Yun Xiang dared not say a word, swiftly fetching a smokey-pink brocade long dress.
As she fastened the frog buttons for her young lady, Yun Xiang's fingertips trembled slightly.
She could feel the suppressed fury radiating from her mistress.
After changing, Song Luo didn't have Yun Xiang accompany her—she went to the Treasure Pavilion herself.
The Treasure Pavilion stood on the most bustling Zhuque Avenue in the capital, a jewelry shop favored by nobles and officials alike, where nothing came cheap.
The moment Song Luo stepped through the Pavilion's entrance, the shopkeeper's sharp eyes caught her, and he was about to rush forward with flattery when a single cold, piercing glare from Song Luo stopped him in his tracks.
She lifted her chin slightly, signaling the shopkeeper to stay silent, then softened her footsteps and slowly ascended the stairs to the private alcove on the second floor.
Separated by a carved rosewood screen, the voices from within reached Song Luo's ears with perfect clarity.
"Mingyue, which one do you like?"
Song Luo peered through the screen's openwork gaps.
On a wide redwood table lay a layer of soft black velvet, covered with all manner of treasures.
Gold hairpins inlaid with rubies, top-grade mutton-fat jade hair sticks, lustrous strings of Eastern pearls… Even Song Luo, accustomed to the fine things of the General's Residence, had to admit that today the Treasure Pavilion had brought out its crown jewels for these two to pick from.
Before Jiang Mingyue, besides the dazzling array of jewels, sat a small pot of steaming pear soup.
In the white porcelain vessel, the amber broth was clear, clearly freshly made and specially delivered from Juxian Tower.
Song Nian was carefully nudging the pot of pear soup toward Jiang Mingyue, his eyes brimming with unshakeable tenderness.
"Mingyue, whichever you like, we'll buy it. Don't worry about the money."
…
A few days prior, Jiang Mingyue had been out of sorts.
Song Nian had been frantic with worry over it.
He'd run himself ragged, sending food and drink, yet never earning so much as a smile from Jiang Mingyue.
It wasn't until this morning, when he saw Jiang Mingyue's eyes redden before him, tears silently falling—
that pitiful, heart-wrenching sight threw Song Nian into complete disarray. Only after repeated questioning did he learn the truth.
It turned out that the Jiang Residence had recently acquired a new batch of headdresses and jewelry, and Jiang Mingyue had instantly taken a liking to one set—a Diancui piece inlaid with Southern pearls. But as a cousin's daughter, she'd naturally lost out to the Jiang family's legitimate daughter, who claimed the set for herself.
Over such a trifle, she'd been heartbroken, weeping before Song Nian for days on end.
Today happened to be Song Nian's day off.
Early in the morning, he'd rushed to find Jiang Mingyue, only to be stopped at the door.
Jiang Mingyue's personal maid, Cuiliu, had "casually" tearfully recounted the matter to him: "Young Master, you don't know—our young lady was so heartbroken she didn't sleep a wink all night."
"You know her constitution is delicate; she'd finally been recovering nicely, and now over this, she cried all night again. Alas, it's hurt her health once more."
The moment Song Nian heard this, his heart ached terribly. "Mingyue is the future young mistress of our General's Residence. A mere set of headdresses—it's not as if I, Song Nian, can't afford it."
"How could I let her suffer such humiliation?"
Right then and there, red-eyed, he swore to Jiang Mingyue: "What others have, my Mingyue must have too. What the legitimate daughter has, Mingyue will have even better."
Gazing at the jewels spread across the table, a flicker of greed passed through Jiang Mingyue's eyes.
Yet she knew she couldn't let her desire show.
"Nian-ge, aren't these all too extravagant…" Jiang Mingyue pinched an embroidered silk handkerchief decorated with winter jasmine, lightly dabbing it at the corner of her lips,
her tone laced with feigned alarm and reluctance.
But her seemingly innocent eyes couldn't help clinging desperately to those priceless treasures, unable to tear themselves away.
She wanted every single one.
Hidden behind the screen, Song Luo watched Jiang Mingyue's hypocritical act of coy refusal and laughed coldly in her heart.
Extravagant?
She'd already "borrowed" plenty of valuable things from their General's Residence, relying on Song Nian's doting—and not a single one had she ever returned.
Song Luo heard Jiang Mingyue speak again: "This one would suit A-Luo too. Should we get one for her as well?"
Song Nian looked at the mutton-fat jade hair stick in Jiang Mingyue's hand—its style was outdated, hardly fitting for Song Luo's sweet, soft-faced appearance.
He shook his head. "No need to pick one for her. She has plenty of such trinkets."
Song Luo sneered inwardly. What a load of false sentiment.
Last time, on Song Luo's birthday, Grandmother had gifted her an imperial-green jadeite bangle of exceptional water quality.
Jiang Mingyue had come to the Residence as a guest, spotted the bangle at once, and hypocritically praised: "A-Luo's bangle is so beautiful. How fortunate to be cherished—Mingyue doesn't have such blessings. If I could wear something so fine, I'd die content."
Just one sentence.
And that brainless Song Nian had actually run to her courtyard, begged and pleaded, even pulling rank as her elder brother, forcing Song Luo to take the bangle off.
Notes:Diancui – is a traditional Chinese decorative technique that uses bright blue kingfisher feathers to decorate jewelry, hair ornaments, crowns, and other objects.
Song Nian said to her, "A'Luo, Mingyue has suffered no small amount of grievances in the Jiang Residence since she was young."
"As the legitimate daughter of a general's household, you've seen every fine thing there is. It's just a bracelet—what harm is there in letting her have it? Consider it a favor from you to your brother, a way to win over your future sister-in-law."
Back then, Song Luo was obedient and well-behaved. Her mother had passed away early, and her father was often away from home, fighting for the country.
She had been raised by Song Nian since childhood. An elder brother was like a father, and her bond with Song Nian ran deep.
She didn't want her brother to worry over trivial matters. With red-rimmed eyes, she obediently took off the bracelet and handed it to Song Nian.
When Jiang Mingyue saw the bracelet, she pretended to decline, saying, "This is too precious, Mingyue cannot accept it," even as she slipped it firmly onto her own wrist—never to take it off again.