379: Spending Time With the Artist’s Sister

Spending Time With the Artist’s Sister

"They've been fighting, you know," Yang Xiaoyi informed as she braided Yujia's hair.1

The two of them sat indoors, by an open window so that the winter sunlight could filter into the room. Snow had stopped drifting from the skies, but when birds fluttered from one branch to the next, the branches would shuffle, the snow dust delicately resting there cascading down.

"Madam and the Old Master?" Yujia asked, glancing out the window.

The day she officially renounced that she was cutting off ties with her family, Yujia had invited Xiaoyi to visit Lingxin frequently. And indeed Xiaoyi did, coming by once in a while—or at least whenever the household wasn't watching her too carefully. It seemed like after Yujia declared that the Fourth Miss status held no ties to her, the family had become careful of the Fifth Miss. They feared that Xiaoyi, too, would take encouragement from the Second and Fourth Miss, and run away. 

It was funny how now, after missing two young misses, did they actually begin to appreciate their daughters.

Xiaoyi slipped a hairpin in place, explaining, "I've heard them sometimes yelling at each other, whenever I'm passing by their courtyard. They try to keep it discrete, but when it happens so often, I'm not sure if there's anything too discrete about it." 

"What are they arguing about?" 

"It has to do with business. I can't catch all of it, but that's what it sounds like. A failure in arrangements, a receiving party getting caught in some unlawful situations, or something like that. I'm not sure." 

Yujia sighed. "I thought that business had been going well for the household lately."

"It has," Xiaoyi affirmed, "but you know Father's tendencies. He's never brilliant at doing things on his own. He's always better at following instructions." A soft laugh escaped from her. "I'd like to think that Madam Zhang is more suited for the merchant life than him." 

Thinking back to Madam Zhang and her careful calculations, Yujia also smiled. "I can see that."

With another hairpin secured in place, it seemed like Xiaoyi was finished with fixing Yujia's hair. "All done," she announced, leaning back.

Yujia turned around, taking a copper mirror from the table behind her and holding it up. She observed her new hairstyle for a few moments: a delicately woven braid fastened with pins. Not a single strand of hair was out of place, and the way the pins were positioned almost seemed like a maze of flowers. "I could never be this talented," she remarked.

"Ah, it's just the basics," Xiaoyi rolled her eyes, giggling. "If you like it this much, I'll teach you."

"Or I shall find you whenever I want my hair pretty," Yujia suggested. 

After transmigrating, she did pick up some ways to fashion this incredibly long hair that grew on her head, but most days, Yujia only did something simple and manageable. Her arms grew sore if she spent any more time on her hair. 

"Then, call on me anytime!" Xiaoyi tapped herself proudly, smiling. She began to pick up some stray hair ornaments, placing them back into a vanity box for Yujia. "Second Sister visited me a few days ago," she mentioned.

Yujia's eyes lit up. "Wu Yichen?" With a nod of confirmation from Xiaoyi, Yujia said, "I'm sure you two had plenty to talk about."

"Of course. It's been years. She's caught me up on her battles and everything." 

"She must've accomplished many honors." 

"Yes yes," Xiaoyi propped her chin up on her palm, giving a content sigh. "She even told me about her audience with the Emperor. He's been very pleased with everything she's done, and granted her the rank of colonel."

"Colonel? That's incredible, isn't it? Aren't there only a few ranks above that?"

"Indeed; she's only below General Wu now by two ranks. She can command an entire regiment now. But not just that! For her valiance, the Emperor has granted her a favor." 

Yujia blinked. A favor was quite a big reward. With one, an individual could claim anything they wished, should that be a prize of wealth or land or title. "And what did she redeem?"

"That's the funny part. She said she would save it until later," Xiaoyi shook her head in disbelief. 

"Perhaps she does not care for material wealth as of this moment," Yujia suggested, grinning. From what she's heard of Wu Yichen, it seemed very characteristic of her to do something like that.

"But if I were her, I'd redeem myself a piece of land somewhere with nice weather, away from the capital. This snow always gets me; I'd much rather it be springtime," Xiaoyi hummed, a dreamy gaze in her eyes.

At this, Yujia remarked with a laugh, "First, you'd have to go onto the battlefield."

Xiaoyi wrinkled her nose, waving her hand. "I'd die in two seconds. But wouldn't you like that, Sister? Traveling somewhere that's not this cold?"

"Are you all going on a trip somewhere?" A voice echoed from behind Xiaoyi. Into the room stepped Ye Yunhe, rubbing his arms together in a shiver. 

Seeing her senior brother, Yujia waved. "Senior Brother, what do you think? Would you like to settle the rest of your life in a place where the winters aren't this heavy in snow?"

Yunhe leaned his hands over the furnace at the side, warming them up. "That would be wonderful. I'm getting sick of this snow already." He glanced over at Xiaoyi. "Ah, pardon my rudeness for not greeting you earlier. Greetings Miss Yang!" 

Yujia's gaze slid over to observe Xiaoyi, who had noticeably frozen up. With cheeks as red as they could be— Yujia knew that it clearly wasn't from the cold weather— Xiaoyi stared at Yunhe with wide eyes, stammering, "Yes— Greetings Young Master Ye—" She ducked her gaze down, wincing as she glanced over at Yujia. "Sister, I guess—  I- I should get going?"

"You won't stay for another cup of tea?" Yujia tilted her head.

Xiaoyi's words were rushed as they escaped her. "Ah no, I'm sure Madam and Father would be wondering where I've run off again. And it seems like your— Senior Brother and you have something to chat about, so I don't want to disturb that."

Yunhe raised his brows, shrugging. "I just had an art query to ask; it's nothing of urgency. You won't be disturbing anything, Miss Yang."

"Ah, no, thank you— but I'll just... still get going," Xiaoyi replied, flusteredly shaking her head. She rose up, bowed, and kept her face ducked down as she rushed out of the room. 

Yujia raised a cup of warm tea, sipping at it. She took her gaze off of the doorway where Xiaoyi exited from, looking over at Yunhe. 

"What was that?" Yunhe asked, laughing awkwardly as he slid over to sit in the spot Xiaoyi sat at. He took a new cup from the table, helping himself to some tea. 

Yujia shook her head, musing, "Young love."

"Young love?" Yunhe echoed. "I thought it was just your sister being anxious around strangers." 

With her eyebrows furrowed, Yujia didn't know if it was appropriate of her to laugh or not at Yunhe's density. "Let's put it at that," she said. "It would be better that way."

She then tapped her fingers on the table, thinking. A pity that this crush of her sister's would never work out, but Yujia figured Xiaoyi would realize soon enough. 

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