Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Chapter 55 An Extra Piece of Clothes

Qu Caiyue had already opened the package before the others had time to stop her. There was not much inside, only some simple clothes coupled with some smaller bags.

“Second Lady, why did you mess the Fourth Lady’s package?” Yu Dong pulled a long face and took the bag back from her hand.

“What’s the matter with you, Second Sister?” Qu Moying said coldly. It was not hard to tell her anger through her icy tone, even though her eyes were covered by the veil.

Questioned by Qu Moying and her maid, Qu Caiyue was stunned. She watched Yu Dong picking up the bag expressionlessly and then realized she was startled by someone she looked down on the most, feeling more furious.

“Moying, I just want to take a look at what you have. If there’s anything you need, I can give it to you. How can you misunderstand my good intention? Oh right, I guess you need everything because you probably don’t have any valuable things!” said Qu Caiyue in disdain.

“Thank you for your concern, Second Sister. I have everything I want already!” Qu Moying’s tone was calm. She ignored the sarcastic look on Qu Caiyue’s face.

Qu Moying hadn’t met that many people of her kind in her past life. After all, she was the lady who would become the Crown Princess, treated by people respectfully. No one really dared to offend her, but it didn’t mean she was unaware of people like Qu Caiyue.

A daughter given birth by a concubine was always second to those righteous noble ladies. These girls usually felt aggrieved at their identities because they were always treated poorly and unfairly. But at the same time, their sisters could have a much easier life than them. They hated their own lives and tended to act sourly. When there was any chance, they would take advantage of the situation immediately and push around other people who had a more miserable life than them. Their intention was understandable, but sometimes they could be really malicious.

Second Lady Qu was a living example of this kind.

“No way. These are the only clothes you have! I heard we will stay there for quite some time. Besides, since grandmother is sick, she will definitely stay longer to recuperate. How can these be enough for you? I happened to have brought some extra clothes with me. Let me give you one!”

Qu Caiyue seemed to think about something. Suddenly, her sour face turned into an amicable one as her tone softened. She waved her hand at Qu Moying, pretending to be generous. “I just wanted to check if you had brought enough clothes with you. Moying, please forgive me if I offended you.” After finishing her words, she even smiled at Qu Moying.

Her maid opened her bag obediently and passed one small package to Yu Dong.

Yu Dong was occupied with tidying Qu Moying’s package. Instead of taking the one given by the Second Lady, he looked at his master, waiting for her order.

“Moying, we are sisters. You don’t need to be bothered by this!” Qu Caiyue was beaming at Qu Moying. If she didn’t nearly lose her temper just now, Qu Moying would almost believe her.

She waited for a while until Qu Caiyue’s smile started to get frozen. Then she said in a flat tone, “Thank you, Second Sister.”

As Yu Dong took the small package, she closed her eyes again. “Second Sister, I’m tired. Allow me to have some rest!”

“Alright, rest well. There’s still a long way before we get there. I’ll have some rest too!” A complacent smile showed up on Qu Caiyue’s face as she saw Yu Dong put the package into Qu Moying’s bag. She knew this would be a piece of cake for her. It was just a piece of clothes. Her aunt didn’t need to act so cautiously at all!

Since her job was done now, there was no point in talking to Qu Moying anymore. She leaned on a cushion, and her eyelids started to feel heavy.

Qu Caiyue’s maid fell asleep as well after she tidied up.

The carriage fell into a peaceful silence as everyone was taking a nap. Qu Moying closed her eyes before just to avoid talking to the Second Lady. But now, tiredness really hit her after a morning of waiting in the Old Lady’s yard.

When her mind became blank, she suddenly felt someone pulling her sleeve – it was Yu Dong. She closed her eyes and opened them again, and then she noticed the small package next to his feet.

It was the one given by Qu Caiyue.

A piece of clothes was lying inside. Without touching it, Qu Moying could already tell it was well-made. The fabric looked smooth and exquisite, better than any of her clothes.

This reminded her of something – Qu Qiuyan asked her to help her bring one piece of clothes. This one happened to look like the kind that Qu Qiuyan would wear.

Before they made their clothes, the Old Lady would let the ladies pick the fabric they liked from the same batch. However, Qu Qiuyan would usually be the first one to pick while Qu Moying could only choose from the leftovers, which would have relatively worse qualities. The fabric used for this piece of clothes was a kind she never saw.

Yu Dong quietly pointed at Qu Caiyue’s package placed next to her maid’s feet.

Qu Moying nodded at him. Of course, she wouldn’t take anything without knowing their intention. Since Qu Caiyue was clearly helping Yu, she should be more discreet.

She let her guard down and took a nap because Yu Dong was here with her. Since everyone was tired from getting up early this morning, Qu Caiyue and her maid would naturally fell asleep in the quiet environment, which was the chance Qu Moying had been waiting for.

Yu Dong opened Qu Caiyue’s bag swiftly, put the small package inside, and wrapped it up again. After everything was done, Qu Moying nodded at him.

Qu Caiyue and her maid were still deep in their sleep, having no idea the small package they gave out had returned to its original place.

When they finally arrived at the Dabei Temple, it was already lunchtime.

The Qus’ carriages stopped at the parking lot outside the Dabei Temple, and the place was full of carriages. Many people had come for the worship.

The Old Lady got out of the carriage first. She hadn’t felt any better during the trip, so Granny Wu hurriedly helped her settle inside.

A Reception Monk led them to the yard they would stay at this time, which was booked long ago. The middle house was for the Old Lady; on the right was Qu Xuexin and Qu Moying’s house, and on the left was Qu Qiuyan and Qu Caiyue’s house.

They were told it was a whole yard before they came. But actually, there was just one main house, two wing rooms, and a small courtyard.

Their yard sat in the temple along with many other yards. They were adjacent to each other, but the space was not too crowded.

The lunch was ready. The Old Lady soon sent the young ladies away after she ate a little. She really needed some rest now. She thought her sickness would just be a small problem, but she was still feeling very unwell.

Qu Moying didn’t go back to her room until she was done with helping the Old Lady get on the bed.

Her lunch was also sent to her room already. They were told by the Reception Monk that lunch would be sent to their rooms as today for the following days. If they required any extra food, they could tell the kitchen staff in the temple.

There were three dishes and one soup for lunch. The food was all made of vegetables, but it was surprisingly appetizing. Qu Moying felt hungry long ago, and she ate even more than usual.

After she and her two maids finished lunch, Yu Chun put the tableware in the food basket and headed to the kitchen to return them.

“Did you find anything?” Qu Moying took the teacup from Yu Dong and asked after having a sip.

“Nothing really, my lady. It’s just an ordinary piece of clothes, like the kind you wear.” Yu Dong checked it carefully, but there was nothing unusual about that clothes. If Qu Moying didn’t ask him to put it back, he thought it would be a nice dress for her to wear, at least much better than the clothes she had right now.

“It’s better than my clothes. Did you notice the difference?” Qu Moying asked with a serious look on her face.

Seeing her stern look, Yu Dong thought carefully about it. “The fabric seemed better than your clothes, but it’s hard to tell if you don’t look at it carefully. And the color is brighter. The stitching method and the embroidery pattern don’t seem to be made by our embroidery workshop.”

“What makes you say that?” Qu Moying raised her brow.

“I know the usual stitching method and embroidery pattern used by our tailors. The clothes they made, including yours and the Third Lady’s, are not as exquisite as this one. This one reminds me of the clothes from the Huayi Boutique I saw before.”

The Huayi Boutique was where Xu Lipeng wanted to take Qu Moying to, but they ended up not going because of the accident.

It was the most popular boutique in the capital. Many young noble ladies were proud of owning the trendy clothes designed by the Huayi Boutique.

“How do you know it so clearly?”

“Some of the lord’s clothes are made by them, so I’ve been there with Mr. Ji Hai a few times. Once I see more, I get to know about it,” Yu Dong said, grinning.

That meant the cloth was made by the Huayi Boutique, and it had the trendiest design. But why did Qu Caiyue have to give it to her? It should be a rare one even for Qu Caiyue! Why didn’t she keep it herself instead of giving it to Qu Moying? Now, it was impossible for Qu Moying not to suspect it.

Or to be more precise, what did Yu and Qu Qiuyan try to do?

“My lady, no matter what they are planning, there should be no problem since we have returned it to Second Lady Qu. I’ve noticed that she has a lot of stuff in her bag. She won’t be able to find it out so quickly.”

“Is the Fourth Lady inside?” suddenly, a voice came from the yard.

They glanced at each other, and then Yu Dong walked out. An old maid was standing in the yard, who was one of the four servants Qu Qiuyan brought to the temple.

“How can I help you?” Yu Dong stepped forward and asked.

The old maid was beaming, “The Old Lady said the young ladies could leave her alone and hang out first. After the Third Lady had lunch, she wants to go out for a walk. The First Lady and the Second Lady have joined her, and she sent me to invite the Fourth Lady. There’s a popular street in front of the temple that she wants to take a look at. Will the Fourth Lady go with them?”

“Wait here for a minute. I’ll ask the Fourth Lady!” Yu Dong said.

The old maid stayed in the yard while Yu Dong went back inside.

Qu Moying had heard them clearly in the room. It would be inappropriate if she didn’t go with the three, so she nodded at Yu Dong.

Yu Dong went out to confirm the meetup time and location with the old maid when Yu Chun was back. Then the two maids returned together.

After getting washed, Qu Moying put on her veil.

“My lady, you don’t need to wear the veil anymore, right? Didn’t you say your eyes almost recover, and they won’t hurt even it’s sunny outside?” Yu Dong asked. It was inconvenient for her to wear the veil, and it also made her obtrusive among people.

Qu Moying shook her head, “I’m not in a rush to take it off!”

Being cautious was always not the wrong choice. She was waiting for a good chance to take it off, but now it was not the right time.

Before she left, she went to check on the Old Lady. Granny Wu told her that the Old Lady was alright, just feeling fatigued. Hearing her granddaughters were going out, she asked them to be careful outside.

When Qu Moying arrived at the place, the other three ladies had been waiting for her already. Seeing her walking over, Qu Qiuyan gave her a bright smile…