Union

Chapter 75 074 Becoming a Concubine?
On New Year's Eve, Yunying got drunk.

She vaguely remembered that while she was sound asleep, she heard what sounded like firecrackers going off outside. Annoyed, she burrowed deeper into the "cover," and then a pair of warm, large hands covered her ears.

The annoying noise was gone, and so were the cheers and jubilation outside.

She slept better.

In a flash, she felt as if she were lying on a cloud; her body was soft and warm, and she felt as if she had become an immortal.

She seemed to wake up once in the middle of the night, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the Second Master's handsome face so close to hers.

In a moment of impulse, she took matters into her own hands and did everything she had wanted to do but dared not do in her conscious state.

Her soft fingertips traced his sharp, sword-like eyebrows, his deep phoenix eyes, and then stroked his straight nose and warm lips.

Those lips were soft and exuded a strong aroma of wine, so she wanted to lean forward and taste them.

But even in a dream, one shouldn't be so reckless.

Yunying reluctantly let go of his hand, then murmured, "Why did I dream of Second Master again?"

How strange, are the scenes in my dream so real? Do the people in my dream even have warmth?
Before she could figure out the problem, she couldn't resist the overwhelming sleepiness and rolled over into the soft bedding.

When Yunying opened her eyes again, it was already the morning of the second day.

He Sui's family is from Yun Gui County. She went home yesterday because of the holiday, and today Liu'er will be taking care of her.

Liu'er woke her up and told her that many local gentry and wealthy families had come to visit the Second Master. The Second Master had invited several of them to lunch. The Kitchen Goddess was unsure about the scale of the banquet and needed Liu'er to come and make a decision.

Yunying had just woken up, and her head was still spinning.

She didn't have a hangover headache, but her mind was completely blank, a foggy mess. For a moment, she didn't even know who she was or where she was.

After finally regaining her senses and understanding what Liu'er had said, Yunying didn't have time to think about anything else and quickly got up to wash and go to the kitchen.

Along the way, I saw many smiling faces.

Upon seeing Yunying, they all bowed and greeted her with "Greetings, Miss Yunying."

Their attitude was so enthusiastic and obsequious, and the angle of their bow was even more respectful than when they were standing straight ahead.

Upon seeing this, Yunying felt no pleasure whatsoever; instead, she felt a chill run down her spine.

She couldn't help but ask Liu'er, who was beside her, "Did anything happen in the manor while I was asleep?"

"Asleep?" Liu'er's expression was a little strange. "Miss, you're not asleep, you're drunk."

Yes, drunk!
Yunying suddenly remembered that she had a casual chat with the Second Master yesterday, and then she seemed to have drunk two or three glasses of fruit wine without realizing it. Then she felt dizzy and blacked out.

Could it have happened while she was drunk, and be related to her?

Yunying boldly guessed, "Could it be... that Second Master said something?"

Liu'er said meaningfully, "Second Master didn't say anything, but you were drunk, so he carried you back himself. At that time, our banquet was about to end, and everyone had walked to the entrance of the flower hall when they saw..." you being carried by Second Master to the backyard.

"Okay, stop talking."

It has a visual effect.

Yunying clutched her handkerchief tightly, waves of heat rushing to her face.

Did the Second Master personally carry her back?
So yesterday she dreamed that the Second Master came to her room and she touched him inappropriately, that wasn't a dream either.
She seemed to murmur something, as if she had dreamed of the Second Master again?

Yunying covered her eyes with her hands, her steps faltering on the spot, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Seeing her like this, Pian Liu'er assumed she was shy. She even asked, "Miss, everyone's saying you're going to become the Second Master's concubine, is that true?"

Upon hearing this, Yunying forgot all about blushing and quickly withdrew her hand, looking at Liu'er, "Who said that?"

"Everyone's talking about it. After all, Second Master has brought you back, so he must have feelings for you. It's only a matter of time before he takes you as his concubine, isn't it?"

Liu'er's question was very direct, but it immediately cooled Yunying's agitated heart.

She had long since discovered that the Second Master had feelings for her.

The second master had feelings for her, and she wasn't entirely indifferent to him either.

But if it were to become the Second Master's concubine, Yunying would be a thousand times unwilling.

But if she doesn't want to, what would it mean if she let the Second Master get close?
Was she deliberately keeping Second Master in suspense? Yunying's face turned red, then blue, then white, and in an instant, it looked like a spilled rainbow plate, quite bizarre and ugly.

She knew all along that the Second Master was already married. Yet, while she proclaimed that she would not become a concubine, she also allowed her feelings for the Second Master to grow unchecked, and tolerated his increasingly aggressive advances towards her.

So what exactly is she?
Is it possible to have both a mandate and a pretext?
Yunying went to the kitchen with a pale face and told the cook about the scale of the banquet.

The kitchen maid wanted to ask her what kind of wine to use for the front this time, but seeing that Yunying's face was deathly pale, and recalling the gossip she had heard that morning, it seemed that Yunying had gotten drunk last night and had been carried back by the second master.

The kitchen maid assumed that Yunying's condition was a hangover.

She didn't dare to delay Yunying any longer, and urged her, "Miss, you should go back to your room and rest. If you feel unwell, I'll cook a bowl of hangover soup and have someone send it to you later. It's an old recipe left by my father-in-law, and it's very effective for discomfort after a hangover. Please wait a moment, and I'll have someone send it over shortly."

Yunying didn't really hear or take to heart what the Kitchen Goddess said.

She gave a perfunctory reply and then turned and walked into the courtyard with Liu'er.

The weather was fine that day, and sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The coldest time in Yungui County has passed, and the weather is gradually warming up. Even birds are hopping and chirping on the branches. Unknown flowers are quietly blooming, and insects leap out of the grass, tracing perfect arcs.

Everything was thriving and full of vitality, but Yunying only felt cold, feeling powerless and saddened.

Yunying did not go forward that day.

She stayed in the backyard until Qiu Ning came looking for her in the late afternoon.

Qiu Ning also looked preoccupied. She saw Yun Ying but didn't notice that Yun Ying was more taciturn than usual today.

She only spoke her mind, "Yunying, do you think it's still necessary for me to stay in the county government?"

Yunying looked at her but didn't respond.

Qiu Ning hadn't really come to ask her for advice. She murmured, "Second Master has long made it clear that he has no interest in us. It's just that we're unwilling to give up and insist on staying to make a living. But as you can see, Second Master only has eyes for you, and he can't see me or Mu Jin."

“Yesterday, Second Master brought you back, and Mulan and I went to pay our respects. Mulan even said that she had made a pair of official boots for Second Master as a gift for that year, but Second Master did not respond. After we missed him, he carried you back to your courtyard.”

“Yun Ying, we’ve known Second Master for half a year now. Even though we hardly have any contact on weekdays, I have a general understanding of what kind of person he is.”

"Second Master is cold and indifferent, showing no interest in lust, and he doesn't bother with women at all. You caught his eye by chance and were taken to his heart, but no matter how many times Mulan and I meet him, he still can't remember our faces, and he even gets impatient when we greet him. With a Second Master like this, is there really any hope that we'll see the light at the end of the tunnel if we stay?"

“But if we don’t stay with Second Master, where can we go?” Qiu Ning rested her chin on her hands, looking at Yun Ying.

She was looking at Yunying, but her gaze was empty, as if she were seeing her own hopeless future.

She had nowhere to go. Was she really going to be trapped and die in the Second Master's backyard for the rest of her life?

Life is good now. We have enough to eat and wear, no one beats or scolds us, and we don't need to set any rules.

But she felt very uneasy, as if this kind of life was very unstable. Moreover, she and Mu Jin were like invisible people in this backyard... She liked to live a peaceful and carefree life, but she did not want to be ignored or treated as a dispensable scrap.

She also longed to be loved and cherished, but in the Second Master's backyard, such a wish would likely never be fulfilled.

Qiu Ning stared at Yun Ying for a long, long time. Finally, she seemed to notice Yun Ying's unusual behavior and leaned closer to examine her closely.

"Something's wrong with you." Qiu Ning finally came to this conclusion. "What's wrong with you? Why do you look so absent-minded? Did you quarrel with Second Master? No way, Second Master carried you back yesterday. Second Master's eyes are full of you. Yun Ying, your future is already set, so what are you worried about?"

Yunying finally spoke, "You don't understand."

"I really don't understand." Qiu Ning picked up an orange from the table, peeled it, and ate it slowly. "I just don't understand you. You manage the backyard, you have the Second Master's favor, the Second Madam isn't around, and the servants obey your orders. Everything is going smoothly for you, so what could you possibly be unhappy about?"

“It can’t be…” Qiu Ning looked Yun Ying up and down, her prying eyes seeming as if she wanted to tear open Yun Ying’s clothes and look at her skin.

Yunying flinched and instinctively covered her collar. Seeing this, Qiuning said, "What are you protecting? Surely you haven't left any marks? No way, Yunying, have you already been serving the Second Master? How come I haven't heard a word about it?"

Qiu Ning looked like she'd just stumbled upon a juicy piece of gossip, and Yun Ying, seeing this, pushed her head aside with a headache.

Qiu Ning, however, was not giving up. He actually started to undress her and sniffed her all over, as if trying to smell if she really had the scent of a wild man on her.

Yunying glared at her, telling her to sit up straight. "What do you mean, 'serve the Second Master'? What are you thinking?" How could they possibly covet the Second Master's body? Even if they did, they should only think about it in their hearts, not say it aloud.

Yunying didn't say these words aloud, but that's what she was thinking.

When she realized that, deep down, she also craved the Second Master's body, Yunying shuddered and covered her face in embarrassment.

Yunying and Qiuning naturally couldn't reach a conclusion that day. Originally, she wanted to ask Qiuning if it wouldn't be better to leave the household registration. But when Mujin came over, Yunying shut up and changed the subject, talking to the two of them about random things.

(End of this chapter)