As a reward for Purple Star and Moonlit Night, Yuxiu added more entries （4.28）
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Ever since Concubine Su was discovered, Lingzhi was confined just like Fang Jinxiu.
At that time, in order to lure Song Yunping out, it was publicly claimed that Lingzhi was pregnant and harmed by Concubine Su.
Of course, the family already knew now that Lingzhi's pregnancy was fake.
However, it was unclear whether this fake pregnancy was voluntary or arranged, so afterwards, they neither treated her well nor poorly, but they forgot about her.
"Why bring her here all of a sudden?" Fang Yunxiao said with a complicated expression.
Fang Yuxiu watched as Lingzhi, with her head bowed, walked into Fang Chengyu's courtyard.
"After all, it happened, can we really pretend it didn't?" she said, "Mother also doesn't know what to do, after all, it was Chengyu who initiated everything."
Yes, it was indeed distressing.
"It's also little brother's fault, how could he just..." Fang Yunxiao said with both urgency and a sigh.
Fang Yuxiu sighed.
"Who knows what the future holds," she said.
Who knew that the person he once loathed would become the treasure of his heart.
Since his return, Fang Chengyu had always been dazzling and capable, but it was uncertain if he would become worried upon seeing Lingzhi.
Thinking this, Fang Yuxiu felt somewhat amused.
"So it goes to show, nothing in life is perfect, imperfections abound," she said.
Fang Chengyu also thought of this when he saw Lingzhi standing at the doorway.
He hadn't forgotten about this matter, nor did he truly think it would never come up again or be mentioned; he just avoided thinking about it.
Not to say he never thought about it, he did several times, several times while looking at Miss Jun, wanting to talk about it.
That one time when Miss Jun returned from a difficult journey, he used an excuse to talk to her to coax her into still sharing a bed, it wasn't entirely a false pretext, he wanted to discuss this matter with her, but ultimately he didn't speak.
There was also the time when Miss Jun left home to go to the capital, and Miss Jun asked him if there was anything else he wanted to say, he also wanted to mention this matter, but...
Fang Chengyu sighed, the young man's brow furrowed with worry and embarrassment.
What was the use in saying it, the deed had been done, and the past disdain was real.
Seeing Fang Chengyu frowning and sighing, Lady Fang felt uneasy.
"Chengyu, I'm not here to trouble you," she said cautiously, "After all, you and Lingzhi..."
It was a difficult topic to broach, fortunately, Fang Chengyu obviously didn't want to hear it.
"Ah, yes," Fang Chengyu interrupted her.
The room fell silent for a moment, the atmosphere a bit awkward.
"Chengyu, I'm not here to burden you," Lady Fang took a deep breath and stated plainly.
She hadn't missed Fang Chengyu's admiration for Miss Jun, she wasn't naive, and Fang Chengyu made no attempt to hide his feelings.
"However, before she even mentioned it, you publicly declared that your marriage to her was fake, that you weren't husband and wife, just cousins," Lady Fang said, "I—I don't know what you think, so I couldn't decide for you regarding Lingzhi's matter."
If Fang Chengyu truly made his intentions clear, as a mother, handling a son's youthful, foolish fling would be nothing simpler or more natural.
She had a hundred ways to make Lingzhi disappear, but she couldn't bear to see her son suffer even the slightest.
Fang Chengyu pinched his ear.
"No, no, Mother, you did nothing wrong," he said deeply inhaling and smiling, "This is my issue, how can I let my mother make decisions, bear the consequences for me."
Lady Fang looked at Fang Chengyu, her heart melting with joy and warmth, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
This was her son, the best son in the world.
"I did the right thing then," Fang Chengyu said as he wrapped his arm around Lady Fang's arm and smiled, "Leave it to me, you just enjoy being the lady of the house without worries."
Lady Fang smiled and tapped his forehead, then finally took a proper look at Lingzhi kneeling in the corner of the door.
"I'll leave now, you also take care, you've just recovered, your cousin also said, you need to recuperate slowly," she said.
What the cousin says, must be followed, Fang Chengyu nodded smilingly.
Watching Lady Fang leave, the smile on Fang Chengyu's face gradually faded, Maidong and Baishao stood carefully outside the door, occasionally glancing sideways at Lingzhi kneeling on the ground.
Lingzhi, not knowing if it was out of fear or nervousness, trembled all over.
At the time of the incident, she thought she was surely going to die, unexpectedly, she was still alive after such a long time, but this life was really a torment.
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Only upon being brought out by Old Lady Fang did Yuxiu realize that Fang Chengyu had returned.
She was so terrified that she could barely make it over, yet she dared not falter.
In her heart, she harbored a sliver of hope. Hadn't people said that some might experience false pregnancies? After all, she had been so intimate with the young master, and though they never went all the way, she was still young and naive, thinking that touching and kissing could result in pregnancy was not strange.
Besides, the young master probably liked her too.
Lingzhi knelt on the ground and hadn't dared to raise her head since entering, only hearing the clear voice of the young man and the elegant rustling of his clothes as he moved, his exquisite shoes, and the faint fragrance.
She liked the young master before, and of course, she liked this version of him even more.
She couldn't help but start sobbing, burying her head into the ground.
Outside the door, Baishao and Maidong quickly retreated to stand properly.
"You may leave."
It seemed a long time or perhaps just a blink of an eye had passed when Fang Chengyu spoke.
Without any scolding or questions at all, Lingzhi felt a bit at a loss.
Then, to leave, but where?
Baishao and Maidong outside were also at a loss.
"Young Master." Lingzhi finally gathered the courage to raise her head and cry out.
She had barely spoken when Fang Chengyu interrupted her.
"Leave, and arrange a room for her. She need not serve me," he said, then turned and went toward the inner chamber.
Lingzhi, who had just looked up, caught only a glimpse of the young man's straight and handsome back.
"You should hurry along," Maidong and Baishao whispered urgently, not daring to delay their entrance.
They had already been blamed because of Lingzhi, scolded like dogs by Liu'er, and now they definitely couldn't afford any more complications from upsetting the young master.
Lingzhi dared not delay either, fearing to anger Fang Chengyu, as that might mean she truly had no way out.
Fang Chengyu stood in the inner chamber, his face no longer showing his usual relaxed smile, watching through the glass pane at the girl in the courtyard.
Ah, what to do with her.
He then turned to look around the room.
The empty bed, the empty room, never had he found silence so detestable.
"Gongzhu," he said, his expression aggrieved and pitiful, "when are you coming back?"
In mid-June's hot breeze, as the horse galloped, even though veiled and hooded, Liu'er still had to squint tightly, holding onto Miss Jun even more firmly.
"Miss, are you thirsty?"
Although Miss Jun had been looking after her all the way, Liu'er still tried her best to fulfill her duties as a maid.
Up ahead, dressed just like her, Miss Jun held the reins casually, rhythmically urging the horse by touching her legs to its belly.
"I'm not thirsty. We will see the capital soon," she said.
Are we there yet?
The jostling fatigue from the horseback ride made Liu'er straighten up and look ahead.
Under the scorching sunlight, a city slowly rose from the horizon, coming into sight.
"Miss, Miss, where shall we go first?"
Although she had been fantasizing about it all along, the moment Liu'er actually saw the capital, she became excited and flustered.
She regretted her question as soon as she asked.
It was also Miss Jun's first time in the capital, and if she didn't know where to go, neither did Miss Jun.
Just as Liu'er was about to speak again, Miss Jun in front of her released the reins, pulling out a scroll from the horseback and unfolding it, letting the horse go hands-free.
Beyond Miss Jun's shoulder, Liu'er's eyes widened at the scroll.
"A map of distances to Chaojing." She read the prominent, skewed characters on it.
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Thanks to Tomato and lilian820 for rewarding He's Bi.
Thank you to friends in the red packet area; I'm truly grateful.
Ah, we've finally entered Chaojing.
See you tomorrow.
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