But when she truly heard Song Nian's refusal, heard him say he would abandon her for Song Luo's sake, the gentle mask on her face instantly fell away completely.
She refused to accept it.
Ever since she had known Song Nian, he had been her loyal dog.
Whatever request she made, even if it meant walking through fire or wading through water, Song Nian would carry it out for her without hesitation.
He had never refused her.
Not once.
She still clearly remembered early winter last year.
The weather had turned cold suddenly that day.
Song Nian had just returned from business out of town, caught a chill, and was burning with a terrifying fever—so high he could barely stand.
She went to see him, looked at his fever-flushed face, and without a shred of concern, casually said, "I suddenly really want to eat peony cakes."
No shop would sell peony cakes in that season.
Song Nian crawled up from his bed without a word. Braving a fever that could scramble a man's senses, he ran through every shop in the city, large and small, searching for a place that sold peony cakes.
In the end, just before nightfall, he managed to buy the peony cakes she wanted.
When Song Nian, his face deathly pale, presented the peony cakes to her, Jiang Mingyue only took a single small bite before setting them aside.
Afterward, Song Nian burned with fever for three full days and nights. Medicine couldn't be poured down his throat, and he nearly lost his life.
Three days later, when he regained consciousness, the first thing he did was drag his sick body to find her and ask whether the peony cakes had suited her taste.
Toward her, he had always been utterly obedient, treating her like a deity.
But now?
Everything had changed.
It had started that day when he chased after Song Luo.
That was the first time he had abandoned her, and today was the second.
Both times, it was for Song Luo.
Song Nian, who had always been submissive and at her beck and call, had suddenly stopped going along with her.
Jiang Mingyue felt an unprecedented panic, and even more so, extreme discomfort.
She selfishly believed that in Song Nian's heart, even compared to Song Luo, she, Jiang Mingyue, had always occupied the absolute first place.
Moreover, Song Luo had merely been playing around and hadn't come home on time. It wasn't as if she'd lost an arm or a leg. Did he really have to abandon her in such a frantic rush?
"A-Luo is just being playful. She's probably at some shop watching the commotion and lost track of time. You only need to send a servant out to look for her—there's no need to go yourself."
At this moment, for the first time, Jiang Mingyue felt that Song Luo was truly an eyesore.
If not for Song Luo, Song Nian would have already agreed to go find Xueyuanzhi for her.
Feeling the arms tightening around his waist and hearing Jiang Mingyue's words that showed not the slightest concern for his sister's well-being, Song Nian's brows gradually knitted together.
If this had been in the past, hearing Mingyue speak this way, he would have felt that he had neglected her, and would have stayed with a heart full of guilt.
But today, thinking of how A-Luo was still missing without a trace, thinking of how unsafe the city had been lately, the anxiety in his heart burned like oil poured on fire.
Song Nian's voice turned icy as he barked, "Mingyue, let go."
"Otherwise, I won't be polite."
Jiang Mingyue refused to let go.
Song Nian couldn't wait any longer. His large palm covered the back of Jiang Mingyue's hand, preparing to pry her fingers apart one by one.
Jiang Mingyue was stung by the cold harshness in his tone.
She had never heard Song Nian speak to her in such a disgusted manner.
Panic seized her heart, and she was just about to release her grip and give herself a way to save face.
Just then, a crisp sound of footsteps came from the courtyard gate.
"Brother, I'm back!"
Accompanied by a sweet, charming call, Song Luo, holding a box of sesame crisps in her hand, came bouncing in through the front gate.
In an instant, the air seemed to freeze.
Three people, six eyes locked on one another.
The smile on Song Luo's lips froze the moment she took in the scene before her.
Under the dim lamplight, she saw clearly that Jiang Mingyue—that woman who always held herself high and mighty, always putting on airs and looking down on others—was at this very moment clinging tightly to her brother's waist with absolutely no regard for her image.
And her brother's large palm was covering the back of Jiang Mingyue's hand.
Song Luo's gaze shifted almost visibly.
From initial surprise, it rapidly transformed into undisguised disgust and contempt.
She hadn't forgotten how Jiang Mingyue usually ordered her brother around, like commanding a dog.
Now she must need something from her brother, so she came running to embrace him. Utterly revolting.
The moment Song Nian heard Song Luo's voice, his entire tense body suddenly relaxed.
Seeing the lively, bouncing Song Luo standing there, he breathed a silent sigh of relief.
But that relief was quickly replaced by overwhelming anger.
Ignoring the person still hanging onto his waist, he demanded with a dark expression, "Why are you only coming back now? Where did you run off to alone? Don't you know your brother would worry about you?"
Meanwhile, Jiang Mingyue, the moment Song Luo appeared, released her hold on Song Nian's waist as if struck by lightning.
She took a small step back, seemingly creating distance.
But the position she retreated to was carefully calculated. She stopped precisely half a step to Song Nian's side.
It was an extremely delicate distance—neither too far nor too near—yet it still maintained an indescribable, intimate ambiguity with Song Nian.
"A-Luo, your sister has to scold you too. Coming back this late—your brother was so worried he was about to go out and look for you himself."
"And then today, saying something like that at Treasure Pavilion. You're still not giving us any peace of mind."
"Is Wu Qishan's man someone you can just go after?"