Chapter Forty-Three: Untitled

The next day, Ye Qianran woke up late. After washing, Juanbi helped her dress. Her lovely face was reflected in the bronze mirror, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips, barely perceptible. The sweetness from last night welled up in her heart. Juanbi, seeing her gentle smile in the mirror, grinned, "Miss, did something good happen? Even in your sleep you were smiling."

For some reason, her face suddenly flushed. She lowered her head abruptly, as if caught doing something shameful. Yet, realizing this reaction was too obvious, she quickly shifted her thoughts and pointed to her feet, exclaiming, "What’s that down there?"

Her sudden cry startled Juanbi, who dropped her comb and bent to look, but found nothing. Rising, she muttered, "There’s nothing at all." Ye Qianran saw her confused expression and struggled to suppress her laughter, hurriedly changing the subject. "Where’s Lülán? It’s so late, why hasn’t she appeared?"

As soon as she spoke, she remembered: Lülán was no longer her maid. She had been settled in Bihé Courtyard and was now half a mistress, attended by maids and old servants, lacking only the formal title.

Although Meng Lanyi had said that decisions about taking concubines were up to the parents, the Ye family, mindful of their ties and the influence of the Minister’s household, dared not act rashly. Besides, Ye An's attitude was ambiguous—he neither agreed nor refused. So, the matter was left unresolved for now. Wen Qiumei had arranged for Lülán to stay in Bihé Courtyard, promising that after she gave birth, she would be granted a proper status and not be made to suffer.

Thinking of this, Ye Qianran’s gaze dimmed. She wasn’t sure whether to feel happy or sad for Lülán.

Juanbi noticed her darkened expression, took her hand and squatted before her. "Miss, Lülán can’t serve you anymore, but don’t be sad, Juanbi will always stay by your side."

Ye Qianran forced a smile and asked, "Juanbi, you’re sixteen now. Should I find you a suitable match?"

Juanbi hadn’t expected such a question. Her face flushed deeply, her voice soft but firm, "I don’t want to marry. I want to stay with you forever."

Ye Qianran pulled her up and gave her a playful scowl, "Silly girl, women must marry eventually. You’ve been with me for so many years; how could I bear to let you grow old alone?"

Hearing this, Juanbi’s eyes reddened. Like Lülán, she was an orphan without parents; Ye Qianran was not only her mistress but her family. Such words warmed her heart, her voice choked with emotion, "No, I won’t marry. I’ll serve you always."

A smile gathered at Ye Qianran’s cheek, but there was a hint of bitterness in her heart. She vaguely felt that nothing in this world could be kept forever.

She sighed, touched Juanbi’s face, and changed the topic, "It’s about time for breakfast. Let’s go."

The sky was overcast, snowflakes swirling freely between heaven and earth, like falling petals. Stepping on thick snow, the sound creaked beneath their feet. The courtyard looked bleak and desolate, only the evergreen pines and cypresses standing proud, their green cloaks nearly buried beneath the snow, with only specks of color showing.

Juanbi closed the bamboo umbrella and handed it to the page waiting outside. On the other side, a maid lifted the heavy curtain for Ye Qianran. As she stepped inside, a rush of warmth greeted her. Ye Qianran rubbed her hands; Juanbi removed her cloak. At that moment, Ye Yuandao entered, shaking snow from his clothes. Ye Qianran turned to greet him, sweetly calling "Father," and helped him to a seat.

Wen Qiumei, seeing everyone gathered, instructed the maids and old servants to serve the dishes. Ye Qianran felt puzzled and asked, "Brother and sister-in-law haven’t arrived yet, why are we starting the meal?"

Wen Qiumei smiled, "Your brother and sister-in-law sent someone to say they won’t be joining us for breakfast today, so we needn’t wait for them."

Ye Qianran’s heart sank, though her face betrayed nothing. Ye Yuandao stroked his beard, showing no displeasure, his expression unchanged. Ye Qianran secretly breathed a sigh of relief as his deep, steady voice sounded, "Let them be. Sons grow beyond their mothers. Let them do as they please."

The dishes were served: eight courses and two soups. Qianzhi sat beside Qianran, her wide eyes watching and listening. Qianran was very fond of this little sister, who could be quiet at times, lively at others, and already adept at reading situations and speaking accordingly, clever and mischievous. Looking at her, Ye Qianran recalled her own childhood—those carefree days, gone forever.

After the meal, her father went as usual to inspect the business, and Ye Qianran stayed behind to talk with her mother. Speaking of her brother and sister-in-law, Wen Qiumei wore a worried expression. "I thought Lanyi was composed, graceful, gentle, and well-mannered, but now she’s sulking with your brother over this child—it’s really..."

Ye Qianran smiled, comforting her, "A child appearing out of nowhere, and so soon after their wedding—it’s only natural for sister-in-law to feel upset. She’ll come around in time; she’s never been petty. Give her a few days, and she’ll be fine. Mother, don’t worry."

Wen Qiumei’s brows relaxed a little, her tone softened, "I know your sister-in-law is sensible. I hope she can let it go. Otherwise, if your brother takes more concubines in the future, she won’t be able to bear it."

Ye Qianran forced a smile. The matter of men taking concubines was a problem that never ended. If she were in Meng’s place, and the man who wronged her was Liuyun, she’d probably want to kill him. But now, as an outsider, all she could offer were polite platitudes.

Somehow, the conversation turned to Ye Qianran’s birthday. Since her birthday coincided with New Year’s Eve, it was a festive occasion, and Wen Qiumei wanted to celebrate it grandly. Ye Qianran, however, disagreed, thinking her birthday was merely an excuse for everyone to gather and enjoy themselves. New Year’s Eve was already a good reason; whether her birthday was celebrated or not mattered little.

This surprised Wen Qiumei, who had never imagined her daughter would say such things. She’d always thought Qianran was an obedient, rule-abiding girl, not expecting such unconventional thoughts. It made her look at her daughter anew, and realize she barely knew her at all.

Reflecting further, she sighed. Qianran had been born prematurely, frail in body. That winter, the Ye family’s business suffered losses, and after Qianran’s birth, Wen Qiumei’s health declined, leaving her unable to care for the child. After much consideration, she decided to send Qianran to her parents in Suzhou. Qianran was not yet a year old then, still swaddled in cloth. In the blink of an eye, more than a decade had passed; her daughter had grown into a young woman, but Wen Qiumei, as mother, knew little about her.

Now, thinking back, things weren’t as hard as she’d imagined. If she’d just persevered a bit longer, she could have managed. She couldn’t recall what prompted her decision at the time, but sending Qianran away had led to fifteen years of separation.

Looking at Qianran now, Wen Qiumei felt a deep sense of guilt, as if no amount of compensation would ever be enough.

Later, Ye Qianran rose to excuse herself. Wen Qiumei remembered she had to visit Bihé Courtyard to check on Lülán and invited Qianran to accompany her. On the way, Wen Qiumei asked if she wanted to see Lülán. Ye Qianran smiled and shook her head, saying that since the moment Lülán left, they’d become strangers; she would no longer concern herself with her, nor visit her.

Wen Qiumei went to Bihé Courtyard, while Ye Qianran turned toward Ling Garden, where her brother lived after his marriage. When she arrived, her brother was absent; only Meng Lanyi sat by the window reading. Meng Lanyi greeted her with cool indifference. Ye Qianran tried to lighten the mood with jokes, but it was futile—the atmosphere remained awkward, silent, and cold.

Eventually, Ye Qianran could no longer bear the tension and took her leave. Meng Lanyi didn’t ask her to stay, merely instructing a maid to see her out. Ye Qianran hurried away, and just as she stepped outside, she saw her brother approaching with a bamboo umbrella.

Seeing him, Ye Qianran felt as if she’d found a savior and let out a long breath. Ye An teased, "Qianran, what are you doing? Is someone after you?"

Ye Qianran shot him a look, her tone unfriendly. "You’re back just in time. I have something to tell you."

Ye An smiled gently, his voice warm and mellow. "Surely you wouldn’t want to talk outside. Let’s go in." He walked ahead, but after a few steps saw Ye Qianran standing motionless in the snow, not following.

He turned back, tugged at her sleeve, puzzled, "Qianran, what’s going on? You don’t really mean to stand out here and talk, do you?"

Ye Qianran tilted her head and looked at him. "I’ll make it quick. Last night, unable to sleep, I went out for a walk and saw a man in black in the courtyard. And even earlier, I saw another one. I don’t know if the two are connected."

With that, she turned briskly away. Ye An grabbed her arm, half amused, half exasperated. "Qianran, what do you mean by this?"

"What do I mean? I’m just telling you the facts." Ye Qianran’s tone was harsh, not polite at all.

Ye An looked baffled, pulling her closer. "Honestly, Qianran, who upset you today? You’re acting like you swallowed firecrackers."

Ye Qianran shook off his hand. "I’m not joking. You must take this seriously. As for what to do, that’s up to you." Her words were quick, and she gave him no chance to respond, darting away. This time, Ye An couldn’t catch her. He shook his head in resignation, thinking, "Has this girl taken the wrong medicine? She’s acting so strange today."

He lifted the curtain and entered the inner room. Meng Lanyi still sat by the window, reading, and when Ye An entered, she didn’t even look up, merely shifting her posture and continuing to read.

His eyes, clear as autumn water, flashed with a fleeting sadness, but when he raised his head again, a smile formed at his lips. "Just now I met Qianran at the door. She seemed in a bad mood. Did she come to complain to you?"

No one answered. The room was so quiet it seemed one could hear a flower bloom.