"Let them in!" Song Xiuyuan had already sensed someone's gaze, but his heart was filled with joy.
Bai Yu nodded, and soon a young maidservant entered. Upon seeing Song Xiuyuan, she knelt on the ground with a thud, "Young Master Cousin, please save my lady."
Xue Xingyue was somewhat surprised to see this young maidservant. Why would Zhao Xiuzhu's maidservant come looking for Song Xiuyuan?
"What happened to Xiuzhu?" Song Xiuyuan asked, frowning.
Just as the maidservant was about to speak, she noticed others in the courtyard. She closed her mouth, appearing hesitant to speak.
Seeing this, Xue Xingyue understood that the maidservant did not want others to know. "I'll head back now."
"No matter," Song Xiuyuan said.
The maidservant seemed not to expect Song Xiuyuan to say that. She quickly said, "Young Master Cousin, if outsiders know about this..."
However, before the maidservant could finish her sentence, Song Xiuyuan coldly interrupted, "Who told you she was an outsider? She is my wife, my lady. How can she be an outsider?"
The maidservant trembled, not expecting her words to anger Song Xiuyuan. Remembering her lady's instructions, she quickly kowtowed and apologized, "Young Master Cousin, please calm your anger. It is this servant's fault."
"Speak, what exactly happened?" Song Xiuyuan's impatience was subtly revealed.
The maidservant no longer dared to dwell on Xue Xingyue's presence and quickly said, "My lady wishes for Young Master Cousin to visit the Zhao manor."
"Why?" Song Xiuyuan asked.
The maidservant was stunned. Song Xiuyuan said coldly, "If you want me to go, there must be a reason. I was alone before and fearless, but now I have a wife. To ask me to go without any reason, your lady seems to be rather bold."
With a chuckle, Xue Xingyue found it amusing. She never knew Song Xiuyuan could be so humorously sarcastic.
"Young Master... Young Master Cousin, my lady has something to discuss with Young Master Cousin," the maidservant said timidly.
"If there's something to discuss, just say there's something to discuss. Don't ask me to go for no reason," Song Xiuyuan said coldly.
The maidservant quickly nodded, "Yes, Young Master Cousin. This servant knows her mistake."
"You may go!" Song Xiuyuan raised his hand, signaling the maidservant to leave.
"Then, Young Master Cousin..." the maidservant asked tentatively.
"I will go later. You go back first."
"Yes, Young Master Cousin." The maidservant happily got up. As she passed by Xue Xingyue, she clearly saw the maidservant cast a proud glance at her.
It was as if she were saying, "See? Young Master Cousin still cares about my lady. What are you?"
Xue Xingyue felt a mix of amusement and helplessness, but she wasn't one to fuss, as there was no need to argue with a mere maidservant.
However, as she looked up, she met Song Xiuyuan's gaze. His eyes were so bright, brilliant like stars, so radiant that she couldn't bear it and instinctively lowered her head.
"My dear, do you have something to say?" When his voice reached her ears, she realized Song Xiuyuan was already standing before her.
His breath fell on her face, intimately. She took a few steps back, turned her face away, and said in a somewhat muffled tone, "I have nothing to say. For Miss Zhao to look for you, there must be something important."
"No matter how important, it's not as important as my dear."
She looked up at him. He didn't flinch at all, his gaze fixed on her, twinkling with starlight. "What if I don't want you to go?"
She saw him smile, and for a moment, it felt as if the surrounding scenery had dimmed, leaving only his unparalleled charm.
"Then I won't go." He answered word by word, without the slightest hesitation, as if it were only natural.
Her heart pounded wildly, almost suffocating her. "Go! She's just a cousin." Saying this, she leaped away.
Song Xiuyuan watched the retreating figure, his eyes momentarily shimmering with brilliance. He unconsciously touched his lips, a smile curling up.
"Bai Yu, come with me to the Zhao manor." He walked towards the door.
A shadow flickered, and a person landed behind Song Xiuyuan, following him out.
Zhao Manor
Zhao Xiuzhu lay on the bed, staring at the beams. She dared not think, dared not continue thinking.
"Miss, Young Master Cousin will be here shortly," came her maidservant Shancha's voice from outside.
She started, then quickly got out of bed and went to the dressing table. She picked up powder and was about to apply it to her face, but stopped before it touched her skin.
In the bronze mirror, her face was pale, devoid of color. The former number one beauty of the Yin Kingdom had also fallen to this state.
She laughed, tears rolling down her face. She clenched her fists tightly, repeating in her heart, "Cousin, you are mine, and you will always be mine."
"Miss, Young Master Cousin is here. He's talking with Master in the front hall," Shancha said.
"I know." She returned to the bed and lay down.
Waiting for his arrival.
The door was pushed open. Her lifeless heart suddenly began to beat wildly. She saw him enter, carrying an air of elegance.
"Cousin..." she looked at him, her eyes teary.
"Cousin, what's wrong?" Song Xiuyuan asked from the doorway.
Although his words were of concern, she still heard the cold detachment in his tone.
"Shancha, help me up." She struggled to sit up.
"Cousin, I'll wait for you in Uncle's study." He turned and left, without any lingering hesitation.
"Miss, what's wrong?" Shancha entered and saw Zhao Xiuzhu's face covered in tear stains.
"Shancha, help me get dressed and ready." Since appearing weak and sickly couldn't move him, she would have to use that secret as leverage.
Shancha placed the last pearl hairpin in her hair. She saw herself in the mirror, as vibrant as a peach blossom, exquisitely beautiful.
"Miss, you look so beautiful!" Shancha said subconsciously.
"What's the use of being beautiful? Cousin doesn't like it." She shook her head, her eyes filled with melancholy.
"Miss, Young Master Cousin will surely fall for you," Shancha said.
Will he? If he were going to, he would have done so before.
She walked into her father's study. She saw the person she thought about day and night sitting there, holding a book. Hearing footsteps, he looked up.
His face appeared ordinary, but she knew this was just an illusion; his true appearance was hidden beneath it.
"Cousin." She curtsied.
"Cousin, you rushed to find me, is there something urgent?" Song Xiuyuan put down his book and looked at Zhao Xiuzhu.
"Cousin, I don't want to marry the Crown Prince." She looked at him and said it word by word.
"You don't want to be the Crown Princess?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"You shouldn't be telling me this. You should be telling Uncle." He looked at her with cold eyes.