Volume 1 Chapter 6: Spring Dream
At the end of the Yin hour, before dawn had broken, a figure stumbled out of Qingzhu Courtyard in a rush.
Even after returning to Qingyi Courtyard, Yan Qing remained flustered and unsettled.
"Young Miss!"
Qing Luan and Lu Zhi had been waiting in the courtyard.
Seeing Yan Qing's flushed face, Lu Zhi asked curiously, "Young Miss, what were you doing? Why is your face so red?"
"N-nothing…"
Yan Qing stammered, her face growing even redder, as if it could drip blood, her throat burning and her voice hoarse.
Qing Luan thoughtfully poured her a cup of warm water, concerned. "Young Miss, are you alright?"
"I'm… fine."
Yan Qing's mind was still in a daze.
She grabbed the teacup and gulped down the water in one go, barely calming her heart, which felt as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
After a moment, she murmured, "What's happening at Wu'an Marquis Manor?"
Qing Luan whispered, "The master didn't find you at the Marquisate and is now searching the entire city for you…"
Yan Qing curled her lips. Was he afraid she would actually have Yan Tan dunked in a pig cage?
Qing Luan added, "Madam Zhen also hurriedly took people out."
No wonder she hadn't seen Madam Zhen leading anyone to catch them in the act during her time at Qingzhu Courtyard. So that was why…
Yan Qing abruptly stopped her train of thought.
She couldn't think about Qingzhu Courtyard now. The mere thought made her whole body boil over again.
Setting down the teacup, she looked at her two maids and forced herself to appear calm. "You two go rest. Tomorrow will bring another spectacle."
"Yes."
Qing Luan and Lu Zhi withdrew.
Yan Qing poured herself two more cups of tea and drank them in quick succession, forcing herself to calm down.
Tonight's events had completely thrown her off balance.
She never expected that…
She had rushed back to the manor intending to rescue Gu Huaizhou, to make him owe her a favor, but instead…
Looking at her still slightly trembling hands, Yan Qing's cheeks burned fiercely.
An image of Gu Huaizhou's face flashed through her mind.
The usually gentle and refined man had such a wanton, alluring appearance, and tonight, under her hands…
"Ah!"
Yan Qing suddenly collapsed onto the bed.
She pulled the quilt tightly over her head, feeling too ashamed to face anyone.
Although Matron had taught her many bedroom arts, she was still an untouched maiden. In her previous life, even after marrying Lu Qiao Nan, she had secluded herself in Dong Yuan. In both lifetimes, she had never been so intimate with a man.
And now, to save herself, she had…
Under the quilt, Yan Qing's entire face flushed with embarrassment, her heart pounding wildly, yet she clung tightly to the covers, unwilling to let go.
As if this way, no one could see her shame and distress.
In her dazed state, she seemed to return to her previous life—bedridden with a lingering illness, Yan Tan barging into Dong Yuan day after day, recounting every detail of her affection with Lu Qiao Nan.
Yan Qing seethed with anger and hatred but could do nothing.
When the Ye Family received tragic news, she tried to ask Lu Qiao Nan for information, but he only stared at her coldly without a word.
She stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve, pleading with him for the first time.
"Qing Qing, if you want to save the Ye Family, you should beg me."
Suddenly, Lu Qiao Nan reached out and grabbed her.
Yan Qing watched as his face transformed into Gu Huaizhou's.
His eyes were bloodshot, his expression frenzied, exactly as he had been in Qingzhu Courtyard.
He threw her onto the bed.
Before she could react, Gu Huaizhou roughly tore open her clothes, his large hands gripping her slender waist as he dangerously closed in.
"No—"
Yan Qing abruptly opened her eyes and sat up.
"Young Miss, did you have a nightmare?"
Qing Luan entered with a copper basin, wringing out a white cloth to wipe the cold sweat from Yan Qing's forehead.
Yan Qing finally realized it had been a dream.
But the dream felt so real!
It was as if she had relived the events at Qingzhu Courtyard all over again, only even more intense…
Her heart pounded with lingering fear.
After calming herself for quite some time, she finally steadied her emotions and asked, "What time is it?"
"It's the hour of Si."
Just as Qing Luan answered, Lu Zhi hurried in with quick, small steps: "Miss, it's not good—Master and Madam Zhen have returned!"
Yan Qing got down from the couch: "Help me dress and do my hair."
Now that they were back in the mansion, they would soon discover that both she and Yan Tan were at home.
What surprised her a little was that Yan Junyuan had actually searched for her outside all night and only returned to the mansion now. It seemed he truly doted on Yan Tan, this daughter born of a concubine.
Hah—how ironic.
Back when Yan Junyuan achieved top honors in the imperial examination, her maternal grandfather had chosen him as a son-in-law right under the announcement board. Yet Yan Junyuan had concealed the fact that he already had a wife and daughter.
In the third year after her mother married down to Yan Junyuan, his original wife and daughter arrived in the capital with the old lady and even filed a complaint at the Office of the Capital Prefect.
Her mother had no choice but to bring them into the mansion.
The old lady pressured them with filial piety, decreeing that the original wife should stay in the Yan mansion as a co-wife.
From then on, the Yan mansion gained a Madam Zhen.
Feeling guilty toward his eldest daughter, Yan Junyuan had always been extremely partial to Yan Tan since childhood, even going so far as to consider making Yan Tan the legitimate daughter.
If not for her mother threatening to take her own life, Yan Qing's position as the legitimate daughter would have long been lost.
And Yan Junyuan, for his part, used this as an excuse to never visit her mother's chambers again. On ordinary days, he doted on Yan Tan as if holding her in the palm of his hand, showing no regard whatsoever for her, the legitimate daughter's situation.
Since that was the case, then let's see how he plans to pamper his precious daughter today!
Sure enough, the gate of Qingyi Courtyard was soon pushed open, and Nanny Cao from Madam Zhen's side barged in with others.
"Second Miss, the Master summons you to Qian Ting for a discussion."
Seeing Yan Qing, Nanny Cao wore a haughty expression on her old face and didn't even perform a proper greeting.
She showed no respect at all for Yan Qing, the legitimate daughter.
"What kind of attitude is this?"
Lu Zhi was furious and stepped forward to argue, but Yan Qing rose leisurely: "Since it is Father's order, I shall naturally go."
Nanny Cao rolled her eyes, turned around, and muttered: "Returning to the mansion without sending word, causing people to rush about outside all night—what bad luck!"
After saying this, she ignored Yan Qing and left on her own.
"Miss!"
Lu Zhi's eyes turned red with anger.
Even an old shrew in the mansion dared to treat the young lady like this—it was simply infuriating!
Qing Luan, steady and attentive by nature, had sensed that her young lady seemed to have some important matters to attend to ever since Yan Qing publicly divorced. So she pulled Lu Zhi back and said, "Don't ruin the young lady's plans."
Lu Zhi was filled with resentment but said nothing more.
Yan Qing looked at the little maid's puffed-up, angry face and found it amusing: "She's just a troublesome servant. Since Lu Zhi dislikes her, how about I leave her to you to deal with later?"
Qing Luan looked at her young lady in shock.
But Lu Zhi shook her head: "Miss is teasing me again. Nanny Cao is Madam Zhen's person—how could she be dealt with so easily?"
And handed over to a maid like her to deal with?
"Let's go."
Yan Qing smiled without further explanation.
The group followed behind Nanny Cao, heading toward Qian Ting.
When passing by West Courtyard, Yan Qing paused her steps and suddenly asked, "Nanny Cao, did Father also summon my cousin?"
Nanny Cao sneered: "An outsider like him is worthy?"
So he hadn't been summoned.
Yan Qing immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
If she were to see Gu Huaizhou in Qian Ting later, she truly wouldn't know how to face him.
With this worry gone, Yan Qing's anxious heart instantly calmed down.
Yes, it has cooled down.
The Yan family's first blade—
Let's start with Yan Tan!