Eventually, the carriage stopped, and we were back to where we were.

Silent, relatively silent.

He still got out of the carriage first, and then helped me down, and the servants on both sides hurried over to greet him, but seeing me and him so silent, no one dared to say anything, so he walked in quietly. Seeing that I was about to reach the place where the road parted, I was going back to the inner courtyard, and he should probably go to the study as well.

He looked at the dense bamboo forest in front of him, and under the green leaves, revealing a delicately beamed house, where he used to be my room and his, but now, he was only looking at it from a distance.

He was silent for a moment, and then said, "You go back and rest first." ”

"Hmm."

"When the time comes, I'll go with you to pick up Li'er."

"Okay."

After the two of them finished saying these half-salty words, they were about to turn around and go their separate ways, I had already taken a few steps, and finally stopped and turned around: "Yuan Xiu." ”

“……”

He hurriedly looked back at me, his eyes showing a bit of urgency.

"......" I was silent for a moment, and asked, "Miss Ruoshi—is she alright?" ”

The originally eager face stiffened slightly.

I suddenly felt that it was a bit superfluous for me to ask this sentence again, especially when I saw his suddenly dim eyes, I felt more and more at a loss, smiled awkwardly, and turned around to leave. But as soon as I left, I heard him call me behind me: "Qingying." ”

I looked back and saw him standing there, and after hesitating for a while, I finally said softly, "You have a good rest, and I will have someone come and call you later." ”

I nodded, turned and walked away.

Back in the room, it was quiet.

And I, too, were even more at a loss.

The words I said to Li'er before were really just words, I was different from Pei Yuanxiu, I had nothing to do, and I didn't have any official business to deal with, Li'er went to Yangzhou, Su Su stayed in Xichuan and didn't come over, and Pei Yuanxiu shared a room, and I was the only one left here, with nothing to do, and no one to talk to.

Even, when I was eating, no one bothered me and drank the bowl of bitter and unpleasant soup.

Only then did I understand what kind of existence I was in this mansion.

I couldn't help but smile.

As I had spent in the inner courtyard before, I sat alone by the window, looking at the bamboo leaves swaying in the wind outside, counting how many points of light the sun spilled on the ground through the cracks in the bamboo leaves.

But today, it doesn't seem to work very well.

I couldn't be still, I felt upset and irritable even when I sat for a while, and the soft sound of the bamboo leaves outside the window sounded particularly irritating to me, and even the wind, when it blew into this room, couldn't blow away that anxious feeling.

I simply got up and walked out.

However, I don't know if it is the wish of the heavens, or the heavens do not fulfill the wishes of the people, as soon as I walked on the bridge, I saw Han Zitong, who was explaining something to a few maids.

Her face was not very good, and her voice seemed to be very eye-catching, so before she could get closer, I heard her say: "Why hasn't Childe's room been cleaned up yet?" Didn't I tell Childe to clean up another room as soon as I came back yesterday? ”

"Back to Miss, the room has been cleaned up, but last night Childe stayed in the study to handle official business, so he didn't go to rest."

"Oh...... The weather is hot, and everything that should be prepared must be prepared for the son, especially the one over there who relies on water, there are many mosquitoes, and the incense to repel mosquitoes must be lit for the son every night, understand? ”

"Yes, miss."

"Also, Childe has a lot of things to do recently, so you should be careful with your service, don't make Childe angry, you know?"

"Got it, miss."

She was about to say something, but she already heard my footsteps, turned her head to see that it was me coming, and immediately sank her face. The maids also saw me, and hurriedly came over to salute me, but saw Han Zitong wave his hand lightly: "Go down quickly, and talk about it after finishing the matter of the son." ”

“……”

The maids were visibly hesitant, look at me, and then at her.

"Why don't you go yet!?"

She looked like she was about to get angry, and the maids didn't dare to delay any longer, so they could only bow their heads, call out to me, and hurriedly turn around and leave.

I stood there, not knowing whether to be embarrassed or funny, and in hesitation, she had already walked in front of me, with a somewhat gloomy look on her face, as if she was about to get angry, but as if she was trying her best to suppress it, she looked me up and down a few times: "You look okay." ”

I smiled, "You look good too." ”

"I thought you were going to be sick for at least a few days."

"I've already returned to Jinling, no matter how bad it is here, it's better than at sea, how can I get sick?"

“……”

When it comes to the kung fu of the tongue, Han Zitong has never been my opponent, and it seems that she understands it herself, so after these two sentences, her face was gloomy, and she didn't say anything more, but I asked: "Sister Ling-Miss Ruoshi, how is it now?" ”

As soon as he said this, it was like pricking her with a needle.

She shuddered and glared at me, "What are you asking for?" ”

I laughed: "What is under the same roof, Miss Ruoshi is unwell, I can't ask too much." ”

"Under one roof?" Hearing this, she immediately sneered: "Who is under the same roof with you?" ”

“……”

"Whose roof is this, have you figured it out?"

My face froze.

If the greeting I just made her think too much and was stabbed, then this sentence is undoubtedly the most accurate stab to me at this moment, here.

But apparently, she didn't think it was enough.

"Do you think that if someone calls you Mrs., you are really the lady here?"

“……”

"If I want them to become mute, you won't even get this 'madam', do you really think you're the lady here?"

“……”

"Is there any 'lady' like you?"

My smile froze, but I still smiled, and only then did I sigh softly and say, "Why is Miss Zitong so tense? I just said hello to Sister Ling. ”

"Hmph, you greet my sister? Are you so kind to greet my sister? ”

Speaking of this, she seemed to be even more angry, and the anger in her eyes could hardly be concealed, and she walked up to me and glared at me angrily: "You think I don't know what you mean by doing this now? ”

“……”

She looked straight into my eyes and said hatefully, "Do you think that if you don't have sex with Yuan Xiu and don't give him a son, you can harm my sister's affairs?" Can you drag Yuan Xiu and never marry my sister? ”

“……”

This time, my smile didn't last.

And looking at my fading smile and slowly cold eyes, Han Zitong smiled instead, she walked up to me and said word by word: "There is one thing you probably haven't realized yet, before you came to Jiangnan, before you married Yuan Xiu, my sister and Yuan Xiu have been together for many years. ”

“……”

"When he was good in Jiangnan, when he was bad, my sister was by his side."

“……”

"What qualifications do you have to have people here call you 'Madame'? What qualifications do you have to make Yuan Xiu the only woman you are? What right do you have to be his wife in the presence of our sisters? ”

“……”

I stood still and didn't move, just quietly looking at the angry Han Zitong.

But only I knew that her every word was like a punch to my chest, as if it was about to break the throbbing thing in my chest.

At this moment, even my face turned a little pale.

She was right - before I came, it had always been Han Ruoshi, to be exact, it was the two sisters who were by his side, whether it was the suffering or joy in Jiangnan, the person who shared with him was not me, but this pair of sisters who were always by his side.

Actually, I didn't feel it, from the first time he took me to accompany Li'er to play in this garden, Han Ruoshi came to deliver refreshments, although her purpose was to ask me to intercede with Pei Yuanxiu for Han Zitong, but from Li'er's familiar attitude, and Pei Yuanxiu's kind behavior, from various details, I understand that the person who once accompanied the two of them like this is her, and all the joys and sufferings are also shared with Pei Yuanxiu.

The two of them have a past.

These are already facts, and I have no way to escape them.

However, it is impossible to make me retreat.

After being silent for a long time, I smiled slightly, raised my head to look at Han Zitong, and said, "Han Zitong, you are right. ”

Her face froze for a moment, as if she couldn't believe it, but even so, I could still laugh.

And I was still smiling and saying word for word, "But why didn't they tell me in person?" ”

“……”

"Let them both come and sue me!"

“……”

"If Yuan Xiu, if he really wants to marry your sister......" I took a deep breath, looked at her with a smile, and said, "This son, you don't have to give birth." ”

She was a little stunned, but suddenly came back to her senses and realized what I meant by my words, and her eyes widened in shock: "You, what do you mean-"

I gave her a faint look, then smiled.

That smile is indescribably bitter and indescribably indifferent.

Then he turned and walked away.

When I got back to the inner courtyard, I sat down on the couch almost out of strength.

Fortunately, it was very quiet, no outsiders disturbed me, and no one saw me lose my soul, the wind blew through my sideburns, slowly drying those fine beads of sweat, and I just sat quietly on the couch, looking out of the open window, the bamboo leaves swaying in the wind, and the winding path under the shade of the bamboo forest.

This time, time flies.

I didn't even notice the passage of time when I saw the familiar figure walking along the winding path.

He walked into the room, walked in front of me, and leaned down to look at me.