After resting for half a month, Qingying had removed the bandages from her hand, but the scabbed wound was quite ugly, winding along her slender wrist like a terrifying and disgusting centipede.
She often stares blankly at her wrist, where the severed tendons have been reconnected, but the injury is ultimately irreparable. She can no longer play a complete piece of music, but thankfully, her right hand is intact and she can still pick up a paintbrush.
What was Liu Shushu doing yesterday?
Tong Xia's eyes revealed sadness, and she seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
Qingying looked at her and smiled, "Go ahead and say it, I have nothing to be afraid of now."
Although she rarely went out, she had lived in this mansion for so many years and was far more knowledgeable about its intricacies than Liu Shushu, who was new to the place. She didn't need to go out at all; someone would pass information to Tongxia, who was her ears.
"Recently, Liu Shushu and His Highness the Crown Prince have been getting very close. I heard that they went to the horse farm together just yesterday."
"Does Liu Shushu also know archery and horsemanship?"
"Yes, I heard from Lan'er that her archery skills have even received praise from His Highness the Crown Prince."
"She's really amazing..." Qingying suddenly felt a pang of envy.
Lately, she's been staying indoors, sending people to inquire about Liu Shushu every day. The more she learns about her, the more frightened she becomes.
Liu Shushu seems to know everything.
Not long ago, Wang suddenly fell ill, but she cured her in seven days. Even Doctor Qin praised her medical skills. Later, she heard that Pan was worried and anxious and often had no appetite. So Liu Shushu cooked a table full of dishes and invited the whole family to taste them. Unsurprisingly, everyone was amazed by the food.
Oh, this whole family includes the second wife, but excludes her.
Now, it is said that Liu Shushu is proficient in archery and horsemanship, and even Wei Huaixu has praised her highly.
Liu Shushu's radiance was so dazzling that it attracted everyone's attention, leaving Qingying seemingly forgotten in a corner. Ever since her falling out with Liu Chengfeng, he had never come to see her again. Apart from that, only Madam Wang had sent someone to deliver things to her, and no one else had set foot in her courtyard since.
Even though she still lived in the best courtyard in the General's Mansion, where she was always bathed in warm sunlight, her heart was desolate, and she felt only boundless loneliness.
Her reason warned her that she shouldn't force those vague and unattainable feelings, but every day she still self-destructively asked people to inquire about her. She always hoped that someone would care about her and wished that they would spare even a little bit of the attention they were giving to Liu Shushu.
But the reality is cruel; they seem to have completely forgotten that there is such a person in the manor...
How could she allow that?
“Yu Yue, I’m so jealous of her. I can’t control myself. I keep thinking, it would be better if she didn’t come back, it would be better if she died out there.” She stood by the window, turned her head, and the bright sunlight blurred her face. She said softly, “Yu Yue, I think I’ve become bad.”
Yu Yue looked at her, and even just by hearing her voice, she knew that she was sad.
“Girl, they wronged you first. The Liu family’s status and favor were never earned by you. They gave them to you themselves, then cruelly took them away. In the end, they even tried to smear you, blaming you for usurping their place.” Yu Yue knelt at her feet, her voice trembling slightly with resentment.
Qingying slowly leaned down, a slightly mocking smile playing on her lips. "You see, even you understand now. They're trying to force me to my death, but I refuse to give in to their wishes."
She paused, then gently lifted Yu Yue's chin, making her look directly at her, and said slowly, "You and Tong Xia will always be by my side, right?"
Looking into her icy eyes, Yu Yue felt a sudden chill in her heart. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded vigorously: "This servant will live and die with you, Miss."
Behind her, Tong Xia also knelt down, saying, "This servant will only ever recognize you as my mistress."
"Very good." Qingying withdrew her hand.
She turned and looked out the window again. It was late autumn again, and the trees in the yard had almost lost all their leaves. "Keep an eye on her. Report any unusual activity to me in detail."
"Yes," Tong Xia replied.
...
Another month passed in the blink of an eye, and Qingying reappeared in public at Princess Yongning's wedding banquet.
She hadn't appeared in public for so long that many people had almost forgotten about her, but her appearance today attracted a lot of attention.
There's nothing we can do; she's just so beautiful.
To appear festive, Qingying specially wore a light red dress today. The water-like silk was covered with a smoky gauze, and a belt around her waist accentuated her slender waist. Her hair was adorned with a dazzling array of red hairpins, and a golden hair ornament swayed slightly as she walked. With a dot of vermilion between her eyebrows, dark eyebrows, red lips, and rosy cheeks, she was as beautiful as a blooming peony.
She rarely dresses so flamboyantly; in the past, she was still stunningly beautiful even when she was simple and low-key. Now, she is even more breathtakingly beautiful.
Xie Jiaoying excitedly came over when she saw her and said, "You finally know how to use your face properly."
Qingying smiled at her, "How carefree I used to be that you find me so distasteful."
"You used to be just passable, but today you're practically using your beauty to commit violence. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were here to steal the bride."
Her words were not an exaggeration. Qingying could clearly feel that from the moment she stepped into the Song residence, the gazes fixed on her had never diminished.
Fortunately, she had never had any interaction with Song Jiasanlang before, otherwise she might have really been mistaken for someone trying to steal a bride.
She took her seat at the table, but the seat next to her was empty. When she asked, she heard gossip.
Wu Miaoqing said dismissively, "Her? Just now, Eunuch Fu from His Highness the Crown Prince's side came to invite her away, but she hasn't returned in a quarter of an hour. I wonder what she's up to."
Qingying was somewhat surprised. Wasn't Wu Miaoqing previously on the same page as Liu Shushu? Why is she suddenly talking about her behind her back now?
Zhou Yao chimed in, "They don't even understand the principle of men and women not touching each other. They're really from the countryside."
"After all these years of wandering, she's picked up some vulgarity and can't be presented in a respectable manner," another noblewoman, whom I had never met before, said with disdain.
Qingying clicked her tongue and whispered to Xie Jiaoying beside her, "What happened while I was away? Why are they targeting Liu Shushu?"
Xie Jiaoying leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Recently, Liu Shushu has been secretly seeing Prince An, and Wu Miaoqing caught them."
The Seventh Prince was only granted the title of Prince An before the new year. Wu Miaoqing had long coveted the position of Princess An, which explains why she targeted Liu Shushu.
Qingying was quite pleased with this, and her mood suddenly improved.
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