Perfect Match – CH 007

Chapter 7

Deng Ruyun was certain she had not mistaken it; for that instant, she had seen the princess suddenly grin.

A chill ran down her spine. Qingxuan had not seen it; only she had, and no one could corroborate her story.

Deng Ruyun stopped standing along the lake; she decided to stay with Second Young Lady Yang, as Teng Yue had suggested.

But when she looked up, she discovered that Yang Youling and her two maids were gone.

*

Under a deserted tree by the river, Yang Youling approached and called her two maids to her side.

Her head maid, Dongxun, had been recovering from a cold a few days ago and had brought her younger maid, Ai Liu, to help her. Yang Youling had summoned them both.

“What are your orders, Miss?”

Yang Youling secretly pointed towards the painted boat moored by the lake. “Just now, Fifth Young Lady Huang and a few other young ladies went over there. I do not know them well, so it’s inconvenient for me to go. Could you go and listen to what they were saying?”

The head maid, Dongxun, paused. “Miss wants to eavesdrop?”

This question displeased Yang Youling. “They were talking about Sixth Brother Bai’s upcoming arrival in Xi’an Prefecture. How will I know when Sixth Brother Bai is coming if I do not go and listen? I have not seen Sixth Brother Bai for a long time, and I did not even know he was so engrossed in medicine…”

The Sixth Brother Bai she was referring to was Bai Chunfu, the youngest son of the Grand Princess Ningfeng of the capital and the sixth son of the Bai family of Fengxiang.

Yang Youling had lived in Fengxiang Prefecture with her father for several years. One year, when Sixth Young Master Bai returned to his hometown to serve his elderly grandfather, the Yang family visited the Bai family. She had met Bai Chunfu there, though only two or three times, but she remembered him vividly.

That was the youngest son of the Grand Princess. The second wife of the family had always wanted both daughters to marry into high-ranking families. First, she sent the eldest daughter to the Prince of Qin’s Mansion and then earnestly instructed the second daughter to marry into a prestigious family. The Grand Princess’s Mansion was a truly respectable and powerful household.

Although Dongxun felt it was inappropriate to eavesdrop in someone else’s home, seeing her young lady’s insistence, she could only point to the maid Ai Liu she had brought, “Go ahead, but be careful and hide well; do not let anyone discover you.”

After all, being caught eavesdropping would be a disgrace for Yang Youling.

Ai Liu had not attended many grand banquets like this and was already a little nervous. Now, swallowing hard, she asked, “Miss, are you really going to eavesdrop?”

Yang Youling glared at her. “If you do not go, do not ever come to my courtyard again!”

Ai Liu immediately dared not ask any more questions and quickly slipped away from the bushes towards the painted boat.

*

Deng Ruyun and Qingxuan searched for Yang Youling for a long time but could not find her. Deng Ruyun was about to suggest forgetting it, but Qingxuan pointed to the path. “Madam, I saw the little maidservant beside Second Miss.”

She saw Ai Liu, and the little maidservant was hurrying towards the painted boat. “Second Miss is probably playing around near the painted boat. Madam, let’s go over there too.”

However, the two had only taken a few steps when a maidservant serving Old Madam Lin came looking for them, saying she could not find something. Qingxuan tried to explain but could not clarify things with the maidservant, so she told Deng Ruyun that she would help look for it and come to the painted boat to find her later.

Deng Ruyun nodded and went to the painted boat herself.

The Huang family’s painted boat was moored by the lake. It was painted in vermilion and was colorful, and because of the birthday banquet, red silk was hung up. Six bonsai trees of pine and bamboo, each with its own shape and exquisite detail, were placed around the boat, attracting Deng Ruyun’s attention.

As she looked around, she walked onto the pleasure boat from the back. Turning the stern, she immediately spotted Ai Liu, the young maidservant beside Yang Youling.

However, instead of standing by the door as usual, the maidservant was huddled behind a flower stand displaying an exquisite bonsai, her ear pressed against the windowsill, eavesdropping inside.

When Deng Ruyun suddenly appeared from behind, the maidservant was startled and stumbled backward.

This stumble was disastrous; she completely forgot about the flower stand behind her.

Crash—the flower stand tilted, and a bonsai made of artificial rocks on it crashed down, breaking the pot and rocks in an instant.

Scattered on the ground were shards of stone, pottery, and dirt. Deng Ruyun was astonished, and the maidservant Ai Liu was even more frightened, taking three steps back in terror.

This commotion immediately drew the attention of the people inside the pleasure boat.

Several young women sat on the pleasure boat. Deng Ruyun looked over and recognized them as the same group who had mentioned the Bai family’s young master’s upcoming visit to Xi’an. Yang Youling was not among them. Remembering Ai Liu’s eavesdropping earlier, she immediately understood the situation.

However, the people on the pleasure boat were completely unaware. One of them, a young girl dressed in a ginger-yellow dress embroidered with pavilions and towers, who looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, stepped out of the cabin and saw the broken potted plant under the flower stand. She exclaimed in surprise.

“Heavens above! You actually smashed the bonsai trees my great-grandfather made!”

She was Huang Yudai, the fifth daughter of the Huang family.

Her four older sisters were all married and had left home, leaving her as the only unmarried daughter. Old Madam Huang doted on this great-granddaughter, and Huang Yudai had been pampered under her care. Seeing the bonsai trees her great-grandfather had made broken by outsiders, she immediately became frantic.

“My matriarch valued these bonsai trees most highly; how could you…”

Upon hearing this, Ai Liu, a maidservant from the Yang family, turned pale.

Ai Liu was a servant born into the Yang family, but she was thin and sallow and disliked by her mistresses, so she had always worked outside the home.

Her mother was quite formidable; when she was alive, she could easily argue and fight with anyone. But she fell ill and passed away a couple of years ago, leaving her without support. Life became difficult, and now, with her advanced age, several of the old women her mother had offended were pressuring the master to marry her off to a lame stableman on the estate.

Ai Liu was terrified. She used all her savings to bribe her way into a job in Yang Youling’s courtyard, thinking that even maids in the young lady’s quarters had a respectable position, and this would at least give her a better future.

The head maid, Dongxun, also wanted to help her, which was why she brought her to the birthday banquet.

Suddenly, something went wrong, and Ai Liu panicked. She could not make a mistake, she absolutely could not make a mistake, or she would be finished…

“It was not me; it was not me!” She had not intended to break the bonsai; someone had frightened her.

She had never seen Deng Ruyun before, only noticing Deng Ruyun’s simple attire, and mistook her for someone’s maid or mistress. She pointed directly at Deng Ruyun, exclaiming, “It’s her!”

Deng Ruyun was about to laugh.

Just then, someone passed by, heard the commotion, and walked towards the pleasure boat.

“What happened?”

The one who spoke was a noblewoman in a light brown embroidered jacket. She was Huang Yudai’s mother, the Third Madam Huang. Accompanying her were Yang Youling’s mother, the Second Madam Yang, and several other ladies and wives from the Xi’an Mansion.

Yang Youling was also following behind her mother.

As soon as the Third Madam Huang asked, Huang Yudai quickly replied, “Mother, the bonsai on the pleasure boat has been broken!”

After she finished speaking, everyone’s gaze shifted from Ai Liu to Deng Ruyun’s face.

Yang Youling’s face turned pale when she saw the trembling Ai Liu. She had sent Ai Liu to eavesdrop, and that maid had actually caused such a huge blunder?

She glared at Ai Liu, who was terrified, her voice trembling at the sight of her mistress.

“Do not blame me, do not blame me. Miss, you cannot blame me!”

She was so flustered that Yang Youling tensed up as well. Breaking the bonsai tree was not the problem; if Ai Liu revealed the eavesdropping, she would lose all face!

Yang Youling hurriedly tried to change the subject, but then she caught sight of Deng Ruyun standing nearby. Without thinking, she asked directly.

“If it was not you, then tell me who it was?!”

Upon hearing this, Ai Liu immediately turned and pointed at Deng Ruyun.

“It was her!”

No one had seen who had knocked over the bonsai tree, but now Ai Liu was pointing fingers, and everyone looked at Deng Ruyun.

No one in the crowd knew who Deng Ruyun was. Seeing that she was neither a familiar noblewoman nor someone they recognized as a lady from any family, some whispered that she was probably from a small, out-of-town household.

It was Old Madam Huang’s birthday, and many people eager to curry favor with the Huang family had come. These were mostly from humble backgrounds, some clumsy and inexperienced.

No one else recognized her; the only ones present were Second Madam Yang and her daughter, Yang Youling.

Yang Youling was having her maid point her out, while Second Madam Yang avoided eye contact, pretending not to know her at all.

Third Madam Huang, being the mistress of the house, could not help but say, “It’s broken, so be it. Do not make a big fuss and upset the Old Madam,” but the others’ gazes could not help but linger on Deng Ruyun.

Deng Ruyun remained calm and composed, and she would not admit to anything based on such clumsy pointing; she had to defend herself.

She looked at Yang Youling with amusement, then glanced at Ai Liu and chuckled softly.

“Then let me ask you a question. If I broke the bonsai, why are you covered in so much dirt and dust, while I’m not?”

As soon as the question left her lips, everyone looked at the two women’s clothes. Deng Ruyun was spotless, while Ai Liu’s cuffs and hem were stained with dirt and dust; they all understood.

Ai Liu panicked, and Yang Youling’s face turned even paler. Just then, Old Madam Huang walked out to the pleasure boat.

They had also been passing by and, seeing everyone standing at the entrance, assumed something serious had happened and came to inquire. Old Madam Lin was also among the group, with Qingxuan beside her.

Deng Ruyun, alone and unfamiliar with everyone, stood alone at the edge. Seeing this, Old Madam Lin whispered to Qingxuan, “Go and fetch Madam.”

Qingxuan quickly went to Deng Ruyun’s side.

She stopped, and everyone understood. This was the new Madam Teng. Although they had heard that this new Madam came from a humble background, she was still a lady, and everyone gradually withdrew their gazes from her, saying nothing more.

Now, Yang Youling was even more embarrassed. Huang Yudai and the other young ladies glanced at her suspiciously.

Yang Youling was afraid of being discovered eavesdropping, so she pursed her lips, not daring to speak. Ai Liu, however, was even more frightened and whispered in Yang Youling’s ear, “Miss, this servant only…”

Yang Youling was furious. “Shut up!”

Seeing their interaction, Huang Yudai and the others gradually showed disdain. Just then, Madam Yang suddenly said something to Ai Liu.

“Your maid is truly ignorant. How dare a mere maid try to implicate a lady? If you said it was you, then it was you. Do not say another word.”

These words carried a heavy meaning.

Anyone who did not know better would think that the madam had done something wrong and was forcing the maid to take the blame.

Those who arrived later, unaware of the situation, could not help but glance at Deng Ruyun again.

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Lin could not help but glance at Madam Yang.

Madam Yang, however, took it as a casual remark and turned to help Old Madam Huang, saying, “It’s all because of my servants’ indiscretion. I will go back and bring you a cartload of bonsai to fill this pleasure boat!”

Even ten cartloads would not be enough to compensate for the bonsai that the old master had personally made. Huang Yudai pouted, and Madam Huang signaled to her daughter not to say anything more.

Old Madam Huang naturally could not say much but looked regretfully at the broken stones on the ground and sighed softly.

“Forget it, I’m old now, and I cannot afford to have you give me any more good things. But if this causes more trouble, Amitabha, Buddha will blame me…”

As she spoke, she completely glossed over the matter. The Huang family’s servants quickly swept away the fragments, and the matter was swept aside. Deng Ruyun, having proven her innocence and denied any wrongdoing, did not take it to heart. She stayed by Old Madam Lin’s side afterward, not venturing elsewhere.

Yang Youling, on the other hand, could not hold on any longer and made an excuse to leave the birthday banquet early, taking Ai Liu home with her.

Deng Ruyun watched Ai Liu’s swaying figure and deathly pale face from afar, shaking her head silently.

Some whispered that the Yang family maid was behaving improperly and making baseless accusations, deserving a reprimand, while others, unaware of the true situation, said, “Perhaps she really took the blame for some lady…”

Deng Ruyun ignored them, but then recalled the sudden smile from Princess Rongle, Zhu Yijiao, by the lake earlier.

Whether it was her or Ai Liu, in the eyes of these noble families, they were essentially the same; the only difference was that she held the title of “lady” this time.

Ignoring her identity, Yang Youling could slander her and pin the blame on her. After all, she had no backing, came from a humble background, and who would care about the stains on her reputation? And what was her true nature? What kind of person was she?

Yang Youling would not care, and neither would the county princess.

Perhaps right and wrong, even life and death, were merely matters of the high and mighty county princess’s momentary whim.

Thinking of this, Deng Ruyun suddenly froze, remembering the absurd dream she had that morning.

Linglang, bandits, the county princess who wanted to crush her, and Teng Yue, who had never offered her a helping hand…

If it were all true, if she were truly targeted by Zhu Yijiao and fell into such a predicament, would anyone be able to save her?

Probably not. She could only rely on herself.