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墨書 Inktalez
Upon entering the room, Granny Feng lit the candles, made the bed, and helped the two sisters change out of their undergarments. She assisted them in lying down on the ebony bed adorned with golden elephants and intricate vines, then sat at the edge of the bed, holding a black lacquered fan with sunflower patterns to drive away mosquitoes and cool them down.
"Granny Feng, you should rest too; go back to your own room," Yun Ran said after tossing and turning in bed for a while, unable to wait any longer for Granny Feng to leave. Finally, she couldn't help but add, "My sister and I are going to sleep now."
"No, no, that won't do," Granny Feng replied nervously. "The Third Master and Third Madam instructed me to personally see to your sleep before I can leave."
"Oh dear, I know," Yun Ran waved her hand impatiently and said coldly, "But we can't sleep right now. We want to share some secrets between us sisters. With you here, how can we talk?"
How do you know I'm not able to sleep? I'm dead tired! Yun Kexin thought irritably.
"Granny Feng, you can go now; my sister really has something to say to me," Yun Kexin said, her eyes fixed on the curtain in front of her, gesturing with her hand in the air. "If Mother or Father asks, just say it was our request."
"Yes, Seventh Sister." Granny Feng complied and got up to take her leave. "I will have the maid wait at the door. If you need anything, just call out."
"Mm."
Once Granny Feng left, the two sat up side by side against the wall. Yun Ran mysteriously pulled a begonia-patterned sachet from her sleeve and handed it to Yun Kexin. "Good sister, this is a sachet I made for you. Last time I was wrong; please don't take it to heart."
"Great! Thank you, sister," Yun Kexin said without hesitation as she took the sachet and examined it closely with a smile. "It's such a beautiful sachet."
Yun Kexin's cheerful dimples appeared, but her smile didn't reach her eyes; it only lingered at the corners of her mouth—those intricate patterns on the sachet were definitely not stitched by Yun Ran's clumsy hands. Whoever made it must be skilled; who could it be?
There’s no such thing as a free gift; there must be an ulterior motive! She felt a tightening in her chest.
Recalling how every time Yun Ran offended her in her past life, she would use some trivial item as an "apology," and how she had become weak and easily bullied under Fu Lianyin's "sheep-like" education—enduring everything without complaint and trusting Yun Ran as if she were a real sister—only for Yun Ran to bully her repeatedly...
Now that she thought about it, all of this was simply Fu Lianyin's way of getting back at her—Yun Kexin—for the inconveniences of being "Mother." So let Yun Ran bear all the mischief, stubbornness, and cunningness while she passively accepted everything. Later on, Fu Lianyin would come out as the "good mother" to uphold "justice":
First scolding Yun Ran severely before indoctrinating Yun Kexin with false notions like "a harmonious family thrives" and "the palm and back of the hand are both flesh." Growing up in such an environment would turn even a wolf into a sheep!
The smile on Yun Kexin's lips turned cold enough to dissipate the stuffiness in the room. Her gaze was sharp as ice; her grip tightened—if it weren't for Yun Ran being present, she would have torn that sachet to shreds!
“Seventh Sister, why aren't you talking?” The straightforward Yun Ran did not notice the subtle changes in Yun Kexin's facial expressions. “Don't you like it?” She paused briefly, reached out to hold Yun Kexin's arm, and said in a soft tone, “I'm sorry, sister, my embroidery isn't good enough, making you dislike it.”
That mournful tone and self-deprecating expression would lead anyone unaware of the situation to believe that Yun Ran had a deep sisterly affection for Yun Kexin.
“Not at all, sister, you're overthinking it. I like it very much,” Yun Kexin said as she placed the sachet against her chest with a smile. “Sister, can I hang this on my waist as an ornament?”
“Of course, you can,” Yun Ran nodded eagerly, her childish face displaying a cunningness that was inconsistent with her age. “As long as you're happy.”
“Great, then I'll accept it. Sister, I'm so sleepy,” Yun Kexin opened her mouth wide and yawned broadly. “Let's go to sleep; otherwise, I might not be able to get up tomorrow.”
“Okay, I'm feeling sleepy too,” Yun Ran smiled and carefully blew out the candle before feeling her way to bed. After lying down, she said, “Seventh Sister, sometimes I talk in my sleep; please don't mind.”
“It's fine, it doesn't bother me.” Yun Kexin replied coldly from the darkness.
In the deep of night, Yun Ran indeed began to “talk in her sleep,” expressing her “confessions” to Yun Kexin and pleading for forgiveness. Yun Kexin found it both laughable and contemptible—what a waste of effort!
To reach this moment tonight, she must have put in a lot of work and rehearsed countless times to make it seem so genuine! Yun Ran truly is an excellent disciple taught by Fu Lianyin! Since you’re not tired of it, I’ll play along!
The next morning after breakfast, Fu Lianyin sent Yun Yang out and instructed Grandma Feng and the maidservants to take Yun Kexin to the yard to play with jump ropes and swings while leaving Yun Ran alone.
“Ran'er, did you two sisters sleep well last night?” Fu Lianyin asked kindly while sitting on the chaise lounge and holding Yun Ran's hand with a smile.
“Replying to Mother,” Yun Ran nodded slightly and smiled flatteringly. “I slept very soundly.”
“Did Seventh Sister notice anything about the sachet you gave her?” Fu Lianyin's eyes were filled with suspicion and distrust.
“Of course not. Seventh Sister has never seen Mother’s embroidery before, and she's only four years old; how could she understand so much?” As Yun Ran spoke with a smile, her expression suddenly drooped as she muttered, “Why do Mother and Father treat Seventh Sister so much better than they treat me? I—”
“Did you talk in your sleep?” Fu Lianyin interrupted without any hesitation, asking the crucial question without giving Yun Ran a chance to express her grievances.
"Well, it was my fault in the past. Please forgive me, and she is not my biological mother or father—" Yun Ran's words were abruptly cut off.
It seemed she had accidentally said something she shouldn't have, her entire face displaying a look of panic. Last night, she had vaguely revealed the matter of Yun Kexin being adopted while pretending to talk in her sleep, which was strictly forbidden by the Third House; otherwise, there would be punishment, and the servants would be beaten. Fu Lianyin had not included this in the content of the "dream talk" she taught her.
Yun Ran's face turned pale with fear as she silently lamented her own thoughtlessness, realizing that she had let slip something inappropriate and was now waiting for punishment.
The cold smile on Fu Lianyin's lips and the mockery on her face were equally evident. Those with shallow understanding could not see through it; let alone a child: she had always thought Yun Ran was foolish, but now she realized that Yun Ran was even more foolish than she had imagined! This was fine; using this "dream talk" from the Fifth Young Lady to test the Seventh Young Lady wasn't a bad idea!
"Ran'er, you are two years older than Seventh Sister and also a child of the Third House," Fu Lianyin pretended not to hear Yun Ran's slip of the tongue, gently stroking her head like a kind mother, more like comforting an abandoned and frightened cat or dog. "You should give in to her a little on ordinary days; otherwise, it would be a joke for everyone in the Yun family and would embarrass your mother and father." Fu Lianyin paused slightly, her voice suddenly deepening as her maternal demeanor shifted to one of strictness, warning with hidden meaning, "Of course, remember not to speak carelessly about things you shouldn't; if it comes to Ancestral Family Law, your mother and father won't be able to protect you!"
The words "Ancestral Family Law" made Yun Ran tremble like a flower in the wind. The coldness and ruthlessness in Fu Lianyin's gaze frightened her so much that she didn't dare to breathe, only mechanically nodding repeatedly while cautiously asking, "Mother, when will Brother Fu come to our house?"
"Shut up! Is that something you should be asking?!" Fu Lianyin's willow-like brows furrowed as she scolded sharply. After realizing her loss of composure, she quickly changed her expression to a slight smile. "It will be soon. Wait until I give birth to the child. But Ran'er must not tell Seventh Sister, understand?"
Yun Ran's eyes immediately lit up with joy as she nodded repeatedly without noticing the mocking smile lingering on Fu Lianyin's lips...
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