Chapter 47: Shock

The next day, the summons unexpectedly ordered both Yang Siqiu and Shen Quanyi to present themselves together. Upon receiving the news, Yang Siqiu was like a frightened bird, almost scared out of her wits.

Unable to sit still, Yang Siqiu hurried over to Shen Quanyi’s room. Seeing that Shen Quanyi was still combing her hair, she anxiously straightened her own garments, paced back and forth across the room, and cast nervous glances all around.

Though both were concubines, Shen Quanyi was clearly the most favored among them, and most of the furnishings in her room were far more exquisite than those in Yang Siqiu's quarters. A mixture of bitterness and envy stirred in Yang Siqiu's heart. Her gaze drifted and finally landed upon a painting of a beauty hanging on the wall.

It was so lifelike that the artist must have poured an immense amount of effort into it.

Clearly, it was just an ordinary piece of paper bearing the portrait of a beauty, with neither stamp nor seal at the bottom, yet a single signature alone was enough to stir turbulent waves within her heart.

Unable to describe the strange taste left in her heart, she instinctively reached up to touch the wrinkled scar on her forehead, then let her hand fall back down. Turning to watch Shen Quanyi as she pinned her hair ornaments into place, she murmured in a daze, "Sister's celestial appearance truly captivates His Highness the Crown Prince."

Shen Quanyi did not catch these words clearly; she turned back with a slightly puzzled look, prompting Yang Siqiu to hurriedly wave her hand and snap out of it.

Beside them, Hushang’s mouth twitched slightly.

Having changed her clothes, Shen Quanyi stood up and looked at the soul-drained Yang Siqiu, feeling a headache coming on. With such timidity, a mere trifle in the inner quarters of the Eastern Palace would probably scare her half to death.

The two walked side by side toward the outside. Yang Siqiu timidly tugged at Shen Quanyi’s sleeve and whispered, "Tell me, why on earth are they summoning me again?"

Her eyes were veiled in a thin mist of unshed tears. Shen Quanyi sighed inwardly; apprehensive though she was, she had to keep up a brave front. She took Yang Siqiu’s icy little hand in her own.

"If Elder Sister is truly too terrified to go, we can pretend you've fallen ill. At worst, I will go and explain. After all, Elder Sister rarely shows her face on ordinary days, so it won't seem deliberate."

Hearing Shen Quanyi offer this suggestion, Yang Siqiu felt her heart instantly lighten. Naturally willing to follow her lead, she nodded immediately.

She hurriedly turned to leave, but suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned back with a resolute expression, and pulled back the foot she had already half-stepped out: "In the end, I cannot implicate you any further. The Secondary Consort surely wants to seize upon any pretext to torment you. If I don't go, I'm afraid it will only stir up more trouble."

Seeing Yang Siqiu like this, Shen Quanyi raised a hand to straighten Yang Siqiu's turned-out collar while comforting her, "His Highness the Crown Prince has already spoken on this matter long ago; she surely wouldn't dare do anything too flagrant. At most, we'll go and endure a few stinging remarks."

Yang Siqiu nodded tremblingly, following almost step by step behind Shen Quanyi.

"The snowy paths are slippery, and time is short with the New Year approaching. Mother Liu, stay in the courtyard and make the preparations."

Shen Quanyi brushed the snowflakes from her cloak and looked back at Nurse Liu, whose expression was somewhat solemn.

With that, she added, "Qiuyue can tag along and lend a helping hand."

Nurse Liu’s expression stiffened slightly. Meeting Shen Quanyi’s dark, fathomless eyes, she hastily gave her assent. Her chest felt as though a heavy boulder was pressing down upon it, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.

Yang Siqiu was too nervous to notice Nurse Liu’s anomaly. Hushang supported Shen Quanyi’s wrist, casting a meaningful glance back at Nurse Liu.

At that single glance, Nurse Liu shuddered.

The group finally set off toward the West Courtyard.

Not a single soul kept watch at the entrance of the Chunya Courtyard; only the giant snow-white hound remained. This time, however, its neck was free of a chain. With a burning, intense gaze, it stared straight at Shen Quanyi and her party as they approached. It proudly lifted its massive head, parted its jaws slightly to let its bright red tongue loll out, its dense fur glistening in the light, while its tail hung low.

While Shen Quanyi managed to keep her composure, Yang Siqiu’s legs were trembling. She could not help but recall the day she first arrived, when this hound was locked in a cage, and the bright crimson life that had perished in the courtyard that very day.

Noticing Yang Siqiu’s distress, Shen Quanyi turned back to pat her shoulder, her voice steady: "Don't be afraid."

Yang Siqiu hid herself behind Shen Quanyi, trying her hardest to stay out of the hound's line of sight.

True to her fears, just as they crossed the courtyard gate and headed toward the veranda of the main room, the hound grew agitated. Like a massive ball of snow, it rushed forward at high speed, baring its crimson jaws.

It wore a ferocious look.

Yet the beast seemed to sniff out its prey, recognizing instantly who among the group was the most terrified of it. It charged straight toward Yang Siqiu. Faced with the approaching behemoth, Yang Siqiu’s legs turned to jelly, and she dropped to her knees in fright.

A low growl echoed in the air. The hound pounced to Yang Siqiu’s side, lowering its head. Saliva dripped from its hanging tongue onto the side of Yang Siqiu’s face.

Yang Siqiu felt as though her heart had leaped into her throat, on the verge of bursting out of her chest. She desperately wished she could simply faint away right then and there.

Startled, Shen Quanyi had already been pulled to the side by Hushang. In her anxiety, she snatched up whatever object was on the ground and hurled it at the beast. Hushang failed to stop her in time and secretly cursed inwardly.

A pebble struck the hound on the head. Interrupted while intently fixated on the person on the ground, the beast grew furious. It turned back to let out a vicious, low roar at Shen Quanyi, its hind legs slightly bending as if preparing to pounce.

Hushang darted forward swiftly, placing herself in front of Shen Quanyi.

Into the silent air, a voice suddenly rang out: "Enough. Come here."

Those few words were like celestial music to the ears. Yang Siqiu finally felt as though she had returned to the land of the living, her strength draining from her entire body. She panted heavily, her heart still pounding furiously.

Shen Quanyi hurriedly helped her to her feet. Seeing her pale face and the fine sweat covering her forehead, she felt a pang of heartache, pulled out a handkerchief from her bosom, and gently wiped it away.

The slender girl standing at the doorway pouted toward them. She stood unconcernedly before the giant hound, her fair and delicate hand stroking its head. Her nonchalant demeanor formed a sharp contrast with the flustered and disheveled state of Shen Quanyi and her companions.

"My apologies for alarming the concubines."

The thick, embroidered auspicious-patterned cotton curtain over the doorway was lifted from the inner room, and Zhulian arrived somewhat belatedly. She glanced at Li Changping, then turned back: "This hound is Second Young Miss's absolute favorite, and it is meticulously cared for on ordinary days. Previously it was kept locked in a cage, but Second Young Miss pities it and always wants to let it out to run around."

"I truly never expected it would happen to cross paths with the two concubines quite so coincidentally."

A faint smile hung on Shen Quanyi’s lips, and she was just about to speak when Yang Siqiu, acting uncharacteristically, let her face drop and said in an icy tone: "A beast is a beast after all, and it lacks sense. But there are people with sense about. It would be one thing if it merely startled us, but if it rashly startters some noble person in the future, I fear it might end up implicating its own pitiful little life."