The Abused Female Protagonist In The Angst Novel Is Actually A White Lotus - Chapter 16

Ling Qingyi, however, found Shen Sijing’s flustered demeanor even more endearing. A long-absent smile bloomed on her face. In Dreamlike Pavilion, a faint incense burned, dispelling the damp, earthy scent of the rain. The calming fragrance lingering in the air seemed to soothe Shen Sijing’s anxiety, a persistent unease that had plagued her since arriving in this ancient world.

Since the pavilion’s eaves extended far enough to shelter the windows, rain couldn’t seep into the room. Shen Sijing had opened the window for fresh air, her gaze drifting outside. By this hour, the maids of Dreamlike Pavilion should have been waiting for instructions in the side room. Yet even in the Prime Minister’s lavish residence, the side room could only accommodate four people. The rest were either tending to their own medicine or preparing the midday meal. Occasionally, a maid would dash through the rain-swept courtyard beneath an umbrella, bowing respectfully when she caught Shen Sijing’s eye before hurrying back to her duties.

Shen Sijing suddenly understood why noble young ladies and palace consorts in ancient times envied their maids. Though the maids served others, their work rarely involved strenuous labor, and they were spared the endless social obligations and petty annoyances that plagued their mistresses.

Shen Sijing continued to gaze out the window, unaware when a cloak had been draped over her shoulders. She turned to see Ling Qingyi standing calmly behind her, her expression neither bitter nor cheerful. The room fell into an eerie silence. Just as Shen Sijing was about to speak, Ling Qingyi’s gaze fixed on something outside.

Shen Sijing found it strange and followed Ling Qingyi’s gaze outside. To her surprise, Yun Nian was approaching, holding a crimson envelope-like object in her hands. Shen Sijing was puzzled. Did the original owner have some secret fondness for carrier pigeons?

Just as she finished the thought, Yun Nian’s voice came from the doorway, requesting permission to enter. Shen Sijing granted it, and Yun Nian immediately presented the invitation.

The invitation was written in the slender, elegant shoujin calligraphy, which Shen Sijing found easy enough to read. But… the Minister of Rites was hosting a poetry gathering? This event did exist in the original novel, but by then, the original owner had already fallen ill, so no one from the Shen family had attended. Ling Qingyi, having been framed for pushing her elder sister into the water, was confined to the Ling family ancestral hall, kneeling in punishment. Thus, neither of them had participated in the gathering.

Madam Ling, however, had swaggered into the banquet with the perfectly healthy Ling Yunliu. It was said that the princes, who were fond of literary pursuits, would also attend. The gathering was ostensibly for the Minister of Rites to find a husband for his daughter, Gu Jing’an. But to everyone’s surprise, Ling Yunliu stole the show. She performed a dance before the crowd, then tearfully claimed that the Shen family’s illegitimate daughter had bullied her, stirring immense sympathy among the guests, especially the princes, who were desperate to comfort the weeping beauty. Yet…
Shen Sijing let out a cold laugh. Those people had never seen Ling Qingyi’s true face; otherwise, how could they possibly treasure the plain-looking Ling Yunliu so much?

Ling Qingyi sat beside her, brewing tea. Noticing the mocking smile on Shen Sijing’s lips, she leaned closer to peek. An invitation from Gu Mansion?

Sensing Ling Qingyi’s gaze, Shen Sijing didn’t bother to hide it. She pushed the invitation toward Ling Qingyi, their minds swirling with unspoken thoughts and hidden agendas.

Shen Sijing had been dreading these social gatherings with the ladies of the inner courtyard and had even asked Yun Nian if she could avoid attending. But Ling Qingyi spoke up softly, “Can I go?”

Shen Sijing, who had been about to get up and plead with Madam Shen, froze in her tracks. She turned back, her eyes filled with suspicion. “You mean you want to attend the poetry gathering at Gu Mansion?”

Ling Qingyi nodded, pulling Shen Sijing back down to sit. She handed Shen Sijing a cup of tea, her voice timid as she asked, “Is it alright?”

Shen Sijing didn’t quite understand, but Ling Qingyi’s hopeful expression was impossible to refuse. She took the invitation and instructed Yun Nian to inform Madam Shen that she would attend.

Yun Nian took her leave, not wanting to interrupt Shen Sijing and Ling Qingyi’s conversation. After all, the two had only just met and didn’t quite know what to talk about. But with the rain pouring outside, even the Dreamlike Pavilion’s exotic flowers and rare herbs couldn’t withstand the fierce wind and torrential downpour. Shen Sijing couldn’t bear to see the flowers battered by the storm, so she closed the windows, spread out a sheet of paper, and impulsively asked Ling Qingyi to grind ink for her.

“Let me show you my favorite lines of poetry,” Shen Sijing said, her face beaming with pride. She picked up a writing brush and began writing in the style she’d learned in calligraphy class, starting with the line: “After the new rain on the empty mountain, autumn arrives with the evening breeze.”

Shen Sijing felt the poem perfectly captured the moment. The ink spread softly across the paper, its strokes delicate and refined, reminiscent of Jiangnan ink wash paintings. She gazed at her work with satisfaction, then held it up for a closer look, feeling even more moved than when viewing ancient scrolls in a museum.

The antique furnishings surrounding them only enhanced the scene’s beauty.

Ling Qingyi stood beside her, not holding a brush but repeatedly reciting the poem, her eyes shining with delight.

“These lines truly capture the essence of autumn,” Ling Qingyi said. “But if we’re speaking of autumn, this verse is also quite fitting: ‘Since ancient times, autumn has been a season of sorrow and desolation, yet I declare autumn surpasses even the splendor of spring.'”

Ling Qingyi’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. She seemed to relish discussing such topics, which surprised Shen Sijing. This unexpected conversation opened the floodgates, and the two began chatting animatedly about everything under the sun.

Time flowed by, the rain outside showed no sign of stopping, and darkness fell. Inside the mansion, lamps were lit everywhere, their flames shielded by glazed tiles to prevent the rain from extinguishing them. The puddles on the ground shimmered in the candlelight, like scattered diamonds strewn across the courtyard.

Dinner was exceptionally lavish, featuring a mutton hotpot that had been added to the menu since autumn began, along with an array of rich, savory dishes that were surprisingly light. Shen Sijing would have found it overwhelming to eat alone, but sharing the meal with Ling Qingyi made it much more enjoyable.

The meal was a cheerful affair. Shen Sijing had always disliked being alone, dreading and fearing solitude. The maids, constrained by their status, dared not dine at the same table as her. Only Ling Qingyi could rightfully accompany her at meals.

Just as Shen Sijing set down her chopsticks and accepted a handkerchief from a serving maid to wipe her lips, Yun Nian entered, drenched from the rain. Dismissing the maids from the room, Yun Nian carefully presented Shen Sijing with a note.

“Young Miss, please look…”

Shen Sijing had been about to express concern that Yun Nian might catch a cold from being soaked, but before she could speak, the words on the note froze her in place.

Tonight at Hai Hour, second-floor private room at Huixian Tower. Come if you want to protect Ling Qingyi.

The note was written in a muddled manner, leaving Shen Sijing puzzled. Ling Qingyi was right here, perfectly fine. Could someone really dare to break into the Prime Minister’s Residence tonight? That seemed utterly impossible.

Yet the note seemed certain Shen Sijing would come, even specifying the time and place.

“Young Miss, perhaps you shouldn’t go. It’s too dangerous,” Yun Nian said, sensing Shen Sijing’s thoughts. She desperately didn’t want her to go. Who knew who this person was? What if they harmed Shen Sijing?

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