Song Chuyi arrived late and happened to encounter Eldest Young Madam bringing little Ren Yi out. Little Ren Yi was wrapped in a thick blanket, only his little head with its tiger-head cap showing. He opened his large, bright black-and-white eyes and smiled at Song Chuyi.
“Why is Eldest Sister-in-law coming out at this hour?” Song Chuyi reached out to poke Ren Yi’s little dimples. Seeing his eyes roll and his mouth open in laughter, she laughed too.
Li Qingzi lifted the child higher in her arms. Finding him somewhat heavy, she had to hand him to the wet nurse beside her, patting her shoulder while tucking the blanket tighter around Ren Yi. “Ren Yi couldn’t sit still inside and was making quite a fuss. I’m taking him back to coax him to sleep before coming out again.”
After speaking, she looked meaningfully at Song Chuyi and whispered in her ear, “Inside, the Heir’s wife is asking about you, and coincidentally you’ve just arrived.”
He Shi kept running to the Earl of Changning’s estate trip after trip, sometimes even bringing Shen Qingrang along. Her intentions were known to everyone. But since she was now a proper matchmaker, even though Old Madam Song and Eldest Madam Song found her insistence on showing closeness to Song Chuyi tiresome, they couldn’t very well say anything.
Li Qingzi saw Song Chuyi’s expression turn impatient as expected, and smiled slightly. “Originally Old Madam declined for you this time, saying you weren’t feeling well. But Second Uncle insisted you’d only caught a chill and it wasn’t anything serious, and persisted in having you come.”
Song Chuyi raised her eyebrows, watching Li Qingzi walk away with Ren Yi before stepping into the courtyard herself.
Before Song Chuyi could bow, Old Madam Song stopped her. She glanced at Song Yi, then inconspicuously looked at He Shi’s smiling face, and said to Song Chuyi with a smile, “Your sisters are all playing in the warm pavilion at the back. You go join them too—your Sister Shen is also there.”
Song Yi was still fantasizing about forming a marriage alliance with Duke Yingguo’s estate. Old Madam Song shook her head and sighed inwardly—over these two years she’d seen it herself. Song Yi did indeed want to compensate, but he simply understood his daughter’s temperament far too little. Song Chuyi also had a rift with Song Yi because of Cui Shi and Song Yan’s matters, and was even more unwilling to confide any thoughts to him.
Now Song Yi was actually thinking of bringing Shen Qingrang and Song Chuyi together. How was this mending relations with Song Chuyi? In Song Chuyi’s view, this was practically Song Yi deliberately pushing her to her death.
The matter with the Han family—after the Empress started it, there’d been no follow-up. Old Madam Song had a stifled breath stuck in her chest, making her terribly uncomfortable. Even Old Master Song had been somewhat anxious lately. Yet at this time, Song Yi was still interfering and adding chaos. Looking at Song Chuyi, Old Madam Song couldn’t help shuddering, fearing her disgust toward Song Yi would deepen another layer.
But Song Yi himself was completely oblivious. Hearing Old Madam Song mention playing in the warm pavilion, he coughed twice and interjected, “What’s interesting about staying cooped up in the warm pavilion in this weather? They should exercise more. The swing by the lake has been there so long as mere decoration—by rights they should go out and play more. Today Xiao Qi happens to be here too. They all grew up together—it would be a shame if they grew distant now that they’re older. Why not have Brother Yue and Xiao Qi accompany the sisters for a stroll in the garden?”
He Shi looked at Song Chuyi with a face full of smiles. Seeing her keep her head lowered in silence, she felt somewhat heavy-hearted for some reason. But her reactions were quick—she immediately smiled and continued, “Previously I often heard Xiao Qi mention taking his sisters to fly kites. Xiao Yi especially loved flying the Chang’e flying to the moon style, didn’t she? Since we have the time, going out for a walk would be good.”
Old Madam Song gave Second Master Song a reproachful look, saying with a half-smile, “You certainly know how to order people around. Did they come to our house as guests or to play with the children? How is it that at your age you still have no sense of propriety?”
As she spoke, her heart couldn’t help sinking—when Song Chuyi was younger, there were far fewer things to worry about than now. But since the matter with the Han family arose, she’d already noticed that Song Chuyi had reached an age where marriage could be used as leverage.
Duke Yingguo’s estate and the Marquis of Jinxiang’s estate, who had their eyes on her because of her status—neither was easy to deal with.
And this was only just the beginning. Looking at Song Chuyi, who had grown increasingly dazzling, she suddenly felt somewhat alarmed.
Song Yi ultimately didn’t dare defy Old Madam Song’s wishes. Though somewhat puzzled by Old Madam Song’s attitude, he no longer mentioned kite flying or going out to play. Seeing Song Chuyi say she wasn’t feeling well and leave, he followed her out. After a few steps he coughed several times to stop her, approaching her with some awkwardness and distance. He first asked about Song Yan, and upon learning Song Yan would depart soon, he hummed in acknowledgment, then immediately asked her, “Why don’t you like playing with your Brother Shen lately? I remember when you were little, you loved following him most.”
Though Great Zhou emphasized propriety between men and women, children from closely connected families rarely avoided each other, and many childhood sweethearts ended up together.
“I wonder if Father remembers that when I was little, Brother Shen disliked me most.” Song Chuyi laughed inexplicably, her voice crisp and cold. “Father scolded me plenty over pestering him. Young ladies should be reserved and self-respecting—I’ve remembered it to this day.”
When she was young, Song Chuyi liked to pester Shen Qingrang to go everywhere, but Shen Qingrang didn’t like taking her along. Over this matter, they often ended up before the elders. Song Yi vaguely remembered that back then Song Chuyi had indeed been annoying. In the estate, from top to bottom, besides him and Old Master and Old Madam, not one person liked her. He’d indeed scolded her for being ignorant and ill-bred over the Shen Qingrang matter. But now he was eagerly pushing them together—thinking about it this way, it was indeed very sudden and too deliberate.
Song Yi stopped walking, his face rather awkward. Blushing, he watched Song Chuyi bow and withdraw, unable to catch his breath for a long while.
When she returned to her room, Bilian was already waiting. She rarely entered Song Chuyi’s study. Now suddenly entering a place only Song Chuyi’s personal head maids could enter before, even being clever, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat anxious. Gripping her hands and widening her eyes, she listened to Song Chuyi speak, afraid of missing a single word.
“No one followed you?” Song Chuyi first glanced at her before sitting down, opening the sealed letter to read through it once. Her expression darkened somewhat. “Did Maternal Aunt have any other instructions?”
Bilian quickly shook her head. “No one followed me. When I left, I said I was buying osmanthus oil for the sister who manages the garden flowers. I even deliberately circled around three alleys before daring to hire a carriage. Maternal Aunt said everything is fine recently, just that the house is too quiet. She wants you to remember to visit and keep her company often.”