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Yun Kexin had planned to wait until February of the following year to celebrate her tenth birthday before moving to Tian Zhuang with Yun Yang. However, since she had withdrawn from Tong Mansion, she would occasionally take her maidservants to stroll around Tian Zhuang. Before dinner, life was quite pleasant, but her mood was not great. The three maidservants noticed this and tried their best to cheer Seventh Sister up, but their efforts were in vain.
Feng Yinxiao personally served medicine to Mother at her bedside, while the Duke of Wind stood silently at the foot of the bed, frowning. Since the beginning of winter, Ling Chen's health had deteriorated significantly; he had been in a semi-comatose state, and many prescriptions had proven ineffective. At this moment, he had just regained some consciousness.
"Xiao'er, these things can be done by the servants; you don't need to do it yourself..." The Duchess leaned against the bed, coughing a few times. Her eyes were bleary, her complexion darkened, and her voice was hoarse.
"Filial piety is the duty of a child; it is only right," Feng Yinxiao said, looking at Mother, whose pale face and weak breath resembled someone on the verge of death. His heart felt heavy. "How is Mother feeling now?"
A faint smile appeared on Ling Chen's pale lips: "I feel better; Xiao'er, don't be sad," she said softly as if trying to comfort him. "I am still waiting for Xiao'er to marry Seventh Sister."
Feng Yinxiao furrowed his brows, feeling a ripple in his heart: Seventh Sister? Ever since Mother fell ill, he hadn't visited the Duke's Residence to see her for a long time. Even during the last occasion when Yun Ke became the Martial Champion and Wei Qing married Fourth Sister, he hadn't been able to go in person to congratulate them for fear that if he left, Mother might say goodbye forever...
Feng Yinxiao sighed: he wondered how Seventh Sister was doing now. Did she blame him for "disappearing" for so long?!
A mother and son share a deep connection! Ling Chen seemed to sense what her son was thinking and turned to Feng Yinxiao: "Xiao'er, you haven't seen Seventh Sister for quite a while, have you?"
"Yes!" Feng Yinxiao replied succinctly.
"I know you are filial, but you mustn't neglect Seventh Sister," the Duchess said softly. "Wei Qing marrying Fourth Sister has actually helped you a lot; the relationship between our families remains strong and has given you time and opportunities. You must not miss out on this; cherish it well."
In truth, Feng Yinxiao wasn't entirely confident about his future with Yun Kexin due to her special circumstances that made him hesitant to hope for too much. He simply did not hold back in expressing his true feelings and cherished every moment they spent together.
Seeing Feng Yinxiao's distant gaze and his silence, the Duchess understood her son's thoughts. After a pause, she spoke softly to herself: "It's all my fault for being so ill that I can't see anyone; otherwise, I would really want Xiao'er to bring her here for me to see..."
She then coughed violently several times.
"Madam!"
"Mother!"
Feng Hongrui and his son Feng Yinxiao shouted in surprise at the same time.
"Xiao'er, stop everything and let your mother rest well," Duke Feng said as he stepped forward to support the Duchess, adding, "Madam, lie down and take a break."
"It's all my son's fault," Feng Yinxiao hurriedly helped Ling Chen lie down on the bed, saying, "Mother should recuperate well; I will stay here with you."
Ling Chen smiled lightly, closed her eyes—what she had just said had already drained her of much energy; she was too tired.
At that moment, a maid entered. It was Wei Qing from the Wei Wangfu looking for the Fourth Young Master. Feng Yinxiao responded and went out. Wei Qing was waiting on the stone bridge and waved his hand when he saw Feng Yinxiao approaching from a distance.
"Why does the Heir Apparent have time to come to the residence today?" Feng Yinxiao asked with a calm expression. "By the way, where is Consort Heir?"
"At the royal residence!" Wei Qing replied casually, teasingly adding, "What? Are you doubting whether I really married her just because I didn't bring Yun Yan along? Don't worry; no one is competing with you for Seventh Sister now..."
However, Feng Yinxiao had no mood to entertain Wei Qing's jokes and said seriously, "Thank you for marrying Fourth Sister; it eases my guilt a bit."
"Thank you for what?" Wei Qing raised an eyebrow and said seriously, "You don't think I married Fourth Sister just to help you out, do you?"
"Isn't it?" Feng Yinxiao was taken aback. "You and Fourth Sister have only met a few times; I didn't see how much affection you have for Yun Yan."
"I remember I once told you that Seventh Sister is lovely and clever, but Fourth Sister has her own merits," Wei Qing paused before continuing, "Moreover, you know my character; while I have my views on marriage, I'm not rigid. As long as there's mutual attraction and compatibility in various aspects, I don't mind other things."
Feng Yinxiao nodded in agreement with Wei Qing's reasoning: "In any case, I must thank you for marrying Yun Yan because Seventh Sister once blamed me for how the Yan Duke's residence affected Fourth Sister's reputation. I was once troubled by the thought that it would make it hard for her to marry. But your appearance has resolved this urgent issue." The last sentence carried a hint of teasing.
"Oh, thank me? What does Young Lord plan to use to express his gratitude?" Wei Qing took the opportunity to push further. "Then hurry up and marry Seventh Sister so I can hear you call me Brother-in-law! Although she is only nine years old now, isn't it possible to raise her first? The matter of having children can wait until she's of age!"
Feng Yinxiao appeared calm on the surface, but his heart stirred slightly.
Getting married to Seventh Sister was indeed something he would welcome! But what about that Brocade Box… would she agree? And what about the Second House?
Suddenly, the image of Mother’s frail body surfaced in his mind, and Feng Yinxiao felt a pang in his heart: “Forget it, my Mother is not in good health right now; it’s not appropriate to discuss marriage at this time.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Qing also restrained his smile, furrowing his brows in silence. The two leaned against the stone bridge side by side, gazing at the babbling water below. Wei Qing turned and asked with concern, “Is the Duchess still unwell?”
Feng Yinxiao shook his head heavily: “Still the same, often half-asleep and half-awake…”
Wei Qing seemed to sense something and took a deep breath, speaking softly: “Young Lord, I must say a few words. Given the Duchess's poor health, it is indeed inappropriate to talk about marriage. However, I believe that the more so it is like this, the more you should make a decision early to avoid any regrets for the Duchess…”
At that moment, the weight in Feng Yinxiao's heart felt as heavy as a mountain pressing down: Should he go find Seventh Sister and discuss it with her?
Wei Qing noticed his thoughts and said, “Young Lord, you may not know yet. I heard that Yun Yan—Seventh Sister has suspended her studies—”
“Suspended her studies?!” Feng Yinxiao suddenly looked up in shock and exclaimed, “When did this happen? Why? Wasn’t she doing well in her studies?”
Every time he entered the palace to meet with the sovereign and encountered Tong Ye, Feng Yinxiao would always ask about how Seventh Sister was doing in her studies.
He would leave only after receiving Tong Ye’s affirmative response. Even when he heard Lord Tong praise her, he would feel delighted and uplifted, energized in all his tasks. Now, hearing that she had suspended her studies left him feeling astonished.
“It’s been a while,” Wei Qing observed Feng Yinxiao for a night and said: “Moreover, I also heard from Yun Yan that since Seventh Sister suspended her studies, she has been frequently going to Tian Zhuang and returned home before dusk, always in a bad mood!”
Feng Yinxiao's gaze flickered: Going to Tian Zhuang must be because she misses Second Master. But why is she in a bad mood? Does she have something on her mind?!
Yun Kexin sat by the lake at Tian Zhuang as usual, resting her chin on her hands and staring at the water. Occasionally, she picked up stones from the ground and tossed them into the lake, appearing quiet and withdrawn. Shanling and Shining nearby did not dare to disturb her.
"Seventh Sister, Seventh Sister," Shan Yue suddenly ran over from another direction. "Can you come with me for a moment?"
"Where to?" Yun Kexin asked calmly without turning her head.
"You'll know when you come with me," Shan Yue said with a smile as she reached out to pull Yun Kexin's arm. "I promise you'll be happy, Seventh Sister."
Shanling and Shining were taken aback and looked at Shan Yue simultaneously: Can she really make Seventh Sister happy?! This girl must have some trick up her sleeve—after all, the three maids had exhausted all their "tricks" to make Yun Kexin smile, yet she remained unchanged.
Reluctantly, Yun Kexin nodded in agreement. With permission granted, Shan Yue happily linked arms with Yun Kexin and said to the other two, "You two sisters come along too."
The three followed Shan Yue along the lakeside, through the woods, and over the fields until they reached the foot of a mountain where a river appeared. A small boat was moored on the water, seemingly with someone on it.
"Boatman, Boatman—" Shan Yue shielded her forehead with her right hand to block the sunlight and waved toward the center of the river. "Could you bring the boat over? My sister wants to take a ride."
The boat gradually rowed toward the shore. Yun Kexin saw that there was a person wearing a straw hat standing on the boat, but due to the black veil beneath the hat, she could not see their face clearly.
When the boat reached the shore, Shan Yue eagerly said, "Sister, let's get on! I already talked to the Boatman about rowing on the river, and he will teach us how to catch fish..."
Yun Kexin paused for a moment. "Catch fish? How do we do that? With a net?"
"No, sister, we need to get on first," Shan Yue jumped onto the boat and reached out her hand to Yun Kexin with a smile. "Later, I'll have the Boatman teach us."
"Alright." Yun Kexin smiled as she boarded the boat.
Then Shining followed suit while Shanling stayed on the shore.
The Boatman slowly paddled the wooden oars, and the boat gradually moved toward the center of the river. Yun Kexin gazed at the endless river surface, listening to the gentle flow of the clear water beneath the boat, feeling as if the gloomy clouds that had weighed on her heart for days had dissipated in that moment.
"Boatman, do you often do business on the river?" Yun Kexin asked with a smile, sitting at the bow of the boat.
"Yes, we rely on the mountains for our livelihood and on the water for our sustenance," the Boatman replied, smiling as he rowed.
"How is business usually?"
"It's okay," the Boatman said, slightly slowing down. "But we can't carry too many people at once; otherwise, the boat will sink."
"That's true. No amount of silver is worth more than life. Why don't you buy a bigger boat? That way, you could carry more passengers and wouldn't have this worry."
"I've thought about it, but I don't have that condition right now. I'll buy one when I've saved enough money."
"Act according to your means?!" Yun Kexin murmured softly.
"Yes, act according to your means!" The Boatman's voice suddenly became loud and spirited. "Put aside what you can't achieve for now; otherwise, it will only add pressure and create unnecessary troubles."
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