Chapter 13: Reaching Out to Undo His Belt

After Xiao Jingrou recovered from her injuries, she returned to her own courtyard. The people of the second branch, indifferent to her, remained oblivious to any signs of change.

With the end of the year approaching, Madame Guo gathered the three young ladies of the second branch today, ostensibly to instruct them on maintaining their health and, more pointedly, to discuss the prospects of marriage.

Not long ago, Xiao Jingling, the legitimate daughter of the first branch, had become betrothed to the eldest legitimate son of the Wang family. The Wang family was prestigious; it was said that the arrangement had been personally negotiated by the Old Madame and the Matriarch of the Wang family, who had been close friends in their youth. Now, by uniting their grandchildren, they had made their bond even closer.

Hearing this, Madame Guo was filled with envy and resentment, secretly cursing the young ladies of the second branch for being useless and failing to make a good impression on the Old Madame, which left them out of such favorable matches.

There were five young ladies in the Xiao household in total; apart from the one from the first branch, the rest belonged to the second.

Madame Guo, who had no daughters of her own, vented her pent-up frustration on the concubines' daughters. Sitting in the seat of honor, she picked at them relentlessly, criticizing the fifth young lady, Xiao Jingshu, for being too plump, and scolding the eighth young lady, Xiao Jingyu, for being too timid and provincial. The youngest, Xiao Jingmian, who was only eight, was scolded until she was in tears for being "mischievous."

Ultimately, however, her anger stemmed from two things: the lack of ambition in the concubines' daughters, which failed to bring her prestige, and the fact that her relationship with her husband had grown cold over the past two years. The concubines had been producing children as if they were laying eggs, particularly Concubine Zhao, who had given birth to twins, infuriating her. Seeing these older children of the concubines always put her in a foul mood.

Xiao Jingshu held her younger sister in her arms to comfort her. As the daughter of Concubine Zhao, she was seventeen and, in other families, would have been married off long ago. However, she had the misfortune of being under a narrow-minded mistress who despised her birth mother and had delayed her marriage until now. Her protective gesture only further irritated Madame Guo, who redirected her resentment toward Concubine Zhao onto the two sisters. "You are already seventeen!" Madame Guo snapped at Xiao Jingshu. "You have no marriage prospects yet. Look at Xiao Jingling of the first branch—the Old Madame arranged a wonderful match for her. If you wait any longer, I fear you will never be married off!"

Xiao Jingshu was not without spirit, but the mistress was truly difficult to deal with. To talk back would only bring trouble upon her mother. Besides, her father already had plans for her marriage, and her mother truly loved her; she would never let her be delayed indefinitely.

Xiao Jingrou listened meekly, stroking the younger girl’s cheek to soothe her. Xiao Jingmian wiped her tears, longing only to return to her mother's courtyard for fruit, terrified of Madame Guo.

Nearby, Xiao Jingyu, born to Concubine Zheng, kept her head lowered, trying to minimize her presence. She knew she could not escape either; ever since her mother had given birth to a younger brother, the mistress's ire, which once focused solely on the other two sisters, had gradually shifted toward her as well.

Sure enough, Madame Guo turned her sights on Xiao Jingyu. She hated Concubine Zheng even more than she hated Concubine Zhao. This "fox-spirit" had first given birth to a daughter and claimed she was too frail to bear more, only to secretly give birth to a young son, who was now four years old.

"Xiao Jingyu, look at yourself—do you look like a lady of the Xiao family?" Madame Guo spotted a jade bracelet on her wrist, her anger flaring higher. "How does your mother teach you? You are always so timid and subservient, as if you’ve suffered some great grievance. You’re not afraid of being a laughingstock when you step outside!"

Xiao Jingyu sometimes thought that if only she were a daughter of the first branch, where the Princess Consort was a truly kind mistress, things would be different. Finally, when Madame Guo finished her tirade, she ordered the girls to return and transcribe Buddhist scriptures for the Old Madame.

Once everyone had left, Xiao Qin returned from drinking, followed by his younger brother, Xiao Tong. Seeing her two sons, Madame Guo’s mood improved significantly. "Qin'er, did you take your brother out to play?"

Xiao Tong, fifteen and boisterous, cut in before his brother could answer: "Yes, we went for drinks!"

Xiao Qin realized the mistake and tried to pull his brother away, but they were already called out. Madame Guo nearly lost her breath, clutching her chest and choking in anger.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jingshu and Xiao Jingmian returned to Concubine Zhao’s courtyard. Concubine Zhao looked her two daughters over, and only when she saw they were unharmed did she let out a sigh of relief. "I have always felt uneasy; seeing you return safely, my heart can finally settle."

Xiao Jingshu handed some fruit to her sister and asked, "Mother, has something happened?"

Concubine Zhao had learned of that night's events quite by accident. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to tell her eldest daughter, "I am a timid woman. I only hope that the three of you have a good future; I dare not interfere in other matters..."

After listening, Xiao Jingshu was left with one thought: thank heaven she still had her mother.

"If Concubine Lu were still alive, Third Sister would not have ended up like this..."

Concubine Zhao stroked her youngest daughter's cheek. Seeing her happily eating fruit, she smiled, "Indeed. All I can do is provide you with a place to live in peace so you are not completely bullied, but I cannot offer more than that."

Everyone in the second branch knew that the marriage of the third young lady, Xiao Jingrou, had been entirely orchestrated by Madame Guo. When the subsequent tragedy occurred, Concubine Lu could not bear the grief and passed away. The master had been furious, but the damage was done, and there was no turning back. Recently, Madame Guo had set her sights on Xiao Jingshu, but fortunately, the master was not entirely heartless, or else Concubine Zhao would have wept her eyes out over her daughter.

Compared to the second branch, the first branch was quiet. The only busy person was perhaps Yaoyan.

The restorative medicines sent by Mother Wu arrived day after day, and each day, Yaoyan lived in terror as she poured them away. Today, the Old Madame sent someone to inquire again. Though Yaoyan managed to deflect, her heart trembled uncontrollably. The month had passed too quickly; if she did not do something soon, she feared she would not live to see the new year.

Xiao Huai had gone out today. Unable to sleep, Yaoyan waited for his return. Hearing movement at the door, she rushed to open it, not even bothering to throw on an outer garment.

Xiao Huai did not expect to see her still awake. Seeing her in such light attire, he walked past without glancing at her. Yaoyan followed him obediently, reaching out to take his soiled outer robe.

The maid was becoming bolder. Xiao Huai allowed her to unfasten his robe, staring at the crown of her head for a moment, wondering what scheme she was plotting that she had even forgotten the rules of conduct.

Yaoyan was not unaware of the rules; she had simply discovered that Xiao Huai was a man with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. First, he had helped the third young lady, and later, even when she approached within a few feet of him, she remained unscathed, receiving at most a brief reprimand.

Her courage growing, she reached out to undo his waistband, but he pressed his hand down to stop her.

Xiao Huai’s brow furrowed, guessing her intentions. He turned to leave and wash, but she grabbed his hand. He was taken aback.

The hand Yaoyan held was large and warm, with thick calluses on the palm. She held onto his fingers, then summoned the courage to clasp his palm.

Xiao Huai turned back to look at her.

Yaoyan bit her red lip, her voice sounding as if it had a hook. "Eldest Young Master, let this servant help you wash."

Xiao Huai had been to the Ministry of Justice today and was exhausted; he had no heart to play games with her. Seeing her eyes darting uncertainly, he chuckled softly to himself, pulled his hand away, and went to wash.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Yaoyan felt that the Eldest Young Master seemed less repulsed by her. She let out a breath of relief, feeling a bit more confident. Regardless, this was a good sign.

The next morning, when Xiao Huai woke, Yaoyan rose with him.

Xiao Huai was surprised. Usually, this girl was fast asleep when he rose; why was she remembering to serve him today?

Yaoyan, bleary-eyed, helped him dress. She had slept late, constantly keeping an eye on Xiao Huai’s movements, never getting a full night's rest.

Seeing her head nodding as if she were about to faint against him, Xiao Huai tapped her shoulder lightly. He did not expect Yaoyan to lean into his chest as if she had no bones, falling asleep against him, her breathing growing soft and steady.