“My lady, you, you want to go out?” Hong Yu stuttered, catching a glimpse of the door in alarm.

An Rushuang nodded and murmured, “I will go to the Eastern Street again. No need to prepare a wagon. We must go in secret!”

Since they had been there for many times, it was unwise to use the same excuse repeatedly. They'd better sneak out.

“But...” Hong Yu was in a pickle. “That woman has been standing outside your room even before the daybreak!”

That woman?

Glancing at Hong Yu's face which showed detestation, An Rushuang immediately knew who the woman she referred to. “An Lingshan?”

Hong Yu, frowning a bit, nodded heavily.

“What is she doing here?”

Did Madam Zhang recover from the disease? Once thinking about it, An Rushuang would suffer serious headache.

“It's said that Madam Zhang, recently recovering, has reported to Lady An that she will hold a small party at Qingfeng Pavilion at which she and her daughter would cook by themselves,” Hong Yu indignantly snorted. “Maybe it's a plot!”

Staring outside the door, with a wisp of gleam s.h.i.+ning in her eyes, An Rushuang smiled lightly.

“It is indeed a plot we have to play along with!”

“So, will you invite her in?”

Hong Yu was afraid she might have made a mistake, since just now she asked An Lingshan to wait, without even offering her a up of hot tea or a stool, and An Lingshan was still standing there, waiting in the cold wind.

An Rushuang waved at Hong Yu in a sneer before she said casually, “Since she wants to wait there, you shouldn't bother her.”

She didn't have time to care about what An Lingshan was thinking or feeling now!

Following the order, Hong Yu hurried to fetch water for An Rushuang who needed to wash her face. As for the one standing at the door, Hong Yu decided to pretend not to see An Lingshan at all.

As furious as An Lingshan was, it was out of her expectation that An Rushuang would directly ignore her. Even that humble maid dared to treat her arrogantly.

However, Liuxi Pavilion was so far from the main suite. It was impossible for Lord An to come if she was bullied. Even though he came, would someone at Liuxi Pavilion stand on her side?

Dwelling on the situation for a long time, An Lingshan decided to endure silently, keeping standing with a smile at the door.

Pa.s.sing by the yard for several times, Hong Yu was surprised at An Lingshan's persistence. She was such a smart girl. No wonder she could gain a firm foothold at the An family.

When An Rushuang finished dressing up after one hour, the sun had rose higher. An Lingshan, clad in white dress, felt so hot, her cheeks already turning red, sweat trickling down from her forehead. The suns.h.i.+ne in the morning was really scorching.

It was until then Hong Yu came up to the door and paid respect to An Lingshan. “Second Miss, my lady invite you in for a talk.”

Before An Lingshan responded, Hong Yu continued after a cough, “My lady said if you don't feel like entering, you can have a rest at the pavilion. She will come soon.”

An Lingshan glanced sidelong at the pavilion, which, as if gilded by the suns.h.i.+ne, was filled with light, though, no so hot when you stayed there.

She couldn't help sweating in her palm by merely taking a look at the pavilion.

The maid standing next to An Lingshan was appointed by Lady An. She, as dull as she was, merely lowered her head in silence as a wood stake.

Cursing An Rushuang harshly in her heart, An Lingshan gritted her teeth while clenching her fist firmly, her face still full of gentle smile like blossoms brushed by warm breeze. “My sister hasn't taken breakfast since getting up. How could she stand in the cold wind?”

This meant she intended to visit her in the room.

When she entered, Silver had just helped An Rushuang insert a golden hairpin.

“Sister.”

An Lingshan looked at An Rushuang in glamorous smile. Her expression suddenly froze when seeing An Rushuang's dress.

It was a light blue dress of very simple style, against which An Rushuang's skin seemed as smooth and white as cream. She was like a lotus freshly stretching out of the water surface, so eye-catching and elegant. Compared to her dress, An Rushuang's white satin dress with golden embroidery was actually paled.

“What are you doing here?” An Rushuang said softly, turning to look at her.

An Lingshan told her about the party, thinking An Rushuang would refuse directly, since she had made her stand at the door for such a long time.

However, An Rushuang was still expressionless, as nothing had happened.

“You can send a maid to inform me of such a trifle. There is no need to come by yourself.”

“It's my duty and honor to invite you to the party. How could I a.s.sign it to a maid?”

“Thank you very much. I will attend it for sure. Please return to have a rest.”

An Rushuang had no time for a chat.

Was she ordering her to leave?

Greatly embarra.s.sed, An Lingshan almost froze. While responding to An Rushuang's words, she looked around the room but found nothing she had hoped to see. It was a little disappointing.

Since there was no use to stay here, she might as well give An Rushuang a deathly attack at the party before their father.

Having a plot in mind, An Lingshan bid farewell to her before left the room.

“Silver, walk Lingshan out for me,” An Rushuang suddenly said.

Silver, being a little startled, followed her order in a hurry.

Frowning at Silver's figure, Hong Yu turned to stand behind An Rushuang after asking all the maids to leave. She undid An Rushuang's long black hair before making a knot on the top of her head, the typical hairstyle for men. “Since you don't trust Silver, why do you let her stay alone with An Lingshan?” Hong Yu asked with curiosity.

Staring at her reflection in the bronze mirror, An Rushuang said slowly, “Since she wants to find a new master, I will give her a chance.” The handsome “young man” in the mirror smiled.

Hong Yu frowned more heavily and murmured, “It's so kind of you! Someday, you will be taken advantage of by that little b.i.t.c.h!”

“There will always be a way laying ahead. Don't worry, my dear nanny Hong Yu.”

An Rushuang let out a sigh before she straightened the knot on her head. She stood up, s.n.a.t.c.hing a folding fan with which she lifted Hong Yu's chin while saying gently, “Go get changed now. How could a handsome man like me take such a pretty maid by my side? You will ruin my reputation.”

Under An Rushuang's hot gaze, conquered by her imposing and tender aura, as well as the teasing look in her smiling eyes, Hong Yu, suddenly froze, was speechless due to shyness.

Miss An, with her pretty appearance, wasn't the most beautiful one among the n.o.ble ladies. However, her smiling eyes had the power to touch one's spirit and heart.

After an hour, a handsome young man with pure white teeth and cherry lips turned up on the Eastern Street with a good-looking manservant.

Such two persons attracted many people's attention, which, of course, caused a lot of trouble for them.

There were several vendors at the road sides. Seeing the pretty fruits on the stall, An Rushuang asked Hong Yu to buy some as present for Bian Wen.

As soon as Hong Yu left, a girl suddenly b.u.mped into An Rushuang heavily.

An Rushuang stood sidelong at once, nearly falling to the ground. Merely through taking two steps back could she keep her balance. The girl, not so lucky as An Rushuang, was lying on the muddy ground, her dress with peach blossom patterns tainted, her hair knot tousled, as well as the seemingly valuable lunar white dress spilling from the blue cloth bag in her hand turning dirty with mud.

How terribly embarra.s.sing it was!

Looking at her teary eyes, An Rushuang, though feeling confused, still decided to help the girl rise to her feet.

“Are you all right?”

“How can I be all right! It's not you who fell down heavily, so you don't feel the pain!” The girl continued to scream, “With such a handsome face, how could you be so useless!” She picked up the lunar white dress and glanced at An Rushuang whose clothes, though, not eye-catching, was made of the most popular wave silk in the capital. Thinking that this man must have come from a wealthy family, the girl said, “Since I will be punished for runing this dress, you must pay me five taels of fine silver as compensation!”