When Qiao Mu stepped through the door, a wave of laughter rang out from inside the side chamber.
Xiao Yingtao had started by pressing her hand over her mouth to stifle it, but in the end she simply could not hold back, and burst into a full, carefree laugh.
The laughter was utterly cheerful.
The matter of Di Fei Mu had set everyone on edge, so hearing laughter this bright and easy, Qiao Mu felt her own heart ease.
If there had been any truly bad news, Xiao Yingtao would absolutely have been the first person unable to laugh.
“What is it?” Qiao Mu walked in and paused at the edge of the bed. “What happy thing happened? Tell me about it.”
“Jiu’er, she…hahaha…” Xiao Yingtao still could not contain her amusement. “She…couldn’t sleep last night.”
“Because of tomorrow’s wedding to the Ninth Prince, she actually lay awake all last night.”
Feng Jiu’er was thoroughly exasperated. She sat up and glared at Xiao Yingtao. “So loud! Are you going to let a person sleep or not?”
“You weren’t sleeping even before I got here.” Xiao Yingtao turned her head with a face full of delight. “Jiu’er, what exactly did you get up to last night?”
“Look at you — you actually have dark circles under your eyes.”
Xiao Yingtao set aside the smile on her face and, with great seriousness, cradled Feng Jiu’er’s head to get a better look.
“Your dark circles — they couldn’t come earlier, they couldn’t come later — how did they decide to appear right now? Tomorrow is your wedding day. How can you possibly have dark circles?”
After all the laughter, she found herself genuinely a little worried.
“Is that really so?” Qiao Mu raised an eyebrow and sat down beside Xiao Yingtao.
Feng Jiu’er’s constitution was always excellent, and her skin was flawlessly smooth — dark circles were the sort of thing that happened to other people.
Qiao Mu looked carefully, and the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.
“Is the Ninth Prince that terrifying? Look how frightened you are. If you truly cannot manage it, I’ll ride tomorrow’s bridal sedan chair in your place.”
The moment Qiao Mu’s words fell, both Xiao Yingtao and Feng Jiu’er turned to stare at her.
“Qiao Mu.” Xiao Yingtao reached out and pressed her hand to Qiao Mu’s forehead. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Please!” Qiao Mu swept Xiao Yingtao’s hand aside with one hand. “Am I really that much of a downgrade?”
“Besides, Jiu’er and I are as close as sisters — no matter what the situation, I’m willing to carry it for her.”
“Miss Qiao.” Xiao Yingtao looked at her, narrowing her eyes a fraction. “This isn’t a question of whether you’re a downgrade or not — it’s that the Ninth Prince will marry no one but Jiu’er. What could you even do about that?”
Feng Jiu’er withdrew her gaze, pressed her lips together, and knelt up on the bed, then pushed Qiao Mu to one side.
She reached out and flicked her wrist, and the mirror sitting on the vanity table not far away drifted through the air and fell into her hand as if it had a will of its own.
Before Xiao Yingtao and Qiao Mu had even recovered from witnessing that remarkable feat, Feng Jiu’er, mirror in hand, let out a low cry.
“How is this possible? It’s only been two nights without sleep, hasn’t it?”
Xiao Yingtao, who had been left utterly speechless, looked back at Feng Jiu’er. Only then did her little mouth close.
“Jiu’er, when did you practice telekinesis to such a masterful level?”
“Teach me when you have a moment.” Qiao Mu took the mirror from Feng Jiu’er’s hand. “What’s the rush? No matter what you look like, your Ninth Imperial Uncle won’t mind at all.”
“Get up. A little rouge and you’ll be fine.”
Feng Jiu’er seemed to deflate all at once, flopping limply down to hug the quilt.
“Both of you go out first. I need to catch up on sleep.”
“You won’t be able to fall asleep anyway. Why don’t we go out and eat some bird’s nest soup? How about it?” Xiao Yingtao stood up, glanced at the person lying in the bed, and gave a light, teasing lift of her brow.
“Didn’t you say bird’s nest is good for the complexion? Eat a few more bowls, and maybe everything will sort itself out — eat well and sleep soundly.”
Xiao Yingtao did not truly wish to deny Feng Jiu’er the chance to rest, but she was quite certain that even if they left, she still would not be able to sleep.
Under those circumstances, it was better to go out and look around.
She herself had never been married, and had no idea what it felt like on the eve of a wedding. She simply wanted to help Jiu’er relax a little.
Feng Jiu’er knelt up in the bed and looked at Xiao Yingtao.
“Is there really bird’s nest? Is it already prepared? I also need to apply my secret remedy, otherwise how will I face anyone tomorrow?”
She was not afraid of a hundred thousand soldiers, and yet she was afraid of getting married — there was admittedly something a little hard to explain in that. But since insomnia had already become a fact, she had no choice but to admit it. What else could she do?
“When the Ninth Princess Consort — no, the Crown Princess Consort — wants something to eat, of course there will be.” Xiao Yingtao said with a smile.
“Hurry up and get up and wash. I’ll have someone go and make the preparations.”
Xiao Yingtao raised a brow, patted her own cheeks lightly, and turned to leave.
“I need to eat a little extra too — grow younger, grow prettier.”
“Have someone bring in the washing things.” When Xiao Yingtao was almost out the door of the side chamber, Feng Jiu’er’s voice followed her out.
“Yes, understood.” Only the reply came back into the room; Xiao Yingtao herself had already vanished from the side chamber.
Feng Jiu’er got out of bed, took hold of her outer garment, and began pulling it on.
Qiao Mu, sitting on the bed and watching her, said quietly: “I heard it was a woman who looks exactly like you that injured Mu Mu the night before last?”
“Yes.” Feng Jiu’er gave a small nod. “I heard that too.”
And because of that very incident, she had very nearly been cut down by Ye Luosha and Emperor Ji.
“And you can still smile about it?” Qiao Mu raised an eyebrow. “Was everything explained clearly?”
“Am I supposed to cry for days on end?” Feng Jiu’er glanced back at Qiao Mu. “An explanation was given — whether or not it’s believed is not something within my control.”
“Ninth Imperial Uncle insists on not postponing the wedding date, so there is nothing I can do about it.”
“Mu Mu’s martial arts are no small thing — if it weren’t for you, he would never have been that gravely injured.” Qiao Mu let out a shallow sigh.
“Yes.” At the mention of this, Feng Jiu’er’s expression grew a shade heavier. “He had also been drinking a great deal at the time.”
Feng Jiu’er finished dressing and looked at Qiao Mu again, letting out a quiet sigh. “I know what you want to say, but there are some things I cannot change either.”
“Perhaps Ninth Imperial Uncle’s decision is the right one. By the time Mu Mu wakes, I will already be his sister-in-law. Time can wash everything away. I hope he meets a better woman.”
“I’m not worried about Mu Mu’s side of things, actually — if he truly wanted to fight for you, he wouldn’t have gone off to drink alone in hiding.” Qiao Mu said softly.
“What I worry about is that after this incident, Ye Luosha and Emperor Ji will start scheming again.”
A knock sounded at the door of the side chamber, and Feng Jiu’er looked back at Qiao Mu.
“Rather than living in constant wariness, it’s better to first handle one’s own affairs properly. Whatever is meant to come will come; worrying too much about what isn’t meant to come is useless.”
She left those words behind, turned her gaze, and looked toward the door of the side chamber.
“Come in.”
“Yes, Miss Jiu’er.” The maidservant inclined her head and pushed open the door of the side chamber.
Two or three maids came in to attend to Feng Jiu’er’s washing and grooming, while Qiao Mu continued to sit on the edge of the bed, lost in thought about something.
After a moment, a maidservant said quietly: “Miss Jiu’er, General Ye’s people came by just now to ask whether you had woken. She said that before midday she would personally bring the ceremonial wedding robes for you and the Crown Prince for tomorrow — she wanted to know when it would be convenient for you.”
“Once breakfast is over, I’ll be available.” Feng Jiu’er replied softly.
“Very well — I’ll have someone pass that message along to General Ye’s people in a little while.” The maidservant inclined her head and continued combing out Feng Jiu’er’s long hair.
After washing and dressing, Feng Jiu’er went out together with Qiao Mu, waiting for Xiao Yingtao’s breakfast.