Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Standing before a life-sized copper mirror, Xiao Qingxue admired her reflection. The young man in the mirror had bright red lips and white teeth, his hair neatly tied up with a wooden pin, wearing a light blue round-neck, slit robe and long boots, looking refreshingly clean-cut. "If only I had a folding fan," she thought, "I could imitate Mr. Qingshan, swaying the fan like a graceful and scholarly young man."

"Young master looks really handsome," Fangyun complimented from behind.

Xiao Qingxue turned around, lifting Fangyun's chin playfully, "Little mistress, come back to the mansion with me tonight."

Fangyun, amused by her young master's antics, laughed, covering her mouth. No matter how convincingly he dressed, the ear piercings and the curvature of his chest couldn't be disguised.

Xiao Qingxue adjusted her belt tighter, then attached the fragrant pouch her mother had sewn onto it, before happily stepping out. She had bought two outfits, the light blue one she was wearing and another in moon-white. Fangyun packed the young master’s clothes neatly, and the Jiangnan Fang shopkeeper provided a small box for the noble to store the changed clothes.

"Mother?" Xiao Qingxue spun around, unable to find her mother, feeling a bit puzzled.

"Qingxue, I'm here," Xiao Luolan emerged from the right side of the fitting room, holding a cyan-green round-neck robe, quickly closing the door behind her, her hair slightly disheveled.

"Mother," Xiao Qingxue ran over, "Did you like this one? The color is nice too."

"I tried it on, but it didn't fit, so I changed out of it," Xiao Luolan replied with a smile upon seeing her daughter, "You look good in this. Did you buy two? Is there anything else you want?"

Xiao Qingxue shook her head, "No, I've made my choices. Mother, was the changing room too hot?"

Xiao Luolan, her face flushed and beads of sweat on her nose, responded, "It was a bit warm. Let's go have some tea, I'll pay later."

"Okay," Xiao Qingxue took Fangyun's round fan to cool her mother.

Touched by her daughter's thoughtful gesture, Xiao Luolan relaxed her hand hidden in her sleeve, took a deep breath, and led her daughter to the teahouse on the third floor.

After a while, Zhou Xu came out of the room and gestured for the shopkeeper to come over.

After finishing their tea, Xiao Luolan put on her daughter's veil and her own, asked the shopkeeper for the bill, paid sixty silver, and prepared to go downstairs.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted downstairs. Soon after, two young men appeared at the entrance to the third floor. The leading young man in white ascended the stairs swiftly, and as Xiao Luolan and her daughter were descending, their path was abruptly blocked.

The young man was dressed in splendid attire, wearing a white robe with a jade belt and carrying a black whip at his waist, his look neither scholarly nor martial.

The exotic young man following him was taller and slimmer, with more pronounced facial features typical of people from outside the Central Plains. His light yellow, curly hair hung loose, with two small braids on each side tied with red jade hair strings. His deep-set eyes had pale blue irises, and he followed behind, a sword hanging from his waist.

Xiao Luolan, seeing the black whip, immediately thought of someone. After pondering, she stepped aside with her daughter to let them pass.

Xiao Qingxue curiously observed the exotic young man; this was her first time seeing someone with pale blue eyes in Taiyang County, as the Hu people she had encountered had brown eyes.

The exotic young man seemed to notice her gaze, lifting his slightly drooped eyes to see a young miss in men's attire and veiled hat standing behind a woman, looking at him.

The exotic young man lowered his head, looking away.

Zhou Yanzhi, looking at the veiled woman whose face was obscured, admired her slender and graceful figure. Even without seeing her face, her figure was indeed first-rate. The Lei family's cavalrymen stood on the steps behind her. Zhou Yanzhi looked around but did not find the familiar Lei Hu among them.

Seeing the woman yield, Zhou Yanzhi smiled, "I'm Zhou Yanzhi. Are you Lady Xiao?"

Xiao Luolan guessed that this young man must be Head Zhou's son or relative. Besides Head Zhou, she had not seen anyone else who liked to carry a black whip. His overly enthusiastic attitude made Xiao Luolan silent for a moment, her heart reluctant to face anyone from Head Zhou's family.

Xiao Luolan finally responded softly and then hurried downstairs with her daughter.

Zhou Yanzhi, unwilling to let go without seeing Lady Xiao's real face, stepped forward to block her path.

Xiao Qingxue frowned, disliking Zhou Yanzhi's behavior. They had already given way, but he still blocked their path.

The Lei family's cavalrymen looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They recognized the young man in splendid attire as Head Zhou's nephew, a member of the Zhou family's main branch, but Head Zhou also cared greatly for Lady Xiao. Should they intervene when Zhou Yanzhi blocked Lady Xiao's way?

"I heard in Nanning County that my uncle saved two nobles on his way back to Youzhou and took care of them all the way," Zhou Yanzhi said with a smile that revealed two small tiger teeth, his handsome face displaying a youthful innocence, "I presume it was you two?"

Realizing he was Head Zhou's nephew, Xiao Luolan understood the young man's identity. She spoke through her veil, "Head Zhou indeed saved us," then tried to leave again with her daughter and Fangyun.

Zhou Yanzhi blocked Lady Xiao again, still smiling, "Lady Xiao, don't rush to leave. I want to..."

A cavalryman with an ordinary face suddenly stepped forward, bowing with a fist in his palm, "Young Master Zhou, Lady Xiao and her party wish to leave."

The smile on Zhou Yanzhi's face disappeared instantly as he looked at the Lei family's cavalryman, his hand resting on the whip at his waist.

Xiao Luolan, surprised but also worried at the sudden intervention, wondered if Zhou Yanzhi, Head Zhou's nephew known for his difficult temperament, would take out his frustration on the cavalryman who had intervened.

"Lady Xiao, please," the Lei family's cavalryman stepped aside, effectively blocking Zhou Yanzhi.

Xiao Luolan considered for a moment and then deeply bowed to him in gratitude.

Zhou Yanzhi's face darkened completely. With a flick of his wrist, the whip cracked through the air, striking the cavalryman's back, tearing his clothes and scattering droplets of blood.

Xiao Luolan, looking at the blood splatters on her embroidered shoes, lost her composure momentarily before regaining it.

Xiao Qingxue, outraged, demanded, "How can you just hit someone like that?"

Zhou Yanzhi, reattaching the whip to his waist, his white robe partially stained with blood, resumed his carefree demeanor, nonchalantly retorting, "If he disrespects his superiors, why can't he be hit?"

Xiao Luolan tightly held her daughter's hand, softly asking, "What would Young Master Zhou like to do?"

Zhou Yanzhi, with his arms crossed and chin raised, casually replied, "I just wanted to see what Lady Xiao looks like."

Xiao Luolan, seeing the objectifying gaze in the young man's eyes, lifted a corner of her veil, looking directly at him, "You've seen me, now what?"

Zhou Yanzhi, observing the mature and voluptuous beauty, with snow-white skin, red lips, and hair like clouds, noticed her eyes were cold, resembling a snow-covered lake, distant and chilling.

Xiao Luolan lowered her veil, softly saying to the cavalryman who had helped them, "Cavalryman Lei, let's go."

The Lei family's cavalryman, his expression unchanged even as his back bled, escorted Lady Xiao and Miss Xiao away.

Xiao Luolan instructed her daughter and Fangyun to get into the carriage first, then took a few quick breaths outside the carriage curtain. The cavalryman hesitated, remembering Head Zhou's instructions, and approached to ask, "Lady Xiao, are you alright?"

Xiao Luolan looked at him for a while before saying, "I'm sorry you got hit because of me."

The Lei family's cavalryman, usually stoic, was momentarily taken aback upon hearing Lady Xiao's apology.

When Xiao Luolan entered the carriage, her daughter was still angry.

"How can Head Zhou have such a nephew? He has no manners at all, hitting people just like that. Mother, why did you have to show yourself to him? He seems deranged," Xiao Qingxue rambled on, growing increasingly upset, her eyes reddening towards the end.

Xiao Luolan held her daughter's hand, gently stroking her hair, understanding why she was so angry, likely feeling empathy and sorrow.

In this situation, they were no different from that Lei family's cavalryman. No, their fate would be worse than his because everything they had was a facade.

Zhou Yanzhi, Head Zhou's nephew, could freely abuse the Lei family's retainers. Xiao Luolan even wondered, if the cavalryman had been killed, would Head Zhou's nephew face any punishment?

Today's whipping was a wake-up call for Xiao Luolan.

When the truth is finally revealed, how will she protect her daughter? Will others look at her daughter with the same eyes they used on her?

Xiao Luolan looked down at her hands, feeling utterly powerless because she had no strength.

"Mother? Mother?" Xiao Qingxue waved her hand in front of her mother’s eyes.

Xiao Luolan snapped back to reality, "What is it?"

Xiao Qingxue sat next to her mother, whispering her complaint, "Let's stay away from Head Zhou's nephew in the future."

"Zhou Yanzhi should indeed be taught a lesson," Zhou Xu, riding his horse with a stern expression, muttered, "All the years of reading the classics have gone to waste with him."

"Come here!"

Hearing Head Zhou's angry shout, Xiao Qingxue hid behind her mother, intimidated by his furious demeanor.

Zhou Yanzhi, crestfallen, rode his horse to his uncle's side. His earlier arrogance had melted away like snow under the winter sun, his shoulders slumped and head bowed.

The exotic young man behind him also kept his head lowered.

"Apologize to Lady Xiao," Zhou Xu commanded coldly.

Knowing his uncle was angry, Zhou Yanzhi dared not disobey and respectfully bowed deeply, "Lady Xiao, please forgive Zhou Yanzhi's rudeness. I won't dare to do it again."

Xiao Luolan, looking at the young man's blood-stained white robe, simply replied that it was alright. Then, she went to a pharmacy to buy some herbs, also asking the Lei family's cavalryman to get his wounds dressed. His back was severely lashed, a frightening sight. After the incident, Xiao Qingxue lost the mood to shop and stayed inside the carriage, unwilling to come out.

"Sanqi, Baizhi, Cangzhu, Shichangpu..." Doctor Qian, sitting in the hall and facing the veiled woman, weighed the herbs and handed them to her. These were common herbs used in sachets, especially popular during the Dragon Boat Festival, hence always stocked in the pharmacy.

After paying and taking the medicine bag, Xiao Luolan left. Zhou Xu, seeing the crowd around, couldn't approach Lady Xiao closely, but hearing the names of the herbs, he guessed she was buying them for making sachets. The thought made his heart flutter involuntarily.

On the way back to the Dou residence, Zhou Yanzhi, scolded severely, glanced at his uncle, who seemed inexplicably happy, and pouted, feeling wronged.

He was now convinced that his uncle had completely fallen for the beauty, scolding him so happily. Was he still his dear uncle?

Evening.

After bathing, Xiao Luolan, by the candlelight in her room, was sewing sachets. Late at night, the wind through the window grew stronger, and her needle-pricked hand accidentally drew blood.

Zhou Xu entered and saw Lady Xiao frowning, the room faintly scented with herbs. He approached quickly, concerned, "Did you prick your finger?"

He then glanced around the dimly lit room, illuminated by just a few candles.

Zhou Xu sat on a stool, taking Lady Xiao's hand, "Let me see."

Gently sucking away the bead of blood that had formed on her delicate fingertip.

Zhou Xu, watching Lady Xiao embroidering a sachet under the candlelight, spoke softly, "You can finish it during the day; don't hurt your eyes. I'll bring you some luminous pearls tomorrow, so the room can be brighter at night."

Xiao Luolan's eyelashes fluttered, and she shook her head, "No need."

Seeing that Lady Xiao didn’t withdraw her hand, Zhou Xu pulled her onto his lap. Xiao Luolan bit her lip, trying to relax.

Holding her close, Zhou Xu felt a warm and fragrant embrace, coaxing, "Do you like gold beads? You can play with them along with the luminous pearls."

Xiao Luolan shook her head again.

"Then what do you like? You can tell me."

"The cavalryman was injured today. Could you... maybe ask Zhou Yanzhi to buy some medicine for him?" Xiao Luolan trembled nervously, wondering if her request would be successful, could Head Zhou do this for her?

Zhou Xu listened and smiled, looking at Lady Xiao without saying a word.

Just as Xiao Luolan almost regretted voicing her request.

Head Zhou suddenly laughed, "Is just sending medicine enough?"

Xiao Luolan broke into a cold sweat, had Head Zhou guessed her thoughts?

"Zhou Yanzhi was thoughtless, injuring Lei Ge," Zhou Xu murmured, kissing Lady Xiao's neck, his voice slightly muffled, "Of course, he should be whipped as punishment."

Zhou Xu looked into Lady Xiao's moist eyes, gently stroking her flushed cheek, chuckling softly, "I won’t allow anyone to bully my people."

"No matter who that person is."