Zhao Yan froze.
Even when that voice had exposed what she and her husband were thinking earlier, Zhao Yan had not cared.
So what? Taking a concubine was already set in stone. Since Shen Tang had married into their Zhuang family, she had to let them twist her around their fingers. But now...
Zhao Yan pointed at Zhuang Xin and demanded, "Do you have a lover at the Spring Breeze House too?"
Zhuang Xin frowned, not understanding why Zhao Yan would suddenly bring this up. "Of course not."
Though he said of course not, his eyes were actually darting about. He clearly had a guilty conscience.
Zhao Yan said coldly, "Zhuang Xin, look me in the eye and say that again."
"I said no, and I mean no. Are you going to make a scene with me in the street?"
"You actually say I'm making a scene?" Zhao Yan sounded incredulous. "I married you at eighteen and bore your children, and now you say I'm making a scene?"
Zhuang Xin's expression hardened. "You might not care about saving face, but I do."
"To hell with your face."
Her gaze vicious, Zhao Yan grabbed Zhuang Xin's hair and scratched his face bloody.
How could Zhuang Xin swallow such humiliation? He rolled up his sleeves and started fighting Zhao Yan.
[Sure enough, fire doesn't hurt until it lands on your own skin.]
While Zhao Yan and Zhuang Xin fought, Zhuang Chi said anxiously, "Father, Mother, stop fighting. Taohong is still waiting to enter our household."
[What a filial son.]
Tong Aning wanted to applaud. [His parents are fighting, and he still wants to take a concubine.]
Shen Tang laughed when she heard that. She turned and mounted her horse, letting it amble over to the marquis's carriage, where she exchanged a glance with Tong Aning.
Tong Aning's eyes curved as she said sweetly, "Mother, this young lady is so pretty."
Now she was playing the good girl.
The other woman had probably also heard Tong Aning's thoughts about changing male favorites every day.
Su Zhouyue did not expose her daughter. She nodded. "Yes."
Shen Tang bent down. "You're pretty too."
Shen Tang turned and left, leaving the clamor behind her, along with the Zhuang family.
Watching her carefree figure, Tong Aning's eyes turned starry.
Tong Aning said, "Eldest Brother, I want to learn to ride."
"Hmm?"
Tong Yibin looked at Tong Aning. Seeing the eagerness in her eyes, he said, "Didn't you think riding was too much hard work?"
Tong Fengye had wanted to ride when he was ten.
Tong Yibin had taught him.
He had originally intended to teach Tong Aning too, but she had thought riding was too much hard work. Before long, she had given up with a miserable little face.
Tong Yibin had not forced her. With the whole family indulging her anyway, it hardly mattered if Tong Aning could not ride.
Clenching her fists, Tong Aning said, "Wherever you fall, that's where you have to get back up. The harder something feels, the more you have to grit your teeth and persevere."
Tong Yibin: "..."
Su Zhouyue patted Tong Aning's back. "Good! Aning has ambition. If your eldest brother won't teach you, I will."
Tong Aning nestled into Su Zhouyue's arms and nuzzled against her. "Mother is the best."
Tong Yibin: "..."
Oh-so that meant he was a bad eldest brother.
Tong Yibin said, "I never said I wouldn't teach her."
"Move aside. Aning is mine to teach."
Tong Yibin: "..."
Looking at Su Zhouyue's smug face, Tong Yibin had reasonable grounds to suspect his mother was deliberately needling him in revenge for not getting to teach Tong Fengye to ride herself back then.
Tong Aobai smiled as he watched his wife and children fool around. After watching for a while, he also said, "Why don't I teach her?"
Su Zhouyue hugged Tong Aning tight, as though afraid someone would snatch her away. "In your dreams."
Tong Aobai: "..."
Having invited that rebuff, he shrugged.
Back at the residence, Tong Fengye learned that Tong Aning wanted to learn to ride and said enthusiastically, "I'll teach her! I'll teach her!"
Tong Yi'an echoed Tong Fengye. "I'll teach her too! Me too!"
That soft little voice made everyone laugh, and Su Zhouyue could not be bothered to argue with Tong Fengye.
In the end, they decided each person would teach for one day, with lessons every other day so Tong Aning would not get too tired.
Tong Aning, who had suddenly acquired six teachers: "..."
Only then did Tong Aning realize that Tong Siyan could ride, and so could Tong Yi'an. Apparently, she was the only one who could not.
After a dozen or so days of lessons, Tong Aning was suffering beyond words.
The six teachers' styles were simply too different.
That day, it was Tong Fengye's turn.
Tong Fengye came to fetch Tong Aning and heard this just outside her door-
[Nothing in this world is difficult, as long as you're willing to give up.]
Was his fourth sister planning to give up again?
[Wherever you fall, that's where you should lie down.]
Tong Fengye: "..."
[Host, so you're not riding today?]
[I am. Giving something up the first time means my enthusiasm only lasted three minutes. Giving it up a second time would mean I don't know what's good for me.]
Tong Fengye nodded repeatedly. His fourth sister had a point.
Without warning, the door opened in front of him.
Tong Aning gave Tong Fengye a suspicious look, then raised her eyebrows. "Third Brother, you were actually eavesdropping outside?"
Tong Fengye hopped out onto the corridor. "Of course not."
Tong Aning: "..."
"Come on, come on. I'll take you out of the city for a spring outing."
The moment she heard they could leave the city, Tong Aning perked up. "All right."
Tong Aobai and Su Zhouyue had accompanied Tong Aning to personally choose her horse.
It was silvery white, gentle in temperament, and looked imposing when it ran.
Now that Tong Aning wanted to mount, it waited obediently.
Tong Aning mounted and stroked its mane. "Bright Pearl, let's go."
Bright Pearl neighed and carried Tong Aning out of the residence.
His little sister's learning ability was truly terrifying. Tong Fengye suddenly felt a little superfluous.
Only after he went out through the back gate did he discover Bright Pearl circling outside with Tong Aning.
At the sight of Tong Fengye coming out, both the girl's and the horse's eyes lit up.
Tong Aning said, "Third Brother, I'm scared."
Tong Fengye: "..."
He took the reins from his little sister and led Bright Pearl slowly forward.
They also ran into Feng Chu along the way.
Feng Chu wanted to accompany them out of the city, but Tong Fengye politely declined.
"I'm going out of the city to teach my sister to ride. What are you going out for?"
"None of your business!"
"You..."
No matter what Tong Fengye said, Feng Chu still followed them. Tong Fengye had only just frowned when Feng Chu said, "What? I never knew this road was built exclusively for the third young master."
Tong Fengye gritted his teeth.
The three youngsters left the residence facing the sun, brimming with youthful spirit.
There was an apricot grove outside the city.
Su Zhouyue had brought them there once in the third month.
But now, on horseback, it felt entirely different.
Tong Aning lifted her face, and late-blooming apricot blossoms brushed her cheek. Their delicate beauty set off her otherworldly loveliness while also highlighting her own particular touch of innocent charm.
"Heir, those are the Tong family's third young master and fourth young lady, and the Feng family's second young master."
In a pavilion on the high ground of the apricot grove, Xue Lin listened to Sichen and glanced into the grove. He happened to catch the moment the apricot blossoms brushed Tong Aning's face, and his gaze flickered.
Sichen said, "Since you're interested, Heir, why not go down and greet them? They're around your age. Surely you could..."
Before Sichen could finish, Xue Lin interrupted, "No need."
Sichen sighed.
In the apricot grove.
Tong Aning grew tired, so the three dismounted and walked slowly through the apricot grove, leading their horses.
Feng Chu could not help sighing. "This is pretty nice too."
"Of course it is. You're the one who keeps going off to cockfights and cricket fights whenever you have nothing to do, never doing anything worthwhile all day."
Feng Chu: "..."
His face reddened. "I had my reasons."
Tong Fengye looked at him. "What reasons?"
Feng Chu said vaguely, "I can't explain it in a sentence or two. In short, I won't be like I was before."
Tong Aning nodded, her tone thoroughly worldly-wise. "It's not too late for a prodigal son to turn back."
Tong Fengye: "..."
"Tong Aning, stop talking like that."
"...Oh."
Ahead lay the depths of the apricot grove. Worried there might be danger, Tong Fengye suggested heading back, only to spot a cluster of moving figures. Without a word, Tong Fengye and Feng Chu took hold of Tong Aning and Bright Pearl respectively and quickly hid behind a small rise in the grove.
Tong Aning, who had initially been bewildered, also shut her mouth after seeing those people. Three pairs of eyes stared fixedly at them.
Unfortunately, they were too far away to hear anything clearly.
Tong Aning asked the system, [Do you know what they're doing?]
[That's no challenge for me.]
After a while, the system said, [They're plotting to kill the Heir of Prince Yong.]
Tong Aning: "!!!"
[This Heir of Prince Yong again! Just what breed of unlucky wretch is this heir?]
Tong Fengye: "...?"
Little sister, you really mustn't say things like that.
Author's note: