Sitting across from her was a young woman in a water-green dress. Covering her mouth, she laughed softly.
She was Lu Yingwei, the daughter of the Vice Censor-in-Chief. Gentle by nature, she even spoke in a soft and delicate voice.
“Elder Sister Qiu, that’s a little harsh. Driving him out of the capital seems excessive…”
She paused, carefully choosing her words before continuing.
“Though… Shen Jinghong’s appearance is beyond criticism. I saw him once from afar at Qianwei Restaurant. He’s really quite handsome sword-like brows, bright eyes, and tall besides. You can spot him immediately in a crowd.”
Qiu Lingxi set down her teacup and glanced at Lu Yingwei, her lips curling slightly in disapproval.
How shallow.
“Appearance?” she said. “A woman shouldn’t judge a man solely by his looks.”
Lu Yingwei blushed slightly.
“I didn’t say looks were the only thing that mattered. I was just mentioning it.”
Another girl in an apricot-colored dress nodded in agreement.
“That’s true. I heard Shen Jinghong takes after his mother. Lady Shen was one of the capital’s famous beauties when she was young.”
Qiu Lingxi didn’t pursue that topic.
Tapping the edge of the table lightly with her fingers, she changed the subject.
“Speaking of it, the truly unfortunate one is Miss Fu.”
Fu Yunyang’s grip on her teacup tightened slightly.
“A perfectly respectable young lady from a noble household.”
Qiu Lingxi shook her head, genuine sympathy in her voice.
“Her health is already poor. She’s spent her life quietly raised within the inner chambers. Who did she ever offend? Yet people spread those rumors about her in teahouses for no reason at all.”
Her expression darkened.
“‘Short-lived, brings misfortune to her family, ugly, narrow-minded, and won’t survive three years after marriage.’ Those words were absolutely vile.”
Her voice rose noticeably on the last sentence.
It was clear she was sincerely angry on Fu Yunyang’s behalf.
“Exactly.”
Lu Yingwei’s smile faded as she nodded seriously.
“I’ve never met Miss Fu myself, but everyone says she’s kind, educated, and proper. She never even appears in public. If someone talked about me like that before a crowd, I don’t know how I’d bear it.”
“That’s why,” Qiu Lingxi declared as she set down her teacup firmly, “this engagement should be broken off.”
“That wastrel isn’t worthy of Miss Fu. Even if her health is poor, she’s still the treasured daughter of the Grand Tutor’s household, raised like precious jade and gold. Why should she be subjected to the judgment of some unruly son of a military family?”
Shaking her head, she concluded:
“If you ask me, ending the engagement is for the best. It’ll save everyone trouble.”
The girl in the apricot dress nodded before hesitating.
“But I heard General Shen personally tied up his son and took him to apologize. Apparently he was very sincere.”
“What good is sincerity?”
Qiu Lingxi raised an eyebrow dismissively.
“A father is a father. A son is a son.”
Her expression softened slightly.
“General Shen is a true hero. He’s spent twenty years defending the frontier. Even my father speaks of him with admiration.”
Then she snorted.
“But that son of his…”
She shook her head, looking thoroughly exasperated.
“All day long it’s cockfighting, dog-racing, and idling away his life. He learns nothing and speaks nonsense whenever he gets drunk in a teahouse.”
Her voice turned firm.
“What kind of life could a woman possibly have after marrying someone like that? With Miss Fu’s health, do you think she’d survive the aggravation?”
Lu Yingwei nodded thoughtfully.
“Still, I heard from my mother that the Shen family hasn’t completely given up. Lady Shen has been asking around everywhere about Miss Fu’s likes and dislikes. She’s consulting physicians about health remedies and even asking which pastry shops in the capital are best. It sounds like she genuinely wants to make the marriage work.”
Qiu Lingxi fell silent for a moment before taking another sip of tea.
“Lady Shen seems like a sensible woman.”
She set down the cup.
“But marriage is ultimately about two people living together.”
Her tone grew serious.
“No matter how good Lady Shen is, can she live Shen Jinghong’s life for him? If that scoundrel doesn’t improve himself, marrying into that family would be jumping into a pit of fire.”
“Elder Sister Qiu is right.”
The girl in apricot nodded.
Lu Yingwei sighed.
“When you think about it, Miss Fu really is pitiful. It’s bad enough that she’s in poor health, and then this happened on top of everything else.”
Her voice softened.
“I wonder how she feels. If my own fiancé said such things about me in public, I don’t think I’d even be able to cry.”
“Exactly why the engagement should be ended.”
Qiu Lingxi’s gaze drifted to the peach blossoms outside the pavilion.
Her voice became gentler.
“She’s already frail. Why should she endure this kind of humiliation too?”
She paused.
“Breaking off the engagement and quietly focusing on her health would be far better.”
Then she added:
“There are plenty of good men in the world. It’s not as though Shen Jinghong is the only option.”
For a moment, the pavilion fell silent.
Throughout the conversation, Fu Yunyang had not spoken a single word.
Head lowered, she held her teacup with both hands.
The tea rippled gently, reflecting a blurred image of half her face.
The gauze hanging from her hat concealed her expression completely.
Behind her, Xiaodie had listened to every word.
Her expression changed several times.
Sneaking a glance at her mistress, she saw that Fu Yunyang remained perfectly still.
Her heart ached.
She wanted to say something.
Anything.
Yet she had no idea what to say.
In the end, she crouched down and pretended to straighten the hem of Fu Yunyang’s cloak.
Lowering her voice, she called softly:
“Miss…”
Fu Yunyang didn’t answer.
After a long while, she slowly lifted her head.
Through the veil, her gaze passed over the pavilion toward the group of young women.
Qiu Lingxi was speaking animatedly, her brows lively and expressive.
Judging by the reactions, she had probably insulted Shen Jinghong a few more times.
Lu Yingwei and the girl in apricot burst out laughing.
Fu Yunyang watched them for a moment.
Then she withdrew her gaze.
Lowered her head.
And gently set her teacup onto the table.
“Xiaodie.”
“I’m here.”
Xiaodie hurried closer.
“Let’s go home.”
As she spoke, Fu Yunyang placed a hand on the edge of the stone table and slowly rose to her feet.
Xiaodie blinked in surprise.
“Miss, you’ve barely rested at all…”
“It’s enough.”
Fu Yunyang shook her head lightly and coughed twice.
“I’m tired. I’d like to go home.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Xiaodie dared not ask further questions.
She quickly supported Fu Yunyang’s arm, gathered the tea things, tightened the cloak around her shoulders to ensure she was fully covered, and carefully helped her out of the pavilion.
As they passed the other side of the pavilion, Qiu Lingxi happened to look up.
She saw a young woman in a pink dress.
A pale violet veil concealed her face.
A moon-white cloak wrapped around her slender frame.
Supported by a maid, she quietly walked past the pavilion.
“What is it?”
Lu Yingwei asked.
“Nothing.”
Qiu Lingxi withdrew her gaze and took a sip of tea.
“It’s just that the young lady who passed by looked rather unwell.”
She thought for a moment.
“She walks like a paper figure. One strong gust of wind and she’d probably fall over.”
Lu Yingwei turned to look as well.
But by then only a vague silhouette remained before disappearing among the blossoms.
“I wonder which family she’s from. She didn’t even bring many attendants. It seems rather lonely.”
Qiu Lingxi set down her cup and sighed.
“That’s why health is the most important thing.”
She shook her head.
“Status, talent, beauty none of that matters if your body fails you. Good health is the foundation of everything.”
Her thoughts drifted back to Fu Yunyang.
“Take Miss Fu, for example. Raised within the inner chambers all her life, rarely stepping outside. I can’t imagine how she’s endured it.”
As she spoke, she stood up and stretched her arms.
Her sleeve slid back slightly, revealing a toned forearm marked by a faint old scar from childhood sword practice.
“If I were her,” she said with the straightforward confidence typical of a military family’s daughter, “I wouldn’t waste time worrying about engagements or marriage contracts.”
She pulled her sleeve back down.
“I’d focus on getting healthy first.”
Then she snorted.
“As for a scoundrel like Shen Jinghong, I’d tell him to get as far away from me as possible.”
Lu Yingwei and the girl in apricot laughed.
Qiu Lingxi laughed as well before sitting back down and pouring herself another cup of tea.
“Enough about him.”
She raised the cup toward the others.
“Talking about him ruins the mood.”
Then she smiled.
“Drink your tea. Appreciating the blossoms is far more important.”