"You're drunk like this! Am I some kind of jinx?"
The tavern, seeing they had consumed a lot of wine and were all from prominent families, had already prepared sobering soup and sent it in with sturdy maids. The two servants worked together to pour it down Wang Ziyu's throat, then carried him onto the carriage. Before they even reached the street where the Wang family mansion was located, Wang Ziyu vomited—not only all over himself but also splashing much onto Chu Yi, leaving the carriage filthy and reeking of alcohol.
Chu Yi’s face darkened, his voice colder than the depths of winter: "Return to Chu Mansion."
He then called Wang Ziyu’s servant over to give instructions, so he could report back to his uncle, aunt, and grandmother.
Chu Yi had initially intended to take Wang Ziyu to Jinzhu Courtyard, but after a moment’s thought, he frowned. Everyone in Jinzhu Courtyard was eager to please his mother, and if she found out Ziyu was heavily intoxicated, she would surely reprimand him. With that in mind, he directly ordered the servant: "Drive the carriage into the study courtyard. I’ll stay there for the night."
The servant only wished for this young master to return home safely without causing any more trouble. As for where Ninth Master chose to stay, he had no objections—after all, Ninth Master often stayed in Old Madam’s courtyard.
By the time the carriage entered the small courtyard, dusk had already begun to fall. Suian had just fetched her dinner from the main kitchen. Her meal was quite decent: two large white steamed buns, a plate of pickled vegetables, and a generous serving of old-cooked cabbage.
The tender cabbage of early winter, perfectly marbled pork belly, and soft, soaked vermicelli looked mouthwatering.
The head chef had a daughter around Suian’s age, plump and fair-skinned, twice Suian’s size. Because of this, the chef felt particularly sympathetic toward Suian and always gave her portions meant for one and a half people.
The small side room was cozy, with the stove fire brighter than the candlelight. She had just placed the cabbage in a small pot to warm it up when the commotion at the courtyard gate startled her. She hurriedly got up to see what was happening.
Chu Yi jumped down from the carriage and directed the two servants behind him to carry Wang Ziyu down. Seeing Suian, he casually said, "Go tidy up the study. I’ll be staying here tonight."
There was a large bed in the study’s adjoining room. Suian fetched two cotton quilts from the storage chest. Chu Yi frowned and asked, "Have they been aired?"
"Ninth Master, I air them every five days," Suian replied, deftly carrying a charcoal brazier. Seizing the opportunity, she returned to her small room to remove the cabbage from the stove, lest it burn.
The servants brought in hot water, and Suian quickly lowered her head and stepped out. Attending to bathing was not her job, nor could she handle it.
Chu Yi had Wang Ziyu washed up first. Once he was in bed, before the servants could even extinguish the lamps, Wang Ziyu sat bolt upright like a carp leaping out of water—though he smelled fragrant and free of alcohol, his breath reeked of sour, pungent wine.
Suian finally found a moment to herself and slowly arranged her dinner. Seeing the stove fire was about to die out, she got up and grabbed a dozen chestnuts from the small cupboard, burying them in the ashes. Just then, Chu Yi arrived.
"You’re eating? What are you eating?"
Afraid he might say something off-putting like "pig slop," Suian quickly covered the plate with a nearby lid.
But Chu Yi walked right over. "What are you eating that you won’t let me see?" He glanced at it and frowned. "Pig slop!"
Suian: "…"
Despite Chu Yi’s words, it was only now, seeing the food, that he remembered he hadn’t eaten a proper meal all day.
So although she still thought the cabbage looked as listless as if it had been thoroughly trampled, and the fatty meat seemed a bit like a fading beauty trembling unsteadily, she sat down anyway. Disgusted that the chopsticks had been used by Suian, she rinsed them twice in the nearby teacup before picking up the crispy baked mantou by the stove and eating it with the cabbage and vermicelli.
It wasn’t until he had taken two bites that Suian snapped out of her shock and hurriedly said, “How can Ninth Master eat the servants’ food? Are you hungry? This servant will go to the main kitchen and have the master chef prepare something fresh for you.”
Chu Yi glared at her. “Do you expect me to endure hunger while waiting for you to bring food back?”
Suian silently swallowed back the words, “This servant will make you a bowl of noodles.”
After finishing his meal, Chu Yi strode over and sat heavily on Suian’s bed. “I’ll sleep here tonight!”
Suian suddenly blushed.
Seeing her blush, Chu Yi understood she had misinterpreted his words and immediately felt both embarrassed and annoyed. “What are you thinking? How could someone like you dare to lay a finger on me? Now go and attend to Young Master Wang!”
Suian inwardly cried injustice. Any woman would blush if a man suddenly declared he would sleep in her bed and under her covers! Besides, even if she wanted to lay a finger on someone, it certainly wouldn’t be on such a temperamental young master! To be honest, someone like Ninth Master was no good match—born into wealth and surrounded by beauties since childhood. Even if he begged her to lay a finger on him, she wouldn’t be willing!
The blush quickly faded from her face as she said softly, “Then this servant will fetch your bedding.”
Her swift return to normalcy left Chu Yi feeling oddly unsettled. Of course, he didn’t care for this wretched girl, but somehow, it just felt irritating. No matter what she did, it seemed to rub him the wrong way.
Without waiting for his reply, Suian turned and left the room.
In the study, two night-duty servants were dozing on the floor.
Wang Ziyu had already rolled himself up in both sets of bedding and was fast asleep.
Suian had no choice but to open the chest and take out another set—the last one left.
Chu Yi was idly surveying her room.
The room was simple. On the west wall hung two paintings. One was a pastoral scene: a tree, a few rocks, and beneath the tree, a mother hen leading a flock of chicks pecking at worms. The mother hen’s belly was so large it looked as if she were ten months pregnant, while the chicks stared at the worms, too timid to eat. The painting technique was crude.
The other was an imitation of a famous painting by a master from the previous dynasty, titled Bamboo Brings Peace. The bamboo was passable, but the bamboo shoots looked so wild and claw-like that, without careful inspection, one might mistake them for crabs crawling out to scare people!
Neither painting bore a signature, and the mounting was exceptionally poor.
Seeing Suian enter with the bedding, Chu Yi tilted his chin up and asked, “Did you paint these two?”
Suian replied, “Yes.” Inwardly, her little iron figurine silently brought out its armor and held it in front of her chest.
“Tsk! With this level of skill, it hurts my eyes just looking at them!”
Suian remained unmoved.
The young master she served had a turnover rate of maids in his courtyard that was among the highest in the entire capital. After all, only the best maids could enter his Jinzhu Courtyard, and those who did were all proud and ambitious. When two such forces collided?
As the saying goes, “One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, even if one is male and the other female!” If she wanted to live a peaceful life, she absolutely could not become a tiger.
After tidying the bed and placing her own bedding to the side, she said, “This servant will go attend to the young master now.”
Chu Yi gave a grunt of acknowledgment from his nose, pulled the quilt over himself, and went to sleep.
Suian returned to the study. The inner chamber was filled with the smell of alcohol. She lit two charcoal braziers again, then half-opened the bed curtains and a window. After more than an hour, the smell of alcohol finally dissipated.
Wang Ziyu’s breathing also became more comfortable.
Someone was banging on the gate of the small courtyard.
The two young servants stirred but did not open their eyes, falling back asleep.
Suian took a lantern and went to open the gate, thinking as she walked that perhaps Old Madam had sent someone over out of concern.
But when she opened the gate, it was not who she expected.
Lin Songluan was draped in a cloak as thin as paper, her smiling face blooming like a rose: "I heard there was still movement here, so I thought you might not be asleep yet. I couldn’t sleep either, so I came to see if I could borrow a few books…"
Suian smiled and asked, "What kind of books would Miss Lin like to read?"
Lin Songluan’s eyes shifted. "I can’t say for sure right now. Could I choose for myself?"
Her intention to investigate the study was almost blatantly obvious. Suian sighed inwardly but kept her smile unchanged. "What a coincidence. Ninth Master and the young master are both resting in the study today, so it’s really not convenient to invite Miss Lin inside."
Before Lin Songluan could say more, a group of people appeared from around the corner of the distant corridor. The maidservant at the front carried two lanterns, and their laughter interrupted their conversation.
As they drew closer, it became clear that it was Ziyu, Old Madam’s senior maid.
Ziyu smiled and said, "Good girl, you knew I was coming and came out to greet me." She was older and prided herself on sharing a secret with Suian, so she spoke with warmth and familiarity.
Only after speaking did Ziyu notice Lin Songluan standing to the side. With just one glance, she knew who this was—not dressed as a servant, yet shabbily attired. She must be a family member of Mr. Lin.
Though she had already figured it out, Ziyu smiled and asked Suian, "And who is this?"
Everyone here understood the situation, but pretending ignorance wasn’t too tiring. Suian was about to sigh again but suddenly remembered she had already sighed many times today and quickly stopped herself. Each sigh shortened her life by a year—she couldn’t die too soon.
"This is Miss Lin, Mr. Lin’s daughter," she introduced to Ziyu with a smile.
Then, turning to Lin Songluan, she said, "Miss Lin, this is Sister Ziyu, who serves Old Madam."
Lin Songluan’s temper flared up instantly. When introducing people, one always introduced the more distinguished person first. By introducing her to Ziyu first, Suian was implying that Ziyu held a higher status than her. What status did Ziyu have? She was just a servant! Lin Songluan was a respectable young lady!
She thought this way without considering that she was currently a guest in Chu Mansion, while Ziyu was a servant of the host family. As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Suian’s introduction was actually not inappropriate.
Having already gained the upper hand, Ziyu did not press further. She smiled and bowed. "Greetings, Miss Lin."
Lin Songluan accepted this calmly, putting on airs as she nodded slightly. "So this is Sister Ziyu from Old Madam’s side. Songluan pays her respects." Only then did she prepare to return the bow.
Ziyu quickly stepped aside to avoid it. After the two exchanged pleasantries for a while, Ziyu finally said to Suian, "Old Madam was worried and sent me to check on things."
Seeing this, Lin Songluan took her leave.
Suian accompanied Ziyu to see Wang Ziyu first. Wang Ziyu’s face was rosy, his sleeping expression adorable, and Ziyu felt slightly reassured. Turning her gaze, she saw two young servants who had stood up but were still dazed and muddled. Just as she was about to scold them, Suian took her hand and whispered with a smile, “Sister, Ninth Master was concerned that Young Master might feel neglected, so he asked me to keep watch for him at night. He’s resting in the other room. Let me accompany you to take a look—perhaps Ninth Master hasn’t fallen asleep yet.”