Buku
Her cheerful voice inexplicably brought joy to people’s hearts.
Moreover, The Princess Flower was indeed captivating, so everyone gradually stopped mentioning the earlier awkwardness, privately reassessing this second young lady who had just returned to the estate.
She appeared thin and small, yet when she spoke, there was not a hint of stage fright—instead, she was poised and graceful.
Compared to some delicately raised young ladies, she was not at all inferior.
Grandmother Yu also nodded slightly in approval.
Yu Shuwan helped her sit at the front. On the stage, the actors sang in a melodious tune: “A sudden gust of wind rises, sweeping down from the lofty peak. The higher the fall, the heavier the descent; glory and decline are ever-changing.”
“Do you understand it?”
Grandmother Yu asked her softly. Yu Shuwan thought for a moment and replied, “I am slow-witted, but I feel this line is more like the lament of someone who has fallen from a high position.”
“Not a poor understanding—that is indeed the meaning.”
Grandmother Yu said, “Now that you have returned, however they treat you, you may respond in kind.
But remember one thing: if Zhongyi Houfu falls into decline, no one will fare well.
Do not let matters escalate in front of outsiders, giving others a handle to use against us.”
Listening to Grandmother Yu’s earnest words, Yu Shuwan nodded. “Grandmother, rest assured. I understand clearly.”
“Good that you understand.”
Grandmother Yu smiled. “Guiwan’s current tutor is the daughter of a student at the Imperial Academy, a woman of considerable talent and learning.
You also show some aptitude for studies. Would you be willing to learn alongside her?”
“Studying enlightens the mind. I will go.”
Every word Yu Shuwan spoke resonated with Grandmother Yu, whose wrinkles smoothed into a smile.
Unnoticed, the opera passed its midpoint, and Yu Shuwan gradually became engrossed.
In her previous life, such pastimes as watching operas were never her lot.
Not to mention her reputation being tarnished by the drowning incident, her leg injury had been neglected for too long, leaving her with a slight limp.
Which respectable lady or young miss in Jingcheng would willingly walk alongside her?
Even when she had the chance to join in the festivities, wherever she sat, an empty circle would form around her, making it unbearably awkward. Eventually, she simply stopped attending.
Combining her past and present lives, this was Yu Shuwan’s first time watching an opera.
As the stage sang, “Ninety days of spring pass like a fleeting shadow; fearing spring’s departure, yet spring departs all too soon,” Yu Shuwan saw Su Jintang quietly enter with Yu Guiwan, who had freshened her makeup.
Yu Guiwan clearly noticed Yu Shuwan’s gaze and instinctively looked over. Meeting Yu Shuwan’s faintly mocking eyes, she suddenly understood.
Yu Shuwan had done it on purpose earlier!
She knew Yu Guiwan wanted to push her into the water, so she stepped aside, making Yu Guiwan the one who fell in!
Her fingers dug deeply into her palms as Yu Guiwan stared intently at her, only to see Yu Shuwan mouth a few words:
Imposter.
Almost instantly, Yu Guiwan’s composure faltered.
Although she hadn’t finished reading the novel, she knew the female lead was no different from the classic heroines of old.
A perfect blend of beauty, strength, and tragedy, ultimately cherished by all and becoming the beloved of the group.
But Yu Shuwan’s expression just now was nothing like that of an innocent, delicate heroine.
Yu Guiwan even began to doubt whether she had misremembered the female lead’s character.
Su Jintang noticed Yu Guiwan’s discomfort and followed her gaze, only to see the girl’s profile as she watched the opera with earnest focus.
She withdrew her gaze with displeasure and advised, “Keep your distance from that Yu Shuwan from now on. Having grown up in the countryside, she might have picked up some bad habits. Did you see how she even withstood your brother’s strength, and he’s from the military camp? Someone as delicate as you would surely be bullied to death by her in the future.”
Yu Guiwan retracted her gaze and nodded obediently, uneasily asking, “Mother, she is also your child. Will you like her more than me?”
“Silly child,” Su Jintang said, her eyes filled with tenderness. “You are the one I’ve raised by my side all these years. How could I bear to neglect you?”
Thinking of Yu Shuwan’s sarcastic “Madam” remarks, how she had caused Guiwan to fall into the water today, made her son endure a scolding, and how her own authority over household management had been revoked so easily, Su Jintang felt a surge of anger and couldn’t help but shoot several sharp glances at Yu Shuwan.
Yu Shuwan naturally knew what kind of reaction that mother-daughter pair had toward her now, but since they weren’t causing trouble, she had no intention of disrupting her precious first opera experience.
By the time the opera ended, the mother and daughter had not stirred up any further commotion.
Watching the two weave through the crowd, Yu Shuwan felt a slight itch in her heart, always wanting to set up some kind of obstacle.
Grandmother Yu seemed to sense her thoughts and calmly reminded her, “Don’t forget what I just told you.”
Yu Shuwan giggled, “Grandmother, I haven’t forgotten.”
She just hadn’t taken it too seriously.
Grandmother was the only person who had truly cared for her in both her lifetimes, so of course she would listen.
But Yu Guiwan had just tried every means to humiliate her in front of everyone, and she hadn’t retaliated.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—was that going too far?
It seemed perfectly reasonable.
Watching the fluttering hem of Yu Guiwan’s skirt, Yu Shuwan’s eyes gleamed. She stood up and said, “Grandmother, you haven’t had your mint tea today. Let me brew some for you.”
“Go ahead.”
Without turning her head, Grandmother Yu gave her permission, and Yu Shuwan eagerly left.
She had noticed earlier that Yu Guiwan was wearing a dress made of the most delicate yet beautiful fabric.
This fabric was called Cloud Gauze, which shimmered faintly under the light and even fluttered gracefully without a breeze.
But this material was also extremely fragile—it couldn’t be wrung or torn.
Otherwise, it would either become crumpled or tear open in a large gash.
However, the beautiful Floating Light Brocade was now soaked with water, and if she wanted to stand out, she naturally had to find another beautiful outfit.
Yu Shuwan tiptoed to a secluded spot and, sure enough, found a rather plump cat there.
“Buku, we meet again,” Yu Shuwan said, extending her hand.
The black-and-white cat lazily stretched, rubbing its furry head against her palm.
In her previous life, she had stumbled upon this kitten and named it Buku, but later, Yu Guiwan claimed to be afraid of cats, and Yu Jingzhou snatched the cat from her arms.
Despite her desperate pleas, Buku was still thrown out.
She dragged her injured leg through the rain, searching for Buku, only to find its body at the entrance of her courtyard—soft and cold.
Yu Jingzhou and the others even accused her of feigning compassion, claiming she had killed Buku to frame Yu Guiwan.
At that moment, she was truly left speechless in her own defense.
It was only later that she learned Yu Jingzhou had thrown Buku out, and it was Yu Guiwan who ordered Buku to be captured again.
She didn’t know exactly what had happened, but she heard that when Buku was thrown into her courtyard, there wasn’t a single part of his body left unscathed, with blood flowing from every wound.