“Husband! Wh-when did you arrive?”
Yun Xiu hurriedly released her grip, walking toward Xiao Mingyu with a strained, placating smile.
Yun Juan knitted her brows as she straightened the front of her collar.
Xiao Mingyu’s gaze darted back and forth between the two sisters, his voice cold as he questioned Yun Xiu, “Were you just raising your hand against Eldest Sister-in-law?”
“I—I was just playing around with her. We used to pull and tug at each other like this all the time back home…”
Xiao Mingyu’s gaze was sharp as a branding iron. Under his scrutiny, Yun Xiu’s voice grew softer and weaker with guilt.
“I do not care how you behaved with her back in the Yun family,” Xiao Mingyu said sternly. “This is the Marquis of Yingchuan’s estate, and Eldest Sister-in-law is your elder! How dare you tear at her clothes in broad daylight! If Eldest Brother saw this, you would have hell to pay!”
Having finished adjusting her clothing, Yun Juan turned her head to look at the arguing couple. A subtle light flickered in her eyes as she said in a calm, unhurried tone:
“Second Brother, say no more. It is my fault for leaving in such a hurry to pay respects that I forgot to apply powder to my neck, which ended up provoking Second Sister-in-law.”
Xiao Mingyu stiffened. Instantly putting two and two together regarding Yun Xiu’s behavior, his face turned an unsightly shade of green.
Yun Juan offered a pleasant smile. “I shall return to my room now. Please, take your time chatting.”
“Yun Juan, you! Stand still—” Yun Xiu’s scalp went numb. Just as she was about to give chase, Xiao Mingyu reached out and blocked her path.
He stared at Yun Xiu, his eyes devoid of his usual affection and infatuation, filled only with dark suspicion and fury.
Yanking her into a secluded corner of the corridor, his voice was as bone-chilling as a frozen lake. “Yun Xiu, you care so intensely about whether my Eldest Brother and Yun Juan have consummated their marriage. Are you truly just afraid of losing face, or is it because… you are actually jealous that Eldest Sister-in-law married my brother?”
“I—”
“I wanted to believe you. But last night you kept staring at Eldest Brother, and even today you refuse to let Yun Juan go. Yun Xiu, if you are trying to keep one foot in two boats, I will not let you off easily.”
Panic completely seized Yun Xiu. She hadn’t understood why Xiao Mingyu had walked away in silence last night, but now she knew—he had seen her!
“I am not! Mingyu, let me explain, I swear the one I love is you!”
As the two of them pulled and argued in the corridor, the culprit, Yun Juan, leisurely walked away.
The moment Yun Juan returned to the Eastern Yard, she was pulled into a tight, tearful embrace.
Jiaoyue sobbed, “Third Young Lady, are you alright?! I was worried to death!”
“Jiaoyue?” Yun Juan froze in surprise, gently taking her by the shoulders to pull her back.
“Why are you here? How could Madame Xu possibly agree to let you leave?”
She had thought she would have to wait until her three-day post-wedding return visit to her maiden home to fetch Jiaoyue.
Jiaoyue’s tears kept falling, her sobs uncontrollable.
The man standing beside them spoke up, “It was the Eldest Young Master’s order to have me go to the Yun estate and bring her here.”
Yun Juan looked over and recognized him as the guard who had been stationed outside the study last night. She let out an embarrassed cough.
“He went to great lengths. Thank you for your trouble. May I know how to address you?”
The guard clasped his hands in a respectful bow. “The Young Mistress may call me Changfeng. Now that she is safely delivered, I must return to the Eldest Young Master to report. I shall take my leave.”
Yun Juan led Jiaoyue into the main chamber. Once the doors were securely shut, Jiaoyue immediately fell to her knees, whispering through her tears:
“Young Lady, the Master and the others… they are not human! The Master, the First Madame, and even Auntie Rong—they all knew about the First Young Lady’s plot to swap the marriages! I heard them plotting with my own ears… How could they treat you this way?!”
“Alright, do not cry.” Yun Juan gently wiped away her tears. “It is already in the past, and am I not perfectly fine right now?”
“But I heard what happened! The First Young Lady actually tried to twist the truth and slander you! Fortunately, the Eldest Young Master did not fall for her tricks!”
Once Jiaoyue learned of the whole story, her impression of Xiao Lanting soared. She clenched her fists and said, “When I see the Eldest Young Master today, I am going to tell him the entire truth! You have suffered so many years of injustice, and now there is finally someone who can help you vent this grievance!”
A momentary daze washed over Yun Juan. For so many years, she had been accustomed to relying solely on herself, swallowing whatever bitterness she couldn’t resolve.
No one had ever stood up for her… Was Xiao Lanting truly the first?
Yet, they were merely a temporary couple. A year from now, Xiao Lanting would be dead, and she would still have to walk her path alone.
If she owed Xiao Lanting too many debts of gratitude, how would she ever repay him in the future?
Could it be that she would have to buy more joss paper to burn for his spirit…?
Yun Juan touched her nose, quickly steering the conversation away from the topic.
Jiaoyue had been her maid since childhood and was fiercely loyal. In her past life, once Yun Juan had established her footing in the Marquis’s estate, she had treated her well, letting her choose a suitable husband, returning her indenture contract, and sending her off to live a quiet life.
Yun Juan had always known that no one would stay by her side forever. She was destined to walk her path alone.
After settling Jiaoyue in, Yun Juan ran into a cook bringing food along the corridor.
“Greetings to the Young Mistress!”
Looking at the table filled with a lavish breakfast spread, Yun Juan said in surprise, “This is far too much for me to finish alone. Please take it back and share it among yourselves. Just leave me two small side dishes of pickled vegetables.”
“Ah? You are eating alone, Young Mistress?”
The smile on the cook’s face dissolved into a sigh. “I had thought… Ah, it is my fault for not asking clearly. I thought the Eldest Young Master was finally going to stop neglecting his health. Who would have thought…”
Yun Juan blinked. “You prepared all of these dishes, didn’t you? Thank you for your hard work. Why don’t you come inside and rest for a bit?”
“Oh, how could I…”
After declining politely several times, the cook finally sat down with a blush under Yun Juan’s warm invitation.
Yun Juan asked, “How should I address you, Elder Sister?”
“Oh, you mustn’t call me that! You can just call me Mother Li, Young Mistress.”
“How long have you worked at the Marquis’s estate?”
Yun Juan took a sip of the porridge, which was thick, fragrant, and sweet, perfectly complemented by the appetizing pickled vegetables. She had never seen a cook with such marvelous culinary skills in her past life.
“I have worked here for nearly thirty years. Ever since I was transferred to serve the Eldest Young Master, I have never left this courtyard.”
Yun Juan’s eyes lit up. She had been wondering where she could quietly learn more about Xiao Lanting.
Even if they were to be husband and wife for only a year, she was accustomed to performing her duties diligently. Knowing his preferences would prevent any unnecessary friction.
“Could you tell me a bit more about the Eldest Young Master?”
Mother Li’s smile carried a hint of affectionate teasing as she nodded. “The Eldest Young Master may appear aloof and unfeeling, but in truth, he is sharp-tongued with a soft heart.”
“Actually, he wasn’t like this when he was a child. I still remember when the Marquis first brought him back. It was heartbreaking—a six-year-old child, so thin he was nothing but skin and bones!”
“The family that had taken him in previously had a son of their own whom they fed until he was plump and sturdy. They weren’t so poor that they couldn’t spare a bowl of rice, yet they begrudged him even a cup of water, all while forcing him to work every day. A child of only five or six years old! He had to go down to the fields to plant seedlings and weed…”
Having watched Xiao Lanting grow up, Mother Li held deep affection for him, and tears began to fall as she spoke.
“The Eldest Young Master has only eaten one meal a day since he was a child. Even after the Marquis brought him back to the estate, he could never break that habit. I heard that when he was with that family, he was so starved that he once stole a steamed bun meant for breakfast. They beat him so brutally they broke his ribs. Ever since then, he has refused to touch a single bite of breakfast.”
Yun Juan’s eyelashes fluttered gently.
No wonder his expression had turned cold so suddenly when she asked him about breakfast earlier.
It was no secret in the capital that Xiao Lanting had lived among the common folk before the age of six, but she had never imagined his childhood had been so bitter.
Yun Juan poured a cup of water for Mother Li. “Could you tell me a little more?”