The room was as warm as spring, with an air of elegance and refinement in every detail. Laofuren was smiling as she spoke with Song Zhiyun.
Wan Tang was led over by the matron and greeted them with proper etiquette.
With her eyes lowered, she could only see the hem of a dark blue skirt embroidered with gold thread and a Xiangxiang-colored skirt scattered with floral patterns. The former undoubtedly belonged to Laofuren, while the latter was Song Zhiyun’s. The two sat closely together on a daybed.
Laofuren must have liked Song Zhiyun very much.
“Old Ancestor, this is the maid I mentioned. She is quite skilled at serving others. Wan Tang, come and massage Old Ancestor’s head.”
So she was brought here to help curry favor with Laofuren.
Wan Tang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her anxious heart finally settling.
Song Zhiyun helped Laofuren move to a nearby chair, and Wan Tang obediently walked over. She quietly warmed her hands before carefully massaging according to Song Zhiyun’s instructions.
Having grown up by Song Zhiyun’s side since childhood, Wan Tang had been forced to master the art of massage to avoid beatings and scoldings.
Laofuren had long suffered from headaches, and Wan Tang’s warm, soft fingers pressed gently yet firmly on her head, quickly easing the throbbing pain and making her feel so comfortable that she grew drowsy.
Before long, a round-faced maid entered with a worried expression: “Old Ancestor, the Marquis says his old shoulder ailment has flared up, and he doesn’t want to move.”
Laofuren’s drowsiness vanished instantly. She sighed and opened her eyes: “When the Old Marquis was his age, he could already run around.”
On the day of the Flower Appreciation Banquet, he had refused to look closely at the candidates, but she had already taken note of a few. In the past two days, the women from those households had grown impatient and come to inquire, so she thought it was time to settle Xiao Zhi’s marriage.
Her headache began to return, but as soon as it surfaced, Wan Tang’s skillful hands soothed it away.
Laofuren’s eyes lit up, and she smiled: “Isn’t there a pair of skilled hands right here? Go, invite him over to try.”
Wan Tang trembled slightly, her heart sinking.
She could only hope the Marquis wouldn’t mistake this as a scheme of hers.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Zhi arrived.
He carried a chill with him, and as he approached, an unseen draft seemed to stir. Everyone couldn’t help but look up or turn their heads, their gazes drawn to him one after another.
Wan Tang also glanced at him. Today, he wore a plain dark green brocade robe, which softened his imposing presence and lent him a touch of scholarly refinement.
Wan Tang lowered her gaze and, along with the other maids, greeted him.
Xiao Zhi’s eyes fell on Wan Tang at once, but his gaze did not linger, sweeping past her without pause.
“Mother.”
Laofuren beckoned him over: “Has your old shoulder ailment flared up? There’s a pair of skilled hands here, and the massage is quite soothing. Give it a try.”
Xiao Zhi sat down calmly: “Is that so?”
His tone was as distant and cool as usual, as if he didn’t know Wan Tang at all.
Laofuren smiled and asked Wan Tang to go over and massage him, but Wan Tang didn’t move. Instead, she glanced sideways at Song Zhiyun.
Laofuren, with her back to Wan Tang, didn’t notice her hesitation, but Xiao Zhi looked up and saw it: “Mother, there’s no need to force anyone.”
Song Zhiyun was extremely embarrassed.
Only then did Laofuren realize Wan Tang hadn’t moved, and she immediately understood the reason: “You may not know, but this is a maid from Jinxiu Garden. Without Yun’er’s permission, how would she dare act on her own? It was my oversight.”
Song Zhiyun stood up awkwardly: “Old Ancestor, what are you saying? Father, it’s all my fault for not disciplining her properly, allowing a servant to be so ill-mannered. Wan Tang, what are you still standing there for? Go and help Father massage his shoulders. This is also my filial duty as a junior.”
Wan Tang glanced from the corner of her eye and, seeing that Xiao Zhi showed no displeasure, quietly stepped behind him and placed her hands on his right shoulder.
Xiao Zhi tilted his head slightly and caught sight of a pair of delicate hands, pale and lustrous against the dark green brocade.
Wan Tang pressed gently and whispered, “Does it ache here, Marquis?”
“Half an inch to the right.”
After a few such exchanges, once Wan Tang found the right spot, they fell silent.
An indescribable soreness spread from his right shoulder, making Xiao Zhi frown, suspecting she might be taking the chance to retaliate. However, years of military training had honed his endurance to an extraordinary degree. He endured silently for a moment, and the soreness in his shoulder seemed to dissolve, suddenly replaced by a wave of relief.
She does have some skill.
Seeing Xiao Zhi’s expression begin to soften, Laofuren suddenly remembered something and looked at Wan Tang in puzzlement. “Hmm? No one told you his old injury was in his right shoulder. How did you spot it at a glance?”
Hearing this, Song Zhiyun also cast a doubtful glance at Wan Tang.
Sensing their suspicion, Wan Tang couldn’t help but pause.