Zhou Shaojin buried her face in the soft bedding, tears flowing uncontrollably. Soon, a large patch of the quilt was soaked, making her face wet and damp.
She shifted to another spot and continued crying.
Chun Wan stood helplessly by the bed, bending at the waist, her expression anxious yet not daring to be too urgent as she said softly, “Second Young Miss, what’s the matter with you? Is something not being properly attended to? Should I go tell Eldest Young Miss and ask for a physician…”
“No!” Zhou Shaojin’s voice was muffled, but her tone was quite urgent. “Don’t tell Sister! If you tell Sister, I’ll never speak to you again.”
Then what should she do?
Could she just watch helplessly as Second Young Miss lay on the bed crying her heart out?
Chun Wan was caught in a dilemma. After thinking for a moment, she said gently, “How about I use rock sugar to stew some pear water for Second Young Miss?”
After crying, one’s throat usually becomes dry and scratchy.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t make a sound.
Chun Wan took that as agreement and tiptoed out of the inner chamber.
Xiao Tan and the others were anxiously waiting outside the door. Seeing her appear, they gathered around and asked in hushed voices, “What did Second Young Miss say?”
“She won’t say anything.” Chun Wan shook her head with a somewhat grave expression and said, “When Imperial Physician Cao examined Young Miss’s pulse, we withdrew, and only Nanny Li and that Imperial Physician Cao were in the room… If worst comes to worst, we’ll have to go ask Nanny Li?”
The still-young Ji Xiang said uneasily, “Could it be that Young Miss’s illness…”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Bitao rebuked her sternly in a low voice with a serious face. “If Young Miss’s illness were difficult to treat, how could Fourth Master Chi and Grand Lady sit there talking so calmly?”
“But why would Second Young Miss cry so heartbrokenly?” Xiao Tan frowned and said, “Could it be that Fourth Master Chi said something?”
Upon hearing this, Chun Wan’s eyebrows immediately shot up. She instructed Ji Xiang to go help stew pear water for Zhou Shaojin, had Bitao guard the door, and pulled Xiao Tan to the covered corridor, asking in a low voice, “Did you hear something?”
They had waited in the side room for a long time, and no one from the main room had called them in.
At that time, it was Xiao Tan who had peeked and seen what was happening.
Xiao Tan hesitated for a while before finally lowering her voice and saying, “At that time, the courtyard was completely quiet with not a single person around. I seemed to hear Fourth Young Miss crying… but it was intermittent, and I didn’t hear very clearly… You know what happened after that—after Fourth Master left and we came in, Second Young Miss was already like this!”
“This is really killing me with anxiety!” As for Song Mu’s matter, Chun Wan decided to keep it buried in her heart. Naturally, she couldn’t mention it, but aside from this matter, Chun Wan really couldn’t think of anything worth Zhou Shaojin crying like this over.
She could only say, “Forget it! When the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. If Second Young Miss truly has something wrong, aren’t Fourth Master Chi and Grand Lady still here? We just need to serve Young Miss well.”
But Xiao Tan said, “Should we consult with Nanny Fan and Nanny Shang?”
“Better not!” Chun Wan felt that if the matter became too big, it might lead to discovery of Song Mu’s situation. “They’re both experienced nannies. If Second Young Miss is still crying like this tomorrow, it won’t be too late to tell Nanny Fan and Nanny Shang then. Otherwise, the two nannies might think we can’t handle matters.”
Xiao Tan still felt they should tell Nanny Shang, but since Chun Wan clearly opposed it, she couldn’t insist.
She decided to wait a day as Chun Wan suggested before saying anything.
Perhaps Second Young Miss was just momentarily feeling melancholy about the world?
The room gradually quieted down. Zhou Shaojin had also cried herself tired.
The handkerchief in her hand was crumpled into a ball.
Uncle Chi… was truly too detestable!
How could he treat her like that!
Holding her so tightly she couldn’t even breathe.
And saying things like telling her to be good, not to think wild thoughts, that he would handle everything…
She didn’t believe him!
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed red.
When he spoke, he was so close to her. His breath struck against her ear, hot and warm, tickling as it lingered around her neck, making goosebumps rise all over her, and she didn’t dare move even a bit…
Her face suddenly turned pale.
In her mind surfaced those eyes reddened by alcohol and the rough, turbid panting… and the tearing pain in her body…
Why did she have to encounter Cheng Xu?
Why?
Zhou Shaojin’s tears fell freely as she leaned over the bed and began to vomit.
“Shaojin!” It was her sister Zhou Chujin who flew over, hurriedly holding her in her arms while loudly scolding Chun Wan and the others, “Why are you standing there like idiots? Go fetch a physician for Second Young Miss…”
Before she could finish speaking, her sister gripped her hand tightly.
“I’m fine.” Zhou Shaojin raised her head with a pale face, her eyes red and swollen as she forced out a smile that made one’s heart ache. “I just choked from crying earlier…”
Zhou Chujin didn’t believe her.
She dismissed those serving in the room and said suspiciously, “Is it because of Young Master Song?”
“No!” Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said, “Sister, don’t guess wildly. It has nothing to do with Young Master Song.”
Zhou Chujin was angry at her for not living up to expectations.
Zhou Shaojin smiled bitterly with exhaustion.
Young Master Song was definitely taking the blame for this!
She had already wronged Young Master Song anyway, so she could only inconvenience Young Master Song a bit more.
Zhou Shaojin said, “Sister, I want to bathe!”
“At this time?” Zhou Chujin was astonished. “It’s almost time for the evening meal…”
“I know.” Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “Brother-in-law will be back soon! Sister doesn’t need to worry about me. I just feel rather dirty.”
Zhou Chujin saw the filth vomited by the bedside and didn’t object further, instructing Chun Wan to attend to Zhou Shaojin’s bath.
Zhou Shaojin submerged her entire body in the water, only emerging with a splash when she was nearly suffocating.
Chun Wan was terribly frightened and kept saying, “Second Young Miss must not do this! If you choke on water, it would be terrible!”
Zhou Shaojin did this several times until water went up her nose, only then leaning against the edge of the wooden tub while Chun Wan and the others helped wash her hair.
Ji Xiang, gazing at her flawless skin with its fresh-snow-like luster, couldn’t help but praise, “Second Young Miss is truly beautiful.”
Chun Wan glared at Ji Xiang.
For some reason, Second Young Miss really disliked when people said she was beautiful.
She secretly observed Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin kept her eyes lowered, her long eyelashes casting a shadow on her eyelids, as if she hadn’t heard.
Chun Wan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly helped Zhou Shaojin wash her hair.
Zhou Shaojin felt as if her brain were blocked with paste. She simply had no way to think clearly.
Just a few days ago, she had been joyfully thrilled at arranging her future life. But now, she didn’t know where to go from here.
What exactly did Uncle Chi want?
Could she never see him again?
No, it was never meet with Uncle Chi face-to-face again… She just wanted to forget all of this… occasionally glimpsing him from afar…
Could she still smoothly become a lay Buddhist?
If she became a lay Buddhist and Uncle Chi still treated her this way, what should she do?
Could it be… could it be that she should just let him act so wildly?
Her waist suddenly began to ache faintly, as if it still retained the feeling of Cheng Chi tightly gripping her waist.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
She wanted to return to Baoding Prefecture!
Zhou Chujin pushed open the door and entered.
“Why are you still in the bathtub?” She said in surprise. “Although the weather is gradually warming up, you still can’t withstand such recklessness. Quickly get dressed and come out. I have something to tell you.”
Zhou Shaojin had Chun Wan help dry her body and asked her sister through the screen, “Hasn’t Brother-in-law come back yet? What does Sister want to tell me?”
“Your brother-in-law said that today a colleague from the Hanlin Academy who transcribes documents invited him to dinner. He’ll be back late.” Zhou Chujin sat before the dressing table, curiously playing with Zhou Shaojin’s jewelry while smiling and saying, “I’m looking for you to discuss moving house…”
“Moving house?” Zhou Shaojin poked her head out from behind the screen to glance at Zhou Chujin curiously before withdrawing it again, having Chun Wan help her dress in undergarments. “Where are we moving to? Is your mother-in-law having you move into the Liao family’s residence in the capital? Didn’t she previously not want you to associate too closely with the Liao family’s relatives in the capital?”
“It’s not me moving!” Zhou Chujin laughed. “It’s you, Madam, and Youjin who are moving—moving to Uncle Chi’s place on Elm Money Alley.”
“What?” Zhou Shaojin rushed out wearing embroidered slippers. “Given the suspicious circumstances, why should I move to Elm Money Alley? I won’t go!”
Chun Wan chased out and draped a jacket over her shoulders.
Zhou Shaojin thought of that recent kiss. Her face felt burning hot.
This was his idea?
He really dared to think such things!
And he even wanted her to move in and live together with him!
She didn’t want to live together with him!
He definitely wanted to bully her… She wasn’t stupid.
“Why has your temper become like firecrackers?” Zhou Chujin, seeing her usually gentle sister suddenly become hot-tempered, couldn’t help but laugh. She said, “Today after Uncle Chi left your place, he came to mine. He mentioned my mother-in-law coming to the capital. Uncle Chi’s thinking is that after my mother-in-law arrives in the capital, she’ll definitely visit with the Liao family’s relatives here in the capital. This residence was bought for me and your brother-in-law with my mother-in-law’s dowry income, and those people were already envious. Seeing you living at my place, they’ll probably say all sorts of things. Uncle Chi probably doesn’t want you and Grand Madam to suffer the Liao family’s idle gossip, so that’s why he wants you to move over…”
Having lived two lifetimes, no one understood Sister’s difficulties in the Liao family better than Zhou Shaojin.
In her previous life, during those days when she lived at her sister’s house, she had endured plenty of cold looks from the Liao family.
Moreover, when she first moved into Elm Tree Alley, her heart had been uneasy—the place was so cramped. If Grand Madam Liao came to the capital, would Sister, Brother-in-law, and Little Guan have to vacate the main room and move into the west wing room that was being used as storage?
She felt moving out was appropriate, but she didn’t want to move to Elm Money Alley.
At Elm Tree Alley, Uncle Chi dared to act wildly. If she moved to Elm Money Alley, wouldn’t she become a piece of meat on Uncle Chi’s chopping block?
But if she didn’t move out, it would only make things difficult for Sister and Brother-in-law.
She said, “Then have Uncle Chi move to Apricot Grove Alley instead, or if that won’t do, move in to keep Second Old Master company!”
Zhou Chujin was both amused and exasperated. She said, “I never noticed before, but you actually have such audacity. Uncle Chi kindly invites you to live at his place, and you turn around and want to drive Uncle Chi to Apricot Grove Alley… He’s really being kind and raising an ingrate…”
“What ingrate?” Zhou Shaojin said awkwardly, stammering, “I, I just feel that since Uncle Chi doesn’t have anyone to manage his household, and we’re a group of women, it would be somewhat improper to just move in like that…”
“You even need to say that!” Zhou Chujin shook her head with a laugh and said, “Uncle Chi thought of it long ago. After you move in, he’ll move to his residence near Chaoyang Gate and won’t be living together with you at all!”