Cuando regresemos

Capítulo 13

“Fifth…Fifth Young Master.” The girl in green clearly recognized Cui Weiyuan. As soon as she saw him, she stood up. Her eyes were bright with spring, her face was flushed, and she lowered her eyes, wanting to look but not daring to. She had the shy demeanor of a young girl.

You Tong didn't expect that Cui Weiyuan would also come to join in the fun. Not only that, he seemed to be dressed particularly smartly today. He was wearing a moon-white robe with dark patterns and trim, with a plain white belt with white jade around his waist. His hair was tied up high and decorated with a jade crown. His skin was not as dark as it was in Longxi. His eyebrows were thick and his eyes were bright black.

Cui Weiyuan frowned slightly when he saw the two girls clearly. He seemed surprised that You Tong was not there. He opened his mouth to ask, but then realized that he couldn't remember the girl's name at all. He had no choice but to ask, "Have you two ladies seen my sister?"

The girl in green asked softly, "Is that Miss Ten? When I came over just now, I saw Madam Sun leading Miss Ten to the back hall."

Cui Weiyuan said, "It's not Wen Yan, it's Ninth Miss Wen Feng. She—" For some reason, he started but didn't continue, only chuckled self-deprecatingly, politely bowed to the two of them to take his leave, and then hurriedly left.

You Tong, observing clearly from among the flowers, saw that the girl in green, upon hearing him leave, immediately showed disappointment, staring intently at him until his figure disappeared beyond the peonies. Only then did she sigh dejectedly and slump back into her chair. Yu Wan, standing nearby, had shifty eyes and a somewhat unnatural expression, but the girl in green, preoccupied with her own thoughts, remained oblivious.

"Who is that young master—" Yu Wan asked casually, "Is he the fifth young master of the Sun family?"

The girl in green snorted coldly and sneered, "What fifth young master does the Sun family have? Cousin, you are far too ignorant. This is the fifth master of the Cui family, a second-class imperial guard in the palace. His father is the head of the Cui family of Longxi and the current Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. The Sun family is just a wealthy household, not even as prestigious as my family. How can they compare to the five great families of the court? I wonder if this tenth young lady is the daughter of the second madam, that she actually married her daughter into the Sun family."

Yu Wan echoed a few words, then whispered flattery, "The young master of the Cui family is so amiable. I think he is very polite to you, cousin."

A different kind of light suddenly appeared in the eyes of the girl in green, and she spoke with an involuntary emotion, "You...you saw it just now too, he also came to talk to me at the palace gate last time..." She quickly revealed all of Cui Weiyuan's background.

Yu Wan readily agreed, making the girl in green overjoyed. You Tong, watching from among the flowers, couldn't help but sigh. They say life is unpredictable, but who would have thought that in less than a year, Yu Wan, whose head was full of straw and who only knew how to bully others, would also learn to flatter and scheme...

Judging from the group of Yu Wan and the others, they would probably be sitting in the pavilion for a while. Not wanting to stay hidden among the flowers, she turned around and went to look for Wen Yan. You Tong vaguely remembered that the girl in green had mentioned that Wen Yan had gone to the back hall, so based on that, she walked north, half guessing and half tentatively.

The Sun family garden was very large. If it were anyone else, they would inevitably get lost without a guide. However, You Tong often walked in the mountains and could distinguish between east, west, south, and north. After walking for a short distance, she entered the backyard.

But the courtyard was deserted, with not even a lamp under the eaves, and it didn't look like the back hall at all.

You Tong turned to leave, but when she reached the end of the corridor, a man suddenly appeared from around the corner. Because it was dark all around, she couldn't see his face clearly, but she could smell the strong stench of alcohol emanating from him, which rushed into You Tong's nostrils.

You Tong frowned slightly and stepped aside to let him pass, but the man suddenly reached out and pulled her, saying, "Oh, where did this little beauty come from? She smells amazing. Come here and let this old man have a sniff." As he spoke, he leaned his head closer and his whole body heavily against You Tong.

You Tong had never been harassed like this before. Enraged, she disregarded the man's identity and punched him hard in the nose. The man howled, clutching his nose. Just as he was about to cry out, You Tong delivered a split kick, striking the man squarely in the groin. This time, the man couldn't even scream. He groaned, clutching his crotch, and slumped onto the railing of the veranda, cold sweat pouring down his backside from the pain.

Having landed a successful blow, You Tong didn't linger. She quickly retreated and slipped into the garden in the blink of an eye. She straightened her clothes, put on airs, and once again adopted the dignified demeanor of a well-bred young lady.

"Ninth Sister, where have you been? I can't find you anywhere!" Wen Yan was chatting and laughing with the young ladies under the eaves when she suddenly saw her. She rushed over, grabbed her arm, and asked, "Have you seen Fifth Brother? He was just here a moment ago."

You Tong asked, "Why is Fifth Brother here too? When did he arrive?"

Just as Wen Yan was about to reply, she spotted Cui Weiyuan, who had a stern face, not far away and quickly called out, "Fifth Brother, Ninth Sister is over here."

You Tong turned to look, but her eyes met Xu Wei, who was smiling at her from behind Cui Weiyuan.

“The Sun family really has a lot of influence,” Wen Yan said with a smile. “I originally thought it was just us girls who liked to join in the fun, but I didn’t expect that Fifth Brother and Brother Xu would also come. If we add the eldest son of the Shen family and the young marquis of the Wu family, then all four of the most outstanding people in the capital will be here.”

"What are the Four Heroes of the Capital?" You Tong asked in a low voice, having never heard of this name before.

"It's just a made-up story, is it really worth bringing up?" Cui Weiyuan glared at Wen Yan and lectured her.

Wen Yan was always afraid of him, and after being glared at like that, she immediately stopped talking. Xu Wei, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "Wei Yuan, when did you become so old-fashioned? Wen Yan was just joining in the fun, and she didn't spread these words anyway, so why are you scolding her?" After saying that, he gave You Tong a deep look and called out softly, "Ninth Miss."

You Tong also gave him a slight bow and thanked him, saying, "Brother Xu, I really liked the painting you sent last time, thank you very much."

Xu Wei said happily, "I'm glad you like it."

A sudden cough interrupted their conversation. Cui Weiyuan interjected, "Why are you two being so polite with your thanks? Brother Xu is my brother, and by all accounts, he's Ninth Sister's older brother. There's no need for such formalities between siblings." As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a pang of unease. Xu Wei was her brother, so how could they be "close siblings"? He felt a sudden urge to slap himself.

"Where did Ninth Sister go just now? I couldn't find you anywhere." Wen Yan suddenly remembered this and asked again.

Cui Weiyuan echoed, "That's right, I searched the whole yard just now, but I couldn't find you anywhere."

You Tong smiled slightly, tilted her head to look at him, and teased, "Fifth Brother didn't see me, but I saw you. That young lady in green is really pretty and charming."

"What, a lady in green?" Wen Yan immediately became excited, her eyes shining, eager to pull You Tong aside and ask her the truth.

Cui Weiyuan's face immediately darkened, and he stared intently at Youtong, coldly saying, "It was just a few words, Ninth Sister, don't make up stories, lest you ruin the young lady's reputation."

Seeing that he couldn't take a joke, You Tong wisely stopped, only telling Wen Yan that she had seen Cui Weiyuan exchange a few words with a young lady. Wen Yan pressed for details for a long time but couldn't get any answers, and felt somewhat embarrassed. Xu Wei, on the other hand, smiled mischievously at her.

The four talked for a while, when suddenly someone rushed out of the backyard, and a moment later, a large group of people rushed back.

Everyone in the garden sensed something was amiss and began to huddle together in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. You Tong's mind raced; she suddenly realized something, glanced down to check her clothes, and only after confirming they were unharmed did she cautiously retreat behind Xu Wei.

The author has something to say: I'm so sleepy... I spent the whole day at the building materials market, and I don't even want to eat dinner. I just want to sleep.

Waaah, but I still have to type, it's so tiring! >_<

P.S.: Some people left comments asking about my QQ group, but I'm sorry, I don't have one.

Also, I'll reply to everyone's comments tomorrow.

showdown

Twenty-seven

This was Sun's territory, and unless a murder occurred, it was none of anyone else's business to interfere. Therefore, Xu Wei and Cui Weiyuan only frowned and glanced at it briefly before continuing their conversation with You Tong and the others as if nothing had happened. You Tong, however, felt a little uneasy. While absentmindedly joining in the commotion, she listened intently to the sounds coming from the other side, vaguely hearing things like, "The Marquis... has been beaten," and "Quickly go fetch the master..."

Judging from the situation, the spoiled brat who was beaten must be someone not to be trifled with. Even the patriarch of the Sun family was alarmed and rushed over in a hurry, causing some chaos in the courtyard.

Although You Tong disguised herself very well, Cui Weiyuan and Xu Wei knew her background. Since they hadn't seen her for a while and now she had caused a fight, the two of them couldn't help but take a second look at her. They noticed that although she appeared calm, her eyes kept glancing towards the backyard, which aroused their suspicion.

Before Youtong could even notice, Wenyan asked in confusion, "Why are you two staring at Ninth Sister?"

Upon hearing this, You Tong suddenly looked up, glanced at the two of them, smiled with narrowed eyes, but remained silent. Her expression clearly indicated that she had already admitted it.

Cui Weiyuan couldn't help but gasp, while Xu Wei couldn't help but laugh and whispered, "That young master Wu has always been unruly and dissolute. I suppose he offended someone again and got a lesson. This isn't the first time. We've certainly had a good show to watch."

"The one who got beaten was the young Marquis of the Wu family! I'd heard that he was the most unreliable of the four outstanding talents in the capital, and it turns out it's true." Wen Yan stared in disbelief and exclaimed, "Brother Xu, how did you know? Wasn't that Marquis supposed to be quite capable? How could he have been beaten? Could it be that an assassin has infiltrated the Sun residence?"

Xu Wei laughed and said, "We martial artists are always better able to hear than others. Besides, no one else could have caused such a commotion at the Sun family. Although the young marquis has some martial arts skills, I caught a glimpse of him when I came in. He was quite drunk and could barely walk. How could he possibly fight?"

You Tong then realized that the person she had hit was none other than Wu Xiaohouye, one of the so-called Four Heroes of the Capital that Wen Yan had mentioned earlier. Given that man's character, it was hard not to doubt the reputation of these so-called Four Heroes of the Capital. Xu Wei was one thing, but Cui Weiyuan appeared gentle on the surface, yet was a ruthless man in private; otherwise, he wouldn't have forcibly kidnapped her to marry in her place. As for the eldest son of the Shen family, she had never even met him, and had barely heard of his name.

Because of the incident at home, the Sun family couldn't attend to matters here, so the group took their leave and returned home. Madam Sun personally escorted them to the door. Behind her followed a handsome young man who resembled her, but was slightly shy, blushing and not daring to look at people. You Tong guessed that this was the young master of the Sun family, who was engaged to Wen Yan.

Just as she was about to board the carriage, another group of people came out of the courtyard. You Tong turned her head to look without thinking, and Xu Wei suddenly moved and blocked her way, whispering, "Don't turn your head, get in the carriage quickly."

You Tong was slightly surprised, but she obediently lowered her head and quickly got into the carriage. Once inside, she cautiously lifted the curtain and peeked at the courtyard gate, where Yu Wan and the girl in green were standing.

No wonder Xu Wei—no, You Tong suddenly realized the key point: how could Xu Wei recognize Yu Wan?

With a sudden thought, she couldn't help but stare at Xu Wei, who was also staring intently at her. When their eyes met, You Tong felt a little embarrassed and wanted to look away, but for some reason, she couldn't move.

"Be careful on the road." In front of so many people, Xu Wei didn't say much, only whispering a word of advice, his eyes filled with tenderness. You Tong's heart was pounding, she hurriedly nodded, lowered the curtain, and let out a long sigh of relief.

Wen Yan quickly boarded the carriage, while the Second Madam exchanged pleasantries with Madam Sun for a while before getting on as well. Once their carriage had slowly driven away from the Sun family gate, Yu Wan lowered her voice and asked, "Which household were those people from?"

The girl in green rolled her eyes at her, looking impatient. "You don't even recognize the Cui family's carriage? You're really unsophisticated. Didn't you just meet the fifth young master of the Cui family? Those two young ladies are the ninth and tenth young ladies of the manor."

"Ninth Miss? Is that the Ninth Miss who is engaged to the Shen family?" Yu Wan became more and more puzzled. Although she only caught a glimpse of her just now, she could clearly see that the Ninth Miss, who was walking at the front of the group in a gorgeous dress, looked very much like Yu Youtong, who should have been extinct long ago.

"The Cui family, could it be the Cui family of Qinghe?" She remembered that You Tong's mother was also from a prominent family, which seemed to be a branch of the Cui family of Qinghe.

"What Qinghe Cui family?" the girl in green said disdainfully. "That's the Longxi Cui family! The Qinghe Cui family has long since declined; how can it compare to the Longxi branch?"

Yu Wan didn't speak again, her expression shifting between light and shadow, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

Back at the Cui residence, news of the beating of the young Marquis Wu continued to circulate. It was said that even the imperial physicians were alerted, yet they couldn't pinpoint the exact location of his injuries. The perpetrator remained elusive. It seemed the young Marquis, embarrassed to admit he couldn't even defeat a woman, claimed it was too dark to see clearly. Thus, while opinions varied—some said it was a thief from outside, others a disobedient servant—no one suspected the culprit was one of the young ladies who had gone to admire the flowers that day.

Because they were busy preparing for their entry into the palace, You Tong and Wen Yan stayed in the mansion for several days without going out. Unexpectedly, Bai Ling came looking for them. After waiting outside the Cui mansion for several days without seeing her, she spent money to send a message in, saying that she wanted to "have a chat" with the Ninth Miss.

You Tong tossed the letter away with a flick of her wrist, a strange sense of irritation rising within her. The handwriting was exactly what she had taught her back then; how ironic.

"How shameless!" Huiqiao's face turned pale with anger. "Who does she think she is, daring to say she wants to see you, Miss? She's nothing but a shameless mistress, not even as good as a concubine. What right does she have to speak to you, Miss..."

Huiying also joined in the cursing, her face full of resentment.

You Tong quieted down and said coldly, "What is she anyway, worth getting angry over?" She dusted off her sleeves, got up, walked to the window, and ordered in a deep voice, "Bring over that unfinished handkerchief with the magpie on the branch. I have nothing else to do, so I can kill some time." She acted as if nothing had happened.

Huiqiao quickly agreed, tugged at Huiying's clothes, gave her a wink, and the two of them quietly retreated.

After a while, the two returned, accompanied by Cui Weiyuan.

"What brings you here today?" You Tong asked politely as she stood up with a smile. Ever since Cui Weiyuan became a palace guard, he had become exceptionally busy. Even on his occasional days off, he rarely came this way, as if he was deliberately avoiding her.

Cui Weiyuan glanced at her quickly, then immediately lowered his eyes and looked away. "I heard that the mistress of the Shen family came looking for you?"

You Tong scoffed, her face full of disdain. Hui Ying and Hui Qiao exchanged a glance, put down their embroidered handkerchiefs, and quietly withdrew.

“I have discussed it with my father. If the Shen family really comes to annul the engagement, then this matter will be dropped.”

You Tong raised an eyebrow, looked up at him, and a hint of wariness flashed in her bright eyes.

Cui Weiyuan felt bitter inside, sighed inwardly, and said, "It was my fault for kidnapping you. If you are willing, I will send you back to Qiantang once this matter is resolved."

“No need,” You Tong lowered her head, poured herself a cup of tea, picked up the cup and drank it all in one gulp. The icy tea went down her throat and into her stomach, and then into her internal organs. “I still have things to finish in the capital.”

"But—" Cui Weiyuan's mind was filled with the scene of her and Xu Wei's "reluctant parting" at the gate of the Sun residence that day, and she became inexplicably irritable.

"Young Master Cui, please rest assured, I will never misbehave outside under the guise of Miss Jiu, nor will I tarnish the Cui family's reputation. Once the marriage with the Shen family is settled, I will leave the manor," You Tong interrupted him coldly.

“I didn’t mean to send you away,” Cui Weiyuan said urgently. After thinking for a moment, he tried his best to make his attitude more sincere. “As long as you are willing to stay in the Cui family, you will always be the Ninth Miss. I’m just worried that you won’t be used to staying in the capital. After all, this is not Longxi.”

What he feared more was the unresolved matter You Tong had mentioned. Although they hadn't known each other for long, he understood You Tong's temperament well. If someone treated her well, she would treat them even better; but if someone angered her, she would definitely retaliate tenfold. Judging from her current expression, someone had probably offended her again, and she was now holding back her anger, eager for revenge. But the capital region was teeming with powerful and cunning individuals. As a young woman, without the protection of her family, she would struggle to even protect herself, let alone seek revenge. What good would martial arts skills do then?

"You don't need to worry about the Shen family; I'll handle that." Seeing her silence, Cui Weiyuan knew she hadn't listened to him, and felt a pang of disappointment. He then began to wildly speculate whether things would have been different if Xu Wei had tried to persuade her…

The more he thought about it, the more chaotic his mind became. He felt a surge of anger welling up inside, but had nowhere to vent it, making him extremely uncomfortable. After exchanging a few words, seeing that Youtong still had an ambiguous expression, he became very annoyed and stormed off without even saying goodbye.

As soon as he left Jiangxuezhai, he saw the pageboy Feibai walking quickly towards him. Upon seeing Cui Weiyuan, he hurried forward and whispered, "I've checked, it was the Li family from the kitchen who brought the message."

Cui Weiyuan narrowed his eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them. Without asking any further questions, he simply said, "Get him out of here."

Seeing that his expression was not right, Fei Bai guessed that he had been angered at Jiangxuezhai. He couldn't help but wonder whether it was the Ninth Miss or the Tenth Miss who had angered him, but he didn't dare to say anything to plead for forgiveness. He only replied, "Yes."

Author's Note: I have an outline, but why can't I write anything? I sat there from 5 AM until 9 PM and only managed to squeeze out this little bit. Have I hit another creative block? *scratches hair*

Matters of entering the palace

Twenty-eight

For several days in a row, You Tong was in a bad mood, which made the maidservants around her tremble with fear. Even Wen Yan would observe her expression and behave herself in front of her, not daring to say anything out of line.

On the first day of the fifth month, an imperial decree finally arrived from the palace, summoning the Empress Dowager to the palace.

Early that morning, Youtong was awakened by Huiying and Huiqiao. She washed up, dressed, put on newly tailored clothes, and styled her hair in the most fashionable way. After tidying herself up, she went out. Only the Second Madam and Wenyan from the Cui family were going to the palace. However, there were quite a few people from other families. They could see a procession of carriages from afar at the palace gate, with a large group of servants and guards standing there holding their breath.

Everyone disembarked at the palace gate and, led by palace servants, headed north. The road was lined with red walls and golden tiles, resplendent and magnificent, yet the high walls and narrow paths made the journey feel rather oppressive. You Tong followed the Second Madam with her head bowed, behaving like a typical young lady from a wealthy family. Apart from being slightly taller, she was not particularly noticeable among the other women.

No one spoke, and even Wen Yan, who was usually lively and active, was unusually quiet, her little face stern and dignified.

After winding through the crowd for quite some time, several delicate young ladies in the crowd had already started to blush before they finally arrived at their destination. You Tong secretly observed them and figured there were probably three or four families, with eight young ladies dressed as unmarried women, each one beautiful and charming, a truly breathtaking sight.

Female officials were already waiting outside the hall, leading everyone to the main hall. Immediately, palace maids served fragrant tea. The female official asked everyone to wait a moment before turning to leave. After waiting for a while, no one came. Some people began to talk quietly. You Tong remained silent, keeping her head down and sipping her tea slowly, appearing calm.

Another cup of tea's time passed, and still no one arrived. The people in the hall became restless, and the atmosphere was no longer as tense as before. Even the Second Madam began to speak politely with a lady from some unknown household.

Perhaps because the Second Madam had given Wenyan a serious warning before she left, she didn't dare to speak to anyone else. She secretly tugged at You Tong's clothes and asked in a low voice, "Why hasn't the Empress Dowager arrived yet?"