“Sister Xiaoqiu, it was really quick thinking of you earlier. If she had actually made a scene in front of my dad, I wouldn’t have had a good week.”
Qiuyun smiled and said, “We’re both from Bright Moon House. How could I let Miss Chuyun bully you like that?”
Jiang Chuling smiled, a hint of embarrassment showing on her face. She pouted as she explained to the older sister she liked, “It’s not that I’m being unkind to my younger cousin. It’s just that ever since she came back home, she’s been openly and secretly demanding good things from me and my siblings. At first, because she was young, we basically gave her whatever she asked for. But after taking so many favors, now she dares to ask for anything!”
“My eldest brother and second brother are in college, my third sister and older brother are in high school, my fifth brother and sixth sister are in middle school, only her and I are still in elementary school!” She swallowed her anger. “That’s why she always clings to me. I used to pity her for not having a mother to take care of her, so I tried to give her whatever she wanted. But she’s just getting more and more out of hand. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I yelled at her.”
What a good kid—still feeling guilty even after rejecting a greedy fool.
Qiuyun spoke softly to reassure her. “Miss, you really don’t need to blame yourself. This time you were soft-hearted and lent her your crown; next time she’ll dare to ask you for it outright. Eventually, she might even try to take over Bright Moon House and ask to stay here.”
Miss Chuyun had only been back for two years, and since no one knew who her mother was, although she was brought into the estate, she didn’t have her own residence. She lived with her father, Jiang Yifeng, in Xihe House.
Jiang Chuling shuddered.
Knowing how Jiang Chuyun always took an inch when given a mile, that wasn’t entirely impossible!
“Go tell Aunt Fang and Aunt Yuan that if she comes looking for me again from now on, just say I’m not here.”
“Yes.”
Before leaving, seeing the slight frown on her young mistress’s face, Qiuyun muttered softly as if to herself, “Tsk. Miss Chuyun is pitiful for not having a mother’s care, but she has her own grandmother living in the main building. No matter what, she’ll never really be wronged.”
Jiang Chuling’s mind went blank, and she immediately understood.
That’s right. Jiang Chuyun always cried about how miserably poor and pitiful she was in front of her. Whenever things didn’t go her way, she would moan about not having a mother or claim someone was bullying her because she was motherless.
But her own grandmother was the de facto mistress of the estate! Even though she wasn’t legally married to Grandpa, everyone in the mansion did whatever she said.
With that kind of backing, how could she be that pitiful?
Mom and Dad were always telling her to take care of her younger cousin since they were close in age, but who was going to consider her feelings?
The more Jiang Chuling thought about it, the angrier she got. There was a suffocating sense of being toyed with. At the same time, she couldn’t help thinking about that new Sister Xiaoqiu.
In the past, Teacher Lan and Assistant Chen always told her to tolerate her cousin and not go against her parents’ teachings.
But Sister Xiaoqiu came along and, with just a few words, stood on high moral ground and shut Jiang Chuyun up so completely that all she could do was run away crying, not even daring to complain to her dad.
Not only that, she had pointed out that Jiang Chuyun had her own grandmother looking after her, so she wasn’t really pitiful.
As a kid, it made sense that she hadn’t thought of that. But why were her mom and dad always saying her cousin was pitiful for not having a mother and urging her to take care of her?
For some reason, Jiang Chuling felt that Sister Xiaoqiu must know the answer to that question.
Qiuyun conveyed her young mistress’s wishes to Sister Fang and Sister Yuan: from now on, if Miss Chuyun came by, they should say she wasn’t home.
Sister Yuan frowned. “That’s not good, is it? Miss Chuyun only has the young mistress as a playmate her age in the whole manor.”
“Sister Yuan, this is the young mistress’s decision. We’re from Bright Moon House,” Qiuyun reminded her.
In modern society, everyone was just an employee. Few people had such a strong sense of factional loyalty.
Sister Fang didn’t care much. “The young mistress is just a child. It’s common for kids to quarrel one day and make up the next. Don’t let it turn into a situation where we look bad if the young mistress picks a fight with Miss Chuyun.”
Qiuyun didn’t argue further. “I’m just passing along the young mistress’s wishes. Let’s just handle things as they come.”
As she walked away, Sister Fang nudged the person next to her. “Did you notice? I saw the young mistress asking Xiaoqiu to organize those precious wood carvings.”
Sister Yuan wasn’t surprised. “Xiaoqiu is pretty and young, so of course she gets along better with the young mistress than we do.”
Sister Fang scoffed. “True enough. If I were a kid, I’d rather look at a young, pretty face hanging around me too.”
Every pit had its own mole. The most desirable spot by the young mistress’s side—the position of family tutor—had already been taken by Assistant Chen and her daughter. No matter how well Xiaoqiu got along with the young mistress, there was no way a high school dropout like Xiaoqiu could become her tutor.
Sister Fang shook her head. Xiaoqiu was pretty, hardworking, and willing to endure hardship, but her education level was too low. Otherwise, she might eventually be promoted to a supervisor position in the housekeeping department.
The morning passed like flowing water.
Lan Xin woke up in her mother’s room after napping. It was already two in the afternoon by the time she stirred.
By then, Assistant Chen had already gone to the young mistress’s school for parent-teacher meetings. Aunt Fang and the others didn’t know Teacher Lan was still in Bright Moon House, so they hadn’t remembered her for lunch.
Lan Xin scrambled to get up. When she checked her phone, she saw two missed calls from the young mistress and quickly dialed back.
“I’m so sorry, young mistress. I wasn’t feeling well and slept right through it.” Lan Xin talked while brushing her hair. “I’ll head to the stables right now!”
“No need for that.” Jiang Chuling got out of the golf cart. “If Teacher Lan isn’t feeling well, she should rest properly. I’ll have Sister Xiaoqiu come with me to the stables instead.”
Qiuyun got out from the other side of the golf cart and naturally walked behind the young mistress.
Lan Xin on the other end of the phone paused, her hairbrush halting mid-stroke. “Oh. Okay, then.”
“Mm. I’ll come check on Teacher Lan when I get back tonight.”
With that, Jiang Chuling hung up. Then she turned her head and said, “Don’t be scared, Sister Xiaoqiu. This being your first time at the stables, you know. All the horses here are carefully selected and bred. They’re all very gentle.”
“Understood.”
Qiuyun looked up at the sprawling stables and felt a sense of resonance. In this modern era dominated by high technology, she had finally found something that reminded her of the old times—the times she came from.
Back in Bright Moon House, Lan Xin, now left with no plans for the afternoon and with her mother, Aunt Fang, and the others not showing themselves unless there was work, found herself the only free person in the house.
She couldn’t resist sneaking up to the third floor—the young mistress’s walk-in closet. Inside were row after row of clothes, shoes, and bags.
Although the clothes and shoes were in children’s sizes, the bags were all mini versions from major luxury brands, some even more expensive than the standard sizes.
Lan Xin couldn’t help but sling one of the bags over her shoulder and strike all kinds of poses in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, snapping photos.
Tsk. If only her parents were the master and mistress of the house. This huge, opulent closet, all to herself, would be hers.
At the stables.
Except for the eldest young master, who was grounded by the master of the house, all of the Jiang family’s young masters and young ladies had arrived.
Before the lesson started, Jiang Chuling made sure to stand as far away from Jiang Chuyun as possible, afraid of getting pestered.
Jiang Linzhi was the last to arrive, as usual.
“Brother, I’m over here.” Jiang Chuling waved discreetly in his direction.
