Chapter 52 "I still thought Lu Erlang was really a..."
The hall fell silent. Meng Yuanxiao stood there, stunned, her heart pounding.
A moment later, without saying a word, she walked back, put the scroll back on the coffee table, and turned to leave.
I had only taken a few steps when I suddenly heard a "ripping" sound behind me, the sound of drawing paper being torn.
Meng Yuanxiao stopped in his tracks and turned around abruptly, only to see that the scroll was in Cui Xintang's hand, already torn in two.
Meng Yuanxiao was stunned, looking at him in disbelief, "Brother Tang?"
Cui Xintang lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the painting in her hand, then on the small seal in the lower right corner, before slowly tearing the painting into several pieces.
“This time I will pretend it never happened. Not many people know about this yet, and I will try to suppress it. But the Meng family must know, so Yuanyuan should think about how to explain it to her mother-in-law and Meng Xu.”
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
She felt that the Tang brother she knew today was a stranger, unlike the Tang brother who had always doted on her. She was both angry and annoyed, and although she tried her best to hold back her tears, they still fell uncontrollably.
Cui Xintang casually tossed the torn scroll aside, raised his eyes and asked her, "Did Zhang Mingyue help you deliver the painting to the Imperial Academy?"
Meng Yuanxiao's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard him say coldly, "I will inform the Zhang family about this matter and ask Zhang Mingyue to have less contact with you."
"Brother Tang, why!" Meng Yuanxiao could no longer hold back, and tears streamed down her face.
Tears welled in her long eyelashes, and she glared at him angrily with her almond-shaped eyes. "Mingyue is my best friend, Brother Tang, don't go too far!"
Cui Xintang frowned slightly. His face was cold as he glanced at the painting torn to pieces at his feet, then looked up at her as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't speak.
After a moment, he said, "Aren't you tired? Get some rest. When you have nothing to do, think carefully about where you went wrong. I have something to do and need to go to my study. I won't be back to my room if it gets too late."
Having said that, he ignored her and walked out.
Meng Yuanxiao stood blankly in the hall for a while, not even eating dinner. After taking a bath, she lay on the bed, crying so hard that she soaked her pillow. She was clearly very tired, but she didn't fall asleep until dawn.
Cui Xintang did not return until she fell asleep. When she woke up the next day, the outside of the bed was cold, and there was no sign that anyone had lain there.
Cui Xintang did not return to his room for two consecutive days, but Qingzhu came over on the third day.
Qingzhu acted as if nothing had happened, cheerfully bringing Meng Yuanxiao a bunch of novel and strange little gadgets.
"Young Madam, this is what Master brought back for you from his business trip. He forgot to give it to you a couple of days ago, so he asked me to bring it to you."
In the past two days, when Meng Yuanxiao calmed down, he couldn't help but regret his impulsive actions and his failure to consider the Cui and Meng families.
So, despite feeling wronged and unwilling, she looked at the pile of things and lowered her head first, asking, "Where is Brother Tang?"
"The master said he's been busy these past few days, so he'll be staying in the study to avoid disturbing you," Qingzhu said.
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
As soon as Qingzhu left, tears started falling in her eyes.
Meng Yuanxiao wasn't shameless; if Cui Xintang didn't return, she couldn't stay at the Cui residence any longer.
She left the pile of things Qingzhu had brought on the couch untouched. After crying and calming down, she left the Cui residence without a word, taking Hongshao with her.
She didn't even say goodbye to her mother-in-law. She originally wanted to go back to the Meng residence, but thinking of Cui Xintang's words, she didn't dare to face her mother and elder brother. So after hesitating for a long time, she still went to her own house.
Upon arriving at the residence, the old woman was startled to see Meng Yuanxiao's red eyes, but Meng Yuanxiao didn't want to say much. She only told the old woman not to tell her mother and then sent her away.
I wanted to write a letter to Mingyue, but I was afraid of troubling her, so I hesitated and decided against it.
For several days in a row, no one came to the Cui residence, as if the young mistress had run away from home and no one in the household cared.
Meng Yuanxiao didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't help feeling a chill in her heart.
Seeing that she was sullen, the nanny said she would take her to the shop that day. Meng Yuanxiao had never been to the shop many times and did not want to stay cooped up at home, so she went out with the nanny.
She had just walked around the shop when she heard someone call her name, "Miss Meng."
Meng Yuanxiao turned his head and saw that it was Lu Erlang, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
Lu Erlang stood outside the shop for an unknown amount of time. When he saw her looking over, Lu Erlang looked somewhat awkward and said, "I was just passing by when I saw Miss Meng inside."
Meng Yuanxiao still remembered what her brother Tang said: it was Lu Erlang who gave her painting to him.
She asked with a stern face, "Is there something you need, Second Young Master Lu?"
Lu Erlang's face stiffened. "I've always wanted to explain that painting to Miss Meng."
Meng Yuanxiao remained silent, and Lu Erlang waited a moment before saying, "I suspect that Miss Meng submitted that painting herself without the knowledge of the Cui and Meng families. If the Cui and Meng families find out later, they will surely blame you."
"Public opinion is a fearsome thing. Miss Meng thinks it's only natural to take the exam to become a female official, but others may not think so. I am also afraid that if others find out, it will damage Miss Meng's reputation."
Meng Yuanxiao almost laughed out of anger. "Since public opinion is such a fearsome thing, you're standing here talking to me. If others see you, won't it affect my reputation?"
Lu Erlang's face flushed slightly, but he asked, "Did Miss Meng have a fight with Young Master Cui?"
Meng Yuanxiao thought he was out of his mind. "What's it to you?"
She frowned; her words were rather harsh.
Lu Erlang lowered his head and said, "If Miss Meng really wants to take the painting exam, I can secretly submit it for you without telling anyone else. If the Cui family blames you in the future, I can take the blame for Miss Meng."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
This person was inexplicable. She felt annoyed and turned to leave, but then, remembering something, she turned back and glanced at Lu Erlang's waist.
The folding fan was nowhere to be seen, and no one knew where he had hidden it.
Meng Yuanxiao frowned slightly. "That folding fan isn't worth much; Young Master Lu can just throw it away."
Having said that, she turned and left without looking at him again.
That night, as Meng Yuanxiao lay in bed, just drifting off to sleep, a warm chest suddenly pressed against his back.
She was startled and was about to cry out when the person behind her said, "Who does Yuanyuan think it is?"
As he spoke, he tried to press the person down on his body.
This man had ignored her for several days, and this was how he acted as soon as he arrived. Meng Yuanxiao was so angry that she almost cursed him, and struggled to kick him hard.
Cui Xintang hissed, restrained her hands and feet, pecked her lips again, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I haven't been able to close my eyes for several nights because of you, but Yuanyuan is sleeping soundly."
Meng Yuanxiao was almost brought to tears by his words, tears welling up in her eyes. "Get away from me! Don't touch me!"
Aside from learning a few swear words from the women in Huai Shu Village, Yuan Yuan had never used such vulgar language as "get lost" before.
Cui Xintang was taken aback, then laughed in exasperation, "Didn't you want to come and stay here yourself? We've let you stay here for a few days, and you're still not over it?"
After saying that, he kissed her eyes and asked, "What did Lu Erlang and Yuanyuan talk about today?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
She is afraid of the dark, so when she sleeps alone, she leaves a light on in her room.
The candlelight shone through the curtains, and Cui Xintang hovered over her, his eyes half-smiling, half-revealing.
“I went out on official business today and remembered that there was Yuanyuan’s shop there, so I lifted the carriage curtain and took a casual look. Who knew that I would see Yuanyuan and Young Master Lu chatting enthusiastically on the street.”
As he spoke, he grabbed Meng Yuanxiao's hand with one hand, and his other hand was not idle either. He quickly tore open Meng Yuanxiao's nightgown, and when she was in a daze, he succeeded.
Perhaps he was angry, for he was quite ruthless and used more force than usual. Meng Yuanxiao was caught off guard and cried out in surprise. She instinctively tried to push him away, but her feeble strength was nothing compared to Cui Xintang's.
Cui Xintang leaned down and sealed her lips and tongue with his, silencing her sobs.
Once they separated slightly, Cui Xintang saw her staring at him with her wet almond-shaped eyes and chuckled, "Yuanyuan, is it because your brother Tang clearly saw you but didn't go to find you?"
Meng Yuanxiao did not answer. He said, "Do I get out of the car and show my face so that people will know that the eldest young mistress of the Cui family is having an affair with the second young master of the Lu family?"
His words were harsh, full of sarcasm and irony, and upon closer listening, they carried anger. Meng Yuanxiao's chest heaved with rage, yet he was rendered utterly powerless by his words.
He was so fierce that day, he even tore up her painting, and then ignored her for several days in a row, yet he didn't think he had done anything wrong.
Meng Yuanxiao was so angry that tears streamed down her face. "You shameless person!"
“Hmm, Brother Tang is shameless,” Cui Xintang scoffed, then suddenly bumped into Ding Ye. “Young Master Lu has a sense of shame.”
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Cui Xintang hovered over her, her movements never stopping, and she even had the mind to mock her, "Didn't Young Master Lu also tell you that he could help you pass the painting in again?"
"..." Meng Yuanxiao swallowed hard.
Cui Xintang saw this and chuckled, "He specially picked out Yuanyuan's painting and gave it to me. I thought the Second Young Master Lu was truly a gentleman."
In the end, he was nothing more than a petty person who was good at putting on airs and sowing discord.
With things mostly settled, Cui Xintang had originally planned to come over tonight to invite the person back.
After leaving someone hanging for several days, whether they know they've done something wrong or not, they should be comforted.
But seeing her with Lu Erlang, he didn't want to say it anymore. He knew Yuanyuan wanted to hear it, but he deliberately kept quiet.
Meng Yuanxiao stared at him with her wet eyes, pursing her lips and remaining silent.
Cui Xintang continued his work slowly and deliberately, saying, "Yuanyuan, do you know how much effort your brother Tang has put in these past few days to erase this matter?"
After saying that, she bit the corner of her lips, "Yuanyuan doesn't care about me at all."
Enraged, Meng Yuanxiao bit his lip hard in return.
Cui Xintang's lip was bitten, drawing bright red blood. He ignored it, only scoffing, "Yuanyuan, you dare?"
"..." Of course, I wouldn't dare to do it again, but I was also very unwilling.
Meng Yuanxiao was so angry that tears streamed down her face. She tried to kick and hit him, but he easily subdued her.
Cui Xintang sighed helplessly and said, "Stop fooling around."
After saying that, he added, "You did something wrong, and I can't even say a few words to you? Do you know how angry Brother Tang was when he saw that painting that day, and it was still in Lu Erlang's hands?"
His phoenix eyes seemed to be both smiling and not smiling. "Yuanyuan, are you really trying to anger me to death so you can go find Lu Erlang? I at least came to coax you after resolving the trouble, but Yuanyuan won't even coax Brother Tang with a single word."
"..."
Meng Yuanxiao wanted him to get lost, but he said, "The matter has been suppressed, and the Meng family has also kept it a secret."
Meng Yuanxiao was stunned.
Cui Xintang knew what she was thinking and said, "I didn't tell the Meng family this time, but if Yuanyuan acts up like this again in the future, Brother Tang won't care about your reputation anymore."
Meng Yuanxiao's eyebrows furrowed, and she couldn't help but feel tense.
Cui Xintang hissed, "Don't bite so hard."
Meng Yuanxiao's face flushed red instantly.
Cui Xintang smiled, "I also made up an excuse for you with your mother. I said you were angry with me and went to the temple for a few days. Your mother has been fasting and chanting Buddhist prayers these days, so she won't blame you if she hears that you went to the temple. As for Zhang Mingyue..."
He paused for a moment before saying, "Yuanyuan can continue to play with her from now on, but you're not allowed to fool around with her anymore. Do you understand?"
"..." Meng Yuanxiao's heart jumped up and down, and she pursed her lips, refusing to say a word.
Her face was flushed, and she looked sulky. Cui Xintang chuckled and pecked her lips.
"Does Yuanyuan know why Brother Tang suddenly has to go on official business, and how much trouble this trip will bring? If it weren't for what Yuanyuan said to the Princess on New Year's Eve, Brother Tang could have declined."
Of course, Lin Yu's letter also played a part, but he knew how to say it to coax Yuanyuan.
It was as if he knew perfectly well that it was time to coax people today; if he didn't come soon, it would be difficult to coax them.
He knew Yuanyuan's temperament inside and out. He had teased her and made her cry countless times when she was little. He knew exactly what would anger someone and how to appease them.
Yuanyuan is willful, but she is also smart and soft-hearted. After a day or two of being upset about what happened that day, she will start to reflect on it and inevitably feel regret, guilt, and remorse.
She'll feel guilty in front of Lu Erlang today, making it easier to coax her.
After tossing and turning for most of the hour, Meng Yuanxiao was so tired that she didn't want to move anymore. Cui Xintang, still not satisfied, grabbed her slender waist, turned her over, and lifted her onto his body.
“Yuanyuan has been throwing a tantrum for several days, and she should have calmed down by now. If we don’t go back soon, I’m afraid we won’t be able to keep it a secret. Everyone in the manor will know that the young mistress was angry with me and left me to enjoy myself.”
"Also, Yuanyuan was talking to Lu Erlang today. I wonder if anyone saw her. Yuanyuan, please give Tang-gege some face and stop making trouble, okay?"
"..."
The next day, after leaving the office, Cui Xintang indeed arrived early.
Perhaps to coax Meng Yuanxiao into obediently returning with him, he said, "Brother Tang has been thinking about this all day. If Yuanyuan really wants to be a female official, it's not impossible."
These words were truly unexpected. Meng Yuanxiao's almond-shaped eyes immediately lit up. She was about to speak, but then she remembered that she was still angry with him, so she quickly shut her mouth.
Cui Xintang raised his eyebrows. "Didn't Yuanyuan say before that if Brother Tang is ever transferred to a post outside the capital, Yuanyuan could work as a minor official under Brother Tang?"
He smiled and said, "With Brother Tang protecting you, Yuanyuan shouldn't be able to cause any trouble."
Meng Yuanxiao blinked.
"However, you must not have such thoughts while in the capital, understand?"
After saying that, he looked at her again and asked, "So, Yuanyuan, would you like to go with Brother Tang to be stationed outside the capital?"
Meng Yuanxiao hesitated and remained silent for a moment.
Cui Xintang sighed softly, raised his hand and gently stroked her nose, "Aren't you going back to the manor?"
Meng Yuanxiao was angry but also proud, and was unwilling to go back with him like this.
Cui Xintang, however, knew how to handle her. "What, are you going to ask your mother-in-law and Meng Xu to coax Yuanyuan?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Upon returning to the Cui residence and entering his room, Meng Yuanxiao instinctively looked towards the bed.
There was only her storybook on the small table; nothing else was visible.
Cui Xintang said, "It's already been thrown away."
Meng Yuanxiao looked away and pursed her lips as she looked at him.
Cui Xintang's phoenix eyes were filled with laughter. "The day Yuanyuan ran away from home, I told Qingzhu to throw away the bracelet. If Yuanyuan doesn't believe me, she can go and ask Qingzhu."
Meng Yuanxiao wouldn't ask.
Cui Xintang reached out and pinched her cheek. "Yuanyuan doesn't care about things that have been given away to others, and neither does Brother Tang."
Meng Yuanxiao blushed slightly, wanting to say that it was left by her grandmother, but she gave up and turned her face away, ignoring him.
I had just sat down when a guest arrived.
The visitor was a young woman of sixteen or seventeen, who said she was a cousin of the Qin sisters.
The young woman came in carrying a food box and said, "Greetings, cousin and cousin-in-law. I've cooked bird's nest soup. My aunt heard that you've returned and asked me to bring you a bowl."
Meng Yuanxiao blinked and subconsciously looked at Cui Xintang.
Cui Xintang glanced at the food box in the young woman's hand. "Thank you. Are you Erlang's cousin?"
"Yes," the young woman said, her eyes darting back and forth between the young couple.
Cui Xintang nodded, his voice neither warm nor cold, "The household has enough servants. Miss Sun can simply give the orders; there's no need for you to come here personally."
While he was talking to Miss Sun, Meng Yuanxiao sat to the side and ignored him.
After Miss Sun left, Cui Xintang said, "The Sun family is in business, and I heard that their main business is bird's nest. I heard that their business is quite good. Yuanyuan, why don't you try it and see how it tastes?"
Meng Yuanxiao was feeling a bit hungry. She glanced at the bird's nest soup bowl beside her, and without hesitation, picked up a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of bird's nest soup, putting it in her mouth.
She took a few bites in a row, and Cui Xintang asked, "Do you like it? If it's good, I'll ask Second Aunt to buy more from the Sun family."
After saying that, she added, "Hasn't Second Aunt always wanted to get some benefits for her maternal relatives? If Yuanyuan likes it, it's not impossible to hand over this business to the Sun family."
Meng Yuanxiao only ate a few bites before getting tired of it. He threw the spoon back into the bowl and said without looking up, "It's not good."
Cui Xintang glanced at her, raised his hand to remove the bit of bird's nest soup that had gotten on her lips, and then took the bird's nest soup that she had left over and tasted it as well.
After tasting it, he chuckled and said, "Isn't it alright?"
After saying that, he put the bowl back, picked up a teacup, and took a sip.
He was holding his teacup, pondering matters at the yamen, when Meng Yuanxiao suddenly asked, "Brother Tang, what brings Miss Sun to the Cui residence?"
"Huh?" Cui Xintang didn't come to his senses for a moment. He turned his head and glanced at her, then casually said, "She went to live with her second aunt. She usually stays in her second aunt's courtyard. Yuanyuan doesn't like her, so she just ignores her."
The next day, Madam Qin came again.
After Chen left, Qin couldn't wait to ask, "I saw Steward Lin just now, what's he doing here again?"
The name "Lin family" was what Meng Yuanxiao hated hearing the most.
She didn't even look up. "I don't know."
"Oh dear, how can you be so carefree!" Qin said, then rolled her eyes. "What, didn't Steward Lin come to see you?"
Meng Yuanxiao remained silent, and Qin Shi knew what was going on.
"Your eldest son and mother-in-law are too kind-hearted, which is why the Lin family is so arrogant. When the Lin family was exiled, your eldest son wrote to his father and asked someone to take care of them. They have helped them a lot in the past two years, but they are still not satisfied."
“Dalang is stubborn and has not had any contact with his father for several years. Apart from this matter, has he ever written to his father to ask for anything?”
"However, the Lin family is still inconsiderate. Your mother-in-law wants you to manage the household, but when there are important matters, they insist on bypassing you and discussing them directly with your mother-in-law?"
Meng Yuanxiao was annoyed by what he heard, but he patiently said, "I am young and can't take care of everything. It is only right for a mother-in-law to take care of some things herself."
“If you’re too busy, ask your cousin to lend you a hand!” Qin said, “Your cousin is very good at managing accounts. With her help, you can relax a bit.”
Meng Yuanxiao was too lazy to guess Qin's intentions. Miss Sun looked a bit older than her last year, but since she was with Cui Xintang, it wouldn't hurt to call Miss Sun her cousin.
She casually replied, "How could that be? Cousin Sun is a guest; it wouldn't be right to trouble her."
He thought that Madam Qin would surely understand and be more sensible, but Madam Qin quickly added, "Hey, aren't we all family?"
Meng Yuanxiao, who had been holding back her anger for several days and had nowhere to vent it, said directly upon hearing this, "Aunt, is it that Cousin Sun and Erlang are about to have a good time together?"
Qin choked, "What nonsense are you talking about, child?"
Meng Yuanxiao blinked. "How could I be talking nonsense? Aunt, haven't you been looking for a suitable woman for Erlang? I think Cousin Sun is quite good. So, Aunt, you've taken a liking to Cousin Sun and want her to be your daughter-in-law?"
Qin's face flushed with anger, and she retorted, "They are siblings, how can this be allowed?"
Meng Yuanxiao disagreed, "They're cousins, not blood relatives. Wouldn't it be better to strengthen family ties through marriage?"
After saying that, seeing Qin's strange expression, Meng Yuanxiao blinked, as if she had figured something out, and her almond-shaped eyes suddenly widened.
"Didn't you choose one for Erlang? Could it be that you, Aunt, are going to find a concubine for Erlang?"
"You child..." Qin was so angry that she couldn't speak, while Meng Yuanxiao looked completely innocent. "Didn't you say we're all family?"
Qin couldn't sit still any longer. She glared at her fiercely, got up, and left.
When Cui Xintang returned home that evening, he asked, "What did Yuanyuan talk about with Second Aunt today?"
"It's nothing," Meng Yuanxiao said without looking up.
She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, writing a note to Zhang Mingyue.
Although Brother Tang said she could continue playing with Mingyue, she couldn't help but worry and blame herself, afraid that the news would reach the Zhang family and Mingyue would be scolded by her family because of her, and also afraid that Mingyue would refuse to play with her anymore.
"Really?" Cui Xintang had already taken a bath. He came over, pinched her chin, leaned in and kissed her, then reached for the invitation in front of her to look at it.
Meng Yuanxiao picked up the post and hid it behind his back.
Cui Xintang paused for a moment, then chuckled and ruffled her hair before taking off her outer garment and tossing it aside.
Then he climbed onto the bed, pulled her close, and said, "You didn't say anything, but I heard Miss Sun cried for half a day?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
What she said to Madam Qin, how did it reach Miss Sun's ears? But last night, Miss Sun's eyes kept darting back and forth between her and Brother Tang, which was a bit annoying.
However, she was still a little guilty and puffed out her cheeks without saying a word.
Meng Yuanxiao thought Cui Xintang was going to scold her, but instead she heard him say, "Have you calmed down after venting your anger?"
As he said this, he pinched her waist, his eyes filled with amusement.
Meng Yuanxiao frowned at him, while Cui Xintang raised his eyebrows. "Yuanyuan has been holding in her anger for several days and needs to vent it to avoid hurting herself. Since Yuanyuan can't bear to lose her temper with Brother Tang, it's just a pity for Second Aunt."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
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