Her brows were like distant mountains, dark without being drawn; her lips like cinnabar, red without being painted. Her skin was like white snow, her waist slender as bound silk, her teeth like pearls held between her lips. Graceful and delicate, every step she took held a thousand charms.
In their impression, the eyes of the blind were always somewhat unsightly. Yet the woman before them was completely different. Not only were her eyes not ugly, they were a rare kind of beautiful; their color, lighter than that of ordinary people, made them unforgettable at a glance.
Everyone stared, entranced. It was not until Liu Xuan, prompted by Ziyi, made her greeting that they finally came back to themselves.
Their hearts, which had fallen still, immediately grew lively again. Second Master Chu was grinning from ear to ear, and he turned his eyes toward Marquis Yongyu. “Eldest Brother, really now. Since our niece is inconvenienced, the family banquet could simply have been set in her courtyard. That would have spared her the trouble of making this trip.”
Third Master Chu chimed in as well, “Second Brother is right. Eldest Brother, this was a lack of consideration on your part!”
Marquis Yongyu glanced at the two of them and nodded slightly. “This matter was indeed thoughtless of me. Xuan’er, take a seat first, and get to know the family while you’re at it.”
Liu Xuan answered yes, and Ziyi led her to her seat.
Marquis Yongyu and Madam Yin sat in the seats of honor. On either side were the second and third branches of the Chu family in order, while Chu Yu sat directly opposite her, his eyes carrying a hint of amazement as he quietly looked at her.
Seeing Liu Xuan’s obedient manner, the members of the Chu family all smiled so widely they could hardly close their mouths. Third Madam Chu, who sat beside her, enthusiastically picked up a piece of pastry for her and said gently, “You’re Xuan’er, aren’t you? I’m your Third Aunt. From now on, we’re one family. Try this pastry. It’s what the cooks of our marquis manor are best at.”
“Thank you, Third Aunt.”
Liu Xuan fumbled for her chopsticks, picked up the pastry, and placed it in her mouth. She chewed carefully and swallowed, then raised a sweet smile. “It’s delicious.”
With that smile, the hearts of everyone at the table melted, especially the two concubine-born daughters of Marquis Yongyu who had just turned twelve; their eyes shone brightly as they looked at her.
Not to be outdone, Second Madam Chu, seated a little farther away, had the maid beside her pick up food for Liu Xuan. “How can she just eat pastries? She still has to eat some meat. Hurry, give Eldest Miss a piece of roast duck. Not a fatty one—take that piece with the thin skin. It looks nice and crispy.”
Her maid was just about to step forward when Zilan very eagerly came forward and took over the task. “This servant will do it.”
It did not matter who did it. Seeing that Liu Xuan had finished eating, Second Madam Chu asked with great anticipation, “How is it? Is it good?”
“Mm!”
Liu Xuan nodded and smiled in her direction. “It’s delicious!”
Her answer was sincere and her smile sweet, causing a surge of satisfaction to rise in Second Madam Chu’s heart.
“If you like it, eat a bit more.” She hurriedly said to Zilan again, “Give Eldest Miss another good piece.”
With a smile on her face, Zilan eagerly picked up another piece for Liu Xuan.
Liu Xuan quietly finished eating, set down her chopsticks, and turned her head toward Zilan’s direction. In a soft, delicate voice, she said, “I think what you said wasn’t right. Although I’m blind, I can still tell people apart. Second Aunt is straightforward and has a higher tone; Third Aunt is gentler; you and Ziyi are different too. Everyone’s voice is different.”
At these words, the originally cheerful and lively scene suddenly fell silent. Everyone’s expression darkened, and they all looked toward Zilan at once.
Zilan’s face went white with a swish. She forced a difficult smile. “Did Miss remember wrongly? When has this servant ever said such a thing?”
Liu Xuan’s delicate dark brows furrowed slightly. Her beautiful little face was full of seriousness as she said in a muffled voice, “You did say it. It was when Ziyi was going to introduce everyone’s preferences to me. You said I was blind and couldn’t tell people apart at all, so there was no need to introduce them.”
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out as a palm struck the table.
Madam Yin looked at Zilan coldly and said in an icy voice, “What do you think you are, to dare speak of your master like that?!”
Zilan’s face instantly paled even further. With a thud, she knelt down and kowtowed three times in succession, weeping as she said, “This servant truly never said such words. I really don’t know why Eldest Miss would…”
Madam Yin was furious and cut her off directly. “Are you saying that Eldest Miss has only just arrived, and for no reason at all, she would slander you?!”
“This servant wouldn’t dare!”
Zilan prostrated herself on the ground. “But this servant truly never said that. If Madam does not believe me, you may ask Ziyi!”
Ziyi, whose name had been called, stiffened. She opened her mouth, but did not know what to say. If she said no, then she would be accusing Eldest Miss of framing someone. But if she said yes, then Zilan would likely…
Zilan was her own younger sister.
With a thud, Ziyi knelt down. She bit her lip and lifted her eyes to look apologetically at Liu Xuan. She was just about to say that Zilan had indeed never said it, when she suddenly saw the blind Liu Xuan look at her coldly.
Ziyi trembled all over and froze on the spot.
Second Madam Chu frowned and said coldly, “Ziyi, did Zilan say such words or not?!”
Hearing this, Ziyi came back to herself, but her heart was still in shock. “This servant… this servant…”
Aside from the words “this servant,” she could say nothing else.
Madam Yin looked at Zilan with a dark expression. She no longer had the patience to listen to so-called explanations and was just about to speak when a timid, soft voice sounded. “Did… did I say something wrong?”
Liu Xuan’s beautiful little face carried unease. Because she was blind, her gaze did not fall on any particular place; this, in turn, made her seem all the more fragile and helpless.
“Did I say something wrong?”
She said timidly, “I… I didn’t mean to. Everyone, please don’t be angry. I… I won’t speak carelessly again in the future.”
These words made everyone’s hearts clench, especially Madam Yin’s. The look she cast at Zilan grew even colder.
“It has nothing to do with you.”
Chu Yu, seated across from Liu Xuan, suddenly spoke. Looking at her fragile and helpless appearance, he softened his voice. “On the contrary, you should speak more. Only then can we know whether you are living well or not.”
“Yes, yes!”
Third Madam Chu smiled at her. “Your brother is right. Your voice is pleasant to listen to, so you should speak more.”
Hearing this, Liu Xuan “looked” in Chu Yu’s direction and broke into a smile. “Brother.”
Chu Yu’s expression shifted slightly, and he answered in a low voice, “Mm.”
Madam Yin took a deep breath and said coldly, “Someone, drag Zilan out and await punishment!”
“Yes!”
The steward answered and stepped forward. Together with another servant, he dragged Zilan outside.
Zilan’s face had already lost all color. She screamed toward Ziyi, “Elder Sister, say something! Elder Sister…”
Ziyi lowered her head, trembling as she bit her lip.
Zilan’s voice grew farther and farther away, and before long, it could no longer be heard at all. Marquis Yongyu said, “Enough. Let us eat.”
Everyone answered yes. Madam Yin glanced at Ziyi, and Ziyi hurriedly climbed to her feet and served dishes to Liu Xuan. Only, the hand with which she held the chopsticks trembled the entire time.
In order to liven the atmosphere, Third Madam Chu, who was beside Liu Xuan, would personally pick up food for her from time to time and speak with her.
After all, it was their first meeting, so there was not much to chat about. She could only ask about the past and her recent situation.
Third Madam Chu said gently, “Your eyes—have you been unable to see since you were little? Have you ever sought out any famous physicians to examine them?”
Such a beauty, with such a pair of lovely eyes—what a pity that she could not see.
“From the time I can remember, I have been unable to see.”
Liu Xuan smiled at her, her voice soft, tender, and very calm. “My adoptive father took me to see many doctors. All the money he earned was used to treat my eyes. Unfortunately, every doctor said that there was nothing wrong with my eyes themselves, because they still react to strong light. They said I must have suffered some shock, and that was why I became blind and a little hard of hearing.”
“Shock?”
Second Madam Chu asked curiously, “Could it be that when you were little, you suffered some hardship?”