Chapter 32 Almost Falling

The old man suddenly left her alone. Thinking of the people who had just left Songhe Hall, Xu Shuyao already had some vague guesses in her mind.

She was led by Old Madam Xiao to sit on the big kang by the window, and she felt warm all over.

Although it was only mid-autumn, it was already a bit cold. The charcoal fire in the small compartment had not yet been lit. Xu Shuyao had been writing for an hour, and her hands and feet were inevitably cold.

The old lady seemed to be able to hear the young lady's thoughts. "Are you a little cold? I'll ask the maids to light a charcoal fire over there tomorrow."

Xu Shuyao chuckled and said, "Not bad."

Old Madam Xiao looked at her and smiled. The young lady was as fresh as a scallion, with bright black eyes, curved lips, gentle and chaste, very pleasing to the eye.

She stared at him for a moment, then said, "You don't look like Chen."

Xu Shuyao's heart skipped a beat, and then she heard the old man opposite her add, "Their faces and personalities are different, but even siblings can be completely different."

Old Madam Xiao thought about how the old man wanted to marry Chen Jisheng's daughter to his concubine's son. Both children were as beautiful as flowers. She liked the younger one more, but the girl insisted on following her father out of the capital. In the end, it was the elder Chen who married into the Chengguo Mansion.

She felt a little emotional. She didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, the little girl had passed away, and the child has grown up so much now.

She also felt that people's preferences were really strange. She liked Xiao Chen at first, and now she also liked this Xiao Niang Xu.

There are more boys than girls in the Duke Cheng's Mansion. The eldest daughter Xiao Jinru is the only girl in the first and third wives, while the second wife, who is born out of wedlock, has three girls. The old lady was happy at first.

But the second daughter-in-law was stuck in the mood of being childless and couldn't get out of it. She was also very protective of the two young ladies, so she gave up her desire to get close to them.

Xu Shuyao felt relieved when she heard the old lady's words, and whispered, "My aunt said that I might look like my father."

Just as he finished speaking, he heard Madam Xiao beside him say, "You look like your father and have your mother's temperament."

Xu Shuyao curled the corners of her lips. She liked to hear this.

She didn't know who her biological mother was, but if someone said she looked like Xiao Chen, she would feel extremely happy.

Even though there is no blood relationship between them, her mother raised her, so she inherited something after all.

"Um."

The little girl smiled sweetly, and Old Madam Xiao liked her even more.

Nanny Liu looked at the old and young couple from the side and couldn't help feeling a little sad.

As the old man got older, he liked lively and bright young ladies, but he had no affinity with the ones in the mansion.

Unexpectedly, this cousin who came from afar was looked at differently by the old lady.

So she couldn't help but say, "Miss Xu, you should come here more often. Didn't you see how the old lady's eyes are curved with smile when she sees you?"

Xu Shuyao felt that this was a bit exaggerated, and she began to feel a little afraid of the old lady of the Duke's Mansion.

I took so much trouble to make shoes before, and I did it with the intention of trying to please you.

But at this moment, looking at the old man opposite with a gentle and kind smile, he felt a sense of closeness from the bottom of his heart.

Then he smiled at Madam Liu and said, "As long as the old lady doesn't mind, there's no reason for Shu Yao not to come."

Madam Xiao shook the young lady's hand and sighed softly: "Good child!"

She continued, "I've already told your eldest brother about your younger brother's admission to the Imperial College. Just wait and see. At nine years old, he's already reached the standard for admission to the Imperial College. We should have good news in a few days."

When Xu Shuyao first heard the title "big brother", she felt a little uncomfortable, but after the old man finished speaking, she forgot everything.

Imperial College. It is so difficult for ordinary people to enter the Imperial College. If my brother can enter the Imperial College, with the level of the teachers there, why should I worry about not being able to pass the imperial examination in the future?

A feeling of emotion welled up in Xu Shuyao's heart, like a rippling warm current, filling her body and mind, and also reflected on her face.

The maids and servants in the house were surprised at first to see the cousin who looked like she wanted to cry but couldn't. Then they thought of the heroic feat of a young lady bringing her younger brother to the capital alone, and they felt it was natural.

Madam Xiao patted her hands, "Don't cry! This is our Duke's Mansion's fault. You and your sister are both good children. It's not decided yet, but there's no rush. It's almost certain to happen. Relax. Your eldest brother has never failed to fulfill his promise."

Xu Shuyao thought that she almost cried in front of others, and immediately held back the tears.

She nodded obediently: "Shu Yao knows, and believes in big...big brother."

Following what Old Madam Xiao said, it was extremely difficult to say the word "brother", but she finally said it.

Old Madam Xiao smiled reassuringly, and the two of them talked about something else before Xu Shuyao left Songhe Hall.

This time when I came out, I could clearly feel that the maids at the door were much more polite than usual.

The girl called Chun Ya is no longer called Chun Ya, but has changed her name to Chun Sheng, and is no longer just doing the job of opening the curtain at the door.

However, when Chunsheng saw Xu Shuyao go out, he still went forward attentively to help open the curtain.

She remembered that she was valued by the old lady just because she observed Miss Xu more carefully a few days ago.

Chunsheng watched Miss Xu's figure gradually disappearing into the distance, and thought about what had just happened in the house. He secretly reminded himself that he must be more careful in the future and not upset this cousin in any way.

Although Songhe Hall is the most prestigious courtyard in the Duke Cheng's Mansion, it is also the place of controversy where the masters come and go the most.

As a young maidservant who had just been promoted to the first rank, Chunsheng also learned some tricks.

That is, everything is based on the old lady's preferences. Whoever the old lady likes and values, the maids and servants have to be extremely careful when serving them.

After Xu Shuyao came out of Songhe Hall, she walked very slowly at first, but then she unconsciously quickened her pace.

The two maids, Qiaowei and Huixiang, were also present at the scene.

They had seen the Second Madam neglecting Jiyunju before, and they were also anxious. They were also afraid that Chen would instruct them to do something harmful to the girl. In short, they were in a dilemma.

Now that he saw that the girl was favored by Old Madam Xiao, he naturally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Shuyao was now in a hurry to go back and tell her brother the good news. She couldn't help but think of the "big brother" the old lady mentioned, and she felt a little uncertain.

She had a hunch that Xiao Mo didn't like her, but this was related to her younger brother's admission to school, and it was Old Madam Xiao who spoke up personally, so he should have no reason to be embarrassed, otherwise he would not be able to justify his identity as the leader of the imperial guards.

However, she was thinking about that person in her heart, but she didn't expect that person to appear in front of her.

Suddenly, a man's leg stretched out in front of her. Xu Shuyao staggered and was about to fall to the ground. She naturally reached out to grab the leg in front of her, but she missed. Her body was lifted up by the force and swayed a few times before she finally managed to stand firmly on her feet.

Xu Shuyao was still in shock and looked up at the man who appeared diagonally above her.

He looked calm and composed, and looked at her nonchalantly.