Chapter 38

Inside the grand palace, a beauty leaned on Sang Yao’s shoulder, asking her, “Are you happy, Yao Yao?”

Sang Yao hesitated for a moment before understanding what Sang Zhu meant. She spoke slowly, “Sister, I don’t like Xie Yun.”

Glancing at Sang Yinyue not far away, she continued, “I really don’t like him. Sister, you misunderstood me. It’s him who likes me, not the other way around.”

Sang Zhu replied, “Alright, alright, it’s all the same.”

Lowering her voice, Sang Zhu continued, “Actually, Sister, I’ve thought about it later.”

Sang Yao tilted her head, “What is it?”

“Actually, if it’s about marriage, Xie Yun wouldn’t be a bad choice.”

Sang Yao blinked, “Sister…”

Sang Zhu wasn’t joking with Sang Yao. Initially, she didn’t consider this matter because it seemed too difficult. She didn’t think that Xie Yun wouldn’t like Sang Yao, but rather, she believed that someone like Xie Yun might not marry for several years.

Moreover, she had a feeling that no matter what, whether it was for a political marriage or otherwise, Xie Yun would only take one legal wife. He wouldn’t have concubines or any secondary wives, just like Elder Xie.

She couldn’t let Sang Yao waste her youth for such a faint hope. That’s why she always wanted to persuade her to give up.

But a few days ago, she accidentally found out that Xie Yun had shared a carriage with a woman twice, a woman who had no relation to him. This wasn’t a significant event, but it revealed important information: Xie Yun wasn’t as indifferent to women as rumors suggested.

With so many people liking Xie Yun, even Li Yaoge could openly get close to him. Why couldn’t Yao Yao from their family?

Besides, in terms of looks, Sang Yao surpassed Li Yaoge by miles.

Sang Zhu remembered the blush on Sang Yao’s face when she talked about this last time. She thought Sang Yao was just embarrassed, so she continued, “Yao Yao, listen to me.”

“Xie Yun isn’t as scary as you think. You just need to get to know him first.”

These words sounded uncomfortable to Sang Yao. She didn’t know what had happened these past few days, but her father and sister kept mentioning Xie Yun to her.

In the past, it wasn’t like this.

No matter how much she explained, Sang Yao gave up struggling. She hung her head and quietly said, “Oh, Sister, I understand.”

Sang Shu smiled satisfactorily and encouraged, “We’re the most beautiful. We should easily captivate Xie Yun, right?”

Sang Yao silently thought, but she wasn’t the most beautiful. She wasn’t proper-looking, had a mediocre figure, and was a bit chubby. Yet, she had already captivated Xie Yun.

Thinking about this, Sang Yao sighed silently again. Xie Yun seemed so impressive, yet why did she feel his taste wasn’t particularly good?

In the past few years, many beautiful princesses and county ladies liked him.

As soon as they finished speaking, Sang Yinyue ran over. She leaned close to Sang Shu and affectionately said, “Sister, what secret are you whispering to that little fool?”

Sang Yao was tired of reminding her. She couldn’t just cut off Sang Yinyue’s tongue. Whatever, why should she care about a bigmouth like her?

Sang Yinyue didn’t have many friends and was bored staying in the mansion. She had heard that the palace was huge, but Sang Shu had never let her in; she never even sent her any letters.

Although…

Sang Yao is her real sister, but it’s always like this. Sang Yinyue is also very dissatisfied.

“Sister, you never let me into the palace.”

“You only call that little fool.”

Sang Shu’s face turned cold. “Yinyue, what are you calling Yao Yao?”

Sang Yinyue pursed her lips and smiled, then said, “I was just joking.”

She knew Sang Shu always favored Sang Yao. Although Sang Shu was good to her too, it was clear she preferred Sang Yao.

Sang Yao sat beside, silently thinking, why didn’t this big mouth call her? Didn’t she have any worth in her heart?

Sang Yinyue hugged Sang Shu’s arm again and said affectionately, “Sister, let me tell you a secret.”

Sang Shu asked, “What?”

Sang Yinyue glanced at Sang Yao and deliberately said, “Sang Yao likes Xie Yun!”

Sang Yao frowned, “You’re talking nonsense!”

Sang Yinyue said, “I’ve noticed it, and you still won’t admit it!”

She shook Sang Shu’s arm and said, “Sister, she does like Xie Yun. When she told you she didn’t like anyone before, she was lying.”

Sang Shu nodded, “So what?”

Sang Yinyue tilted her head and said, “This little fool dares to like Xie Yun. Why doesn’t she look at herself?”

Sang Yao sat aside, feeling annoyed, pretending she didn’t hear anything.

What did it mean to dare to like Xie Yun? Wasn’t he just handsome, with a good background and strong abilities? Even if she did like him, so what?

This person was really annoying. Why did she have such an annoying cousin?

Because of her beauty and cold yet gentle demeanor, Sang Shu, even when she was stern, still made people fear her.

She curved her lips and said softly, “Yinyue, as I said, don’t call Yao Yao like that.”

Sang Yinyue snorted, “Sister, I didn’t mean to, don’t be angry.”

Sang Shu withdrew her arm from her embrace and glanced at Ting Dai standing nearby.

Ting Dai understood and gestured towards the door.

Two palace maids walked in from outside.

Sang Yinyue asked puzzled, “Sister, what are you going to do?”

Sang Shu patted Sang Yinyue’s hand and said gently, “Yinyue, this is the palace, not our mansion. You should mind your words.”

She stood up, pulled Sang Yao to the side, and instructed gently, “Twenty slaps.”

Sang Yao, who was originally quietly angry, was startled at her words. She couldn’t stay angry anymore and said, “Sister…”

Sang Yinyue also seemed surprised. She looked at Sang Shu incredulously, “Sister, are you going to hit me?”

Before she finished speaking, a solid slap landed on her face.

The crisp sound echoed throughout the palace.

“Wait…”

Another slap followed.

Then, like the rhythmic sound of firecrackers, the slapping sound resounded.

The two maids called by Sang Shu were quite strong. Each slap hit its mark.

It was the first time Sang Yao had witnessed such a scene. After nearly ten slaps, she felt less angry. She whispered, “…Sister, let it go.”

Sang Shu said softly, “It’s okay, she’s tough enough to take it.”

Twenty slaps seemed endless.

And it seemed fleeting.

When the palace maids stopped, Sang Yinyue’s face had swollen into a pig’s head, red and swollen, with blood streaks at the corner of her mouth.

She cried in grievance, her words slurred, “Wuwuwu, Sister, you hit me.”

“I’ll go back and tell my dad!”

Sang Shu took Sang Yao forward and said, “Yinyue, apologize to Yao Yao.”

Sang Yinyue remained silent.

Another slap came from the palace maid on the side.

Sang Yao was startled and took a step back.

Tears streamed down Sang Yinyue’s face as she cried, “I’m sorry, Yao Yao…”

“Don’t hit me anymore, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have called you a little fool…”

“Has Yao Yao forgiven her?”

Sang Yao nodded, taking the opportunity to advise, “Then you shouldn’t call me that when we get back home.”

Sang Yinyue nodded tearfully.

Sang Shu nodded in satisfaction.

She reached out and gently wiped the tears from Sang Yinyue’s face with a handkerchief, saying softly, “Don’t cry, Yinyue.”

Sang Yinyue cried even harder, “Wuwuwu, Sister, I want to go back home, Sister, you’re biased!”

It was all nonsense.

Sang Shu’s expression softened, “Yinyue, Sister is doing this for your own good.”

“I’m sure you know you tend to offend people easily.”

“This is the palace, where your head can be chopped off at any time and place. If I don’t discipline you today, you won’t remember tomorrow, and someone will come to kill you.”

“Don’t cry, Sister doesn’t like crybaby sisters.”

Sang Yinyue suppressed her crying, somewhat persuaded by Sang Shu’s words. She glanced at Sang Yao standing beside her and said, “…But Yao Yao cries a lot.”

Sang Shu said, “You remembered wrong.”

She threw the handkerchief stained with tears to the palace maid beside her and said slowly, “Take her away and tidy her up.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After Sang Yinyue left, Sang Yao was still in shock.

The Sang family rarely punished their servants, and this was the first time Sang Yao had seen someone’s face swell like this.

She whispered, “Sister, Uncle won’t be angry, right…”

Sang Shu said, “Let him be angry, let him come find me.”

She added, “Sang Yinyue is just a fool. Yao Yao, you don’t need to take her words to heart.”

Even when scolding, Sister was gentle. Sang Yao hurriedly nodded, “I won’t listen to her.”

Sang Yao was gentle and easygoing. As long as it didn’t cross a line, most of the time she would calm down easily and wouldn’t hold grudges against offenses.

After a while, Sang Yinyue came out with a washed face, transforming from a blurry pig head to a clear one.

Sang Yao wanted to laugh a bit but dared not. They didn’t stay long in the palace. Sang Shu gave Sang Yao a few instructions, then they left.

As they left, Sister specially instructed the eunuch which route to take, making it easier to encounter Xie Yun.

Sang Yao didn’t want to meet Xie Yun and prayed silently all the way.

Finally, Sang Yinyue’s chatter decreased a bit. She touched her face and whispered, “L… Yao Yao, do you think I should go back and ask Sister for a veil?”

Thinking about the twenty slaps, Sang Yao was a bit more patient with Sang Yinyue. She said, “Shall we go back then?”

Sang Yinyu looked back but said “No , Lets just walk faster”

But after only a couple of steps, before they could bump into Xie Yun, they encountered Li Yaoge first.

Sang Yao’s breath hitched. Compared to Sang Yinyue, she actually didn’t want to face Li Yaoge. Every time she saw her, she remembered being accused by everyone and unable to defend herself.

Li Yaoge greeted her first, “Yao Yao.”

“Are you also in the palace?”

Sang Yao responded with a sound of agreement.

Li Yaoge continued, “Did you know Xie Yun came to the palace today, so you came over?”

Sang Yao said, “I didn’t know he came.”

Li Yaoge didn’t know the relationship between Sang Yao and Xie Yun.

She couldn’t figure it out and was unwilling to believe it.

She turned to look at Sang Yinyue beside Sang Yao and couldn’t help but cover her lips and laugh. “Yao Yao, have you made a new friend?”

“This new friend of yours is quite a character.”

Sang Yinyue’s lips were still sore. Pointing at Li Yaoge, she retorted, “She’s more of a character than you, you ugly monster!”

Sang Yao was startled and quietly tugged at Sang Yinyue’s sleeve, whispering, “Think about your father.”

Sang Yinyue choked up and stopped speaking.

With a snort, she pulled Sang Yao along and left Li Yaoge behind.

After a couple of steps, she became more and more angry. Sang Yinyue said, “Was she laughing at me just now?”

Sang Yao nodded, “Yes.”

She reminded again, “Her father is Minister Li, so don’t cause trouble for Uncle.”

Sang Yinyue pursed her lips and, after a moment, stopped in her tracks, “Yao Yao, do you also dislike her?”

She leaned closer to Sang Yao and whispered, “I have a plan.”

…

Fifteen minutes later, Sang Yao crouched in a clump of bushes.

She held her skirt, her head covered in leaves, and her dress soiled with dirt. She looked down at the lifelike large spider in her hand and began to wonder why she was here.

Well, she admitted that she didn’t really like Li Yaoge.

So when Sang Yinyue suggested this plan, she felt a little tempted, and she really didn’t want to take that path, or else she might bump into Xie Yun later.

But what was she doing now?

According to Sang Yinyue’s plan, she said she had observed when she came in that there were two inevitable paths no matter where one went.

She asked Sang Yao to wait here, listen for any noise, and when Li Yaoge was about to pass by, scare her with this big spider.

To be honest, Sang Yao didn’t know why someone would carry two fake large spiders out.

After squatting for a while, Sang Yao guessed that Li Yaoge might have taken the path Sang Yinyue was squatting on, so she cautiously poked her head out of the bushes.

After looking around, she stood up.

“What are you doing here?”

Startled by the voice, Sang Yao’s whole body trembled, and the large spider in her hand almost fell.

She quickly turned her head and found that Xie Yun had stopped behind her at some point. It was her first time doing something bad, so Sang Yao felt particularly guilty.

The man was dressed in official attire, as if he had just left court. His gaze fell on the large spider in her hand. “You…”

Sang Yao hurriedly hid the spider behind her back and stammered, “Wh-what are you doing here?”

Xie Yun looked at the wide stone path and said, “Obviously, passing by.”

Sang Yao nervously pinched the spider’s leg. She felt extremely embarrassed to get caught red-handed the first time she did something bad.

As she tensed up, her face uncontrollably turned red. “You… You were supposed to go that way, right?” she said.

Xie Yun, with his hands behind his back, fell silent for a moment at her words.

“How did you know which way I was supposed to go?” he asked.

Sang Yao choked and couldn’t speak.

Xie Yun glanced at the girl’s flushed cheeks and asked straightforwardly, “Why are you blushing?”

Sang Yao was at a loss for words. Why did he say such strange things?

Xie Yun didn’t want to argue with an apple over such an obvious question. He turned slightly and asked, “Did you need something from me?”

Sang Yao hesitated. “I… I didn’t come to find you.”

Okay.

Sang Yao was covered in leaves, even on her head.

She patted her skirt, then irritably scratched her head, causing something from the leaves on her head to fall into her eye.

A sudden sting hit her, tears welled up, and she instinctively covered her eyes, the pain causing even the large spider to fall to the ground.

Xie Yun, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks.

He looked at the messy girl and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Sang Yao’s eyes were sore and painful, and she couldn’t open them. She sniffled and said nasally, “Something got into my eye.”

The sensation of a foreign object was obvious. She grabbed Xie Yun’s sleeve with one hand, unable to bear it any longer, and pitifully whimpered, “Wuwuwu, it feels like a small bug.”

Xie Yun remained silent.

The girl was rubbing her eyes anxiously, her fingertips wet with tears, but she couldn’t find out what was causing the discomfort.

His lips tightened, and after a while, he finally spoke in a cold tone, reaching out and pinching the girl’s chin.

His icy voice came from above her head. “Don’t move.”

That sentence inexplicably brought back shameful memories for Sang Yao.

Even in such an urgent situation, she froze for a moment, obediently staying still.