As if the long-lasting heartstrings were gently touched, Baoying looked at Hongying in front of her. The candle shadow swayed and cast mottled light and shadow on the girl's hanging profile. It looked peaceful and beautiful. In silence, Baoying's lips were soft.

He moved slightly, but when the words came to his lips, he finally fell silent until he regained his composure.

Even she didn't know the answer at this moment.

She only remembers that the red tassel from the past will stick to her arms, like a child that will never grow up, pestering her to fly kites, begging her to secretly take her out of the city to ride horses, and whispering in her ears with a bright smile.

Called Ajie again and again.

But now she thinks about those memories that have been dusted for a long time, and there is a layer between them unconsciously. Even if they have been together since childhood, she can no longer clearly see Hongying's heart.

"When I was young, my mother-in-law was strict and my female teacher was old-fashioned. I remember that when we sat in the academy every day and were forced to practice calligraphy, read books, and learn the rules, I could always hear other sisters and maids through the paned window in the distance.

We were fighting grass and flying kites and laughing happily. At that time, I always thought, why do we have to live such a restricted life without freedom, just because we are A Niang’s daughters?”

In the silence, the girl's quiet voice finally sounded from inside the house. She seemed to be just telling other people's stories without any trace of emotion, like a pebble being gently thrown into a deep pool at night.

There were a little ripples.

"So I resisted. I deliberately woke up late and waited until the female teachers' class was over before rushing off. I deliberately failed to recite the etiquette passages left by my mother-in-law. I always made my mother-in-law angry. I looked at the female teachers shaking their heads.

I felt extremely happy. It was not until later that I learned from the maids in the house that just because I was young and refused to admit defeat, my mother-in-law would inflict all her anger on me, sister--"

After the words fell, Baoying paused and looked at Hongying in front of her in surprise. Her face changed slightly. The past events that she didn't want to be revealed began to flow out of her heart bit by bit like a spring, making her feel uncomfortable.

She felt strangely heavy.

"When I couldn't memorize the passages, my sister had to copy them several times for me. I arrived late, so I asked my sister to go to the academy at five o'clock every day in the cold winter to ask the female teacher to teach and set the rules."

"Outsiders all know that we are the daughters of aristocrats, born with a silver spoon in our mouths, but who knows and understands our decades of bitterness and suffering?"

Speaking of this, the girl's voice gradually became more urgent, and her tone gradually became choked due to the momentary pause. Until finally, Yang Hongying sneered and raised her head. It was obviously a charming and charming face that couldn't be more bright, but there was a little something in her eyes.

A little red, with a bit of hazy mist.

“It wasn’t until that day that Aye’s unrestrained rebuke and resentment towards my mother finally made me understand that our decades of living like a bird in a cage were actually just because we were far away in Chang’an, had noble blood, and were born with

The beloved Princess Yongning. Do you still remember those words?"

In silence, Baoying smiled disapprovingly when she saw Hongying. She stubbornly raised her hand to brush away the tears from the corner of her eyes with her fingertips, and said those two words in a joking manner.

"useless."

"Ever since I heard those two words, I felt relieved. As long as we cannot compare with Princess Yongning, we will not be able to satisfy Aye Aniang, and we will be useless in their eyes for the rest of our lives. So I work hard.

I did it and pushed myself hard to learn everything to the extreme and achieve it to the extreme. Only then did I finally see the admiration in Aye’s eyes. But when I came to Chang’an, I realized how ridiculous I was.”

"Hongying——"

Hearing the gradual desolation and sorrow in Hongying's words, Baoying finally couldn't help but blurt out a call, but saw Hongying smiling as if she hadn't heard anything, and her laughter became more wanton and more sarcastic.

"I watched with helpless eyes, seeing that Princess Yongning had such a small amount of things that we had worked hard for decades to get at her fingertips. At that time, I was thinking, why? Why could she be born with everything? The identity of the princess, Mrs. Taiwei

The care of my cousin, the love of my cousin, and the favor of the emperor and empress, but we can’t get anything we ask for—”

Speaking of this moment, the girl in front of her seemed like she couldn't bear it anymore. The sound of her clothes being rubbed was accompanied by a gust of cool wind. Baoying felt a warm and soft body throw herself into her arms just like before, and then came down.

For a moment, she could feel the person in her arms trembling slightly, and the warm moisture melted on her skirt bit by bit.

"Sister, I have failed. I have felt defeated since the day you left. I just wanted to hear Aye and Aniang's praise and see them love and dote on us like my parents next to me.

We, but I never thought that I would become what I am now, and I never thought that I would see my sister turn around and leave me like that. I am afraid of my sister, I am afraid that she will really leave Chang'an and Hongnong.

What should I do if I get married to a place without you and my mother--"

The girl's choked confession sounded muffled in her arms. Baoying felt tears welling up in her eyes, and her heart seemed to be squeezed tightly. It was a night that was as cold as water, but she felt a strong sense of suffocation.

Wrapping her tightly, she almost couldn't breathe, and Hongying's crying made her feel a bit of the same bitterness.

"Second Madam, since you entered the palace these days, I have almost had nightmares every night. Whenever I wake up, I will always call you. The slaves' eyes hurt when they see you. I really know that I was wrong. Please, Second Madam

Please forgive me, madam——"

At this moment, Qiulan and Qiuzhi, who were standing silently by the side, also knelt down and lowered their heads while speaking, not daring to let her see the stains of tears dripping on the floor tiles.

The night wind outside the window gradually carried the rustling drizzle, and the leaves outside the house were projected on the small window through the candlelight. Listening to the sound of wind and rain in his ears, Baoying reached out and gently stroked the girl's back.

In an instant, he gently held the person in his arms.

"Sister A has never blamed you, Hongying. No matter when, you are my sister. No matter when, A Jie will protect you and cherish you. You are never alone. No matter what the future holds, A Jie

I will always be ahead of you.”

After saying that, Baoying leaned gently on Hongying's shoulder and silently shed a few tears.

The long-lost warmth gradually increased in the room, until after a long time, the candle placed on the table suddenly "crackled" and the lights exploded. The two sisters were shocked to follow the sound and saw the red candle.

The tears accumulated on the candle flowed down the body of the candle little by little. Hui Rong stood aside and wiped away her tears while smiling and said: "The lights are exploding and happiness has arrived. This is a good sign for the lady and the third lady."

Upon hearing this, Baoying let go of Hongying's body, and the two looked at each other and smiled, as if everything was the same as before.

"Okay, we are all adults now, why are we still so childish -"

While talking, Baoying gently wiped the tears from Hongying's cheeks and said, "Since I haven't been able to sleep well these days, can I ask the doctor to take a look?"

"Look, I'm feeling better after taking a few medicines."

After saying that, the girl took Baoying's hand clingingly, nestled on her shoulder and said, "I want to sleep with Sister A today, okay -"

Baoying felt this long-lost and familiar atmosphere, and couldn't help but smile and said: "Okay."

"A few days ago, I heard from the sisters in the mansion that the ancient lotuses at Yuqing Temple outside the city were in bloom, and there was even a single lotus in it. I see, the weather is rare these days, so it is better for me to go with the second lady.

Take a look, just take it for a while."

Hearing Qiulan on the side join in the fun, Qiuzhi on the side smiled and poked her and said: "I see, it's obvious that you want to go."

Seeing the two little girls in front of her joking with each other, Baoying smiled and glanced at Hongying beside her and said: "We have indeed been out in Chang'an these days. In a few days, we will go and tell Mrs. Taiwei that we are here."

Take a walk around Yuqing Temple."

After saying this, she smiled brightly in her red eyes and said, "It's better to choose a day than to hit it. Sister, can we go there early tomorrow morning? I'm afraid that in a few days, the lotuses in the pond will be gone and the hope will be in vain.

It’s on.”

Baoying hesitated for a moment in embarrassment after hearing this. Originally, she had accepted Li Sui's invitation tomorrow and was going to Wuzhuyuan to teach her how to be a female celebrity. However, it was rare to see Hongying's expectant face at this moment. After all, she couldn't say no.

If so, he had no choice but to turn his head and say to Hui Rong: "You will go to Wuzhu Garden to tell the princess now, and I will go look for her when you come back tomorrow."

When Hui Rong heard the words, she immediately responded and wanted to leave. Hongying who saw her on the side said, "Sister, I don't even know what time it is. Hui Rong is afraid of disturbing the princess's sleep if she goes now. It won't be too late to go tomorrow."

.”
Chapter completed!