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"That's right, Madam, Eighth Sister has not wronged you." Shining eagerly continued, "She has always treated you well."
"No matter how well she treats the Madam, Eighth Sister is still Third Madam's daughter." Shanling suddenly interjected.
Yun Kexin seemed momentarily stunned, as if struck at her soft spot. After a pause, she spoke in an increasingly cold voice:
"If you still consider me your master, then do as I say; I have my reasons."
Shining and Shan Yue rarely saw Yun Kexin so serious and indifferent towards them. Knowing she had made a certain decision, they exchanged glances and nodded. However, Shanling, understanding Yun Kexin's current state of mind, realized that although this approach might seem somewhat unfeeling, it was also to "eliminate future troubles."
Following Yun Kexin's instructions, a servant went to relay the message that the Madam had matters to attend to in the afternoon and might not be available to meet. Therefore, they arranged to meet at a certain Teahouse at the hour of the dog in the evening for tea and conversation, which would be more relaxed. Without a second thought, Yun Xiao agreed.
However, as the appointed time approached, Yun Kexin suddenly changed her mind about sending Shining and Shan Yue to meet and instead sent Shanling. This was due to her feeling that after their conversation that morning, they were no longer suitable for this task. If things went awry or if they were to "turn against her" and inform Feng Yinxiao, it would ruin everything. She absolutely would not allow anyone to hinder her plans—not even Feng Yinxiao!
Shanling received the order and hurried off, arriving early at the Bauhinia Pavilion Tea House. When Yun Xiao arrived as promised with Feng Momo, they were surprised to find it was Shanling. Remembering that Shanling was one of Yun Kexin's most capable maids, they smiled and said, "Shanling, it's you! Where is Seventh Sister?"
Shanling quickly stood up to greet them, bowing respectfully and saying, "I have seen Eighth Sister."
"No need for formalities," Yun Xiao said with a smile as she waved her hand. "Please sit down."
"Yes, I will pour tea for Eighth Sister," Shanling replied calmly with a smile. "When Seventh Aunt was about to leave, the Young Master suddenly cried out loudly and wouldn't be calmed down by the nursemaid. So she sent me ahead to talk with you; she will arrive shortly."
Yun Xiao smiled gently and nodded quietly. At less than ten years old, she already displayed the grace and charm of a young lady who was knowledgeable and well-mannered. Remembering the days spent living in the Third House, aside from Seventh Sister, it was always Eighth Sister who treated them most kindly. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt but reminded herself that this was a trust from Yun Kexin, which must not be betrayed; otherwise, it would be difficult to rebuild in the future.
"Shanling, I heard your nephew crying non-stop; is he unwell?" Yun Xiao asked lightly while sipping her tea.
"No, children often cry," Shanling replied leisurely as she picked up a piece of candied fruit with a silver pick and placed it on the plate in front of Yun Xiao. "He has passed his hundred days and will recognize his mother now."
"Then Seventh Sister must have it even harder," Yun Xiao said seriously as she restrained her smile. "She has to manage household affairs while also worrying about the child; you all must help her more."
Shanling saw her sincerity, her expression not seeming feigned. Remembering everything that happened between Seventh Aunt and Yun Xiao before the marriage in Third House, her heart tightened again, but she did not show it on her face:
“Eighth Sister, don’t worry. It is my duty to share your burdens, and I will do my best,” she said, glancing at Feng Momo, who was standing behind Yun Xiao. “Nursemaid, it’s getting late. You should return home. I will stay here with Eighth Sister and wait; the lady will come soon.”
“This…” Feng Momo rubbed her hands awkwardly and said, “I accompanied Eighth Sister out; how can I leave my master here alone? How could I let Eighth Sister go back by herself? That won’t do! Absolutely not!”
Shanling smiled calmly: “Feng Momo, you really are confused. How could our lady allow Eighth Sister to return to the Duke of E State Mansion alone? What do you take her for?” After a pause, she glanced at Feng Momo, seeing the embarrassment on her face, and continued, “The lady hasn’t seen Eighth Sister for a long time; she wants to have some sisterly chats with her, stroll around the night market together, and then let Eighth Sister stay at Duke of Yan's Residence for a few days.”
According to Yun Kexin's plan, they must send away Yun Xiao's servants to facilitate their actions.
Seeing that Feng Momo was about to speak again, Yun Xiao hurriedly said, “Nursemaid, I did mention to Father and Seventh Sister that I wanted to visit Duke of Yan's Residence for a few days. You don’t need to feel troubled; just go back home.”
Feng Momo originally planned to wait for Seventh Aunt before leaving, but seeing Yun Xiao’s displeasure, she had no choice but to comply:
“Yes, Eighth Sister, this old servant will take my leave.”
With that, she lowered her head and slowly retreated.
Time passed slowly. Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Yun Kexin was restless— it was already late at night. She wondered if Shanling had started executing the "plan" yet, where they had gone, and whether they would be discovered by Yun Xiao. Holding an iron rod, she adjusted the wick of the lamp. Through the flickering candlelight, she saw Yun Xiao's bright smile as she innocently called out “Seventh Sister,” recalling those days spent together in Third House...
“No, I cannot soften my heart; absolutely not,” Yun Kexin furrowed her brows tightly. The tablecloth beneath her hands had been twisted into a mess as she silently shouted in her heart, “Yun Xiao, if you must blame someone, blame that you are the daughter of Fu Lianyin. Although you have not wronged me or the Second House, I must send you far away—far away.”
Then she thought of how in her previous life, Fu Lianyin sold Fourth Sister to a brothel. The pity in her eyes gradually faded away, and any lingering reluctance vanished: compared to the despicable methods of the Fu Family, she was still quite merciful! Yun Kexin slightly curled her lips and sneered coldly!
However, when she closed her eyes, images of Yun Xiao’s lively and adorable figure surfaced in her mind—how she loved to cling to Seventh Sister, how she liked to follow her around. She remembered how on the day before marriage, Yun Xiao had cried with tear-streaked eyes and how after returning home, she risked being scolded by the Fu Family just to come play at the Duke of Yan's Residence.
“Shining, Shan Yue,” Yun Kexin suddenly stood up, opened the door, and called out loudly, “What time is it now? What time is it?”
The maids standing by the door were startled. Shan Yue said, "It's already the hour of Hai, what's wrong with the lady?"
"Hurry, we need to leave immediately, not a moment to waste," Yun Kexin said anxiously as she put on a cloak. "Be careful not to make any noise."
Shan Ying and Shan Yue were initially stunned, but then their eyes brightened as if they understood, and they both said, "Alright..."
The three of them quietly left the residence of the Duke of Yan and took a carriage straight to the Zijing Pavilion teahouse.
Meanwhile, in a private room, Yun Xiao and Feng Yinxiao were chatting happily, but Shan Ling was already sweating nervously—she had no idea how the Young Lord had suddenly appeared. It was Yun Kexin who sent him to deliver a message, which she found hard to believe. However, the conversation between the two in front of her raised her suspicions:
"Seventh Brother-in-law, how did you come here? Where is Seventh Sister?" Yun Xiao smiled at Feng Yinxiao and said, "You didn't upset her, did you? That's why you sneaked away alone."
"No, Eighth Sister," Shan Ling said with a hint of guilt as she lifted the corners of her mouth. "The Young Lord and the lady have a good relationship; he wouldn't make her unhappy." She glanced at Feng Yinxiao and dared not say more.
"Then why hasn't Seventh Sister arrived yet?" Yun Xiao's expression changed slightly as she rested her chin on her hand in boredom. "Seventh Brother-in-law, you must know she will definitely come." Suddenly, she held her breath and widened her eyes. "Oh no, what if something happened to Seventh Sister or she's in trouble? We should hurry back to check; it wouldn't be good if we delay."
Shan Ling was startled and licked her dry lips but seemed to find a reason as she said:
"Yes, Young Lord, you should go back and take a look. Ever since the young master learned to recognize people, he won't even drink from the Nursemaid anymore; he always cries for his mother, which has kept her busy. If nothing is wrong, she can come along with you."
Feng Yinxiao frowned slightly as he looked at Shan Ling, sensing something but not exposing it. He merely smiled lightly and said, "There's no rush; I'm sure the lady will come."
However, Shan Ling couldn't sit still: What should she do? It seemed that if she didn't find an opportunity to clarify the situation with the Young Lord soon, they would just be sitting there awkwardly. She had observed Yun Kexin before; there was no way she would suddenly change her mind and come over. But in this situation, she couldn't privately explain things to the Young Lord either; it was driving her crazy.
Just then, there was a knock at the door of the private room. Yun Xiao jumped up with a smile: "Is that Seventh Sister? Come in!"
Feng Yinxiao's furrowed brows slowly relaxed as he knew she would come; he had always been confident in her!
Shanling walked briskly to the door, and sure enough, Yun Kexin appeared outside the Private Room, with Shining and Shan Yue standing behind her. A conflicting mix of sadness and relief tangled in Shanling's heart:
"Madam, you finally came. Eighth Sister has been waiting for you for a long time."
However, Yun Kexin silently bypassed Shanling and entered the Private Room. Upon seeing Yun Xiao, she rushed over and took her hand:
"Xiao Er, Xiao Er, how long have you been waiting?" She took a deep breath, maintaining a calm facade while struggling internally, "I suppose Father knows you've come to see me, right?"
"Of course! I made an appointment with Father and Seventh Sister early this morning," Yun Xiao said, her round face blooming into a charming smile. "After Dinner, Feng Momo accompanied me here. Seventh Sister, you made me wait for quite a while. Shanling was crying for his mother, which delayed us, right? Is he asleep now?"
With her eyes curved into crescent moons, Yun Xiao pouted playfully and chattered on innocently, making it hard for Yun Kexin to bear. In that moment of turning her head, she noticed Feng Yinxiao sitting across from her and gasped softly: "Husband..."
Feng Yinxiao smiled slightly, ignoring Yun Kexin's "astonishing" expression, and said:
"Madam, the night market is bustling with activity right now, filled with all sorts of food, games, and goods—so many unique things! Why don't we take Eighth Sister to explore the night market?"
Yun Kexin quickly caught on and replied, "Of course! I had already planned to do that with Xiao Er earlier."
But she wasn't in the mood to visit the night market at all; still, she forced herself to agree while only thinking about one thing: how did Feng Yinxiao end up at the Bauhinia Pavilion Tea House?
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