When she had just disembarked, exhausted from the journey, Song Chuyi, though beautiful and eye-catching, wasn’t overly so. But now, dressed up and standing under the lamplight like this, Nanny Qian instantly couldn’t help but stop in her tracks. She coughed once to cover her lapse in composure, then smiled and stepped forward to take Song Chuyi’s hand: “The young ladies have all finished their lessons and returned. Old Madam asked me to come see if you’re ready here.”

Nanny Qian had seen at least eight hundred noble ladies if not a thousand, and believed she had never seen anyone better than their own eldest miss, Cui Hualuan. Yet now with Song Chuyi standing beside her, she suddenly couldn’t quite recall what Cui Hualuan looked like. It wasn’t that Cui Hualuan wasn’t beautiful—it was that Song Chuyi was too lovely, her beauty radiantly magnificent. Having seen her face, one wouldn’t want to look at anyone else’s. She hadn’t expected that the eldest miss could give birth to such an exquisitely beautiful young cousin miss, and moreover, Nanny Qian observed with a cold eye that her manners and upbringing were impeccable as well.

Old Madam’s Rongan Courtyard had already been lit up. Entering through the main gate and turning past the covered walkway, flying petals accompanied by crisp bird songs drifted down into the courtyard from time to time. Upon entering the main courtyard, fallen flowers were even more abundant everywhere, flying reds covering the ground. Even the two white peacocks were covered in petals.

The maids under the corridor all stood up together and respectfully called out “Young Cousin Miss,” watching Song Chuyi enter the room with smiles before sitting back down with a sigh: “This young cousin miss is truly… no less impressive than our eldest miss.”

The spacious room was already filled with people. Old Madam Cui reached out to pull Song Chuyi to her side and introduced them one by one with a smile: “This is your Second Aunt, whom you met this morning. This is your Third Aunt…”

Song Chuyi crouched down to perform her greeting but before she could finish, Xie Shi pulled her up with a laugh: “We’re not outsiders, why so much ceremony?” She gave her a meeting gift—a pair of gold-mounted Nine Dragons Playing with Pearl bracelets. The pearls were transparent and lustrous, clearly no ordinary items. Third Aunt Zheng Shi gave her a filigree gemstone-inset crabapple pattern gold hairpin and a set of mermaid silk gauze.

The Cui family’s direct line had four branches in total. Those meeting now were all from her maternal grandfather’s branch; even Yu Shi was not present. Old Madam Cui took her hand with a smile: “First let you recognize the relatives on this side, in case you get confused when people from the other manor come later.”

She then nodded toward Nanny Qian: “Go bring the young ladies out.”

As the curtain of the east warm chamber lifted, several young ladies filed out one after another, all coming forward to greet Song Chuyi.

The Cui family’s young ladies were all naturally elegant and refined, with features like paintings. Among them, the tallest one was the most outstanding—composed in temperament, simply possessing an immortal bearing with jade-smooth skin, her brows like distant mountains containing autumn waters.

Xie Shi introduced her with a smile: “This is your eldest cousin sister.”

No wonder when Cui Huayi mentioned Cui Hualuan, her tone always carried a proud sense of shared glory. Just in appearance alone, this eldest cousin sister could be called one in ten thousand.

Song Chuyi had just finished greeting them when little maids outside began calling out repeatedly: “Second Old Madam and Third Old Madam have arrived!”

The eastern Cui manor housed the second and third branches, separated by a river in between, always coming and going together. The fourth branch had already moved to Qinghe—Song Chuyi had heard all this from Madam Cui before coming.

As the curtain lifted, Second Old Madam and Third Old Madam walked in side by side. The one wearing a dark yellow printed robe with a sapphire-studded ornament on her forehead was Second Old Madam. The one slightly behind, wearing a bright red long robe and supported by Yu Shi, was Third Old Madam.

Second Master Cui was born of a concubine, while Third Master Cui was the biological brother of Song Chuyi’s maternal grandfather from the same mother. Song Chuyi stepped forward to pay her respects, and both old madams gave precious meeting gifts. Third Old Madam studied her for a while with some emotion: “Before you know it, so many years have passed, and Tingting’s daughter has grown this big. Looking at her is just like seeing Tingting.”

This nearly brought Old Madam Cui to tears again, and everyone hastily consoled her.

Old Madam Cui glared at her: “I was just getting better, stop trying to set me off.”

The close relationship between Old Madam Cui and Third Old Madam was evidently intimate. Third Old Madam wasn’t the least bit intimidated by her, reaching out to hold Song Chuyi’s hand and not letting go, lowering her head to look at her gently: “Good child, since you’ve come, stay for a good while. Don’t be constrained at all.”

Third Old Madam had just finished speaking when Doukou appeared at the doorway. Xie Shi had sharp eyes and noticed first, going out with a smile and standing there briefly before returning to bend down and whisper a few words by Old Madam Cui’s ear.

Old Madam Cui’s brows furrowed, but the smile on her face didn’t change. She smilingly asked Second Old Madam and Third Old Madam to proceed first to Qiushuang Studio, then instructed Cui Hualuan to take good care of Song Chuyi.

Cui Hualuan wore ear muffs, her face almost invisible hidden in the fluffy fur, making her appear even more adorably jade-like and snow-pure. Upon leaving, she smiled and took Song Chuyi’s hand, kind and affable: “Our family has many people—are your eyes dazzled?”

Without waiting for Song Chuyi to speak, she hurried on with a smile: “Last time I went to visit Second Aunt’s family, I couldn’t recognize people clearly, and their family doesn’t have as many people as ours. After you stay for a while longer, you’ll gradually sort them out.”

She was indeed considerate, even taking herself as an example to prevent others from feeling embarrassed.

Before Song Chuyi could reply, a young lady behind them wearing a goose-yellow cloak and wooden clogs spoke with a beaming smile: “I heard from Huayi that Sixth Younger Sister, your equestrian skills are excellent? When shall we have a race?”

“Elder Sister Huaqing has studied under the master equestrian instructor Master Ni since childhood. Before you, my little tricks wouldn’t be sufficient.” Song Chuyi nodded slightly, a smile playing at the corners of her lips: “Being able to win against the Ninth Princess back then was merely luck.”

Whether it was truly luck or not, everyone naturally knew in their hearts. Song Chuyi said Cui Huaqing studied under Master Ni, so she couldn’t not know that the Ninth Princess was also taught by famous masters. These words were merely modest.

Once the young ladies opened their chatterbox, it became somewhat unstoppable. Before long, Cui Huaqing and Cui Huayao sisters were walking alongside Song Chuyi, laughingly asking about interesting events in the capital: “I heard that in Tongzhou you even helped His Highness the Crown Prince’s son and the Prince Consort repel enemies?”

Cui Huaqing and Cui Huayao might not have noticed, but Song Chuyi, who had never met them before, understood their personalities and temperaments extremely well. She could actually match people with names right away. It seemed she had put in considerable effort in the capital beforehand. Cui Hualuan smiled, inconspicuously falling back a step to follow behind at a leisurely pace, her eyes sparkling with starlight. Before meeting Song Chuyi, she had already heard about this cousin sister’s deeds from many people. Almost every letter her parents sent home contained this cousin’s name.