After Encountering My Deceased Wife, I Became the Male Lead's Love Rival - Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Clothes

The ten days passed in the blink of an eye. Fang Ziyue’s mother, who had been traveling to practice medicine, returned specifically to prepare clothes for her daughter, and her elder brothers repeatedly urged her to be careful. After all, she was the pampered daughter of the family; no one truly wanted to see her on the battlefield. Even the Suian Marquis considered making her a cook in the logistics unit, just so she could follow safely in the rear.

Unfortunately, Fang Ziyue refused. She felt she couldn’t live like that; if she didn’t make a name for herself, it felt as though she would lose something vital.

Floating in mid-air, the System finally felt relieved. Not long after it entered this world with its host, a surge of energy had sealed the host’s memories and even restricted her from seeing or hearing the System. The System had tried many ways to communicate but failed, finally pinning its hopes on the host’s ability to recognize the female supporting lead on her own. After all, they had been inseparable in the previous worlds—surely this world would be no different?

“I wonder if Ling Qiu will come,” Fang Ziyue mused. Sitting atop her horse, her head kept twisting back, desperately scanning the crowd for a specific face.

Seeing this, Lady Fang and the brothers standing beside her felt like slapping her. They had never seen someone so spineless—completely bewitched by a blind girl!

The marching orders had been given twice; the third and final signal to depart was imminent. Unfortunately, Fang Ziyue still didn’t see Ling Qiu, though she did notice a maid she didn’t recognize desperately squeezing through the crowd while clutching a bundle.

The maid was sturdily built and pushed her way to the front in no time. With a shy expression, she looked at Fang Ziyue and said in a delicate voice, “Commandery Princess Lingyun, I made a set of clothes for you. Xiao Cui spent half a year sewing and embroidering this through the nights.”

As she spoke, the robust maid stretched out her hand for Fang Ziyue to see. “Look, my hands are all swollen from the needle pricks!”

Fang Ziyue was initially dumbstruck, nearly spooked into galloping away. However, since the third order hadn’t sounded yet, she couldn’t move. Suddenly, Xiao Cui’s large palm was thrust before her eyes, revealing a delicate orchid pattern embroidered on the center of her palm. Because the pattern was small, others simply thought Xiao Cui had dirt on her hand.

But Fang Ziyue understood immediately: this person was sent by Ling Qiu.

To the shock of the onlookers, the previously dark-faced and evasive Commandery Princess actually accepted the clothes. With a beaming smile, she said, “You’ve gone to much trouble. I have some medicinal salve here; take it back and apply it carefully to your hands. Do not let them touch water until they are healed.”

With that, Fang Ziyue took a sachet from her sleeve and handed it to Xiao Cui with worried eyes. “This is an amulet I’ve worn for a long time. Keep it on your person and never let it leave you.”

The thought of Ling Qiu sewing clothes for her through the night, pricking her fingers God knows how many times, made Fang Ziyue’s heart ache. Ling Qiu’s fingertips were always slender, white, and soft—how swollen must they be now?

As she held the clothes, Fang Ziyue realized Ling Qiu must have started sewing this half a year ago. She remembered a casual comment she had made to Ling Qiu back then: “If I go to the battlefield, black and red would be best. Black is steady, red is bold. I’ll wear a black collar with red sleeves under silver armor and carve out a reputation for myself.”

At the time, Ling Qiu had merely kept her head down, stroking her book and giving a perfunctory “Mhm.” Now she realized that even then, Ling Qiu was likely contemplating what style of clothes to make for her.

The third marching order sounded. Fang Ziyue only had time to say: “Wait for me to return.”

She left in a hurry, leaving her brothers staring at Xiao Cui in a daze. They couldn’t fathom how their sister’s taste had become… so peculiar? A crowd of onlookers also lamented, unable to understand how the most beautiful princess in the world could take a fancy to such a broad-shouldered, plain-looking woman!

Only Xiao Cui lifted her chin, cold-snorting at the group of “dogs” hoping for a taste of swan meat. She sneered inwardly: Little Princess Lingyun belongs to my Eldest Miss; you idiots can forget it.

She also thought of her mistress. Since her eyes were bad, she shouldn’t have been making clothes. Who knew how much the Miss had suffered for that garment? When she checked this morning, Ling Qiu’s fingers were purple and swollen. But holding the amulet in her hand, Xiao Cui’s complaints softened. At least the little Princess cared for her mistress; it wasn’t a one-sided devotion.

“Mother, you want me to send people to protect that Xiao Cui?” The third Fang brother, who loved medicine and the martial arts world, looked at the maid who was roughly pushing her way out of the crowd. He was already planning to have the “ugly woman” beaten for coveting his sister—and now he had to protect her?

Lady Fang promptly nipped his ear and whispered, “Stupid! You think your sister actually fancies that maid? She cares about the person behind the maid!”

Very few people knew Fang Ziyue was going to war. The palace didn’t care for such trivialities, and the Marquis Manor didn’t gossip. How did that maid know? If Fang Ziyue hadn’t told the little blind girl at the Prime Minister’s house herself, the maid wouldn’t have shown up.

“Still, that child is quite sincere,” Lady Fang sighed. A blind girl spending half a year to make a garment—one can only imagine the effort involved. Her straight-laced daughter needed a clever partner to balance her out; it was a good match.

“Not bad, Little Sister,” the third brother muttered, rubbing his ear in envy. He also wanted a wife who would think of him like that, but he had been a bachelor for over twenty years without luck. With a sigh, he sent his men to secretly escort Xiao Cui back. They intercepted two or three groups of people trying to kidnap her along the way.

When Lady Fang heard of this, she knew it was the handiwork of the Second Madam at the Prime Minister’s house, though she wasn’t sure if Ling Qiu was aware.

“Miss, this is the amulet and medicine the Commandery Princess gave you. She also said not to let your wounds touch water.”

Xiao Cui vividly recounted Fang Ziyue’s words and expression. Though Ling Qiu couldn’t see, her heart felt warm. The fingertips of her left hand were swollen and numb from the needles, but after applying the medicine, the dull pain seemed to vanish instantly.

Carefully putting the amulet away, Ling Qiu asked, “Was anyone following you?”

“Yes,” Xiao Cui nodded. Born into a security escort family, her martial arts were decent. She knew how many people had tried to ambush her. “However, the Fang family seemed to have sent people to escort me the whole way. They diverted three different groups; no one knows I returned to the Prime Minister’s house.”

Ling Qiu nodded. Lady Fang had returned recently; she was meticulous and had likely guessed Xiao Cui’s identity.

“Tomorrow, take some gifts to the Marquis Manor. If Lady Fang agrees, stay there and do not come back.”

The play had to be acted out fully. Ling Qiu used this opportunity to extract Xiao Cui from the Prime Minister’s house. Xiao Cui had been a girl she rescued three years ago; she had disguised her as a man to serve as a guard in the manor. Tomorrow, the manor would “dismiss” a negligent guard, which wouldn’t draw much attention.

Xiao Cui was anxious. “I’m not going! If I leave, what will happen to you, Miss?”

Ling Qiu had been sending her people away one by one. Now, only Xiao Cui, a lame maid, and two old servants remained. Ling Yuexiang, the daughter of the Second Madam, was always looking for trouble. Who would protect her mistress?

But Ling Qiu’s decisions were final. The slender figure in moon-white beckoned, and Xiao Cui leaned in. Ling Qiu handed her two banknotes and a simple, elegant hairpin.

“Your father sent someone to find you a while ago. You weren’t willing to leave, so he left this hairpin.”

Xiao Cui’s eyes grew hot. It was a gift from her childhood sweetheart, her senior brother. He didn’t care that she was strong or plain. They were to be married, but a bandit raid left her wounded and him missing after falling off a cliff.

“Your father said your senior brother has been found. But his legs are bad, and he can likely never work as an escort again.” Ling Qiu took out a jade pendant. “There is a famous doctor in the south of the city. Take this jade to him; he will treat your brother.”

Xiao Cui’s senior brother was a man of integrity; knowing he was disabled, he had tried to break the engagement to avoid burdening her. But Xiao Cui was equally loyal. She had given Ling Qiu three years of service for saving her life. Now, it was time to let her go.

Xiao Cui took the items and kowtowed three times. “I will never forget your kindness, Miss. If you ever need me, just say the word.”

After Xiao Cui left, the courtyard grew even quieter.

For the past two months, a “dandy” from the south had been flattering Ling Yuexiang, all to win a lame maid he claimed to have fallen in love with at first sight. He spent a fortune on Ling Yuexiang, who finally agreed to give him the maid from the Eldest Miss’s courtyard.

“What ‘Eldest Miss’? She’s just a blind woman. What’s wrong with me taking one of her maids? Don’t worry, I’ll send her to you in a few days,” Ling Yuexiang said contemptuously while playing with her gold.

The young man bowed in gratitude, but his fists tightened where she couldn’t see. He hated her. If he hadn’t received a letter from the Eldest Miss saying his long-lost sister had ended up in the Prime Minister’s house, he would never have set foot here to flatter such a woman. He and the Eldest Miss were putting on a play; for his sister, he could endure the disgust.

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