Chapter 110 The palms of his hands were rubbed together until they were burning hot, almost unbearably so.
The Duke of Wei's Mansion, Jixiu Pavilion.
Cui Ying heard from Cui Jin early in the morning that Kong Shi was unwell, so she didn't bother to dress up carefully. She only had Cui Jin quickly tie her hair into a simple bun and changed into an elegant casual outfit before rushing to the Duke of Wei's mansion.
Upon seeing Madam Kong, Cui Ying was both angry and anxious. She frowned and said, "Mother has been unwell these past few days. Why didn't you send someone to inform me? If it weren't for Cui Jin, how long did you intend to keep this from me?"
A faint medicinal fragrance permeated the Jixiu Pavilion. The windows were half-open, allowing for ventilation while a screen carefully blocked the direct breeze.
Kong Shi leaned against the couch, covered with a thin brocade quilt. Her face was indeed somewhat pale and listless, not as energetic as usual.
"It's just that the weather is hot, and I caught a chill from taking off so many clothes." Looking at her daughter's worried expression, Madam Kong smiled with a loving yet helpless look. "She'll be fine after a couple of days of rest. Why are you being so dramatic? Why did you have to rush over here? Besides, what kind of daughter-in-law runs back to her parents' home all the time?"
"Mother!" Cui Ying was clearly anxious and said defiantly, "I'm married, not sold. Why is it bad to come back? This is my own home. I can come back whenever I want and stay as long as I want. If anyone can't stand it, they can just close their eyes. Anyway, I won't change."
Madam Kong quickly grabbed her hand: "My dear daughter, I'm not teasing you anymore, why take it so seriously?" She then coughed once or twice.
Cui Ying gently patted Kong Shi's back, her expression softening and her tone becoming much gentler. She said in a coquettish tone, "It's easiest to catch a cold during the change of seasons in spring and summer. Mother's body is weaker than others, so you should be even more careful."
Seeing how much her daughter cared for her, Madam Kong felt comforted, her smile deepened, and her cough subsided: "It's just a common cold. A few doses of medicine and some sweating will make me fine. Don't worry, your mother is an adult, how could I not take care of myself?"
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Cui Ying's back: "By the way, where's Qi Yu? Didn't he come with you?"
“He’s here,” Cui Ying said. “I asked him to pay his respects to my grandmother on my behalf. He’ll come to see you in a little while.”
Madam Kong nodded with satisfaction, holding Cui Ying's hand tightly. Although she said she didn't want to trouble her to come, she was still happy that her daughter had returned.
The mother and daughter sat down for a long talk, sharing their recent experiences and interesting stories.
Just then, Kong touched Cui Ying's palm, and the burning sensation made Kong pause slightly.
She lowered her head and turned Cui Ying's palm over. She saw that the originally fair and tender palm was now burning red, and there were even some signs of swelling, as if... it had been rubbed hard by something repeatedly.
Madam Kong immediately frowned, puzzled: "Third Sister, what happened to your palms? Why are they so red?"
Cui Ying didn't react immediately. She was stunned for a moment, but when she remembered the origin of the red marks, she felt a "boom" and a wave of heat rushed from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her cheeks, ears, and even her neck were quickly stained with a bright red.
The light and shadow inside Qiyun Pavilion were dappled and chaotic, and Cui Ying seemed to be back in that chaotic scene, hearing the boy's rapid breathing in her ears.
Xiao Qiyu's hand, with its distinct knuckles and calloused from martial arts training, tightly enveloped her hand, his palm pressed against the back of her hand, guiding and kneading it repeatedly... She didn't quite understand what he was doing, and it hadn't appeared in any storybooks, so she subconsciously wanted to escape.
But his hand was like an iron clamp, gripping her tightly and not letting go, leading her to repeat that monotonous movement, quickly making her palms scald hot.
Those usually cold, dark phoenix eyes became wet and sticky, with a deep red tinge at the corners, staring straight at her as if they wanted to devour her whole...
Cui Ying shivered involuntarily, quickly pulled her hand back, clenched it tightly, and stammered, "No...it's nothing, Mother, don't worry. I accidentally burned myself while drinking tea this morning. It doesn't hurt anymore, and the color will fade in a while."
Upon hearing this, Madam Kong frowned even more deeply. She took her hand again, pried open her curled fingers, and carefully examined the deep red color, saying, "How did you get burned? How did the people around you take care of you? Where is Cuijin? I want to ask her myself who poured you tea this morning. They can't even control the tea temperature properly."
Cui Ying wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground; she now knew what it felt like to be stripped naked and paraded through the streets in public.
"Oh dear Mother," Cui Ying forced a laugh, pretending to be relaxed, "I thought they were clumsy and insisted on pouring it myself. If you want to punish them, you might as well punish me, the culprit, first."
Knowing that her daughter was kind-hearted and good to others, Madam Kong did not want to make things difficult for her. She complained a couple of times and then told the maid to fetch some ointment for burns, which she then applied herself to her daughter.
Cui Ying appeared calm as the paint was applied, but in reality, she was flustered and restless.
The redness in her palm resembled a small flame, and the burning pain spread along the pulse in her hand, making her heart tremble.
...
In the evening, Cui Yan returned from the Censorate, changed into his official robes, and went to Fushou Hall to pay his respects to the Grand Princess.
Cui Ying had already been by the Princess's side. When she saw her father return, she obediently stepped forward to greet him. Cui Yan nodded, and the father and daughter exchanged a few words. Then, Cui Yan went to the outer room to talk to his son-in-law.
Inside, the eldest princess, looking remarkably energetic, sat gracefully on a carved rosewood couch at the head of the table, holding Cui Ying's hand and inquiring about her recent affairs with loving eyes.
Cui Ying obediently answered her grandmother's questions, but her eyes kept drifting to the soft curtain embroidered with the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, which separated the inside from the outside.
The curtains were soft and light, and could be seen through the hazy light.
Xiao Qiyu spoke softly to his father-in-law. His profile was clear and his features were distinct. Reflected on the green soft curtain, he looked like a distant mountain in the mist, handsome yet dignified.
Even those who had been interrogating others spoke with a strong voice, and Cui Yan, despite lowering his voice, still spoke clearly and distinctly: "I've heard some rumors recently, is it really going to be a war in the north?"
Xiao Qiyu faced Cui Yan, but his mind was entirely focused on the graceful figure behind the curtain. Hearing this, he simply nodded and said succinctly, "What Father said is indeed true."
Cui Yan frowned, raised his hand to rub his temples, and sighed, "Alas, once we start a war, no matter how the battle goes, it will cost a fortune, a waste of manpower and resources."
Although the princess was talking to her granddaughter, her ears were very sharp. Upon hearing this, she coughed lightly and raised her voice, saying, "Alright, it's rare for the children to come back, so let's not talk about these unpleasant things in the court. This morning, a fresh deer was sent from the estate. It's the most nourishing thing, and the kitchen has already carefully prepared it. You should all eat more of it to replenish your bodies."
Just then, a maid came in to report that the Duke had also returned to the mansion and was on his way to Fushou Hall.
Upon hearing this, Cui Yan stood up and said, "I'll go greet my elder brother."
Xiao Qiyu naturally stood up as well, bowed to the princess through the curtain, and walked out together.
Cui Ying's gaze unconsciously followed Xiao Qiyu's back until that tall figure was no longer visible on the green gauze curtain.
"My little one?" the princess called softly.
Cui Ying snapped out of her daze and quickly looked away to face her grandmother.
The eldest princess smiled and said, "How has Xiao Qilang treated you? Has he ever bullied you?"
Cui Ying's feelings were immediately complicated. Thinking of Xiao Qiyu's hateful face, she puffed up her cheeks and shook her head like a rattle: "He treats me badly, not at all. He bullies me all the time."
The princess smiled without saying a word, then turned to her maid and ordered her to bring some snacks to tide her over.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, someone from the kitchen came to ask if dinner was ready and whether it was time to serve it.
The eldest princess glanced at the doorway: "Those two said they went to pick someone up, why haven't they returned yet?"
The maidservant quickly replied, "Your Highness, the eldest master, the third master, and the son-in-law are talking in the garden right now, and we dare not disturb them."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess couldn't help but chuckle and shook her head, saying, "They say three women make a drama, but I think men together are even more incomparable than a bunch of noisy ducks. Once they're together, they can't move their legs apart, and when they start talking, they don't even need to eat."
Her gaze shifted to her little granddaughter beside her, and she said with a smile, "Little one, go and call them all to your grandmother. If anyone refuses to come right away, go up and pluck their beard, and say that I ordered it. Let's see who dares to disobey."
Cui Ying, who was feeling bored, immediately perked up upon hearing this. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she cheerfully agreed, "Grandmother, don't worry! I'll definitely bring them all back!"
After saying that, she lifted her skirt and stood up, her steps as light as a bird's, and hopped out in a few steps.
Before long, Cui Ying escorted the three men from the garden to Fushou Hall.
Cui Yan and his elder brother Cui Xuan were arguing about fighting the Turks. Cui Yan felt that the people had only had a few years to recover, and war would cost millions of taels of gold, inevitably increasing corvée labor and taxes, causing widespread resentment and unrest. Cui Xuan, on the other hand, believed that the Turks had always been a major threat to the dynasty, and that peace negotiations had been difficult for many years. He argued that it would be better to start a war now; even if they couldn't be annihilated, it would at least intimidate the world and deter them from easily invading the borders.
The two brothers became increasingly agitated as they talked, and finally they simply went their separate ways and ignored each other.
In the garden, orioles sing and grasses grow tall, and hundreds of flowers bloom. A tall pear tree provides shade, and the pure white flowers shimmer in the sunlight, with petals fluttering and dancing in the air.
Cui Ying and Xiao Qiyu walked side by side on the path under the trees, petals falling all over their heads, making them look as if they had grown white hair.
The sounds of the two elders arguing just now lingered in Xiao Qiyu's mind, and a string in his heart gradually tightened, struggling between two sides.
He lowered his eyes in deep thought. All he could see, apart from the snow-white pear petals falling to the ground, was the girl's fluttering skirt.
The skirt, embroidered with delicate flowers, swayed gently with each step, as graceful as a lotus emerging from the water, stretching its shape in the breeze.
"So thick, so many sinews..." Cui Ying exclaimed as she looked at the robust pear tree trunk.
Xiao Qiyu's steps suddenly faltered.
In the blink of an eye, all thoughts of the nation and its affairs of state vanished. His ears instantly turned bright red, and he abruptly turned around, covering Cui Ying's mouth with his hand, saying, "Keep your voice down. Is this something you can talk about in public?"
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Author's note: Tsk tsk tsk
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