CH 66

Shi Feixian’s brush slipped, an ugly extra branch appeared on the plum blossom sprig. She put the brush down, took the handkerchief from the maid to wipe her hands and blankly said, “It is our small gathering today, why do you bring up someone else.”

“Yes, yes, who cares about that. Nothing to do with us.” A noble miss whose family was attached to Shi clan laughed to smooth out the situation, “There is two cups of tea time left, if your painting isn’t completed by then, don’t worry that you won’t get punished!”

T/N – It is 两盏茶 = 2 cups of tea. A cup of tea is the length of time the cup is served, tasted, and drunk, so basically the time for the tea to cool down, which is 15 minutes in summer and 10 minutes in winter.

“Aiyo, who took my brush?”

“Where is my paint?”

The noble misses clamoured as if they were actually worried of punishment if they could not finish painting on time.

A woman in the corner imperceptibly rolled her eyes. Shi Feixian acted as if she was beyond it all, but she must have been inwardly hating it to death. Who didn’t know that she had eyes for Count Cheng’an?

No matter how beautiful like fairies, or how talented above everyone you think you are, if the person doesn’t like you, then he doesn’t like you, can you force him to marry? It’s different if it was someone else, but this is Count Cheng’an. Is he someone you can twist on your little fingers?

“Miss Yao, what are you painting?” A miss leaned forward to take a look, somewhat puzzled she asked, “A cockfight? Why do you draw this?” Most curious was, the chicken’s fur was in a mess, as if it had been defeated in the fight.

“Just for fun,” Yao Ling’s pair of almond eyes were innocent, “Don’t you think this is interesting?”

Her companion shook her head in bewilderment, she had no word for this strange aesthetic taste of Yao Ling’s.

Yao Ling was one of the youngest among them. Her father was the Minister of Revenue Yao Peiji, so noone dared to sniff at her even though she grew up outside and had only recently returned to the Capital. Moreover Yao Peiji was excellent at paintings, and Yao Ling inherited his style. At only 14 years old she had started to gain some fame.

“Flowers and plants are all dead things. Whatever spiritual qualities they are said to have are made up by vulgar people.” Yao Ling added a few feathers drifting to the ground, the drifting feathers made the chicken looked more lively. “I like to draw living thing, especially living people.”

“Fine, fine. You are full of reasons, I can’t talk over you.”

Yao Ling laughed and did not speak any more.

Shi Feixian inclined her head to glance at Yao Ling, her eyelids were lowered to hide the shadow in her eyes. For some reasons she could never liked this Yao young miss. She was a di daughter of Yao family, but she spoke and acted like a wild girl from countryside. If it was not because Shi Feixian’s father still needed Yao Peiji’s support, she wouldn’t bear to be with this kind of person.

The turmoil in her heart had inevitably affected her painting, the plum blossom she drew was somewhat gloomy.

Li Xiaoru was closer to Shi Feixian, she slightly turned to the side and secretly splashed inks on her own completed plum blossom painting. After the painting didn’t look as good anymore, she quietly sighed in relief.

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“Ga!”

A fat sparrow suddenly dropped from the trees. When all of the noble misses were still stumped in shock, two guards ran out from the forest and picked up the sparrow on the ground.

The guards standing outside the pavillion looked with alert at the two men who had suddenly appeared, their hands were on the hilt of the sword.

The atmosphere was tense for a while until a familiar figure stepped out.

“See, little brat. I’ve said your skill is not good.” Ban Hua took the sparrow from the guard’s hand and handed it to the little boy behind him, “This is called a good shot, understand?”

Li Xiaoru saw the boy standing next to Ban Hua, she threw away her brush and ran up to Ban Hua.

“Greetings Fule Junzhu,” Li Xiaoru cautiously stepped in front of the little boy, “My younger brother isn’t sensible, he is causing Junzhu trouble.”

“It is a trouble,” Ban Hua put a hand on her waist. “This little brat shot around with a slingshot and scared my horse. If I wasn’t quick to react, I almost fell off the horse.”

“Ah?” Li Xiaoru looked at her brother in dismay. Brother, what luck is it, why must you stir up this curse-star?

“And this brat still had the gall to call himself a godly shooter.” Ban Hua looked smugly at the little Li Junior, her finger pointed at his forehead. “Here, I’ve done it. Keep your promise.”

Li Wang had been living a spoiled life in Li residence, that ‘I want the stars, I don’t want the moon’ sort of spoiled, but currently he was letting Ban Hua poked and poked on his forehead without a complaint.

Li Xiaoru was astonished to see her younger brother that way, what was happening here.

After a long time, Li Wang stammered a whisper, “Chief!”

“Louder. I can’t hear it!” Ban Hua folded her arms on her chest. She didn’t seem to feel anything wrong with bullying a little child.

“Chief!” Li Wang walked out from behind Li Xiaoru. He stepped to front of Ban Hua with a red face, “Dare to bet, dare to admit defeat. From today onwards, I am your little brother.”

Li Xiaoru: ……

“Have met Junzhu.” Shi Feixian walked over. She bowed her head and gently wiped Li Wang’s forehead that Ban Hua had just poked with a handkerchief. She said to Ban Hua with a curtsey, “Junzhu, Li Junior is still a child, I apologise on his behalf. As he is still young, please do not take it to heart.”

Li Wang looked at Ban Hua, he moved to the side.

“A child?” Ban Hua’s eyebrows raised, “If he hurts someone with his slingshot, then noone can blame Li family because he is still a child?”

Li Xiaoru pinched her skirt, said in a lowered voice, “Junzhu’s teaching is correct.”

Shi Feixian glanced at Li Xiaoru with her head inclined. Her face darkened but she didn’t speak.

“Miss Shi is gentle and kind, but I am teaching my own little brother, is that considered bullying?” Ban Hua pulled Li Wang to her side, her chin raised, “Come, tell Miss Shi. This Big Sister me and Little Brother you, how are we going to be?”

“As Big Sister’s Little Brother, I will lead Big Sister’s horse, I will carry the ends of Big Sister’s skirt, and I will run errands. Rain or shine, no complaints, no regrets.” Li Wang puffed out his chest, “As a real man, my words are true.”

Li Xiaoru felt her heart collapsed. Little Brother ah, don’t you think because this Junzhu is pretty so she must be a fairy, this one can whip a Tanhua. You haven’t even grown hairs yet, what real man you are talking about.

But seeing her little brother displaying a responsible behaviour for the first time, for some reasons Li Xiaoru didn’t say anything. Perhaps it was because in her heart Ban Hua wasn’t really that sort of domineering and unreasonable woman. It was …… probably a good thing for little brother to follow Ban Hua and be tamed a little.

Shi Feixian actually intended to help Li siblings, but who knew the big sister was as gutless as a mouse and the little brother was as stupid as a pig. Suffering a considerable loss of face, she gave the siblings a blank smile, “Little Li Junior is willing to be bullied by Ban Junzhu. It is me who have meddled in other people’s business.”

“A Big Sister teaching her Little Brother is called bullying?” Ban Hua disliked this kind of ‘needles in cotton’ speech the most, she would always became even more blunt.

“It’s not!” Li Wang shook his head straightforwardly, “This is called a training.”

Shi Feixian’s smile grew colder. How did Li family teach their children that they became this tactless?

“Junzhu, what brings you here?” Shi Feixian glanced at the young ladies behind her, “Could it be that Junzhu is also interested at poetry and painting?”

Ban Hua had arranged to watch peacocks with Rong Xia, they came across a naughty young boy carelessly flicking around with a slingshot, so she showed the boy the real master-level slingshot skill. Rong Xia was still waiting for her in the forest.

“Miss Shi, please don’t make fun of me. Everyone knows I am not good at poetry, songs, chess, calligraphy, or painting.” Ban Hua carried Li Wang back to Li Xiaoru’s side, “Giving you this child back. Bring him home and teach him well, don’t let him make troubles. It will be too late if something really happens.”

“Thank you Junzhu for the reminder.” Li Xiaoru sincerely bowed to Ban Hua, “When we are back home, I will definitely let him be taught well.”

“It’s fine. We have to go too.” Ban Hua turned her head and saw Rong Xia was walking over. She felt very guilty at making him wait too long. It was a sin to let the beauty suffered.

Of course she had conveniently forgotten that half a month ago she had also made Rong Xia waited for her for almost an hour. However pretty he was, he shouldn’t disturb her beauty sleep. But apart from that one time, she had been very caring towards her beautiful person.

Rong Xia saw Ban Hua running to him, his steps quickened as he worried that she would trip on the newly grown bamboo shoots on the ground, “It’s still early, there is no rush.”

Ban Hua’s smile bloomed for him.

“Count Rong?” Shi Feixian was shocked to see Rong Xia, and to see Ban Hua smiled widely at him. Shi Feixian’s eyes were wide as she couldn’t believe it was real.

“Miss Shi.” Rong Xia’s expression was bland when he saluted Shi Feixian. He looked down at Ban Hua besides him and smiled, “Zaixia and fiancee have disturbed the Misses’ pleasant time. Please forgive us, and farewell.”

“Fiancee..…. Ban Hua?” The nails on Shi Feixian’s fingers pinched the flesh. Her face was between crying and laughing, it was very strange. “So Count Rong’s fiancee is Ban Hua….. Fule Junzhu. The engagement, This Little Woman hasn’t heard of it.”

“It is my engagement with Count Rong, for what reason that you have to know?” Ban Hua turned, “What does it have to do with you?”

Was it an attempt to steal him under her nose?

“I am not asking you.” Shi Feixian sneered, “Junzhu doesn’t need to be so concerned.”

Ban Hua’s eyebrows shot up. She looked at Shi Feixian as if looking at a retard, “You asked when I and Count Rong got engaged. If not asking me, then are you asking my fiance in front of me?”

The noble misses put their brushes down, they curiously watched the scene outside the pavillion.

“Ta!” A drop of ink fell and ruined the painting, but Yao Ling didn’t care. Her eyes were glued at the scene outside.

What a beauty. All other beauties she had ever seen were foul things, only this one was the bright moon in the sky, the finest among human. If she could see this person from time to time, could pour the beauty into paintings, she wouldn’t trade the chance for a million.

“Miss Yao, Miss Yao.” The miss sitting next to her pulled at Yao Ling. Seeing the foolish smile at Yao Ling’s face, she couldn’t help sighing in her heart.

It’s over, she is likely bewitched by Count Cheng’an too.

The ancient mentioned ‘red face treacherous water’, and this Count Cheng’an was simply the ‘blue face treacherous water’. A young girl like Miss Yao, how could she resist the charms of the outstanding Count Cheng’an?

T/N – ‘red face treacherous water’ 红颜祸水 = femme fatale. So is Rong Xia a bloke fatale?

Unfortunately he had had a fiancee, it would be too ugly to persist on it.

But that Count Cheng’an’s fiancee was Ban Hua, this….. this was just too unbelievable.

“Miss Shi,” The smile on Rong Xia’s face vanished, “What Fule Junzhu said, is also what zaixia thinks.”