Chapter 67 -
Chapter 67: Chapter
Su Yueqing stood in the center of her luxurious bedroom, her brow pulled into a deep frown as she stared at the garments draped over the wooden stand. Her personal maids had just brought in her changing attire for the evening’s horse riding, and it was entirely different from her usual voluminous, flowing silk gowns.
This was a much more fitted attire.
The deep crimson tunic was tailored sharply to her waist, paired with snug, dark leather riding trousers and high boots that looked far too practical for a proper villainess.
"Who authorized this?" Su Yueqing grumbled aloud, poking at the leather sleeve with a disgusted flick of her finger. "It’s tight. It’s restrictive. How am I supposed to look like an elegant, unapproachable noblewoman when I’m strapped into this like a common soldier?"
But inside her head, her inner mind was doing backflips of absolute joy.
[Oh wow, this outfit is actually so cool!] Su Yueqing’s inner voice cheered, her thoughts bouncing around with pure excitement.
[Look at the stitching! It’s giving top-tier, badass female warrior vibes! And these boots are legit. I won’t have to worry about tripping over my own hems while I secretly admire those gorgeous Ferghana stallions. Nine, take a mental picture, this is the peak aesthetic right here!]
Before she could complain further out loud to keep up appearances, the heavy silk curtains at the entrance rustled. The urgent voice of a servant echoed from the doorway.
"Answering the Young Madame, Little Miss Anran has arrived outside the courtyard!"
Su Yueqing blinked, her outward expression instantly shifting into a haughty, annoyed pout. She wondered in her thoughts why the little marshmallow was here of all times. It was already becoming dark outside; the golden hues of sunset were rapidly fading, and evening was here already.
"Ugh, what does that little brat want now?" Su Yueqing complained loudly, waving her hand dismissively. "Let her in before her crying irritates my ears."
The doors slid open, and little Xi Anran walked in, looking as cute as ever. She was wearing a small, puffy pink robe that made her look exactly like a walking dumpling.
The moment her bright, round eyes locked onto Su Yueqing, her face lit up with a brilliant beam. She didn’t care at all about Su Yueqing’s cold face. The little girl giggled, ran straight across the room, and threw herself toward Su Yueqing’s arms, smiling as she looked up.
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!" Anran chirped, her voice pure and sweet. "I wanted to show you something really, really special!"
Su Yueqing immediately stiffened, her hands flying up in the air as if the child were a ticking bomb. She forced a look of deep disdain onto her face and pushed the little girl away, gently but firmly nudging her back by her tiny shoulders.
"Stay back, you noisy creature," Su Yueqing scoffed, turning her face away with a theatrical sniff. "I am busy preparing to go out. I have absolutely no time to look at whatever silly rocks or toys you dragged out of the dirt. Go back to your mother."
But beneath that frosty exterior, her inner thoughts were practically melting into a puddle of absolute adoration.
[AIIIYEEEE! THE BABY!] Su Yueqing’s mind shrieked in a high-pitched flurry of pure, unadulterated fangirling.
[Look at those chubby little cheeks! She looks like a literal angel descended from heaven! Oh my god, she ran straight to me! She wants to show me something! Is it a drawing? Is it a flower?! Whatever it is, I want to buy her ten of them! Let me hug the marshmallow! No, wait... stop! Yueqing, control yourself! You are a toxic, child-hating villainess! You cannot hug the male lead’s precious little sister! If you act sweet, your villain reputation goes straight to zero! Maintain the defense line! Reject the cuteness!]
Anran, completely immune to the fake rejection, just tilted her head, her big eyes blinking with pure innocence as she reached into her tiny sleeve.
Before Anran could pull her hand out of her sleeve, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Xi Lanyin came running into the room, her face flushed with worry as she looked around the chamber.
"Anran! There you are!" Lanyin gasped, letting out a breath of relief. She quickly stepped forward and took the little girl by her small hand, dragging Anran away from Su Yueqing. "You cannot just wander off into the outer courtyards alone, especially when the sun is setting! Come back to Mother right now."
"No! I want to show Sister-in-law!" Anran cried out, completely refusing to go. She tugged hard against her older sister’s grip, her lower lip trembling violently as her big eyes welled up with tears.
"Anran, behave!" Lanyin scolded gently, but the stubborn little girl ripped her hand free. Wiping her eyes, Anran turned around and began running away out of the room, her little legs moving as fast as they could go.
Seeing this, Su Yueqing didn’t even think. Her body reacted on pure instinct, and she was the first to go after the little girl, her high leather riding boots clicking sharply against the floorboards. Lanyin blinked in absolute shock for a split second before she recovered and followed closely behind her sister-in-law.
[OH MY GOD, NO! THE BABY IS CRYING AND RUNNING IN THE DARK!] Su Yueqing’s inner mind screamed in a frantic panic, completely forgetting about her villain persona. [What if she trips?! What if she falls into the lotus pond?! Wenzhe, you useless male lead, why isn’t your estate properly lit?! If anything happens to my little marshmallow, I will personally burn this script to the ground! Get out of my way, Lanyin, your running speed is a joke!]
Outside, the twilight shadows had stretched completely across the grand estate. Anran, driven by her tears and childhood stubbornness, didn’t head back toward the Duchess’s main quarters. Instead, she bolted down a familiar covered walkway, weaving through the stone arches until she ran straight toward her little brother’s courtyard.. the quiet, isolated residence where young, sickly Mingyu lay bedridden.