After Saving The Disabled Villain, I Was Attacked In Return! - Chapter 64

Jiang Yu let out a chuckle and, instead of scolding Qi An further, pulled her by the hand to the dining table.

As night fell, the maids of Shaoyue Pavilion brought out the meal. The midday meal at the Shen Residence had been utterly bland, not to mention the loathsome people she’d had to endure.

Jiang Yu’s stomach had been grumbling with hunger, and Qi An hadn’t even been allowed to join the table at midday. At the thought of it, Jiang Yu pouted slightly. After seating Qi An, she began piling food onto her plate, as if determined to make up for the earlier slight.

Qi An was a little overwhelmed by the attention. But when she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, her innate nobility shone through, impossible to conceal. Jiang Yu smiled as she continued to heap food onto Qi An’s bowl. Qi An steeled herself and finished everything before turning to watch Jiang Yu eat.

Outside, Lu Wu and her maids began bustling about, tidying Shaoyue Pavilion. The East Wing was also abuzz with activity. After finishing her meal, Jiang Yu settled into a chair in the Main Hall, a golden hand warmer in her hands, her eyes following Lu Wu’s busy figure through the window.

Qi An brought over a plate of sliced fruits and placed it beside Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu casually grabbed a book from the shelf in Shaoyue Pavilion, which happened to be a collection of contemporary short stories. She returned to her seat and pulled Qi An over to read with her.

Qi An attentively read the stories in the book, but soon heard shallow breathing beside her. Looking up at Jiang Yu, she saw the young woman’s head leaning slightly against her shoulder, her eyes half-closed in slumber.

Qi An smiled helplessly. After making sure Jiang Yu was fully asleep, she carefully removed the book from her grasp, gently lifted her into her arms, and carried her to the bed. She laid Jiang Yu down and pulled a brocade quilt over her.

Lu Wu was about to enter with a report when she pushed open the door and saw Qi An signaling her to be quiet. Only then did she notice the Eldest Miss was deeply asleep. The other maids had mentioned that Miss Jiang Yu seemed unhappy at the Shen Residence.

Lu Wu held her tongue, quietly retreating outside to keep watch through the night.

Qi An undressed and slipped into bed, gently embracing Jiang Yu and slowly drawing her small head close to her own chest. She felt incredibly presumptuous, yet… she couldn’t bear to let go.

The winter night was still filled with the bleak howl of the wind. Fengmen Village’s tranquility had been disturbed by many. Qi An held Jiang Yu protectively, as if trying to shield her from the harsh elements.

Perhaps Qi An had no claim to such thoughts now, but… that might change in the future. Who said only her cunning brother could harbor ambition?

The next day, as Jiang Yu had predicted, the sky was bright and clear. The winter sun hung high in the heavens. Jiang Yu awoke to a piercing sunlight. Qi An, who had forgotten to lower the gauzy curtains before bed, had left the window open, letting the morning light stream in and wake her.

Early that morning, Shen Yun had already risen and begun her duties. Lu Wu had been summoned to the Central Wing Front Hall to assist, leaving only a few maids in the East Wing to help Jiang Yu wash up. Qi An had risen early, changed, washed, and brought breakfast. Just as she finished setting the table, she saw Jiang Yu rubbing her eyes and sitting up. Qi An’s voice softened noticeably.

“Awake? Come have breakfast.” The words were so gentle that Jiang Yu, still half-asleep, recalled a line of poetry:

“Smiling, she asks if the congee is warm.”

She hadn’t expected such a verse, evoking the simple warmth of daily life with a beloved, to surface in her mind at this moment. Smiling sweetly, she first washed her face and brushed her hair before joining Qi An at the breakfast table.

The redwood dining table gleamed softly in the morning sunlight, its surroundings arranged just as they had been the day before, bright and cheerful. The sight lifted her spirits.

Jiang Yu also noticed that as long as she didn’t specify her preferences, the breakfast menu changed every few days. Sometimes there were sweet jujube pastries, other times fragrant, savory buns. Each dish was delicious and varied.

Watching Jiang Yu dig in, Qi An realized for the first time how captivating the simple pleasures of daily life could be. Though Jiang Yu usually had little interest in food, she now picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the bun.

It was her favorite flavor.

Breakfast was quickly finished. Rubbing her full stomach, Jiang Yu’s sluggish brain finally kicked into gear. She suddenly remembered that today was the day the General’s Residence was hosting a grand banquet. Her mind conjured up an image of a pair of hands adorned with bracelets.

Hastily lifting her skirt, she rushed out. Lu Wu was nowhere to be seen. Qi An, sensing her urgency, immediately understood who she was looking for. Seeing Jiang Yu’s anxious state, she felt a pang of unease. “Lu Wu was summoned to the Central Wing Front Hall early this morning to help with preparations. What do you need her for?”

Jiang Yu didn’t know how to explain herself to Qi An and simply shook her head, hurrying toward the front hall. Qi An signaled a few maids to clear the dishes, then followed Jiang Yu, worried that her haste might lead to trouble or bullying.

The Central Wing Front Hall was already bustling with activity. Considering the time, the early arrivals were mostly from smaller, less influential families eager to avoid tardiness and make a good impression on Shen Yun of the General’s Residence.

Yet Shen Yun, committed to maintaining her impeccable image, not only treated them with courtesy but even engaged in conversation with the families of low-ranking officials—the social underclass of the Capital.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Jiang Yu hurried to the scene. The official ladies were all vying to flatter her, practically eager to rush forward and kiss her. Qi An stood nearby, her expression dark. Knowing their own lowly status, the ladies dared not offend a servant of the General’s Residence.

Jiang Yu, looking utterly bewildered, clearly had no idea she was standing next to a living tyrant. She simply maintained a polite smile as she approached the ladies one by one, asking for their names. Partly, she wanted to see if any familiar characters from the book were among them. But more importantly, she figured that if Shen Yun could be so warmly approachable, she should at least try to emulate that. After all, she couldn’t let the carefully crafted image she’d finally regained vanish in an instant, could she?

“Miss Jiang, you’ve truly transformed!” one of the more articulate official ladies gushed. “Every gesture now exudes the refined grace of a noble lady…” Jiang Yu knew she was far from deserving such praise. Just as she was about to offer a polite smile in response…

Jiang Yu suddenly felt a wave of unease in her heart, especially when they mentioned “ladies of noble families.” Wasn’t Shen Lian, the most memorable character in the book, the epitome of such a lady?

Now, the wrists of these noble ladies were completely bare—where were the bracelets that had adorned their wrists in Jiang Yu’s mind? But Shen Lian was now aligned with Shen Yun—why would she scheme against anyone? Even if she had the courage, her upbringing would never allow her to conceive such a malicious plot. As the eldest daughter of Grand Secretary Shen, she had been raised under the watchful eyes of numerous tutors and Mamas since childhood. Her education would never permit her to engage in harmful schemes.

Jiang Yu felt utterly lost. The banquet was laid out before her, yet she remained completely in the dark about what was truly happening. The feeling of being exposed while her enemies lurked in the shadows was unbearable. Lost in thought, Qi An gently tugged at Jiang Yu’s sleeve, her concern palpable.

“Miss, you jest,” Jiang Yu quickly replied, recovering her composure and humbly deflecting the compliment. “I’m no ‘lady of noble families.’ I merely strive to maintain proper etiquette so as not to embarrass my parents.” Sensing Jiang Yu’s preoccupation, the noble lady didn’t press further. Instead, she led the other girls to sit beside their mothers.

The banquet was lavish, with numerous entertainment options like pitch-pot and chess for the young ladies and gentlemen to enjoy. However, those who arrived early weren’t allowed to be the first to try the games. They had to wait for the more distinguished guests to arrive, after which Jiang Yu would randomly select a game to start with, and the order of play would be determined by their official ranks.

In reality, there was no need for a queue. The General’s Residence was so vast that they could easily set up multiple chessboards and other games.

“Ningning, go help Mother greet the arriving Madams and Misses at the front hall entrance,” Jiang Yu instructed. Shen Yun was busy chatting and couldn’t break away, while Jiang Shengrong was outside welcoming the male guests. Jiang Yu, entrusted with this important task, took Qi An to the front hall entrance to join Lu Wu in paying their respects to the elders and high-ranking Madams and Misses.

Although these Madams and Misses held high positions and authority, they all respected the General’s Residence and refrained from putting on airs before this rising military family. After showering Jiang Yu with praise, they entered the Central Wing Front Hall to take their seats. Jiang Yu was particularly wary of the foolish Dowager Consort Zhang. If Zhang were solely reliant on her schemes, she wouldn’t have survived until the final act. Yet her position forced Jiang Yu to bow and scrape to her.

Jiang Yu’s delicate features crumpled. Qi An had dressed and groomed her today, her crimson lips accentuating the snow-white radiance of her skin. The subtle shift in her expression was unmistakable. Noticing this, Qi An instinctively reached out to smooth Jiang Yu’s furrowed brow.

The gesture carried an undercurrent of intimacy, causing a faint blush to rise on Jiang Yu’s cheeks. But before the moment could deepen, a shrill, elderly voice pierced the air:

“Absolutely disgraceful! Is this how the General’s Residence teaches its servants? How dare a lowly maid presume to touch the eldest daughter born to the General’s family?” The voice belonged to none other than Dowager Consort Zhang, that scheming old hag. Jiang Yu’s finely shaped brows furrowed deeply, her gaze brimming with hostility as she glared at the Dowager Consort.

Qi An’s hands, which had been gently stroking Jiang Yu’s brow, trembled slightly. The fragile remnants of her self-esteem seemed to shatter completely under the Dowager Consort’s venomous words.

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