50

Ever since winter began, Meng Qingyue’s health had never been considered good.

Not to mention the "favors" bestowed upon her by her good brother: falling into water, tumbling down a cliff, being forced to kneel as punishment, and being locked up in the woodshed—she had experienced them all one by one, leaving her physique far inferior to what it used to be.

Yet here she was at the Qiao estate, subjected to the rule of standing upright for several hours on end.

Water dripping from the eaves was turning to ice, and the misty night air mixed with a chilling wind swept over her. Meng Qingyue shivered and finally, belatedly, realized Madam Qiao's true intention.

Who sleeps from midday until dark? Which mother-in-law summons a guest only to deny them even a stool to sit on?

Gazing into the encroaching darkness, a profound sense of powerlessness welled up within Meng Qingyue. It seemed that no matter where she went, she could never escape being loathed and humiliated.

Was all of this simply her fate?

"Miss Meng, where are you going?!"

Seeing that Meng Qingyue, who had been standing all afternoon, suddenly turned around and began walking straight back, the maid guarding the door immediately stepped forward to block her path. "Our Madam has not yet risen; how can the young lady presume to leave on her own?" Madam Qiao was watching her with cold eyes.

As she spoke, her voice came to an abrupt halt. Bathed in the tranquil light of the sky and lingering clouds, the young woman before her turned back and offered a faint smile. Her skin was like congealed lard and her brows like jade, causing the maid to momentarily lose her focus.

"I was merely thinking that at this late hour, even if Madam has risen, she will undoubtedly wish to partake of her evening meal first. If I remain here, should Madam summon me to dine with her or not? To do so would surely put Madam in a difficult position, would it not?"

Meng Qingyue smiled, then lowered her head in a slight bow. "Therefore, I had best return to my room for my evening meal and come back afterward. That way, I will at least spare Madam the trouble."

As for how many hours it would take to finish her meal in her room, that was hard to say. Even if she ate until the moon reached the center of the sky, surely the Qiao estate would not actually urge her to hurry her dinner?

.........

The maid was struck dumb for a moment.

She choked back her words, knowing not how to respond, and certainly not daring to make the unilateral decision to keep Meng Qingyue for dinner.

Yet inwardly, she could not help but feel a reluctant wave of admiration. She had originally assumed that this Second Miss of the Meng family, unceremoniously shoved over by her parents, must be a complete fool. Who could have imagined that she would be able to handle their Madam's deliberate torment with such composed grace?

And she did it all under the banner of not wishing to trouble her elders.

With such impeccable poise and propriety in speech, why on earth was she so despised by her own flesh and blood that they drove her out of the house?

Just as the young maid hesitated slightly, the main doors creaked open.

"Madam has awakened. Please ask Miss Meng to enter."

Meng Qingyue smiled strangely. "Oh, Madam has finally awakened."

She had slept for a full afternoon—three long hours—and the moment she heard Meng Qingyue was about to leave, she awoke right on cue. It really was quite a coincidence.

Walking all the way to the inner chamber, she saw Madam Qiao half-reclining on the couch, looking rosy-cheeked and clear-eyed, bearing not the slightest resemblance to someone who had just woken from sleep.

She couldn't even be bothered to put up a pretense.

Meng Qingyue acted as though she knew nothing, lowering her body in a curtsy. "Greetings, Madam."

Madam Qiao remained indifferent, ignoring the fact that Meng Qingyue had just attempted to leave in a huff. She merely asked, "Have you grown accustomed to your days here at the Qiao estate?"

Meng Qingyue lifted her gaze slightly and swept a glance behind Madam Qiao, spotting the middle-aged matron with crossed arms who wore the smug expression of a petty victor. From this, she instantly understood the true purpose of Madam Qiao's summons.

Thus, her reply was entirely candid. "Thanks to Madam's care, all is well."

All is well?

A trace of frosty amusement touched Madam Qiao's smile. As she quietly appraised the young woman before her—gentle, silent, and pleasant to look at—she found herself momentarily unable to voice her reprimands.

Truth be told, she did not dislike this young woman. Yet for reasons unknown, every time she laid eyes on her, an inexplicable sensation arose in her chest.

It felt bloated and sour, a dull ache in her chest cavity for which she had no name. She could only attribute it to the notion that although the girl possessed a pleasing countenance, her temperament was eccentric and unruly, making her someone to be both cherished and resented.

Especially after witnessing the sensible and considerate nature of her own daughter, Changle, she grew all the more convinced that although they were raised by the same parents, Qingyue fell vastly short of Changle.

If not for the consideration of the Huainan Marquis Manor having raised Changle for many years, she would never have consented to let a woman like Meng Qingyue become her daughter-in-law.

As things stood, she regarded this arrangement merely as repaying the Meng family for years of raising Changle by granting them the position of the Duke Manor's young mistress. When Changle eventually reclaimed her ancestry and returned to the Qiao family, she would inevitably experience many moments of maladjustment. Having Qingyue by her side at that time would at least give the two sisters some mutual support.

Madam Qiao had considered every single aspect thoroughly, yet not a shred of it stemmed from genuine fondness for the young woman before her.

"Sit. I have things to ask you." Madam Qiao leaned lazily against the couch. Seeing Meng Qingyue sit down with a hint of hesitation, she suddenly adopted a smiling expression. "Speaking of which, your mother is truly blessed to have borne two jade-like daughters. It truly makes me quite envious."

Meng Qingyue could not quite fathom Madam Qiao's intent, so she weighed her words before answering, "The Heir is a man of celestial grace. To have such a son, Madam Qiao, outweighs ten others combined."

Though it was pure flattery, it sounded pleasant enough to Madam Qiao's ears, and the look she cast toward Meng Qingyue lost a fraction of its guardedness. "It is good that you hold such admiration for Mian'er. Once you marry into the family, the two of you must ensure you live in harmonious and respectful matrimony."

Seeing Meng Qingyue agree to everything, Madam Qiao shifted the conversation, looping back to her previous topic. "I noticed that you and Changle are roughly the same age. Could your mother truly be so robust of health to have birthed you two children back-to-back?"

Meng Qingyue found the question somewhat bizarre, though she could not pinpoint exactly what was strange about it.

Yet she and Meng Changle were indeed of the same age, separated by a mere three months.

After a moment's thought, she had no choice but to reply, "Elder Sister is older than me by a year. I am fifteen, and she is sixteen." Pausing for a second, she added, "The ages of the three siblings in our family are all quite close."

Madam Qiao nodded thoughtfully. "Fifteen..... sixteen......." As if struck by some sudden thought, she drifted into a brief reverie, her expression tinged with contemplation and abstraction.

Clueless as to what was happening, Meng Qingyue remained silent and simply sat quietly in place.

After a long while, Madam Qiao finally dragged her thoughts back from the past. Snapping out of it, she looked at the Meng Qingyue seated opposite her. The flickering candlelight caused her to waver momentarily, and that strange sensation in the depths of her heart slowly bubbled to the surface once more.

She shook her head, banishing the chaotic thoughts from her mind, and asked, "You grew up alongside Changle, so your bond must be exceptionally close. Tell me, what has her temperament always been like? What does she love to eat? What hobbies does she have in her leisure time? Can you recount them for me one by one?"

It was rare for Madam Qiao to display such amiable warmth toward Meng Qingyue, yet she was merely using her to understand her own daughter, Meng Changle.

Meng Qingyue furrowed her brows slightly, searching her memory. "She loves eating fish, enjoys embroidery in her spare time, and likes playing with Eldest Brother. As for her temperament......."

She thought about it, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of her lips, and shook her head. "I do not know."

Madam Qiao listened with rapt attention, periodically turning back to instruct the matron beside her, "Have you written all of this down?"

Once Changle returned, all the meals and furnishings in the estate would have to be arranged according to her preferences. Comforted by this, Madam Qiao continued, "You two are sisters, so naturally many topics will bring you together. If you are to face one another day in and day out in the future, you must all the more learn to accommodate one another......."

As Madam Qiao chattered on endlessly, the ball of doubt in Meng Qingyue's heart gradually crystallized. She pressed her lips together and fell completely silent.