Adorning Flowers by Night - Chapter 16
Chapter 16
In the end, they only managed to book a single superior room.
Pei Yu placed their bundles and swords on the table and asked the inn attendant to bring hot water and a towel. She personally wrung out the hot towel and handed it to Lu Ruzhuo. "Aunt, wash your face first. I'll tidy up the room."
With that, Pei Yu took a cloth and began wiping the table and chairs. As it was a superior room in a large inn, the space was quite large. She bustled about for nearly an hour, yet had only cleaned half of it.
Lu Ruzhuo lifted the teapot; it felt light in her hand. It was already empty.
Lu Ruzhuo took a long, deep breath.
"Pei Yu." Her tone was restrained, betraying no strong emotion.
Pei Yu came over obediently. She lowered her head and glanced at Lu Ruzhuo's hands: the knuckles were even, the fingers long and fair.
Ah, Aunt's hands are so beautiful.
What am I thinking? Pei Yu mentally shook her head. Seeing the empty teacup, she asked attentively, "Does Aunt want another pot of tea? I'll go call the attendant."
"I'll just have tea. I'm not eating dinner," Lu Ruzhuo said calmly.
"Ah?"
For a moment, Pei Yu couldn't process it. What kind of logic is that? she thought. After traveling all this way, isn't this the perfect time to reward ourselves with a sumptuous meal?
But she was so accustomed to obeying Lu Ruzhuo that she simply nodded. "Alright. I'll go out and buy some food for you later, then. Would you like some pastries?"
Lu Ruzhuo couldn't stop her expression from darkening.
"Aren't you usually so clever? How can you not hear the meaning behind my words?"
Pei Yu blinked blankly.
"From the moment we entered this room, you've been bustling about, wiping this and that. Are you a serving girl I brought along?"
"...No," Pei Yu stammered.
"If you're not a serving girl, why are you doing a servant's work?"
Pei Yu lowered her head.
"Or do you think I'm so old I can no longer care for myself?"
Pei Yu knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help letting out a snort of laughter.
"Pei Yu!" Lu Ruzhuo slammed her hand on the table.
Pei Yu immediately dropped to her knees. "Please calm your anger, Aunt. Your daughter was wrong."
Lu Ruzhuo seemed to grow even angrier.
She stood up. The face that never betrayed joy or anger in the Imperial Court was now flushed with rage. Her chest heaved sharply a couple of times as she pointed at the kneeling Pei Yu and gritted out, "You... you're impossible!"
With that, she flicked her sleeves and stormed out.
Pei Yu was left kneeling on the spot, wondering what had just happened.
Fortunately, she wasn't one for pedantic obedience. After a moment of stunned silence, she chased after her.
Lu Ruzhuo hadn't gone far. She was sitting in the main hall on the first floor, dressed in plain clothes, her expression as calm as still water.
Pei Yu slowly approached and sat down opposite her, calling out softly, "Aunt."
Lu Ruzhuo poured herself a cup of wine and ignored her.
"Attendant," Pei Yu called out, raising her voice.
"What can I do for you, esteemed guest?"
"Bring one of each of your finest dishes. As quickly as possible."
"Right away, esteemed guest, please wait a moment."
The attendant flicked his towel over his shoulder and headed for the kitchen.
It was now past the dinner hour, and they were the only guests in the inn's main hall. Pei Yu now understood where she had gone wrong. She reached out and tugged on Lu Ruzhuo's sleeve.
Lu Ruzhuo clicked her tongue but didn't pull away.
Relieved, Pei Yu held on, giving the woman's sleeve a little shake.
"Aunt, I truly know I was wrong this time. I shouldn't have let you go hungry while I was busy tidying the room. I'm not your servant. I just thought that since it's just the two of us traveling, and I'm younger, it was my place to take care of you."
"You think I'm old?" Lu Ruzhuo shot her a sidelong glance.
"..." For some reason, Pei Yu found Lu Ruzhuo to be particularly difficult today.
That wasn't what she meant at all.
Lu Ruzhuo possessed profound internal energy, had long held a high position, and lived a life of comfort and privilege. Her Majesty was fond of her and often bestowed upon her tributes sent to the palace: things like Agar Pills and Jade Dew Ointment. In the past, when male emperors reigned, these were treasures only the most favored imperial concubines could obtain. But Her Majesty had no favored concubines and disliked such fuss for herself, so she gave them all to her favored official.
Pei Yu looked at the woman before her.
Others only ever spoke of Pei Yu's pure and unparalleled beauty, little knowing that her aunt was the true peerless beauty. Even in plain clothes and a simple skirt, the elegant refinement of a crabapple blossom could not be concealed.
She looked to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight at most. The skin on her face and hands was smooth and clear, her jawline was elegant, and her bone structure was superb.
Pei Yu feigned indignation. "How are you old, Aunt? Anyone who sees us assumes we're sisters."
Lu Ruzhuo huffed.
Pei Yu called the attendant over. "Take a look," she said to him. "What is this young lady's relation to me?"
The attendant studied Lu Ruzhuo for a moment, then smiled. "She must be your elder sister. You two have such a close bond; it's enviable."
Pei Yu burst out laughing.
"Well said! Here's a reward!"
The attendant accepted the heavy silver ingot and departed with a stream of thanks.
Pei Yu looked at the woman with a beaming smile.
Lu Ruzhuo gave a light cough, unable to suppress a smile of her own.
Women always hope for eternal youth, Pei Yu noted, and Aunt is no exception. I must never make that mistake again. She committed the lesson firmly to memory.
The inn couldn't compare to the capital's Taibai Restaurant; the food was mediocre and the wine was bland. But the two of them enjoyed their meal, and their table was filled with laughter.
After dinner, Pei Yu was still buzzing with energy and wanted to go for a walk. Lu Ruzhuo stopped her. "We have to travel tomorrow. Conserve your strength. There will be plenty of time for fun later."
Pei Yu had to agree, so she went back to tidying the room.
Lu Ruzhuo: "..."
Pei Yu explained, "I'm not sleepy yet. Since I'm idle anyway, I might as well do something." Her aunt liked things to be clean, so what was a little extra effort?
Lu Ruzhuo poured a cup of tea and said nonchalantly, "Suit yourself."
So Pei Yu went back to scrubbing with great enthusiasm.
Then came a knock at the door.
Pei Yu dropped her rag. Lu Ruzhuo stood up. "Just rest. I'll get the door."
Pei Yu picked up the rag and started wiping the dust off a vase.
Lu Ruzhuo: "..."
Deciding it was a case of 'out of sight, out of mind,' she went and opened the door.
While she worked, Pei Yu pricked up her ears to listen to the sounds outside.
"The kitchen has prepared hot water. Would the two esteemed guests like to bathe now?"
"Yes."
"This humble one will bring it up for you."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Lu Ruzhuo turned back to see Pei Yu wiping the vase with one hand. Pei Yu looked over and said, "Aunt, you should bathe first. I'll stand guard outside."
"You first," Lu Ruzhuo said, her face impassive.
Pei Yu said, "Oh," and finally put down the rag.
She was sweating from her efforts. She walked to the table to pour some water, but just as she reached out, Lu Ruzhuo handed her the cup she had just filled for herself.
"Thank you, Aunt."
Pei Yu drank three cups in one go.
Lu Ruzhuo took the empty cup from her and, lowering her head, glanced imperceptibly at its rim.
Pei Yu, it seemed, couldn't stay still. In the time it took the inn to deliver the hot water, she had already moved the green bamboo screen in the center of the room back and forth three times, only to finally place it back in its original position.
The sight made Lu Ruzhuo dizzy, so she stepped out onto the corridor for some fresh air.
Inside, Pei Yu finally stopped moving.
She looked at the nearby table. On it sat a pot of tea and the single cup, which had been turned upside down.
Lu Ruzhuo had drunk from it, and so had she.
She didn't quite understand what this meant, but her mind suddenly flashed back to the scene she had witnessed at the Qianjin Pavilion. The woman in the pale yellow shirt had held the woman in the crabapple-red skirt in her arms, tilting up her chin, their lips and tongues entwined.
Pei Yu's eyes felt as if they'd been scorched by the sun. She abruptly tore her gaze away and squeezed her own knuckles.
Something was fluttering wildly in her chest, and her face felt hot.
Pei Yu lifted the teapot and poured a cup of cool tea to calm herself. Just as she picked it up...
Crash.
The cup shattered into a dozen pieces.
Hearing the noise, Lu Ruzhuo rushed in to find Pei Yu standing stunned by the table, the floor at her feet littered with shards of porcelain.
"What happened?" Lu Ruzhuo frowned.
"I..." Pei Yu's voice and hands were trembling. "...I couldn't hold the cup steady."
"Are you hurt?"
"No." Pei Yu subconsciously pulled her hands behind her back, but under Lu Ruzhuo's gaze, she obediently extended them again.
Lu Ruzhuo took her hands and inspected them carefully. After confirming there wasn't even a scratch, she sighed. "You can't even hold a cup steady, and you still think you can take care of me?"
Her words made Pei Yu's face turn red.
She didn't dare tell the truth, so she could only accept the rebuke.
Lu Ruzhuo added, "Stop tidying the room. I'm not that particular. Besides, your constant pacing is making it impossible for me to quiet my mind."
Pei Yu agreed.
"The hot water is ready, esteemed guests. Please take your time." The attendant thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
Lu Ruzhuo sat at the table in the outer part of the room and casually picked up a storybook that had been left there.
Pei Yu said no more, quietly taking clean clothes and going behind the screen.
The candle burned brightly. Lu Ruzhuo turned a page, and then a long time passed before she turned another.
The chirping of insects outside the window made the night seem even more silent.
"Aunt, I'm finished." The sound of water from behind the screen ceased. Pei Yu emerged, draped in a snow-white nightgown, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders, her face flushed and clear.
The room was empty.
Pei Yu put on an outer robe. Just as she was about to go out, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Lu Ruzhuo came in. "I went to see if the kitchen had the hot water ready."
"Is it ready?"
"Yes," Lu Ruzhuo said. "Get properly dressed. They'll be here soon."
The inn attendant bustled in and out with buckets, changing the water. Pei Yu sat at the table, resting her chin in her hands with nothing to do, watching the back of Lu Ruzhuo, who stood positioned between her and the doorway.
She glanced down and saw the storybook lying face down on the table. Turning it over, she saw a very distinct fingerprint on the corner of an inner page.
Out of boredom, Pei Yu pressed her own finger against the mark.
She didn't even notice when the attendant left.
The room fell silent, until she heard the sound of splashing water from behind the screen.
Lu Ruzhuo had gone in to bathe.
Pei Yu called out, "Aunt," and after hearing a response, she relaxed and began to read the storybook. She had always liked these things. The storybooks in the capital were always the latest, and Lu Ruzhuo would have people collect them and send them to her room every few days.
Pei Yu had read this particular storybook before and knew the plot by heart, so she only flipped through it idly.
The candle shortened inch by inch, wax tears dripping onto the table.
Pei Yu yawned. Resting her cheek on one hand, she picked up the nearby scissors with the other to trim the candlewick.
In the instant the candlelight flared from dim to bright, the sound of a great splash erupted from behind the screen.
It was accompanied by Lu Ruzhuo's sharp cry: "Who's there?" Pei Yu jolted, dropping the scissors and rushing behind the screen.
"Aunt!"
Comments
Post a Comment