Chapter 31: Red Plum

Chapter 31: Red Plum

The sky was dusky, and a single dim yellow wall lamp cast a soft glow in the small pavilion.

The flickering candlelight danced across Ying Shi's delicate profile.

Speaking must have irritated her nasal cavity again, as an itchy, sticky warmth gradually spread through her fingers.

Another drop of blood fell with a soft drip, landing on her pea-green silk skirt.

She was bleeding—her heart sank.

If the first drop of blood was still manageable, the second drop fell on her skirt, and she watched in horror as the stain spread.

Ying Shi sat frozen, like a wooden doll, huddled on the carpet, too scared to move.

She was too afraid to even speak.

Her delicate, jade-like fingers trembled with fear, and her tear-filled eyes silently begged for help from the man beside her.

Liang Yun was momentarily stunned, a faint headache creeping in.

He gently pulled his sleeve from her grasp, took out a handkerchief, and gently replaced her trembling hand. He pressed the handkerchief gently under her warm nose.

As he held her nose, Ying Shi's hand finally began to relax. Her palm lay on her skirt, pale and pink, now speckled with crimson like red plum blossoms.

Ying Shi’s eyes caught another glimpse, and her vision swam with swirling golden flowers and a sea of white.

"Just close your eyes, it’ll be over before you know it," she heard his clear and steady voice.

Seeing her pale and trembling, as if she might faint, Liang Yun guessed that she must be terrified of blood.

At his words, Ying Shi shut her eyes tightly.

On a summer night, the wind whispered through the courtyard, rustling the window crevices and lifting the hem of his pale blue robe. The warm candlelight softly illuminated her brows.

Her brows were elegantly arched, her eye sockets deep, and her forehead full and rounded.

When Ying Shi opened her eyes, she didn’t seem seductive, but when closed, her eye corners lifted slightly—Liang Yun, glancing down, could see her eyes darting beneath her pink eyelids.

Like a cunning yet timid fox.

Liang Yun remembered seeing her in the evening, with several empty plates on the table in front of her. He suddenly understood and couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips in amusement.

He had always known that this girl was good at pretending to be obedient, acting like a little adult.

But in reality...

She was still quite childish.

Liang Yun had a cleanliness obsession, but that night, he seemed unusually unbothered. Unbothered by her blood soaking through the handkerchief, slowly wetting and sticking to his fingers.

His expression remained unchanged. But after a while, her bleeding still hadn't stopped, and he couldn't help but frown—he thought, what adult would sneakily eat so many lychees out of greed?

Lychees are heat-inducing, and now this has happened.

After this, she should learn her lesson.

Liang Yun looked around, wanting to fetch the melted ice water from the icebox nearby, soak the handkerchief, and press it against her nasal bone. It was a method from his military days, known for its quick hemostatic effect. But he was at a loss—the only handkerchief he had was already given to her.

The man's hand was steady and firm.

Unlike the ineffective methods Gui Niang had taught her—he simply told her to sit still and close her eyes.

"Do you have a handkerchief with you?" Ying Shi heard him ask.

The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she softly replied with her eyes closed, "In my sleeve."

She didn't know if it was from the heat or fear, but several glistening droplets of sweat dotted her pinkish-white nose and the small dimple on her delicate chin. Her voice was sweet and soft, and in the deep of the night, whatever she said carried a hint of allure.

People are accustomed to using their eyes, so fumbling in the dark felt especially awkward.

As she spoke, she reached into her bean-green, cloud-patterned sleeve, struggling to find it for a while, the more she rushed, the harder it was to find. Eventually, she simply gathered the sleeve, revealing a flawless wrist that gleamed like smooth jade in the light.

A pair of delicate jade bracelets on her wrist tinkled softly as she moved.

The warm yellow lamplight merged their shadows into one, and as he drew closer, he could smell the faint scent of lychee and the subtle sweetness of peach wine on her breath.

Despite being urged to drink much wine that evening, he had stayed sober and composed, but now he felt somewhat intoxicated.

In the brief moment she took to search for the handkerchief, Liang Yun couldn't help but hold his breath, feeling the sweat bead on his temples. He tightly closed his eyes.

Fortunately, after much fumbling, her efforts paid off, and she finally pulled out a soft, gossamer handkerchief embroidered with pomegranate patterns from her sleeve.

Liang Yun calmly took it, soaked it in the basin, and wrung it out. His fingers were long, slender, and neat, resembling those of a scholar or artist, not the hands of someone accustomed to serving others.

Yet, he wrung the handkerchief with such ease and familiarity. He neatly placed it on her smooth, full forehead and the bridge of her nose, applying the cold compress to the warm, soft skin of the girl.

When the cold water met her skin, Ying Shi couldn't help but shiver, her shoulders trembling, and her delicate brows furrowed.

She wanted to complain about the cold but bit her lip and resisted.

She endured until the handkerchief warmed up, and he went to wring another one, repeating the process without complaint. Slowly, the heat in her nose finally subsided.

Liang Yun gently moved the handkerchief away from her nose and saw that the girl's nose was red, but no more blood was flowing. His brows relaxed slightly. He leaned in close and said in a deep voice, "It's done."

Only then did Ying Shi dare to slowly open her eyes.

Her delicate, dark eyes resembled the most dazzling obsidian and agate. As her gaze wandered, it fell on the man's hand, which was so close.

Coincidentally, she stared at the hand that had worked so hard—the man's knuckles were pale and slender, his finger bones delicate, and the back of his hand lean, with faintly visible veins.

His fingers were so pale that the scars on them stood out even more.

The marks seemed to have been there for some time, appearing from the base of his thumb down to the middle of his finger.

If not for Ying Shi's angle, she might not have noticed.

She gazed intently at the subtle marks on his fingers, feeling increasingly familiar the longer she looked—

Was that... a bite mark??

Ying Shi's heart skipped a beat.

She slowly wondered, who had bitten him? Who dared to bite him?

The more she thought about it, the more her expression darkened. She had originally planned to thank him, but now, seeing this wound, she suddenly felt a wave of nausea. She sullenly lowered her head, silent and not speaking, even refusing to look at him.

And here she thought he was a gentleman.

What kind of a gentleman is he supposed to be? Who knows what he’s really like behind closed doors! And honestly, what can you expect from the men in the Liang family?

Hasn’t it only been a short while since his younger brother died? And here he is, already fooling around with cheap women...

“You’ve had enough to drink for today, and watch what you eat. Head back early and get the servants to whip up some cooling soup for you…” Liang Yun lowered his eyes, carefully choosing his words.

But before he could finish, the girl who had been so docile moments ago suddenly looked up, her face cold as she stood.

Ying Shi’s face was icy, and she shot him a disdainful look, “Got it. I just remembered I’ve got something to do, so I’ll be off now, brother…”

With that, she didn’t even look back at Liang Yun and walked off.

Liang Yun stayed put, staring at the dark sky outside, unmoving for a long time.

Her silhouette melted into the night, vanishing from sight.

Liang Yun was baffled—why had she suddenly turned so cold?

Even back in his courtyard that evening, he was still clueless.

In the end, he just told himself, why bother caring so much about her?

……

……

The gaps in the bluestone path were choked with thick weeds, and the wind whispered through the osmanthus trees, sending golden petals fluttering onto Ying Shi’s dark locks.

Before she knew it, evening had fallen. Ying Shi was sitting on a stone bench in the garden, munching on a peach as she listened to Xiang Yao’s report.

“Just like you told me, I’ve gotten pretty chummy with the maids in Second Master’s courtyard. I haven’t heard about any fights between Second Master and his wife…”

Ying Shi was restless, mulling over Xiao Qiongyu’s pregnancy.

She wanted to help but didn’t know where to begin.

You’ve got to know the lay of the land before you can fix anything. That’s why Ying Shi had Xiang Yao snoop around Second Master’s courtyard whenever she could.

Xiang Yao, sharp and quick-witted, could handle any situation. Her playful, youthful vibe made it easy for her to ask around without anyone suspecting a thing.

But before she could dig up anything useful, Xiang Yao started to wonder, “Why are you so interested in Second Master? He and his wife get along just fine.”

“I’ve got my reasons. Did you even bother asking around? Or did you just scarf down all the snacks I told you to give them?”

“You’re blaming me again! I worked hard to ask around! I’m practically best friends with some of the maids in their courtyard! I didn’t touch the snacks—I gave them all away! They said Second Master used to have two concubines, but he never cared much for them. After Second Mistress entered the household, those two concubines never served him again. One stayed in the mansion, while the other was dismissed for causing trouble.”

“They also said Second Mistress is very capable. Even Lady Xiao couldn’t interfere. Lady Xiao tried several times to send beautiful concubines, but Second Master always stopped her for Second Mistress’s sake.”

“The only downside is that Second Master is often busy and doesn’t return home at night. But he’s not out carousing—he’s staying at the government office!”

Hearing this, Ying Shi grew even more puzzled.

She was certain that in her past life, the two had fought so fiercely that it caused Xiao Qiongyu to miscarry. Could there really have been no signs of such a conflict? Knowing Xiao Qiongyu, she wouldn’t have been so quick to anger, especially for the sake of her unborn child…

Ying Shi’s head began to ache.

Even though she had been reborn, it seemed she still couldn’t change anything…

Should she find a way to separate Xiao Qiongyu from Liang Zhi to prevent this disaster?

Before Ying Shi could come up with a plan, the old lady’s birthday arrived—

The Duke Mu’s mansion was filled with golden winds and dewy jade, adorned with lanterns and decorations, bustling with celebration.