Mid-Autumn Festival in the ninth year of the reign of Emperor Fuxi of the Qianlong Emperor.
After the banquet ended and the guests gradually left, Su Yingxue kept Wang Xiuxiu behind alone.
The two strolled side by side in the courtyard, and before they knew it, a long time had passed.
Somehow, the conversation turned to outsiders saying that the Prince's family had few heirs.
Wang Xiuxiu chuckled twice, then casually deflected the question, saying, "Oh dear, we already have a young master in the manor, that's already very good!"
However, to her surprise, Su Yingxue's expression changed slightly after hearing these words, revealing a hint of hesitation.
She hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and asked, "Xiuxiu, you haven't consummated your marriage with the prince yet, have you?"
Seemingly worried that Wang Xiuxiu might misunderstand, she quickly added, "A few days ago, the doctor in the manor came to examine your pulse, and afterwards he reported the situation to me truthfully."
Wang Xiuxiu nodded knowingly and answered truthfully, "Well... it hasn't happened yet."
Why?
“He didn’t force me, and I also felt something was off,” Wang Xiuxiu stammered.
Wang Xiuxiu's shyness and bashfulness were taken by Su Yingxue as mere girlish embarrassment. She smiled gently and comforted her, "What's so strange about that? When we women get married, we're supposed to share a bed with our husbands. Do you really intend to keep dragging this on?"
“I didn’t mean to drag it out, I just felt…” Wang Xiuxiu murmured, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t.
As if keenly sensing her inner turmoil, Su Yingxue gently took her hand and said tenderly, "Don't worry, tell me. I will never tell a third person about this."
As she spoke, Su Yingxue raised her right hand, making a vow-like gesture.
"Sister, you don't need to do this. I trust you, but I just can't think of a way to express what's on my mind right now."
After he finished speaking, a brief silence fell between the two of them.
After a long while, Wang Xiuxiu took a deep breath, as if she had thought it through, and slowly said, "I know that it is common for men in wealthy families to have three wives and four concubines, but the thought that he might have been in one of our beds the night before, and that we would be transformed from sisters into wives and concubines the next morning, and that we would have to exchange pleasantries when we meet again in the future, makes me feel uncomfortable no matter how I think about it..."
While painstakingly describing the scene in her mind, Wang Xiuxiu carefully observed Su Yingxue's reaction, afraid that her expression might be unclear and cause the other party to misunderstand her meaning.
Meanwhile, Su Yingxue was quietly resting her head on her hand, looking deep in thought.
Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Wang Xiuxiu, as if she were carefully considering every word she said.
Since that day, everything has returned to normal.
The conversation did not change their relationship at all; they remained as close as before, laughing and joking together, sharing each other's joys and sorrows.
Just when Wang Xiuxiu thought Su Yingxue had given up trying to persuade her, Granny Li hurriedly arrived at Lanyue Pavilion.
Upon hearing that Su Yingxue had something important to discuss with her, Wang Xiuxiu changed her clothes and followed her to the main courtyard.
Upon seeing the person, Su Yingxue invited her to sit down next to her.
Wang Xiuxiu did as she was told. As soon as she sat down, Granny Li tactfully led a group of servants out of the room and gently closed the door behind her.
At this moment, only Wang Xiuxiu and Su Yingxue remained in the room, and the atmosphere became somewhat quiet.
Wang Xiuxiu broke the silence first, smiling and saying, "Sister, why are you so eager to invite me to have tea today?"
She thought Su Yingxue just wanted someone to keep her company and pass the time, but to her surprise, Su Yingxue smiled slightly and gently shook her head.
Wang Xiuxiu looked puzzled. Su Yingxue did not answer her question directly. Instead, she reached out and picked up the teapot on the table, poured Wang Xiuxiu a cup of fragrant tea, and then slowly raised her head, looking at the branches of the sycamore tree outside the window.
Following her gaze, Wang Xiuxiu saw that the sycamore tree was lush and leafy, resembling a giant umbrella held up in mid-air.
Do you know the story of this sycamore tree?
Looking at her face, Wang Xiuxiu tentatively asked, "Did the Prince specially transplant this from your maternal home?"
Yes, but not entirely.
"Xiuxiu, let me tell you a story."
Su Yingxue turned her head, and a ray of autumn sunlight shone through and fell on her face, adding a warm and soft glow to her.
Wang Xiuxiu was stunned for a moment when she saw this, and it took her a while to come back to her senses and nod stammeringly.
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