No regrets at 56

  Yuan Hua and Zhu Changren were not close at all. In her memory, Father was always a cold and strict person, even when facing his children, he never smiled or spoke carelessly, except for the fourth daughter. She would never forget the gentle, pleased and proud eyes of her father looking at the fourth daughter, although it was just a fleeting glance, but forever etched in her heart.

  From that moment on, she knew that in her father's eyes, Fourth Mother was a unique existence. This realization made her always harbor extravagant hopes, yearn and envy, but in the end, she was not Fourth Mother.

  Today was her first time coming to the study to find her father, her father's study was the place where the East House stored the most books, she had been eyeing it for a long time, but had never dared to set foot in it, while her fourth sister could enter and borrow books at will, this was the difference between the two.

  Yuán Huá stood in front of the study, her eyes with an uncertain expression, the heavy sunset sank to the west, the afterglow dyed the sky, the green tiles were shrouded in a faint misty color, the evening wind blew and made her clothes rustle, a distant call came from the horizon, she seemed to have smelled the taste of sadness and desolation.

  Her fate has never been chosen by herself.

  "Hua'er, do you have something to find me?" A serious and unfluctuating voice came from behind, Yuan Hua turned around, and Zhu Changren's tired and restrained face suddenly appeared before his eyes.

  A surge of inexplicable emotions suddenly welled up in Yuan Hua's heart, and before she could carefully savor them, her body had already reacted. She raised her chin, as proud and stubborn as ever, "Father, I want to enter the palace."

  Zhu Changren's expression changed suddenly, his face sank, and he looked at her as if he had never known her before, saying in a stern voice: "Do you know what you're talking about?"

  "From start to finish, I've always known what I needed." She looked at him with an unprecedented determination in her eyes.

  Yuan Hua walked with Ling Yue on the corridor, but stopped at the corner, staring at someone in front who didn't move.

  The sky-blue skirt fluttered in the evening breeze, like a lotus flower slowly unfolding. Following the sound of footsteps, she came rolling in. The person's raven-black hair still had a hint of moisture, simply tied up with a plain hairpin, lightly dancing and flying, as if she were an immortal fairy stepping on clouds. Her features were delicate, her expression cold and clear, even those captivating phoenix eyes seemed indifferent, dark and mysterious, as if they had merged into the dusk.

  The newcomer also saw her, first stunned, then politely and awkwardly nodded to her and said: "Fifth sister."

  "Fourth sister." Coincidentally, Yuan Hua called out to Yuan Yi who was passing by her side, and with a glance, she saw that she was holding several books in her arms. The sunset was setting, and the book titles couldn't be seen clearly, but judging from the yellowed yet well-preserved page edges, they were probably rare editions treasured by their father.

  Yuan Yi looked at Yuan Hua who was staring blankly at the book in her arms and asked puzzled: "Fifth sister, what's wrong?"

  Yuan Hua snapped back to reality, blinked uncomfortably and stared at her with a complex expression, saying: "I'm going into the palace."

  Her words were incoherent, but the underlying meaning was instantly understood. This was an expected outcome for her, and she didn't feel surprised, only sighing: "Since you've chosen this path, I hope you won't regret it later."

  Since you have chosen this path, I hope you won't regret it in the future.

  The woman's soft words and her father's sighs as he was about to leave merged into one, Yuan Hua's face suddenly tensed up, and she felt a sudden discomfort in her heart, "Then don't you regret it? Your father loves you, the good marriage is yours to choose, why did you have to choose Xiao Heng, that useless young master?"

  As for Yuanyi, she had an indescribable jealousy and resentment in her heart. If she were as favored by her father as Yuanyi was, how could she have ended up in such a state? First, she shamelessly begged people to marry her, then she married into a noble family and became a concubine. Yuanyi didn't know how much ridicule and contempt she had received from the ladies of noble families for her self-degrading behavior.

  Yuanyi smiled slightly and said, "Fifth sister, this thing about the future, I'm still playing with it. If you say regret, now it's already too late, fifth sister, do you think so or not."

  She gave a profound look at Yuan Hua's suddenly changed complexion and stepped away under the rising moonlight.