Chapter 43: Wipe Your Drool

 

 Chapter 43: Wipe Your Drool

Tea seeped onto the smooth stone surface, and with a breeze, the traces gradually faded.

 

Chang Suining's eyes flickered slightly.

 

"Lady Chang's expression..." Wei Shuyi looked at her, curious, and asked, "Could it be that you've already guessed?"

"Tenth Young Master Wei flatters me." The young girl's voice was steady. "I don't understand a thing about official matters."

Wei Shuyi nodded. "That's as expected."

After a brief pause, he smiled ambiguously and asked, "But I'm still curious, why would Lady Chang inquire about something she's supposedly uninterested in?"

Chang Suining looked at this man, who had always been quite talkative, and responded with a hint of honesty: "For personal reasons."

Her inquiry stemmed from two motives: one, the possibility that Wei Shuyi’s current task might be related to A Li’s fate; and two, she had been waiting here for something to fall into place, and his sudden appearance disrupted her plan. It wasn’t in her nature not to seek compensation.

Hearing the words "personal reasons," Wei Shuyi appeared just the right amount of disappointed. "If that's the case... I suppose it's not appropriate for me to pry further."

Chang Suining replied, "Indeed."

Wei Shuyi couldn’t help but laugh softly.

It was odd. For someone so skilled at laying traps for others, he seemed to keep stumbling in front of this young girl.

"Rest assured, I’ll keep this a secret," Chang Suining promised.

Wei Shuyi nodded with a smile. "Very well, then. My reputation and future are now in Lady Chang's hands."

She nodded slightly. "No problem."

Wei Shuyi chuckled again.

A gentle breeze rustled the air, and the fish in the pond swished their tails, creating ripples.

"Please, have some of the snacks from my home," Wei Shuyi offered.

"Thank you, Tenth young master," Chang Suining glanced at the beautifully crafted pastries. "I don’t care much for sweets nowadays."

Wei Shuyi seemed to understand. "Then perhaps I could have Chang Ji instruct the kitchen to prepare some marinated beef or roast duck?"

Chang Suining replied, "...There’s no need for that."

"Then perhaps just try the tea." Wei Shuyi smiled as he pushed the clean cup towards her, casually mentioning Chang Kuo's triumphant return.

As Chang Suining slowly drank half a cup of tea, she noticed that the man in front of her showed no signs of leaving and continued talking endlessly.

What was once a relatively quiet spot had, perhaps due to Wei Shuyi’s presence, attracted attention. Chang Suining could hear soft murmurs and noticed a few young ladies hiding behind the bamboo, sneaking peeks in their direction.

"Look, it's really Tenth Young Master Wei!"

"I see him, I see him..."

Their hushed voices were full of excitement.

Seeing this, Chang Suining quickly found an excuse to leave, taking her servant with her before more onlookers gathered to admire Tenth Young Master Wei’s appearance.

By now, the flower festival was more than halfway over, and the atmosphere had grown more casual. Many young men and women wandered across the bridges, reciting poetry and conversing in front of the flowers.

Suddenly, a girl’s shriek pierced the peaceful mood. "Ah! Where did this bug come from?"

This voice seemed to cast some kind of spell, for every girl who heard it immediately began screaming as well.

"There’s a bug!"

"Ah!"

A group of young ladies hopped away, their faces pale with fright.

"Why the fuss... A bug in a spring garden is nothing unusual," muttered Wei Miaoqing as she stepped forward to investigate. The next moment, she jumped even higher, her soul almost leaving her body as she shrieked, "Ah! It’s a big bug!"

Terrified, she stepped back, clinging tightly to the servant beside her. "There are so many big bugs! Look!"

"Yes, I see them." Caught in her embrace was none other than Chang Suining.

Wei Miaoqing quickly opened her eyes and released her.

"Don’t be afraid," Chang Suining said calmly. She raised her foot and stomped on one of the wriggling green bugs. With a crunch, the bug burst with a sickening sound, like it had exploded.

Disgust and shock crossed Wei Miaoqing’s face.

Chang Suining stepped forward again and crushed another hard-shelled bug.

Seeing her coldly and ruthlessly squashing the bugs one by one, the surrounding ladies, though still fearful and surprised, couldn’t help but feel a tinge of admiration and gratitude.

With a serene expression, Chang Suining said to them, "No need to worry. They’re all dead."

In that moment, the young ladies felt that the daughter of the Chang family was taller and more imposing than ever, offering them a deep sense of security. After all, while they had been running around in terror, several young gentlemen had also distanced themselves, claiming they weren't scared, just disgusted.

Yet here was the Chang family’s daughter, proving to be the best of all!

"No need to worry. They’re all dead."

Such beautiful words!

They adored her!

Yao Xia, in particular, adored her even more.

"Hurry... Have someone clean this up," Wei Miaoqing instructed her servant, finally coming to her senses as she looked at the mess of bug carcasses.

Chang Suining’s gaze then shifted to a pair of master and servant within the crowd.

She had noticed them earlier, watching the commotion from the sidelines—

Now, she saw that the servant's sleeve was bulging, revealing a corner of something hidden inside, possibly a bamboo cage used for crickets.

Beside the servant was a young man with delicate features, dressed in a light pink silk robe embroidered with bamboo patterns, his hair tied with a white jade plum blossom hairpin. He had a certain air of youthful elegance.

At that moment, the young man was staring blankly at her.

Meeting his gaze, Chang Suining asked, "Young man in the pink robe, how old are you now?"

Still playing childish pranks like scaring girls with bugs.

The young man grinned and quickly bowed. "My name is Cui Lang, and I’m already seventeen!"

"..." Chang Suining turned and left.

The remaining girls, still shaken, did not dare to stay much longer and soon dispersed.

At this point, Cui Tang approached Cui Lang, frowning. "Were those bugs yours?"

Most of the girls standing here were from the Zheng and Wang families, the very ones he had been considering as potential matches for his elder brother... And yet Cui Lang had come up with this ridiculous idea to annoy them.

Cui Lang, however, seemed oblivious to his sister's scolding, still gazing dreamily ahead.

Cui Tang’s disdain deepened. "Brother, wipe your drool."

Cui Lang instinctively raised his hand to wipe his mouth—only to realize that there was no drool.

"..." Cui Tang had seen enough.

"Ah Tang, did you see her? That young lady was truly extraordinary!" Cui Lang’s expression was filled with excitement.

Cui Tang rolled her eyes. "Brother, calm down. That young lady isn’t from any of the three major families."

Cui Lang boldly mused, "She’d make a fine concubine, though..."

"Oh, wonderful idea," Cui Tang replied. "Why don't you go discuss it with General Chang from Xingning Lane and see if he agrees?"

Cui Lang suddenly felt a chill down his neck. "You mean... she's from General Chang’s household?!"

"Yes. So, do you still want to entertain those thoughts?"

Cui Lang let out a nervous chuckle. "I was just joking... Don’t take it seriously."

He knew well... General Chang was the only man in the capital who had ever dared beat up his elder brother!

Ahead, Yao Xia caught up with Chang Suining, calling her "Sister Chang" affectionately.

"Where is Yao Ran? Didn’t she say she was going to the peony garden?" Chang Suining asked casually.

"My cousin? She left with my aunt earlier," Yao Xia explained.

Chang Suining’s eyes flickered slightly. "She left so soon..."

...

At that moment, Yao Ran was already accompanying her mother, Pei Shi, in their carriage.

Seeing her mother's expression, Yao Ran hesitated before finally speaking, "Mother..."

[End of chapter] 

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