In the days that followed, Meng Jinyue had no chance to leave the house, nor any opportunity to make contact with Xie Yunye.
But Meng Jinyue wasn’t too anxious, because she was waiting for the old madam’s birthday banquet in the mansion.
Every year, just before the old madam’s birthday, she would be sent away to Cloud Celebration Temple. On the surface, it was to pray for the old madam’s blessings, but in reality, it was just her stepmother and Meng Jinrong trying to make life difficult for her.
Life in the temple was austere. In the past, she would stay for about half a month, but this time it was likely to be longer, especially since Meng Jinrong had been particularly displeased with her lately.
In her previous life, it was during this very prayer session that she became entangled with Xie Yunye.
“Miss, Miss Xie is here.”
Qiu Ning’s voice came from outside the door.
“Yao Yao.”
“A Zhi.”
Meng Jinyue stood up to greet her.
Xie Qingzhi looked around the simple, shabby decorations in the room and felt another pang of discomfort:
“Yao Yao, you’re also a daughter of the Meng family, yet they make you live in such a remote, small courtyard. Why don’t you go talk to your father about it?”
Meng Jinyue shook her head. Her father was no good either—even more disgusting than her stepmother.
She comforted Xie Qingzhi, “A Zhi, I’m fine. You know I don’t care about these things. I’m used to living here.”
Xie Qingzhi looked at her with heartache.
Meng Jinyue took her hand. “Actually, I’m quite content to have a small courtyard like this to live in. When I was little, my mother and I even lived in a dilapidated temple.”
As soon as she said it, Meng Jinyue realized she shouldn’t have mentioned it and tried to change the subject. “A Zhi, let’s go sit on the bed.”
But Xie Qingzhi wouldn’t let it go and pressed further, “How could you have lived in a dilapidated temple?”
Meng Jinyue lowered her head, her expression hesitant.
“With the kind of relationship we have, are you still going to hide things from me?”
The more Meng Jinyue refused to speak, the more worried Xie Qingzhi became.
“If you keep hiding it from me, I’ll cry right in front of you.”
Meng Jinyue bit her lip and, unable to resist her any longer, finally whispered the story of her childhood to Xie Qingzhi.
Despite the pitiful circumstances, Meng Jinyue remained emotionally steady, describing the facts objectively in her words.
She didn’t slander or resent anyone, especially not her father.
But after hearing it, Xie Qingzhi’s eyes turned red, and she choked up as she spoke:
“It was clearly your father’s fault. He accepted a woman sent by someone else, had you, and yet he still doubted your mother, doubted whether you were his own child. And why should your stepmother blame the two of you? Which family in the entire capital doesn’t have concubine-born sons and daughters?”
Meng Jinyue quickly tried to soothe her. “A Zhi, all of that is in the past. Later, my mother brought me to the capital, and when Grandmother saw that I looked like Father when he was young, they believed it.”
“Over the years, although Father and Grandmother haven’t treated me as well as my younger brother and elder sisters, at least they’ve allowed me to grow up safely in this household. I’m content with that, so A Zhi, please don’t be angry on my behalf.”
The more she said this, the more Xie Qingzhi’s heart ached for her.
Meng Jinyue changed the subject. “A Zhi, I made some pastries for you again this time.”
Xie Qingzhi, her eyes still red, said, “Alright, let me try them.”
When Xie Qingzhi visited her, the two of them mostly talked about food and poetry.
Xie Qingzhi was quite skilled at writing poetry, and so was Meng Jinyue. They had plenty to discuss.
Xie Qingzhi stayed the entire afternoon, and before leaving, Meng Jinyue gave her the embroidery and food she had prepared in advance.
“I’m not skilled with needlework, so I hope you won’t mind, A Zhi. The food was also made by my own hands. If you like it, take some back to enjoy slowly. In a few days, I may have to go to Cloud Celebration Temple to pray for my grandmother’s blessings. We might not see each other again for over a month.”
Xie Qingzhi was stunned. “It’s bad enough they won’t let you go out, but now they’re sending you to a temple?”
“It’s my own choice. I want to do something for my grandmother too.”
Xie Qingzhi didn’t believe it at all, but since it was the Meng family’s private matter, she couldn’t say much.
Still, she was filled with anger and heartache for her friend.
Under these circumstances, Xie Qingzhi was stopped by Meng Jinrong’s people as she was leaving the Meng residence.
“Miss Xie, our young lady requests your presence.”
Xie Qingzhi then endured nearly half an hour of Meng Jinrong’s overt and covert provocations.
After returning to the Xie residence, the more Xie Qingzhi thought about it, the angrier she became.
“Go call my brother over!”
“Hurry!”
“Tell him I’m about to die of anger!”
Upon receiving the message, Xie Yunye was taken aback.
“Where did the young lady go today?”
Xie Quan replied, “She went to the Meng residence to see the Third Young Lady of the Meng family.”
Xie Yunye frowned. Both of them had gentle temperaments, so logically, there shouldn’t have been any conflict.
“Let’s go and see.”
Xie Yunye had been extremely busy lately, so much so that he rarely saw Xie Qingzhi.
“A Zhi.”
As soon as Xie Yunye entered, he saw Xie Qingzhi sitting alone by the window, clearly sulking.
“Did you argue with the Third Young Lady of the Meng family?”
Xie Qingzhi was stunned and widened her eyes. “How could that be? We’re on good terms. Yao Yao is so kind—how could we possibly argue?”
“Then what happened?”
“It’s because of your fiancée, of course!”
Xie Qingzhi placed her hands on her hips, her face filled with indignation:
“It’s bad enough they won’t let Yao Yao go out—I can always visit her instead. But today, Meng Jinrong specifically called me over!”
“She’s not even my sister-in-law yet, and she’s already meddling in my affairs, openly and secretly slandering Yao Yao, telling me not to associate with her and listing all her supposed flaws.”
“Don’t I know how good Yao Yao is? When I’m with her, she never speaks ill of anyone else in the Meng family, even though everyone bullies her.”
“Brother, you have no idea…”
Once Xie Qingzhi started talking, she couldn’t stop.
…
“Brother, how can there be such a father in this world who won’t even acknowledge his own child? If Yao Yao didn’t resemble her father, she would never have been recognized in her entire life.”
Xie Yunye’s eyes darkened, and he clenched his fists inside his sleeves. Xie Qingzhi was young, so the family’s unsavory past had naturally been kept from her.
Thus, she didn’t know that her own brother had once faced similar doubts about his origins.
“She is indeed pitiful.”
Xie Yunye spoke with a complicated expression.
He had experienced this kind of bitterness before, and for a moment, he felt a sense of shared suffering with Meng Jinyue.
“If she confided such matters to you, it means she truly considers you a friend. Sincerity begets sincerity. In the future, treat her well and don’t let others sow discord between you.”
Xie Qingzhi snorted lightly. “Of course I know that. I only told you, brother. You mustn’t tell anyone else—I promised Yao Yao I’d keep it a secret.”
Xie Yunye nodded. “I understand. Now, tell me, what’s your purpose in telling me all this?”
“I want you to help Yao Yao.”
Xie Yunye’s dark eyes turned to his sister. “She now has to make a living in the Meng household. We cannot interfere too much, or else if others find out, it might backfire and harm her instead.”
Xie Qingzhi looked dejected. “Then what should we do? Yao Yao will soon be sent to Cloud Celebration Temple to pray for her grandmother’s blessings. Brother, you know about Cloud Celebration Temple, right? Those who pray there have to do a lot of rough work every day. How can someone as frail as Yao Yao endure it?”
Xie Yunye’s expression remained cold as he pondered for a moment before finally speaking. “I’ll send her a skilled female Shadow Guard.”
Xie Qingzhi’s eyes lit up in surprise. “A Shadow Guard! That’s wonderful!”
She knew the Xie family trained Shadow Guards, but they were not easy to cultivate.
Her brother, not yet the heir, seemed to have only five by his side. She had none before because she rarely went out, so her father didn’t assign her any. It was only after she nearly fell into the water in the estate that she was given two.
“Brother, are you really willing to give a Shadow Guard to Yao Yao?”
Xie Yunye’s lips curved upward. “Isn’t this what you were hinting at all along? You want someone to protect her, and a Shadow Guard is the best choice.”
Xie Qingzhi huffed. “Thank you, brother.”
“If you want to thank me, you must offer a token of gratitude. Give me this pouch and the pastries.”
Xie Qingzhi was taken aback but quickly shook her head. “No, Yao Yao made these for me herself. Ask for something else, brother.”
Xie Yunye shook his head expressionlessly. “I won’t change my mind.”
Xie Qingzhi pouted. “Fine.”
That night, Xie Yunye stared at the pouch in his hand, lost in thought for once.
These days, he had almost forgotten Meng Jinyue.
First, he was too busy—someone had schemed against his sister, and he naturally had to retaliate.
Second, he had deliberately tried not to think of her.
He tried not to recall the day they first met, her delicate and stunningly beautiful face.
After all, he was already engaged to Meng Jinrong. If he were to pursue Meng Jinyue now, it would only harm her.
But today, listening to his sister chatter endlessly about Meng Jinyue, he felt not the slightest impatience. Instead, he even wanted Xie Qingzhi to say more.
He instinctively wanted to learn more about her.
This was the first time Xie Yunye had ever wanted to understand a woman.
At the same time, he realized that even after all these days, even though he had deliberately tried to forget her, her impression in his mind remained vivid. Just a few words from his sister were enough to bring her back to him.
That night, Xie Yunye actually dreamed of Meng Jinyue.
The woman’s slender, fair hands clung tightly to his neck as she whispered in his ear, her breath as fragrant as orchids:
“Second Brother-in-law, I adore you. Please, take me.”