Chapter 16 Yu Xuan Reunited
Zhu Xuanning had a silver tongue and, because of her mother, was knowledgeable in medicine. She could tell that Madam Zhu disliked her, so she was very careful in managing her courtyard and was somewhat wary of Madam Zhu's good intentions.
For example, the milk tea that was served every day, she tasted a bit of medicine after just one sip.
Therefore, she would always pour the milk tea into the hot soup for washing.
The amount of milk tea is small, so when mixed with water, it is not very noticeable.
She would cut off a small portion of the medicinal herbs sent from Zhu Yuli's private treasury every now and then to decoct and regulate her body.
Although the temperature difference in March is large, the charcoal in her room never went out, so she shouldn't have caught a cold.
Unfortunately, Zhu Xuanning fell ill, and even the medicine she took was slow to take effect.
When she was sick for three days, Song Zhaohan was so worried that she drugged the people in Luoxue Courtyard and climbed in through the window.
Zhu Xuanning was half asleep when Song Zhaohan woke her up.
"How could your servants treat you so poorly? If I hadn't come to check, I wouldn't have known you slept with your window half-open every night!"
"How can you get better like this!"
Song Zhaohan tenderly stroked her face, but a clear anger flared in her eyes.
Zhu Xuanning's hazy consciousness cleared. She was wary of the food and medicine, but she didn't think of this reason at all.
Every day when Zhu Xuanning woke up, she could see a small, normal crack in the window for ventilation. Perhaps because her illness had slowed her thinking, she did not connect this to the reason for her prolonged illness.
It wasn't until Song Zhaohan came over and pointed it out.
Bringing her thoughts back, Zhu Xuanning smiled and gently took Song Zhaohan's hand, saying softly, "Why do you say that, Zhaohan? Perhaps the servants just forgot today. Every day when I get up, these windows are closed properly."
The more Zhu Xuanning said this, the more Song Zhaohan felt sorry for her.
His Ah Ning was too kind; how could she know the wickedness of people's hearts? If he hadn't come to take a look, she would have been tormented beyond belief.
“You’ve only been at the Zhu residence for a little over a month and you’ve already fallen ill twice. The first time you were sick, it was Mei Si who called a doctor for you.”
"I think it's because your cousin is going to date Wei Xiuqi that your dear auntie is afraid you'll steal her thunder, so she resorted to these dirty tricks!"
Song Zhaohan looked disgusted and was already thinking about how to get someone to impeach Zhu Yuli.
They only dare to torment Aning like this because they think Aning has no one to back her up!
I see.
Zhu Xuanning finally understood why Madam Zhu had suddenly resorted to such tactics.
"My aunt wouldn't do that. She's very good to me. Last time I went to Yuntai Temple to burn incense, she was worried that I wouldn't have anything to reward the servants, so she gave me a lot of silver cakes." Zhu Xuanning lowered her eyes, her gaze cold, but she spoke softly to defend her.
Song Zhaohan was a little unhappy when he heard that Zhu Xuanning had not shared his hatred and had even defended him.
Zhu Xuanning looked up at him and smiled sweetly. Her beautiful face looked even more radiant because of her illness: "Ah Zhao, I'm so happy that you care about me so much."
With just that one sentence, Song Zhaohan forgot her earlier displeasure.
"It's good that you know." Song Zhaohan snorted and raised her chin.
The sickly beauty under the lamp clung obediently to him, and Song Zhaohan couldn't help but darken his eyes: "What are silver cakes? I'll give you gold cakes to play with."
He kissed Zhu Xuanning, his voice slightly low.
Zhu Xuanning's eyes lit up slightly, and she took the initiative to interlock her fingers with Song Zhaohan's.
Song Zhaohan's heart trembled, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, her eyes and brows radiating joy.
When Zhu Xuanning woke up, she saw a bulging gold-embroidered pouch on the headboard of her bed.
Zhu Xuanning opened the bag, and when she saw the pile of golden treasures, a genuine smile appeared on her face.
She picked out the prettiest and plumpest golden cakes and gave them to Po Mo.
"Sister Splashing Ink, my illness these past few days was that person's doing. This morning I saw that the window in my room was wide open."
Po Mo accepted the golden cake with surprise, only to hear even more astonishing news.
Po Mo moved his lips but didn't speak, though a surge of anger rose within him.
Her young lady is well-behaved and has never tried to steal anything from the manor, so why is this Madam Zhu targeting her young lady?
Zhu Xuanning looked at the splashed ink with some sadness and asked softly, "Sister, you will always help me, right?"
Po Mo grasped Zhu Xuanning's hand, his face serious and his tone firm: "Po Mo is Miss's person, and will always stand by Miss's side."
Zhu Xuanning, her voice slightly choked, grasped the hand that had splashed ink back: "Thank you, sister. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done."
"Now, please do my makeup, sister."
She did intend to use Zhu Baoyue as a weapon, but she wasn't so despicable as to try to steal a woman's marriage like Qin Shi did. However, Qin Shi treated her so badly because of her children's marriages, so how could she not hold a grudge?
She can't settle all the scores of her lost relatives yet, but she's certainly capable of adding to her distress.
Zhu Xuanning sat in front of the bronze mirror, calmly applying makeup, her gaze as cold as ice.
After Zhu Xuanning finished dressing and putting on makeup, Zhu Baoyue returned to the mansion.
Zhu Baoyue's girls' school had a break every two weeks. She returned to her home and spent some time with Madam Zhu. Madam Zhu coaxed her precious daughter and started a conversation: "You wild girl, didn't you complain that you were bored at the girls' school? The peach blossoms at Taiqing Temple are in full bloom. How about your mother takes you to enjoy the spring flowers?"
Zhu Baoyue's eyes immediately lit up: "Then I want to take my sister with me!"
Madam Zhu's smile faded slightly, but as she stroked the baby's black hair, her eyes were still full of affection: "Your cousin caught a cold today and is still bedridden. The doctor told her to rest and it's not convenient for her to go out."
Zhu Baoyue's bright smile immediately vanished, and she hurriedly asked, "Is my cousin sick again? Then I need to go and see her."
Madam Zhu didn't stop her. Watching her precious daughter leave the courtyard, she sneered, her eyes devoid of warmth: "The reason I didn't stop my cousin earlier was because I thought that if this vixen entered the Mei family, she could use money to pave the way for my Qin and Zhu families."
But the plan fell through, and I even got a beating. I might not be able to handle others, but surely I can handle a poor, orphaned girl!
She's a vixen who can seduce her cousin's daughter just by taking a boat ride. Who knows if she'll be blinded by wealth and try to seduce the perfect husband she's chosen for her precious daughter!
She had arranged to go on a spring outing with the lady of the Zhenguo Mansion; she wasn't going to be the one handing that little slut a ladder!
If this little bitch had behaved herself, how could she have resorted to such methods?
Madam Zhu was holding a cup of tea, thinking about how the orphan girl had been bedridden these past few days, and she took a sip with a feeling of comfort.
However, the next moment, a sound that made her heart ache came from outside the warm pavilion.
"Mother! How could you lie to me! My sister is clearly much better and can play with me now!" Zhu Baoyue excitedly pulled Zhu Xuanning in, her pretty lips pouting high.
She even pulled Zhu Xuanning in front of Madam Zhu and snorted, "Look! My cousin is doing just fine!"
Madam Zhu looked up instantly.
Zhu Xuanning smiled innocently, bowed gracefully, and said with some emotion, "I am very grateful for your concern, Aunt. Now that I am much better, I can play with my cousin."
Madam Zhu was so enraged that her hand holding the teacup tightened and trembled, and she almost fainted from anger.
Zhu Baoyue added fuel to the fire, completely oblivious to the feigned expression on Madam Zhu's face. She stepped forward, tugged at her sleeve, and said coquettishly, "Yes, yes, sister is all better now! Mother, let's go!"
Take a deep breath, and then another deep breath.
She practically spat out those two words through gritted teeth: "My darling, you've come all this way. Go back to the courtyard and freshen up before you go out again."
"Yes, Mother!" Upon hearing that she could go out with Zhu Xuanning, Zhu Baoyue smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth, and excitedly pulled Zhu Xuanning away.
Before leaving, Zhu Xuanning couldn't resist provoking Qin Shi again, turning back to give her a bright smile.
The moment the two left the courtyard, the sound of cups shattering violently echoed throughout the warm pavilion.
Moon-Holding Pavilion
Zhu Xuanning wasn't dressed in a flamboyant way, but Zhu Baoyue liked her at first sight.
Therefore, after washing up, she insisted on dressing up exactly like Zhu Xuanning.
But Madam Zhu had already given instructions on what she should wear and what makeup she should have, so Zhu Baoyue's dressing maid could only offer her advice.
But Zhu Baoyue was known for her stubbornness. When Yanzhu took leave for some reason, no one could coax her. The six maids were kneeling so hard they were almost crying.
"Miss, please persuade Miss."
The lady had already given instructions on what clothes the young lady should wear, what hairstyle she should have, and what makeup she should wear.
"If anything goes wrong, it's not a big deal if you kill us maids, but it's a real sin to displease our masters." A clever little maid ran out and knelt at Zhu Xuanning's feet, pleading with her.
He's smart and articulate.
Zhu Xuanning suppressed a laugh and glanced at the splashed ink.
"Get up quickly. Madam is kind, and the two young ladies are close. They were just giving each other advice as sisters. Why do you have to make such a big gesture?" Po Mo helped the little maid up and smoothed her dress.
As the two were talking, Zhu Xuanning entered the room, and the first thing she saw was the satin dress with its shimmering, embroidered butterflies.
"Baoyue, isn't this dress pretty?" Zhu Xuanning asked, her eyes filled with amazement at the beautiful clothes.
Zhu Baoyue hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Since it’s so pretty, why doesn’t Baoyue want to wear it? Spring is the time to dress up and have fun. Our Baoyue is so pretty, if she wears this butterfly dress, she will definitely be the prettiest little butterfly in the peach blossom forest.”
Zhu Xuanning affectionately tapped the tip of her nose and glanced at the maidservant kneeling on the ground holding her clothes.
The tearful maid immediately understood, and crawled forward, holding the clothes even higher.
Zhu Baoyue touched her pretty dress, bit her lip, and looked at Zhu Xuanning again, but still wanted to shake her head.
Zhu Xuanning plucked the shimmering white pearl flower from her hair and pinned it into Zhu Baoyue's hair. She then embraced her, bringing her face close to that of her younger sister. Smiling, she pointed to the two of them reflected in the bronze mirror and said, "I'm giving you my favorite pearl flower to wear. It goes perfectly with your butterfly dress today."
I'll go get all the cosmetics and face powder from the room, but my sister's eyebrows are the best done, so I'll draw them for you later. You can have your maid do the rest, okay?"
"Really?" Zhu Baoyue had already forgotten her earlier hesitation and looked back at Zhu Xuanning with bright eyes.
"Why would your sister lie to you?"
“Then I’ll listen to my sister!” Zhu Baoyue smiled happily.
In that instant, the maids of Xianyue Pavilion practically worshipped Zhu Xuanning as a deity.
Seeing that Zhu Baoyue was dressed in accordance with her requirements, Madam Zhu's anger dissipated a little. Before getting into the carriage, she personally called Zhu Xuanning back.
“Xuan Ning, your cousin and I treat you the same as the legitimate daughter of our household. Although you are just a cousin, your aunt will definitely find you a good marriage and give you a grand wedding.”
Your cousin is a lively and impulsive person. She only caught the eye of the general's wife because of her cousin Mei.
Bao'er is like a sister to you. She always thinks of you first when it comes to food and toys, and she runs to find you immediately when she hears she's going out to play. Today, as we're enjoying the spring blossoms, your aunt hopes you can look after her.
Madam Zhu spoke gently, with a flawless smile, her words were exquisitely crafted, yet her eyes were sharp as knives.
Zhu Xuanning naturally agreed, and after some perfunctory pleasantries, she got into the car.
This time, Madam Zhu used the excuse that Zhu Xuanning had just recovered from a long illness to allocate an oxcart for her alone.
Zhu Xuanning saw through this scheme at a glance, but she didn't say anything. She wasn't going to steal Zhu Baoyue's marriage, and since she had already achieved her goal, whether or not she could meet the people from the Zhenguo Mansion was not important to her.
Zhu Xuanning rested her chin on her hand, looking out the car window with a bored expression.
"What's wrong?" Yu Xuan asked, noticing the carriage had stopped.
The servant immediately got off the carriage and soon returned to report: "Young master, the Zhu family's oxcart has broken down and is blocking the road."
The Zhu family residence?
Yu Xuan recalled that face, as beautiful as a flower reflected in water. He pushed open the car door and got out. As he slowly approached, his gaze met that of the girl who was leaning out of the car window.
Both of them were taken aback.
Zhu Xuanning's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she immediately clenched her hands in a panic. She quickly pulled down the carriage curtain to hide her beautiful face.
But Zhu Xuanning's hand was still gripping the carriage curtain, not withdrawing it immediately. The delicate pink and white of her tightly clenched fingertips shone brightly in Yu Xuan's vision, inexplicably distracting him and pulling his memories back to the past.
A note from the author:
The rankings are now updated! Next chapter: interaction with the male lead, a little sweet. [Applause][Applause]
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