Union

Chapter 25 Avoiding It
Yunying refused three times.

I'm not worthy, I can't do it, I can't do it!

She was also curious as to why all the old women were looking for her.
Logically speaking, Aunt Ding is the one who holds real power in this inner quarters, and she has more say in front of the Second Master. If there is anything, wouldn't it be more appropriate to go to Aunt Ding to plead for him?
Yunying thought so, and that's what she asked.

Upon hearing this, the old women looked at each other, and finally pushed out an old woman who looked honest and simple.

The old woman was extremely thin, and her face was sallow; she looked terribly pitiful. But this was the result of a month of recuperation at the county office.

Thinking back to when this old woman was first bought, saying she was skin and bones would be an understatement. She was truly as thin as a skeleton, quite frightening to look at.

It was also because Aunt Ding was kind-hearted that she specifically chose people who were in dire straits when selecting buyers, which is why she chose her.

Looking at Yunying, who resembled a fairy, the old woman murmured, "Manager Ding has such an imposing presence that we're afraid of him."

Yunying suddenly realized and nodded.

Isn't it?

Aunt Ding could be considered gentle in front of her and Ruizhu, but in front of the servants in the mansion, she was an absolute and strict manager. It was understandable that the old women did not dare to ask Aunt Ding for favors.

But if she didn't ask Aunt Ding, why didn't she ask Ruizhu and Qiuning? Those three are clearly more active and seem more willing to meddle in other people's business, right?
Yunying didn't ask the question aloud, but her expression clearly conveyed that meaning.

What could these old women say when they saw Yunying's expression?

They couldn't very well say that Ruizhu had always been aloof and superior to them. Usually, when they were sweeping in the courtyard, Ruizhu would pinch her nose and cover her mouth as she walked past them, as if they were some filthy creature whose stench could kill her.

Ruizhu never hid her disdain for them, so why would they dare to approach her? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?
As for Miss Qiu Ning and Miss Mu Jin, they did seem more approachable, and the girls did indeed try to ask these two girls for help. However, they were turned away by the maids who served the girls before they were even allowed to enter.

The maids had sweet words, but what they said was not the truth at all. They said that the young lady had to prepare clothes and shoes for the second master, and also learn how to manage the household from Aunt Ding. She was so busy that she had no time to pay attention to anything else.

Having no other choice, they had to beg Yunying for help.

They held some hope for Yunying, after all, when they went to deliver soup to the Second Master before, Miss Yunying was allowed into the study—after Yunying, Ruizhu and Qiuning also delivered soup to the study. But without exception, they were all turned away and reprimanded by the Second Master's personal guards, who told them not to approach the study again.

This is what makes Yunying different.

The old women had high expectations for Yunying, but what others didn't know, Yunying certainly knew.
Although she did enter the Second Master's study, she did not gain his favor at all. Instead, she was treated coldly by him and received several cold looks from him.

She wasn't shameless; she wouldn't continue to fawn over this man knowing she would fail.

Besides, Second Master seems to be a fair and upright person, so he probably wouldn't show favoritism to anyone just because someone pleads for him.

If we plead with the Second Master, are we sure it won't make him dislike that person prematurely and eliminate him from the family early on?

After Yunying said that, the old women also felt that it seemed to be true.

They pondered it further and felt it made even more sense. Of course, they also noticed that Yunying was "afraid" of the Second Master and dared not say anything to him. They had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

In September, in Beijing, the weather would already be crisp and clear, perfect for hiking and sightseeing. But in Yungui County, it was still unbearably hot and humid, the air thick and sticky, making the clothes feel like a second skin, uncomfortably sticky.

The room was stuffy, but there was a slight cool breeze outside. Yunying thought she should go for a walk outside, and preferably sit in the pavilion.

In the backyard of the county government office, there was a small artificial hill, not very high, barely the height of a two-story building. A pavilion was built on top of the hill. Because there was nothing to block the breeze, it was a pleasant place to escape the summer heat.

Yunying, accompanied by her personal maid, walked leisurely towards the backyard.

The young maid was even more taciturn than Yunying, practically invisible. If it weren't for the fact that she would occasionally call Yunying "Miss," Yunying would almost have thought she was a little mute.

The maidservant remained silent, as did Yunying, and the two people on duty at the foot of the artificial hill and those pretending to sleep on it also remained silent. Thus, an awkward situation unfolded.

Here's the specific situation:

Yunying turned past an ancient tree and walked towards the artificial hill, where she met Mo Xue's gaze. Mo Xue: ...

Yunying: ...

Mo Xue couldn't catch her breath and coughed so loudly it was earth-shattering.

Yunying said without any remorse, "I'm sorry, I didn't know there were people here."

Mo Xue waved her hands frantically, "Stop talking! It's so embarrassing!"
He was lost in thought for a moment when Yunying suddenly appeared in front of him as if she had teleported.

Coincidentally, she was wearing a white, wide-sleeved summer blouse with floral patterns, and a smoky purple skirt that shimmered slightly in the sunlight, making it appear as if she were dressed entirely in white. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders, and the wind blew it across her face... If it weren't for the bright daylight, he would have almost thought he was seeing a female ghost.

Mo Xue's heart was pounding wildly, and it took her a while to calm down.

He cupped his hands in greeting to Yunying, and was about to say, "Miss, please go back. Second Master is resting in the pavilion." But Yunying had already curtsied before him, saying, "I didn't know there were people here. I apologize for disturbing you. I'll be leaving now..."

Before he could finish the last word, "go," a familiar, deep male voice came from above, "What's going on?"

Mo Xue and Yun Ying both looked up and saw that the elegant and noble Second Master was frowning and looking at them from the steps not far away.

His eyes still held a hint of sleepiness, as if their noise had disturbed his sleep, which annoyed him, and his brows and eyes showed a touch of displeasure.

Mo Xue and Yun Ying quickly greeted each other.

Before Chen Yanzhou could speak, Mo Xue stood up and recounted what had just happened.

As he recounted the events, Yunying kept her head down the entire time, never daring to offend the Second Master's appearance.

After Mo Xue finished speaking, Chen Yanzhou hummed in response. However, he didn't say anything more about the matter. Since he was awake, there was no reason for him to linger any longer, so Chen Yanzhou said directly, "Let's go to the study."

He walked past Mo Xue, down the steps, turned the corner, and headed in the direction Yun Ying was going. But he had only taken two steps when a "rip" sound suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned to look at the source of the sound—and saw that the hem of the Second Master's moon-white long robe with silver thread and floral patterns had been torn open.

The culprit was that section of branch that had been broken off by the torrential rain, revealing its sharp edges.

***
A moment later, Chen Yanzhou returned to the pavilion on the artificial hill, while Yun Ying followed closely behind him like a servant girl.

Earlier, when the two stood facing each other in the study, Yunying noticed that this Second Master was much taller than she had imagined. Now, walking behind him and looking at his upright back, she suddenly realized that he seemed to be even taller than she had thought.

Yunying was lost in thought when she noticed the figure in front of her suddenly stop and even turn to the side. She tightened her core and quickly stopped.

Fortunately, she stopped in time, otherwise she would have bumped into Chen Yanzhou's arms.

The second master clearly realized how inappropriate it was to stop at this moment. He frowned, took another step up, and looked down at her, asking, "Why were you staring at me like that?" His gaze was so blatant that it made her feel like she had thorns in her back. Only when she could no longer bear it did she turn around.

But she seemed lost in thought; where was she thinking?
Second Master's brows furrowed even more, as if his fine male body had been violated by someone, and his expression was extremely unpleasant.

Yunying didn't know whether she had figured out the Second Master's thoughts or not. But regardless of whether she had or hadn't, she couldn't very well admit that she had indeed been staring at the Second Master's back just now; that would be too indecent.

Yunying shook her head decisively and said seriously, "What are you saying, Second Master? I was thinking about something just now and I wasn't staring at you."

Chen Yanzhou remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Yun Ying's aloof and ethereal face. After a long while, he let out a soft hum, "I hope so."

The two went up to the pavilion, and Chen Yanzhou lay down directly on the original recliner.

Yunying realized that although this Second Master appeared aloof and strict in public, he was actually quite easygoing in private. This could be seen from the fact that he always wore casual clothes in the mansion and would lie down rather than sit.

Thank you so much, Mount Everest Baby, for the book points! Thank you for adding it to your favorites and recommending it! Mwah!
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(End of this chapter)