My Lady is well

The moonlight flickers and the night deepens.

Bi'er pushed aside the beaded curtain and came in, bringing in a hint of coolness.

The flickering candlelight disturbed Shen Yueyao's concentration as she was writing, so she had to stop and put down her pen.

Bier walked over in small steps and bowed.

"Shen Cainv, Wei Cainv is here."

Shen Yueyao looked at the rather elegant tiny calligraphy on the rice paper, her brows slightly furrowed, a hint of coldness gathered in her eyes, and she said lightly.

"Invite her in."

Shen Yueyao slowly stood up, moved to the tea table, took two black-glazed teacups, picked up the teapot and slowly poured tea. The hot steam turned into a light mist that slowly rose and dissipated.

Wei Cainv came in, lowered her head, walked up to her, and bowed slightly.

"Meet Sister Shen."

Shen Yueyao said indifferently: "Wei Cainv and I are both eighth-rank concubines. I really don't deserve Wei Cainv's rank."

Wei Cainv bit her lower lip lightly, her shoulders trembling slightly, she placed her hands nervously in front of her waist, and her voice trembled slightly.

"Yes...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you that day. It was...Wan Cainu who asked me to push you."

Shen Yueyao calmly picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and asked in a calm tone.

"She asked you to push me, and you did. You didn't admit that you pushed me at the time, so why are you coming here to admit it now?"

Wei Cainu said timidly: "I...I..."

Seeing her staring at me for a long time, Shen Yueyao couldn't explain what was going on. She gently put down the teacup and looked at her quietly.

"You saw the Queen Mother reward me with something? Do you think I have the Queen Mother's support and are afraid that I will retaliate against you?"

"..."

Wei Cainv lowered her head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's.

"I... I am of low status and dare not offend Wei Cainv. I'm sorry... I don't want to do this, but I... I have no choice."

Shen Yueyao raised one corner of her lips slightly, with a hint of sarcasm and a faint look in her eyes.

"You have been too humble, but I do not accept it. Because of your low status, you dare not offend Wan Cainu. But you are also a Cainu, so how can you be lower than her? She asked you to push me, and you pushed me. Now that you think I have someone to support me, you want to use an apology to cover up your previous mistakes. Sorry, I have no obligation to forgive you. Wei Cainu can go back."

Wei Cainü was speechless for a moment, tears welled up in her eyes. She was at a loss as to what to do and fell to her knees on the ground with a plop.

Shen Yueyao frowned slightly and asked: "What are you doing?"

"I...I...I really didn't mean it. I didn't want to do it. Please forgive me."

Shen Yueyao was a little annoyed by her repeating these two sentences, and her tone was slightly impatient.

"If Wei Cainv didn't want to, why did she do it in the first place? Since you have chosen to do it, you should bear all the consequences yourself. It's late at night, Wei Cainv, please go back. I want to rest."

When Wei Cainv saw her resolute look, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, making her look as if she had been bullied.

"If Shen Cainu doesn't forgive me, I will kneel here forever."

Shen Yueyao was so angry and amused by her weak and threatening attitude. She was not a living Bodhisattva who saved all living beings. She would not be soft-hearted just because she saw her shed two tears.

"It's not appropriate for you to kneel here. It will disturb my rest."

"Then I'll kneel outside your door."

Shen Yueyao raised her hand and rubbed her brows. She was too lazy to pay attention to her anymore and just said lightly: "Wei Cainu, please do as you please."

Xu Niannian came in with her back bent and her hands covering her stomach, looking dejected. When she saw Wei Cainü kneeling on the ground, she stood up straight and said with a frown.

"What are you here for?"

Wei Cainv stood up and endured it. She did not answer, but lowered her head to hide her emotions and left the room.

Xu Niannian turned around and asked Shen Yueyao: "What is she doing here?"

Shen Yueyao glanced at the corner of the door and chuckled, "Nothing, why are you here so late?"

Xu Niannian lay on the tea table and said weakly.

"Sister Shen, I'm so hungry that I can't sleep. I don't think I'll be able to see the sun tomorrow morning..."

Shen Yueyao saw her depressed look, smiled gently and said in a low voice.

"You wait."

She walked to the embroidered couch, took the food box from the small table, and placed it in front of Xu Niannian.

"open to take a look."

Xu Niannian forced herself to hold on and opened the food box. Her eyes suddenly lit up and her health instantly revived. She screamed in surprise.

"Red bean cake! Sister Shen actually has red bean cake."

She grabbed a piece, put it in her mouth, and began to devour it.

Shen Yueyao handed her a cup of tea: "Drink slowly, don't choke."

Xu Niannian had completely lost her eating manners at this time, her cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel, and she asked vaguely.

"Aunt Sang has been keeping a close eye on us these days, how come my sister has hidden some pastries?"

"Did you watch closely? I didn't notice. I brought a lunch box and packed all the unfinished cakes back. Aunt Shang watched me pack them, but she didn't say anything."

"..."

Xu Niannian turned her head and looked at her steadily, blinking at her, with an indescribable emotion in her eyes.

She just felt that Aunt Shang's usual image of fairness and integrity collapsed in an instant. She found it a little hard to accept. After all, she had been a good student under Aunt Shang for such a long time.

She said angrily: "She must be afraid of you, why is she such a person?"

Shen Yueyao said disapprovingly: "What's that? There are so many people in this palace, what kind of people are there? You will get used to it after seeing so many of them."

She glanced at the desk, thinking that the Empress Dowager's birthday was approaching, and she would have to stay up late to catch up.

So he said to Xu Niannian, "Take your time to eat. I have something else to do."

She went back to the desk, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink and started writing quickly. Xu Niannian turned her head to look at her.

The soft candlelight reflected on her face, giving her a halo that was as beautiful as a dream. The way she wrote seriously looked like a painting of a beautiful woman enjoying a peaceful life. Xu Niannian admired her and asked curiously.

"What is Sister Shen writing?"

"The Queen Mother gave me some gifts. Her birthday is coming soon. She likes to read storybooks, so I wrote one for her."

Xu Niannian heard something amazing again. She stood up and looked at her in admiration, saying excitedly.

"Sister Shen can also write storybooks. I want to read them, too. Wait, I'll grind the ink for you, and you write for me to read."

Shen Yueyao joked, "Doesn't that mean Xu Cainv will be my maid?"

"Haha... You don't know that many people in Yingxiu Palace want to curry your favor. It's hard for others to ask you to do their bidding for two days."

Shen Yueyao just smiled and lowered her head to continue dancing the pen tip on the rice paper.

The laughter of Yingying in the room spread out, and when it reached the ears of Wei Cainu outside the door, it brought out a different mood.

Shen Yueyao could save cakes for Xu Niannian and listen to their conversations and laughter. She was so approachable, gentle and amiable.

But why couldn't she forgive herself? She had even knelt down before her, but Shen Yueyao had rejected her apology so coldly.

Just because she was born in a lowly family, would she be trampled upon by others forever?

What about Shen Yueyao? Is she even worse than her? Is she worthy of looking down on me?

Wei Cainv knelt quietly on the ground, her hands clenched into fists, emotions surging in her eyes, as if a dark storm was brewing.