Cherishing You As Always - Chapter 13

I looked at her, confused. She happened to look up at that moment, and as soon as our eyes met, she immediately turned her face away, ignoring me. Zihui noticed that all the young servants had gone to get the meals ready, so she quickly pulled me over to an empty table, patted the seat for me to sit down, then went to get a set of utensils.

After that, she walked over to Yin Yunchi. Yin Yunchi gave me a glance a glance completely devoid of emotion, maybe even a bit evasive.

I looked at her expression. This is the person I’ll be living in the same courtyard with from now on. But I still don’t really know what kind of person she is. Judging by how shy she looked when she saw the scholar earlier… could it be she likes him?

With the red thread I wanted to give her still tucked in my chest pocket, I rested my chin on my hand and stared at her as she busied herself. She didn’t mind people watching her at all. And I realized I wasn’t the only one watching her  several others were, too, stealing glances while eating.

The way they looked at her sent a chill down my spine. What kind of people are they?

When Zihui placed the food in front of me, I was still lost in thought watching Yin Yunchi that woman who, while not particularly beautiful, had never smiled. I suddenly wondered what her smile would look like. I bet it would be lovely.

Zihui waved her hand in front of my face to snap me out of it. I frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

She squatted down across from me, narrowed her eyes playfully, and said, “I should be asking you that, shouldn’t I?”

Not wanting her to know I’d been staring at Yin Yunchi, I stammered, “I wasn’t doing anything.”

I pulled the dishes closer and started shoveling food into my mouth without looking up, trying to avoid her gaze. But Zihui wasn’t about to let it go. She said, “You’re lying, Miss. You were staring at the scholar with such focus… and smiling like that.”

She looked around to make sure everyone was busy eating, then leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Don’t tell me… you’ve fallen for the scholar at first sight?”

I was still holding my bowl and chopsticks, my mouth full. I froze for a moment, completely confused. What scholar? I had been watching Yin Yunchi  what did this have to do with any scholar?

I quickly patted my chest to help swallow the food and raised an eyebrow. “What scholar?”

Zihui smiled slightly and pointed to a seat further up from Yin Yunchi. “Look, that’s the scholar. He’s sitting at the front. I saw him earlier when I came over with the food. So you weren’t looking at him just now?”

Maybe it was just a coincidence. Zihui thought I’d been looking at the scholar, but I had no interest in that useless man.

It was Yin Yunchi who intrigued me. Each time I’d met her, she acted differently. In the market, she’d screamed just from me accidentally bumping into her. In front of the academy, she had silently endured being bullied. In the classroom, she agreed to share her room with me just because of something the scholar said. And now in the dining hall, standing among the crowd, I clearly sensed her unease.

What happened to make her like this? She seemed like a frightened bird, so easily startled.

While biting into my steamed bun, I smiled in her direction.

The scholar, Yin Yunchi… I think I’m more interested in Yin Yunchi.

Zihui noticed my smile and, since I didn’t say anything, she let the matter drop. Even if she kept asking, I wouldn’t have told her. Let her keep her misunderstanding.

I continued eating. Food I often had suddenly tasted different. When I glanced at the meal Zihui brought over, I realized the food here was actually quite decent.

Shredded pork with garlic sauce, steamed fish, a bowl of light soup, two steamed buns, and a bowl of white rice.

I had eaten too fast earlier to notice the taste, but now, eating slowly, I could savor it.

Though it wasn’t as exquisite as the dishes from the restaurants back home, it wasn’t bad either.

Zihui had brought me a lot of food, probably worried I’d be hungry. But it was too much after just two buns and a bit of the side dishes, I already felt full. Maybe I wasn’t used to the environment yet; I hadn’t fully adjusted.

When I stood up after eating, Zihui quickly pulled me back down. “You barely ate anything. Miss, you need to eat more. Don’t let the Madam worry about you.”

She looked at the food still on the table and picked up her chopsticks, putting more food into my bowl. “If you don’t eat enough and don’t gain some weight, no one will want you in the future.”

I held the bowl and muttered, “If no one wants me, you can have me.”

I was joking with her just to get out of eating more, but she pretended not to hear, pushing the bowl even closer. “Come on, do a good deed. Don’t waste food. If you waste food, the heavens will see and strike you with lightning. Have mercy on us servants  I can’t eat until you finish.”

She muttered under her breath, but I heard it all. Her nagging was starting to sound like a sermon, so I had no choice but to force myself to take a few more bites.

Just then, I saw the scholar stand up and walk over to Yin Yunchi. He glanced at me, then said something to her. I was too far to hear what was said, but I saw Yin Yunchi give a slight nod. Then, the scholar smiled at me and turned to leave.

Zihui saw his smile and quickly turned to me with an ambiguous grin. “Miss, that scholar is really handsome. And his smile is like sunshine! If only I could marry someone like him someday…”

I ignored her and glanced at Yin Yunchi. She was biting her lip, her hands fidgeting with her skirt.

What an interesting woman.

Suddenly, a question came to mind. I turned to Zihui seriously. “Zihui, how do you know the scholar? You two haven’t met before, have you?”

Zihui waited until he had walked away, then turned to me and said, “We ran into each other by accident this afternoon, that’s how. And you! You know someone so fine and didn’t introduce me? How could you?”

I snorted and stood up, walking away. “You already met him  what’s the point of me introducing you now?”

As I went to do the laundry, I felt two intense gazes locked on me from behind. I didn’t want to turn around to see who it was.

What did any of this have to do with me?

I came here to study not to get involved in all this nonsense.