Chapter 25: Sisterly Affection

Outside the pavilion, Yu Tong, who was carrying snacks and sweet water, could no longer bear to watch. She walked straight into the pavilion and placed the tray of dishes onto the stone table.

With a wooden expression, she said, "Cousin, please sit down and have some sweet water."

The term "Cousin" caused Zhou Yuexue to daze for a moment; since she had entered the manor a month ago, no one had addressed her that way anymore.

However, her daze was brief. She sat down with a smile, smoothed her clothes, and took a sip of the sweet water with dignified grace, smiling as she said

"This was made with pears, wasn't it? It's light, sweet, and not greasy at all. It's delicious. Yu Tong, your skills are truly excellent."

Yu Tong walked behind Lin Jinyan and stood there, staring at her toes. Hearing Zhou Yuexue's praise, she didn't even look up and replied

"I am honored by your praise, Cousin. This is the pear paste that Nanny Gu simmered for my young mistress; I merely added water and boiled it."

Zhou Yuexue smiled warmly. "Nanny Gu has wonderful skills. It is thanks to you, little sister, that I am able to taste it. Yu Tong, you seem a bit unhappy today. Why have you started calling me 'Cousin'?"

Yu Tong replied expressionlessly, "Thank you for your concern, Cousin. I am not unhappy. It is simply improper to keep calling you by your given name. You are a relative of the Lin household, so it is only right to call you Cousin."

Seeing Zhou Yuexue's expression freeze, Lin Jinyan gave a faint smile

"I scolded Yu Tong a little just now, and her words were not very pleasant. Please do not take offense, Sister. But Yu Tong is not wrong; it is indeed improper to keep calling you by your given name. I shall also change my address to 'Elder Cousin.' I didn't realize I was being offensive before; will you hold it against me?"

Watching Lin Jinyan's innocent inquiry, Zhou Yuexue's mouth opened several times before she regained her composure and smiled.

"How could I? It is just a form of address; it won't affect our sisterly bond. You may call me whatever you like."

Lin Jinyan mimicked the way Zhou Yuexue had patted her chest when she first arrived, patting herself and smiling

"I am glad you are not unhappy, Sister. Please try this pastry; it is very delicious."

Listening to Lin Jinyan address her as "Sister" with every breath, Zhou Yuexue maintained a stiff smile. After exchanging a few more words with Lin Jinyan, she told her to rest well and then rose to leave.

At the entrance of Yan Yu Xuan, she took the food box packed with osmanthus cakes from Yu Lan. As she walked out, she turned back to look at the three people in the pavilion—Lin Jinyan, Nanny Zhou, and Yu Tong—who were chatting and laughing. Zhou Yuexue's expression was unreadable.

Once Lin Jinyan finished talking with Nanny Zhou in the pavilion, she had Yu Tong attend to her as she returned to her room to rest.

Entering the inner chamber, she washed her hands and took the towel Yu Tong handed her. While drying her hands, she said

"Be a little more polite when speaking to Zhou Yuexue. There is no need to be so blunt. If Grandmother sees this, you will be punished."

Yu Tong pouted. "She led you to the water's edge, and when you fell in and felt feverish and unwell, she didn't even cry when she saw Nanny Zhou, so why was she crying? She was either trying to claim kinship with Nanny Zhou or talking about how hard she worked kneeling through the scriptures. She didn't look like she was apologizing at all. I didn't notice it before, but seeing her today, she is truly pretentious."

Lin Jinyan sat on the edge of the bed as Yu Tong removed her shoes. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she said helplessly

"As long as you know what kind of person she is, just be on your guard. You still have to maintain appearances. We want to make her feel uncomfortable without giving her any reason to find fault with us. Zhou Yuexue is extremely good at that."

Squatting by the bed, Yu Tong muttered, "I could never learn that fake, performative act of hers."

Lin Jinyan smiled. "When you didn't know what kind of person she was before, didn't you also think she was quite nice? What you said just now was very good and I liked it, but it would be better if your attitude appeared a bit more gentle."

Hearing this, Yu Tong broke into a smile. "I understand."

After speaking, Lin Jinyan lay down to sleep, and Yu Tong lowered the bed curtains and withdrew.

(End of Chapter)