Su Xiaoqi couldn’t quite articulate her thoughts at the moment.
In the not-so-spacious study, a woman was confiding in her husband.
She felt the most appropriate action would be to barge in, interrupt their conversation, and then slap the woman who, despite knowing her man was married, still pestered him.
She would fiercely warn her not to dwell on such matters.
But whether it was Mei Xin’s tragic family history or the heart-wrenching tone of her voice,
Su Xiaoqi didn’t intervene immediately. Instead, she paused in the corridor, staring blankly at the intricate carvings on the room's paper screens.
Then, she turned and left, not listening any further, nor making any noise that might alert the two inside.
She didn’t know how much more tragic Mei Xin’s story could become, nor how Shen Yun had responded to Mei Xin.
She likely didn’t want to know anymore.
Su Xiaoqi’s departure was sudden; Zhang Yu had just found a stone to sit on.
Seeing her emerge, she immediately followed and asked bluntly, “Mistress, shall I go teach her a lesson?”
Su Xiaoqi stopped, tilting her head to look at her, seeming to disbelieve her words, “What did you just say?”
Zhang Yu repeated, “Shall I beat her to vent your anger, Mistress?”
Su Xiaoqi’s temper had always been good, and her upbringing refined; she rarely got angry in front of others.
Even when angry, she’d smile, generally not showing a dark, sullen face like now, making her emotions obvious at a glance: she was very unhappy.
“Why?” Su Xiaoqi asked softly.
“I heard everything that woman said to my lord. Isn't she what you often call a ‘white lotus’?
When she spoke to us, she was so aggressive, but behind our backs, in front of my lord, she feigned innocence like a naive flower, trying to fool everyone. Truly detestable.”
Zhang Yu made no attempt to hide her dislike for Mei Xin, frowning as she voiced all her unfavorable impressions of her.
She thought that perhaps her Mistress, being civilized and polite, wouldn’t curse, so she preemptively cursed Mei Xin thoroughly to vent her Mistress’s anger.
Although Su Xiaoqi couldn’t see Zhang Yu’s inner thoughts, judging by her expression and demeanor, she could guess them accurately.
She gave a wry smile, “Do you think I’m useless?”
Zhang Yu blinked, shaking her head like a rattle drum.
Actually, she did have a tiny bit of that thought.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have thought of cursing Mei Xin on Su Xiaoqi’s behalf.
“You think I shouldn’t have left, but should have stayed there until I heard their entire conversation, right?”
Su Xiaoqi saw through Zhang Yu’s thoughts once again.
She guiltily touched her chest, lowering her head, not daring to meet Su Xiaoqi’s eyes.
Those delicate, alluring peach blossom eyes seemed to possess X-ray vision, able to see through all her hidden thoughts.
“Uh, Mistress, I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help it. Who doesn’t have a bit of gossip in them?”
“You’re absolutely right, but I couldn’t listen anymore. I was afraid of hearing something I didn’t want to hear.
Have you ever considered that perhaps it’s not just her one-sided infatuation, but that she’s genuinely the ‘white moonlight’ he holds dear to his heart? What am I then?”
As Su Xiaoqi spoke, her heart ached slightly. Had she really come to care for Shen Yun to this extent?
Just thinking about him potentially confiding in another woman made her miserable.
Su Xiaoqi tilted her head, looking up at the sky, and suddenly felt that despite the vastness of the capital city, she seemed to have nowhere to go.
Her mind was a complete blank.
Suddenly, Zhang Yu called out to her hesitantly, “Mistress, it seems someone is catching up behind us. I don’t know if it’s my lord.”
Zhang Yu had changed her way of referring to Shen Yun at some point.
Su Xiaoqi even felt that her thoughts had changed somewhat.
Initially, Zhang Yu sided with Shen Yun. Although she stayed by Su Xiaoqi’s side, she would always prioritize Shen Yun’s interests.
But now, she dared to criticize Shen Yun’s actions.
“Don’t let him know we just heard anything.”
“But what about Zhang Lei…” Zhang Yu thought of Zhang Lei, whom she had knocked out.
“You discuss it with him properly. I believe he wouldn’t want his lord to know he was negligent,” Su Xiaoqi said lightly.
Zhang Yu blinked with a smile.
Steward Mu walked over, saying an eunuch from the palace had arrived and brought the key to the residence on Liuzi Lane.
Su Xiaoqi immediately went to greet him. This was someone from the palace. Even if he was just a lowly eunuch running errands, she had to treat him well.
After all, while the kings of hell were easy to deal with, the minor devils were troublesome.
Su Xiaoqi personally rewarded him with a hundred tael silver note.
The eunuch, who called himself Little Lu, was so delighted that his eyes couldn’t open.
He kept speaking auspicious words to Su Xiaoqi, saying that the top scholar was so promising and would surely become a high official in the future.
After sending the man off, Su Xiaoqi walked back.
When she reached the fork in the road between the second gate and the study in the front courtyard, Su Xiaoqi’s steps faltered, suddenly unsure which way to go.
Just then, the study door opened.
Shen Yun walked out first.
Mei Xin followed behind, her eyes red and swollen, as if she had been crying.
Shen Yun looked at Su Xiaoqi with some surprise and asked, “My wife, you’ve returned. Why didn’t you have someone notify me to pick you up?”
“I can find my way, no need for picking up,” Su Xiaoqi replied with a detached expression.
She also informed Shen Yun that the residence on Zhuangyuan Street had been prepared and that someone from the palace had delivered the keys, asking them to choose a day to move in.
Although the Zhuangyuan Residence was slightly smaller than the one they were currently living in,
it was a favor from the emperor and something they had to accept.
Shen Yun nodded upon hearing this, beckoned with his finger, calculated for a moment, and said that instead of choosing a day, it was better to act now, proposing tomorrow.
Su Xiaoqi wasn’t very knowledgeable about these moving customs, so she let Shen Yun decide.
Shen Yun instructed Zhang Lei to escort Mei Xin out.
He then turned and followed Su Xiaoqi, making small talk.
“When did my wife return? Where is Mother? Where is Mingzhu? Are Bao Ge’er and the others still here?”
Su Xiaoqi’s steps didn’t pause, her expression somewhat displeased, “You’re asking so many questions, which one should I answer first?”
Shen Yun’s eyes flickered, sensing his wife was unhappy, and he instinctively looked at Zhang Yu.
Usually, when Su Xiaoqi was unhappy, she would give him a hint.
But this time, there was none.
However, being a man of sharp intellect, he recalled Mei Xin’s recent visit and guessed the reason. He then tentatively said, “I was just discussing matters with Mei Xin in the study…”
Su Xiaoqi’s heart sank. Her heart beat violently, making her very uneasy. She grabbed Shen Yun and said, “That’s your business. You don’t need to explain to me.”
Saying this, she quickened her pace and ran off.
“My wife…” Shen Yun chased after her.
Su Xiaoqi, however, ran directly into the main hall where Madam Zhao resided.
Madam Zhao had already woken up and was talking with Nanny Zhao.
The two women were of similar age and had plenty to talk about.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun enter one after the other, she happily beckoned to them.
“Xiaoqi is here. Has Yun Ge’er’s injury improved?”
Su Xiaoqi looked at Madam Zhao’s kind and amiable demeanor and found it difficult to speak some words.
She smiled and said, “I came to see Mother. How have your eyes been lately?”
“Since you used that medicine on me last time, they’ve improved greatly. And that inkstone you gave me, Mo Dai, watches me closely, not letting me use needles, so they’ve gotten better,” Madam Zhao chuckled heartily.
Her eyesight had begun to deteriorate many years ago.
It started after Shen Yun’s father mysteriously disappeared.
She had cried and cried until her eyes were almost ruined.
Later, when it improved, she had to embroider to subsidize the household expenses, so she never properly rested them.
When her vision suddenly deteriorated again, she thought there was no hope.
Fortunately, her daughter-in-law was capable enough to cure her eyes.
She held Su Xiaoqi’s hand, too moved to say anything, only glaring at Shen Yun, saying that having such a good daughter-in-law as Xiaoqi was the result of countless good deeds he must have performed in his past lives, and he must cherish her.
Hearing this, Su Xiaoqi’s heart inexplicably ached, as if a needle tip had pricked her.