As the autumn breeze began to blow, the pines and cypresses outside Shousong Hall remained lush and green. Li Shiyue walked out, unable to hide the slight dark circles under her eyes.
"Young lady, you haven't been sleeping well these past two days. Why don't you brew a calming soup for me tonight?"
Chunling stretched out her hands, letting Li Shiyue's left hand rest on her forearm. She rubbed her forehead with her slender fingers, and Li Shiyue looked slightly haggard.
"Thanks to the Duchess's constant sending of precious medicinal herbs, the young lady's health is much better than before." Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a matter of poor spirits.
Chunling dared not let her guard down, keeping a close eye on her feet, afraid that some loose stones or steps might cause Li Shiyue to trip or fall.
Noticing that Li Shiyue had stopped, Chunling, not understanding why, also stopped. Her lips moved slightly, but before she could say anything, the grass not far away rustled, and the sound of leaves turning softly came from nearby.
The newcomer seemed surprised to encounter Li Shiyue here, and upon seeing her, he smiled slightly and said, "Cousin."
Xu Yunyang must have just finished his shift today. He was still wearing his official uniform, which had a dark pattern and was a bit loose, but fit him perfectly.
His features resembled Liu's even more; his eyebrows were slightly raised, and he looked at Li Shiyue with an unexpected smile in his eyes.
Perhaps because she hadn't gone out today, she wore a pale yellow jacket with a dark pattern of begonia flowers, and her silver-white inner garment was wrapped around her chest. A pale yellow sash held her slender waist between the jacket and her skirt.
Her hair was styled simply, with only some of the stray hairs on her forehead combed up, leaving only the shorter stray hairs on the sides.
This was the first time Li Shiyue had seen Xu Yunyang in official robes. For some reason, he suddenly remembered that day in the capital, when Xu Yunci, dressed in official robes, was serious and unapproachable, more like a high-ranking official.
But who knows what filth and grime is hidden beneath the smile in the eyes of the person in front of them?
"Didn't my cousin have breakfast with Grandma today? Why are you strolling in the garden so early?"
Li Shiyue shook her head slightly, not taking a step forward. Her tone was indifferent, but she could not hide the haggardness between her brows.
"I just came from Shousong Hall. My maternal grandmother's headache flared up again, and Granny Chang is keeping her company while she rests. I was thinking that my maternal grandmother hasn't had much of an appetite lately, so I thought I'd make some of the flower cakes that she likes to eat."
After hearing her words, Xu Yunyang noticed that Chunling beside her had a small bamboo basket slung over her forearm.
Although the garden of the Duke's mansion is not as magnificent as the imperial garden in the palace, it is still carefully cultivated by the mansion's gardeners, and the osmanthus flowers are at their best at this time of year.
"Everyone says that my grandmother dotes on my cousin the most, and my cousin's filial piety towards my grandmother is unmatched by anyone in the family."
Xu Yunyang looked like he had just returned from court at this hour. His black gauze hat and official robes matched perfectly. He wasn't in a hurry to leave, and this direction didn't lead back to the west courtyard.
Li Shiyue smiled slightly, her aloofness quite obvious. Seemingly unintentional, her attention was actually on Xu Yunyang. After all, there were servants coming and going in this place, and it was always right for her to be careful.
“My maternal grandmother loved me just as much as she loved her brothers and sisters. It’s only natural for an elderly person to love their grandchildren. If you say that my whole family can’t compare to her, then my third cousin’s words are really too much for me.”
"My aunts visit my maternal grandmother every day to show their filial piety. Not to mention my brothers and sisters, even my cousin who is now in Chonghua Palace keeps sending back tonics. My little token of appreciation is just icing on the cake, nothing like the flowery words my third cousin spoke of."
"If others heard this, they would think that I was disrespecting the family because of my maternal grandmother's favor. Third cousin, you should not say such things again."
Xu Yunyang's lips curled up slightly, showing no sign of anger: "It's my fault for being clumsy with words and upsetting my cousin. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."
"There are rumors circulating in the household lately that my cousin is getting married soon. Perhaps she has something on her mind, because she doesn't seem to be in good spirits. My cousin has always been frail, so she should take care of herself and get some rest."
Li Shiyue seemed to have her secrets exposed, a faint sadness settling between her brows.
Xu Yunyang's eyes were filled with sarcasm as he recalled the events that had occurred in the mansion a few days prior.
It was obvious to everyone that Old Madam Xu intended to matchmake Xu Yunyao and Li Shiyue, but before things were officially settled, Xu Yunyao took in a concubine, which was clearly a slap in the face to the old lady.
But a servant reported that Li Shiyue went to Shousong Hall before dawn every day. After offering incense with Old Madam Xu in the early morning, she would have breakfast with Old Madam Xu.
He would leave Shousong Hall around 9:00 AM, spending most of his time in the small garden, then the main courtyard, and only occasionally returning to Chengyu Pavilion. Life was comfortable; the old lady doted on him, the Duchess instructed him, and he played with Xu Lingzi. He heard nothing that Xu Yunyang wanted to hear.
His wicked "interest" kept Li Shiyue under his watchful eye, wanting to see her think she had found someone better than him, only to find out she was worse off than him.
If Li Shiyue were to plead with him in a soft voice now, he might consider sending away the two concubines in the courtyard. Even if Madam Liu was unwilling, he had plenty of ways to deal with it.
He should just appease her for now. Once he gets what he wants, he'll be willing to give her back her position as his new bride, since she's beautiful and sensible.
However, Xu Yunyang had misplaced his thoughts. If Li Shiyue knew this, she would probably want to pour the entire moat into his brain to wash it clean.
"Third cousin is right. I've been worried about my grandmother lately and haven't been sleeping well. I was being disrespectful. Oh, third cousin, did you just finish court? Are you going to pay your respects to my grandmother?"
"Grandmother was saying that she hadn't seen her third cousin for a while, and she even punished a few gossipy maids for saying that her third cousin didn't come to pay his respects to her often. Grandmother was quite unhappy to hear that. When her third cousin goes to visit soon, Grandmother will be very happy."
"I won't keep you any longer, Third Cousin. I'll take my leave now."
Li Shiyue gave Chunling a look, and as soon as she finished speaking, a faint smile appeared on her lips. She led Chunling into the corridor and walked away.
The implication, whether overt or covert, is that Xu Yunyang doesn't pay his respects to his elders often enough, and this accusation of neglecting filial piety is neither a minor nor a serious offense.
Chunling, carrying a small bamboo basket, followed in Li Shiyue's footsteps and couldn't help but glance back. It would have been better if she hadn't looked; turning around, she saw Xu Yunyang's eyes fixed on Li Shiyue's back with lust, like a wolf eyeing a bone, poised to pounce.
She trembled, but the next second Li Shiyue turned her head to look at her, a meaningful smile hidden beneath the calm in her eyes, and reached out to pat Chunling's hand.
Chunling's lips moved slightly, and she could tell that it was the word "walk".
As I walked further away, the scorching gaze behind me disappeared. This patch of osmanthus blossoms was secluded and quiet, its location extremely clever, surrounded by lush trees and evergreen vines.
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