Read Novel Full CHAPTER 40 PART1
CHAPTER 40 PART1
Beneath the blinding glow of the setting sun, Xiao Luanfei walked on in silence.
Her face was expressionless, but inside, her emotions surged like a stormy sea—wild and unrelenting.
She didn’t know whether Xiao Yanfei’s words just now had been intentional or merely thoughtless.
Her nails dug deep into the soft flesh of her palm as she suddenly came to a halt.
No. That’s impossible.
Recalling the arrogant way Xiao Yanfei had carried herself ever since gaining favor, Xiao Luanfei told herself again—it was impossible.
If Xiao Yanfei had truly discovered the truth, with her constant desire to outshine her, she would have announced it to the world by now. At the very least, she would’ve gone to their mother and tattled, making things unbearably difficult for her.
So, no—Xiao Yanfei couldn’t know. There was no way she could have found out.
Xiao Yanfei had been sent away to a manor in Jizhou over two years ago. She had long missed the critical turning point of her past life. There was no way she could know, not in this lifetime.
But the Yin family’s arrival in the capital was imminent. If even Nanny Liao could sense something, what about her grandmother and the others?
This… this was a mistake. She had overlooked it.
In her past life, her grandfather had died on the road to the capital. Not long after, her grandmother collapsed from heart failure at his funeral and passed shortly after.
She hadn’t expected someone like Nanny Liao to stir up trouble before their arrival!
A few shadows from flowering branches cast slanting patterns across her face. Her eyes were dark as night, and her nails sank even deeper into her palm.
Quickening her pace, she turned right at the path ahead and made her way toward the family’s private school.
From a distance, she could already hear the drawn-out chanting of young children reading aloud.
The golden-red sunlight bathed the green-tiled eaves, the walls, and the treetops with a soft, glowing halo.
The courtyard was shaded by several lush parasol trees, their dense foliage creating a quiet, serene atmosphere.
It was still class time. Xiao Luanfei stopped just outside the school. Through the windows, she could see an elderly teacher with gray hair and a long beard standing behind the lectern, hands folded behind his back, eyes closed as he gently stroked his beard.
Five or six boys, all under eight years old, sat below, swaying and reciting from memory.
Xiao Ye wore a sky-blue jacket embroidered with cranes and had his hair tied in a traditional style. His cheeks were rosy as he earnestly recited his lines, entirely unaware of Xiao Luanfei watching from outside.
In the courtyard stood an octagonal pavilion. Xiao Luanfei made her way over and sat inside, while her chief maid, Siqin, went to brew her some tea.
She drank quietly, alone.
The parasol leaves were deep green. The air carried the gentle fragrance of tea.
Halfway through her cup, she heard Siqin call softly from outside the pavilion, “Concubine Cui.”
Looking up, Xiao Luanfei saw Madam Cui standing in the courtyard in a robe of pale green brocade embroidered with silver threads. She didn’t know when she had arrived.
Madam Cui’s bright eyes were fixed on Xiao Luanfei with a hint of surprise and delight on her face.
“Eldest Miss,” Madam Cui walked gracefully into the pavilion and greeted her with a warm smile, “Are you here to pick up Third Young Master?”
Xiao Luanfei nodded and gestured for her to sit. “Madam Cui, you and Second Brother don’t need to go to the main courtyard to pay respects later. Mother will be away for a few days. In the meantime, please keep a close eye on his studies.”
The “Second Brother” she referred to was Xiao Shuo, Madam Cui’s biological son, who had just turned ten this year.
Madam Cui’s face lit up with joy, her delight impossible to hide.
Xiao Shuo had moved to the front courtyard two years ago. Apart from picking him up from school and exchanging a few words, she rarely had the chance to spend time with her son.
Now that the mistress was away, even if she brought the boy back to stay at Tingyu Pavilion for a few days, both the marquis and the dowager would likely turn a blind eye.
Wait a moment…
Madam Cui’s brows twitched slightly. Only now did she catch the deeper meaning behind Xiao Luanfei’s words. “The Madam has left the residence?”
As she spoke, Siqin swiftly served her tea. The faint scent of Biluochun in the pavilion thickened with the freshly steeped brew.
Xiao Luanfei nodded, a trace of concern clouding her delicate features. She lowered her voice. “Nanny Liao from my maternal grandfather’s household arrived. She said Grandfather had a stroke. Mother was worried about his condition, so she rushed to Linqing City.”
“I do hope Grandfather pulls through.”
She lifted the enamel teacup in an elegant motion, took a small sip of the steaming tea, then gently set it down again.
“Oh—” As if suddenly recalling something, Xiao Luanfei looked at Madam Cui with a smile that carried a playful undertone. “Nanny Liao was quite startled when she saw Second Sister. She even told me in private that Second Sister looks remarkably like our great-grandmother from the Yin family.”
“Could it be that someone in your family also came from Jiangnan?”
Clink!
Madam Cui’s hand, which had just lifted the teacup, slammed it back onto the stone table. Some of the scalding tea sloshed over the rim and splashed onto the back of her hand.
With a gasp of pain, her face paled. She quickly covered the burned area.
“Madam Cui, are you all right?” Xiao Luanfei leaned forward in concern. She saw that Madam Cui’s fair left hand had already reddened from the hot tea.
“Madam!” Madam Cui’s maid rushed to her side, tears welling up in her eyes. She gently lifted her mistress’s sleeve and used a handkerchief to dab at the burn. “You only just recovered from your last scald…”
As the pale green sleeve lifted slightly, it revealed a slender, snowy wrist. But on that delicate skin was a faint brown scar, about the size of a longan—like a flaw in a piece of fine white jade.
Madam Cui hastily pulled her sleeve back down, covering the scar. Her expression was strained, clearly uncomfortable.
Xiao Luanfei had noticed it too and asked with concern, “Madam Cui, how did your hand get hurt?”
Madam Cui’s voice was hoarse. “It was… an accident. I burned it not long ago.”
That last time, the marquis had accidentally spilled hot tea on her wrist. In her effort to calm him, she hadn’t dared to call a physician and simply applied a bit of ointment.
Unfortunately, she had rolled onto her injured wrist in her sleep that night. The burn festered, became infected, and she had no choice but to summon a doctor.
The wound eventually scabbed over, but as the doctor predicted, a scar remained—slightly darker than the surrounding skin.
Every time Madam Cui looked at that scar on her left wrist, her heart twisted. A shadow passed through her dark eyes—part hesitation, part calculation.
Xiao Luanfei lowered her gaze in silence, watching the tea leaves swirling gently in her cup. The shimmering surface of the tea reflected a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
In her previous life, after the truth about her and Xiao Yanfei’s origins came to light…
Madam Cui had cared only for Xiao Shuo, leaving Xiao Luanfei to face the humiliation and fallout alone.
Even now, the only reason Madam Cui wanted to keep this secret was likely to ensure that Xiao Luanfei’s position as Crown Princess wouldn’t fall through—so that, in the future, her son Xiao Shuo might be supported by the Crown Princess herself.
More than likely, once the imperial edict officially named her Crown Princess, Madam Cui would come running to reveal the truth—just to gain leverage over her.
Xiao Luanfei gave a silent, cold laugh. Her fingers gently brushed the rim of her teacup as she said with feigned warmth, “Madam Cui, I have a scar removal cream. I’ll have someone bring it to you later—you might find it useful.”
“Then I must thank you, Eldest Miss.” Madam Cui forced a smile, her expression easing somewhat. She couldn’t help but touch the scar on her left wrist through her sleeve.
Siqin, standing nearby, chimed in cheerfully, “Our young lady’s scar cream is none other than the imperial Shuhen ointment. Just last month, she scraped her hand during a polo match, and His Highness the Crown Prince personally had the imperial physician send over the cream.”
“After using it, not a trace of the injury was left behind.”
“His Highness truly dotes on our young lady.”
“Siqin,” Xiao Luanfei called her name with gentle reproach.
She bit her lower lip slightly, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a hint of bashfulness, her face glowing with radiant charm.
Madam Cui’s eyes lit up. Smiling, she said, “His Highness certainly treats you with remarkable care, Eldest Miss.”
Her gaze lingered on Xiao Luanfei’s bright and elegant face, eyes shining with intense anticipation and longing.
Just then, the clear voices of the students fell silent. Xiao Luanfei looked up at the sky and smiled. “Class is over.”
Only then did Madam Cui come back to her senses. She turned toward the schoolroom and heard the children inside bidding their farewells loudly, “Take care, Master!”
Indeed, class had ended.
Soon, the white-haired teacher emerged slowly, hands behind his back, strolling out of the schoolroom.
The children followed, chattering like a flock of sparrows, their laughter lively and infectious.
Walking beside Xiao Ye was a young boy in a violet robe, around ten years old—Xiao Shuo.
The brothers shared the same fair skin, dark sparkling eyes, straight noses, and slightly upturned lips—so handsome and delicate they looked like celestial boys from Guanyin’s court.
Shoulder to shoulder, the two approached the pavilion.
Xiao Shuo gave a polite smile and bowed to both Madam Cui and Xiao Luanfei.
At ten, he was starting to shoot up in height, already two inches taller than Xiao Ye, his figure slender and graceful.
Xiao Ye tugged on Xiao Shuo’s sleeve, beaming brightly as he turned to Xiao Luanfei and declared, “Big Sister, I’m going to do homework with Second Brother!”
What he meant was—he wouldn’t be going back with her just yet.
“Ye’er, make sure you focus on your studies. I’ll be checking later,” Xiao Luanfei said with a warm smile. Then she added, “Mother will be away for a few days, so once you’re done with your homework, go straight back to the main courtyard. No wandering around.”
Xiao Ye, not yet seven, still lived with Madam Yin in the main residence.
“Mother left?” Xiao Ye’s eyes widened in surprise, his voice tinged with disappointment. “Why didn’t she say goodbye to me?”
Xiao Luanfei stepped out of the pavilion and gently patted the soft top of his head, comforting him with the air of a caring elder sister. “Grandfather’s ill, and Mother had to leave in a hurry. She didn’t have time to tell you.”
“So you need to be on your best behavior these next few days. Don’t make her worry while she’s away.”
She motioned for Siqin to bring over the food box and said, “I brought some pastries for you and Shuo-ge’er. Eat a little to fill your stomachs before you start your homework.”
Xiao Ye answered cheerfully, full of energy, and pulled Xiao Shuo along to sit with him inside the pavilion.
A petite maid in a green uniform came over and quietly served tea to the two young masters before retreating silently.
Laughter and lighthearted chatter filled the pavilion, the atmosphere warm and relaxed.
The little maid cast one last glance toward the pavilion before quickly leaving the private school grounds.
Not long after, she arrived at Yuechu Pavilion. She stayed for no more than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea before hurrying off again.
“Miss, Juan’er was just here,” Haitang reported to Xiao Yanfei. “She said Eldest Miss went to the school to pick up Third Young Master. Madam Cui was there as well.”
“The two of them chatted for a while in the pavilion…”
“But Juan’er couldn’t hear what they were talking about.”
Juan’er was Haitang’s cousin, working over at the schoolhouse serving tea and running small errands.
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