Chapter 18 Gossip

Chapter 18 Gossip

Beside a not-too-high pond, a woman in lotus-colored dress stood with her back to them, silently staring at the water.

Xin You remembered clearly that the skirt Duan Yunwan wore when she came to see her today was this color.

"It's Miss Duan!" Xiaolian recognized her too.

Xin You decisively walked behind a row of flower racks and looked toward the pond.

Duan Yunwan remained motionless, seemingly unaffected by the scorching sun overhead.

"Why is Miss Duan watching fish at this hour? There's no shade, and no one is accompanying her. Isn't she afraid of getting heatstroke?" Xiaolian muttered softly.

She wasn't concerned about Miss Duan; she just couldn't understand why.

Xin You didn't respond but instead recalled the scene.

It was the same pond, under such bright sunlight. A few koi fish would likely be lazily swimming around.

Could it be today?

Xin You found it hard to believe.

Even if Lady Duan wanted to silence Duan Yunwan, it seemed too soon.

Seeing beads of sweat on Xin You's forehead and a flush on her pale cheeks, Xiaolian asked worriedly, "Miss, are you feeling hot?"

Xin You shook her head, her eyes fixed on the direction of the pond. "No."

"Should we go over there?"

"Let's observe from here first."

Hearing this, Xiaolian fell silent, though she didn't know what her mistress was looking for, she followed suit.

As they watched, they noticed Duan Yunwan start walking away.

The little maid turned to Xin You in surprise. "Miss, she's leaving!"

Xin You wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief and said calmly, "Then let's go too."

Xiaolian: ?

Back at the Evening Serenity Abode, Jiang Shuang brought in two bowls of ice, saying they were sent from the main kitchen.

Xin You ate the ice bowl mouthful by mouthful, feeling the heat dissipate.

Xiaolian ate even faster and sighed after finishing. "Delicious! I'm lucky to have tasted it, Miss."

Xin You smiled gently. "I've had a dessert called frozen milk, topped with fruit sauce and fresh fruit cubes. It's even better than this ice bowl."

Xiaolian swallowed, her mouth watering. "It sounds delicious. Where can I get some?"

Xin You hesitated for a moment before saying, "My mother made it for me. When I have free time, I'll try making it."

Hmm, should be doable, right?

Thinking about her past cooking attempts, Xin You wasn't very confident.

But Xiaolian didn't notice, clapping her hands. "Great! When the time comes, I'll help you, and I can taste the frozen milk too."

After eating the ice bowl, Xin You felt sleepy and lay down on the bed, falling asleep.

The next day was overcast, and Xin You went to Ruyitang as usual to greet the matriarch.

The matriarch chided, "I told you to rest for a few more days. Why are you here again?"

Xin You smiled. "There's nothing wrong with me. I know Grandmother cares for me, and I miss you too."

"You little girl, your words get sweeter every day." The matriarch was pleased, glancing at Lady Qiao.

Lady Qiao maintained a perfectly composed smile.

Xin You secretly observed Duan Yunwan and noticed that her makeup seemed thicker than usual.

Had she not slept well?

After noon, despite the overcast sky, Xin You still sent Xiaolian to the garden. Soon, Xiaolian returned to report.

"Miss, you were right. Miss Duan was indeed there. I waited until she left before coming back."

Xin You nodded, deciding to check again tomorrow.

The next day was still overcast, with signs of rain. In the afternoon, Nurse Fang returned from outside.

"Miss, I heard some rumors about Shaoqing Mansion while I was out."

Nurse Fang had been going out every day for the past few days, and today she finally had something to report.

"What kind of rumors?" Xiaolian jumped over and sat on an embroidery stool.

Nurse Fang tapped her forehead. "You're becoming more and more unruly because of the mistress's indulgence."

Xiaolian rubbed her forehead and urged, "Nurse Fang, please tell us. The mistress is waiting."

Nurse Fang glanced at the door and lowered her voice. "All sorts of rumors are circulating. The worst one is that if the cousin from Shaoqing Mansion were to die, all her wealth would go to Shaoqing Mansion, and they wouldn't need to provide a dowry for her marriage."

Normally, not only would Shaoqing Mansion not take Kou Qingqing's wealth, but as an orphaned girl relying on her maternal family, they should provide her with a dowry equal to that of the other young ladies in the mansion.

This is what people universally recognize as a decent family. Therefore, when Xiaolian cried out those words in public, it was easy to invite speculation.

Under the eyes of the emperor, the capital is always full of idle yet observant people. Although Kou Qingqing's arrival in the capital four years ago was quiet, these people still deduced some things from her background.

For example, the wealth that Miss Kou brought with her—while no one dared to imagine a million taels of silver, they dared to guess tens of thousands of taels.

Tens of thousands of taels of silver, so much money!

Xiaolian sneered: "Those weren't the harshest words; they were just the plain truth!"

At this moment, she understood even more deeply the intention behind Xin You's advice to cry that day.

"Also, I've found out the identity of the righteous man who saved the young lady," said Lady Fang with a smile, feeling much lighter.

Lady Fang's experience at her age far surpassed Xiaolian's. Hearing those rumors, she knew the young lady was temporarily safe.

Idle talk can kill, but it can also save lives.

Thinking further, it was heartbreaking that the family who should have been closest, her uncle's household, posed constant threats, and now her life depended on the protection of idle gossip. Lady Fang's heart ached again.

Xin You, unaware of Lady Fang's emotional fluctuations, raised an eyebrow in surprise: "You found out so quickly?"

Lady Fang smiled: "It wasn't hard to find out. It turns out that the righteous man is quite famous in the capital. His surname is He, and his name is Qingxiao. He's actually a marquis."

Xin You listened quietly, knowing there was more to come.

The position of Commander of the Jinlin Guard is important, and it's not surprising to choose someone from the nobility.

Sure enough, Lady Fang's expression changed, and her voice lowered: "But this young marquis has a rather awkward position. His father was sworn brothers with the current emperor, fighting together during turbulent times. Later, they parted ways and each became king. When the current emperor defeated his father, he spared the marquis's life out of sworn brotherhood and even bestowed upon him the title of Changle Marquis."

"Changle Marquis—" Xin You murmured these three words softly, understanding the old lady's aversion.

Ministers couldn't be sure if the current emperor truly had feelings for his sworn brother or if it was purely for show. What was certain was that the emperor did not want to see ministers getting too close to this Changle Marquis.

"Given that, how did he become the Commander of the Jinlin Guard?"

Lady Fang shook her head: "I haven't found out about that."

"You've worked hard, Lady Fang. Go rest for a bit."

Lady Fang indeed felt tired after being out all day and went to rest upon hearing Xin You's words.

"You're really smart," Xiaolian said, massaging Xin You's shoulders and speaking out the words she had held back while Lady Fang was present. "If my young lady could be like you, she would be better off."

Then perhaps the young lady could live well.

Xin You looked at Xiaolian and gently patted her hand: "It's not that I'm smarter than Miss Kou. Miss Kou was blinded by familial affection, while I am an outsider."

She had to open her eyes wide to see clearly through the filth and seek justice for Miss Kou.

On the street, He Qingxiao hurried forward in his crimson robe, followed by two subordinates.

A familiar sense of danger arose, and his body reacted faster than his mind, dodging to the side. Something heavy crashed to the ground with a loud noise.

He Qingxiao looked closely and saw a shattered flower pot.