Chapter 20

Lady Zhu naturally had no desire to associate with anyone from the Second Branch.

I did not know what she was thinking, but one day, when no one else was around, Zhang Mi asked me, “Xiao Chun, what do you think of my Second Brother?”

“The Second Young Master is, of course, an excellent person.”

“Would you like to be his concubine?”

I was startled and looked up at her. “Fourth Miss, please don’t say such things.”

Zhang Mi smiled, “Let me tell you quietly, Mother praised you the other day. She said that among all the maids in the mansion, none are as honest and proper as you. She said you are clever and intends to have you serve as my Second Brother’s chamber maid. When he marries in the future, you would be raised to concubine…”

The smile on Zhang Mi’s face was so natural, as if telling me, Xiao Chun, you are truly fortunate.

But she never expected that I would unconsciously furrow my brows and say, “Fourth Miss, I will not be a concubine.”

Her smile froze, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. “What did you say? That’s my Second Brother.”

Knowing that further explanation would be pointless, I said, “When my father was alive, he already arranged a marriage for me. Fourth Miss, I am under the protection of the Zhang family for now, but one day I will leave.”

Zhang Mi stared at me, suddenly recalling, “Right, we actually forgot you are of good birth, not a servant in the mansion.”

That day, in the deserted West Courtyard, Zhang Mi chatted with me for a while and then left. She did not expect that, not far away at the Waterside Pavilion, the elegant Second Young Master was standing.

I vaguely felt that he must have heard our conversation, but his expression was so calm, standing with his hands behind his back, casting only a serene glance my way.

I was not sure whether he had heard or not.

In truth, whether he heard or not did not matter to me.

My thoughts had never lingered on him for even a moment.

So, on the night of the Lantern Festival, when he saw Heir Jiang pinch my cheek, he said, “I thought you were different from the others.”

Though I knew he misunderstood, I did not intend to explain. I simply replied, “Second Young Master, people are all the same, there is no difference.”

The street was hung with lanterns of every kind.

The moon above was bright and round, like a disk of white jade.

He said, “You once said you would not be a concubine.”

After a pause, he added, “Heir Jiang will certainly not marry you.”

He slowed his pace, and I slowed mine as well, following quietly. “Of course the Young Master will not marry me. Second Young Master, rest assured, Xiao Chun knows her place. I understand everything you wish to say.”

“Then, why did you come out tonight?”

He did not look at me, his voice calm. I was silent for a moment, still not intending to mention that I was delivering a message for Zhang Mi.

Yet he seemed to guess, chuckled softly, and said, “Go pick out a lantern for Zhang Mi, so you won’t return empty-handed.”

There were many lanterns hanging in the street. The vendors, about to close up, cheerfully introduced them to me: dice lanterns, flower basket lanterns, the brightest was the revolving lantern, and the prettiest were the palace lanterns and round lanterns.

I casually chose a lantern, its paper shade painted with a divine bird, vivid and lifelike.

When I looked back, I saw Zhang Yunhuai watching me, his eyes deep and mysterious. He said, “Pick one for yourself as well.”

So I chose one for myself too.

It had a swallow motif, the candlelight shining through, and on the lantern was inscribed a line-

“The flowers fall helplessly, yet the swallows seem to return as before.”

The full moon shone brightly, echoing the lantern light, reflected in Zhang Yunhuai’s eyes. He smiled, “The Sixty-third Lot of the Supreme Spiritual Lot, it is exactly this verse-an Upper Lot.”

I smiled as well. “Second Young Master, this is the street, not the temple.”

“If you believe, it is real.”

He looked at me, his calm eyes deep and dark, and spoke those three words.

I walked with him down the street, and after that, we said no more.

Looking into the distance along the long street, the moon that night was especially large and round. Later, he said, “This year’s Lantern Festival seems especially lively.”

I followed his gaze to the moon, and, following his words, replied unconsciously, “I have seen livelier ones.”

After speaking, I came back to myself and met his eyes, then quickly lowered my gaze. “But the moon is especially round.”

“A full moon divides the autumn colors, shining bright for a thousand miles alongside the clouds-truly complete.”

The Second Young Master’s voice was always cool and clear, but as he looked up at the moon, even this moment seemed tinged with softness.

He actually asked me, “Xiao Chun, do you like it?”

I did not look at him, just kept my head down and walked, answering irrelevantly, “When the moon is full, it will wane. I prefer the crescent moon.”