Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Su Yunwei was twenty years old this year. He was neither a scholar nor a warrior, yet thanks to his family’s protection he’d landed a loose, honorary post with no real duties. The greatest achievement he’d likely ever have in this life was inheriting his father’s title-downgraded, at that-to become a mere Count.

But the Princess Manor’s Lady-in-Waiting was a proper fifth-rank palace official. Laying hands on an inner-court official? He really was tired of living.

Su Yunwei went rigid.

Su Qianyu went rigid too.

Her gaze reached for me from afar. I nodded and smiled at her.

It seemed to give her courage. She stared at Su Yunwei and said coldly, “From the day I was brought back to the manor, you said you had no sister like me-that you only acknowledge Su Mengyao. But just now, when you were hitting me, every other word out of your mouth was that I’m your sister. I’ve never seen anyone as shameless as you.”

She lifted her hand and slapped Su Yunwei across the face. Then she strode over, took her place behind me, and lowered her head respectfully.

Very good.

I had her accompany my carriage back to the palace.

Behind us, Su Yunwei called after her unwillingly, “Su Qianyu, have you thought it through? Being a Lady-in-Waiting isn’t that easy.”

Su Qianyu gave a mocking laugh. “And being a daughter of the Marquis Manor is easy? I was abused at the farmstead, and all that kept me going was the thought that one day I’d find my birth parents and finally tell them all my grievances. Who would’ve thought that coming back to the Marquis Manor would be a different kind of torment? An unkind elder brother, a malicious younger sister, and parents who favor you two and only ever demand that I endure. Only the Princess gave me justice.

“People go where things are better. The Princess gave me fairness, so I know the Princess Manor is a place that follows reason. Of course I’m going there. Are you afraid that once I become a Lady-in-Waiting you won’t be able to manipulate me anymore, or are you truly thinking of me? Only you know the truth.”

“Well said!” I praised loudly. “This Princess makes a promise here: if Su Qianyu suffers even the slightest grievance in my Princess Manor, This Princess will gift her a thousand in gold and grant her one wish. If I break this vow, may lightning strike me from the heavens.”

“Long live the Princess! Long live the Princess! Long live the Princess ten thousand years!”

This time, the crowd erupted into waves of cheers.

That day, it wasn’t only the scholars taking the Palace Examination who would make their names.

I made mine as well.

Everyone would know the Princess Manor was a place that upheld reason-a place where wrongs could be righted.

Later, Su Qianyu tilted her head and leaned against my shoulder, asking with a lingering, reluctant sweetness,

“Princess, why did you save me back then? When I first came to the capital, everyone bullied me and hated me. Only you-on the very first meeting-stood up for me. Why?”

Naturally, because you’re the female lead.

Gu Qinglan was so formidable, so favored by the Heavenly Dao. As the female lead, Su Qianyu must have great fortune of her own as well.

If I wanted to accomplish great things, I needed to find myself a protective talisman.

She was the talisman I’d chosen.

But I couldn’t say that out loud. If I did, she’d punch me.

So I put on an inscrutable air and said, “Some people-you know the moment you meet them that they’ll be your confidant for a lifetime. Maybe that’s what they mean by one glance lasting ten thousand years.”

“One glance lasting ten thousand years…” Su Qianyu believed it.