elder sister
The sky outside the window was gloomy, and the person on the bed also had a gloomy expression.
I heard that when Lu Fei tried to sneak in to steal the painting last night, that scoundrel surnamed Zhong happened to come back and discovered that there was sleeping potion in the room, so he failed. Lu Fei wanted to curse, but there was only one person in front of him.
He pointed at Mu Qing: "How can you be so useless?"
"It wasn't meant for you to use anyway," Mu Qing said, getting up to leave.
Lu Fei found it strange. She had been even worse to her before, but Lu Fei hadn't seen Lu Fei leave without a word. Why was Lu Fei so angry now? He grabbed Lu Fei's sleeve and said some nice things to her, telling her not to take it to heart. He then humbled himself and begged Lu Fei to help Lu Fei to the end.
Seeing his sincere expression, Mu Qing realized that he wasn't unwilling to help.
But Zhong Linlan asked her to go again that night. This made her uneasy, feeling that some kind of trap was waiting for her, but she couldn't tell Lu Fei.
She had no choice but to suggest to Lu Fei, "What if we run into him again tonight? Why don't you invite him to come see you, have a private chat, and ask him to return the painting to you? He shouldn't make things difficult for you."
"I can beg you, but don't bother begging him." Lu Fei lay back on the pillow, looking calm and collected. "If tonight is unlucky, you can go again tomorrow night. You can act earlier, or wait until dawn to steal. I don't believe you can always be lucky."
Mu Qing couldn't agree; she couldn't steal the painting now. She still had to find a way to deal with Zhong Linlan and make him give up the idea of forcing her to break off the engagement.
As if she had scouted the place beforehand, she inquired about the entanglement between the two of them from Lu Fei.
"How exactly did you two come to have a grudge?"
Lu Fei frowned. "Three years ago, when I was still in the capital, I was riding a horse on the street when I encountered a beggar. My horse got spooked and threw me off. He was passing by and scooped me up. I was going to thank him, but he said I was not worthy of riding a horse and humiliated me severely."
At this point, he couldn't help but grit his teeth: "Back then, my father was still the Minister of Rites. When he came, he was quite imposing. But when he saw me, he changed his tune and showered me with compliments, which allowed him, a poor scholar, to use me to climb up to my father's social standing."
Mu Qing couldn't believe it. Three years ago, Zhong Linlan had only been separated from her for two years, and he already had two different faces? She exclaimed in surprise, "He has no shame at all."
“Yes, he’s a shameless scoundrel.” Lu Fei wished he could stamp his mark on him.
His young face was filled with anger, revealing a touch of childishness. Mu Qing was taken aback and thought, "Three years ago, you were only nine years old, and you could ride a horse?"
"In the capital, some children as young as six or seven can ride horses. If you're not worldly, don't ask such questions, or you'll be laughed at."
As Lu Fei spoke, he turned his head away sullenly, ignoring the chaotic scene of people falling and tumbling in the street that flashed through his mind, and looked out the window with drooping eyelids.
Mu Qing also wanted to know, was there no one with him while he was riding the horse, so how did Zhong Linlan manage to save him? But looking at the back of Lu Fei's head, she vaguely felt that it was not advisable to ask immediately.
After waiting a moment, someone knocked on the door, and Lu Tongxue's voice came from outside: "Xiao Fei, I've come to deliver the medicine."
Her voice was as charming as her appearance. She wore a light red velvet jacket, carried a white porcelain cup with red patterns, and held a silk handkerchief embroidered with peach blossoms. She gracefully entered the room and found that there were indeed only two people in the room, just as the servants had said. She couldn't help but show a strange expression, but her eyes darted around and then she composed herself, and a smile appeared on her face. "Sister Qing and Xiao Fei have such a good relationship."
Mu Qing dared not admit it and asked, "What medicine did Sister Tong come to deliver?"
"There is a legendary doctor in Chongzhou who is an expert in treating external injuries. This Qili Powder is made from his unique secret formula. As long as you use it, the wounds will heal quickly. Xiao Fei, try it and you'll see."
Lu Tongxue handed the medicine bowl to Chang Le, who had entered with her, and explained how to use it.
Lu Fei had already turned around, his dark eyes glancing at the medicine, and he said in a strange tone, "Where did you get such a kind heart?"
"What are you saying? Do you still care about the few unpleasant things I said before? We're family after all, would I, your sister, harm you?" Lu Tongxue pouted, then pursed her lips again. "Don't worry, this medicine was bought by my mother, your second aunt, after she saw you were injured. She had someone rush back to Chongzhou to buy it at a high price and send it back day and night."
Considering the time involved, the round trip from Weizhou to Chongzhou takes two days and nights, which is quite tight.
Lu Fei avoided eye contact. "Then thank you very much, Second Aunt."
He was genuinely grateful. Lying there for two days and two nights straight was incredibly boring, not to mention the difficulty of getting up; even the slightest movement caused a sharp pain.
But when Lu Tongxue saw him turn his face away, she realized that this cousin was hard to please. Seeing Mu Qing sitting to the side, she thought that the two of them were siblings and closer than she was. Although she had older brothers, they were not around, and her mother and sisters-in-law had all returned to Chongzhou, leaving her alone here. If she didn't want to stay here like an outsider, she would have to associate with these two siblings.
She patiently smiled and looked at Lu Fei again, "Aren't you going to thank me? I brought it to you personally."
Unexpectedly, Lu Fei snorted and turned her head away, turning her back to her. She was so angry that she glared at her and said, "I remember Xiao Fei is already twelve years old this year. I didn't expect her to still be like a seven-year-old child."
When she mentioned the age of seven, she raised her voice, implying that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven. The younger brother was still a naive child, so it was no wonder that the older sister was so inconsiderate, closing the door and fooling around with him in the room.
She subtly mocked the two for their lack of manners, glancing at Mu Qing, but Mu Qing looked back at her calmly, his eyes filled with affection, as if worried that she was being neglected by her younger brother.
Lu Tongxue: "..." She couldn't help but regret her loose tongue.
They, siblings, are alone and don't bother her, so why bother finding fault and offending them? Besides, even her third aunt, who comes from a marquis's family, hasn't interfered. Perhaps the customs and etiquette in Weizhou are different from those in Chongzhou, and they don't place as much emphasis on the separation of men and women.
Lu Tongxue was thinking of saying something else when she heard Lu Fei sneer from the couch.
"Even if I'm seven, it's fine. It's better than you being seventeen and having your engagement broken off."
"You!" Lu Tongxue gripped the silk handkerchief tightly.
"What's wrong with me?" Lu Fei asked provocatively.
Knowing that his words were unpleasant, Mu Qing quickly stopped him, saying, "Xiao Fei, you mustn't offend him."
Lu Fei rolled her eyes and snorted.
Like a grumbling monster, Mu Qing looked away in disgust and said to Lu Tongxue, "Tong-meimei, thank you for bringing the medicine. Xiao Fei is also grateful, but I'm just too embarrassed to say it."
Lu Tongxue didn't believe Lu Fei would be embarrassed at all, but since someone offered a way out, it was best to take it. She looked away from the couch, moved a round stool, and sat down next to Mu Qing, saying in a kind voice, "Sister Qing is so considerate." She then found some nice words to praise Mu Qing.
Mu Qing felt a little smug. These past two days, when she went to pay her respects to her grandmother, Lu Tongxue was always as sweet as honey, and although she knew that what she said might not be sincere, she was still happy to hear it.
“I heard that Imperial Censor Zhong is my third uncle’s protégé,” Lu Tongxue said, her gaze shifting to Lu Fei, who had been silent on the couch for a long time. “Little Fei used to respect him, why has he suddenly started to dislike him?”
“What do you mean by suddenly starting to hate him? I’ve always hated him,” Lu Fei said matter-of-factly.
Lu Tongxue was startled when she heard this. "But Chief Steward Chang said that when that Imperial Censor Zhong came to the mansion, you called him 'elder brother,' and you even served him food during meals."
Mu Qing looked at Lu Fei in disbelief.
Lu Fei said without changing his expression, "I tried not to hate him, but I failed in the end, is that not enough?"
He spoke with great force, recounting the entanglement between the two of them again, this time in a more subtle way, and portraying Zhong Linlan as even worse.
"Anyway, that guy is a hypocrite. Consider it me letting the wolf into the house. If you want to jump into the fire, then jump."
"Who wants to jump?" Lu Tongxue blushed. "I just wanted to show you my concern and let you vent your feelings."
She spoke hastily and softly, which inevitably made her seem guilty.
Lu Fei scoffed coldly.
"You're really ungrateful." Lu Tongxue turned her face away. "Sister Qing, is Xiao Fei always like this? Isn't he too good at making people angry?"
Mu Qing nodded and said, "He's always like this. If we argue with him, we won't be able to live our lives."
Lu Fei looked displeased. "Then what are you still doing here? Did you come here specifically to get annoyed?"
"We're just looking for a place to talk. If you don't want to listen, we can go somewhere else."
Mu Qing and Lu Fei glared at each other, then Mu Qing took Lu Tongxue's hand and left. They went to the garden, admired the new greenery of early spring for a while, and started talking about the temple fair.
"Tong-meimei, we agreed to go to the temple fair. Tomorrow is the first day of the second lunar month. The later we go, the more crowded it will be, which will be inconvenient. Let's leave early and come back early, okay?"
Lu Tongxue was still feeling down, but after taking a few steps in the garden, she quickly felt better. Although she still thought her cousin was a bit slow-witted, she was much easier to get along with than Lu Fei.
"Sister Qing's considerations must be good. It was my fault for disrespecting you before."
"No need to be so formal, I've never minded."
When they parted, the two agreed on a time to go to the temple fair and how to prepare for the trip.
Back at Ningxiang Residence, Mu Qing was still troubled.
The Zhong Linlan mentioned by Lu Fei felt unfamiliar to her, but Lu Fei himself was not very trustworthy either. As for Lu Tongxue, she could see some of her girlish thoughts, but for some reason, she didn't want to ask about her at all.
With no one to consult, Mu Qing stayed sullenly for most of the day, unable to come up with a way to deal with Zhong Linlan.
As the night wore on, she tossed and turned in bed, still too afraid to go out as promised. She wondered if Zhong Linlan would really expose her and make the Lu family bear the blame for harboring a suspect? Would he really produce the portrait of the Third Madam and embarrass everyone?
Won't.
Having figured this out, Mu Qing was no longer worried, but still couldn't sleep. So she got up and lit half a stick of sleeping incense, which put her into a deep sleep all night.
In the guest room, the lamps burned until dawn.
After adjusting the lamp wick several times, Zhong Linlan knew that the person she was waiting for was unlikely to come.
After five years of no news, she preferred to hide in the mountains to stay away from him. Now, having changed her identity, she changes her expression the moment she sees him, showing no intention of explaining her departure back then.
She clearly didn't believe him.
But why shouldn't he believe it? Back then, he could have taken anything from her.
Thinking of this, an unnamed fire gnawed at my heart.
Under the lamp, a red rope, twisted and haphazardly braided and faded from washing, evokes the image of a triumphant smile on his face when it was tied to his wrist, and the tender confessions of love.
If she comes tonight and explains everything, he might be able to forgive her.
Let's wait a little longer.
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