TSNCWEM Chapter 21

Song Qinghan was silent for a moment; even her mother didn’t know.

Their emotions about the matter were complex and not easily defined.

Cai Shi felt a terrible headache, but was determined not to lose face in front of her eldest daughter. She cleared her throat and said, “I forgot. Your Father said that since Yunzhao had just recovered from a serious illness, she needed to go out and relax. So that’s why she went out.”

Song Qinghan naturally knew that the matter was not as simple as it looked and saw through her mother`s attempt to cover it up. She already knew that her sister only had to greet their mother on the first and fifteenth day of each month. Their Father was really too biased, even trampling on their mother’s dignity.

Song Qinghan felt very agitated for no reason, her pretty face becoming sullen. After a moment, she slowly said, “I originally wanted to take Yunzhao to the Count mansion today.”

Cai Shi frowned upon hearing this: “Why take her there? It’s getting late. You should prepare to leave, and be careful with Yexi.”

Seeing her mother’s displeased expression, Song Qinghan didn’t say anything else. She nodded slightly and, before leaving, casually mentioned, “Aunt said that if today’s matter is settled, Uncle will submit the memorial to the palace.” [mfn]that Qinghan and Yexi are applying for the selection[/mfn]

Cai Shi was delighted upon hearing this. “Today, you must perform exceptionally well and ensure that the Count takes notice of you. Yexi’s looks and talents are not as good as yours; she is merely a side character, so you need not worry too much about her.”

“I understand, Mother.” Song Qinghan walked out slowly, basking in the sunlight, and asked her maidservant, Han Xiao, “Who accompanied Third Miss when she left?”

Han Xiao, who had already inquired about this, immediately replied, “Master arranged for a bodyguard to accompany Third Miss, along with some maidservants. It’s quite a grand entourage.”

Song Qinghan pursed her lips, exhaled slowly, and then finally left.

Meanwhile, upon receiving the news, Xie Linlang immediately reserved a table at Sanyuan Tower, where Song Yunzhao wanted to meet with her.

She met not only Xie Linlang, but also an unfamiliar man who bore some resemblance to Xie Linlang. He had well-groomed eyebrows and handsome eyes, a slight smile that never left his face. She guessed his identity right away.

Seeing Song Yunzhao, Xie Linlang was very happy. After greeting her, she pointed to the person beside her and said, “My second brother, Xie Jinshu, has just arrived in the capital. He was worried I might get lost, so he specially escorted me here.”

The Xie family was considered a prominent merchant household, so why would they get lost? What use were the attendants for then?

Song Yunzhao then looked at Xie Jinshu.

He immediately stepped forward, “Greetings, Third Miss. My sister has told us of the care you’ve shown her. My brother and I are deeply grateful.”

Song Yunzhao smiled knowingly, acknowledging the gratitude, “You are too polite, Second Young Master Xie.”

Xie Jinshu had long heard his sister say that Third Miss was as beautiful as a celestial being. Seeing her now, with her refined and elegant features, her eyes clear and bright, he couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy, despite usually being thick-skinned.

Xie Jinshu’s discomfort was fleeting. He quickly had the waiter bring over some refreshments, all of which were specialties of Sanyuan Tower, and the atmosphere became lively.

Xie Linlang didn’t pay attention to her second brother and sat down with Yunzhao at the table by the window. She said softly, “I had my Eldest Brother look into it, and he said there would be changes today, but the outcome is still uncertain. Yunzhao, please wait a little longer.”

Song Yunzhao looked at Xie Linlang, “Thank you for keeping this in mind. I’m aware of the situation.”

Xie Linlang didn’t bring it up again and instead talked about things at home, “I left in a hurry that day, so I don’t know what happened later, but seeing you out today, I assume everything went as you had hoped.”

Song Yunzhao smiled, “Fortunately, my Father stood up for me, which gave me a chance to catch my breath.”

“Third Master is a good father,” Xie Linlang immediately praised. “So, can you go out more often now?”

“Not really, but it’s better than before,” Song Yunzhao replied.

Xie Linlang comforted her, “The beginning is always the hardest. It will only get better from here.”

Song Yunzhao nodded. The tea she sipped had a bitter taste with a sweet aftertaste. The streets were bustling with people, countless commoners still striving for their livelihoods. As a young lady of noble birth, how could she complain about not having a comfortable life?

She was not one for such pretensions.

Seeing that Yunzhao showed no sign of resentment or dissatisfaction, Xie Linlang couldn’t help but admire her. She knew she wouldn’t be as calm if she were in her shoes. With a quick turn of thought, she said, “I heard that Eldest Young Lady and Yexi are going to the Count mansion today.”

Song Yunzhao turned her head to meet Xie Linlang’s teasing smile, immediately understanding what she was laughing about.

Song Qinghan took Song Yexi to the Dingnan mansion, most likely to finalize the selection matter. If that was settled today and then His Majesty immediately declared that the selection was open to everyone… wouldn’t that make Song Qinghan’s frantic efforts seem like a joke?

The two of them looked at each other and laughed.

At that moment, drums and gongs sounded downstairs, followed by the plucking of a few zither strings. The elegant and pleasant sounds attracted everyone’s attention.

Xie Linlang immediately turned to Yunzhao and said, “It’s time for storytelling. The manager of Sanyuan Tower is quite talented. He found a scholar somewhere who writes popular stories. People come every day to listen, making Sanyuan Tower even more prosperous.”

Song Yunzhao hadn’t noticed before, but after hearing Xie Linlang’s words, she looked around and saw that several floors were almost fully occupied, with noisy sounds filling the place.

Song Yunzhao was momentarily stunned. The book never mentioned any storytelling events. It made sense though, as the plot revolved around the heroine[mfn]the heroine in the original book is not Yunzhao, but another woman!! It gets quite confusing here [/mfn], who wasn’t interested in these matters, so they weren’t mentioned in the book.

But she was very interested.

People’s lives always involved money, and she, being a practical person, couldn’t do without it.

While Song Yunzhao was pondering whether to write a story to gain some popularity and earn a bit of money, she suddenly heard a loud commotion from downstairs, followed by a stern shout, “Ji Yunting, I advise you not to meddle in other people’s business. I’ll spare you this time out of respect for your Father. Move aside!”

Ji Yunting?

Ji Yunting!

Song Yunzhao immediately looked at Xie Linlang. Oh my, this is the Eldest Grandson of the Prime Minister’s family, who, in the book, takes Xie Linlang as his concubine and is her “white moonlight”[mfn]someone she loved deeply, but couldnt be with him [/mfn]!

What a divine gossip scene—limited edition, not to be missed!

Just as she was about to lean forward to look, she suddenly felt a dark shadow approaching. Before she could figure out what was happening, her vision blurred, and Xie Jinshu instantly stood in front of her. There was a loud “bang” sound, and the sound of shattered porcelain hitting the ground followed.

Instinctively, Song Yunzhao touched her face. If Xie Jinshu hadn’t blocked it, her head would have been split open today!

Why?

Just because she’s a cannon fodder female supporting character, does that mean disaster can just fall from the sky?

Song Yunzhao rolled up her sleeves!