Madam Pei didn't say anything, only giving Xiaoqing a cold glance before leaving. Yu Hua, however, followed behind and bowed to Qiu Su. The bow was perfect, her knees bent almost to her waist, and she slowly and casually glanced at Xiao Qing. That single glance was enough to make Xiao Qing bite her lip and lower her head.
Even the personal maidservant of the Prime Minister's wife was so polite, let alone a mere maidservant like her.
Yu Hua smiled and said, "Madam has something to say to Young Madam. Please, Young Madam."
Qiu Su pursed her lips, got up, and left. As she left, she couldn't help but glance once more at the room from which Pei Yuan hadn't emerged. Sometimes pity and love are one and the same; perhaps… who can truly say?
Madam Pei gestured for Qiu Su to sit down, and only spoke after Yu Hua served tea: "Have you heard about the bamboo kite incident?"
"Yes, I've heard Ziqing mention it."
“I intend for Yuan’er to take her as a concubine. Although her elder brother was just a servant of Yuan’er, he had a special relationship with Yuan’er and lost his life because of him. The Zhu family only has this one frail daughter left. I mentioned this to Yuan’er before he left.”
Pei's mother looked at Qiu Su, whose head was slightly lowered. Qiu Su looked at her shoes and remained silent for a long time.
What does Susu think?
She really didn't have any opinion; if Pei's mother insisted, whether she said she was willing or not would be meaningless.
“Zhu Yuan’s health is poor. To put it bluntly, she’s already past twenty, and she won’t live more than five years. I can see her feelings for Yuan’er clearly, and I also want to fulfill her wish. I asked Yuan’er what he thought.”
Pei Yuan paused at the right moment, and sure enough, Qiu Su looked up at him, pursed her lips, and asked, "What did he say?"
"Although he wasn't enthusiastic about this before, he didn't explicitly refuse either. When it came up again this time, he only said that he would recognize Zhu Yuan as his younger sister and find her a good family in the future. With Zhu Yuan's health, where can she find a good family? She has lived in the Pei family for so many years, and she doesn't even have to move her courtyard. She's just given a title. No one can shake your position as the young mistress. I will definitely investigate Xiao Qing's words to you afterward. The eldest daughter-in-law of the Pei family is not someone a servant can yell at."
"In that case, thank you, Mother-in-law."
"So, Susu has agreed to the matter of Zhu Yuan?"
Qiu Su looked away, a bitter feeling welling up inside her. After a long pause, she said, "I am naturally unwilling, but if Ziqing is willing, then that's another matter."
"I don't think Susu would make things difficult for a weak girl, so I'll discuss this matter with Yuan'er."
As Qiu Su walked out of Pei's maternal courtyard, she felt a tightness in her chest. She walked around Zhu Yuan's courtyard and finally found a deserted garden. Only after sitting down against the rockery did Qiu Su have the courage to take a deep breath.
Looking back, her relationship with Pei Yuan didn't seem to be far from being inseparable even in life and death. But when did she come to consider him her husband? And why was she so proactive in seducing him—or rather, so proactive in consummating their marriage? Was it the month they spent together on Qingyuan Mountain? Or the warmth he gave her that night when they fled the mountain? It all seems so shallow, utterly meaningless in retrospect.
Beauty can lead to trouble. Admit it, at first glance, she was captivated by his extraordinary looks and that sharp gaze.
Sigh, thinking about it this way, she really was just a lustful chieftain who coveted the other's good looks. No wonder so many people who went up the mountain felt like they had entered a wolf's den and desperately ran down the mountain.
Qiu Su hugged her legs tightly and rubbed her forehead against her knees. Too many incomprehensible things were swirling in her mind, giving her a headache.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the sunlight overhead grew increasingly intense. Qiu Su sighed and straightened up, gasping in surprise when she saw a pair of dark blue cloth shoes in front of her. Why were there so many people everywhere in the Pei residence?
Qiu Su straightened her skirt, covering her feet before looking up to shield her eyes from the sun. Half of the person's face was bathed in sunlight, making his eyelashes appear distinct. Qiu Su glared at him, annoyed. "Why didn't you say anything?"
He Zhuo reached out and pulled Qiu Su to her feet, then walked to the stone bench under the weeping willows in the garden and pressed her down to sit. He looked her over for a long time before snorting and saying, "What's wrong with you? Coming out here to sleep under the rockery? Aren't you afraid your Ziqing will feel sorry for you?"
He Zhuo spoke in a high-pitched voice, which was quite amusing. Qiu Su looked up at He Zhuo's serious expression with his arms crossed and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "What's wrong with you now?"
He Zhuo turned and sat down next to Qiu Su, softening his voice as he asked, "What's wrong? Why are you hiding here all by yourself?"
"No, I just came out for a walk. When I got tired, I rested against the artificial hill for a while."
He Zhuo's gaze was fixed on Qiu Su, as if trying to see into her heart. Qiu Su's face flushed slightly, and she pushed his face away, saying, "What are you doing! Didn't you go out today either?"
"No, I heard that Qi Xiu went to see a doctor for someone named Zhu Yuan."
Qiu Su paused, blinked, and remained silent. He Zhuo understood, let out a long sigh, stretched, and grinned, saying, "Su Su, you've been sitting for way too long. My back is about to break from standing."
Hmph, she didn't seem to let anyone stand in front of her while she was sitting down.
"Let's go." He Zhuo pulled Qiu Su, who had started to space out again, up. "Go through the back door or jump over the wall?"
Where to?
"I found a really good fruit wine bar, wow, they even serve dog meat, braised in a fragrant sauce."
It seems like she hasn't eaten this in a long time. Qiu Su swallowed hard. "Why haven't I seen you buy any?"
"What are we going to do with this? It won't taste good if it gets cold. It's best when it's fresh out of the pot." He Zhuo glanced at the high wall of the back garden, shrugged, and chuckled twice. "Shall we climb the wall?"
Qiu Su frowned.
"You, the leader of a stronghold, can be trapped by a single wall?"
She couldn't stay trapped. As Qiu Su followed him over the wall, she muttered to herself that it wasn't a matter of the wall's height, but rather that the word "climbing the wall" made her feel guilty for having an affair.
Whether it was psychological or not, Qiu Su felt much more relaxed after leaving the wall. The two walked for a long time, and Qiu Su's stomach was growling, but she still hadn't seen the fruit wine and braised dog meat that He Zhuo had mentioned.
Qiu Su remained calm, only glancing over occasionally. He Zhuo, however, was somewhat unsettled; his face flushed redder with each glance she gave him.
"Ahem, well, how about we find a restaurant?"
Qiu Su glanced at it again, narrowed her eyes, and said, "What have you been doing these past few days?"
What's he doing? He seems to be sleeping in his room. He Zhuo scratched his head. "I've been thinking about some things, and it's really mentally taxing."
"Have you figured it out?"
"I've figured it out. That's why I brought you out shopping, Susu."
Qiu Su sighed, saw a restaurant on her right that looked alright, and went inside.
The shop didn't have fruit wine, but it did have dog meat, though the taste was inferior to what He Zhuo had given her in the village. The meat wasn't very tender, and Qiu Su ate a few slices before turning her chopsticks to the plates of vegetables. He Zhuo, on the other hand, didn't find the taste bad at all and ate with great satisfaction. He even drank a few cups of liquor with Qiu Su, which made Qiu Su's eyes mist over and her cheeks flush slightly.
"Susu," He Zhuo said softly when he saw that she had almost finished eating.
"Um?"
Are you happy staying at the Pei family's house?
Qiu Su blinked. "It's alright."
Is he good to you?
"Great, didn't you see it all?" Qiu Su said, as if to say, "You already know the answer."
He Zhuo frowned. "Su Su, just remember that you are the leader of Qingfeng Village. We don't owe each other anything, and we don't need to wrong ourselves just because we pity or sympathize with someone."
Qiu Su glanced at He Zhuo and said, "What have you heard this time? You're always talking nonsense."
Qiu Su took another sip of the liquor and suddenly felt that this spirits had a similar flavor to fruit wine. It was spicy, but after a few cups, the spiciness faded, and a sweet aroma emerged.