Translator’s Note: Hey guys, I’m back after a month! I made it alive hahaha. Thanks for waiting and here’s the double update as promised. Enjoy!
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Walking up to Gu Sui’er and Xiao Xu, Xiao Jin smiled at Xiao Xu: “I could hear your voice from very far away. Does my little Sister actually have no eggs to eat?”
Xiao Xu was just one year younger than Xiao Jin. Her identity as well as her skills in the four arts of zither, go, calligraphy and painting, all were inferior to Xiao Jin’s. On top of all that, Xiao Jin was even studying in the girls’ school. Therefore, upon seeing Xiao Jin at this time, Xiao Xu felt a little afraid, ashamed and helpless. She looked away but said in her typical sarcastic tone: “It’s just an egg. Nothing much!”
Seeing Xiao Xu act like this, Xiao Jin actually did not mind: “Yes, both you and I are the Young Ladies from Marquis RuiDing’s family. So, what does the pampered Young Lady want? What do you lack? Perhaps it is because my mother was a bit busy recently, so she couldn’t attend to your needs. In short, who can deny your words? At this time, in a corridor full of people, you are going on and on about not getting just an egg. Those who don’t know the actual situation will think that the stately Marquis RuiDing was too poor to afford even an egg for his daughter!”
Xiao Xu choked. Her ears reddened with shame but she was unable to immediately respond to Xiao Jin’s words. After a long time, she finally spoke: “Would I really throw a tantrum over an egg? Am I such a person in your eyes?”
When Xiao Jin heard her words, she smiled faintly and said: “If you didn’t come out here and talk loudly, who would know what you wanted? Talking in a loud voice in a such conspicuous place like here, do you not care about losing face?”
Saying this, she glanced at Gu Sui’er: “Besides, Concubine Gu has a big belly now and the child in her belly is the flesh and blood of third Brother. You might not know, but today, when third Brother entered the Imperial Palace, His Majesty specially inquired about this matter and bestowed him a lot of gifts which are being kept in third Brother’s courtyard. Here, you are spewing nonsense about her being narrow-minded and petty so loudly, but what if Concubine Gu gets scared and something happens to her child? Will you be able to bear the consequences?”
Xiao Xu knew that the Emperor had always appreciated her third Brother, but she didn’t expect him to be so kind to Xiao Heng. Her face changed a little, and she looked at Gu Sui’er with a bit of panic.
Gu Sui’er lowered her head gently and said nothing.
She knew that sometimes, she could not cut into a conversation.
After living in Marquis RuiDing’s Mansion for so many days, one of the things she knew the best was to keep silent.
Xiao Jin looked at Xiao Xu’s pale face and smiled again: “Besides this, didn’t you mention eggs? Did you think that the Old Madam specially reserved this egg for Concubine Gu? Did you think that she deliberately prevented you from eating it? You ah—”
This “you ah” was really cold, with indescribable disdain.
“It’s just that your heart is too small making you always think that the others are going to play some dirty tricks on you all the time. I can’t figure out how exactly your brain works to imagine so many things after merely seeing another person with an egg!”
Xiao Xu raised her head and looked at Xiao Jin with an indignant gaze: “In the end, what is actually going on with that egg? Did the Old Madam give it to her?”
Xiao Jin chuckled. Her slender eyebrows rose in contempt.
“Looks like you really treat other people’s words as wind past your ears.1as wind past your ears [当耳边风] – This refers to completely disregarding somebody’s words. You basically can’t hear them so it’s only natural that you have no other choice but to remain foolish.”
Saying this, Xiao Jin’s eyes swept to Nanny An, who was standing beside her: “Speak. Where did the egg come from?”
Nanny An came forward respectfully and said in an impassive tone: “Replying to the eldest Miss and the second Miss, the Emperor specially rewarded this black-feathered Silkie chicken egg to the third Young Master after he came of know of the Young Mistress’ pregnancy. His Majesty had asked the third Young Master to bring it to her to replenish her body. The Young Mistress remembered how well the Old Madam, the Madam, the Young Madams and the Young Misses took care of her usually, so she brought some for everyone to try it. Although she knew that everyone did not care about such small things, this had her heartfelt gratitude in it.”
After Nanny An said this, she stepped back and respectfully stood behind Gu Sui’er.
Gu Sui’er didn’t speak up either, she also stood by Xiao Jin’s side obediently.
With a small smile on her lips, Xiao Jin looked at the flowers and grass beside her, as if she didn’t care about Xiao Xu at all.
As for Xiao Xu, her face turned alternately between blue and red. She stood there trying to talk, but her nimble lips couldn’t talk anymore. Only, her neck reddened with shame.
The maid behind Xiao Xu, who had witnessed all this, lowered her head. She felt ashamed for her own master, to the point of burying her in her own chest.
Xiao Jin ignored Xiao Xu, and smiled before greeting Gu Sui’er: “Little Sister-in-law2Little Sister-in-law [小嫂嫂] – Xiao Jin calls her this because on one hand, Gu Sui’er is younger than her, and on the another hand, she is the woman of her elder brother., I have something I wanted to talk about with third Brother. Let’s go, I’ll accompany you to the courtyard. You don’t have to stand here just to change somebody’s opinion about an egg. I don’t know how many people will laugh their heads off once this situation spreads!”
It must be told beforehand that this Xiao Jin was the sole daughter of Marquis RuiDing’s legal wife so the Old Madam and the Madam held her in the palm of their hands.3held in the palm of their hands [捧在手心] – This means that they pamper her.
An engagement had already been set for Xiao Jin. Her fiancé was the heir of Prince BeiZe’s family. Therefore, she would be a Princess Consort after she got married into their family.
In fact, she usually thought of everyone of the Marquis’ Mansion to be as dazzling as the sun in the sky. When compared to them, she felt that she was a tiny ant crawling on the ground.
She did not expect that such a person would actually helped herself today. Not only did she help her, she behaved so amiably with her. It made her feel as if she had also become a dazzling person like Xiao Jin.
Of course, she knew that this idea was wrong.
The moon in the sky and the mud on the ground was the distance separated Xiao Jin and her.
At this moment, she was flattered and hurriedly smiled at Xiao Jin: “Eldest Miss, I don’t know if the third Master is back now, but you go over first and wait. You can also choose to go to the courtyard over there and choose any of the gifts that attracts your attention.”
She couldn’t help but want to be nice to Xiao Jin.
“Let’s go then. Let’s go over and take a look.”
Xiao Jin supported Gu Sui’er and went all the way to TingZhu Courtyard. When they entered, they saw Jiang Zheng and Hu Tie in the courtyard, standing by outside the door.
Jiang Zheng was the one who brought Gu Sui’er to the mansion, and Hu Tie was the one whom Gu Sui’er had mistakenly identified as Xiao Heng.
When they saw Xiao Jin and Gu Sui’er coming, they cupped their fist in their other hand and bowed, “We greet4greet [见过] – The original text says ‘have seen’ instead of ‘greet’. But I felt that ‘greet’ would suit the purpose more than ‘have seen’ as this is the english translation of the novel. the eldest Miss and the Young Mistress.”
Xiao Jin smiled brightly like the warm sunshine: “Third Brother… Is he inside?”
Hu Tie respectfully said: “Yes. This subordinate will immediately go in and inform…”
Just as his voice fell, the door opened and Xiao Heng walked out.
It was unknown when, but he had changed his outfit again.
This time, he wore a blue robe which made his indifferent and cold face appear even more handsome.
As he stood there with a hand behind his body, his tall frame matched with his beautiful appearance seemed to be far away from any kind of obscenity. It was as if he was the pretty moon that rose in the clear night sky at a beautiful place and as a result, no one was able move their eyes from him.
Meeting ‘her man’ once again, Gu Sui’er lowered her head, not daring to meet his pair of his eyes.
Just like no one dared to look at the sun during daytime.
As far as Gu Sui’er was concerned, both Xiao Jin and Xiao Heng were like the celestial beings of heaven. Naturally, she, an unremarkable person, was not comparable to them at all.
She lowered her head and stood aside gently.
At this time, Xiao Jin had already stepped forward to talk to Xiao Heng.
“Third Brother, you have finally figured out how to come back. You have been living outside for more than half a year!”
Her tone was different from the cold and indifferent tone she used when she was talking to Xiao Xu. From her attitude, it seemed that Xiao Jin and Xiao Heng were quite close.
“Did you just come back from the girls’ school?” Xiao Heng’s face was still the same as before, cold and unenthusiastic without any trace of warmth.
“En. I just returned when I was informed that little Sister-in-law had sent me some eggs as a present which you brought back from the Imperial Palace. So, I hurriedly came over to take a look at you.” Xiao Jin said with a smile.
After hearing this, Xiao Heng took a quick glance at Gu Sui’er’s direction.
Gu Sui’er shuddered all over. She suddenly felt that she had done something wrong again.
But what error did she make?
She still couldn’t understand.
While talking, the three people walked in with Xiao Heng at the front, Xiao Jin behind him, and Gu Sui’er at the end.
When Gu Sui’er entered, she subconsciously stepped down her feet on the threshold. It was only after this that she remembered that the threshold had been removed and felt truly foolish.
When she was lost in her thoughts, Xiao Heng, who was walking at the front, suddenly looked back at her.
Gu Sui’er was startled, assuming that she did another mistake again.
After Xiao Jin went ahead and entered the room, everyone sat down to talk.
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