Chapter 34: Sweetness Within the Boudoir
Wen Yu was walking around the courtyard, intermittently entertaining guests.
Suddenly, she saw a young girl approaching with hurried steps.
Wen Yu spotted her at once and quickly led Yan Zhu to greet her, her voice overflowing with uncontainable delight: “Lan Fang! You’re here?!” She grabbed the girl’s hand as she approached.
Finally, I see you again… after a lifetime!
In an instant, her eyes reddened.
Liu Lan Fang standing before her, along with Jiang Pinting, who had moved with her family, were Wen Yu’s close friends since childhood.
“Ah Yu!” Liu Lan Fang was also a little excited. The two held hands and retreated to a less crowded area.
Recalling all that had transpired in her past life, Wen Yu couldn’t calm down for a long time.
Liu Lan Fang, however, looked Wen Yu up and down, nodding: “Ah Yu, you look so beautiful!”
Wen Yu’s eyes welled up, “Ah Fang, I’ve missed you so much.”
“Ah Yu, I’ve missed you too… Look, this is my coming-of-age gift for you.” Liu Lan Fang took out a small box.
“Thank you… Where’s Adi?” Liu Lan Fang had a younger brother named Liu Lanzhou.
“I wasn’t comfortable leaving him alone at home, so I brought him along. But… my aunt wouldn’t let him in. I had Du Juan keep an eye on him in the carriage.”
“Let’s go get him.” Wen Yu took Liu Lan Fang’s hand, ready to leave.
“No, there are too many people today. Just let him stay in the carriage. I’ll see you and then go back to him.”
“But I miss Adi too! I even made his favorite snacks yesterday. It’s fine, I’ve found a quiet place today.”
Liu Lan Fang held Wen Yu’s hand, her eyes also reddening, and choked back a sob: “Alright.”
Wen Yu said to Yan Zhu: “Go back and get the things, then come find us at the Peony Pavilion.”
With that, she pulled Liu Lan Fang to the second gate, preparing to fetch Liu Lanzhou.
But the older female servant at the gate quickly stopped them, “Oh, Eldest Miss, you can’t go out this gate.”
“Mama,” Wen Yu said politely, “The Liu family carriage is just outside. Miss Liu and I will bring young master Liu in.” She smoothly slipped a string of coins as a reward.
The older female servant accepted the reward, but still seemed hesitant. However, considering the bustling atmosphere today, she figured no one would notice. “Then you must come back quickly, and don’t wander around!”
The two walked to a carriage, where Liu Lan Fang’s maid Du Juan lifted the curtain from inside. “Young Master, look, Miss is back! Miss Wen is here too!”
Inside the carriage sat a young man who looked about eight or nine years old, though he was almost twelve, just appearing small.
With fair skin, red lips, delicate eyebrows and eyes, a high nose, and bright red lips, he was an extremely handsome young man.
However, his eyes didn’t meet anyone’s gaze, and he didn’t seem to react to the outside world. But hearing Du Juan’s words, he was visibly more relaxed than before, his tightly clenched hands loosening slightly.
Liu Lan Fang smiled and said, “Brother, look who’s here?!”
The young man didn’t look up or move.
“Don’t you miss Sister Yu?” Liu Lan Fang asked again.
Wen Yu also leaned forward and said with a smile: “Lan Zhou, do you miss Sister Yu, or do you miss the osmanthus cake Sister Yu made?”
Liu Lanzhou pursed his lips slightly, but still ignored everyone.
Wen Yu said, “Adi, you know what? Your Sister Hong Dou has changed her name to Zhu Zhu. Do you think it sounds nice? She’s gone to get the snacks she made for you. This time, she even made you black sesame b*lls! Come down with Sister Yu quickly!”
Liu Lan Fang watched Wen Yu coax her brother, feeling touched and her nose tingling.
After patiently coaxing him for a long time, Liu Lanzhou finally shuffled out of the carriage.
He walked slowly, and no one could rush him.
It took a while for them to enter the courtyard.
The Peony Pavilion was very close to Wen Yu’s courtyard, surrounded by over a dozen peony bushes. But there were no flowers at this time of year, so not many people came here.
Yan Zhu had already prepared food and drinks. Seeing Liu Lanzhou, she unexpectedly ran over and pulled him. “Lan Zhou, Lan Zhou, long time no see! Do you know I changed my name? It’s Yan Zhu! Yan Zhu. You can call me Sister Zhu Zhu! Sounds nice, right? Like a pearl!”
Liu Lanzhou didn’t even try to dodge! Yan Zhu dragged him, chattering away, into the pavilion. After settling him down, she sat beside him and kept talking. She even took out the newly made snacks and chatted with him, and Liu Lanzhou didn’t resist.
Seeing this, Liu Lan Fang sighed in relief and sat down with Wen Yu. “I couldn’t come to your coming-of-age ceremony.”
“What coming-of-age ceremony?!” Wen Yu said with a chuckle.
“Ah Yu…” Liu Lan Fang felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
“It’s nothing, I’m not sad at all. Ah Fang, really, I’m fine, don’t worry! How are you and Adi?”
“Sigh…” Liu Lan Fang sighed sorrowfully, “Ah Yu, my aunt is arranging my marriage.”
Wen Yu wasn’t surprised. In her past life, she was preoccupied with her own problems at this time and had no idea how Lan Fang was doing. Later, when she inquired again… they said she had married into her aunt’s maternal family, over two hundred miles away.
Only, Lan Zhou died shortly after she was married off.
✿✿✿
By the time she had the means to look for Lan Fang, she had also passed away.
Wen Yu’s nose suddenly stung. In her past life, none of the people she cherished had a good ending!
“Is it your aunt’s nephew?”
“How did you know?” Liu Lan Fang was startled.
“I… oh, once your aunt said that she loves and cares for you, and doesn’t want you to be too far away from her in the future.” Wen Yu said lightly.
Liu Lan Fang nodded, “Yes, my aunt said he is steady and ambitious. I’ve met him once.”
He’s pretending!
But Wen Yu couldn’t bring herself to say it, she was trying to figure out how to help her.
“He’s not very good-looking, but I’m not either.” Liu Lan Fang said with a wry smile. She wasn’t as tall as Wen Yu, and her appearance was barely considered delicate, far less so than her brother Liu Lanzhou.
But when her parents were still alive, she had also been a naive and pampered little girl!
“And, I told him that I have to bring Adi with me when I marry. He agreed.” Liu Lan Fang said with relief.
“He agreed directly?” Wen Yu was taken aback.
“Yes.”
How was that possible? Wen Yu didn’t believe it at all: for such a big matter, he didn’t even ask his family or her aunt and uncle, and just agreed to it?!
He was clearly just fooling Ah Fang!
But how could she say that?
Lan Fang looked at Wen Yu’s expression and added, “Actually, I just want him to provide a shelter, I won’t let his family raise him. My parents left property for Adi.”
“…” So naive, Wen Yu was even more speechless.
“Ah Yu, what’s wrong?” Lan Fang asked, seeing her expression.
“Do you trust him?”
“Well… it shouldn’t be a problem, right? Adi might not be able to marry and have children in this life… and who knows how long he can live!” Her eyes reddened, “My uncle and aunt shouldn’t stop us.”
“But Adi is a Liu after all! This man, without asking his own parents, or your aunt and uncle, just agreed to you directly, how is he trustworthy?!”
Lan Fang was helpless upon hearing this, “But I really have no other choice. Adi can’t live without me.”
Earlier, her uncle and father had already separated their families. Her parents lived with her and her brother, and her mother’s dowry was quite substantial. She was also good at managing finances, so their family was quite wealthy.
But Adi was ill, and her mother had planned to find a husband to marry into their family.
But unexpectedly, her mother passed away, and her father followed soon after. Before they could understand what was happening, she and her brother became orphans. Her uncle naturally took over their care and their inheritance.
“My aunt keeps praising him, but I know… without a scholarly title or a job, he’s not really that great. But I thought, at least he’s a relative, better than a stranger. Adi’s situation would be easier to handle. And, my dowry isn’t small, once I’m married, I can speak with more authority!”
Wen Yu shook her head vigorously in her heart, “Ah Fang… this man, have you investigated him?”
“No. If I just want stability, there’s no need to investigate, right?”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
“Ah Yu, what are you thinking?”
“You just said that your dowry is substantial, and your parents left property for Adi. But have you thought about it? Will your uncle and aunt let you two take it away?”
“But… my father and uncle separated their families back then. My parents’ property belongs to me and Adi.” She froze for a moment, then chuckled bitterly, “At worst, I won’t take Adi’s share. I’ll raise him myself!”
“Ah Fang, life is unpredictable. It’s not like they’ll stop just because you want them to. Take me, for example. My grandfather, grandmother, and father are all alive. Haven’t I done enough over the years? Haven’t I given up enough? But what good did it do?”
“Ah Yu, don’t be sad!” Liu Lan Fang patted Wen Yu, her kindness overflowing, forgetting her own troubles.
“I’m not sad. I just want to remind you: right now, you, Adi, and your parents’ property are probably all under your uncle’s control!”
“But they…” Lan Fang murmured.
“Haven’t you noticed any changes lately?”
“Ah Yu… to be honest, there have been changes. The people around me and Adi are slowly disappearing. My aunt… she always has something to say, either this or that. I have to take care of Adi, and I don’t quite understand. Ah Yu, I’m scared…”
“Being scared is useless. What does your parents’ property consist of, how much is there, do you have any records?”
“I don’t, Mama Jiang said…” Ah Fang’s mind wandered for a moment, “My aunt sent Mama Jiang away, saying that my cousin is pregnant and needs Mama Jiang to take care of her for a few days. Now that you mention it, it’s been several months, and she hasn’t come back… Oh my god! Ah Yu, what should I do?”
Wen Yu couldn’t help her right now, “At the moment, neither of us can leave the house. I’ll see Zhang Jiangqing later, maybe I can ask him to inquire…”
Zhang Jiangqing… Liu Lan Fang was momentarily lost in thought.
