Edited by Larkspur

Chapter 13: Sisters’ Thoughts (Part 2)

At Lin Xi Yuan’s acceptance, Madam Yan became happier and introduced the various young ladies enthusiastically. During the introduction, she did some work and highlighted the young ladies of the Second Household and only mentioned the other household with a sentence.

Madam Zhao was so angry that her liver started aching, but she dare not rebuke in front of others. When Madam Yan pointed out Chu Jin Miao and Chu Jin Yao, she schemed a little, “These two are our residence’s Fourth Young Lady and Fifth Young Lady. ShiZi must be very unfamiliar with Fifth Young Lady, right? She was just brought back from outside.”

This was the sly aspect of Madam Yan. She introduced Chu Jin Miao and Chu Jin Yao at the same time, but Chu Jin Miao was only mentioned before she moved on. Instead, she emphasized that Fifth Young Lady was brought back from outside.”

What kind of young lady would just be brought back from outside? No one would think that the reason was that they were wrongly exchanged. Everyone would acquiesced that it was the daughter of an outside concubine.

She was obviously a Di-daughter, but Madam Yan implied that she was a daughter of an outside concubine that could not be brought out to the surface. But could one say that Madam Yan was wrong? It was not possible. Chu Jin Yao could not help but be impressed when she heard it. In the Inner Courtyard, speaking was indeed a skillset.

However, Chu Jin Yao did not have any intention to correct it. She did not have any thoughts about this ShiZi and was already so embarrassed due to that incident during the day that she wished this ShiZi would not even look at her.

Lin Xi Yuan smiled and said, “Greetings to Fifth Younger Sister.”

After speaking, he looked straight at Chu Jin Yao with a pair of smiling eyes.

Chu Jin Yao’s eyes were lowered, so she did not have any exchange with Lin Xi Yuan. Even though everyone secretly hated her for getting Lin Xi Yuan’s individual greetings, as they watched, they saw Chu Jin Yao’s performance. Thus, they could only say that she knew her place and turned their attention away.

Old Chu Furen also felt that Chu Jin Yao was very disciplined. Even though she came from a poor family, she did not take the opportunity to fool around. Also, her manners were even better than the young ladies that grew up in the residence. She was very satisfied and her view of this suddenly appeared granddaughter improved a lot.

Outsiders thought that Chu Jin Yao knew her manners but the real reason she dared not raise her head could scare them to death. Chu Jin Yao could not express her suffering. She feared being recognized and even made a special excuse to change her clothes in the afternoon. She had not considered Lin Xi Yuan would especially come to Old Furen’s and even greet individually. She was very upset. She had changed her clothes, but why was she still recognised?

Lin Xi Yuan’s arrival was like a stone thrown into the calm and peaceful lake that depicted the unmarried lives of young ladies. On the surface, the lake seemed quiet and peaceful, but there were turbulent undercurrents underneath.

This time the young ladies intuitively realised what it meant to be selected as a study companion.

Chu Jin Yao returned to ChaoYunYuan and before she went to bed, she sat on the little stool to complain to Qin Yi, “What do you say about me being a study companion?”

Qin Yi harked back to the kind of life his study companions went through. He could not go against his conscience to say that it was a good job to be a study companion, so he said, “A study companion looks glamorous but secretly, one would need to be the scapegoat for the Princes and Princesses. One would inevitably be bullied.”

Chu Jin Yao nodded, “Yes. I thought so too. However, it was not easy to have a MoMo to come to teach. I am lacking against others and this is a very good opportunity. If I do not take advantage of it, then I would deserve to be laughed at by Fourth Young Lady. So, I was thinking of studying hard during the day and when I finally go to the Prince Residence to be seen by the Prince Consort, I will show my weak points on purpose and get dropped out.”

Qin Yi agreed to it very much. He discovered that Chu Jin Yao’s attitude was surprisingly good, motivated but very free-spirited. He asked, “Even though Prince Huai Ling is not here or there, it is still a Residence of a Second-Ranked Prince. Are you not at all a little moved?”

“My heart is moved. But it depends on if it is mine or not.” Chu Jin Yao smiled as she raised the jade pendant. “Do you expect me to say that I am not moved?”

“Yes.” Qin Yi wanted to put on a sullen face but in the end, could not hold back his laughter, “You sure have a one-track mind.”

“Who wouldn’t want oneself to live a little better? If there is an opportunity to live better, I will fight for it. However, I have embarrassed myself big time in front of the ShiZi. Since there are no more opportunities, then it is better to calm down and learn some things from MoMo. This is more important.”

Qin Yi did not speak. It was a male’s common issue. He used to dislike these kinds of people who tried all types of ways to climb up and always felt that a quiet and indifferent female was better. However, upon listening to Chu Jin Yao, he felt that it was very real and also very adorable.

Those females in the Inner Palace who said that they don’t fight, in fact didn’t not fight. They, however, fought the toughest.

“You should sleep.” Qin Yi said, “One fears that there would be trouble tomorrow.”

Chu Jin Yao sighed. “It turns out that there are hidden meanings behind the words of these young ladies and each one of them has schemes. Now that they are fighting for the position of the study companion, one does not know how they would bite. Say, what if I get accidentally injured?”

“No need to worry.”

“En? Are you saying that you will help me avoid it?”

“No.” Qin Yi told her the truth calmly and coldly, “My meaning is that you will definitely be accidentally hurt. How can you beat others with your pettiness? On matters of fighting and scheming against each other, one would need to suffer a few losses to learn it. Anyway, your skin is firm, so it will be alright. Just go without worries and remember it.”

“You are so annoying.” Chu Jin Yao slammed the jade pendant onto the bedding and went barefoot to retrieve a plate of fruit from the table before placing the jade pendant in it. “Then I will also let you remember it well. You will sleep like this at night then.”

Qin Yi laughed softly. Chu Jin Yao heard that he still could laugh and became even angrier. She had originally planned to frighten him, but now she really got angry and did not care about the jade pendant. She went to bed by herself and put down the curtains to sleep.

After the candle was dosed, only the moon shone through the window screen and landed on the floor, making it quiet and clear. In the moonlight, a figure slowly walked out of the jade pendant. His stature was tall, with straight shoulders, thin waist, an appearance of a youth but with a straight, tall, and well-defined back. He was wearing an indigo-blue uniform with narrow sleeves and a four-claw python-dragon was embroidered with gold thread on the cuff.

The dragon of Crown Prince’s clothes can only be sewn with four claws (python-dragon). Five claws (dragon) can be sewn on Emperor’s clothes. If there are five claws sewn on the Crown Prince’s clothes, it is deemed a rebellion and a major crime against Emperor.

These few days, Qin Yi’s spirit was getting stronger and stronger, gradually he could break away from the jade pendant and walk outside. It was just that until now he could not grasp things. As the moon shone on his body, it passed through him and onto the ground. His face was almost as clear and white as the moonlight, his eyes sharp and bright. The corners of his eyes were slightly upturned, lending him a delicate yet heroic appearance.

Qin Yi had been walking around these few nights to see if he could find any clues in the Chu Residence. He planned to personally head to that courtyard during that day. His brain would be on fire if he were to count on Chu Jin Yao. He planned to avoid any eyes and ears when he left. Before leaving, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at the canopy bed.

A slumbering Chu Jin Yao turned over in her dreams, exposing half of her shoulders and arms out of the quilt.

In February, the spring chill was still in the air, and the nights were rather cold. If she were to sleep like this, she would feel pain in her shoulder upon waking up tomorrow.

Qin Yi turned around and pulled the quilt up to cover her.

Qi Yi suddenly discovered that he could touch things.

This was indeed good news.