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Chapter 41 – Tea and Water

“Miss, do you want me to go keep an eye on someone?”

After settling everyone properly, Yu Jinnian didn’t even pause to think — he strode straight toward the west wing to seek credit from Yu Mingyao.

Look at him, what a good elder brother. Even though that stinking brat was about to snatch away his beautiful, jade-like little sister, he still kindly and thoughtfully arranged a room for Pei Shang.

The more Yu Jinnian walked, the more he felt that this idea of his was quite good.

Now that the banquet had dispersed, the maids and servants from various quarters who had been called to help had finished their tasks and were also starting to tidy up and return to their own posts.

As Yu Jinnian walked along, a tall maid approached him, her head bowed, wearing a silver hairpin and a half-new, half-old jacket.

Even the servants of the Pei household — despite having signed indenture contracts — usually carried themselves with pride in serving the Pei family.

They would never sneak around like this, acting so furtively.

Yu Jinnian narrowed his eyes slightly; his gaze was drawn to the gold-inlaid bracelet on her wrist.

This bracelet was exquisitely crafted — a top-quality item that even a master would cherish dearly.

Flashing in his mind was the carved silver bracelet that Pei Bizhu usually wore on her wrist.

“Which room are you from? And where are you going?”

The maid flinched at the sight of him, a flicker of panic crossing her face. But she quickly calmed herself and gave a polite curtsy.

“I’m Hong Xiang, sir. I used to serve Miss Lianzhu. Since Miss Yanyue has no further orders, I was planning to return to Second Miss’s quarters.”

If she served Pei Lianzhu, having such a bracelet was plausible.

Yu Jinnian waved her off.

“All right, then go ahead. Oh, and one more thing,” he added, “remind the servants not to casually approach the two guest rooms. Your young master is resting there.”

Yu Jinnian made no mention of Xie Zhuoguang.

Hong Xiang nodded at his words.

The two brushed past each other.

Yu Jinnian, eager to head to the west wing, didn’t notice that after they parted, Hong Xiang let out a long breath of relief and walked directly toward — of all places — the guest room he had just warned her not to approach.

—

West Wing

Yu Mingyao didn’t know how long she had lain face down on the couch, weeping.

At first her heart felt torn to pieces, gripping the cold stem of the hairpin tightly as she suppressed her sorrow. Eventually, crying and crying, she drifted off into a dazed sleep.

When she finally heard Yu Jinnian’s cautious voice calling her, she forced her eyes open.

“Brother…”

She still lay as before, her face turned slightly to the side.

She didn’t know how she appeared in Yu Jinnian’s eyes at that moment.

Her festive ceremonial robes, bright and joyous, wrapped around her delicate, tender figure — like a budding sprout. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, were like fallen, crushed peach blossoms in spring.

Beautiful indeed, but almost too painful to look at closely.

Yu Jinnian turned his gaze away, staring fixedly at the small redwood side table next to the beauty couch.

“Did you have a nightmare, or…?”

There was no hint of a smile on his face.

Seeing her brother’s rare serious expression, Yu Mingyao finally cleared her mind of all the tangled memories from her past life.

She propped herself up with one hand and slowly sat upright. A faint smile gradually formed on her face.

“Everything’s fine, Brother. Why do you ask that?”

Her voice was soft and full of warmth — crisp and melodious like the call of an oriole.

Yet hearing her words brought Yu Jinnian no comfort at all.

A suffocating heaviness spread from his chest outward.

He again recalled how, before their father passed away, he had summoned him to the bedside, gripping his hand tightly.

He had said that Mingyao, being born beautiful, must be carefully protected and not allowed to fall prey to some lascivious scoundrel.

He had said that after the parents were gone, Jinnian must be a man who stands tall and carries the family’s burden.

Everything would be entrusted to Jinnian.

Yet ever since coming to the capital, Yu Jinnian had felt, day by day, that the distance between him and Yu Mingyao grew greater.

From the womb, they had never been separated. Yet now, though they were together every day, it felt as though a silver river lay between them.

He didn’t know when it happened — his sister had suddenly become clear-headed and independent, as though she no longer needed him.

Even when something troubled her… she no longer told him.

“I’ve settled Pei Shang. You don’t need to worry.”

Yu Jinnian lowered his gaze, deliberately turning his face away so she couldn’t see his expression.

After a long pause, these were the only words he could force out.

The words fell into silence — the west wing, imbued with the air of a young lady’s quarters, became deathly still.

Yu Jinnian stood there alone, looking forlorn.

Seeing this, Yu Mingyao curved her lips into a helpless, bitter smile.

Of course she understood what troubled him.

But no matter how close a brother and sister, once grown to the age of marriage and childbearing, they would each have their own family.

Even if she didn’t marry Pei Shang and instead took a husband into the Yu household in Suzhou, eventually Jinnian would marry too, and they’d live apart.

No siblings could accompany each other for a lifetime.

Yu Mingyao lowered her face and said nothing more.

She sat upright, drew a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, and delicately wiped her eyes.

When her eyes looked normal again — only slightly sore and swollen — she finally lifted the golden hairpin she had never let go of.

“Brother, look! Pei Shang gave me this. Isn’t it pretty?”

She held the hairpin up, trying it against her hair.

Yu Jinnian lazily lifted his eyelids and responded perfunctorily, “It’s nice.”

It was indeed beautiful. The large southern pearl was pure as the moon; the peony petals vivid and lifelike; the rubies dazzling and bright.

It lent Yu Mingyao a grace and nobility she had not shown before.

But why did this hairpin look familiar?

As if he had seen it somewhere before. Yu Jinnian frowned in thought.

“As long as it looks nice, that’s good. Brother, will you help me pin it in?”

Yu Mingyao lifted her eyes, her gaze bright and lively.

Yu Jinnian could never refuse a request from his sister.

Reluctantly, he stepped forward. Though his stance was unenthusiastic, his usually clumsy hands moved with unexpected gentleness.

Yu Mingyao’s hair was already adorned with many hairpins — only this one and the white jade magnolia Pei Shang had previously gifted her remained.

The magnolia had been bent and lost some petals when she lay sleeping.

As he prepared to remove it, he saw Yu Mingyao lower her eyes, a faint smile on her lips.

“No need.”

He didn’t quite understand yet, but when Yu Mingyao lifted her gaze to meet his, her smile deepened, shimmering with tender affection.

“Brother, don’t take it out — Pei Shang pinned that one for me too. Isn’t it pretty?”

At these words, the blocked breath in Yu Jinnian’s chest surged upward again.

Even though he knew that Pei Shang’s feelings weren’t unrequited…

He still couldn’t bear the thought of his “meat bun” (his sister) being taken away by some stray mutt from who-knows-where.

Fortunately, the pinning was done.

Yu Jinnian set down the golden hairpin, took a step back, and muttered sourly, “I knew it. Pretty boys with nothing but a good face are always full of tricks.”

Someone he didn’t like at first glance would always be annoying, no matter how much time passed.

Yu Mingyao shot him a sidelong glance and smiled faintly. Her slender, pale fingers lightly adjusted the peony-ruby-southern pearl hairpin at her temple.

“Brother, did you settle him in the guest quarters?”

“Mhm.”

Yu Mingyao smiled again, looking every bit like a lovestruck young girl preparing to meet her sweetheart.

“Good. Then you should go rest, Brother. I’ll tidy up and go check on him shortly.”

Seeing his sister so determined to “hang herself on that crooked tree,” Yu Jinnian could only shake his head helplessly, sigh heavily, and leave with a heavy heart.