Song Shuyu had great difficulty making her way out of the gate. Not only did she feel as though her neck was about to snap, but her entire body felt sticky and unbearably uncomfortable.
The sweat on her face rolled down in large drops, like rainwater.
Song Shuyu was on the verge of a breakdown!
If only she had known, she would have had someone bring her mother inside the residence to see her. Wouldn’t that have been much better?
Song Shuyu sorely missed the ice basin in her room.
Seeing Song Shuyu standing at the entrance without moving, the maid respectfully reminded her, “Commandery Princess, please get into the carriage.”
Madam Song, who had been hiding nearby and watching the activity at Prince Ling’s residence, had glanced over when Song Shuyu came out and then looked away.
She was waiting for her daughter—not this little girl so fat she was almost painful to look at.
However, when Madam Song heard the maid address the child as “Commandery Princess,” she couldn’t help taking another look.
There were two commandery princesses in Prince Ling’s residence. One was Prince Ling’s Commandery Princess Anning.
The other was her daughter, Commandery Princess Funing.
Madam Song curiously sized up the little girl who was round as a ball.
So this was the girl born to the Princess, Commandery Princess Anning.
This Commandery Princess Anning had been raised far too well!
As Madam Song secretly studied “Commandery Princess Anning,” she couldn’t shake the feeling that the girl’s features looked somewhat familiar.
The way the Song mother and son peeked around had quickly caught Song Shuyu’s attention.
Joy welled up in her heart.
But she also knew she couldn’t let the people beside her notice.
Song Shuyu raised a hand and wiped the sweat from her face.
“You, go back and fetch me a handkerchief!”
“Get the one made of silk! Hurry!”
The maid hesitated. “Commandery Princess…”
Song Shuyu widened her eyes. “What? Have I become someone you can no longer order around?”
The maid hurriedly apologized. “Commandery Princess, this servant will go at once!”
She ran back in haste.
This was Prince Ling’s residence, and there was a coachman waiting outside. The maid wasn’t worried that anything would happen to Song Shuyu.
Only after the maid had left did Song Shuyu take one slow, awkward step after another toward Madam Song.
Madam Song looked at Song Shuyu in bewilderment.
Could this richly adorned commandery princess be planning to scold them?
Song Shuyuan couldn’t bear to look and turned his back.
Song Shuyu had already come right in front of her mother, yet there was no delighted expression of reunion on Madam Song’s face.
Song Shuyu was rather displeased.
Her expression fell.
“Wasn’t it you who sent someone to call me out?”
When Madam Song heard Song Shuyu’s familiar voice, she studied the “Commandery Princess Anning” standing before her and then covered her mouth in shock.
“You… you’re… Shuyu!”
Seeing the astonishment on her mother’s face, Song Shuyu proudly lifted her chin.
“Of course I am!”
Hearing his mother’s voice, Song Shuyuan turned around in surprise.
“You’re saying you’re Song Shuyu?” He looked her up and down, his eyes filled with disbelief.
After her initial shock, Madam Song also began examining the dazzlingly adorned Song Shuyu in astonishment. She even looked her daughter’s swollen, almost explosively plump body up and down several times.
Song Shuyu assumed her mother was envious of all the gold and silver jewelry she was wearing.
So she deliberately raised her hand, revealing the gold bracelet on her wrist.
After her shock subsided, Madam Song finally managed to calm herself somewhat.
“You really are Shuyu?”
No wonder the girl’s features had seemed so familiar.
Being questioned again, Song Shuyu grew somewhat unhappy.
“You should call me Commandery Princess Funing!”
“I’m surnamed Xiao now! Call me Xiao Shuyu!”
Once Madam Song was certain that this was indeed her daughter, tears began falling uncontrollably from her eyes.
She and her husband had traveled a long way to the capital.
They had originally thought that once they arrived, their family would be able to live a good life.
And for a few days, they truly had.
Unfortunately, their good fortune had not lasted.
Her husband had somehow managed to offend someone, and the second branch had actually driven them out.
At first, they stayed at an inn.
But expenses in the capital drained money as quickly as water flowing away.
The silver in Madam Song’s hands soon ran out.
After discussing it with her husband, they decided to rent a house and settle down for the time being.
But her husband had spent several days going out in search of work, only to return each time with a sigh.
In the end, after discussing the matter, they decided to seek out Song Shuyu.
Given how favored Song Shuyu was in Prince Ling’s residence, all she needed to do was put in a good word for Song Shuyu’s father before the Crown Prince. Perhaps then, their family might be able to turn their fortunes around.
Madam Song had come several times, but she had been turned away every time.
She hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Song Shuyu.
With no other choice, Madam Song had gritted her teeth, removed the bracelet from her wrist, and stuffed it into the hands of a maid assigned to menial work.
Now, she had finally seen her daughter.
All the grievances she had suffered during these days came rushing to the surface at once.
When Song Shuyu saw her mother clutching her and sobbing uncontrollably, she felt miserable as well.
“Mother!”
Song Shuyu threw herself into Madam Song’s arms.
Madam Song’s body swayed. If Song Shuyuan hadn’t been standing behind her, she would have nearly been knocked to the ground.
Although she didn’t fall, Madam Song felt as though her chest had been struck so hard that she could barely breathe.
Her tears fell even more fiercely.
This was supposed to be her daughter?
She was practically a mountain!
Song Shuyuan stared at his sister, who was sobbing in his mother’s arms, with an expression of utter disbelief.
“You really are Song Shuyu?”
“No, how did you get this fat?”
“And what’s that smell on you?”
Song Shuyuan covered his nose, his face full of disdain.
His delicate, beautiful little sister—how had she become like this?
She had transformed beyond recognition!
Song Shuyu was crying sorrowfully in her mother’s arms.
Hearing her elder brother’s words, she felt even more heartbroken.
“Mother, Shuyuan dislikes me!”
Madam Song endured the unpleasant smell and patted Song Shuyu on the back.
“Your brother didn’t mean it that way!”
“He was only teasing you because he didn’t want you to feel sad.”
“Besides, Shuyu, this isn’t the place to talk.”
“Let’s go somewhere else.”
“Where were you planning to go?”
Madam Song noticed that the coachman had heard the commotion and was turning around to look.
Song Shuyu also understood her situation. She happened to have a great deal she wanted to tell her mother.
“Mother, I’m going to the ‘Mixue’ iced-drink shop in a little while.”
“You and Shuyuan go wait for me there!”
“There’s only one shop like it in the entire capital, so it’s easy to find.”
“Just ask around and you’ll know.”
Song Shuyu saw the maid who served her hurrying out.
She quickly pushed Madam Song away, wiped her tears, turned around, and climbed into the carriage.
The maid passed Madam Song with some puzzlement and climbed into the carriage as well.
Madam Song hurriedly lowered her head and rushed toward the iced-drink shop Song Shuyu had mentioned with Song Shuyuan.
“Take me to the ‘Mixue’ iced-drink shop,” Song Shuyu ordered.
The carriage began to move.
The maid respectfully handed Song Shuyu the handkerchief and asked cautiously, “Commandery Princess, why were you crying?”
“And who was that person just now?”
