Chapter 68 Opera: “Of course, you’re prettier.”

Chapter 68: Watching the Play: "Naturally, you are beautiful."

Another gloomy day, with a light spring drizzle falling endlessly. Dark clouds filled the sky from horizon to horizon, and a few pale yellow flower stamens were bent askew by the rain. Moss-like weeds, nourished by the nutrients of the spring mud, burst forth with a vengeance.

Tian Qin secretly used the Xie family seal, acting recklessly and arrogantly under the favor of the head of the household, greatly offending Xian Qiu, the lady of the house, and sending the two sisters into their first cold war.

In the end, Tian Qin took the initiative to kneel and beg for forgiveness, tears streaming down her face, crying for a long time, until Xian Qiu grudgingly turned strife into harmony.

"It's not that I, your older sister, want to be petty, but you can't commit an offense that could get you beheaded. I have been too indulgent with you on ordinary days. You always act like a little girl, thinking you can get away with anything, even daring to steal your brother-in-law's seal."

Tian Qin said a few more placating words, and the sisters reconciled.

Compared to Tian Qin, what Xian Qiu truly desired was Xie Tanwei's attention. She had not spoken to Xie Tanwei for days, and their marital relationship hung by a thread.

The cold war tactic did not work on Xie Tanwei. As the descendant of a disgraced official, Xian Qiu was living under another's roof and had no standing for a cold war.

Moreover, this matter had arisen because of Tian Qin. Above all, she must not damage the bond between husband and wife.

Xian Qiu tried to persuade herself: after all, wasn't Tian Qin just a beautiful concubine? What man didn't take concubines? There would always be a concubine to bear children.

Having come to terms with it, Xian Qiu took the initiative to approach Xie Tanwei. He naturally understood, and the couple reconciled as before.

This storm over the medicine hall was temporarily set aside.

It so happened that a famous opera troupe entered the capital, performing for ten consecutive days at the Spring Sun Pavilion. The wealthy squandered fortunes on tickets, and it became nearly impossible to secure a seat, its popularity becoming the talk of noble ladies over tea.

Xian Qiu did not wish to fall behind other noblewomen and also wanted to use the opportunity to mend her relationship with Xie Tanwei, inviting him to go with her.

She was fairly confident; Xie Tanwei was not one to ruin refined pleasures, and as long as her request was reasonable, he would comply.

"Tian'er..." Xian Qiu hesitated, as she was reluctant to have Tian Qin tag along on their couple's outing.

Tian Qin understood and, not wanting to join in either, took the initiative: "Brother-in-law, sister, I won't go. The flowers in my garden have been damaged by the spring rain, and I need to replant them."

Xian Qiu was about to go along with it when Xie Tanwei's voice, soft but clear, commanded: "Come along."

Tian Qin was at a loss for words.

Xie Tanwei looked back at her with a calm expression. At times like this, if she disobeyed, she would face the electric whip of the Love Gu, whether or not her fallen flowers needed tending.

Xian Qiu's perfect smile slowly froze, and she changed her tune: "Tian'er, you should still come. Let the servants handle the planting. The opera is grand; it wouldn't be lively without you."

"Mm..." Tian Qin had no choice but to comply, her face as pale as snow and moon.

He always did this—dragging her along whenever he went out with her sister. Why wouldn't he give her even this sliver of freedom? Binding her to his side every moment, tormenting her bit by bit, wearing her down.

On his day off, the sun rose gently, soft as a sticky rice cake, illuminating the pine trees in the spring dawn. The azure sky was streaked with a few clouds, brushed like a comb. The weather was warm, the breeze gentle.

The Qihuo Pavilion was filled with an array of exquisite and rare trinkets: triple-wrapped silver rings, ice-silk fan pendants, blue silk pouches, armillary sphere umbrellas... treasures beyond count, dazzling to the eye.

This ancient pavilion, occupying three floors in the city where land was worth its weight in gold, was renowned as "the former imperial tribute of the Pure Benevolent Empress," always praised as the best.

Fame brought extreme luxury. Here, even a small copper piece might be an artifact from a previous dynasty's nobility, crafted by artisans with intricate techniques. A cat's eye gem the size of a fingernail could be worth a thousand gold pieces, a lifetime's unreachable dream for ordinary people.

The purple-gold hairpin made Xian Qiu's neck shine. She usually dressed in dignified, plain attire, but now she looked at herself in the mirror with a shy expression, filled with self-doubt, and asked Xie Tanwei anxiously: "Isn't this too flashy?"

Xie Tanwei said: "Not at all. It's just the right amount of beautiful."

The shop assistant held up a bronze mirror with a flattering smile: "My lord and lady are truly affectionate. This hairpin is called 'Loving Affection.' When worn, it makes you radiant, bringing harmony and happiness, and a smooth life like immortals."

Xian Qiu smiled, and Xie Tanwei also smiled. The assistant received a generous tip, and the hairpin was wrapped up.

Xian Qiu gently took Xie Tanwei's arm, her eyes sweet as if dripping with honey. Bathed in bright light, she was entirely drenched in love, radiant. As the Lady of the House, she usually toiled with household affairs and was often ill in bed; it was rare for her to have such a triumphant moment.

The price of the hairpin was staggeringly high—a figure that would make ordinary people dizzy. And Xian Qiu wasn't buying just one; today was the eighth she had purchased. Besides hair ornaments, there were countless other treasures, accessories, clothes, and agate necklaces.

This was the wealthy Xie family, the maternal clan of the Grand Empress Dowager. They could casually buy an entire street, spending money like water, building tenderness with wealth.

Xian Qiu could afford these things herself, but buying them with Xie Tanwei's money gave them meaning. She reveled in being pampered by her husband, not only satisfying her heart but also giving her talking points at noble ladies' tea parties.

What these clan matriarchs lacked most was not money, but their husband's affection, yet most husbands kept young, beautiful concubines.

Tian Qin quietly followed behind and spotted a jade hairpin. The hairpin was made entirely of translucent jade, with only a touch of green at the tip, resembling stray wildflowers scattered in a field.

When Xu Junzheng had betrothed her, one of the betrothal gifts had included a similar hairpin, and he had even tried it on her. It was a counterfeit of the Qihuo Pavilion's piece. Later, when the engagement was called off, the hairpin and all other betrothal gifts were returned.

She gently touched the hairpin, neither showing interest nor caring. No one paid her any attention.

Thinking about the money she had painstakingly saved, she sighed and gave up on these beautiful but impractical things.

Through the partition, she vaguely heard Xian Qiu's coy, silky voice: "...Then compare me and Tian'er—who is more beautiful?"

Xie Tanwei's indifferent tone answered: "Naturally, you are beautiful."

"Tian'er is holding a hairpin, such a plain color." Xian Qiu tightened her grip on the man's arm, tilting her head. "Shall we go take a look?"

"Not as good as yours." His reply was concise, almost perfunctory.

Xian Qiu seemed to laugh lightly: "Who says that? Sister Tian is also very beautiful."

From two partitions away, Tian Qin heard their words clearly. The jade hairpin in her hand suddenly felt hot, and she couldn't help but drop it.

The Qihuo Pavilion was solemn and stifling, filled with the cold, lifeless aura of pearls and treasures. The blackwood beams and floorboards made her feel suffocated.

She wondered why she was here. This was a loving couple; there was no place for her.

"Tian'er, come over."

Xian Qiu called out from not too far away, asking her to try on a pearl-studded shawl.

Tian Qin was unwilling inside but found it hard to refuse. She dawdled for a long time.

"Really beautiful, after all, you're young." Xian Qiu circled around her, sighing in admiration. "But the pearls seem a bit large."

Xie Tanwei finally lifted his head, letting his gaze rest on her for a few breaths. "It's also quite good."

A barely perceptible depth dyed the corners of his eyes, but he was sparing with words, offering no further praise.

Tian Qin felt like a rare animal, a prisoner in a prison uniform, on display for others to appraise. Being looked at by others was one thing, but especially by Xie Tanwei.

"Tian'er, do you like it? I'll buy a few more and have the shop assistant send them to the mansion."

Tian Qin hurriedly took it off, declining: "No, sister knows me. I usually laze around in the garden and don't like wearing such pearl-and-jade shawls. They're too burdensome."

She tried her best to avoid accepting their charity, so that when they parted ways in the future, there would be no misunderstandings. A sister who was controlled, eating the Xie family's food, using the Xie family's things, even the bits of silver she had secretly saved were scraped from the crevices of the Xie family. To covet these things would be ungrateful. She didn't care for jewelry at all and didn't want to be looked down upon with mocking, covetous gazes.

Xian Qiu had no choice but to let her be: "You, I really can't do anything with you."

Xie Tanwei left his mansion's name, instructing the shop assistants to have the account settled by the bookkeeper when delivering the goods. As for the trifling matter of the two sisters bickering over buying one more or one less item, he wouldn't bother with it.

The streets bustled with traffic, presenting a scene of prosperity. A street performer downed a big gulp of strong liquor, then breathed out a huge spray of fire, drawing cheers and exclamations from the surrounding crowd. A pickpocket stealthily snatched a man's money pouch, only to be instantly grabbed by another good Samaritan on the spot. The victim repeatedly thanked him, adding to the lively street's rich, ordinary life.

The capital, beneath the emperor's feet, was indeed prosperous.

Since spring began, Xian Qiu had recovered her health. As the distance was not far, she skipped the sedan chair and walked to the Yangchun Tower to watch the opera, strolling arm in arm with Xie Tanwei amid the warm spring sunshine.

Tian Qin had no reason to ride in a sedan chair alone, so she accompanied them on foot, deliberately keeping her distance.

The crowd nearly swept them apart, a great nuisance for nobles who were used to having the way cleared for them. Xie Tanwei occasionally replied to Xian Qiu's excited chattering, and glanced back now and then to make sure Tian Qin was still there.

Tian Qin truly wished to be separated by the crowd, but wherever Xie Tanwei's icy gaze fell, an invisible rope tugged tightly, forcing her to quicken her steps.

At Yangchun Tower, the curtains darkened. The actors on stage sang in a droning rhythm, with clanging and tinkling sounds as strings and winds played in unison. The lead actor's skill was profound, making the audience's ears ring, and cheers rose and fell in waves, each one louder than the last.

Xian Qiu sat close to Xie Tanwei, and Tian Qin sat next to Xian Qiu.

Watching the opera in the dark wasn't the real point; Xian Qiu leaned her head affectionately on Xie Tanwei's shoulder. He didn't shy away, but gently brushed aside Xian Qiu's stray hair.

Tian Qin held a candied fruit in her mouth, her mind blank in the darkness, focusing intently on the play. After watching most of it, a cool hand suddenly reached over—the knuckles prominent, skillfully gripping her wrist, both stealthy and openly audacious.

Tian Qin shuddered, goosebumps rising on her skin. Subconsciously, she glanced at Xie Tanwei, who was leisurely watching, his eyes as clear as the sky after snow. With Xian Qiu absorbed in the play between them, he strengthened his grip, rubbing the back of her slender hand.

Startled as if scalded, she tried to pull her hand back, but Xie Tanwei intensified his hold, imprisoning her with unyielding force, leaving her no chance to escape the confinement of his five fingers.

"Let... go..." The overwhelming music of strings and winds drowned out her voice. Tian Qin's lips moved soundlessly, forming a reproachful silent curse, her heart thumping with extreme fear, terrified that Xian Qiu might turn her head at any moment.

Xie Tanwei stared nonchalantly at the humble actors on stage, remaining silent as he pulled her closer to his side with steady strength. Even while seated, Tian Qin stumbled involuntarily, her body slanting, every inch of her skin taut and tense, her jaw clenched.

He let out a soft, faint laugh, savoring her flustered expression like one illicitly in love and her futile resistance. At the same time, the Love Gu assailed her like rain lashing against a window, and Tian Qin let out a murmured moan, utterly untimely.

This was by no means normal contact; in fact, earlier at Qihuozhai when selecting jewelry, as he watched her wearing the cloud-shouldered cape, he had already been plotting to devour her, the beautiful flower.