin was made by Cousin Xu’s own hands. Though it was meant as a prize, even Cousin Shi knew that if one of us cousin sisters won first place, the jade pendant that the Second Branch’s old ancestor gave him wouldn’t be suitable as a prize, which is why he had Cousin Xu bring out a qin… You always say Cousin Qing is sensible, but if she were truly sensible, she should have exchanged prizes with Cousin Chujin on the spot, rather than accepting the qin without hesitation and then playing it in her room every day…”
Zhou Shaojin’s forehead broke out in sweat.
Cheng Jia—when she didn’t speak she was silent, but when she did speak, she could wound people to the bone.
They had all thought of everything except that the one to ruin things would be Cheng Jia!
Jiang Shi was so angry she could spit blood, wanting nothing more than to step forward and slap her foolish daughter awake.
Yet Cheng Jia, completely oblivious, continued: “Mother, do you know why I started paying attention to Cousin Qing? That day when Cousin Qing went for a walk, she actually walked all the way to Clear Creek Lake and just happened to encounter Cousin Xu passing by there…”
Pan Qing was dumbstruck, only now realizing things had blown up!
She couldn’t help looking toward Yuan Shi.
Yuan Shi’s gaze was like a poisoned knife, striking directly at the depths of her heart.
Pan Qing shivered.
Cheng Xian, however, closed her eyes, her legs went weak, and she swayed as if about to “collapse.”
Can’t let Cheng Jia continue speaking… Who knew she knew so much… Why didn’t we guard against the seemingly foolish Cheng Jia back then… And Jiang Shi, usually so shrewd and capable, why can’t she decisively step forward now to cover Cheng Jia’s mouth and stop her from spouting nonsense!
She “collapsed” toward the ground.
“Aunt!”
Jiang Shi rushed to support Cheng Xian.
Cheng Xu anxiously stepped forward, but seeing his mother’s grim face, he sheepishly retreated.
Instead, it was Pan Qing, her face pale as silk, who quickly ran to her mother’s side: “Mother, Mother, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”
The Third Branch’s servant women also ran over.
Perhaps hearing the commotion, several men emerged from the waterside pavilion.
As they walked, they called out loudly: “What’s happened?”
The scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.
Cheng Jia hadn’t expected her words would cause Cheng Xian to “faint” from anger.
She stood there in a daze, at a complete loss.
Zhou Shaojin quickly stepped forward to hold her arm, consoling her in a low voice: “It’s all right. Aunt won’t have any problems. She probably didn’t know about Cousin Qing’s matters and couldn’t accept it when she suddenly heard. She’ll be fine once she catches her breath.”
Except for Zhou Shaojin, no one paid her any attention.
Cheng Jia grasped Zhou Shaojin’s hand resting on her arm like clutching a lifeline.
Zhou Shaojin pulled Cheng Jia aside, but inwardly prayed that nothing would happen to Cheng Xian. Otherwise, if the label of “disrespecting elders” was placed on Cheng Jia’s head, her life would be ruined.
Cheng Xu somehow appeared beside Zhou Shaojin.
He said in a low voice: “Cousin Shaojin, Cousin Qing came to find me because she wanted me to speak on her behalf, to have Grandmother give her some guidance in calligraphy. I saw that her writing was quite good, just lacking some strength—if she could learn to write with Grandmother, her accomplishments should deepen. That’s why we… met… I thought since everyone was at the waterside pavilion, I found it troublesome and didn’t bring a servant… Who knew Cousin Qing also didn’t bring…”
Why are you telling me all this? Look at your mother’s expression—shouldn’t you be explaining to her first? Don’t take your anger out on me later—I won’t just stand there and let anyone push me around…
Zhou Shaojin grumbled inwardly.
Someone pushed Guo’er aside and cried out: “Mother, Mother, what’s happened to you?”
It was Pan Zhuo.
He had come out from the waterside pavilion upon hearing the commotion.
Zhou Shaojin looked up.
Cheng Lu and Cheng Shi stood by a large tree not far away—one looking thoughtfully at Cheng Xu beside her, the other concernedly at Cheng Xian surrounded by the crowd.
Zhou Shaojin turned her head away.
Cheng Lu’s gaze, however, fell upon her.
Nanny Wang walked over with a smile: “The time for the birthday celebration is approaching. The old lady asked me to invite everyone back to the flower hall.” Then her expression tightened, and she exclaimed “Oh my!” urgently asking: “What’s happened to Aunt? What’s the matter?”
“It’s nothing, nothing.” Jiang Shi’s smile was somewhat unnatural. “Aunt just felt unwell for a moment…”
Nanny Wang didn’t inquire further and quickly instructed the maids who had followed her to fetch rendan pills and draw some well water.
Zhou Shaojin stepped forward to bow to the elders and said in a low voice: “The people from the waterside pavilion will be going to pay respects to Grandmother shortly. Cousin Jia and I should return to the flower hall first!”
Jiang Shi was literally afraid of this daughter—what if she suddenly said something chaotic? That would be disastrous.
Without waiting for others to speak, she said: “Shaojin, your Aunt Xian here still needs help. After all, it’s the old lady’s birthday—you must be very busy. You go back to the flower hall first! Jia will return with me later.”
You’ve sold out Cheng Jia and still want her to help you count the money…
Zhou Shaojin didn’t want to leave Cheng Jia in this place.
She insisted on returning to the flower hall with Cheng Jia: “There are plenty of maids and pozis here. Cousin Jia is upset right now and probably can’t help much anyway.”
Yuan Shi, who had remained silent, also said: “Just let them go! What help can two little girls be here?”
After all, she was her own daughter. Jiang Shi looked at Cheng Jia’s dazed expression and sighed almost inaudibly before nodding.
Zhou Shaojin pulled Cheng Jia out of this circle of trouble.
On the way, she asked Cheng Jia: “Are you very sad and upset because you think you made Aunt Xian faint from anger?”
The wooden Cheng Jia didn’t make a sound, but her tears fell even faster.
Zhou Shaojin said: “How can this be blamed on you? If we’re talking about whose fault it is, it’s Aunt Xian’s and Cousin Qing’s fault—Aunt Xian is Cousin Qing’s mother, yet she knew nothing about what Cousin Qing did. Would Aunt Yi know nothing if you did something? Anyway, if I did anything, I definitely couldn’t hide it from my older sister.”