Chapter Ninety-Nine: Inviting her to travel together

He grabbed a handful of the finest jewelry and walked up to Song Yiqiu:

"Hey, isn't this our little sister who just came back from the frontier? She spent seven years in that harsh, desolate place, she probably hasn't seen any of these good things before, has she?"

"Here, this is a reward from your fourth brother. Take it and make a few decent outfits. You always dress so plainly; people who don't know better might think our Song family has mistreated you."

"You look like a country bumpkin. Can't you learn how to dress and dress like your sister Sang Yu? You're the eldest daughter of the Song family, after all. Don't embarrass the Song family all the time!"

He handed the jewelry to Song Yiqiu, but his gaze lingered greedily on Bai Mei. Thinking of the money Bai Mei had earned for him, he couldn't help but want to hold onto this money tree tightly in his hands.

He said with a grin:

“I think your maid is quite good, clever and spirited. Why don’t you give her to me? I’ve earned some money now, and most of it goes to support the family. If this girl comes with me, I guarantee she’ll live a life of luxury and I’ll never mistreat her.”

Bai Mei was furious. This fourth young master acted like a grandson when he lost money, but when he won, he acted like he had the word "rich" engraved on his forehead. And he even dared to make a move on her.

If it weren't for the young lady secretly giving her a look to calm down, she would have already punched him. At this moment, she could only glare fiercely at Song Yutang, her chest heaving.

Qingzhu whispered to Song Yiqiu:

"Miss, under your arrangement, the Fourth Young Master won a large sum of money at the gambling den. After returning, he has been spending it lavishly, treating all sorts of cronies to a life of debauchery, and rewarding the servants with extreme generosity. Now, he has seized the opportunity to show off his wealth here again."

Upon hearing this, Song Yiqiu covered her mouth and chuckled softly, speaking with an admiring tone:

"Fourth Brother really has good luck, it's enviable."

She tilted her head, pondered for a moment, and then spoke as if unintentionally.

"Speaking of which, I overheard a couple of days ago that a batch of calligraphy and paintings from the previous dynasty has arrived in the west of the city. It is said that a fallen noble family is eager to get rid of them, and there may be some treasures among them."

"Fourth Brother, you're well-off now, and you have such insight and luck. Why not use some spare money to invest? If you can find a bargain, it will definitely be a highly profitable business, much more elegant than gold, silver and jewels. It will also be a good story to tell."

Song Yutang was very concerned about his image, and especially liked to show off his abilities and vision in front of others.

Upon hearing Song Yiqiu's words, especially in front of everyone, he immediately and loudly agreed:

“My sister is right. These gold and white things are indeed vulgar. Calligraphy, paintings and antiques have more cultural significance. The west side of the city, right? I’ll go take a look tomorrow and I’m sure I’ll find some treasures to broaden everyone’s horizons.”

Feeling pleased with himself for having made a name for himself, he gave Song Sangyu a few perfunctory words, then made an excuse and hurriedly left with his group of sycophantic friends, presumably to inquire about news of calligraphy and painting in the west of the city.

Bai Mei watched Song Yutang's departing figure and asked in confusion:

"Miss, where are there any legitimate art dealers in the west of the city? Aren't they all places that specialize in swindling and selling fakes to outsiders?"

"Those fake paintings are extremely difficult to sell; they're basically just a pile of worthless paper... Oh!"

She suddenly realized, and her eyes lit up.

"Miss, you want to..."

Song Yiqiu nodded:

“Those things are overpriced and undervalued, yet they consume money the fastest. It’s time to make him give back all the money he won by ‘luck,’ with interest.”

Just then, a deep voice came from behind the crowd:

"Remembering Autumn".

Everyone turned around, and Fu Langxing walked over at some point, staring straight at Song Yiqiu.

As Song Yiqiu watched Fu Langxing walk towards her, she unconsciously frowned and subtly stepped aside to create distance between them.

He nodded slightly forward as a greeting.

Fu Langxing's gaze swept lightly over the handful of jewelry that Song Yutang had forced upon Bai Mei, and a look of joy appeared on his face, his tone filled with delight:

"So... Yiqiu, you also like these precious jewels? I thought that after seven years on the frontier, your temperament was different from other women, and you didn't covet these frivolous things..."

Song Yiqiu interrupted him directly, disliking his way of praising one person while belittling another, her tone distant:

"Young Master Fu is overthinking things. I am just an ordinary woman, no different from anyone else. I was merely receiving a gift. If there is nothing else, Young Master, I will take my leave."

"Remembering Autumn!"

Seeing that she was about to leave again, Fu Langxing hurriedly spoke up.

"You don't need to be so cold to me. Perhaps many things before were misunderstandings."

He pondered for a moment, as if he had made up his mind.

"The day after tomorrow is the Qixi Festival. I heard that the East Market is holding a grand lantern festival this year, which is very lively. I wonder... do you have time to go and have some fun together?"

"I'm busy."

Song Yiqiu refused decisively.

Bai Mei, who had been watching from the side for a long time, couldn't stand it any longer and couldn't help but speak up:

"What you're saying, Young Master Fu, is truly laughable. Everyone knows that the Qixi Festival is a time for lovers to express their feelings and go on outings together. Your invitation seems to be directed at the wrong person. Look, isn't the Second Miss standing right over there?"

As she spoke, she glanced meaningfully at Song Sangyu, who was not far away.

Song Sangyu had already overheard their conversation. Although she maintained a smiling face, she was burning with anger inside.

She walked over with light, graceful steps, her soft voice ringing out at the opportune moment:

"Sister, please say yes to Brother Langxing."

She reached out to take Song Yiqiu's hand affectionately, but Song Yiqiu avoided her, seemingly unconcerned, and continued to smile.

“In previous years, my brother Langxing and I would go out together for the Qixi Festival. But it was a bit lonely with just the two of us. It's much more lively with more people, don't you think, sister?”

Song Yiqiu found it amusing to see Song Sangyu still so eloquent.

It seems that the close call she just faced in front of the emperor did not pose any real threat to her; her recovery ability is indeed astonishing.

Fu Langxing was somewhat surprised to see Song Sangyu so generously inviting Song Yiqiu, and even began to reflect on whether he had been too harsh in his words to Song Sangyu earlier.

Song Yiqiu was too lazy to argue with the two of them anymore. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she heard Fu Langxing speak again. This time, he had obviously done his homework.

“I remember seeing a painting in my grandfather’s study.”

Fu Langxing's tone carried a hint of longing.

"The painting depicts a woman in red, riding a horse and cracking a whip, with a heroic air about her... She looks very similar to you on the field today. My grandfather once said that she was the Marquis of Yongjia, your grandmother."

He observed Song Yiqiu's expression and continued:

“My grandfather is quite old and his health hasn’t been very good lately. He once told us that after he passes away, we should take this painting with us to his grave. I thought… perhaps you would be interested? Would you do me the honor of coming to my house on the Qixi Festival to admire the painting together?”