T R C L W (COMPLETE)

2

The neighbouring Li Household was still lit up all the way till morning, with the light never going out.

Xie Zhen was a light sleeper and sensitive to light. Even with just a little disturbance she could not fall asleep. For the whole trip she hadn't been able to sleep well, and after the long and hard trip to Qing Zhou, she originally thought that she would finally be able to get a good rest. Never had she imagined that even after restlessly rolling around in bed for half the night would she still be unable to fall asleep.

The two doll-like girls were sharing a bed, and Xie Xun helplessly held Xie Zhen's hand, pleading, "Sis, I'm tired..."

After that, Xie Zhen didn't move around as much, and instead shut her eyes tightly throughout the whole night, but only at dawn did she manage to force herself to fall into a fitful sleep.

Xie Xun, on the other hand, had slept well, and woke up early in the morning. Seeing her sister still fast asleep, she pulled on her sleeve, wanting to wake her up. Just then, the maid Shuang Yu stopped her, saying, "Yesterday Second Miss stayed up until very late. Third Miss, please behave and don't disturb the Second Miss. If you want, this servant will bring you to the Madame."

Shuang Yu was the maid that Leng shi had brought over from the capital. Together with Shuang Yan, she had originally been one of Leng shi's personal maid servants. Only after reaching Qing Zhou did Leng shi specially arrange for her to care of Xie Zhen and Xie Xun, as she had been afraid that the other maids were too young and immature, and would not be able to do things satisfactorily.

The moment she heard that her sister hadn't slept well, Xie Xun, an understanding child, immediately stopped disturbing her. She raised her arms to get carried by Shuang Yu and ordered, "Take me to find Ah niang."

Out of the three children, Xie Xun was the least temperamental, and the most well-behaved. Her sweet voice, paired with her pair of limpid, watery eyes, caused Shuang Yu to find her very adorable. After helping her put on a light red beizi embroidered with begonias and a white threaded skirt, along with a pair of soft gold shoes, she then brought Xie Xun to the main room.

After being with Xie Liqing until late at night, and then having to get up and see what had transpired at the Li Household, Leng shi hadn't rested well for the whole night. When Xie Xun arrived, she was still on her bed getting ready.

Once she was properly put together, Leng shi's beauty was even more apparent, and she seemed like an entirely different person from the day before. Her eyelids flowed nicely, making her every gesture seem flirtatious. With her glamorous eyes, she seemed to be extremely charming at a glance.

Of course, Xie Xun was not familiar with these, and she climbed down from Shuang Yu's arms before throwing herself into her mother's embrace. "Ah niang, sister's still asleep!"

Afraid that she would accidentally knock into the foot of the bed, Leng shihurriedly leaned over and held her securely. "Your sister didn't sleep well, so you aren't allowed to disturb her, understand?"

Leng shi knew the two girls' like the back of her hand. Similar to herself, Xie Zhen was an extremely light sleeper. Anyway, after reaching Qing Zhou, they no longer had to strictly get up at dawn to travel, so she might as well let her sleep for a while more.

Xie Xun nodded her head vigorously. "I understand!"

Leng shi smiled lightly and gently pinched her small round face.

Soon enough, Xie Rong also arrived at the main room, alert and filled with energy. The events at the Li Household seemed to not have affected his sleep whatsoever. Shuang Yan ordered the servants to bring in breakfast. There were not only delicacies from the capital but also Qing Zhou fully occupying the whole table. While the food wasn't of the same standard as that of Duke Ding's Residence, there was a much greater variety of it, making peoples' appetites much larger.