By the time the Eleventh Princess’s invitations were delivered to various households, it was already early August. Though the weather at the start of the eighth month remained scorching, the mornings and evenings now carried a hint of coolness. Chen Mingyu pulled her garments tighter around herself, her lips pressed into a straight line as she sat expressionlessly by the south window. In her hands was an embroidery frame bearing a pattern of lush lotus leaves. Her needlework was exquisite—the fish and lotus leaves she’d sewn were so lifelike they seemed ready to swim and sway. Seeing that she’d maintained the same posture for quite some time without moving, Rushuang softly called out: “Miss?”
Chen Mingyu’s hands moved mechanically. Her lowered head slowly lifted, the cinnabar beauty mark between her brows still a vivid, dripping red that immediately caught the eye. She turned to glance at the striking clock on the wall, her face expressionless, her voice flat and without inflection as she asked: “Has Grandmother not returned yet? No word from Great-Aunt either?”
Outside the room, a young maid approached with light, quick steps. She stopped at the threshold, whispering briefly with someone before respectfully inquiring inside: “Miss, are you awake? Our Madam and the young ladies sent us to speak with you.”
Seeing Chen Mingyu nod, Rushuang hurriedly responded with a smile: “She’s awake! Please come in, sisters!” As she spoke, she personally lifted the door curtain, her face full of smiles. “Please do come in—our Miss is doing embroidery.”
Two clear-featured, comely young maids entered one after the other. They lowered their hands and curtsied to Chen Mingyu before speaking: “Our Madam and the young ladies request Miss Chen to come over for conversation and company. A tank of goldfish has been delivered—they’d like Miss to come select a few as well.”
Chen Mingyu’s face had already assumed an extremely warm and proper smile. With her face like a silver basin and eyes like dots of lacquer, when she smiled with such kindness, everyone found her pleasing to behold. She turned to instruct Rushuang to give the maids a reward, then gently nodded: “Many thanks to you both. I’ll tidy myself and come over shortly.” After the two maids accepted the reward and withdrew, she stood and let Rushuang help her change clothes. Sitting before the mirror to look at her own face, she suddenly, without warning, reached out and smashed the mirror to smithereens.
Fortunately, it wasn’t the glass mirror embedded in the redwood stand that she smashed, but rather the small mirror propped on the table. Even so, Rushuang and Ruqian were both startled, their faces draining of color as they hastily knelt on either side of her. Since the Chen family’s troubles, Chen Mingyu’s temperament had grown increasingly strange and obstinate—she often flew into terrible rages over small matters.
Chen Mingyu stared expressionlessly at the maids kneeling on the square-patterned blue bricks now covered in fragments. Her gaze fixed intently on her still exquisite and beautiful reflection in the mirror, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut before forcing out a smile once more.
Living under someone else’s roof as she now did, she really shouldn’t be angry. In the future, she might not even have the right to be angry. Thinking this, she quickly opened her eyes again. Glancing at Rushuang and Ruqian, she coldly instructed them to rise and fix her hair.
Rushuang and Ruqian exchanged glances, both letting out identical sighs of relief. This wasn’t their own home—if Chen Mingyu continued throwing young miss tantrums as she had at home, it would truly be inappropriate and would create an awkward situation for everyone. After all, their family and the Qin family weren’t even proper relatives; the Qin family had only taken them in for Great-Aunt Chen’s sake.
Since they were going to see Madam Qin and the Qin young ladies, Rushuang and Ruqian worked with extreme speed to arrange Chen Mingyu’s hair in a high coiffure, adorning it with several jade hairpins for decoration before helping Chen Mingyu make her way to the garden.
This Qin family was the very same one that had produced Prince Duan’s consort years ago. Two years prior, when Second Master Qin of the second branch was promoted to Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the entire second branch moved to the capital. Though Princess Duan’s strangulation of her cousin had caused a citywide scandal, that was all business of the first and third branches—it had nothing to do with the second branch for now. Besides, the second branch had produced Princess Su, who was doing well, had always enjoyed a reputation for virtue, and was greatly respected by Prince Su. The second branch of the Qin family also had an excellent family reputation, and Second Master Qin was skilled at managing relationships, so the Qin family was actually quite well-liked in capital circles. Great-Aunt Chen was Second Master Qin’s own younger sister who later married into the Chen family. However, before the wedding, her fiancé died. She was an extraordinary woman—she made up her mind to never remarry, observed three years of mourning at home, then carried his memorial tablet as she married into the Chen family.
They hadn’t exchanged news for many years now. This time, they only reached out to the Qin family because Chen Mingyu needed a place to stay. Madam Qin had initially been unwilling—she was extremely afraid of getting involved in trouble, and Old Master Chen had clearly committed a grave offense with no hope of salvation. She also feared being implicated. However, her husband felt great affection for this legitimate younger sister of his, and their daughter who had become Princess Su was also quite close to this aunt, so she had no choice but to give face and agree to Great-Aunt Chen’s request to look after Chen Mingyu.
Chen Mingyu knew this was all just for appearances. Though she lived at the Qin residence without suffering any grievances and the Qin household servants treated her politely without ever disobeying, the pitying glances that occasionally showed in the eyes of the Qin young ladies cut her heart like knives. It was as if her self-respect had been trampled underfoot. In the past, the Qin family might not have even warranted her attention, yet now she had to live under their roof, enduring such looks.
She moved swiftly around the covered walkway to reach the two-story pavilion built against the artificial mountain. She performed a proper, flowing curtsy to Madam Qin. Madam Qin couldn’t help but sigh at how beautiful this young lady was. Though she felt apprehensive in her heart, she wouldn’t make things difficult for a young girl. She smiled and nodded slightly: “Their brother was fooling around and obtained some goldfish from somewhere. They do look quite colorfully pretty. See if there are any you like and share them with your sisters.”
Chen Mingyu obediently and smilingly responded that she would. Just as she approached the several Qin young ladies, she heard Third Miss Qin laughing at Fourth Miss Qin: “If I were you, I’d have no mind to think about goldfish—your Imperial Great-Grandson is about to be snatched away by someone else!”
Fourth Miss had a good temperament, but at these words, her face flushed completely red. She stared at her sister with her neck stretched out stiffly, her eyes brimming with tears, feeling both ashamed and embarrassed as she glanced at Chen Mingyu.
Chen Mingyu lowered her head. Viewed from the side, her face still wore that gentle smile, but the hand at her side clutched tightly at her handkerchief. She’d already heard this morning about the Eleventh Princess sending out invitations to a tea gathering—Princess Rongcheng would apparently be attending as well.
Chen Mingyu understood perfectly well whose matchmaker the Eleventh Princess wanted to be and for whom she was paving the way. The cinnabar beauty mark between her brows remained vivid as dripping blood, yet her face was covered in dark clouds. She had now fallen so low as to live under another’s roof, reading their expressions to survive, yet Song Chuyi was about to climb high and achieve her heart’s desire—to marry the very man she had always wanted to marry. How unjust were the affairs of this world?! Why was Heaven so blind, giving all the good fortune to Song Chuyi while leaving her so unfortunate? She unconsciously bit her lip, her teeth leaving deep marks on it, her gaze full of unconcealed disgust and fury.