Old Madam Cui had white hair and a weathered face, but the regal aura cultivated by years of wielding power gave her gaze a daunting sharpness whenever she was displeased.
Cui Yunfeng immediately lowered her head, knowing better than to argue. "I was wrong."
Old Madam Cui scolded, "What is all this nonsense about life and death? Are those words you should be saying to your own biological sister?"
"You are right to reprimand me, Grandmother. I promise I will never do it again."
Cui Yunfeng pouted. When she looked up and caught Cui Yunchu's smile, she couldn't help but grind her teeth.
It was all because of her.
Old Madam Cui gave a faint hum of acknowledgment. After instructing the two girls on the rules and etiquette for the upcoming banquet, she dismissed Cui Yunfeng first.
Cui Yunchu looked up with a bright smile. "Grandmother kept me behind. Is there something you wish to say to me?"
Old Madam Cui shot her a glance but said nothing.
Nanny Li waved her hand, dismissing all the maidservants and older women from the room.
Cui Yunchu's heart skipped a beat.
"Did Qingwan come looking for you last night?"
Cui Yunchu lowered her head in embarrassment and remained silent.
"Sigh. Come here, Yunchu. Come to Grandmother."
Head bowed, Cui Yunchu walked over to Old Madam Cui, a sense of trepidation creeping into her heart.
Her grandmother was no ordinary woman in her youth. She had marched onto battlefields and had even been conferred the title of general by the late Emperor. The thing she despised most was the petty, scheming tricks of the inner courtyard.
Old Madam Cui reached out to pat Cui Yunchu's head. Startled, Cui Yunchu instinctively shrank back, causing the older woman to withdraw her hand.
"You act so boldly, yet you still know fear?"
"Yunchu, a person of honor does not steal what others cherish. If a benefit does not rightfully belong to you, you shouldn't take a single sliver of it, especially when you are family. As the saying goes, friends' wives are off-limits. The same principle applies to women."
"Fame, wealth, and glory are indeed tempting. But a person lives for their pride and integrity. If you allow that integrity to be extinguished, you become nothing more than a slave, a mindless beast driven by worldly desires."
Cui Yunchu kept her eyes cast down, quietly listening to Old Madam Cui's earnest lecture.
"Furthermore, when the royal family chooses a bride, they look at far more than just a pretty face. If you can't even outsmart your cousin, marrying into the royal family would be no different than throwing your life away."
"..." Cui Yunchu looked up at Old Madam Cui, her gaze filled with a touch of grievance.
She was being underestimated.
"Be a good girl, Yunchu. Listen to me. Grandmother will never treat you unfairly. We don't need to steal from others. I will definitely choose an outstanding husband who is perfect in every way just for you."
Cui Yunchu's nose suddenly stung. She hastily lowered her head to keep her tears from falling. "I will listen to everything Grandmother says."
"Good child. In the future, once you have your own husband, you can torment and boss him around however you please."
With red eyes, Cui Yunchu peeked up at Old Madam Cui and burst into laughter.
In the imperial capital, where the unwritten rule was that men were the lords of the sky, only her grandmother would dare to make such an audacious statement without batting an eye.
"What did Grandmother say to you?" Cui Yunfeng asked once they were outside the Pine Crane Garden.
"Want to know?" Cui Yunchu shot her a sidelong glance. "I'm not telling you."
"Hmph. As if I care." Cui Yunfeng immediately took a few steps away from Cui Yunchu.
There were only two young ladies in the Cui household: Cui Yunchu and Cui Yunfeng. Although one was born of the legitimate wife and the other of a concubine, both Old Madam Cui and Prime Minister Cui treated them equally, never showing any favoritism.
As a result, Cui Yunchu's life was far more carefree and comfortable than that of the legitimate daughters from other aristocratic families.
Thanks to Cui Yunchu's notorious track record of tormenting her, Cui Yunfeng flatly refused to ever ride in the same carriage as her.
"Miss, could it be that the Old Madam already has a suitable candidate in mind for you?"
Cui Yunchu shifted her seating position, completely unbothered. "Grandmother has a sharp eye. Whoever she chooses definitely won't be bad."
Xing'er was somewhat surprised. "Then... have you truly given up on His Highness the Crown Prince and Prince An, Miss?"
Cui Yunchu cast a sidelong glance at Xing'er and lifted the carriage curtain. Resting her arms on the window sill, she watched the bustling streets along the way out of sheer boredom.
Tall restaurant pavilions stood proudly, peddlers shuttled back and forth, and an array of mouth-watering aromas lingered in the air.
The mortal world was so beautiful; why would she ever want to court death?
Suddenly, the thunderous sound of galloping hooves echoed from behind. She turned her head slightly, and for a moment, she was utterly captivated.
A tall, upright man sat elegantly on horseback. His hair was tied high with a jade crown, and he possessed broad shoulders and a narrow waist. With his refined, gentle features, he was a remarkably handsome man.
"It's Prince An," Xing'er noted.
The horse galloped past Cui Yunchu's carriage without pausing for even a second, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that made Cui Yunchu cough uncontrollably.
Immediately after, the rider pulled up next to Cui Yunfeng's carriage up ahead.
"..." Cui Yunchu dropped the carriage curtain and wiped the dust from her face. Her handkerchief came away completely black.
"..."
Xing'er immediately and carefully handed Cui Yunchu a fresh handkerchief to wipe her face.
"Yunfeng." A voice as clear and refreshing as spring water drifted into the carriage.
Cui Yunfeng quickly lifted her carriage curtain.
Upon seeing the charming young girl, a look of delight colored the corners of the man's eyes and brows.
"What are you doing here?" Cui Yunfeng asked.
"Aunt sent an invitation, so I knew you would be coming."
Cui Yunfeng's cheeks flushed red. She immediately poked her head out to glance back at the carriage behind hers and urged, "You should go quickly. If my sister sees you, I won't have a moment of peace."
"..." At the mention of Cui Yunchu, a hint of displeasure crossed Prince An's gentle features.
"Yunfeng, if it really comes down to it..."
Prince An slowly swallowed the rest of his words as he noticed Cui Yunfeng's expression turning cold.
Cui Yunfeng peeked back once more, only to meet Cui Yunchu's eerie, knowing smile. Looking flustered, she frantically waved her hands at Prince An to shoo him away. "Hurry up and go!"
"..."
Cui Yunchu watched Cui Yunfeng's frantic gestures, curled her lip, and cleared her throat. "Take care on your way, Prince An."
"..."
Cui Yunfeng shot a glare back, huffed at Cui Yunchu, and promptly dropped her carriage curtain.
"The Second Miss guards against you as if you were a thief, Miss," Xing'er remarked.
"I'm far more terrifying than a thief. As the saying goes, 'It's not the thief who steals that you should fear, but the thief who keeps their eyes on your prize.'"
Cui Yunchu leaned back lazily inside the carriage.
Prince An was far from the gentle and harmless man he appeared to be on the surface.
