Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Gossip gossip (八卦八卦 / bā guà bā guà), the idea behind the name is to dig up (扒 /bā) someone’s divination (卦 / guà). The world is beautiful because of the eight trigrams (also 八卦 / bā guà), society is interesting due to digging up other people’s divination.

Gossiping is a type of instinct, be it men or women.

I calmly come to a stop in my steps, calmly pulling at my own ears, then calmly prepare to receive the information from the gossip.

Gossip Girl Two is so surprised, she shrilly speaks: “What? Young Master brought Ke Ren out? And is going to see Gentleman Yuwen?”

Gossip Girl One seriously says: “That’s exactly it, didn’t think Young Master would really fall for that little demoness’ ways.”

“Heng, is Young Master one that’s easy to charm, I’m guessing he’s just looking for something new. Men ah, which one of them doesn’t like a young and innocent-looking lady.” Gossip Girl Three speaks with experience, just that, why does it sound like that voice carries slight sourness.

“That’s true, that little demoness sure is captivating in appearance, sometimes, just staring straight at you, she’ll able to capture your soul.” Gossip Girl One says, not without bitterness.

Gossip Girl Three once again speaks: “Heng, these young women, if not taking advantage of when they’re young and pretty to make some moves, you expect them to wait until one gets old like yellowing pearls? Just watch it, it will only be these few days of being doted on, not long after, all will be back to normal, with not a trace of her shadow.”

Gossip Girl Two doubtfully interjects: “Is that true? I feel that this Ke Ren isn’t a simple one, she can’t be compared to the ones from the past, you see, last time Zi Ling said a few words to her and was immediately stopped by Young Master, such matter has never happened before.”

“Heng, during the time of favouring, anything that happens is no surprise. Heng, this is also good, diminishes Zi Ling’s domineering force, just because she was by Young Master’s side for a little longer, she really thinks that makes her half a master. In future, wait until Young Master marries a young mistress, no, even if it is just a concubine, it will be enough to put her in suffering,” Needless to say, this is also Gossip Girl Three.

“Then, what if Zi Ling also becomes a concubine?” Gossip Girl One asks.

Gossip Girl Three continues to pour cold water, “Heng, even if she becomes a concubine, she is still but a side woman, heng.”

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“Ai~, even if it is just becoming Young Master’s concubine, I would still be happy.” Gossip Girl Two sighs.

“Heng, if it was me, I’d……” Gossip Girl Three pauses, “I’d also be willing.”

Gossip Girl One sounds a ridiculing laughter, saying: “You two sure are good for nothing, what’s so good about being Young Master’s concubine, if it was me, I’d……

“You’d what?” Gossip Girl Two immediately asks.

“I’d be Gentleman Yuwen’s concubine.” Gossip Girl One’s voice is laced with fantasy, “I have seen Gentleman Yuwen once, that is what one truly calls refined, polite, and incomparably handsome, he was just stood there without doing anything and was able to make my heart sound pu-tong pu-tong…..”

I hang my head, may I ask, does your little heart not beat when you don’t see him then?

“Keep dreaming you, is Gentleman Yuwen someone we can even think of? The threshold of General Yuwen’s family is but so high it cannot get any higher, regardless of what we say, they should be matched with royalty.” Gossip Girl Three once again speaks, “But Gentleman Yuwen isn’t young anymore either, how come there’s never any word of romantic affairs surrounding him?”

Gossip Girl One hurriedly explains, “Gentleman Yuwen keeps himself clean in good interest, of course he is different from the ordinary people. Like Young Master, although a one in a million man, there are so many orioles and swallows by his side (a crowd of sweet talking ladies), today there is Zi Ling, tomorrow there is Ke Ren, the day after is Lu Ling, the day after that is Xing Ren, we’ll just be irritated to death.”

“Ai~, what man isn’t like that, unless you marry an idiot, a fool or a simpleton, if not, don’t even expect them to only be good to you alone.” Gossip Girl Two says in dejection.

“Heng, who would marry an idiot, fool or simpleton? If anyone would marry one then it’d have to be a fool.” Gossip Girl Three says with satire, “For example that Ah-Lan, she would be very suited for it.”

I blink as I hear something that tickles my fancy, oh ho, the gossip has moved onto me.

“Speaking of that fool, I just feel a knot in my stomach, say, what’s so good about her, to first be treated like a treasure by Young Lady, and then taken in by Young Master. Say, surely Young Master doesn’t……” Gossip Girl Two’s voice slightly shivers.

“Pei pei pei! Heng, watch out your mouth doesn’t start rotting, how could Young Master possibly like a fool!” Gossip Girl Three intensely rebuts.

“Whose brain is lacking enough to end up liking a fool, I’m guessing Young Master is just finding interest in the new, isn’t that Ah-Lan quite similar to Xiao Hei, who knows, maybe Young Master is treating her like a pet.” Gossip Girl One speculates.

I touch my own face, I’ve upgraded from white radish and white cabbages to a pet, that actually makes me feel quite happy……

Suddenly from behind, a soft female voice sounds, “Pet or not, is it something you lot can talk about? If you’re free then go do some work, don’t let people say the Meng Estate has raised a bunch of maids that only know how to chit chat.”

The gossiping trio over there were instantly frightened, behaving helpless as they stammer: “I, we’ll go now.” Having said that, a light wind blows, the people, gone.

I quietly stand there without moving, Zi Ling, you really are an undercover agent ah, how long have you been standing behind me, how long?

Zi Ling slowly walks up to face me, eyes a little sharp, “Is there anything you wish to say?”

I look at her puzzled, “Ah?” Say what? Complain? Cry?

Zi Ling’s eyes flashes, “What they said about you just now, don’t take it to heart, there’s nothing bad about being fool.”

I think to myself, aren’t you just reminding me to take this matter to heart? It cannot be helped that my heart is small, there is not much it can take in, it truly is too small. I dully smile at her, “Oh.”

“That’s good then.” Zi Ling turns and leaves, quietly muttering: “Perhaps you will be the one who lives the happiest life.”

I look at her back view and faintly smile, sometimes it isn’t that we received too little, but we want too much, the us that are like that, will never be satisfied.

After going through that episode, my belly is feeling even more hungry, I head towards the kitchen with determination, telling myself that even if there are gossips, it should never stop my passion for food. The charm of food is huge, as I mindlessly take some things back, my mood is feeling a lot better, and I unknowingly start to think back to the conversation from before. That maid said Young Master went to see Yuwen Rui today, what for?

Did they already know each other? Or is it because of me? That’s not right ah, if it is because of me, then why would he bring Ke Ren along? Could it be that Yuwen Rui’s subordinate found out that I’m in the Meng Estate, hence meeting Young Master to ask for me, and because Young Master is reluctant to let me go, so he brought a fake, deliberately pushing Ke Ren out to show I’m not in the Meng Estate?

Hand resting on my forehead, An Ke Lan, you have watched too many Taiwanese drama before, this is not good, really not good.

I dutifully walk along the little trail, as I walk and walk, a pair of pink embroidered shoes appears in sight, I slowly raise my head, not surprisingly, I am met with San-er’s no longer innocent and cute face, I think to myself, young one, you sure aren’t calm ah, you are.

“I say, which maid isn’t looking where she’s going, turns out it’s you, this fool.” San-er speaks with satire: “What, carrying so many edibles back to feed the pig? Oh no, I forgot, you don’t feed the pig anymore, you are but Young Lady’s favoured one, hugely favoured one!”

I say nothing, just looking straight at her.

“You think I’ll soften up just because you won’t say anything? Let me tell you, don’t you get ahead of yourself now, who do you think you are? No matter how much your young lady dotes on you, you are still just a maid, just a fool!” San-er’s eyes are filled with contempt.

Eh, these words of her doesn’t seem to sound right……is she really speaking about me?

San-er disdainfully purse her lips, continuing to say: “To actually hit Gentleman Guan, you sure are a fox assuming the majesty of the tiger, let me tell you, Gentleman Guan is not someone you can mess with, just you wait for whatever’s to come, a hard time will be coming to you.”

I look at her in confusion, “Gentleman……Guan?”

San-er’s face somewhat darkens, “You’ve forgotten who Gentleman Guan is? Precisely that person you hit yesterday, that one! You actually forgotten already! Heavens, fool, you fool!”

I furrow my brows as I think hard, “The one I hit? Mm, my mother said I often have moments like that, but I don’t know that I ‘ve hit someone myself.” I look at her and question: “I really hit him? I hit Gentleman Guan?”

San-er’s face immediately changes colour, “What? You, you, I, you, I don’t know! When the time comes, you’ll naturally know how formidable he is. Heng, I can’t be bothered wasting my breath on you.”

Deep down, I laugh to myself, Guan Yue formidable? That’s great, I shall wait and see.

To tell the truth, Guan Yue’s face, is no stranger to me, really is no stranger to me, is extremely no stranger to me. If I were to count with my fingers the amount of times I have seen him, four of my fingers would be held up, that’s right, four. But only just four.

The first time, when I had been brought out by Eldest Cousin for the Lantern Festival Tour, at the beautiful lakeside, I saw this Gentleman Guan lovingly tugging at a delicately pretty young woman’s hand, saying: “Ah-Yin, believe me, I have no relationship with that Young Lady Gu, it is just her wishful thinking, the one I love is of course you, and will only be you.”

And then that delicately pretty young woman called Ah-Yin turns bashfully red, shyly hiding in his embrace, “Brother Yue, of course I believe you, I, I love you too.”

The second time, when Imperial Sister and I had snuck out of the palace together, under the graceful maple forest, I see him again. At that time, Gentleman Guan was smiling at a gentle and quiet girl, saying: “Young Lady Gu, I dare not to reject Ah-Yin, because I’m afraid she would not be able to accept the blow, but she said she has to marry Nobleman Li as his concubine, turns out she is only a woman greedy for wealth and glory, now, I can finally be able to openly tell the world, the one I love is you, and not her.”

Young Lady Gu lowers her head as she quietly speaks, “Gentleman Guan, I, towards you, I also……”

Guan Yue grabs hold of her soft and fair fingers, “Young Lady Gu, I know, I know it all.”

The third time, Seventh Brother took me out to watch performances, and at the cold entrance to an alleyway, I see him and Ah-Yin. Ah-Yin is crying so heartbreakingly, “Why have you come to find me, are you not getting married to Young Lady Gu, did you not say you wish for me to accept being Nobleman Li’s concubine, we have no relation to one another anymore, not anymore.”

Gentleman Guan with a face of utmost sincerity, “Ah-Yin, no, it’s not like that, I had no other choice at that time, my mother had fallen ill, I could not think of any other way and could only approach her, in hopes of her helping me. Now her father has arranged a marriage for her, her and I are no longer possible. Ah-Yin, return to my side, will you? I need you, really need you.”

Ah-Yin shakes her head in despair, “Brother Guan, it’s no longer possible, you had originally made me pretend to accept Nobleman Li, but tomorrow I will be marrying into the Li family, really getting married, not fake.”

Gentleman Guan sorrowfully looks at her, seeming to really be very saddened, “Ah-Yin, the one I love is truly you……”

And then, the fourth time I saw him, he give a ‘lady from heaven knows where’ a good scolding out of a sense of justice, for the sake of the ‘Meng family’s young lady’, I made a rare show of being unable to stay calm and caused trouble……

Stroking my chin, could it be that between me and him, this is what you call ‘fate’? if that is true, dear lord, may I beg of you to punish me in the moon’s place, turn me into a huge pancake, a replica of the moon.

Gentleman Guan, you’re just a f*cking scumbag.

I snap out of it, deciding to not think about that scumbag’s matter, I return to my room with the food in arms, savouring the taste as I eat. After finishing half of it, Ying Lu pushes the door open and enters.

“Ah-Lan, Manager Cui came finding me.” Ying Lu sits at the table, speaking with her chin in hands.

I swallow down the food in my mouth, “Ah?”

Ying Lu pours a cup of tea and takes a sip, “He said that Guan Yue wishes to atone himself, hoping that I could accept it.”

I take a bite of the egg, “En?”

Ying Lu’s eyes are black and beady, “I’ve already agreed.”

“Mm?”

“Tomorrow, you come with me.”

I nod, “Alright.”

Gentleman Guan wishes to atone himself? Very well, I’d love to see how he wishes to atone himself.