Madam Lu nearly fainted from the shamelessness of the Qian mother and daughter duo, and even Lu Zhinian couldn’t hide his fury, his face turning ashen.
Someone couldn’t help but let out a strange chuckle, and even Song Tangning and Xiao Yan found it hard to stifle their laughter. Madam Qian’s way of protecting her daughter was truly... unique.
Seeing the Lu family glaring at them, Qian Qiyue silently gave her mother a thumbs-up in her heart. But she didn’t provoke the Lu grandmother and grandson any further. Instead, she turned to Song Tangning and said, "Today's banquet was lively. You should hurry back to the Song family before someone steals something from you."
She then took her mother's arm. "Mother, let's go."
"You troublemaker!" Madam Qian flicked her daughter’s forehead before speaking warmly, "My little monkey here loves to talk nonsense. I must take her home and teach her a lesson."
"Your Highness, Miss Song, we’ll take our leave now."
Song Tangning slightly bowed. "Madam, take care." She watched as the two women, followed by their maids, walked to the Qian family’s carriage. Madam Qian got in first, and Qian Qiyue, lifting the curtain, was helped inside.
Just as Tangning was about to look away, she saw Qian Qiyue suddenly turn her head. With her delicate, fair face more radiant than a blooming peony, Qian Qiyue wrinkled her nose and made a playful face. Then, she rolled her eyes in the direction of Lu Zhinian, silently mouthing something.
Tangning recognized her lip movements—she had mouthed the words "hypocrite." Stunned for a moment, Tangning then smiled, her lips curving as she watched the curtain of the Qian family’s carriage fall back into place.
Inside the carriage, Madam Qian gave Qian Qiyue a light smack on the back of her head. "Stop fooling around, or the Lu family will tear you apart."
"I’m not afraid of them." Qian Qiyue grinned, completely unladylike as she leaned on her mother’s shoulder, giggling. "Mother, I like Song Tangning."
Madam Qian glanced at her. "Didn’t you dislike her before?" Every time they ran into Miss Song at banquets or elsewhere, her daughter would come back grumbling about how brainless Song Tangning was. Among those who disliked her in the capital, Qian Qiyue had always been at the top of the list.
If Madam Qian didn’t know her daughter’s temperament so well, she might have suspected that her daughter was just like those other girls, disliking Song Tangning out of jealousy for her engagement to Lu Zhinian.
Qian Qiyue snuggled closer and hummed. "That’s different."
"How so?"
"Mother, you just don’t get it—it’s just different!" Qian Qiyue mumbled. In truth, she had known Song Tangning for a long time. On her fifth birthday, she had sneaked out of the house and bumped into Song Tangning, who was visiting her maternal grandfather. They had climbed a persimmon tree together in the courtyard of Grand Tutor Rong’s residence, only to get stuck up in the branches.
When Grand Tutor Rong’s servants finally got them down, both of them were spanked. Song Tangning had then tearfully convinced her to run away from home. They packed their small bags with sweet cakes, but before they could leave the courtyard, they were caught and spanked again. That forged a "life-and-death" bond between them.
Back then, Qian Baokun was not yet the Minister of Revenue, while Grand Tutor Rong was already a pillar of the court. Song Tangning was the darling of both the Rong and Song families, while Qian Qiyue, with her limp caused by a hip condition, was often bullied by the children of the capital.
It was the younger Song Tangning who had stood in front of her, puffing out her chubby cheeks and scaring off those bullies. She had said, "Sister Qiyue, don’t be afraid. Little Tang will protect you."
Later, her family found a famous doctor to treat her leg, and Qian Qiyue left the capital for Lingnan. She had been so excited to surprise Song Tangning when she returned, but four years later, when she came back with a healed leg, Song Tangning’s parents had tragically passed away, and even Grand Tutor Rong was bedridden, near death.
She had rushed to find Song Tangning, intending to comfort her childhood friend, but the girl who had once called her "sister" now looked at her with complete unfamiliarity, as if she didn’t recognize her at all.
After that, Grand Tutor Rong passed away, and Song Tangning got engaged to the Lu family. From then on, she only had eyes for her beloved "Brother Lu."
Everyone could see how indifferent Lu Zhinian was to her and how coldly the Lu family treated her. Yet, she remained obsessed, ignoring everyone’s scorn and clinging to the Lu family. Her meek, desperate attempts to win their favor made Qian Qiyue furious.
At first, Qian Qiyue defended her, even fighting with those who bad-mouthed her. But as Song Tangning sank deeper into her infatuation with the Lu family, she gradually withdrew from social gatherings, confined herself to her "new wife" role, and seemed unable to care for anyone or anything outside of Lu Zhinian and his family.
Even Qian Qiyue, who had once tried to stay friends, grew disheartened—until today...
Thinking of how Song Tangning had stood up to both her family and the Lu family today, Qian Qiyue’s eyes sparkled with admiration. "Anyway, I like the current her."
"Mother, don’t you think now that she’s quarreled with her family and wants to break off the engagement with the Lu family, everyone in the capital is waiting to watch her fall? If I were to offer her warmth in this cold time, treating her with kindness and concern, do you think she’d become devoted to me for life..."
Smack!
Madam Qian playfully hit her daughter’s forehead again. "That’s what you get for not studying properly. What nonsense words like ‘devotion for life’! You read too many trashy books."
"I’m warning you, don’t get involved with the Lu family’s matters, or if your father punishes you later, I won’t help you."
"Mother..."
"Be good."
Madam Qian looked at her daughter, who was rubbing her forehead in slight displeasure, and spoke seriously: "If you like Miss Song, you can be friends with her, you can spend time with her—Mother won’t stop you from doing that. But you must not meddle in the Lu family's affairs."
"Not to mention, their marriage is not so easily broken off. Miss Song may just be angry for the moment. If, in the future, her marriage with Lu Sanlang* continues, you’ll end up being the villain, and both sides will reject you. Moreover, their marriage doesn’t just concern the Song family; it involves the late Grand Tutor Rong, the Empress, and the Fourth Prince. If you interfere too much, people in court might think your father is displeased with the Empress and her son. That would be a huge problem."
The reason Qian Baokun had held his position as the Minister of Revenue for so many years was that the Qian family, despite their influence, never took sides in court. Qian Baokun had always maintained neutrality and never offended anyone.
Matters concerning the fight for the throne were not to be taken lightly.
Qian Qiyue hung her head, feeling a bit dejected. "Can I still hang out with Song Tangning?"
Madam Qian sighed, "Of course you can. Your private interactions with her as young ladies are no one’s concern. But you are not allowed to bring up the engagement."
Hearing this, Qian Qiyue perked up. "Fine, I won’t bring it up. I'll just spend more time with Tangning. I’ll make sure she sees what kind of person that Lu Zhinian really is! If after all that she still falls for him, then she’s just a pig!"
Although… she’d be a very pretty pig.
Qian Qiyue imagined the delicate and rosy-cheeked Song Tangning turning into a little pig and immediately burst into silly laughter.
Seeing her daughter shift from frustration to joy in an instant, Madam Qian couldn’t help but shake her head.
"If you like Miss Song, have someone send her a few gifts to Jiyun Lane later. Consider it a congratulatory gesture for her leaving the Song family and starting anew."
Qian Qiyue’s eyes lit up. "Great!" She remembered how Little Haitang used to love sweets when she was young, always bringing them along, even when running away from home. Maybe she should send her a chef?
Qian Qiyue grinned from ear to ear. She was truly clever!
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T/N: Anyone else get sapphic vibes from Qian Qiyue?
*Sanlang - Third Young Master, This is referring to Lu Zhinian
You can read ahead to chapterr 111 here
Was gonna ask if anyone clocked gay vibes until i saw your t/n. But for real, devote your life, being childhood friends but seperating, getting in between an engagement; all of those sounds like romance flags lol
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