That little horse held no special meaning for Cui Yunfeng; she was simply used to holding it in her hand, unable to sleep soundly without it.
It was only later that she came to understand the significance of that silver hairpin to Cui Yunchu.
She clutched the little horse tightly, lifted her head, and choked out, "Elder Sister, I'm sorry."
Cui Yunchu didn't respond. She just stared fixedly at the little horse. After a long moment, she lowered her gaze and looked away.
Those words, "It's fine," she couldn't bring herself to say in this moment.
She dug her nails into her palm, but even the pain couldn't drown out the turmoil raging in her heart.
Was it necessary?
Couldn't he have given it in secret? Why did it have to be done in front of her, through her hands?
Whoever you favored, it didn't matter. But why did you have to rub it in my face, stepping onto my wound?
Cui Yunfeng put down the little horse and took Cui Yunchu's hand. "Elder Sister."
Cui Yunchu's body stiffened, unmoving. Cui Yunfeng then wrapped her arms around her waist. "Father must have given it because he's worried ever since I left the Cui family, that's why…"
Every explanation was pale and feeble, defying logic.
Cui Yunchu finally forced a faint smile onto her face. "It has nothing to do with you."
That coldness, offering no chance for a gradual adjustment, surged from the soles of her feet and flooded her entire body. Her mind went blank, lost in a buzzing void.
She could barely breathe, as if the very air had abandoned her.
"Yunfeng, there are many guests today, and you need to greet them. I'll go out for a stroll and come back when the banquet starts."
"Elder Sister." Cui Yunfeng reached for Cui Yunchu's hand, but Cui Yunchu had already fled as fast as she could.
Her steps were panicked, chaotic, as if she was rushing off to handle something urgent.
Hearing the commotion, Shen Xiabai turned and looked, only catching sight of Cui Yunchu's hurried back and Cui Yunfeng chasing after her.
He and Prince An immediately rose and walked outside.
In the courtyard, Cui Yunfeng sniffled, her face full of guilt.
"What's wrong?" Prince An asked gently, pulling her shoulder close.
Cui Yunfeng shook her head, saying nothing.
Shen Xiabai stared deeply into the distance where Cui Yunchu had disappeared. After a long pause, he lifted his steps and followed.
Prince An's residence was vast. Cui Yunchu wandered without a destination.
She deliberately chose small paths with very few servants passing by. She knew her expression must be ugly and pitiful, and she feared letting herself go, sobbing loudly and being laughed at.
She kept walking, having no idea where she was going, then found a spot next to a cluster of bushes and sat down, staring blankly into space.
Her mind was in turmoil. It felt as though she was thinking about a thousand things, yet at the same time, nothing at all. Only a chill settled over her heart, refusing to lift no matter what.
"Cui Qingyuan, you…" She wanted to curse him, damn him, but the words died in her throat.
Cui Yunchu dropped her head, staring at the stubborn blade of winter grass she had crushed beneath her, and silently wept.
"Elder Sister Cui?" A hesitant female voice suddenly chimed in.
Cui Yunchu hastily wiped her tears.
She had walked so far away—how could anyone still be around?
A delicate, pretty young woman came over. Meanwhile, from the corner of another path, the trees seemed to quiver slightly, revealing a sliver of white brocade robe.
No one noticed.
"Elder Sister Cui, why are you here all alone? What's wrong? Your eyes are so red—are you crying?"
"No." Cui Yunchu squinted stubbornly. "I'm laughing. I'm so happy, tears just came out."
Chen Miaohe tilted her head, observing her for a long time. "Is it about Lord Shen? Did you two have a fight?"
"…"
Cui Yunchu stared at Chen Miaohe's face, stunned for a moment.
"Miss Chen is indeed the sister of Young Master Chen, and Young Master Chen is indeed the brother of Miss Chen."
Such a roundabout and rather pointless remark prompted Chen Miaohe to pause for a moment, blinking.
"Truly siblings," Cui Yunchu murmured to herself.
Cui Yunchu and Lord Shen—this pairing stuck in the mouths of the Chen siblings like sticky malt candy, impossible to separate.
Chen Miaohe sat down beside Cui Yunchu. "Elder Sister Cui, is there some misunderstanding between you and Lord Shen? Mutual affection isn't easy, so if there's a misunderstanding, you need to clear it up. Don't wait until you've lost each other to regret it."
Around the corner, Shen Xiabai's gaze was locked on the bowed head of Cui Yunchu, as if waiting for her to speak.
Cui Yunchu looked up and glanced at Chen Miaohe. "There is indeed a misunderstanding. He and I… we were a mistake from the start."
Shen Xiabai's hand, pressed against the tree, tightened, his knuckles turning white.
On the side, Yu Feng immediately said, "Master, be careful of your wound."
Chen Miaohe frowned. "How is that possible? Weren't you two in love?"
Cui Yunchu frowned. "Who told you that? Did I admit it, or did he?"
"… Well, neither," Chen Miaohe murmured softly.
They both fell silent.
Cui Yunchu asked, "Aren't you going to the front courtyard? The banquet must be starting soon."
Don't stay with me—I'm not done being heartbroken yet.
Chen Miaohe replied, "I don't want to go. I can't stand those noble girls—always looking down on people, sucking up to the high and mighty. And they're not even pretty."
Cui Yunchu let out a scoff. "Going by that logic, I'm even worse. No one in the whole capital has a worse reputation than me."
"But Elder Sister Cui is beautiful," Chen Miaohe countered. "For that one point, all the other flaws don't count."
"…"
"Elder Sister Cui, I'll tell you a secret. Don't tell anyone." Chen Miaohe leaned in close, whispering.
"I don't want to hear it," Cui Yunchu said.
"Shen Zilan and I have decided to break off our engagement." Chen Miaohe seemed to be deaf, proceeding with her own flow as though nothing had been said.
"…"
Break off the engagement?
Cui Yunchu remembered how Shen Xiabai's initial prejudice and sarcasm toward her stemmed from his nephew, Young Master Shen.
She was also sensitive enough to understand the extra feelings and not-so-pure looks Shen Zilan had directed at her.
Cui Yunchu jolted as if a cat had stepped on its tail, leaping away from Chen Miaohe.
Chen Miaohe looked utterly bewildered. "Elder Sister Cui, why are you running?"
Cui Yunchu's eyes were filled with wariness.
"I haven't done anything!"
The lessons from Lady Zhao's case were still fresh in Cui Yunchu's mind. She highly suspected Chen Miaohe's motives—could she be harboring a grudge, deliberately getting close to settle a score?
"Done… done what?" Chen Miaohe looked completely lost. "Elder Sister Cui, I have some private words I wanted to share with you."
"I don't want to hear them."
Just like before, Chen Miaohe ignored her refusal, tugged at her sleeve, and proceeded with her plan. "Elder Sister Cui, are you and Lord Shen really a misunderstanding? You don't truly love each other? You haven't fought?"
After a few seconds of delay, Cui Yunchu shook her head.
Chen Miaohe's eyes curved into crescents, but suddenly she turned to look behind her. "Why do I keep feeling these cold gusts of wind?"
Frowning, Cui Yunchu urged, "If you have something to say, say it fast. I'm telling you, I have a terrible reputation—don't try anything tricky!"
Chen Miaohe said, "If there's nothing between you and Lord Shen, would you mind letting him go to me?"
Cui Yunchu froze, her eyes wide and unblinking. After a long pause, she stiffly turned her head toward Chen Miaohe.
"You're saying you want Shen Xiabai?"
Chen Miaohe nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Is it really okay?"
"You... you like your fiancé's uncle?" Cui Yunchu couldn't help but raise her voice.
Chen Miaohe quickly covered her mouth. "Shh, Elder Sister Cui, keep your voice down."
But it wasn't just Cui Yunchu who was frozen in shock. Around the corner, the master and servant duo felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck from clear sky.
Yu Feng nudged Shen Xiabai's arm. "M-Master, no wonder Young Master Shen insisted on calling off the engagement."
So it turned out that Young Master Shen hadn't been pining for his master's beloved—rather, his master's fiancée had been pining for the master.
A nephew coveting his aunt, and a nephew's fiancée coveting the uncle.
The two of them were quite a pair. If they ever married, how would they ever get through life together?
"So Young Master Shen has silently borne all that burden," Yu Feng sighed.
But what fault did the master and mistress have, to suffer such an undeserved calamity?
Shen Xiabai's face was stiff beyond words, his expression indescribable.
Cui Yunchu was still in a daze, unable to snap out of it.
