Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Perfect Coordination (Six)

As the Yu residence gradually came into view, Yu Manyi's attention, which had been diverted by Su Wen, finally returned to her own predicament. Her stomach also began to cramp slightly from the tension. On the other side of the carriage, Fang Qian and the others, having finished their discussion about the future, began talking again about the once more absent Song Qi.

“I really am worn out from subbing for him,” Fang Qian shook her head and said, “In the past, even if he wasn’t around, at least he’d tell me what he was off doing. But today? He just left a note and vanished. At this rate, I’ll be cashing in that meal he owes me next year.”

Yu Manyi, pressing her hand to her stomach, glanced at Fang Qian, and felt a faint sense of disappointment—Song Qi wasn’t at the school today. He hadn’t told Fang Qian where he’d gone, nor had he said anything to her. He hadn’t even shown any concern about how the Yu family would deal with her tonight.

Amid the conversation, Yu Manyi lowered her head and used her hand to fold the pleats of her skirt that were piled on her lap. She reminded herself: Song Qi was the kind of young man who would stand up for a complete stranger like the concubine from the You family. The help he had given her before was likely just out of a naturally kind disposition. She was grateful, but that gratitude should stop at just that—it shouldn't turn into reliance. The kind of disappointment she just felt was completely inappropriate—especially since even her betrothed cousin had never made her feel this kind of loss.

Just as Yu Manyi was chiding herself this way, the carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Yu residence.

The curtain was half-drawn, and Yu Manyi saw that the carriage had stopped further out than usual, some distance from the front gate of the Yu residence, as if something was blocking the way. Fang Qian didn’t notice anything odd and was the first to lift the curtain and get out of the carriage. The moment her feet touched the ground, she let out a surprised “Huh?”

The other two classmates followed her down and let out two successive “Wow”s. Yu Manyi, still confused, was the last to step out of the carriage. Once both feet were firmly on the ground, she looked up—and was greeted by the sight of a black automobile parked outside the Yu family gate.

She rarely went to town, and even less often to the county seat. In her entire life, she had only ever seen a car once. Even though that one had been very old and very worn, it still attracted a crowd of amazed onlookers. Rickshaws had two legs, carriages had four hooves—but this box with four wheels could run fast and even make a “beep beep” sound. It really was like an iron beast, a strange creature the likes of which they had never seen.

Compared to that old car, this one could be described as shining new, with a deep, inky black color. Its hood was long, the body behind it square and boxy, slightly taller than an adult woman. The wheels were caked with mud, likely because many places around here didn’t have proper roads—it must have come in over the ridges between the fields.

“Is that a Ford?” Fang Qian asked.

“Doesn’t look like it,” the classmate nicknamed Sì Bù Xiàng shook his head. “There are more Fords in Shanghai than anywhere else, but none that look like this. If only Song Qi were here—he knows cars well. He always dreams of automobile companies putting ads in the newspaper.”

“Sales aren’t great, but their ambition is way too big,” Fang Qian remarked.

The group walked around the car, clearly surprised. Yu Manyi could tell Fang Qian wasn’t surprised because she’d never seen a car before—it was the abruptness of this car’s appearance that shocked her. On the road here, all they passed were field ridges and rice paddies, stone slabs laid along the riverbanks, and wooden piers. In such a place, horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws, or docked black-sailed boats all felt harmonious and natural. But this big, boxy black machine, sitting beneath the tall grey walls of the Yu family estate, seemed completely out of place with its surroundings.Yu Manyi also reached out to touch it, only to find the car’s body icy cold—completely lacking the warmth of a carriage. She turned around, wanting to ask the gatekeeper whether any guests had arrived at the house, but the gatekeeper had once again deserted his post. The Yu family’s front gate stood wide open, with the two rows of auspicious beasts on the archway each cocking their heads to the side.

“Come on, come on,” Fang Qian got excited, “Let’s see which important figure has arrived. Teacher didn’t tell us anything either.”

The group of students took large strides and crossed the Yu family’s threshold in one go. Yu Manyi hurried to catch up, speculating, “If there really are guests, maybe they won’t have time to deal with my painting business. If I slip away while they’re distracted, maybe I can avoid punishment.”

They all walked inward together, until they passed the second gate and finally spotted two servants at work. Yu Manyi recognized one of them as someone who worked in Second Mother’s room, so she walked over to stop her and asked, “Are there guests at the Yu residence today? Who brought that car outside the gate?”

The two servants exchanged a glance. One of them said, “Second Young Miss, I didn’t really see. Someone said four people got out of the car, and only one of them looked familiar—one of those students who come to teach you.”

The description was totally vague, but since only Song Qi was absent from the group, it had to be him. He’d disappeared for a day, and when he returned, he brought back not just three people but also a car, making a grand entrance. Yu Manyi couldn’t understand what he was up to, and Fang Qian folded his arms, seemingly picking up on something.

“Where are they?” Fang Qian asked.

“They were in the main hall, waiting for your return,” said the other servant. “But later, as they chatted, they went with Master Yu and the others to the garden and had us move lots of chairs over. After that, we don’t know. Second Mistress asked us to come clean the front courtyard.”

Since Second Mother was there, then the other elders must be present as well. Yu Manyi had originally expected tonight to be a trial over her decision to learn painting without permission. But with this move from Song Qi, everything became unpredictable, and a sense of helpless dread crept over her.

“Fang Qian, in that case, I’ll just head back to my room,” she said, backing away. “You all go take a look. I’ll wait for you to come back.”

“Eh?” Fang Qian immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. “You’re waiting for us to come back? You’re one of us! Such a big occasion—when we came last time, we didn’t even get to go to the garden. Come on, let’s see what’s going on.”

Yu Manyi was practically dragged over by Fang Qian. She was extremely anxious, worried that the elders of the Yu family had originally forgotten her “crime,” but her sudden appearance might remind them again and provoke a scolding in front of everyone. She thought of many excuses, and the cold sweat that hadn’t come out earlier in the carriage due to her distraction was now pouring down.

To get to the garden from the front courtyard, one had to pass through two long covered corridors. As Yu Manyi walked, she broke into a sweat, and the commotion—inaudible in the front—gradually grew louder with her steps. When young, the ears are sharp. Amid the noisy conversations, Yu Manyi easily picked out Master Yu’s laughter, Second Uncle and Third Uncle’s flattery, a male voice she’d heard before but wasn’t familiar with, and a very clear female voice she had never heard before.Taking the last two steps across, Yu Manyi’s wrist was finally released—Fang Qian let her go.

In front of her was the suddenly wide-open Yu family garden. Right at the entrance stood Old Master Yu’s pride and joy—a trellis of Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora), climbing along an iron frame into a long floral corridor. It was the blooming season in summer, and the old man was likely feeling quite pleased, leading a group into the garden to admire the flowers. This was his way of proving that although, in title, he was merely a landlord living in the countryside, his lifestyle was refined like that of a hermit—thus able to cultivate such talented descendants.

The ground was littered with un-swept flowers. Yu Manyi stood awkwardly in front of them, not knowing what to do. She saw Song Qi turn around the moment he heard her footsteps. He lightly nudged the middle-aged man standing beside him, and Yu Manyi, after first finding the man’s voice familiar, then recognized his face. She suddenly remembered—he was the government official who had once argued with Teacher Meng at the school over curriculum additions and subtractions.

With that nudge, the young woman standing beside them also turned her head, her gaze falling on Yu Manyi. She didn’t appear to be much older than Fang Qian, but she carried none of the youthful immaturity of a student. The gold-rimmed glasses she wore added a calm, sharp air to her youthfulness.

“Director He, Reporter Huo,” Song Qi spoke, his tone as relaxed as always, though Yu Manyi noticed the weariness in his eyes. It looked like he hadn’t rested for at least a full day and night. Yu Manyi wanted badly to go up and ask him what was wrong, whether he wanted to take a nap.

But he remained energetic as he continued the introduction: “This is Miss Yu, the one I mentioned.”