The Fourth Lady novel Chapter 153

The morning of the next day, Qingyan woke up very early. After she finished freshening up, she stood alone in the courtyard.

A night of snowing dyed the entire courtyard silver, making it appear like brilliant white snow covers.

Qingdai and Chishao had the habit of doing morning exercises. Even if it was in this cold winter, they still maintained their habit of doing morning exercises just like before. But as soon as they walked out of their room, they unexpectedly saw Qingyan wearing a large mink fur coat, holding a warm hand furnace, standing all alone in the snow.

"Miss, why did you wake up so early today?" Qingdai walked over to Qingyan's side and asked in surprised, "Could it be that you didn't sleep well last night again?"

Qingyan looked to Qingdai, shaking her head, "I just woke a bit early. Last night it snowed heavily, so I still slept quite well."

Chishao looked to Qingyan's appearance and spoke with a smile, "Miss, since you've woken up early, why don't you do morning exercises together with this servant for a bit? Besides, miss has a good foundation anyways."

"Alright!" Qingyan said as she placed the hand furnace to the side. "Yesterday, it snowed for an entire night. Let's have a snowball fight."

Yaochi, Yanmei, and Anying woke from the sounds coming from the courtyard. Only they knew how many countless days and nights it has already been since they've last slept so soundly like this.

In the five years Qilian Qingyan has passed away, they would often be awoken by nightmares, especially Yaochi. In Yaochi's dreams, he would dream of Qingyan crying out to him for help, asking him why he didn't come save her. She seems to have already become Yaochi's nightmare.

But last night, he slept unexpectedly well. In his dreams, Qilian Qingyan didn't appear asking him for help. Instead, he dreamt of many years ago, that scene when they first met. It was as if everything had come to a stop when he accepted Su Qingyan yesterday.

When Yaochi and the others pushed opened the door, they saw three figures in the courtyard having a snowball fight. Qingyan's movements were still as graceful as before.

He remembered many years ago, Qilian Qingyan also liked having snowball fights with those servant girls from her courtyard. But no matter what, she never would have thought that in the end, it was actually Yizhu that betrayed her.

Feeling a slight chill come through, he heard that laughter sounding, "Yaochi's also awake. Let's have a snowball fight togethers."

Yaochi looked to them and very quickly joined into the battle. Behind him, Yanmei and Anying also joined in.

The silvery laughter sounds in the courtyard lasted for a long time. All the way until the people from the front yard came to inform Qingyan it was time for breakfast, did they finally stop they're shenanigans.

When Qingyan turned around, she slipped and fell onto the snowy ground due to a moment of carelessness. Fortunately, the snow was very thick, and she didn't get hurt anywhere important. But Qingyan felt that lying in the snow like this wasn't bad either.

She still remembered many years ago, in the past, lying in the snow like this hand in hand with Weisheng Junmo. She wondered if that guy, Murong Jingxuan, would also be willing to lie in the snow with her or not.

"Miss, why are you lying in the snow? It's really cold." Zizhu said as she stretched her hand out to Qingyan, but Qingyan looked to her outstretched hand and reluctantly shook her head.

"Miss, if you don't get up now, the breakfast in the front yard will be all gone." Baizhi looked to Qingyan lying on the snowy ground and teasingly laughed. "There's miss's favorite osmanthus cake this morning."

Qingyan looked to them and curved her lips into a smile. Afterwards, she stood up and patted the snow off of her. "Baizhi, I remember Huangcen also prepared breakfast in Yingshuang yard. This morning, you all can just have your meal in Yingshuang yard."

"Miss, don't worry, this servant certainly won't mistreat herself." Baizhi said as she pushed Qingyan away, "Miss, take care."

"Baizhi, where do you see anyone treating Miss like you do." Zizhu said rolled her eyes at Baizhi. "Miss, although treats us well, we can't forget our own status."

Baizhi stuck her tongue at Zizhu, "Where have I? I'm just really worried about miss."

"You all also come have breakfast." Zizhu turned around and smiled at the three young man behind her, "We usually all eat in our own yard."

Yaochi looked to them and nodded, "We were brought out from the slums thanks to miss, we can eat anything."

"That's right! As long as there's steaming hot food it's fine." Yanmei looked to them with a warm smile.

"Don't worry, now that you've followed our miss, naturally you all won't be slighted." Zizhu said as she lead the three of them to the small kitchen.

Qingdai and Chishao were following behind them. Since the beginning, they've felt that the three of them have a purpose in getting close to Qingyan. But looking at it now, Qingyan's relationship with them seems pretty good, and the three of them look at miss with an indescribable nostalgic feeling.

Although this made them very surprised, but towards Qingyan's vision, they were still very reassuring of.

"Qingdai, it should be alright, right?" Chishao looked to Qingdai next to her and whispered, "I feel miss treats them quite well."

Qingdai looked to Chishao and nodded, "Since that's the case, we don't have to worry either."

"Little girl, you're from the Seven Star Hall, right?" Anying suddenly appeared next to them and softly whispered, "Since we, from the Thousand Beast Pavilion, have decided to follow master, then naturally will be the same as you."

Seeing Anying suddenly appearing...*

(*T/N: The line ends there in the original just like that...)

----------------

When Qingyan arrived at the front yard, she saw everyone was already sitting around the table, Su Yun, Luo Bing, Su Qingyu, and even Jia Yun, Su Qingxue, Su Qingcong.

Qingyan walked over to the table, very familiarly pulled out the chair, and sat down. "Father, mother, why did you think of having breakfast with me today?"

Normally, Su Yun and Luo Bing both woke up very early, because they needed to head to the army barracks very early in the morning, then after sunset, finally return to the manor. So they usually have very little time to eat together.

"His Majesty said today's a holiday, so to let your mother and I stay at home and rest for a day. Today we'll just have your big brother go to the barracks." Su Yun said as he stroked Qingyan's head, "What, still not happy?"

Qingyan looked to Su Yun's appearance and shook her head, coquettishly saying, "How can I not, naturally daughter is happy. Your daughter hasn't eaten a meal together with daddy in a very long time."

"Elder brother and elder sister-in-law indeed hasn't eaten a meal together with us in a very long." Jia Yun, seeing their family being so harmonious, said with a smile. Afterwards, she casted her gaze onto Su Qingxue and Su Qingcong next to her.

"Oh right, aunty, have you married?" Qingyan said as she turned her gaze onto Jia Yun.

Jia Yun listened to Qingyan's words and turned her sight back onto the two next to her, "If my children were still alive, then they should also be around Xue'er and Cong'er's age."

Qingyan listened Jia Yun's words and nodded in satisfaction. Afterwards, pretending to be concerned, she said, "Aunty, I'm sorry, Yan'er didn't know you....."

"No matter, that many years have passed already. I've already been relieved long ago. Moreover, my husband is no longer here either." Jia Yun looked to Qingyan, maintaining a smile on her face.

"Father, mother, look, how about we do it like this. We've already adopted Xue'er and Cong'er into the manor, but you two are out for a long time. How about we give Xue'er and Cong'er to aunty to raise. That way, aunty can have someone to take care of her in her elderly years."