Cherishing You As Always - Chapter 12

By the time I arrived at the academy, the sky was already completely dark. Night fell quickly in the mountains. Once the sun dipped past the peaks, everything was shrouded in darkness.

The academy quietly emitted a soft yellow glow. A cool breeze slipped beneath my skirts. The mountain air carried a different scent, falling gently around me. Back home, I never felt this kind of peace.

A grand estate, the distance of my parents, and my brother’s illness had, more or less, torn our family apart.

Suddenly arriving in a foreign land naturally left my heart somewhat unsettled. I thought of my parents back home, my brother, and even that tall, imposing courtyard we lived in.

“Father, what were you thinking? Why did you send your daughter to such a strange and unfamiliar place?”

The lanterns in the academy lit up many corners. Because he had to keep watch at the gate, the steward gave me a lantern, warning me not to wander the mountain at night. After all, it was not uncommon to find wolves, tigers, and leopards in the area.

Holding the lantern, I glanced up at the sky. The moon was slowly climbing. Its full form had yet to appear only a faint golden halo hung behind the mountains.

As I passed through the school grounds, I heard the sudden ringing of a loud bell from the side garden.

“Could that be the dinner bell?”

Following the sound, I recalled earlier from the mountain peak I had seen smoke curling up from this direction perhaps this was the dining hall?

One by one, I saw groups of students walking over, each followed by young attendants holding lanterns. They strolled as if in a garden, their steps graceful, expressions proud.

When they noticed me, many cast glances my way, then quickly looked away. Standing among them, dressed in simple, ordinary clothes, I felt like I had stumbled into the wrong world a complete misfit.

Blending in with the crowd was Zihui. The moment she saw me, she rushed over, anxious.

“My little mistress, where did you go? I thought you’d been snatched away by a wolf in the mountains!”

Wolves. Again with the wolves. Just earlier the steward had mentioned them, and cold sweat had already seeped down my back. Now Zihui had let it slip again.

Wolves were my greatest fear. Seven years ago, because of wolves, my entire world had changed.

Their bloodlust and mercilessness their sharp fangs and savage howls had been etched into my memory ever since. Now, with Zihui bringing them up again, all my bravado crumbled. Wolves were the one thing I truly feared.

Realizing her mistake, Zihui noticed my face pale. She quickly pulled me to a quiet stone bench away from the crowd and sat me down beside her, placing a handkerchief into my hands.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I didn’t mean it. Are you alright?”

I hurriedly used the handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my forehead, frowning slightly. Seeing that the people passing by weren’t paying us much attention, I lowered my voice.

“I told you not to mention wolves again. You know I’m afraid of them. Why would you still bring them up?”

Zihui gently touched my face and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“If you’re that afraid of wolves, then stop wandering off on your own, alright? If anything happens to you if you go missing or get hurt how am I supposed to face Master and Madam?”

Taking deep breaths, I slowly calmed myself. Seeing her brows knit with worry, I couldn’t resist teasing her a little.

“So, how are you going to explain it, hmm? You’re probably here under orders from my mother, spying on me.”

Zihui and I had grown up together. She knew my nature well. The things I couldn’t say to others, I could say to her. She was a year older than me, so I always saw her more as an older sister than a maid.

As expected, my words made her angry. Her eyes widened in indignation, and she hissed at me:

“So in your eyes, I’m just some tattletale little spy?”

Her voice rising, I immediately jumped up. Thankfully, most of the people had already entered the dining hall, and the rest were far enough not to hear us. I quickly pulled her back down, pressing a finger to my lips.

“Shhh! Okay, okay! I was joking! My dear sister, don’t be mad.”

Zihui huffed, “Song Lanlou, you’re not allowed to joke about things like that!”

I nodded quickly. “Alright, I get it. Zihui, the gracious lady. Please forgive me?”

She shot me a look and, seeing that I still had sweat on my forehead, took the handkerchief from my hand and gently wiped it away. Then, noticing some dust on my clothes who knows where I’d picked it up she lifted the lantern and carefully dusted me off, scolding me as she worked.

“You really are a handful, my lady. I don’t even know what to do with you. If one day I’m not by your side, I can’t imagine what trouble you’d get into.”

I smiled faintly and, as she stood up, patted her thin shoulder, squinting my eyes with a grin.

“Zihui, you’re not going to leave me, right?”

She seemed dazed for a moment, then quickly turned away. Tilting her head with a huff, the lantern in her hand swayed slightly.

“As if! I sold myself to the Song family for ten years. I’ve still got two and a half to go. After that, I’m tossing you aside and finding someone to marry.”

As usual, I reached out and twirled a lock of her hair around my finger, chuckling.

“You always say that. Zihui, next time come up with something new. Otherwise, I’m not letting you leave. I don’t want to lose someone who takes such good care of me.”

I didn’t expect a reply. Deep down, I knew if Zihui truly left, I’d lose a confidante, someone who sincerely cared for me. Though our statuses were different, friendship didn’t need to be determined by class or birth. I never liked those shallow distinctions.

Letting go of her hair, I patted my stomach and took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air before letting it out. My stomach gave a soft rumble.

“Alright, I’m hungry. Zihui, let’s go eat.”

I grabbed her hand, took the lantern from her, and dragged her toward the dining hall.

Just as I’d imagined, though the dining hall was plainly decorated, it was spacious enough to seat hundreds. Outside, many small tables were neatly arranged one for each person. No need for them to fetch their own food; each student had a personal servant. These young attendants served tea, fetched water, tended to their needs, and managed all their chores.

The servant boys lined up and served the meals to their masters one by one. As the crowd dispersed, I finally caught sight of someone standing near the cabinets by the wall serving food to everyone.

It was Yin Yunchi.

“Why is she working as a kitchen maid here?”