farce in the private room
When she learned that Xu Yingning had invited her to Yunlai Tower, Sui Chengyu teased her again as she was leaving, and she was forced to agree to many unequal treaties.
I rushed to Yunlai Tower, but it was still too late.
"Sorry I'm late." Sui Zhixu pushed open the door and found the room filled with laughter. Sui Zhixu even wondered if she had gone to the wrong house.
He quickly glanced at the three people and their maids, then looked at the location of the private room—the innermost one on the second floor. No doubt, it was indeed this room.
In just a few days, their relationship was back to normal.
Why can't she match her age?
The reason she brought up the month-old baby was because she insisted on arguing with her.
As she pushed her age out of her mind, she stepped through the door. Her blue and green dress resembled porcelain tiles with blue and white patterns, and the patterns swayed gently as she walked, exuding a simple elegance with a touch of freshness and refinement.
"Ah Xu is here." Ning Yan got up to greet Zhi Xu, pulling her around in circles. "Your dress is nice. Chang'an is known for its prosperity, and the colors of clothes are often vibrant. But this color is rare. The blue looks similar to the blue and white porcelain fired in Gongxian County, Henan Prefecture. Plus, with Ah Xu's face, figure, and temperament, it's as if some celestial goddess has descended upon our land."
"It's also a peony pattern, but the colors are different, and it feels so different."
As soon as Xu entered the room, Cui Wan noticed her dress. Although it wasn't a fashionable style in Chang'an, it had a unique charm.
“I have indeed seen a group of Buddhists in Chang’an who like to wear plain clothes, my mother is one of them. That style is really old-fashioned, I don’t like it at all. But seeing you wearing it today, Ah Xu, how come you look so good?” Cui Wan circled around Sui Zhixu, her eyes shining with admiration.
“You’re beautiful, aren’t you…” Pei Qinglian had just opened her mouth when Ning Yan’s gaze shifted over, and she stopped talking. “You two look different. Ah Xu’s eyes are as expressive as Cong Xiang’s, and she has a fresh and clean appearance. She looks good with both light and heavy makeup. You are charming and lovely, with a rich and beautiful appearance. You are more suited to bright colors, which will make you look gorgeous and elegant.”
Pei Qinglian's words were too hot to handle, so she quickly picked up her teacup and took a small sip. However, the tea was scalding hot, and it burned her tongue.
Cui Wan, feeling lightheaded from the compliments, shyly waved her handkerchief, "Really, you've praised me so much..."
Before she could finish speaking, she heard Pei Qinglian gasp.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?"
Sui Zhixu touched the teacups around her, saying, "This cup is cold, you can drink this one first."
Cui Wan: "I've already drunk that..."
"Who cares about you? She's going to be scalded to death! No, waiter! Bring me a pot of cool tea."
"Oh dear—" Cui Wan rushed over to help, her eyes fixed on the sky, completely forgetting the gold-trimmed maxi skirt she had carefully chosen before leaving home. She stepped on it and her body lurched forward uncontrollably.
In her panic, she fumbled around and ripped off the tablecloth.
In an instant, jingle, jingle...
A series of chaotic, crisp sounds rang out as the porcelain pieces on the table scrambled about, bumping into each other in a jarring and rapid manner.
"Ah—" Some even flipped in the air, and Xu quickly grabbed the teapot, but forgot one thing.
The lid gradually separated from the teapot, eventually becoming completely separate, and the tea poured out with a splash.
At that moment, the wooden door to the private room creaked open, and the waiter was shocked. "What's wrong, ladies?"
Liu Lü, standing beside the waiter, was stunned. The ground was a mess, with shards of porcelain from the shattered teapot scattered everywhere. The women's clothes were disheveled, and large patches of water stains clung directly to their skin in their thin April spring gowns, with even a few scattered tea leaves stuck to them.
"Pfft." Sui Zhixu spat out the tea leaves from her mouth. Luckily, she dodged quickly, otherwise they would have all spilled onto her face.
Tsk, your shoulder is burned quite badly too.
Danhong took the herbal tea from the maid and waved for her to leave. The farce had happened so suddenly that Danhong was completely useless; Liulu should have stayed inside.
Liu Lü stood at the door, holding her sword. Her gaze shifted to the side, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on the sword. She said to Sui Zhixu inside the room, "My lady, the princess has arrived."
The maids of the four households were either causing trouble or were completely useless. None of the ladies had gotten a good turn, and when they heard that the princess had arrived, their expressions varied.
Sui Zhixu asked Ning Yan, "Why did the princess leave the palace?"
"Isn't my cousin-in-law still copying palace rules?"
Just as Pei Qinglian opened her mouth, Princess Chaoyang appeared at the door. Her narrow phoenix eyes swept over the mess on the ground, but she ultimately did not step inside. "What? Can't I even come out?"
Cui Wan chuckled sheepishly, "You know, how could I possibly mean that?"
"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't dare." Chaoyang's gaze shifted from the three people piled up to Sui Zhixu standing to the side. "It's been months, young lady, how come you look so disheveled?"
Sui Zhixu choked up, her tone revealing a hint of weariness, "Unexpected."
"Alright, you guys hurry up and change your clothes. You'll catch a cold in April." Chaoyang waved his hand. "Give them those clothes and clean this up."
The woman in red opposite Chaoyang watched as her maidservant calmly handled the situation, her expression inscrutable in the light and shadow. The maidservant cautiously spoke up, "Princess, the King will be angry if you leave the palace without permission."
"What's there to be afraid of? My father and brother-in-law are meeting, but I'm not allowed to come?" Princess Jingyang looked at Sui Zhixu in the distance and chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, he doesn't see me and my mother often even when he's back at the palace. What a gentle and refined person he is, pshaw, it's all fake."
The maid lowered her head in silence, trembling. Princess Jingyang spoke boldly, and the maid dared not utter a word in reply.
"So what if I'm here to see my brother-in-law? Nobody cares. Nobody in the Prince's mansion has ever cared. At least here someone cares. I won't be the only one who remembers in the end."
Why are you here?
With a puzzled tone, the woman in red turned her head and exclaimed with delight, "Brother-in-law!"
Fan Lingzhang rushed over from home and bumped into her as he turned the corner upstairs. "Didn't he want to introduce you to a potential marriage partner? Why are you still running over here? You didn't remember anything I told you last time."
"Wedding, wedding, you're going to talk to me about weddings too?"
The woman in front of him raised her voice and spoke faster, so Fan Lingzhang had no choice but to lower his voice, "I didn't mean that. You'll only be sixteen after your birthday this year, there's no rush. If he wants to choose for you, you can choose. With the Princess Consort here, and you being his only daughter, how could he force you?"
"The only woman?"
He patiently persuaded, "Isn't that right?"
Her round, phoenix-shaped eyes were filled with affection. "A-Ling is gone. You are his only junior. He can't bear to part with you. Go back, An-Niang. Stay peacefully in the Prince's Mansion. They won't harm you. A-Ling would also want you to be well. She will protect you."
"Will my sister also protect me?" she asked calmly, emphasizing each word.
Fan Lingzhang laughed, his flamboyant smile infectious, "Naturally."
"Should I go back now?"
Fan Lingzhang's throat bobbed, his lips parted slightly, and he made a sound of agreement.
After she left, Fan Lingzhang stood in the spot where she had just been. The wooden door opposite was already tightly closed, and the lady-in-waiting of Princess Chaoyang stood upright and motionless at the door.
Inside, Chaoyang burst into laughter, "You mean Madam Pei couldn't resist and caused trouble with a cup of tea?"
The four looked at each other in bewilderment. Sui Zhixu was still sitting on the couch, having Dan Hong apply medicine. Dan Hong moved slowly, afraid of hurting Sui Zhixu.
The cool medicine touched his skin, and Sui Zhixu shuddered for a moment, then shook his head at Dan Hong: "It's alright, let's continue."
The large red and swollen area on Xu's shoulder contrasted sharply with the surrounding fair skin.
The mermaid pearl was inlaid with silver wire and adorned with a long silver chain, hanging from her left ear. As Xu slightly tilted her head, the mermaid pearl accidentally touched her swollen shoulder.
With a soft "tsk," Dan Hong was very familiar with Xu's cold voice.
She couldn't help but say, "Madam, why don't you take off your earrings so you don't touch the injury? Luckily, I always carry some medicine with me, otherwise you would have suffered again."
After thinking for a moment, Sui Zhixu realized that she no longer needed the mermaid pearl to stabilize her unstable reborn soul. However, she was used to wearing it, as if it were a witness and a reminder.
"Let's switch to the right ear." After Sui Zhixu made the decision, Dan Hong put the mermaid pearl on her right ear.
"Why are you wearing it again? I saw you wearing the same earring last time in this palace. It's not like you're short of money, yet you only wear one pair of earrings all day long."
"I'm used to it," Sui Zhixu replied softly.
Dan Hong wrapped a thin layer of bandage around Sui Zhixu's wound. Actually, leaving it exposed would be more conducive to the wound's recovery, but since they were outside, it was inconvenient to wear clothes or be in the right place. Dan Hong had no choice but to apply a thin layer to avoid getting the medicine everywhere.
Danhong whispered to Sui Zhixu, "When we get home, Madam, please wear a summer dress. I'll take care of you a bit more, as it's not convenient outside."
As soon as Xu agreed, his eyes narrowed, and the corners of his eyes showed more tenderness than usual.
"Sister-in-law," Cui Wan's voice was sweet and gentle, "Please don't laugh at us. Thinking about how I tripped over my skirt and made such a mess of the room, I wish I could disappear into the ground. And what brings you here today?"
"Hmph, your cousin is in the palace collecting papers, and I ran away because I was bored." Chaoyang casually played with her newly made nail polish. "I deliberately inquired about your whereabouts from the Cui family and came here on purpose."
"They're looking for me."
"Half and half. I heard that Lady Sui is also here. Last time I wanted to have her stay in my palace for a few days, but unfortunately I was too busy during the New Year and missed the opportunity. This time I came here specifically to find you."
"Um, Your Highness is too kind." Sui Zhixu's expression was complicated. She couldn't bear Princess Chaoyang's kindness, nor did she really want to.
"Tch, alright, I take back what I said last time. You were really boring this time, but maybe next time will be more interesting." Chaoyang changed the subject and looked at Sui Zhixu with a smile.
She didn't keep them in suspense. Glancing at the puzzled expressions on the ladies' faces, she slowly said, "To tell you the truth, next month I plan to use my aunt's place to host a polo match and invite some young ladies and gentlemen. I've heard that the successful candidates this year are all quite good-looking. I missed the Cheng family's flower viewing banquet last time, so this time I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest. What do you think? Aren't they good-looking?"
"You left my cousin behind for this reason?" Cui Wan, being straightforward, could no longer maintain her smile and laughed awkwardly.
"What are you saying? The pomegranate flowers in Chang'an are blooming so beautifully in May. What's wrong with me taking a look? Your mother-in-law and aunt are so worried about your marriage. As your sister-in-law, I have to give you my opinion."
"And then there's Miss Sui. Doesn't she know all the young men in Chang'an? Take advantage of the polo match to see how dashing they are on the field. With a young lady like her around, they're playing even harder."
Sui Zhixu: "..."
"Thank you for your kindness, Princess."
When it comes to finding a partner, there's no need to think about her in every little thing.
Sui Zhixu closed his eyes, not wanting to see the unrestrained and bold gesture of the rising sun.
The ladies gathered together to chat about jewelry and clothing, talk about the gentlemen of Chang'an, and discuss all sorts of things, from the north to the south, and the delicacies of various places. Before they knew it, dusk had fallen.
Chaoyang generously paid for everyone's dinner, and Cui Wan unceremoniously ordered cold toad soup.
"Good heavens, they've brought out everything from the 'Burning Tail Feast'! How about some red mutton stew?"
The four looked at each other: "Yes!"
Given that several people were injured, Dan Hong strictly forbade them from drinking alcohol. Chao Yang said, "It's no fun drinking alone. You can drink again when you're all better."
"It would be best if nothing bad happened next time," Sui Zhixu muttered, then immediately took a big bite of mutton. There was a reason why Yueling liked to eat it; she liked it too.
When Fan Lingzhang heard outside that Sui Zhixu was injured, he paced back and forth anxiously. He secretly peeked at Sui Zhixu while the waiter was bringing the food. Sui Zhixu didn't notice him and was focused on the food in front of him. His eyes fell, but he seemed to be alright, so Fan Lingzhang felt relieved.
As Xu focused intently on his meal, Fan Lingzhang found it adorable. His unique little habits—like holding chopsticks and resting his arm on the table in a daze, staring intently at the food he wanted for a few moments before picking it up, and placing his utensils in specific spots…
Fan Lingzhang leaned against the railing and looked again at the wooden door opposite, which was tightly closed, revealing no view at all.
Memories of his dream flooded back, and he smiled bitterly, closing his eyes to slowly process the emotions he could barely contain.
After a long while, the wooden door opposite opened again, and the blue figure that Fan Lingzhang had been longing for came into view.
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