Murong Jin finished speaking, then turned and walked away with Feng Ying in his arms.
Chu Ruoyin bit her lip and trembled as she called out, "Stop!"
"What more do you want?" The man turned back, his face full of impatience.
Her heart turned cold, but she forced back her tears and said, "Bihe!"
Her personal maid had been holding back for a long time outside and now rushed in, saying, "Prince Qin! Ever since my lady heard that Miss Feng was coming to visit, she had us go out early this morning to buy ingredients. She even found out that Miss Feng loves seafood, but since the northern border is too harsh to get any, she specially hired a chef from the Lucky Pavilion to cook!"
"But who would have thought? My lady waited from mid-morning until well past noon—almost two full hours! Any delicacies would have gone cold by then. Not to mention, she even had us take the dishes back twice to have the Lucky Pavilion chef reheat them. We all thought Miss Feng wasn’t coming, only for her to arrive fashionably late—and now you blame my lady for this?"
The little maid was sharp-tongued, firing off a barrage of words without pause.
Murong Jin froze, looking down at Feng Ying in his arms.
A flash of sharpness crossed Feng Ying’s eyes, but her face only grew paler as she weakly said, "It’s my fault… I thought Second Miss disliked me, so I drank the cold tea to avoid upsetting her… Ninth Brother, can you take me back now?"
Murong Jin stiffened.
What had she called him? Ninth Brother?
Since returning to the capital, she had always been polite and distant, never once calling him by that childhood name…
In an instant, everything else was forgotten. "Alright, A-Ying, don’t worry. Ninth Brother will take you back right now!"
"Prince—"
Chu Ruoyin barely managed to utter that single word before the man was gone, leaving behind only the fluttering hem of his robes and his resolute back.
A sharp pain pierced her heart, and the sour, bitter emotions welled up until she could no longer hold back her tears.
So this was what it meant to be a childhood sweetheart.
No matter what she said or did, in the end, it could never compare to a single "Ninth Brother" from her.
Bihe consoled her, "Miss, don’t be sad. He’s not worth it!"
Not worth it?
Indeed, he wasn’t. She had risked her life to save him, sacrificed her body and reputation, only to be rewarded with the position of a mere concubine.
But… how many things in this world could truly be measured by worth?
Chu Ruoyin wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and forced a smile. "Don’t worry, I’m fine… It’s just a shame about all this good food. Go to the kitchen and settle the payment with the Lucky Pavilion chefs."
"But—"
"Go on." Chu Ruoyin sat down at the table. "Even if it’s cold, I can still have a taste. Really, I’m alright."
Bihe hesitated, watching as her lady picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, before reluctantly leaving.
Chu Ruoyin had just taken a bite of the king crab when her stomach suddenly churned violently. She rushed to the spittoon and retched until she nearly vomited bile.
Weak and drained, she slumped against the doorframe…
It was so bitter…
She slowly curled into herself.
Back in the Duke's Mansion, her eldest sister had their father’s love, and her youngest sister had their mother’s. Every time she saw it, she envied them desperately.
So she threw herself into mastering music, chess, calligraphy, poetry—anything to earn even a single nod of approval from her father or a word of praise from her mother. Those rare moments would keep her smiling under her covers for days.
But later, she realized that no matter how hard she tried, her father would never treat her the way he did her eldest sister, and her mother’s eyes would always be fixed on her youngest sister, never her…
In this family, she was the one who didn’t belong.
That was why, when she met Prince Qin—discussing poetry with him, composing songs for him, even saving his life twice—she thought she had finally become someone special.
Not just someone’s sister, but herself—Chu Ruoyin.
But in the end…
It was just another dream.
"Cough, cough."
A low cough came from the doorway, and she hurriedly wiped her tears and stood. "C-Cousin Huaian."
Jiang Huaian stood awkwardly at the threshold.
He had been passing by when he heard soft sobbing from inside. Initially, he meant to leave out of propriety, but when he realized it was her, he couldn’t help but listen—and then speak.
"Cousin Ruoyin, are you… facing some difficulty?"
Chu Ruoyin shook her head, forcing another smile. "No, I was just reminiscing and got carried away. Forgive me for making you witness such a scene."
"You…" Jiang Huaian wanted to say more, but she had already curtsied and walked past him.
He stood under the eaves, watching her retreating figure until someone appeared behind him unnoticed.
"Brother." Jiang Jinxue finally spoke up.
Jiang Huaian startled, then composed himself, but before he could speak, his sister sighed. "Brother, Cousin Ruoyin is already betrothed to the imperial family. She’s destined to be Prince Qin’s concubine. Why torment yourself like this?"
Jiang Huaian frowned but remained silent. Jiang Jinxue pressed on, "We’re twins—do you think I don’t know your heart? You’ve admired Cousin Ruoyin’s talent since childhood, exchanging letters and poems with her all these years. But have you forgotten? Grandfather decreed that no one in the Jiang family may serve in court!"
"Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants—we’re fated to be the lowest. Cousin Ruoyin is the daughter of a duke, now promised to a prince. The gap between you is insurmountable… I beg you, let go of this hopeless affection."
Jiang Huaian’s expression darkened. After a long silence, he finally murmured, "If Prince Qin is worthy of her, I’ll congratulate her with ten thousand taels of gold as her cousin. But if he’s not…"
He left the rest unsaid, but Jiang Jinxue’s heart skipped a beat. "Brother, don’t do anything reckless!"
Of all the Jiang family’s branches, her brother was the most outstanding—not just in business but also in scholarship. Were it not for their grandfather’s edict, he would have long since earned a place in the imperial examinations.
She couldn’t watch him throw everything away!
"Brother, have you ever asked Cousin Ruoyin herself? She was willing to sacrifice her virtue to save Prince Qin—doesn’t that tell you how she feels?"
Jiang Huaian’s face twisted, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "That’s because she doesn’t know I—"
"And if she did? She’s no longer untouched. Do you think Mother would ever allow her into our household?"
The harsh words stabbed at his heart. Jiang Huaian’s eyes darkened as he gave his sister a long look. "I don’t care… Jinxue, a woman of her brilliance—to judge her by something as shallow as purity is an insult."
With that, he stormed off, leaving Jiang Jinxue stamping her foot in frustration. "Foolish brother! If this match were possible, it would have happened years ago! Ugh!"
Meanwhile, in the bridal chambers of Yan Mansion…
After Yulu finished recounting the events at the Duke's Mansion, Chu Ruoyan scoffed. "Prince Qin is a fool, letting himself be used and still grinning about it. Second Sister shouldn’t marry him—what if their children inherit his stupidity?"
"Pfft!"
The entire room of servants burst into suppressed laughter.
Nanny Zhou coughed pointedly, signaling her lady to rein in her words, before Yulu hesitantly added, "Oh, and… Second Miss also said you should be wary of Miss Feng. It seems her heart is set on… the young master."
"What?!"
