"Miss, Teacher Lan is feeling unwell and asked me to cover for her for a while." Qiu Yun knocked politely.
Children indeed had no authority to manage household staff, but they only needed to casually praise someone in front of the master and mistress, and when staffing changes came up later, the family would naturally remember employees who had left a good impression.
"Oh, I see." Jiang Chuling didn't pause her carving knife, unconcerned.
Qiu Yun gently closed the door and sat quietly by the low table, not disturbing the young lady as she focused on her wood carving.
An hour passed quickly. Jiang Chuling examined her new work and was simultaneously quite satisfied with the newcomer. The girl had sat there for so long, as still as a wooden sculpture herself—she barely even seemed to breathe.
Unlike Teacher Lan, the daughter of Steward Chen, who fidgeted endlessly—the rustling of clothes, the tapping of fingernails, the gulping of water. Though minor, the noises greatly disturbed her concentration.
"Put this away for me, in the wooden box, second layer, third compartment on the right."
"Yes."
Qiu Yun followed the instructions, moving nimbly and swiftly, quickly locating the exact spot and placing the young lady's new piece inside.
"Seventh Sister!"
"Miss Chuyun!"
Fang Jie chased after Jiang Chuyun as she entered. "Sorry, miss, Miss Chuyun insisted on coming up. I simply couldn't stop her."
Jiang Chuling shook her head. "It's fine, Auntie Fang. It's not your fault."
Seeing that the young lady wasn't blaming her, Fang Jie was about to leave when she unexpectedly noticed Qiu Yun organizing something near the young lady's wooden box. Oddly, the young lady saw it but made no move to stop her.
...That box had always been something only the young lady, Steward Chen, and her daughter could touch.
A flicker of surprise passed through Fang Jie's eyes, but she said nothing more and quickly went downstairs.
"Seventh Sister, I'm not mad at you anymore. Let's make up." Jiang Chuyun said, pouting pitifully.
Jiang Chuling was almost amused into anger—so yesterday it was still her fault?!
"Mm."
Still, Jiang Chuling couldn't be bothered to argue with her fourth uncle's daughter. If they started another fight, she feared her father would find out.
A glint of triumph flashed in Jiang Chuyun's eyes. "Seventh Sister, since we've made up, can you lend me your crown to wear for a bit?"
???
Again?
Why was she so persistent!
Jiang Chuling sighed irritably, picking up a piece of raw wood to start a rough model. "No. I've told you many times—that was a tenth birthday gift from my parents and brother. I only wore it once at my birthday banquet. There's no way I'll lend it to you, not to anyone!"
"Seventh Sister, it's just a crown! I'm only borrowing it to try on—I'm not asking for it. Why are you so stingy!" Jiang Chuyun was equally aggrieved. She had never seen such a sparkling, beautiful crown. She just wanted to see how she'd look wearing it. Why was her sister so defensive!
Jiang Chuling was utterly fed up with this suddenly-appearing cousin who had absolutely no sense. "I won't, and that's final. Don't come here annoying me!"
"Seventh Sister, you... you called me annoying?! I'm telling Uncle! He loves me the most—he'll definitely take my side!" Jiang Chuyun put her hands on her hips, smugly threatening.
Yesterday she only knew how to tattle to Grandmother, and now she’d learned to target her weak spot—complaining to her father?
Jiang Chuling laughed, though bitterly. "Fine, go ahead! With your temper of running to the adults every time there’s trouble, no wonder Second Brother and Third Sister hate you and hide from you. They never play with kids who like tattling!"
"Waaah—!"
Jiang Chuyun burst into loud sobs. "Seventh Sister, you're bullying me! I'm going to tell Eldest Uncle! I'll have him teach you a lesson!"
"Go ahead! Go!" Jiang Chuling’s heart was nervous, but her face showed nothing. "Are you the only child here? So am I! If you have the guts, let’s go reason it out in front of Grandfather. What’s wrong with me not lending you something of my own?!"
The two children started arguing over another trivial matter. In the past, Lan Xin would have been there—persuading this one, calming that one, telling Jiang Chuling not to bicker with her younger cousin and avoid stirring trouble with the master.
But now, Qiu Yun just watched quietly, not interfering in the meaningless squabbling of the young mistresses.
With no one around to mediate, Jiang Chuling got so angry she pointed at her cousin and yelled, "Are you going to keep making a scene here?! From now on, you're never setting foot in my Bright Moon Tower again!"
I'll tell Uncle! I'll tell Uncle!
After all, she was just an eight-year-old child—her threats never went beyond that one line.
"Go ahead and tell! There are no cameras here. If I deny it, do you really think Dad will believe you?"
That’s right—there were no cameras in the bedroom. If her seventh sister shamelessly denied it, would Uncle, being her own father, actually favor her?
"I... I have a witness!" Jiang Chuyun pointed at Qiu Yun beside them. "She saw everything! Seventh Sister, you're bullying me because I don't have a mother! You are mean!"
To be honest, upon hearing that, Qiu Yun actually laughed—the kind where you widen your eyes and can't help but chuckle.
"What are you laughing at!" Toward her seventh sister, Jiang Chuyun acted pitiful, but toward this little maid, she showed no good face.
Qiu Yun's voice was inexplicably gentle. "All I saw was Miss Chuyun rolling around and throwing a tantrum in Miss’s room, insisting that Miss give her a beloved possession. Miss didn't want to upset her little sister but also truly couldn't bear to part with it, so she promised to give Miss Chuyun another gift for her birthday. But when her goal wasn't achieved, Miss Chuyun angrily declared that Miss had bullied her."
She then looked over. "Is that correct, Miss?"
"Y-yes!" Jiang Chuling's mind worked fast. "I said I'd give you another gift for your birthday, but you absolutely insisted on the one from my parents. You're clearly just picking a fight!"
!!
Jiang Chuyun was stunned. "You... you two... How dare you..." Lie through your teeth without even blushing!
Qiu Yun’s gaze was warm. "Our young lady has been patient for the sake of sisterly affection time and again. Miss Chuyun is simply too willful and capricious, using your young age and lack of a mother to demand that our young lady give in to everything. Our young lady has endured much in the past, but this time, Miss Chuyun asked for a birthday gift bestowed by her elders. It's not only our young lady's treasure, but also a token of her parents' love. She truly cannot bear to part with it."
"Right!"
Jiang Chuling’s eyes lit up. "This was a birthday gift from my mom and dad. I rarely even take it out to show off. And you keep asking me for it! How could I let you defile my parents' love for me? That would be unfilial, wouldn't it?!"
Jiang Chuyun stood there, stunned. Young as she was, she vaguely felt that if this version of events were brought before the adults, she wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.
"Waaah—! Seventh Sister is mean! Seventh Sister and her nanny are bullying me together! I'm not playing with you anymore!" With that, Jiang Chuyun ran out of the second-floor room, still crying.
"Heh."
Jiang Chuling sat down, feeling relieved. It seemed that this cousin wouldn't be bothering her for a while.
Qiu Yun twitched the corners of her mouth, thinking to herself how ridiculously naive modern children were. Asking the servants in the seventh young lady's building to testify for her—what a brilliant idea that was.
