"Miss Ming."
"Miss Sun."
In Jiuzhu's smile, Sun Caiyao saw a kind of innocence and cheerfulness, untouched by the mundane world, carefree and radiant.
"I regret not having the chance to chat with you in detail the other day at Feixia Mountain. I'm so glad you came today. Please, come in and sit down, let's talk slowly." Gently holding Jiuzhu's hand, Sun Caiyao smiled warmly, "We're about the same age, and I'm just a year older than you. From now on, you can call me sister."
The other young ladies nearby, hearing this, covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and giggled softly.
After all, they would all be marrying into the royal family someday, becoming sisters-in-law. Calling each other "sister" was only natural.
Jiuzhu turned her head to look at the giggling girls and blinked.
"Don't mind them. They're just being playful." Sun Caiyao's gaze lingered on the pair of ruyi-patterned tassel hairpins in Jiuzhu's hair. These hairpins had once been worn by Consort Su during the Emperor's birthday celebration.
Lowering her eyes slightly, she avoided direct eye contact with Jiuzhu's beautiful gaze. "Our humble residence has a small garden in the backyard. If you don't mind, Miss Jiuzhu, let's take a stroll there together with the others."
Jiuzhu glanced back at Lady Shen, who was chatting with the other ladies. Lady Shen gave a slight nod of approval.
"Then I shall trouble you, Miss Sun," Jiuzhu replied with a smile.
"Please, this way, sister." Sun Caiyao released Jiuzhu's hand and lifted her skirt slightly as she led the way. The other ladies accompanying them were quick-witted and charming, occasionally complimenting Jiuzhu and Sun Caiyao, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
The Sun family's courtyard was designed with winding paths and rockeries, not extravagant but picturesque in every corner. The family's demeanor was reflected in their garden—deeply cultured, with every word and action exuding refinement.
When young girls gather, it’s inevitable that they’ll play and chase each other around. In no time, Jiuzhu had already memorized the names of several young ladies. Each of them was friendly and easy to get along with, without a single flaw to be found.
Jiuzhu recalled what her mother had told her before leaving home that morning.
"How to get along with them is something for others to worry about. Once you’re there, you’ll naturally find that each of them is gentle, considerate, and understanding."
"Are all the young ladies in the capital this gentle?"
"It’s not their nature that’s gentle, but their hearts."
Jiuzhu watched the girls in the garden, running with small, hurried steps, already out of breath. She felt that if she were to chase them, it would be an unfair advantage.
No wonder her masters said the capital’s environment wasn’t nurturing. These girls’ stamina was truly lacking. They were already exhausted after just a few steps.
"Miss Jiuzhu, are you tired?" Sun Caiyao walked up to her. "Let’s sit down and rest for a while."
Jiuzhu: "..."
She glanced at Sun Caiyao’s flushed cheeks and suspected that the other girl was the one who was tired but didn’t want to admit it, so she was asking Jiuzhu to accompany her.
Fine. Helping the weak and infirm was a way to accumulate good karma.
A gentle autumn breeze blew by. Sun Caiyao poured a cup of fragrant tea and placed it in front of Jiuzhu. "Sister, have you gotten used to everything since returning to the capital?"
Jiuzhu nodded as she held the teacup.
The atmosphere grew quiet. Sun Caiyao gazed at the beautiful young girl before her, her grip on the teacup tightening slightly before relaxing again. "Sister... do you blame me?"
"What?" Jiuzhu thought she had misheard. She looked up at Sun Caiyao. The other girl’s expression was complicated—so complicated that Jiuzhu couldn’t quite understand it, and she even felt a slight chill run down her back.
"It’s nothing." Sun Caiyao smiled. "Let me toast you with tea instead of wine. If I’ve been impolite in any way, please forgive me."
Just as Jiuzhu was about to raise her teacup, a servant from the Sun family hurried over to Sun Caiyao. "Miss, Prince Qi has heard that our household is hosting a tea-tasting gathering today. He’s sent over many gifts with his attendant. Please come and take a look."
Sun Caiyao drained her teacup in one go, stood up, and curtsied to Jiuzhu. "Sister, please excuse me."
Watching Sun Caiyao leave, Jiuzhu took a sip of her tea.
It was a bit bland.
Putting down the teacup, she stood up and walked over to the lotus pond. The surface of the pond was dotted with withered lotus leaves, and occasionally a fish would swim by, blowing a few bubbles.
Jiuzhu sat on a rock, watching the plump, unafraid fish. She couldn’t help but think, if such silly fish were eaten, would the person eating them become silly too?
"Why isn’t Miss Zheng playing with everyone?"
"I don’t feel like it." From behind the rockery, a woman’s displeased voice could be heard. "With the future Princess Chen here, who would dare to offend her?"
"Miss Zheng, why do you say that? Miss Ming has a gentle temperament and is very..."
"If you want to flatter her, go ahead. Just don’t say such disgusting things in front of me."
Jiuzhu stood up from the rock. Do people in the capital like to gossip behind others’ backs? She looked around and quietly walked over to the rockery.
The woman who had been scolded by Miss Zheng was clearly annoyed. "Your brother offended Prince Chen and lost face. What does that have to do with Miss Ming? Minister Ming is an upright official, and Lady Shen is gentle and kind. Since Miss Ming arrived at the Sun residence, when has she ever acted superior to us? What’s the point of gossiping about her behind her back? If you have the guts, go argue with Prince Chen!"
"You..." Zheng Zhen’s words suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened as she stared at the rockery, as if she had seen something terrifying.
Yao Yinyin noticed her strange behavior and turned around. There, sitting on the rockery and leisurely adjusting her shawl, was Miss Ming.
"Miss... Miss Ming?" Yao Yinyin didn’t dare to guess how much Ming Jiuzhu had overheard.
Zheng Zhen’s face turned pale. The Zheng family was related to Prince Qi, so she wasn’t afraid of Ming Jiuzhu. But what she feared was Ming Jiuzhu’s fiancé, Prince Chen.
Thinking of her older brother, who was still copying texts in the children’s school as punishment, Zheng Zhen’s legs felt weak, and she took a step back.
"Please, continue your conversation. Don’t mind me." Jiuzhu used her shawl to shield herself from the sun and smiled sweetly at the two. "I’m just here to enjoy the scenery."
Yao Yinyin: "..."
She gave Zheng Zhen a pitying look. To have your gossip overheard by the person you were talking about, and then be told to continue? Just imagining herself in Zheng Zhen’s shoes made her want to dig a hole and hide.
Seeing that Zheng Zhen remained silent, Jiuzhu’s expression turned understanding. "Is my presence here affecting Miss Zheng’s mood?"
She tilted her head, then jumped down from the rockery. "I’ll leave now."
"Miss Ming." Zheng Zhen gritted her teeth and called out to Jiuzhu, stammering, "What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding..."
"Miss Zheng, there’s no need to explain. I understand. I really do." Jiuzhu lifted her skirt slightly, ignoring Zheng Zhen’s attempts to explain, and walked away.
Such a pretty girl, but why does she enjoy gossiping behind others’ backs?
She deserved that scare!
"She definitely heard everything." Zheng Zhen looked at Yao Yinyin in panic. "What if she tells Consort Su about this?"
Yao Yinyin: "..."
Earlier, she couldn’t stop Zheng Zhen from talking, and now she’s scared?
The Pingyuan Marquisate was Prince Qi’s maternal family, and their ancestors had produced many famous officials. How did the younger generation end up so... lacking in intelligence?
Had all the brains been passed down to Prince Qi, their maternal grandson?
"Don’t overthink it. Miss Ming didn’t say anything," Yao Yinyin reassured her. "She doesn’t seem like the petty type."
Zheng Zhen glared at Yao Yinyin. How could she still be flattering Ming Jiuzhu at a time like this?
Pretending not to notice Zheng Zhen’s displeasure, Yao Yinyin curtsied. "If you’re really worried, Miss Zheng, go and apologize to Miss Ming. That should settle the matter."
After today, she decided to keep her distance from the Zheng family’s young lady. Sometimes, people with poor judgment were more dangerous than outright villains.
"I... I didn’t say much." Despite her words, Zheng Zhen didn’t dare to stay at the Sun residence any longer. She made up an excuse and hurriedly left in her carriage, skipping the lunch that the Sun family had specially prepared.
"Did something happen while you were playing with the other girls?" Lady Shen noticed that Jiuzhu’s smile seemed a little peculiar after she returned to her side.
"Someone was gossiping about me behind my back, and I overheard it."
Lady Shen, worried that her daughter might be upset by others’ words, was about to comfort her.
"Talking about others behind their backs—Miss Zheng not only has poor judgment, but her upbringing is also lacking." Jiuzhu smiled with a hint of pride. "The look on her face when she realized I was behind the rockery was like a field mouse caught stealing grain."
Lady Shen realized something: her daughter seemed to possess an unshakable confidence in herself. She never let others’ opinions sway her own views.
No matter what others said or thought, it had no effect on her.
Perhaps one day, when everyone's opinions differ from hers, she might still conclude, "These people are all so strange; only I remain normal."
The two Daoist priestesses who raised her daughter were undoubtedly extraordinary women of the world. Ordinary people couldn't raise a child with such a unique temperament.
As she pondered this, she heard her daughter mutter again.
"I can't stand people who speak ill of Prince Chen."
Lady Shen: "..."
Sometimes, blind confidence isn't such a good thing.
Since returning from the Sun family, Lady Shen's anxious and uncertain mindset had shifted significantly. Sometimes, even without Ming Cunfu accompanying her, she felt at ease letting Jiuzhu go out on her own.
The capital's atmosphere was liberal, and women weren't overly restricted. When Jiuzhu went out with her maids, she could see women walking the streets alone everywhere—a stark contrast to Lingzhou.
Being pushed out by her mother every few days to spend money, Jiuzhu clutched her purse in distress. Wasn't it better to save money? Why did it have to be spent?
"Miss," Chunfen said, noticing Jiuzhu holding her purse and standing on the street, unwilling to shop. "The master and mistress have said that although our household isn't wealthy, we can still afford to buy you hairpins, jewelry, and cosmetics."
Jiuzhu sighed. "But I already have so much. Mother has prepared plenty for me."
"What girl would ever think she has enough hairpins and jewelry?" Chunfen and the other maids gently urged Jiuzhu toward the shop. "Dear miss, please pick out a few things to bring back. Otherwise, the mistress will think we're not doing our job properly."
"Hey, little Ming girl!"
Ming Jiuzhu looked around. Who was calling her?
"I'm over here. Where are you looking?" Something light fell by her feet—a silver peanut. Jiuzhu bent down to pick it up and looked up toward the second floor.
A young man in brocade robes leaned against the window, smiling at her with unrestrained confidence.
It was the kind-hearted young master who had helped her in a fight last time.
"Are you here to pick out jewelry?" He waved at her. "Come upstairs. The pieces here are beautiful."
Jiuzhu opened her palm, revealing the silver peanut, and looked up at him. "You dropped your silver."
"Then bring it up for me," Prince Chen laughed, clasping his hands in a casual salute. "I'd be grateful, Miss Ming."
His salute wasn't perfectly executed, but there was a natural charm and grace in the way he did it.
Jiuzhu continued to look up at him, her dark, bright eyes reflecting his smiling face.
His smile felt familiar.
