Early the next morning, as dawn broke, Lichun came in to wake Su Niao.
Behind curtains as soft as clouds, a delicate young woman slept soundly on the bed, hugging a pale-yellow summer quilt. Her long black hair spilled like water across the pillow, her skin was smooth as cream, and the small face exposed above the covers resembled the most beautiful and tender flower blossom.
Every time Lichun saw her mistress sleeping like this, she felt reluctant to wake her.
But Su Niao had specifically ordered the night before that she must be awakened on time.
Stepping forward, Lichun called softly: “Miss… Miss…”
“Miss, it’s the Hour of Mao. You still need to wash, dress, and eat breakfast. Martial arts practice begins at a quarter to six.”
Lichun truly did not understand why her mistress had suddenly decided to learn martial arts again. When she spent time with the Fifth Prince, she practiced briefly because he loved martial arts.
But training was simply too hard. In the end, her mistress had failed to stick with it.
Lichun suspected it was just another passing whim, but as a maid, her duty was to follow orders.
For someone who normally slept until well after sunrise, waking up early was always a battle. So when Chen Yan arrived as promised, dressed in fitted training clothes, he found Miss Su slumped against her maid like a puddle of mud. She had managed to wash and dress only because Lichun had practically held her up while she drifted in and out of consciousness.
Breakfast, however, could not be eaten while asleep.
As a result, she woke abruptly only when Su Niao caught sight of Chen Yan’s impassive face. At the same moment, she became acutely aware that her stomach was growling. “I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
Clutching her stomach, she looked at Chen Yan with a pitiful expression. “I’m hungry. I need to eat something before I can practice.”
Chen Yan silently drew a deep breath. Then he said, “Go ahead.”
After breakfast, enough time passed for the sun to climb well into the sky.
Only then did Su Niao finally return. Smiling brightly, she said to Chen Yan, “All right, let’s begin.”
Now that she was well fed and rested, the little peacock was full of energy. Standing there with her back straight and her slender waist neatly defined, she looked quite impressive.
Chen Yan started with the basics, teaching her how to hold a horse stance. Patiently and methodically, he explained each movement and posture. Then he discovered that this pampered young lady actually had some martial arts foundation.
“You’ve trained before?” he asked.
Su Niao made a vague sound of agreement. “For a few months.”
When she first met Xie Qinglan, she trained for several months so she could play and practice with him. Later, however, she decided the hardship wasn’t worth it and never continued. As a result, all she had learned amounted to a few crude tricks.
Seemingly speaking casually, Chen Yan asked, “Who taught you? Whoever it was did a decent job.”
Su Niao had no desire to bring up the people from the capital. “It was just a childhood playmate.”
Chen Yan could tell she didn’t want to elaborate, so he said nothing further. Yet he could not help thinking that, given her background and appearance, she would naturally have no shortage of talented companions skilled in both literature and martial arts.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the young lady attempting to slack off. The training rod in his hand immediately tapped against her leg.
“Lower your stance.”
Su Niao’s attempt at cheating failed. She silently pouted.
Time spent suffering always seemed to move especially slowly.
To make matters worse, Xie Chenyan was taking this seriously. He was a conscientious teacher and refused to let her cut corners even slightly.
As a result, Su Niao felt as though every moment lasted a lifetime. She could have sworn an entire lifetime had already passed. Yet it still wasn’t lunchtime.
Just then, children’s laughter drifted in from beyond the front gate.
“Higher! Wow… I’m swinging over the river!”
“Higher!”
“My turn! My turn!”
The recent craze for hammer-ball had faded, and the open area by the stone bridge had now been claimed by a troop of unruly children.
Over the past few days, Su Niao had often seen them tying ropes to trees and playing on makeshift swings.
The children were fearless. The ropes were long, the swings soared high, and at the highest point they would arc right out over the river.
Standing there in her horse stance, Su Niao had never thought swinging could look this interesting. “All I want is to go play!”
Su Niao had absolutely no desire to continue holding a horse stance for even half a moment.
Chen Yan looked at the young lady who, only yesterday, had sworn up and down that she could endure hardship, yet had failed to persevere through even a single morning.
“So you’re not learning martial arts anymore?”
Su Niao immediately replied: “I’ll learn again tomorrow.”
Without giving Xie Chenyan a chance to object, she turned and darted away, rushing straight out through the gate.
Chen Yan drew a silent breath and followed after her. The moment he stepped outside, he saw Su Niao flutter over to the group of children like a brightly colored butterfly.
Pointing at a chubby boy on the swing, she declared, “Hey, kid, get down and let me have a turn.”
The children didn’t care about her appearance or status at all.
Immediately, they protested all at once.
“You have to wait your turn!”
“That’s right, we’re all waiting in line!”
Su Niao let out a dismissive laugh. “I wait in line? Ridiculous…”
From her waist, she removed a small pouch of malt candies. She pulled out a golden-orange candy and waved it temptingly before the children.
“Whoever lets me cut in front of them gets candy.”
Even in the county town, malt candy wasn’t a treat that children could buy whenever they pleased.
The moment they saw it, their eyes lit up.
“Me! You can go ahead of me!”
“And me! Me too!”
By the time Chen Yan arrived, he saw Su Niao generously handing over the entire pouch. “Go on, divide them among yourselves.”
The children immediately crowded together in delight to share the candy.
Meanwhile, Su Niao sat down proudly on the swing. Then she realized something. Now that they were all busy eating candy, nobody was left to push her. She turned her head and spotted her newly acquired “martial arts master.”
“Chen Yan, come push me.”
Chen Yan ignored her expressionlessly.
Su Niao became displeased. “Hurry up. Otherwise, I’ll go ask your little brother to push me.”
She was only making things up to threaten him. To her surprise, it actually worked. The very next moment, although his face remained dark, he obediently walked over. Then he reached out and began pushing her on the swing. “Push harder,” Su Niao complained.
Resigned, Chen Yan pushed harder.
The next moment, she soared into the air. Her skirts spread like flower petals, light and graceful as she swept out above the river.
“Very nice, very nice! The view is wonderful from up here. This place is mine now,” Su Niao declared happily.
Chen Yan had assumed the pampered young lady was merely acting on a whim. To his surprise, that very afternoon the village head arrived at the Su Residence with the paperwork.
Su Niao had actually purchased the stretch of land by the stone bridge at the end of the lane.
When the children came with their ropes to set up the swing again, they learned that the land now had an owner and that they were no longer allowed to tie ropes there as they pleased.
The children stared at one another, on the verge of tears. Then they surrounded Su Niao, who was inspecting her newly acquired territory.
“Miss Su, does this mean we can’t play here anymore?”
Su Niao waved a hand. “Of course you can play. Otherwise I’d be all alone, and how boring would that be?”
“But you’ll have to line up behind me. You only get a turn after I’ve had enough fun.” As she spoke, she tossed out another bag of candy for them to share.
The children immediately became happy again.
Not far away, Chen Yan watched as Su Niao stood there arrogantly laying down rules for a group of children, informing them that from now on they would all be under her leadership. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Then, in the very next moment, Miss Su drafted him into labor. “Chen Yan, these rope swings are uncomfortable. Build me a proper swing.”
Chen Yan looked at her. “No time.”
Su Niao clicked her tongue. “Relax. It counts as part of the time you’re teaching me martial arts. Your tuition won’t be reduced.”
Chen Yan drew a breath and finally couldn’t help saying, “Miss Su, you hired me to teach you martial arts…”
Before he could finish, she interrupted him confidently: “But right now I only want to swing.”
Then, worried that he might quit and leave, she hurried over and smilingly pestered him: “Master, build me a swing, won’t you? Master…”
She had no desire to continue practicing horse stances.
At the same time, she was afraid Chen Yan would seize the opportunity to leave. So she might as well find him something else to do.
Su Niao naturally had a pair of catlike eyes. When she deliberately acted obedient and sweet, she was exceptionally good at coaxing people.
Seeing her about to grab his sleeve in public, Chen Yan immediately stepped back half a step. Then, after a helpless sigh, he finally relented. “All right.”
Su Niao’s face instantly lit up. “Master, you’re the best.”
As far as Su Niao was concerned, the point was to find Xie Chenyan something to do so he wouldn’t go off and join Ye Linlang. She hadn’t expected him to be so diligent.
That very afternoon, he started building the swing. A wooden plank served as the seat. Several thumb-thick ropes were twisted together, sturdy at a glance. He worked quickly, and it looked as though nothing about the project would interfere with tomorrow morning’s horse-stance training.
Su Niao was dumbfounded. Fortunately, she was very good at finding fault.
“That rope is too thick and too rough. It’ll chafe my hands!”
Without a word, Chen Yan found some soft cloth and wrapped the section of rope that would be held by hand.
Su Niao continued criticizing. “The wooden seat is too hard. And there are splinters. It’ll snag my skirts.”
Chen Yan glanced at her, then dismantled the seat he had already installed and carefully sanded it smooth before putting it back.
Various idlers from the neighborhood had gathered nearby to watch.
Seeing the famously aloof Chen Yan being ordered around by Miss Su, some began joking.
“Chen Yan sure knows how to wait on people.”
“Doesn’t he just? Running around at her beck and call. That’s what happens when you’re handsome and catch the eye of a rich young lady.”
“The Chen family is about to rise in the world. Chen Yan really has talent. He’s climbed onto a high branch.”
The teasing was nothing but malicious mockery. Yet Chen Yan acted as if he hadn’t heard it and simply carried the seat home to sand it more thoroughly.
By nightfall, the swing was finally complete. The ropes were sturdy. The portions wrapped in cloth were soft to grip. The wooden seat had been polished smooth enough that it would never snag a silk dress.
Originally, Su Niao had been annoyed that he worked so quickly. But after climbing onto the swing and testing it, she immediately became delighted.
“Chen Yan, the swing you made is really sturdy and comfortable.”
Sitting on the swing, she was pushed higher and higher by the children, who competed with one another for the task because they wanted her to finish playing sooner so it would finally be their turn.
When she had finally had enough and climbed down, she discovered that another group of people had arrived behind her.
At their head was none other than Li Lingzhen, the drunken flirt who had called her a mountain spirit back in the mountains.
Before long, Li Lingzhen’s bruises and swelling had faded. The very first thing he did afterward was rush to Jianning County to curry favor with Su Niao. When he arrived, the first thing he saw was Miss Su soaring through the air on her swing, her skirts billowing like blossoms, so graceful she seemed almost immortal. For a moment, he was completely transfixed.
As soon as Su Niao climbed down, he hurried forward. “Miss Su, I have come specially to apologize to you.”
Su Niao glanced at him. “Why are you here again?”
The irritation in her voice was completely undisguised.
Li Lingzhen smiled awkwardly and began apologizing, motioning for his attendants to display the gifts he had brought. But before he could get very far, Su Niao cut him off.
“This young lady has no interest in your petty little gifts. Don’t embarrass yourself.”
Li Lingzhen had already investigated her background. He knew she had grown up surrounded by luxury, and that her companions had been noble daughters, princes, and heirs of powerful families. Naturally, he did not dare argue.
His eyes shifted to the newly built swing. Immediately, he brightened.
“Miss Su is blessed with beauty beyond compare. This swing is sturdy enough, but it’s rather plain. Why not allow me to have a better one built for you?”
Su Niao waved him away. “No need. I think it’s fine. Go home. Just looking at you annoys me.”
Her words were blunt and completely unreserved. She treated the young nobles in the capital who pursued her the same way. If she weren’t direct and ruthless from the outset, they would convince themselves they still had a chance and become even more troublesome. Thus, every time she spoke, she left no room for misunderstanding.
Yet Li Lingzhen did not become angry in the slightest. Seeing her impatience, he wisely retreated, smiling the whole time and declaring that he would visit again tomorrow.
The next morning, after dragging herself out of bed with great difficulty, Su Niao heard Lichun report: “Miss, Li Lingzhen has come again.”
This time, Li Lingzhen came prepared. He brought craftsmen and materials with him: soft white gauze, pale yellow and light green flowers in full bloom, and a swing seat padded with cushions.
Smiling ingratiatingly, he said to Su Niao, “The old swing truly doesn’t suit Miss Su. What do you think of the things I’ve brought? Allow me to redesign it for you.”
The flowers were fresh and vibrant, and every inch of the ropes was wrapped in soft silk.
Su Niao had always loved beautiful things. This time, she did not refuse.
“Fine. Take the old one down.”
Li Lingzhen’s face lit up. “Of course! Just wait a little, Miss Su. The new swing will be finished today.”
So, when Chen Yan arrived at the Su Residence, what he saw was Su Niao standing by the stone bridge, smiling happily while supervising the work. The swing he had spent most of yesterday building had already been dismantled and thrown aside. In its place stood an extravagant new swing decorated with white gauze and fresh flowers.
Su Niao also spotted Xie Chenyan. Immediately, she waved him over.
“Chen Yan, come look at my new swing. It’s much prettier than the one you made.”
Chen Yan withdrew his gaze from the swing and asked, “Are you still practicing martial arts?”
Without even turning around, eager to test her new swing, Su Niao waved him off. “Tomorrow. We’ll practice tomorrow.”
The young lady’s flowing skirts blended perfectly with the flowers and gauze adorning the swing.
Without saying a word, Chen Yan picked up the discarded ropes and wooden plank and, amid the quiet snickers of a few idle spectators, turned and walked back home.
While Su Niao happily enjoyed her new swing, the Mid-Autumn Banquet was being held in the imperial palace in the capital.
As the eldest daughter of the Duke’s household, and now officially engaged to the Fifth Prince, Su Xuan had finally begun attracting attention, especially after it became public knowledge that her famous younger sister was not actually the Duke’s biological daughter.
The noble ladies who had once barely acknowledged Su Xuan now surrounded her. On one hand, they flattered her because she was the Fifth Prince’s fiancée. On the other, they were eager to uncover details about the complicated entanglement involving Su Xuan, the Fifth Prince, and Su Niao.
The moment Su Xuan entered the palace, she was immediately swept aside and surrounded by curious aristocratic young women.
Su Xuan adopted her usual timid demeanor. No matter what they asked, she answered softly and cautiously, never revealing more than necessary.
After a long while, realizing they wouldn’t get any juicy gossip from her, the young noblewomen finally lost interest and let her go.
After finally escaping the circle of noble ladies, Xie Qinglan came looking for Su Xuan.
Su Xuan let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Her timid appearance made Xie Qinglan chuckle. “If you don’t want to deal with them, then don’t. Why get yourself so nervous?”
Su Xuan pressed her lips together and shook her head. “We’ll all be seeing each other regularly in the future. It wouldn’t be appropriate to be rude.”
Only the two of them occupied the pavilion.
Su Xuan glanced toward the noble ladies laughing and chatting along the corridor before lowering her gaze. A trace of melancholy appeared on her face.
“I wonder what Niao Niao is doing these days. Even though I know she escaped unharmed, I still can’t stop worrying about her.”
Xie Qinglan poured her a cup of tea and comforted her. “If you’re worried, I’ll send another group of guards to Yunzhou.”
So many days had passed.
Without the lively, troublesome Su Niao around, Xie Qinglan occasionally felt as though something was missing.
Suddenly, he suggested: “How about we go to Yunzhou and visit her ourselves?”
Su Xuan stiffened slightly. Then she forced a smile and shook her head. “Father has already sent guards. Niao Niao is supposed to reflect on herself and improve her character. If the two of us go, we’ll only upset Father and Mother. Besides, people might start misunderstanding Niao Niao again.”
Xie Qinglan instinctively wanted to say that it would only be a visit, so what misunderstanding could there be? But when he looked into Su Xuan’s gentle eyes, he suddenly felt that she made perfect sense.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t go rashly.”
Only then did Su Xuan’s tightly clenched hand relax slightly around her handkerchief. Inside, however, she felt increasingly annoyed.
Sure enough, having Su Niao far away was troublesome.
Recently, Su Niao’s cannon-fodder value had been increasing far too slowly, causing her own halo to stagnate as well. And over the last few days, Xie Qinglan had been bringing up Su Niao from time to time. How infuriating!