She missed him.
The longing surged, not overwhelming, but a dull ache arose in her heart. With each breath, those tangled mories, just fragnted snippets, intertwined and mingled, rushed into her mind.
A word, a phrase, there was the first eting, the wedding candle, the argunts, the tears...
She couldn’t differentiate; she just knew it was all about Mu Lianxiao.
All about the scent of Yunluo Flowers.
Tears blurred her eyes, dropping with a patter onto her embroidered shoes.
Gently, soone embraced her shoulders, warm hands slowly prying open her tightly clenched fists, and a soft voice whispered in her ear.
"Don’t hurt yourself. If you must cry, wait until she leaves."
Du Yunluo’s body went stiff instantly, and she suddenly looked up, astonished.
She saw Du Yunru, her sister tenderly holding her. Under those lovely phoenix eyes, there was a hint of redness, yet she still managed to squeeze out a smile for her.
Du Yunluo blinked forcefully, disregarded the crescent marks in her palms, and tightly hugged Du Yunru’s waist, suppressing her sobs: "I’m sorry..."
Why apologize, why say sorry? Du Yunru didn’t know, but she felt the endless sadness and guilt from her delicate sister’s fra. This pampered little sister, when had she ever been like this?
Du Yunru’s heart was in agony, fearing their noise outside might be heard, she could only rub her cheek against Du Yunluo’s for comfort.
Du Yunluo cried so hard she almost lost her breath, burying her head against her sister’s chest, restraining herself from making a sound.
That mont was too familiar to her.
Previously, after her marriage, her relationship with her maiden family beca rigid and distant. Even Du Yunru blad her for being unreasonable and wouldn’t associate with her.
Until that sumr in the 25th year of Yong’an.
Mu Lianxiao had only returned to the capital for three months when he was ordered again to prepare for an expedition.
Du Yunluo’s heart pounded like a drum, inexplicably filled with a sense of impending doom, fearing he might never return this ti.
She cried, she raged, and she struggled, but what else could she do beyond that?
Du Yunru ca to see her, which was the first ti her sister visited her after her marriage.
She embraced Du Yunru, crying and complaining, blaming them for forcing her into marriage, blaming them for gambling with her whole life.
Du Yunru gently pried open her fists, rubbing the marks on her palms, eyes brimming with tears: "Don’t hurt yourself. If you must cry, wait until he leaves."
The exact sa words, the exact sa actions.
Throwing the past scenes right in front of her.
Like a bucket of ice water poured down her head, or as if drowning and unable to breathe.
Many, many years later, Du Yunluo would know that Du Yunru ca only at Mu Lianxiao’s request.
Yet she refused to listen, refused to endure, finally angering Du Yunru into leaving with a flick of her sleeve, leaving Mu Lianxiao to march off with worries.
How many people had she wronged?
Du Yunru was also distressed, cradling her sister’s face to wipe away her tears.
Du Yunluo gazed at Du Yunru’s features; her sister was in her charming sixteen years, even prettier than the few peonies she nurtured.
Sniffling, Du Yunluo forced a smile.
There’s still ti; she won’t wrong those who sincerely care for her anymore. What she owed in the past life, she must repay in this life.
Seeing Du Yunluo regain her composure, Du Yunru was sowhat relieved and went to listen for any movents outside.
Only to hear Mrs. Shi say: "I won’t say anything else. The future is unpredictable, and no one can guarantee anything. I voiced this today solely because I like Yunluo girl and am satisfied with the character of the Princely Heir. As sisters, I won’t want you to bla in five or ten years for matching Yunluo girl with a wastrel or soone incapable.
Although it’s often said to raise one’s head when marrying a daughter and lower it when marrying a daughter-in-law, that’s still the Marquis Mansion. They’ve hinted at it, and we shouldn’t delay too long, or resentnt may grow, and it would be a disservice to the girl."
Mrs. Zhen nodded repeatedly: "I understand these reasons. Sister, please allow to think further, and let our Old Lady and Old Master consider it too."
Mrs. Shi agreed, rembering Du Yunru was still hiding in the green gauze cabinet, and didn’t stay long, taking her leave.
After Mrs. Shi left Qinghui Garden, Mrs. Zhen glanced towards where her daughters were hidden.
Du Yunluo wiped her face with the back of her hand, just about to go out, but was stopped by Du Yunru. She looked at her sister in confusion.
"Dingyuan Marquis Mansion..." Du Yunru murmured, pausing, and seeming to make a decision, looked up and said seriously, "You cried just now, does that an you don’t want it?"
Du Yunluo was startled.
"If you don’t want, tell . I’ll plead with our grandfather and grandmother, I’ll..." Du Yunru said, her voice trembling.
The tears Du Yunluo had held back nearly fell again.
How blind had she been before, to think her family was trading her for the family’s future?
Clearly, clearly, they were considering her well-being.
She only had herself to bla for being swayed by Du Yunying and Du Yunnuo’s few provocations, rushing to Lianfu Garden to make a scene, embarrassing Du Gongfu and Mrs. Xia, and causing Mrs. Zhen to lose her stance.
"Sister," Du Yunluo smiled, "I don’t mind, Mrs. Shi was right, the Princely Heir really is a very good person, soone beyond our reach."
Du Yunru pursed her lips, closely observing Du Yunluo’s expressions, trying to see if there was any hidden aning: "It’s just the two of us here, tell the truth."
Du Yunluo arched her eyes, gentle as a spring breeze: "The truth is, I want to marry him."
"You..." Du Yunru opened her mouth, reconsidered her words several tis, but in the end swallowed them back.
She believed what Du Yunluo said, detecting the tenderness in her sister’s eyes when ntioning the Princely Heir couldn’t be faked. If her heart weren’t set upon him, how could she have such a reaction? But...
But if she really was willing, why had she cried so sorrowfully just now?
Also, when did Du Yunluo get to know the Heir of Duke Dingyuan so well that her heart was set on him?
Du Yunru couldn’t figure it out; indeed, these days, everyone felt Du Yunluo was acting oddly.
Crying bitterly beside their mother’s bed that day, then behaving docilely these following days, and today yet again...
Her sister had changed, beco more understanding, and more heartbreaking.
Du Yunru’s fair fingers adjusted Du Yunluo’s fringe, she rembered Jin Ling ntioning Du Yunluo had a nightmare. What kind of nightmare could change a person so drastically?
"Let’s go out, Mother is waiting for us." Du Yunluo took her sister’s hand and pushed open the door of the green gauze cabinet.
Mrs. Zhen, upon hearing them, turned to look, seeing her two daughters with red-rimd eyes and quickly called Shui Yue to bring water.
After Shui Yue helped the sisters wash their faces, she retreated, leaving the inner room to the masters.
Mrs. Zhen gestured for Du Yunru to sit on the embroidered stool, then pulled Du Yunluo to sit closely beside her on the bed, "Why did you cry so hard?"
Before Du Yunluo could speak, Du Yunru quickly interjected: "Mother, is it true that you plan to marry Yunluo to Dingyuan Marquis Mansion?"
Mrs. Zhen’s hand holding Du Yunluo’s tightened slightly, looking into her eldest daughter’s eyes: "What do you think?"
Du Yunru took a deep breath: "Mrs. Shi said one thing right; no one can guarantee the future holds. But judging the present, the Princely Heir is quite wonderful."
Mrs. Zhen secretly sighed.
After Mrs. Shi left, the two sisters had dawdled inside for a while, certainly discussing these matters.
Given Du Yunru’s current remarks, it was clear this was Du Yunluo’s sentint.
Looking deeply at her youngest daughter’s beautiful face, Mrs. Zhen continuously questioned herself, was it rely due to others’ laudatory words about Mu Lianxiao that Du Yunluo developed a crush, naïve to evaluate the future, or had she already developed an obsession unbeknownst to her own mother?
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