“This time, I’ve come to apologize to you, Cousin.”

Lu Jia’an was a temporary guest in the residence, so she didn’t need to pay morning and evening respects in the main hall.

She had only just woken when the maid came to inform her. Lounging lazily by the table with her hair undone, sipping porridge, she was slightly surprised to hear that Chu Yufu wanted to see her. She exchanged a glance with her personal maid Sanglu and said, “Tell my second cousin to wait a moment. I’ll change my clothes.”

Once the messenger maid left, Sanglu whispered, “A rare guest! Usually, Second Miss can’t stand to be around you—what makes her take the initiative this time?”

The east wing wasn’t large, only two rooms in total, so Chu Yufu couldn’t be left waiting inside. Sanglu quickly tied her mistress’s hair into a high bun, inserted a simple plain hairpin, and helped her change into a narrow-sleeved daily outfit before opening the door.

Chu Yufu, who had been waiting outside for half an incense stick’s time, walked in with a faint smile. “Cousin.”

The girl’s hair was slightly messy from the morning breeze. She pressed her lips together in a soft, sweet smile—enough to make anyone’s heart soften. But Lu Jia’an merely nodded at her and asked calmly, “Second cousin, what brings you here?”

Lu Jia’an was a straightforward person and was slightly annoyed at this cousin.

When she first arrived at the Chu residence, the first person she noticed was this second cousin—a delicate, pale little orchid of a girl, shrinking behind everyone else and watching her shyly. Compared to the eldest cousin, who always held her chin high and regarded people with an air, she naturally preferred the simple, pure temperament of the second cousin, thinking they were close in age and might get along.

But later, despite several attempts to show kindness, the second cousin always ignored her. A few times, even when they walked directly toward each other, the second cousin would deliberately turn another way to avoid her, as if she were some fierce beast. It was infuriating.

If she was going to be treated this way, she’d just let it be. So why, today, was she voluntarily seeking her out?

Hearing Lu Jia’an’s cold tone, the corners of Chu Yufu’s lips drooped slightly, her smile becoming forced. She fumbled in her sleeves and carefully took out a scented sachet embroidered with a daylily pattern, placing it on the table. In a soft voice, she said:

“These past two days, I came across a scent in a book called ‘Snow Blossom.’ It uses aloeswood, citron peel, plum pulp, and natron to mimic a winter plum. I thought this scent would suit you, Cousin.”

Lu Jia’an, direct by nature, glanced at the sachet and then at Chu Yufu’s strained smile. Unsure what the girl was up to, she felt a twinge of irritation and couldn’t help her words from carrying a sharp edge.

“You even thought to sew a sachet for me? That’s surprising. Don’t tell me you’ve come to the wrong place.”

Chu Yufu had anticipated this reaction. People who had been upset recently needed to vent before reconciliation could happen. She lowered her head, entwined her delicate fingers, and silently endured the scolding.

Seeing her remain silent, Lu Jia’an felt as if the girl was a little wife ready to be scolded—so the sharp words stuck in her throat. She picked up her teacup, drank a sip, calmed herself, and spoke in a stiff tone:

“I’m blunt by nature. Don’t take offense. But in the Chu house, you are the guest and I am the host. Why always act as if I’ve wronged you?”

A blush quickly colored Chu Yufu’s eyes. She took a deep breath, lifted her moist, bright eyes as if gathering courage, and spoke softly:

“This time, I’ve come to apologize to you, Cousin.”

Lu Jia’an blinked.

“You must have noticed that Yufu in this family isn’t valued by Father, nor is she liked by Mother. She lives cautiously, always afraid of making a mistake.”

“In truth, from the first moment I saw you, I genuinely wanted to be close. That day, you wore a scarlet robe and smiled so beautifully… But later, when you and Eldest Sister had conflicts, I was caught in the middle. I had no choice but to avoid you, which was rude. I hope you can forgive me.”

Hearing the second sentence, Lu Jia’an fell silent. She hadn’t realized the second cousin felt this way—not only did she not dislike her, she actually liked her? A strange feeling rose in her chest. She suppressed a smile, looked at the other’s reddened, rabbit-like eyes, and asked, “So you don’t need to avoid me anymore?”

Chu Yufu wiped her eyes with her sleeve, a faint blush at her ears. She smiled shyly, her voice soft as a whisper:

“This morning, during breakfast, Mother mentioned that my marriage to Third Young Master Li is basically settled. Likely by next year…”

Though her words were vague, Lu Jia’an understood perfectly.

It meant that she had previously avoided her to not offend Mother and Eldest Sister. Now, with her marriage set—likely by next year—she had fewer worries, so she dared to approach her.

The sachets on the table were beautifully embroidered, with a faint cold plum fragrance—Chu Yufu’s favorite. She looked at her cousin earnestly, her dark eyes reminding Lu Jia’an of the little white dog she had as a child. That honest gaze softened her heart, and despite herself, a little sympathy arose—

Sympathy for a second cousin who had no support at home and had to live cautiously, always wary of others’ moods.

Chu Yufu paused and then took another sachet from her sleeve—apricot-colored, embroidered with auspicious clouds—and placed it on the table. As she lifted her hand, her sleeve slipped slightly, revealing a wrist wrapped in white gauze.

“Oh, I also found a formula called ‘Calming and Sleep-Enhancing Scent’ in a book. It’s perfect for elders’ rest. I hoped, Cousin, you could deliver it to Grandmother for me.”

“Did you grind the incense powder in the sachets yourself?” Lu Jia’an’s gaze fell on the plain white gauze, and her tone unconsciously softened.

The girl noticed Lu Jia’an’s gaze and hurriedly smoothed her sleeve to cover her wrist.

“After all, Cousin is different from me. You were cherished by Uncle and Aunt from childhood and have surely seen all sorts of fine things. Only something made by my own hands can show a bit of novelty.”

Then she gave a slightly embarrassed smile and shifted the topic:

“I don’t know when Grandmother will be free, and I didn’t want to disturb her while she was praying, so I troubled you instead.”

With that, she stood up and, without waiting for a response, took her leave: “I’ll return first, then.”

Lu Jia’an rose and accompanied her to the door of the wing, watching the slender figure slowly walk away, sighing: “When there are too many people in the back halls, relationships become complicated.”

Sanglu closed the door and glanced back: “Miss, are you still angry? It sounds like Second Cousin hasn’t had it easy either.”

Lu Jia’an didn’t answer. She picked up a sachet, brought it to her nose, and sniffed it carefully, thinking of the wrist wrapped in white gauze.

Since arriving at the Chu residence, she had truly been unhappy. The eldest cousin was proud and looked down on her, the second cousin avoided her like a plague, and the fourth cousin was fine but too young and distant. Recent events had made her question herself—whether she was truly so bad, so irritating. Learning why the second cousin had avoided her today finally put her mind at ease.

She snorted lightly, picked up the apricot-colored sachet, and stepped outside.

The layout of the Cishou Hall was similar to the Zhuyu Courtyard but larger and with more rooms. The east wing was prepared for the granddaughter, and the west wing had been converted into a small Buddhist hall. Every morning, Grandmother Wei would go there to pray before returning to the main house for breakfast.

When Lu Jia’an arrived, the elderly woman, dressed in a deep purple robe patterned with longevity symbols, had just sat down. Seeing her approach, she instructed the servants to add another set of bowls and chopsticks. Lu Jia’an, unconstrained, leaned over to smell the food on the table and teased playfully, “Grandmother, your cooking always smells best!”

The old lady chuckled, picking up a piece of frankincense yam cake and passing it to her: “Then eat more, come every day if you like.”

Having already eaten porridge earlier, Lu Jia’an put down her chopsticks after a few bites and placed the sachet from the second cousin on the table. “Second Cousin just came by and found a good formula for calming and sleep-enhancing incense. She made a sachet for you and asked me to deliver it.”

Grandmother set down her chopsticks, sniffed the sachet, and said, “Yufu is thoughtful.”

She then handed the sachet to a waiting maid and turned to Lu Jia’an with a tender expression: “Yesterday I heard from the maids that you entered with a smile. Did something good happen?”

A blush rose on Lu Jia’an’s face. Normally cheerful and outgoing, she felt a rare shyness. She cleared her throat and spoke in a low, secretive tone: “Grandmother, you remember Brother Zhou I mentioned? The kind person who escorted us back to the capital? He even used an alias. I saw him yesterday at the Li residence!”

“Oh?” Grandmother Wei sat upright, her slightly cloudy eyes lighting up.

…

The next second, Chu Yufu stifled her tears, returned to Zhuyu Courtyard, removed her outer coat, and rolled back into bed, closing her eyes.

Lan Zhu tucked the corner of her quilt neatly and worried, “Miss, do you want me to rub some medicinal oil on your wrist?”

Chu Yufu waved her hand. Earlier she had casually said she twisted her wrist, and had only wrapped it with two simple layers of gauze—there was no need for any ointment.

The light in the bed was dim, and her consciousness gradually blurred. Just as she was about to sleep, Lan Zhu’s voice came again from outside the door:

“Miss, Mother Meng from Yunxi Hall is here!”

Yunxi Hall?

Chu Yufu furrowed her brows and got up, replying: “Let her in.”

The door opened, and along with Mother Meng came a tall, thin maid. Mother Meng stopped in the center of the room and gave a slight bow.

“Second Miss, Madam said there are few maids in your courtyard and worried you’d be too busy soon, so she specially sent Yun Sui to serve you.”

The maid called Yun Sui bowed properly: “Greetings, Second Miss.”

In the Yan Dynasty, marriage was complicated. After exchanging preliminary marriage notices, a detailed notice would follow, bringing a measure of wine as a token. When the girl agreed, the marriage was officially set. Afterwards, the parents would prepare the minor and major betrothal ceremonies, gifts, and the wedding itself. During this time, the bride couldn’t idle—she had to embroider red wedding items herself: handkerchiefs, veils, pouches, wedding attire—every single item needed careful attention.

Chu Yufu knew that sending a maid to help was secondary; the primary purpose was to keep a close eye on her, to prevent another “embarrassing incident” like the Chrysanthemum Banquet.

After Mother Meng left, Chu Yufu instructed Yin Suo to familiarize Yun Sui with the courtyard. Lan Zhu closed the door, frowning: “Madam is really being this kind? Miss, there must be some trick!”

Chu Yufu didn’t argue. She lazily yawned and smiled: “Someone coming to help you work is good, isn’t it? Don’t overthink it. Everything goes on as usual.”

—

Author’s note:

Chu Yufu (wiping tears: I hope Cousin won’t be mad at me~)