4 Her Appearance

Half an hour later, Xia Chan had packed a few simple belongings and moved to the Quietude Courtyard. Upon entering, she was met by Mama Qin, who led her to see Yu Qingxue.

Yu Qingxue’s room was sparse; beyond daily necessities, there was not a single superfluous item. Though the objects were few and unassuming, every one of them was of the finest quality.

She was sitting in meditation, piously turning the prayer beads in her hand. The beads were made of beeswax, polished smooth and glossy from years of handling. Xia Chan stood with her head bowed, left waiting for a long while.

Only after a quiet reminder from Mama Qin did Yu Qingxue slowly open her eyes. "You are a trusted servant of my mother’s. She sent you here to assist me, which shows her confidence in you. However, my mother is getting on in years and should not be troubled. In the future, if you have any matters, come to me first; there is no need to disturb her."

Xia Chan bowed respectfully and agreed.

Yu Qingxue continued, "The young lady is not entirely sound of mind and is inevitably eccentric in temperament. If anything happens involving her, you must not conceal it from me. You are to report everything to me without omission."

"Yes, mistress."

"You may go."

With that, Xia Chan withdrew. Once she had left, Yu Qingxue ceased her movements. She set the prayer beads aside on the table and took the tea Mama Qin offered. Taking a light sip, she immediately frowned and looked at the cup. "Why is this still last year’s tea?"

Around the time of the Awakening of Insects, the early tea leaves would just begin to sprout, tender and fragrant. Among Shen Linlang’s dowry was a tea plantation, and every year, when the first batch of fresh tea arrived, Lady Xie would send it over immediately. This year, however, it seemed to be a few days late.

"They said it would be another two days," Mama Qin whispered.

Yu Qingxue slammed the teacup down, a shadow of gloom clouding her brow. "What wait two days? That is nothing but an excuse. Mother is becoming increasingly neglectful of me. True, she has always appeared to dote on me since I was a child, but whenever a situation arises, I am always placed behind my brother."

"Mistress, please do not overthink it. The Old Madam has you in her heart; otherwise, she would not have sent Xia Chan here," Mama Qin said, her voice dropping until it was barely audible.

"Has me in her heart?" She let out a cold hum, her expression darkening further. "If she truly cared for me, she would not have forced me to marry into the Su family. Sending Xia Chan here is clearly a sign of her lack of trust in me. In her heart, my brother far outweighs me. Where is there any room for mother and daughter?"

This was something Mama Qin dared not answer. The room was filled with the curling smoke of sandalwood, and for a moment, silence reigned.

Yu Qingxue frowned. "Hurry and extinguish this foul-smelling thing!"

Mama Qin hurried to remove the sandalwood from the incense burner and lit a sweet-scented silk tree blossom incense instead. After a while, the floral scent dispersed the lingering sandalwood. Yu Qingxue’s expression softened slightly. She picked up the prayer beads once more, and as she turned them, she muttered to herself, "Do not blame me for being heartless; this is what they owe me!"

***

The Quietude Courtyard was not large, yet it was not small either. Turning left after exiting the main room led to Shen Qinglü's quarters. Four charcoal braziers had been relit, restoring a warmth reminiscent of early summer.

The beautiful girl, her expression sluggish, sat quietly by the bed. She appeared as dull and vacant as before, but when she saw that the person entering was Xia Chan, her hollow eyes gradually changed, shifting from dark to bright, like stars suddenly appearing in the night sky.

Xia Chan was momentarily stunned by her beauty. She quickly set her things aside and stepped forward to serve her. "Young lady, it is late. Let this servant help you rest."

She moved to remove the girl’s cloak, and just as she prepared to comb her hair, she looked around and failed to find a vanity. Though she felt a flicker of doubt, she did not show it and simply began to groom her hair. Being this close, she could see the girl’s features more clearly, and the impact was even greater.

Everyone in the household said the eldest young lady resembled her aunt and was a beauty rarely seen, but compared to this cousin, the eldest young lady’s looks were somewhat inferior.

"Young lady, you are truly beautiful."

Shen Qinglü’s heart stirred, and she touched her own face. "Am I beautiful?"

"Does the young lady not know?" Xia Chan asked in return.

Shen Qinglü shook her head, appearing somewhat vacant. "I have never looked in a mirror. I do not know."

So, not only was there no vanity, there was not even a mirror. Xia Chan’s doubts deepened. She took a small, ordinary mirror from her own bundle and placed it before Shen Qinglü.

The mirror reflected the face of a beauty, her forehead partially veiled by bangs. Shen Qinglü’s gaze was dark and murky as she slowly used her hand to brush the bangs upward.

This face was several degrees more beautiful than Yu Liuzhu’s and resembled Yu Qingxue more closely, yet the impression it gave was entirely different. If Yu Qingxue were a refined white lotus, then she was an enchanting red lotus. However, this current appearance bore no resemblance to her original self. She did not look like herself; in fact, there were two other people who looked like her.

It was utterly absurd!

"Young lady, look, aren't you very beautiful?" Xia Chan’s words broke her train of thought.

She smiled at the brand-new self in the mirror. "Indeed, very beautiful."

***

The night was filled with chaotic dreams. She was one moment in the orphanage where she lived as a child, the next in the home of her foster parents. Scenes changed again and again, from the surreal, neon-lit city to the secluded, winding paths of a deep, aristocratic mansion.

When she opened her eyes in the morning, she turned her head in a daze and saw a touch of green on the table, unsure of what time or era it was. Those were a few bamboo stalks, placed in a porcelain vase, steady and verdant. When they sprouted new branches later, this green would mingle with the freshest, most vibrant hues, creating the layered shades of green that gave her her name.

Hearing movement, Xia Chan entered. Seeing that she was awake, she hurried to serve her. "Young lady, the Old Madam sent someone earlier, saying she has matters to attend to today and will come to see you once she is finished."

She lowered her gaze and said nothing. Xia Chan opened the wardrobe to select clothes for her. There were not many garments inside—white, green, cyan, and blue—but not a single piece of red. Not even a hint of bright red, pink, light red, or peach.

"Young lady, which outfit would you like to wear today?"

She had no preference and pointed at a green one. As Xia Chan combed her hair, she pointed at her bangs and said, "Comb them up."

Xia Chan complied. When she looked for hair accessories after styling, she found nothing but a few jade pins, so she simply used a ribbon to secure and adorn the hair, which suited her even better.

She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling like a complete stranger. This was her, yet it was not her. The intersection of past and present lives, the crossing of time and space between ancient and modern—it was bizarre and strange. The only thing to be thankful for was that she was still alive and possessed a healthy body.

The morning meal was prepared by Xia Chan herself. Although it was entirely vegetarian, it was far better than the previous meal, both in appearance and taste.

"Xia Chan, it’s truly wonderful to have you." Her eyes were bright, radiant, and sincere.

Xia Chan was struck by the smile on her face. While marveling at her stunning beauty, she also felt a great sense of pity for her. "It is my good fortune to serve you, young lady."

A favorite servant of the matriarch suddenly being reassigned to care for a cousin—regardless of whether the cousin was smart or foolish, and certainly given her status as the daughter of a disgraced official—meant there was no bright future to be had. If the master was in such a state, what about the servant? This was no good fortune; it was clearly a stroke of bad luck.

But Shen Qinglü would never pierce this veil. She was called Qinglü, but in her eyes, it was not the green of bamboo, nor the green of nature; it was the "green tea" of a manipulative person.

"My good fortune is yet to come. Follow me, and you will have your share of it as well."

Xia Chan never expected her to say such things. She was both surprised and moved. Perhaps this cousin really was on the verge of recovery!

She continued eating, and suddenly, as if thinking of something, she asked Xia Chan, "Have you eaten?"

Xia Chan was taken aback, then moved. "This servant has already eaten a little; these are all for you."

"Then I shall finish them."

She ate the same amount as she had yesterday, cleaning the plate completely. She mused that it was no wonder this body was healthy and full of vitality—it was likely because it was capable of eating well.

Through the crack in the window, the green of the bamboo caught her eye again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearly smelling the fresh, woody fragrance of the bamboo. When she opened her eyes again to see who had entered, her gaze returned to a hollow void.

The moment Yu Qingxue saw her, she was visibly stunned, instinctively digging her nails into her palms.

To think this child resembled her so much!

Back then, she was known for her outstanding beauty, dubbed "Lady Yu," and was the envy of all. At that time, her brother had climbed into the good graces of the General's Mansion, and her own status had risen with the tide. She had thought she would secure a desirable, high-ranking marriage, until her family forced her to marry into the Su family.

Whatever the Yu family owed her, let this child pay it back!

She frowned at Xia Chan. "I sent you here to serve the young lady, not to make decisions for her. Take down her hair and style it as it was before."

Though Xia Chan did not understand, she replied, "Yes."

Shen Qinglü stared blankly, her dark, hollow eyes fixed on Yu Qingxue as she spat out words one by one: "You... are... a... bad... person!"

Yu Qingxue was struck with horror. "You... what did you say?"

Her answer was Shen Qinglü’s complete indifference; the girl simply turned and walked out on her own.

Xia Chan hurried to follow, asking, "Young lady, where are you going?"

"To find Grandmother, I want to find Grandmother." Shen Qinglü pointed outside the courtyard, her pace steady.

"You only just fell into the water yesterday; your body has not fully recovered. It is still cold outside, what if you catch a chill?" Yu Qingxue chased after her, her brow furrowed with irritation.

Mama Qin attempted to block Shen Qinglü, only to be abruptly pushed aside by the girl. Taking advantage of the moment Mama Qin fell to the ground, Shen Qinglü was already out of the courtyard.

"Great Aunt, this servant will follow the young lady," Xia Chan said, already in pursuit.

"Mistress, what should we do?" Mama Qin had climbed up, her face full of anxiety.

Yu Qingxue’s complexion turned as ugly as it could possibly be, and she dug her nails fiercely into her palms. "She is courting death!"

If so, she could not be blamed for what happened next.