Chapter 27 – The Scent of a Daughter

“This… this is unacceptable…”

Count Xining looked around the shabby room in dismay, his eyelid twitching as he noticed a draft from above. Even with the courage of a lion, he wouldn’t dare subject the chancellor’s legitimate son to such indignity.

A single “Count” highlighted the distance between the father-in-law and son-in-law. Desperate, he glanced at Cui Ti, hoping she could help persuade her spouse. But then he realized his folly-Cui Ti was blind and couldn’t see his plea for help.

“Ti’er, please help persuade him. Wouldn’t it be better for both of you to stay in Chenxiang Courtyard?”

His voice carried a note of supplication.

Pei Xuan, who usually wore a warm smile, now had an aloof demeanor, worlds apart from her usual self. Though she often had no airs, when truly angered, the pressure she emanated was immense.

As the saying goes, “The gentle ones are scarier when they get angry.”

Count Xining’s face turned pale, and sweat began to pour from his forehead.

On one side was her biological father, on the other her newlywed ‘husband.’ Cui Ti glanced at Pei Xuan, who was sitting on the wooden bed with a cold expression, and felt a pang of heartache and gratitude.

Pei Xuan always put her first, always let her have her way. If she spoke up, Pei Xuan wouldn’t hold a grudge.

But…

One’s own husband should be cherished. Pei Xuan cared for and loved her; how could she stop her from venting her anger?

If Pei Xuan couldn’t vent properly, she might even silently blame herself at night.

Cui Ti truly loved Pei Xuan. After a moment’s thought, she shook her head, “A wife should follow her husband.”

This meant she wouldn’t interfere and couldn’t interfere.

Count Xining’s eyes widened, just about to scold them, when Pei Xuan lifted her gaze, “What authority you have, Count.”

Her words hit hard.

Count Xining’s mouth twitched. No matter how authoritative he was, he couldn’t compare to his golden son-in-law.

“My son-in-law…”

Pei Xuan remained unmoved, “Show him out.”

Bai Tang was about to move when Haozhong discreetly pressed her hand down. The young servant, who had been silently standing by Pei Xuan’s side, stepped forward with a smile, “Count, please.”

He was Pei Xuan’s person and part of the Pei Family, so his words and actions carried more weight than Bai Tang’s. Even if Count Xining bore a grudge, he wouldn’t direct it at his own daughter. Bai Tang belonged to the Young Madam. Though father and daughter might not have much contact in the future, avoiding one more trouble was a blessing.

Today, the gentleman gave Count Xining a great humiliation. Even if Count Xining was furious, he had to swallow his anger and humble himself, serving with utmost diligence.

“Count!”

As he stepped out of the small courtyard, Count Xining’s legs went weak, nearly causing him to collapse. Fortunately, a quick-witted servant by his side caught him in time. He turned back to look at the quiet courtyard standing still in the wind.

He couldn’t possibly blame Cui Ti. Cui Ti, now a married woman, had to first and foremost avoid offending Pei Xuan to properly fulfill her role as Young Madam Pei. It was understandable that she couldn’t speak up in such a situation.

What truly shocked him was Pei Xuan’s change in attitude. She was one way when smiling and another when cold. At just eighteen years old, her presence in that small room had been so overwhelming that he couldn’t straighten his back.

This child was destined for greatness, but now he had offended her?

Even the wisest can make mistakes, but this misstep could have been avoided!

Staring at the dilapidated courtyard behind him, thinking of the drafty roof and the poverty-stricken interior, his anger boiled over. He hurried to the back garden, where he saw a maid and asked sternly, “Where is the Countess?”

The maid, startled, quickly bowed, “The Countess is at Baishao Courtyard.”

Baishao Courtyard was brightly lit.

As he stepped into the meticulously manicured garden, Count Xining had no heart for the scenery. The first thing that came to mind was the shabby courtyard he had visited earlier.

That was where Cui Ti had lived for over ten years.

It was clear that after tonight, the ideal father-in-law and son-in-law relationship he had envisioned would be shattered. Pei Xuan would no longer respect him, and the Pei Family would not welcome the Cui Family as in-laws.

If the chancellor found out that his beloved son and daughter-in-law had moved into a rundown courtyard, he could accuse Count Xining of mistreating his eldest daughter and being an unkind father. The Count’s residence would be truly doomed.

How could it be that one daughter lived in a shabby room while the other in a grand house?

“Countess, the Count is here.”

The Countess was having tea with her daughter, and the aroma of tea filled the air. She didn’t even lift her eyelids. “Let him come in, you all…”

“You all leave.”

“Father?”

“You leave too!”

Cui Dai was startled by his harsh tone. She looked back at her mom, who gently put down her teacup and coaxed, “Go on now.”

Count Xining watched everyone leave and took a deep breath. Without saying a word, the Countess poured him a cup of tea. “Instead of trying to win over your good son-in-law, why are you losing your temper here?”

“Losing my temper?” The man stormed forward in a few steps and slapped her across the face. “This is what losing my temper looks like!”

The Countess’s head buzzed from the slap.

Count Xining’s scolding came down like a storm. “I’ve entrusted this household to you, and look at the state it’s in! It’s one thing if things slide in general, but the south courtyard being in such disrepair-are you trying to drag the Cui Family down with you?”

His words were harsh. The Countess, thinking something truly catastrophic had happened, temporarily swallowed her resentment and didn’t argue back. “What happened?”

“The son-in-law and Ti’er have moved to the south courtyard.” As he spoke, his brow furrowed further. “As her mother, how could you let your daughter live in such a dilapidated house for over ten years? Where is the Cui Family’s face if word gets out?”

“Did I… did I make Cui Ti live in such a rundown house?”

The Countess’s one cheek was swollen high, and she seemed to hear the biggest joke in the world. “You’re her father. It’s not like you just found out today that Ti’er has been living in the south courtyard. Have you ever gone to see her?

“From the moment she was born, you paid no attention to her. What right do you have to criticize me as her mother?

“I bore three children for you, and just because our eldest daughter was born blind, she must be hidden away, unseen! You were the one who broke my heart first, and now all the blame falls on me? Cui Shao, do you have any conscience left? Aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for saying such things?”

A moment of deadly silence was followed by another bout of fierce arguing from behind the door. Cui Dai, hiding outside, was trembling with fear.

What was happening?

She was utterly confused.

Why was Mom scolding Dad? Why did Dad hit Mom?

She was terrified, holding her breath and not daring to make a sound.

This incident was just a trigger, peeling back the layers of dissatisfaction between husband and wife over the years.

A usually loving couple now revealed their ugliest sides in a fight. Count Xining blamed the Countess for not giving him a son, while the Countess resented marrying the wrong person.

Under the starlit sky, the south courtyard was finally tidied up by the bustling servants, transforming the small courtyard into a semblance of cleanliness.

The dust on the table was wiped clean, the pillows and blankets were neatly arranged, and Haozhong lit incense in the inner chamber. Raoliang, from somewhere unknown, fetched a bouquet of flowers and put them in a vase. Bai Tang directed the servants to fill a half-height bath barrel with water, then took small, quick steps to Cui Ti’s side, whispered something in her ear, and led everyone out in single file.

“Fujun…”

Pei Xuan was holding a scroll, so engrossed in reading that she didn’t realize she was holding it upside down. “Niangzi, you wash first.”

She paused for a moment before remembering that without her assistance, her blind Niangzi might bump into things. She quickly got up and went to help Cui Ti. “Niangzi, this way.”

Steam rose from the bath barrel, with a layer of fresh flower petals floating on the surface. Though Cui Ti couldn’t see them, she could smell them. Pei Xuan’s palm was warm. “Here… here we are.”

She glanced at Cui Ti, considering her blindness. “Shall I help you undress?”

In this state, she was nothing like the imposing figure who had faced Count Xining without anger. Cui Ti couldn’t help but stifle a laugh and nodded lightly. “Mm.”

Pei Xuan took a deep breath, lowered her head, and dared not look too much.

Clothes fell in soft folds around the slender ankles of the woman, her calves pale as jade. Pei Xuan closed her eyes and turned away. “Niangzi, be careful.”

Behind her came the faint sound of water. Cui Ti shyly slipped into the bath barrel, the warm water rising to her shoulders, with delicate petals floating on her fair skin. “Fujun.”

Pei Xuan instinctively turned around and was suddenly confronted with the sight of her wife, bare and beautiful. Her face flushed as she awkwardly walked to the window to continue ‘reading.’

She still held the scroll upside down. Cui Ti, unable to point it out, hid in the bath barrel and laughed.

Hearing her laughter, Pei Xuan felt a mix of embarrassment and confusion, her gaze inadvertently crossing the screen to see her Niangzi’s raised ivory arm. Her heart pounded uncontrollably.

After what felt like an eternity, Cui Ti stood up in the water. “Fujun?”

Pei Xuan looked up, the silhouette of the beautiful woman behind the screen making her ears burn. She struggled to steady her voice. “Do you need… do you need clothes?”

“Mm, thank you, Fujun.”

Pajamas were handed over the screen, and as Pei Xuan got close, she could faintly smell the pleasant fragrance emanating from her Niangzi. Her thoughts scattered, wondering how they would spend this night. If… if her Niangzi insisted on consummating their marriage, how would her identity…

Before getting married, Cui Ti insisted on handling her private matters herself, without troubling Bai Tang. This had trained her to be somewhat self-sufficient in daily life.

After dressing, she emerged from behind the screen and saw a figure deep in thought.

“Xingguang?”

Pei Xuan suddenly looked up.

Cui Ti was startled by the struggle evident in her eyes and, guessing the reason, gently said, “I’ll call Tangtang to come in and prepare fresh warm water for you.”

“No need.” Pei Xuan moved around to see the clear bathwater and smiled. “There’s no need to trouble them. I’ll just use the water Niangzi used.”

“How… how can that be?”

“It’s fine.” She placed her hand on her sash, reassuringly saying, “Niangzi, go rest on the bed first. I’ll join you shortly.”

“…”

Blushing, Cui Ti didn’t dare to look or ask further. She grasped her bamboo cane and made her way to the bed. After some hesitation, her face still burning, she lay down on the wooden bed, trying not to think too much.

The water was still warm, and besides the floral scent, it now carried a fresh, feminine fragrance. As Pei Xuan bathed, she felt both shy and excited, ultimately scolding herself for her lack of propriety.

Cui Ti waited, her heart pounding. The wind seeped through a gap in the roof, but with Pei Xuan by her side, her previous worries and insecurities melted away.

Pei Xuan dressed in her nightclothes and took a small piece of incense from her pouch, tossing it into the bronze incense burner.

The incense was a mild sedative. Although Cui Ti noticed, she pretended not to see.

The wooden bed was just big enough for one person, but since both were slender, they could barely fit. Cui Ti had already made space for Pei Xuan. Having never slept on such a simple bed before, Pei Xuan climbed in cautiously, the bed creaking under her weight.

Blushing, Cui Ti explained, “It’s a bit noisy, but it’s sturdy—it won’t… it won’t collapse.”

She pulled the blanket up to her chest, a delicate silence enveloping them. Suddenly realizing something, her face turned bright red.

Pei Xuan chuckled meaningfully, wrapping a long arm around Cui Ti’s waist, pulling her into an embrace. “I should have come to see you earlier. You’ve endured so much because of me.”

“No, I didn’t endure much,” Cui Ti whispered softly. “It’s all in the past.”

For her, it was in the past, but Pei Xuan couldn’t get over it. Even if she was away from home for a few days, her mom would have people meticulously take care of her room.

Unlike her Niangzi, who, after getting married, had her old residence turn into a neglected house.

It was clear that Count Xining and his wife didn’t truly care about their eldest daughter.

A delayed realization of neglect is more cruel than an immediate one.

“Niangzi…”

Pei Xuan exerted a gentle pressure, making Cui Ti prop herself up on her arms beside her pillow. Pei Xuan placed a hand on the back of her head, bringing their lips together. “I like you very much, Niangzi…”