Old Lady Wei didn’t learn of Ting’er’s illness until evening. Though guests were still present, she rushed to his bedside, clutching his hand with a mixture of concern and self-reproach. Fortunately, Ting’er’s fever had subsided, and the physician had declared him out of danger. The servants had already taken him back to his room to take medicine.
Old Lady Wei remained behind, telling Wei Ling, “I suggested years ago that Ting’er should live with me. You worried it might disturb my peace. While one or two incidents like this might be tolerable… what if it happens again? Let’s move Ting’er’s belongings to my place tomorrow. My east warm chamber is vacant and perfect for him.”
Wei Ling stood before her and replied, “Mother, there’s no need to worry. I’ve already discussed this with Yining… Ting’er will move in with her, and she’ll look after him from now on.”
Old Lady Wei was shocked. Yining had only returned to the Ying Guogong mansion half a month ago and was still quite young herself.
“Yining has agreed,” Wei Ling continued, disregarding his mother’s thoughts. “It’s better than having him looked after by a group of maids and servants.”
Ting’er was the young master; the maids and servants wouldn’t dare be too forceful with him. Yining, however, could scold her brother if he misbehaved and comfort him when he was ill—things the servants couldn’t do.
Wei Ling recalled seeing Ting’er lying in Yining’s arms when he first arrived. He had never seen the child depend on anyone before, likely because Yining was his sister.
Old Lady Wei coughed lightly, sensing her son’s tone suggested he feared her objection. But she wouldn’t oppose anything reasonable.
She beckoned Yining over and asked gently, “Yining, are you truly willing to care for your brother? Aren’t you afraid he’ll be mischievous?”
Yining replied, “Children’s mischief is no trouble. I was quite naughty myself as a child. My former grandmother raised me, and through her love, I gradually learned to behave.”
This was the first time Old Lady Wei had heard Yining mention Lady Luo. She smiled and said, “I’ve heard of your former grandmother. She was from the Xu family of Baoding and was quite well-known in her day. She raised you well. If I could meet her, I’d like to thank her personally.”
Yining’s heart twinged at the mention of her grandmother. She said softly, “My Luo family grandmother passed away when I was ten.”
Old Lady Wei was taken aback, unaware that Yining had lost her caretaker at such a young age. Before she could respond, Yining had already turned to instruct a maid to bring her fresh tea.
Soon after, Zhao Mingzhu received the news and hurried over from Fangshan. She had initially hoped to speak with Cheng Lang but ended up playing with the daughter of the Marquis of Dingyang instead. By the time she learned of Ting’er’s illness, it was already late.
She hastily greeted Wei Ling and Old Lady Wei.
Wei Ling merely grunted in acknowledgment, while Old Lady Wei chided her, “You’re still so childish! You’re a grown lady now; you should be more responsible! How could you let people lose track of you?”
Already upset by earlier comments, Zhao Mingzhu’s eyes welled up at Old Lady Wei’s scolding. Seeing her distress, Old Lady Wei sighed deeply.
This girl, who should have been the mature older sister, had instead been spoiled to the point where she couldn’t handle the slightest criticism.
Old Lady Wei extended her hand, and Zhao Mingzhu quickly helped her up. Old Lady Wei then said, “Ting’er will be moving to Yining’s quarters. If you want to see your brother, you can visit him there.”
Zhao Mingzhu understood from these words that Old Lady Wei was no longer angry with her.
She smiled and said, “I’ll definitely come to see my brother, so he won’t be bored here without anyone to play with!”
As Old Lady Wei prepared to leave, Zhao Mingzhu followed her out of Yining’s courtyard. Just as she crossed the threshold, she caught Luo Yining giving her a cold glance.
Zhao Mingzhu disliked Luo Yining—after all, who would like someone who suddenly returned and took away what was yours? She knew Luo Yining didn’t like her either. But this was the first time she had seen Luo Yining express such cold emotions towards her.
Recalling the conversation she had overheard in the flower hall earlier that day, she clenched her fists inside her sleeves. Even if Luo Yining had returned, so what? She had Old Lady Wei’s favor and even Cheng Lang as her fiancé. How was her treatment in the household any worse than Luo Yining’s? She had always considered herself a true daughter of the Ying Guogong family and was accustomed to such treatment.
Wei Ling, noticing the girl’s silence and remembering she hadn’t eaten dinner due to her busy schedule, called for a meal to be brought.
Yining, who had felt hungry earlier, now found her appetite gone after the hunger had passed its peak. She only managed a few bites before refusing to eat more. Seeing this, Wei Ling took her bowl and said, “You eat like a cat! Just a few bites and you’re done. That won’t do. You need to eat more.”
Yining, feeling listless, could only manage to drink the soup Wei Ling had ladled for her before refusing to eat any more.
Wei Ling sighed as he looked at her slender frame, beginning to worry about the girl’s appetite.
He knew that a willow-like waist was fashionable among the ladies of the capital, but Yining shouldn’t be like that—she needed some meat on her bones. What if she became thinner after coming to the Ying Guogong mansion under his care?
Wei Ling decided to instruct the kitchen staff to prepare a variety of dishes for her each day.
After the Ying Guogong left, Yining asked Zhenzhu to prepare the west wing room for Ting’er. Leaning against the window frame, she gazed at the heavy snow falling beyond the latticed windows. Suddenly, she missed Lin Hairu and her third brother. Lin Hairu’s child should have been born by now—she wondered if it was a boy or a girl. Her third brother had said he would come to the capital for the imperial examinations, but she didn’t know when he would arrive.
The heavy snowfall, like goose feathers, continued unabated until the next day.
In some places in the capital, the snow was knee-deep. Even in the bustling markets of the metropolitan area, the snow hadn’t lessened much. Horse-drawn carriages left deep ruts as they passed.
A blue-curtained carriage stopped at the door of Mr. Sun, the Hanlin Academy Reader-in-waiting. The snow continued to fall in flurries. A servant boy, bundled in a thick cotton jacket, opened the manor gates to let the carriage in.
Mr. Sun, having received word, had been waiting in the reception hall since early morning. When he saw the tall, thin, and silent young man in a blue cloak enter, he smiled and welcomed him. He had a servant warm up some wine. As the young man was about to bow to him, Mr. Sun quickly helped him up, saying, “You’re here for the imperial examinations. In the future, you’ll surely become a disciple of a senior official. This formality is unnecessary!”
The thin young man only smiled faintly and said, “You flatter me, sir. Shen Yuan has yet to earn any academic titles and shouldn’t be so presumptuous.”
Mr. Sun still accepted Luo Shen Yuan’s bow and sat down with him. He then asked, “I thought you’d arrive after the New Year, but you’ve come early. That’s good timing. The court is in turmoil, and the Duke of Dingguo, who supports the eldest prince, has been pressuring us. Thankfully, the eldest prince’s teacher, Academic Liu, has been mediating. Although he’s the eldest prince’s teacher, he’s truly a good man.”
Although the crown prince was the rightful heir, the emperor particularly favored Consort Shu, the mother of the eldest prince, and showed no affection for the crown prince. He had attempted to depose the crown prince and install the eldest prince several times but was prevented by his officials, who argued it went against ancestral custom. As a result, over thirty officials who had remonstrated with the emperor had been demoted. Sun Jie, having once been the crown prince’s teacher, naturally supported him.
Luo Shen Yuan said, “I heard that he disagrees with you politically, and when you were an editor, he once punished you by making you copy books for making a mistake.”
“Although we disagree, he’s never mistreated me because of it,” Mr. Sun smiled and said. “I was young and foolish then, and even argued with him.”
Mr. Sun changed the subject, saying, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. We should welcome you and help you settle in!” He then called for a servant to prepare lunch for Luo Shen Yuan, who sat in the reception hall drinking tea. Just as he set down his teacup, he heard footsteps approaching.
He looked up to see a graceful figure standing in the doorway. This beautiful and refined young woman wore a blue satin jacket and a snow-white xiangqun. Her cloud-like hair was adorned with a blue jade hairpin. Several maids followed behind her. When she saw Luo Shen Yuan, her face flushed slightly, and her voice couldn’t hide her joy as she bowed and said, “Brother Shen Yuan, why have you returned?” Realizing she might have sounded too eager, she quickly added in a soft voice, “I didn’t come here intentionally to see you… I was looking for my father.”
“I know,” Luo Shen Yuan said with a faint smile, not exposing her pretense.
She had come in such a hurry, and Mr. Sun had just happened to step out. He didn’t need to guess what Sun Congwan intended. Years ago, when he stayed at Mr. Sun’s house, he had been tasked with tutoring Sun Congwan. They would sit on opposite sides of a curtain in Miss Sun’s flower hall, unable to see each other. Sun Congwan, a year younger than him, had developed feelings for him even then.
Luo Shen Yuan, perceptive as he was, knew this but never mentioned it. He simply acted as if nothing had changed and continued to tutor her.
Sun Congwan, hearing his words, felt even more nervous. Looking at him again, she saw he was just as she remembered—clear-eyed, handsome, and composed. She lowered her head, unable to speak. She recalled what her father had told her: “…It’s wonderful that you like Shen Yuan. I admire him too. I just fear that once he achieves success in the imperial examinations, many families will want to ally with him. At that point, he may not consider us worthy anymore. Fortunately, Cheng Zhang has replied to me, saying that as long as Shen Yuan passes the imperial examinations, he will arrange a marriage with our youngest daughter.”
Sun Congwan had felt embarrassed at the time, and Mr. Sun had laughed heartily. Sun Congwan had also smiled shyly. Of course, she liked him. When he came to tutor her, he only brought books. He was so handsome and quiet. People his age were never as composed as him, but when he looked at her calmly, his gaze was so deep that it made her blush and her heart race.
Now, looking at him felt even more different. After several years, he seemed even more composed, and she even thought he looked taller. She secretly hoped to see him more often.
Just then, Mr. Sun returned from outside. Seeing his daughter standing at the door, her usual elegance replaced by a girlish demeanor, he inwardly chuckled. He said to Luo Shen Yuan, “Shen Yuan, Congwan came up with a clever couplet a few days ago that even I couldn’t match. Now that you’re here, why don’t you let her recite it and see if you can come up with a matching line?”
Hearing this, Luo Shen Yuan lowered his head with a smile and stood up steadily, saying, “Then let Sister Congwan recite it. I’ll give it a try.”
Sun Congwan saw that he was much taller than her, standing with his hands behind his back, looking at her seriously. She said, “This was inspired by my visit to the river pavilion a few days ago. Please listen, Brother Shen Yuan.” She composed herself, took a few steps forward, and said softly, “Gazing at the river pavilion, gazing at the river’s flow, gazing at the river’s flow beneath the river pavilion, the pavilion eternal, the river eternal.”
Miss Sun’s talent was well-known far and wide. Although Mr. Sun was partly joking, she indeed possessed some literary talent.
Luo Shen Yuan pondered briefly before responding. “Then I’ll humbly offer my attempt,” he said, pausing before continuing, “Moon-printing well, moon-printing shadow, moon-printing shadow in the moon-printing well, the well endures ten thousand years, the shadow endures ten thousand years.”
Sun Congwan’s gaze softened like water as she looked at him. Indeed, he lived up to his reputation as a young, renowned scholar!
By the time Luo Shen Yuan finally left Mr. Sun’s residence, night had fallen.
As he boarded his carriage, his guard immediately handed him a letter, saying, “Third Young Master, it’s from the Duke’s mansion.”
The gentle smile vanished from Luo Shen Yuan’s face. He grunted in acknowledgment, signaling the coachman to depart. He opened the letter, read it expressionlessly, and then slowly folded it back up.
After reading, the guard held out a candle. Luo Shen Yuan burned the letter and asked, “None of the letters sent to the Ying Guogong mansion got through, did they?”
“The Ying Guogong won’t allow any letters from the Luo family to enter,” the guard replied uneasily. “We have no way around it. Anything sent to the young miss must be inspected by the Ying Guogong first. It’s not an ordinary household; we can’t infiltrate it.”
“Forget it,” Luo Shen Yuan said. “No need to send any more letters.” It was enough to know that Yining was there, even if she couldn’t receive them.
“Won’t you go see Seventh Miss?” the guard asked hesitantly. “I thought you came early to visit her.”
Luo Shen Yuan closed his eyes to rest, then replied, “Not now.”
He had raised Yining from a little girl to a young woman and had gradually developed different feelings for her. Of course, he wanted to see her, worried that she might be mistreated in the Ying Guogong mansion, yet also fearing that if they treated her too well, she might forget about him, the third brother who had always been by her side. But now wasn’t the right time.
Upon arriving at their residence in the capital, servants had already prepared everything. As soon as Luo Shen Yuan entered the main hall, someone approached him, saying, “The Second Madam sent a message asking you to deliver some items to Seventh Miss. She’s already had them sent over.”
Lin Hairu had just given birth to a young master, bringing joy to the entire Luo household. Only Concubine Qiao, upon hearing of the legitimate son’s birth, stood under the eaves for a long time, unable to react, her face as pale as paper. Lin Hairu had asked him to write a letter to Yining overnight, though Luo Shen Yuan knew it would likely end up in Wei Ling’s hands. Still, seeing Lin Hairu’s joy, he wrote the letter anyway.
Now she had sent more items over. She must be thinking of Yining often.
“I understand,” Luo Shen Yuan said calmly.
He sat quietly in the main hall, writing a letter to Luo Cheng Zhang. For a while, there was no other sound in the room.
Yining had been waiting for a long time but hadn’t received any letters from the Luo family. She didn’t even know if her stepmother had given birth to a boy or a girl, or if mother and child were safe. As the twelfth month drew near and the New Year approached, she calculated that if the child was born at full term, it should be about two months old now. She even went to the reception office to confirm, but indeed, no letters had arrived.
Ting’er moving in with her had certainly livened things up.
Ever since the day she had lulled Ting’er to sleep at noon, he would bring his small blanket to nap in Yining’s room every day. Yining found this a bit annoying and simply set up a bed for him in the gauze-curtained alcove. Ting’er became even more presumptuous, essentially moving in with Yining, eating and living with her, never returning to his own west wing room.
When Yining hinted that he should sleep in his room, he stubbornly replied, “I’m supposed to live here! I want to sleep here.”
A five-year-old child can be quite bothersome when full of energy. Yining gave up trying to reason with him, but Ting’er would still follow her around expectantly. If she was practicing calligraphy, he would noisily grind ink beside her. If she was doing needlework, he would come and mess it up. When Yining grabbed him to spank him, he would look at her with innocent yet stubborn doe-like eyes.
Once, while Yining was practicing calligraphy, he even broke a human-height vase she had just brought out from storage. Yining had planned to use it for winter plum blossoms. This time she was truly angry and spanked Ting’er a few times. It was the first time Yining had spanked him, and he cried with hiccups and sobs. When Yining asked him why he broke the vase, he remained silent for a long time.
Finally, Yining asked, “Did you want me to play with you? Is that why you broke the vase?” To get her attention.
After a while, Ting’er nodded.
Yining didn’t know whether to laugh or cry—he was still so childish!
She took Ting’er to play in the courtyard. She was quite experienced, having cared for her stepmother’s younger siblings when she was little and later for young Cheng Lang at the Ningyuan Marquis’s mansion. There was still snow piled in the courtyard. When Ting’er wanted to build a snowman, Yining said, “What’s so fun about snowmen?” She had the maids bring some cattail reeds and wove a dragonfly for Ting’er. He watched in amazement as her slender hands moved up and down, gradually forming a dragonfly.
Ting’er treasured this bamboo dragonfly, hanging it on the basket he used for school and not letting anyone else touch it.
One day, Zhao Mingzhu came to play with Ting’er and saw him clinging to Yining’s side. When Yining told him to read, he became distracted by the orchids nearby. Yining tapped the back of his hand with a ruler. Ting’er rubbed his sore hand and pouted, but said without any resentment, “You’ve hit me three times now…”
Zhao Mingzhu’s smile became a bit stiff. She had thought Ting’er didn’t like Luo Yining. She walked over and said, “Ting’er, I brought you some snacks.”
Ting’er called her “Sister Mingzhu” but, fearing Yining’s scolding quickly returned to his book.
Zhao Mingzhu lived in the West Garden while Yining lived in the East Garden, and they rarely interacted. Yining simply pointed to the side and said, “Put them there. I’ll call him to eat later.”
Zhao Mingzhu then said, “Grandmother asked me to bring these for both of you. There’s a portion for you too.”
Yining just smiled slightly, not wanting to talk much with her. Ever since the incident with Ting’er, she hadn’t liked Zhao Mingzhu much. Zhao Mingzhu sat for a moment but left for the West Garden without even drinking a cup of tea. When she complained to Old Lady Wei about Yining, she said, “Yining doesn’t respect me at all, and even the maids in her room are cold towards me…”
Old Lady Wei listened and looked at Zhao Mingzhu. She suddenly remembered what her son had angrily told her before. Wei Ling’s words made sense—Zhao Mingzhu was just a foster child in the Ying Guogong mansion, not Wei Ling’s biological daughter. Her current treatment was already quite good. If she continued to behave this way, it would only make Wei Ling dislike her more.
She wanted to advise Zhao Mingzhu and finally said slowly, “She is Wei Ling’s biological daughter, while you are fostered here. How can you expect her to respect you?”
Yining was the true young miss of this household. How she treated Zhao Mingzhu was up to her; others couldn’t interfere.
And Wei Ling wouldn’t let others interfere with her.
Zhao Mingzhu was stunned. This was the first time Old Lady Wei had spoken to her in this manner.