A Maid Dressed As A Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role (Transmigration) - Chapter 31

Ren Dong led Liang Youyun toward Chu Qingqiu’s courtyard. “My mistress received some good tea and wanted to invite the future young master to taste it, but it seems he’s not in the manor today,” Ren Dong said. She smiled. “It’s a good thing you came, Miss Liang. My mistress is brewing tea and says she wants you to help her try on her wedding dress after you’ve finished drinking it.”

It was a tradition for young women to start embroidering their wedding dresses at the age of ten, to be worn on their wedding day. But for a family like the Chus, the dresses were made by seamstresses. The patterns were sewn first, and then the measurements would be taken after the wedding date was set. After all, compared to men’s wedding attire, women’s wedding attire had more intricate and complex patterns and took a longer time to prepare.

In the Liang manor, the Duke would occasionally ask about the wedding preparations, but Liang You’an was completely unconcerned. The entire thing was being handled by Liang Youyun and her mother, the Duchess.

Chu Qingqiu’s birth mother was gone, and Little Madame Wu was in charge of the manor. But Chu Qingqiu had always kept her distance from her aunt, so it didn’t seem like she would bother her with something like this. With that in mind, it was only a matter of time before Chu Qingqiu would ask Liang Youyun to come and help her try on her wedding dress.

Liang Youyun smiled gently. “My brother went out to visit a famous teacher with the Sixth Prince. I’m sure Qingqiu understands,” she said.

******

Liang You’an had been taking the imperial exams for six years. He had passed the county and provincial exams, but he was stuck on the metropolitan exam. The Duke of Liang had high hopes for him for the spring exam next year. As long as Liang You’an could get a good rank, he didn’t even have to be in the first class. The Duke could use his connections to get him a good government post in the capital. This would ensure that the Liang family would not be without a successor at court. If Liang You’an’s studies had been better, the Duke and Liang Youyun would not have been so desperate for the Chu family’s help. The Duke’s plan was to wait two years for the Chu family to secure a position for Liang You’an where he could gain access to court affairs.

Liang Youyun’s plan was to use the Chu family to make the Liang family more valuable, which would increase her standing with the Sixth Prince. She wanted to control both the Liang and Chu families.

“My mistress understands that the young master is dedicated to his studies,” Ren Dong said, bowing. “You can rest assured, Miss Liang.” Her mistress had never expected Liang You’an to show up when she sent the invitation. The name on the invitation was Liang You’an, but the person she was inviting was Liang Youyun. All three of them knew this, but some were truly naive, and some were pretending to be.

“Qingqiu.”

 Liang Youyun entered the heated chamber. Chu Qingqiu was sitting on a sofa by the window, brewing tea. She was wearing a simple light green dress. Since she was at home, she didn’t have a belt to cinch her waist. Her black hair was held up by a single jade hairpin, and the rest fell down her back, covering her thin shoulders. The ends of her hair were piled on the cushion behind her.

She sat there alone, looking out of place in the warm room. It was as if she had created her own circle, and inside it, she was a cold and distant snow lotus on a mountaintop, untouched by the mortal world.

When she heard Liang Youyun’s voice, Chu Qingqiu looked up. Her eyes, which were usually cold, now held a hint of warmth. “Ah Yun, this is your favorite tea. Come and try it.”

Liang Youyun smiled, lowered her head, and took off her silver-pink cloak, handing it to Ren Dong. Usually, she would untie her cloak before she even entered the room, but today she was a little slower. Chu Qingqiu didn’t seem to notice. As usual, she poured a cup of warm tea and placed it in front of her.

Liang Youyun sat down and held the tea cup. “My brother went to visit a teacher, so he couldn’t come to drink the tea you personally brewed, Qingqiu. It’s a shame. But we’ll have plenty of chances to drink tea together in the future.” Ever since the marriage was settled, Liang Youyun mentioned Liang You’an in every sentence she said to Chu Qingqiu. It was as if she wanted to increase Liang You’an’s favor in Chu Qingqiu’s eyes, but it also felt like she was reminding Chu Qingqiu that she was going to marry into the Liang family and become Liang You’an’s wife.

Chu Qingqiu had felt this subtle sense of distance ever since she had returned from the Qi manor in the carriage that day. The perfect ice surface of their friendship had been cracked by a little gust of wind from the Qi manor, and Chu Qingqiu could see things she had never wanted to consider before.

Chu Qingqiu looked down and poured more tea. The tea kettle in front of them bubbled, but the boiling water did not warm Chu Qingqiu’s cold voice, which sounded like a jade stone being gently tapped. “Ah Yun, it’s just you and me drinking tea today.” There was no Liang You’an. And she didn’t want to hear his name.

Liang Youyun pursed her lips and placed her tea cup in front of Chu Qingqiu. “Okay, okay. I’ll listen to you, Qingqiu,” she said softly. Just as a hint of warmth entered Chu Qingqiu’s eyes and she was about to pour more tea for her, Liang Youyun continued. “But we are family, after all. You can’t get angry at my brother just because he couldn’t make it.”

Family.

“Of course not,” Chu Qingqiu said with a smile, a slight curve appearing on her lips. “Have another cup. After we’re done, we can go try on the wedding dress.”

“Is the wedding dress ready so soon?” Liang Youyun asked, surprised. The wedding was in March of next year, so even if the dress was made as fast as possible, it wouldn’t be ready until mid-February.

“Not the whole set,” Ren Dong said. “Just the undershirt.”

Chu Qingqiu looked down and sipped her tea. Ren Dong said to Liang Youyun, “The seamstress made the undershirt first and wants my mistress to try it on. If it doesn’t fit, she’ll take it back for alterations. Unfortunately, my mistress started her period today.”

Weddings were joyous occasions, and there were many things to be avoided. For example, a woman could not get married on her period, as it was said that the bl00d would bring bad luck to her husband’s family. Similarly, a wedding dress could not be stained with bl00d. Liang Youyun’s hand, which was holding the teacup, froze. She kept the smile on her face and looked at Chu Qingqiu. “Then…” she said. Then we can try it on in a few days, she thought.

But before she could finish, Chu Qingqiu cut her off. “Then Ah Yun can try it on for me.”

Chu Qingqiu held up her teacup. “You and I are a similar size. The dress will fit you just as it would fit me. If you try it on, I can better see if it fits.”

Liang Youyun instinctively wanted to refuse. Her fingertips were cold as she gently rubbed the cup. She chose her words carefully, her voice gentle. “Qingqiu, that’s not proper. A wedding dress is a private thing. You can’t just have someone else try it on.”

“You and I have worn each other’s most private clothes,” Chu Qingqiu said, looking confused. “Why is an undershirt a problem now?”

When Liang Youyun stayed over at the Chu manor, she would wear Chu Qingqiu’s undershirts after she had bathed. Even if they were brand new, they were still her private clothes.

“A’yun, you and your father were the ones who suggested my marriage to Liang You’an, weren’t you?” Chu Qingqiu asked, seeing Liang Youyun’s resistance.

She placed her teacup on the small table in front of her. The sound of the cup hitting the wood was faint, but it echoed in Liang Youyun’s heart. It was the first time Chu Qingqiu had ever mentioned her marriage to Liang You’an when they were alone.

Liang Youyun’s eyes trembled, her lips pursed, and her face turned pale. “Qingqiu…”

“Try on the wedding dress for me,” Chu Qingqiu said, picking up the subject again, her voice gentle. “Please, A’yun.”

Liang Youyun had no choice. She lowered her eyes, collected herself, and looked up at Chu Qingqiu with a smile. “Okay.”

 She was the one who had asked for this sister-in-law, and she was also her best friend. What was wrong with trying on a dress for her? Liang Youyun told herself this, but her fingers still trembled when she touched the red undershirt.

“This is the top, and this is the bottom,” Ren Dong said. “There are only these two.” After she said that, she and the other maids left the heated room. There was no undergarment, so Liang Youyun wasn’t completely naked. Maybe the seamstress hadn’t made one yet, or maybe Chu Qingqiu was leaving her one last bit of dignity out of respect for their friendship.

Liang Youyun’s hand went to her belt, and she slowly took it off. She looked down and smiled, glancing at Chu Qingqiu out of the corner of her eye. 

“Qingqiu, do you want to stay and watch?”

There was a golden screen with a phoenix on it in the heated room. Behind it was a sofa for resting. The screen was opened, creating a small space for Liang Youyun to change. Liang Youyun stood inside, and Chu Qingqiu stood outside the screen, on the border between in and out. She didn’t say she was coming in, nor did she say she was leaving.

“Okay,” Liang Youyun said. She turned her back to her, taking off her winter clothes and throwing them on the empty sofa. From her outer coat to her inner layer. It wasn’t cold in the room, but Liang Youyun’s breath was shaky. Her eyes were slightly red, and she gritted her teeth, not knowing whether to feel angry or ashamed.

But she was used to enduring. Despite the humiliation, she put on Chu Qingqiu’s undershirt. As the smooth fabric slid over her shoulders, the hairs on her body stood up. She was trembling.

Once she was dressed, Liang Youyun took a deep breath to calm herself. She forced a smile and asked softly, “Is this enough, Qingqiu? Is this humiliation enough to make you happy?”

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. Since she was ten, she had vaguely felt that Chu Qingqiu’s feelings for her were more than just friendship. Chu Qingqiu was too good to her. She couldn’t stand to see her wronged or in tears. She had never said a single harsh word to her. When they disagreed, Chu Qingqiu was always the one to compromise. Liang Youyun was precocious, and even before Chu Qingqiu realized her own feelings, she had noticed something was not right. But Liang Youyun had never stopped getting close to Chu Qingqiu, even though she knew how the other felt.

Liang Youyun knew it was shameful to use Chu Qingqiu, but how could Chu Qingqiu humiliate her like this? She had loved her so much since they were children. How could she humiliate her like this today?

Liang Youyun suddenly felt wronged and angry. She turned to glare at the person behind the screen, but there was no one there. Liang Youyun froze. The person who had been standing behind the screen and watching her take off her clothes was gone. She didn’t know when she had left.

Tears streamed down Liang Youyun’s face. She slowly knelt and hugged her legs, crying silently. Only her shoulders trembled. See? This is what it means to be looked down on. If I wasn’t asking for a favor, if I were the future prince’s consort, who would dare to do this to me?

Liang Youyun slowly wiped away her tears. The idea of climbing to the top grew firmer in her heart. She had to hold on to Chu Qingqiu, use her to get the Chu family’s help at court. And she would make sure Princess Fu Jia was disgraced, just like she had been today. Only then would the position of prince’s consort become available. She would step on everyone and remove all obstacles to get to where she wanted to be!

Liang Youyun collected herself, took off the undershirt, and put her own clothes back on. When she walked out, Chu Qingqiu was not in the room. The charcoal in the tea kettle had gone out. The water was cold, and the fragrance of the tea had faded.

“Where’s Qingqiu?” Liang Youyun asked, a faint smile still on her face. Outside the room, there was no Chu Qingqiu, only Ren Dong.

Ren Dong bowed. “My mistress said she’s tired. She said our tea time is over for today. I’ll see you out, Miss Liang.” Ren Dong then added, “My mistress said there will be plenty of chances for you to have tea together in the future. There’s no need to rush.”

Liang Youyun just smiled and nodded as she left the Chu manor. Sitting in the Liang family’s carriage, the smile on her lips faded. Her back, which had been straight the entire time, finally slumped. She looked down, lost in thought. She felt a strange emptiness in her heart. The taste of the tea was faint on her tongue.

A’xiu, who was a few steps behind her, came up to the carriage window and said softly, “Miss, news from the Imperial Academy. Princess Fu Jia passed her entrance exam.”

A faint smile returned to Liang Youyun’s face. 

“Congratulations to Princess Fu Jia.”

It was good that she passed. Only when Chao Mu got into the Imperial Academy would she find out about the Sixth Prince and Chen Yue. Only then would she realize that she, Princess Fu Jia, was no longer the pampered princess everyone had adored when she was born.

“Did you find out about the Grand Princess’s past?” Liang Youyun asked in a low voice.

A’xiu paused and lowered her head. “I’m still looking.” It was hard to find information about someone who had been dead for over ten years.

Liang Youyun was not surprised. 

“Do it quickly. Don’t take too long.” Everything had to be done before Chao Mu’s fifteenth birthday.

Some flowers are pure and beautiful, but they only bloom for a short time. A soft and sweet little flower like Princess Fu Jia should only exist in her most beautiful years, at the age of fourteen.