The Moon Falls into the Galaxy - Chapter 10

Shishi rushed with her maid to her stepsister’s courtyard. As soon as Xie Qingshu saw her, she burst into loud sobs. The household physician had already examined her and specifically stated that as long as the dressing was changed carefully afterward, there would certainly be no scarring. Yet, she could not stop the tears from falling, acting as if she would never be able to walk again.

From the beginning, Xie Qingshu had sent someone to summon Shishi. Upon learning that her maid had been scolded and driven back by the servants of the Yue Zhao Courtyard, her face had flushed with rage. It was only when she discovered Shishi was bathing that she had managed to restrain herself.

The maids in the two courtyards harbored deep grievances against each other. Shishi had an easygoing nature and never restricted her servants, which had resulted in her raising a group of arrogant, overbearing staff. Xie Qingshu had complained to Shishi many times about the cold treatment she received. Shishi would agree verbally, but upon returning, she would never impose the slightest punishment on them.

“Why did you only just arrive?” Xie Qingshu wrapped her arms around Shishi’s neck and sobbed, “My leg is going to break; did you not even come to see me?” She seemed to be feeling wronged to the extreme, clutching Shishi tightly to her chest.

Shishi’s shoulder was soaked by her tears, and she stood there somewhat at a loss, held in her embrace. Though she felt a sense of unease, she still opened her arms to Xie Qingshu. She was willful and proud, rarely showing vulnerability in front of her. Shishi was used to being the elder sister; whatever her stepsister asked for, she rarely refused, even though she herself was still just a child. Before the nightmares began, it felt as though her entire world revolved around Xie Qingshu. However, haunted by the events in those nightmares, she could no longer treat her with her whole heart. She dared not open her heart to her again.

“I was bathing just now,” Shishi said softly.

In the past, her heart would have softened by now. No matter what excessive thing her stepsister had done, as long as she shed a tear, Shishi would have forgiven her completely. Er-Niang is still young; she definitely didn’t mean it. Shishi always thought this way.

Xie Qingshu pulled her closer and cried exaggeratedly, “I will never be able to walk again, and I’ll be left with ugly scars…”

“You won’t,” Shishi’s voice interrupted her gently, “Should we call the household physician back to take another look?”

She slowly lifted her head, her red, swollen eyes gazing at Shishi with obsessive fixation. Shishi repeated her question. As the words left her lips, she was startled herself; she hadn’t realized such cold, indifferent words could come from her own mouth. Strangely, however, she felt none of the expected pain in her chest.

The maid stood between them, looking quite helpless, daring neither to call the physician again nor to remain in the inner chamber. Shishi’s eyelashes fluttered, and she remained silent, staring back at her.

She said softly, “If you are fine, Er-Niang, then I shall take my leave.”

Xie Qingshu looked into Shishi’s clear, unruffled eyes and finally could no longer maintain her pretense. She dismissed all the servants: “Everyone, get out!”

“Shishi, are you still holding a grudge against me?” She gripped Shishi’s hand and pulled her closer, as if she could pull her back to her side this way. Her eyes were swollen and red, brimming with glistening tears.

Shishi did not speak, only letting herself be pulled closer stiffly.

Xie Qingshu lowered her posture, almost pleadingly, saying to her, “If you have any doubts, you can come and ask me. I am willing to tell you everything. Please, just don’t listen to the nonsense people say, okay?”

“I have not,” Shishi said, trying to keep her distance. But her strength was too slight, causing her stepsister to restrain her even tighter.

“You have been deliberately avoiding me these past few days…” Xie Qingshu wept pitifully, using both soft and hard tactics to force Shishi to stay, “You always indulge your maids; they intentionally didn’t pass on your messages. That night, I waited for half an hour on the bridge in front of your courtyard.”

Shishi’s heart felt empty, but she said patiently, “I have had a headache these past few days and went to sleep very early; I did not know you had come.”

Xie Qingshu stared at her blankly, as if she could not believe such words had come from her mouth.

“If you keep crying, my head will start hurting again,” Shishi said gently, “Don’t be afraid, Er-Niang. As long as you recover properly, you will be fine very soon.”

Shishi pressed against her hand and managed to pull it free. “Mother will be coming over in a while,” she said, her eyes flickering as she looked at Xie Qingshu with difficulty. The three of them rarely shared a room together, and Shishi, usually very soft-hearted, was firm only on this point.

Xie Qingshu simply pressed her face against Shishi’s hand and said in a wounded tone, “Whether you believe it or not, I truly have nothing to do with Xue Yun, Shishi.”

She is lying. A sudden thought rose in Shishi’s heart. Reason warned her using the events of the nightmares not to trust her stepsister so lightly, yet she still gently touched her stepsister’s shoulder.

Filled with heavy worries, Shishi returned to the Yue Zhao Courtyard. She tried her best to change the trajectory of fate, yet everything rushed toward the same end like a surging river. She had evaded Li Yue at the White Cloud Temple, only to run into him at the Jinming Terrace. In the nightmare, her stepsister had fallen and injured herself in the Yue Zhao Courtyard, and despite her refusing to see her for days, Xie Qingshu had still ended up with an injured leg. It seemed that this palace banquet, filled with schemes and calculations, was something she could not escape no matter how hard she tried.

Shishi’s brows furrowed. Upon returning to her quarters, she took up a brush and began to contemplate how to speak with Li Yan. She painted and erased repeatedly, having written the draft many times over. Nothing seems to be the right way to phrase it, she thought to herself, resting her head on the desk. When her gaze swept over the blue silk handkerchief, Shishi suddenly had an idea, and she picked up her brush to continue writing.

The Duke of Weiguo’s manor had always had few children; since her stepsister was injured, Shishi felt compelled to attend this palace banquet no matter what. Early in the morning, before Lüqi came to wake her, Shishi had already sat up in bed.

Her voice was soft and sweet: “Lüqi, I want to wear those gold earrings.”

Lüqi rubbed her hair and pulled back the curtains: “You are smiling so sweetly today, Miss; did you have a good dream?”

Shishi lowered her eyes, masking the emotions in her gaze, and only lifted the corners of her lips to continue, “No, I just slept very well.”

She sat before the bronze mirror and put on the earrings herself. The deep blue gemstones emitted an elegant, dark luster, and the long gold chains draped over her shoulders, making her slender neck appear even whiter. As if it could be snapped with a light pinch.

Shishi was frightened by her own sudden thought. She closed her eyes and looked away from the mirror, letting Lüqi and Qingluo dress her. Her heart continued to beat too fast, and even as she stepped out of the carriage with her stepmother, the strange, twisted thought continued to circle in her mind.

This palace banquet was in honor of the Emperor’s favorite, Consort Xiao, for her major tenth-year birthday, so it was held with great extravagance. However, the first person they had to see upon entering the palace was not her, but the much lower-profile yet eternally favored Noble Consort Zhang (Consort Xian). Although the Duke of Weiguo had always been unwilling for them to have much contact with Noble Consort Zhang, the necessary etiquette had to be maintained.

Just as Shishi arrived at the hall door, the Consort came out to greet her. It was like this every time; she had always been exceptionally good to Shishi—so good that Shishi found it somewhat inexplicable. When she was young, she had even asked her father curiously, “Daddy, why is Auntie so good to Shishi?”

Xie Guanyun’s expression was cold: “She is not your aunt.” He showed his disdain and left without even looking at her. After that, she gradually grew fearful and did not dare to ask her father any more questions; this was not a child’s natural inclination, but rather more like the survival instinct of a small animal. Father does not like Noble Consort Zhang. She realized vaguely. But she was also confused; Auntie was so gentle and kind why didn’t Father like her? Shishi only found the answer to this question after she had grown up.

She withdrew her thoughts and politely bowed to greet Noble Consort Zhang. Before she could finish her bow, the Consort pulled her up. The woman’s hands were slightly cool, and even the finger bones were pale and transparent, just like her complexion. She seemed ill, but her stepmother had said that the person who was sick was not her, but the young Ninth Prince.

Shishi’s hands tightened slightly. Perceiving this, Noble Consort Zhang flashed a kindly smile at her: “Are you a little cold, Shishi?”

She shook her head, and the earrings made a pleasant, tinkling sound.

Noble Consort Zhang led her into the hall. Incense was burning in the room, somewhat like the kind in temples. Because the Emperor favored Taoism, Buddhist affairs were on the decline in this dynasty; in Shishi’s impression, only the Prince of Yong, Li Yan, openly displayed his fondness for Buddhist temples. Her eyes blinked, and she immediately thought it was because of the little Prince. He was very ill, so much so that he couldn’t even see guests. He was younger than Shishi, the Emperor’s youngest son; he had just been enfeoffed as a Prince last year, and this year he was already so ill he was near death.

Noble Consort Zhang poured tea for her herself, and Shishi held the porcelain cup, listening to her talk about the Ninth Prince, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Treat it as a regular banquet and do not worry too much,” Noble Consort Zhang said slowly, “But you must remain cautious; after all, we are not at home. I am unable to stay by your side this time; if any trouble arises, send someone to find me immediately.”

“Yes.” Shishi nodded solemnly.

Noble Consort Zhang personally saw her off and only turned back after watching her get into the sedan chair.

The sky had already turned deep black. Bright fireworks illuminated the night sky, and the music of silk strings and the pipa intertwined, yet the banquet hall seemed even more tranquil. The protagonist of the birthday banquet arrived with a graceful, lotus-like gait. Seeing that beautiful face, the irritation in the hearts of the attendees gradually faded. Consort Xiao had been favored for many years; although she was past her prime, she still retained her charm.

Shishi remained on edge, secretly observing the whereabouts of the Grandson of the Emperor in the dark, to the point that when Consort Xiao looked over, she didn’t recover her wits in time.

“Is that the Xie girl?” she seemed to whisper to the person beside her. “She truly lives up to her reputation.”

But Shishi’s attention was entirely focused on the Crown Prince in the distance. She wondered strangely why the Grandson was not with his father today. She tried her best to appear calm, puffing out her cheeks and lowering her head, fearing the Crown Prince would notice her direct gaze. Before Shishi could finish the ice cream in her dish, Consort Xiao looked over again. This time, their eyes met directly. Consort Xiao’s gaze was soft, yet it gave her the strange illusion of being stared at by a venomous snake.

Shishi’s fingertips trembled, and as the eunuch approached her, she finally recalled who this look resembled.

The Grandson’s Consort, Lady Xiao.