The Warm Cloud Pavilion (Nuanyunwu) was no different from her past life, hidden deep within the northeastern corner of the East Palace.
Outside the blue-tiled white walls, honeysuckle vines twined thickly, still scattering a few tiny, pale yellow blossoms in the late spring. The main building consisted of three open bays. Reed mats were laid out on the floor, next to which stood a pearwood low daybed. A blue cloth mattress was spread over the daybed, its surface embroidered with minimalist cloud patterns in silver thread. It was hardly luxurious, yet it perfectly suited Qin Susu’s current status.
Near the window stood a spotted bamboo daybed, beside which a low stool held a pot of orchids currently in full bloom, their pale green petals drooping gracefully among slender leaves. In the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the window paper, casting a soft, hazy amber glow over the entire room.
A maid stepped forward, looking at the lovely reflection in the bronze mirror, her eyes curving into crescents. “My lady is blessed with peerless beauty. Now that you have entered the East Palace, His Highness will surely favor you!”
Qin Susu lifted her gaze to look at the person in the mirror.
Jinsui was the daughter of the procuress who had once tutored her, and she was the same age as Susu. Though she had lived in a pleasure house until she was five or six, her mother had protected her and preserved her innocent, carefree nature. Once she followed her mother into the Qin residence, she became little maid to Qin Susu.
At that time, Qin Susu was merely an illegitimate daughter just added to the family genealogy, and no one in the Qin household thought anything of her. Jinsui had been the one to accompany her through those difficult days.
Thinking back to her past life, just before she gave birth, Qin Huan had found an excuse to banish Jinsui to a remote country estate. If not for that, how could she have been left so utterly helpless and isolated?
With a single breath, Qin Susu felt a boundless chill pierce straight into her lungs, tightening her chest with distress. Catching sight of Mammy He’s sneaky figure out of the corner of her eye, Qin Susu curled her lips into a sweet smile. “With my eldest sister’s protection here in the East Palace, I have nothing to fear.”
Seeing Jinsui’s lips part as if she wanted to say something, Qin Susu preemptively reached into her makeup case, pulled out a hairpin, and pressed it into the girl’s palm.
“Let’s wear this one.”
Qin Susu knew very well what role she played in Qin Huan’s mind: to seduce the Crown Prince and successfully conceive a child. Precisely because of this, Susu understood that Qin Huan would be all the more unwilling to see her wearing heavy makeup or looking overly eager to adorn herself. In the heart of this eldest sister of hers, His Highness the Crown Prince belonged to her alone. Now, though she was generously “sharing” her husband, she could not bear to see the Prince dallying with another, deeply yearning for him to have eyes for her alone.
After pondering for a long time, Qin Susu could only think of one word to describe it: Hypocritical.
Yet right now, she was still living under Qin Huan’s thumb. Until she held power in her own hands, she had to keep her sharp edges well-concealed.
Just as Qin Susu had anticipated, once Mammy He led her to the Crown Princess’s quarters, the Luanluan Pavilion, Qin Huan took one look at her plain dress and her hair adorned with nothing more than a single uncarved jade hairpin—completely devoid of other ornaments—and the tightly knitted frown between her brows finally eased.
Qin Huan shot a look at her personal head maid.
Yufu stepped forward, plucked the jade hairpin straight out of Qin Susu’s hair, tossed it aside, and instead poked three brighter, more vibrant hairpins into her coiffure.
Qin Huan stepped closer. At a gesture from her, Yufu held the final hairpin in both hands and placed it into Qin Huan’s own palm.
Pincher-fingers grasping Qin Susu’s chin, Qin Huan scrutinized that face of hers.
A flash of jealousy darted through her eyes, instantly caught by Qin Susu’s sharp gaze.
Qin Susu had always known that her looks were strikingly gorgeous. But since ancient times, beauty without an accompanying status or sharp intellect had never been a blessing, especially when one was a concubine’s daughter in the Qin family.
The Qin family’s matriarch was dignified and poised, though lacking somewhat in physical charm. Her biological daughter, Qin Huan, took after her in this regard, which was why she had been handpicked by the Emperor to become the current Crown Princess. When it came to arranged marriages, dignity and poise were virtues, but in matters of romance and passion between men and women, they always fell a bit short.
Especially now that Qin Huan knew she was a stone-girl (physically incapable of consummating a marriage), that complex only intensified.
On the night of the grand wedding, Qin Huan had boldly drugged the Crown Prince and fabricated the illusion of their marital union. Whether the Crown Prince had ever seen through the ruse, Qin Huan never knew, but ever since that night, he had never once favored her with his bed. Even on the first and fifteenth of every month, he would merely share an evening meal at the Luanluan Pavilion before retreating straight to his study.
Gazing at Qin Susu’s exquisitely seductive face, Qin Huan longed nothing more than to reach out and claw those features to pieces. Yet she knew all too well that Qin Susu still had her uses.
Qin Huan took a deep breath, coaxing her eyes to flash with a gentler, warmer light.
“Sister, we are both daughters of the Qin family, and women of His Highness. Now, I am elevating you—this is a grace not only to yourself, but also to your birth mother and your unborn younger brother.”
Listening to Qin Huan’s words, Qin Susu lowered her gaze to mask a flash of mocking amusement. Qin Huan was using her birth mother as a hostage to threaten her. In her past life, she had been utterly terrified, complying with Qin Huan’s every demand without missing a beat.
But this time…
Qin Susu lowered her head further, her frail shoulders trembling slightly as her voice filled with fright.
“This—this concubine understands…”
Seeing her pitiful, unpresentable demeanor, Qin Huan leaned back against her chair, her pride and arrogance swelling even higher.
“Very well.”
She flicked her hand dismissively. The intimidation had done its job; it was time to send Qin Susu off to do the real work.
Yufu carried over a food box and handed it directly to Qin Susu.
Qin Huan spoke, “I’ve already checked His Highness’s schedule. If you go to the study now, the timing will be just right.”
Qin Susu nodded, offering a few more declarations of utter loyalty that made the expression in Qin Huan’s eyes grow increasingly relaxed and pleased.
However, the moment Qin Susu turned and stepped out the door, around the corner, she unhesitatingly opened the food box, plucked out a pastry, and popped it straight into her mouth.
Jinsui reached out, too late to stop her.
“My lady!”