Chapter 7

Chapter 3

Upon returning to Songsi Courtyard, Rong Shu went straight to the eastern annex to visit Mother Zhang.

The Gu family was not wealthy, and the rented residence in Wutong Lane consisted of only two small sections. Apart from the Six Vast Hall and Songsi Courtyard, as well as the back-facing annex near the main entrance for servants, there was only a dim and cramped rear annex for the lower servants.

Chang Ji and Heng Ping occupied the back-facing annex. Rong Shu couldn't bear the thought of Mother Zhang and her two companions squeezing with the other servants in the rear annex, so she offered the eastern annex of Songsi Courtyard for their accommodation.

Mother Zhang had been Rong Shu's wet nurse since birth. Naturally, she followed her when Rong Shu married into the Gu family. However, she recently caught a cold and, fearing criticism and the risk of infecting Rong Shu, secluded herself in the eastern annex to recover.

Entering the annex, Rong Shu said, "Mother Zhang, I've come to see you."

Mother Zhang, having just taken her medicine, was lying with her eyes closed. Upon hearing Rong Shu's voice, she struggled to get out of bed, asking, "Miss, why have you come?"

Rong Shu helped her back to the bed, smiling. "Mother, please rest. Why go through these formalities with me?"

Covering her mouth with a handkerchief and coughing, Mother Zhang replied, "Miss, please stay away from this old servant. My cold is quite severe; I mustn't pass it on to you."

"Mother, don't worry. I won't catch a cold, and you'll recover soon," Rong Shu reassured her.

In her previous life, when she returned to Songsi Courtyard from Liumo Hall, she also came to visit Mother Zhang. She remembered that although Mother Zhang's cold had come on suddenly, it had disappeared just as quickly. After a few days of rest, she was completely recovered.

Mother Zhang looked at Rong Shu sideways and, noticing her pale complexion, assumed that she had been exhausted from the wedding night. Sympathetically, she said, "All young women go through this. Miss, you'll get used to it in time. I'll ask Yingyue and Ying Que to prepare some blood-replenishing soup for you later. Rest a bit more, and your energy will be back to normal in no time."

Rong Shu knew that Mother Zhang misunderstood, but she didn't bother to clarify. Instead, she calmly agreed without changing her expression.

Back in the main room, Ying Que whispered to her, "Miss, Mother Zhang asked me to make soup for you. Should I start preparing it in the kitchen now?"

"No need," Rong Shu replied as she sat in front of the dressing table, slowly undoing her hair.

Not only did she not consummate the marriage with Gu Changjin on their wedding night, but he had also never touched her in the following three years.

Without any children in three years, Madam Xu, her mother-in-law, had never pressured her. It seemed that Madam Xu already knew deep down that Gu Changjin had no intentions towards Rong Shu.

Staring at her reflection in the copper mirror, a bright yet pale face, she pondered for a moment before instructing, "Don't mention to Mother Zhang or my own mother on the day of my return visit that I haven't consummated the marriage with Second Master."

As she spoke, her gaze suddenly sharpened, focusing on a particular spot in the mirror for a moment.

"Fetch that lamp over here," Rong Shu said, setting aside her half-disheveled hair. Her delicate fingers, resembling slender scallions, pointed at the long side table in the corner.

Yingyue followed his gaze and noticed that the long table was barren, adorned with nothing but a single lamp. This lamp was not unfamiliar to her; it was the very same Star-Grasping Lamp that had been the grand prize during the Mid-Autumn Festival the previous year at the Star-Grabbing Tower.

This lamp is dear to the lady, she would often hold it in her hands and admire it fondly during her maiden days, treating it like a precious treasure. Even after her marriage, she made sure to bring it along with her.

Yingyue reached for the lamp, about to ignite it with a tinder, when she heard Rong Shu say, "There's no need to light it."

The Star-plucking Tower's Star-plucking Lamp is an exquisite masterpiece of craftsmanship, ingeniously designed as a lamp within a lamp.

Within the exquisite crystal palace lantern hung a smaller central lantern. Upon igniting the flame within the central lantern, the outer eight crystal panels would illuminate like a myriad of shimmering stars. Carrying such a lamp at night made it seem as if one held the entire galaxy in their palm.

It was still broad daylight, and indeed, no lights should have been lit. Yingyue was lost in this thought when suddenly, a loud "bang" echoed, and the Star-Grabbing Lantern was smashed to the ground by Rong Shu.

Stunned, she stammered, "M-Miss?"

Rong Shu slowly raised her gaze, seeing Yingque and Yingyue standing there with wide-eyed astonishment. She chuckled softly and said, "Don't panic. I simply lost my liking for this lantern, so I decided to break it completely. Ask someone to come and clean up."

The two maidservants mutely agreed, utterly perplexed by Rong Shu's action. They sensed that their young miss had changed, but they couldn't quite put their finger on how.

In the Songsi Courtyard, a lamp had been accidentally knocked over, and before long, news of the incident reached the Liu Miao Hall.

"It's said that one of the servants was tidying up the room when she carelessly bumped into a table, causing the lamp to fall."

Breaking a lamp was a trivial matter, so Xu Fu nodded indifferently and changed the subject.

"Did Yan leave the Liu Miao Hall directly after he left? He didn't return to the Songsi Courtyard?"

"Yes, this old servant personally accompanied Young Master out of the estate. He must have gone to the Ministry of Punishments. Chang Ji and Heng Ping mentioned that Young Master has been preoccupied with the case of that mother and daughter from Changping Prefecture, even during his wedding preparations."

Nanny An held a bowl of thick, ink-like medicinal soup, feeding it to Lady Xu spoon by spoon. She continued, "Third Miss, this old servant can't help but worry. That girl from the Rong family has a bewitching appearance. Aren't you afraid that she might snatch away Young Master's heart in the future?"

The bitter taste of the medicine caused Xu Fu's brows to furrow gradually. After finishing the last drop of the soup and swallowing the sweetmeat Nanny An offered, she spoke calmly, "I've raised Yan myself, so I know his character better than anyone else. Even Wen Xi can't warm his heart, let alone someone else. Besides, although Rong Shu is beautiful, her personality is too cautious. Yan has never been fond of girls like that."

In fact, this wasn't Xu Fu's first encounter with Rong Shu.

When Rong Shu was eleven years old, they had met briefly in Yangzhou. However, at that time, Xu Fu wore a veil, so the young girl hadn't seen her face.

Despite her young age back then, the girl already possessed an elegant bearing, sparkling eyes, and a gentle demeanor. Seven years had passed, and as Xu Fu had expected, Rong Shu had grown into an exceptionally beautiful woman.

It was widely said that there were three beauties in the capital: First, Princess Consort of the Grand Prince, Song Yingzhen, from the Duke Ying's residence; Second, Miss Mu Nijing, the eldest daughter of the General Guardian of the Nation; and Third, Miss Rong Wu, the second daughter from the Marquis of Cheng'an's household, who was also Rong Shu's half-sister from different mothers.

Indeed, these three women possessed unparalleled beauty, with faces that could make fish dive and birds fall. However, if one were to compare solely on appearance, Rong Shu surpassed them all.

Most men, upon marrying such a stunning wife, would undoubtedly immerse themselves in a blissful paradise, finding each night too short. But Gu Changjin was born with an indifferent and asexually inclined heart, never indulging in the company of women.