Chapter 53: Scar

Following a bout of stomach upset, the imperial concubine favored above all others in the inner residence reclaimed her top spot. No one dared to gossip anymore or bring up the punishment the concubine had previously suffered.

Shen Quanyi’s quarters grew thoroughly tranquil. On the day Li Qian departed, he conveniently attributed her condition to a chill, allowing her to gracefully evade the chores Gu Tan had assigned her.

Once things settled down, Yang Siqiu resumed her role as a frequent visitor to Shen Quanyi’s room. Holding a teacup filled with Spring Mountain Longjing brewed in melted snow, she took a gentle sip. "As expected, only Younger Sister always has the finest things here."

"What fine things? It's just a bit of tea. If Elder Sister likes it, take the remaining brick of tea with you."

Shen Quanyi smiled as she sat upright to one side. Feeling a slight tickle in her throat, she unconsciously covered the corners of her mouth and gave a soft cough.

Yang Siqiu waved her hand, a look of embarrassment flashing across her face. "Coming here empty-handed time and again, only to leave with things you give me—how can that be right?"

Shen Quanyi smiled, squeezed Yang Siqiu's hand, and said lazily, "Why do you stand on ceremony with me?"

The charcoal in the brazier crackled and popped, emitting a faint scent. Shen Quanyi could not help but sneeze.

"I always tell myself to take good care of my health, but I think you should do the same. You've fallen ill several times this winter. While you're still young, you ought to nurture yourself properly so you can bear children in the future."

Hearing Yang Siqiu's words, Shen Quanyi merely smiled without answering, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the embroidery frame resting in a basket by the heating platform. She had far too much idle time nowadays and always needed something in her hands to pass the day.

"Your embroidery is getting better and better." Following Shen Quanyi's gaze, Yang Siqiu spotted the embroidery frame and suppressed a smile. Embroidering landscapes and flowers would have been fine, but a few days ago, Shen Quanyi had embroidered a pair of mandarin ducks, though she had mistaken them for ordinary ducks when asked to guess.

She had blushed with great embarrassment at the time.

Noticing Shen Quanyi's renewed shyness, Yang Siqiu hastily changed the subject and brought up the recent gossipy news.

It was about how the Chunya Courtyard summoned imperial physicians every few days. Yet whenever the physicians arrived and examined the patient, they always found nothing wrong, attributing it at most to melancholy and heart palpitations.

Yang Siqiu drew a handkerchief from her sleeve to lightly cover her mouth, her eyes widening in surprise as she sighed, "They always say giving birth is a woman's brush with the gates of hell, yet the first two children were delivered safely, and how clever our Second Young Master is."

"This current child is even more valued by the Master, yet things are so unsettled, stirring up widespread anxiety."

Shen Quanyi raised her eyebrows slightly, not responding immediately. At that moment, she was being coaxed over to sit before the dressing table. Having huddled inside her room for the past few days without going out, she had ceased bothering with elaborate grooming and felt habitually indolent.

Qiuyue was wringing out a wet handkerchief to wash Shen Quanyi's face. Behind her, heavy, ink-black hair bearing drops of water like pearls cascaded over her shoulders. Mistress Liu, possessing a fine talent for hairdressing, was currently using a cloth to wring the moisture from the damp locks.

Shen Quanyi was thoroughly obedient, allowing herself to be fussed over.

"In any case, those are matters for the mistress at the top. People like us cannot insert a word, nor do we need to worry about them."

Yang Siqiu forced a faint smile to her face, lowering her gaze to her own feet with a slightly dimmed expression. "Yet I feel that having children is a woman's true blessing. If only... if only I, too, could have a child."

As she spoke, she seemed to snap back to reality and twitched the corners of her lips into a self-mocking smile. "Never mind, it is all an extravagant hope of mine."

"Had I known entering the Eastern Palace would lead to days like these, I would rather have married a rustic country bumpkin..."

Shen Quanyi frowned slightly. Knowing that Yang Siqiu was speaking more and more recklessly, she intervened to cut her off. "What nonsense is Elder Sister uttering? Everything has its pros and cons. If Elder Sister were truly a country girl, where would you find the maids attending you on all sides today, or the meals you see every single day?"

Yang Siqiu choked on her words, then offered a sheepish smile as she picked up the teacup from the table to take a sip.

"Although the Second Young Princess is young, she is truly boisterous. Has Younger Sister heard? The Consort Dowager once again yielded to the Second Young Princess's nagging and had people fetch a few puppies from the palace's training quarters."

Yang Siqiu blinked, her fingers tracing the rim of the teacup. "To mingle with those beasts all day long—is she not even afraid of being bitten?"

Qiuyue hurried over, used a pair of chopsticks to poke at the charcoal brazier, and picked up some red-radish charcoal that Zuo Li had previously bestowed from the bucket, tossing it inside. With a sharp "pop," the fire caught and blazed with increasing ferocity.

She answered while she worked, "What is there to fear? The ones sent here have all been thoroughly trained. If a master were truly bitten, those servants would likely lose their heads."

Catching sight of the charcoal bucket on the floor filled with the precious red-radish charcoal, Yang Siqiu's eyes brightened slightly. "Younger Sister still has such luxurious items here."

Shen Quanyi rubbed her aching neck without blinking, watching as Yang Siqiu's mouth twitched as if she were about to speak. Beside them, Qiuyue felt an urge to roll her eyes, inwardly complaining that her good-natured mistress was about to give away more things to Concubine Yang.

Sure enough, she heard Shen Quanyi reply indifferently, "They are merely some items bestowed out of pity by the Crown Princess. If Elder Sister does not disdain them..."

Before she could finish, Qiuyue could not help interrupting, "The inner courtyard doesn't send many of these. We've been burning them for half a month, and now there's only half a bucket left, which will be gone in a couple of days."

At these words, Yang Siqiu sprang to her feet, her expression stiffening somewhat as she waved her hands frantically. "No, I didn't mean it that way."

Shen Quanyi had not anticipated such a strong reaction. Frowning slightly at Qiuyue, she reached out one hand to pull Yang Siqiu back. "There, what kind of fuss is this? Elder Sister, please sit down."

Yet Yang Siqiu could no longer sit still. Offering an awkward smile, she turned to look at Shen Quanyi seated by the stove. The oil lamp on the high stand flickered, casting an orange glow that enveloped Shen Quanyi in a halo. Her radiant face was breathtakingly beautiful, resembling the final, dazzling sunset of autumn.

Her water-clear eyes gazed at her with a shimmering brilliance.

An inexplicable emotion arose from the depths of her heart. Yang Siqiu suddenly withdrew her hand from Shen Quanyi's grip and pressed it against her own forehead. Beneath her palm, the skin no longer felt uncomfortably rugged and scarred.

Her heart gradually calmed down.

She let out a soft breath.

Noticing her gesture, Shen Quanyi smoothly shifted the topic and curved her lips into a smile. "I think Elder Sister has been looking more and more lovely lately. As for the scar on your forehead, unless one stares very closely, it can hardly be seen at all."

This struck right at Yang Siqiu's heart. She immediately beamed with joy and laughed, "Just as Younger Sister says, ever since I started using the ointment Younger Sister gave me that day, the scar has faded more and more, and even my complexion has become much fairer and clearer."

"As long as it is useful to Elder Sister, that is all that matters." Shen Quanyi also stood up, clasped Yang Siqiu's hand firmly, and instructed Mistress Liu to have a few more jars sent over.

This time, Yang Siqiu did not refuse; she smiled shyly. Pacing back and forth around the room, her eyes swept over the furnishings, which had all been replaced. While no longer extravagant, the space appeared clean and refined.

Curiosity flickered across her face. "How is it that all the things in Younger Sister's room have changed?"

"They are all bestowed items, and I simply no longer wish to display them conspicuously," Shen Quanyi replied indifferently, unaware of when the window had slipped open a crack, allowing a gust of wind to rush inside. The biting chill made her shiver.

Seeing that Shen Quanyi was dressed only in a thin sleeping robe, Yang Siqiu wore an apologetic expression and gently patted her hand. "Alright, alright, the hour is late, I shall return. Don't bother seeing me out."

Shen Quanyi nodded and motioned for Mistress Liu to escort her out.