Old feelings are hard to get back
The snow fell silently, and the stone path by the pond was covered with a thin layer of snow, making a "crunch" sound when you stepped on it.
The mirror-like ice surface was broken with a large hole, and ice shards were scattered everywhere.
Ye Taoyao lay stiffly by the pond, clearly having been fatally wounded by a sword, while Xi Yuzhen was nowhere to be found, though she was obviously in the frozen lake.
Gu Qingyi: "Save them!"
Xi Yuzhen saw a figure through the ice at the bottom of the lake, and quickly hid the dagger under a rock while pretending to be unconscious.
She clearly felt herself being pulled out of the water. After several attempts to resuscitate her, she pretended to spit out a mouthful of water and slowly regained consciousness.
"Ahem, Madam Gu..." She lowered her head, timid and weak, not daring to look her in the eye.
The young woman's clothes were soaking wet and clung to her body. Gu Qingyi frowned and gestured to Chun Tao to put a coat on her.
She looked flattered and surprised, glancing up at Gu Qingyi before quickly lowering her head, her voice soft and weak, "Thank you, Madam Gu."
Her beautiful face lowered, a few strands of wet hair clung to her cheeks, her long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly, and most importantly, her eyes. Unfortunately, Gu Qingyi did not see what she wanted to see in those eyes.
She turned to the side, not particularly surprised by Ye Taoyao's death, as if it were something she had expected, except...
It's a bit early.
"Someone, take Xi Niangzi away and take good care of her." Gu Qingyi waved to Chun Tao, who quickly stepped forward and took Xi Yuzhen away.
Facing the trembling Xi Yuzhen, Chun Tao softened her tone considerably, "Don't worry, Madam Xi, I'll take care of things here. Just relax and come with me to change your clothes."
Xi Yuzhen opened her mouth after hearing her words, but didn't say anything. However, she seemed to have mustered up the courage to stop and turn to look at Gu Qingyi.
When she met Gu Qingyi's eyes, she became timid again.
"What's up?"
"No, no, yes...yes, I...I was pushed down by Madam Ye, I don't know her, she..."
As she spoke, Xi Yuzhen began to tremble. Upon seeing this, Chun Tao immediately stopped her, saying, "Good wife, everyone in the manor knows that you are the kindest and gentlest person. How could you doubt me? Come, come with me to the house and warm up."
Xi Yuzhen kept muttering "I don't know." Gu Qingyi stared at her back for a long time, her indifferent eyes cold and detached, completely oblivious to Ye Taoyao's presence on the ground.
"Madam Gu, what should Madam Ye do?"
"Move her inside first, find someone to check her wounds, and we'll talk about it when Wang and the others get back."
"yes!"
Seeing that the person was about to leave, Gu Qingyi said, "Wait a moment, if there are any suspicious people, report it immediately!"
"Yes, Your subordinate obeys."
Xi Yuzhen followed Chun Tao, occasionally sniffling, her eyes brimming with tears, which once again dispelled Chun Tao's suspicions.
"This way, madam."
Xi Yuzhen stopped in her tracks. "The county princess's courtyard?"
"There is only one eligible wife in the manor, the County Princess. Don't worry, the County Princess is just a little childish."
Xi Yuzhen tugged at her clothes, hesitated for a long time, and then followed Chun Tao inside.
Chun Tao walked ahead, and she glanced at Sima An's courtyard from behind. It was just as before, even the camellia tree in the corner of the courtyard hadn't changed.
Everyone in Chang'an believed that the Princess of Jing'an, a descendant of the previous dynasty, had a fondness for peonies with gold trim, and that she always wore a peony-patterned dress whenever she appeared in public.
Actually, no. Her favorite flower is the camellia. She had always wanted to go to Nanzhao to see the camellias, but because of her status, she could not leave Chang'an.
The camellia tree in the corner has a beautiful shape and is evergreen all year round. It is a variety transported from southern Xinjiang and is cared for by a professional gardener all year round. The magnificent cloud of trees almost falls on the roof and covers the windows below.
Unfortunately, it's not the season for camellias to bloom in Chang'an now.
"Who gave you permission to bring her into my yard? Get out! Get out!"
As soon as Xi Yuzhen stepped halfway into the room, she heard Sima An shout at Chun Tao and throw the teacup in his hand at Xi Yuzhen's feet.
"Princess." Xi Yuzhen took a step back in fear.
Seeing her like that, Sima An was so angry that he rushed up to her and grabbed her hand.
"You! You..."
She suddenly fell silent, looking up at her in disbelief, as if trying to peer into her eyes and examine her closely.
After a two-second pause, she exclaimed, "Who told you to get hurt with my sister's face on your head!"
"County Princess?" Chun Tao was a little surprised, but upon closer inspection, it was indeed Sima An's temperament.
"Someone, take her downstairs to change her clothes."
Sima An shook off Xi Yuzhen's hand, turned his back to her, and refused to look at her. Her head was slightly lowered, making it impossible to see her expression.
Upon seeing this, Chun Tao quickly led her people downstairs, and Xi Yuzhen obediently followed. Yu Guangzhong and Sima An's shoulders trembled slightly.
"How could this be?" Sima An stared blankly at the hand he had just held.
"What did you say, Your Highness?"
"It's nothing, you can go down and let me have some peace and quiet."
"Yes," the maid replied, her eyes lowered.
Sima An suddenly looked up, "Right, wait for the scene... wait until she changes her clothes, then bring her back."
"Doesn't the county princess not want to see the opera singer?"
"Whether I look or not is none of your business! If you say another word, I'll sell you off right now!"
"It was my fault, I spoke too much."
"Alright, alright, get down here now, stop getting in my way."
Sima An waved for the others to leave, then paced back and forth in the room.
Seeing this, a maidservant said softly, "Does the princess have something troubling her? Why don't you tell me?"
What's the point of telling you?
She smiled gently, "This servant has no ability, but it's always better for the county princess to speak out than to keep it to herself."
"I heard she was summoned to the mansion by her aunt?"
Sima An stopped and realized that what she said made sense.
The maid lowered her head and looked away, whispering, "Princess, Lady Gu just ordered that no one is allowed to discuss the Peach Blossom Pavilion."
"What happened?"
"This servant really can't say it, or Lady Gu will punish me severely." The maid knelt on the ground, her voice trembling with tears, and desperately shook her head at Sima An.
Sima An became even more convinced that something was amiss. "Ruolan, I remember you've been following me for several years now."
Ruolan: "Yes, this servant entered the manor in the twenty-sixth year of Jianwu."
“It’s been more than four years…” Sima An walked up to her and lifted her chin. “So, it’s been more than five years since my sister left.”
Ruolan didn't understand why Sima An would suddenly mention Lu Kou, and could only tremble as she said yes.
An unreadable emotion flashed in Sima An's eyes. "Tell me what happened. You've been with me for so long, I'll naturally protect you in front of the teacher. Otherwise, you know what's going on outside, right? It's chaotic, and it'll be hard for a young woman like you to survive all alone."
Ruolan looked terrified. "My god, Sima An, who used to go crazy from time to time, is so ruthless!"
They're both Gu Qingyi's disciples, so why is their wife so calm and indifferent, while the other one is not only crazy but also threatens people at crucial moments!
The fear on Ruolan's face was at least 60% genuine. Regardless, she was determined to do whatever her husband had assigned her!
"I will speak!"
Sima An showed a satisfied expression, but upon hearing Ruolan's words, she fell silent, which was unusual for her.
"You may leave."
Ruolan glanced at Sima An's face discreetly. It wasn't what she expected. She remembered that Ye Taoyao and Sima An had a good relationship. Why was Sima An looking like this after Ye Taoyao died?
Forget it, I'll just ignore it.
Speaking of which, the young master asked her to guide his wife, but where is his wife?
After changing her clothes, Xi Yuzhen was brought before Sima An. She stared at her blankly. Years had passed, and time had passed. How long ago was it that they had lived under the same roof?
Sima An loved beauty, fine wine, and beautiful women... He loved all beautiful things in the world, but his favorite was his older sister.
She was the only woman in Sima Xian and Shen Huaiyu's life. Learning from Lu Kou's example, Gu Qingyi arranged various courses for her from the very beginning of her education, determined not to let Sima An have such terrible handwriting as Lu Kou.
Especially when I had just returned from Miao territory, all I knew was the Miao language.
The lessons Gu Qingyi arranged were simply dreadful, as numerous as the stars, and incredibly difficult. She really wasn't that smart and couldn't understand any of this nonsense, why the words to be presented to the emperor had to be said in a roundabout way, why the use of objects to express feelings, and why they had so much emotion when they went on a spring outing and played the zither. And even if the emotions were one thing, how did they get involved in matters of national importance?
How did this become a topic of unfairness in life?
When Sima An learned that her lessons came from Lu Kou, she stormed off to Lu Kou's courtyard.
That was the first time she saw Lu Kou after she returned, and she was stunned by her beauty.
Sima An had just learned this idiom and felt with profound understanding what it meant to be astonishingly amazing.
"elder sister……"
In short, these are the words Sima An said when she first met Lu Kou, and they are also the words she says to "Xi Yuzhen" now.
The woman opposite Sima An was dressed in red, with large patches of camellias embroidered on the hem of her skirt. They were so lifelike that it seemed as if the camellias in spring had fallen on her dress, or as if a burning fire had been placed in the dead of winter, unable to dispel the coldness and desolation around her.
Her eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, should have carried a hint of allure, but instead held a stillness like a frozen pool. Her eyebrows and eyes were also pale; the vibrant red of her dress became part of her cool and aloof demeanor—too bright and it only made her seem colder.
Only the two of them remained in the room: Sima An and Xi Yuzhen, or rather, Sui Zhixu.
Can I still call you "sister"?
Sima An looked into her eyes. She didn't know what had happened. The events of that year seemed to explode like a firework. Everything had happened just two months ago and then suddenly ended.
A firework display took away her sister's life. She wanted to ask her mother what had happened, but her mother forbade her from leaving the mansion, not even allowing her to see her sister.
The next time I heard news of Lu Kou, she had already passed away.
"I learned from my teacher that Thirteen Sister was also gone. It seems she was killed to protect her aunt. Was she killed by her aunt? It should be, otherwise you wouldn't have killed her."
Sima An forced a smile, which looked completely out of place.
“Anniang, these things have nothing to do with you.”
Sima An knew nothing; she was kept in the dark by everyone.
She retained her innocence, arrogance, and spoiled nature.
Sui Zhixu gently touched her face with her slightly cool hand. "Anniang, I am still your sister. I will protect you."
No matter where you are.
"Sister, will you leave again in the future?"
No, it won't.
The wind rustled through the camellia branches and leaves in the clouds outside the window, and the leaves brushed against the window paper, making a soft, rustling sound.
Inside the room, Sima An clutched Sui Zhixu's clothes tightly, buried his face in her shoulder, and cried, "Waaah, I hate you! Why don't you come to see me? Why am I the only one left here? I can't meet Father's expectations at all! Why did you leave? I hate you."
"If you don't want Fan Lingzhang, fine, but why don't you want me either!"
"Don't talk nonsense. How could I not want you? Back then, I was recuperating in Miao territory due to an emergency. Then some things happened, which is why I haven't been back for so long."
Sima An raised her head, her eyes red. Sui Zhixu gently pinched her nose and said, "Look at you, you're swollen like a rabbit."
"I don't."
After Sima An finished crying, he nestled in Sui Zhixu's arms and tugged at her hair. Sui Zhixu smiled helplessly and didn't stop him, just like when they were children.
When she returned from Miao territory, Sima An was only six years old and timidly called her "elder sister".
When she got sleepy while studying, she would hide inside her clothes, as if if she couldn't see Gu Qingyi, Gu Qingyi wouldn't see her sleeping in class.
It's like burying your head in the sand – so adorable!
I always followed her around, and before I knew it, she was turning eighteen.
Sui Zhixu hugged her tightly, but unfortunately, their old feelings could not be restored. When everything was revealed, she could no longer be Sima An's sister.
She indulged in a fleeting moment of pleasure, and the last bit of warmth she showed was a deception.
"Why did you use the identity of Xi Yuzhen, sister?"
Sui Zhixu snapped out of her daze. "Huh? You want to know?"
"It's alright."
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