Volume 15
Chapter 21: Earthly Dust (Part 2)
Qingyuanfang was decorated in a classical and elegant style. Each private room was spaced far apart, enough to leave a secret space for the young ladies of different circles. To say it was a private room was an understatement; it was actually a spacious living room, with large red-leather and white-wood sofas lined up inside. The fireplace by the wall was swept clean and tidy, and the wall on the other side had been converted into a built-in bookshelf, filled with various kinds of books, a small half of which were niche books Lu Li had never even heard of.
Manager Li personally poured Lu Li a cup of fruit tea, then took out a key, opened a cabinet, and took out a thick photo album. Lu Li picked up the fruit tea and took a sip. It wasn’t very sweet, probably without much sugar added. To be honest, pure fruit juice didn’t taste very good. It was clear that Qingyuanfang was extremely restrained in its diet. Was it perhaps because the clientele of this clubhouse was a group of young ladies from great families who rarely stepped out of their homes?
Manager Li placed the photo album in front of Lu Li, then stepped back. “Mr. Lu, I’ll go to the back kitchen to ask someone to make some pastries. If you need anything, just use the phone on the table to call the internal line, and I’ll be right there.”
After Manager Li had left, Lu Li finally shifted his attention from this luxurious private room to the photo album with the cracked cover. This photo album had been around for many years, perhaps even older than that little demon lord Long Jing? Lu Li thought for no reason, and opened the photo album. On the flyleaf was a line of small characters: “Li Zhiyun, collected in July 2006.” Continuing to flip, the first photo entered Lu Li’s sight.
The material of this photo was not advanced. The edges had already turned yellow, and the clarity of the picture was not high, reminding Lu Li of the blurry, mosaic-like “UFO,” “Bigfoot,” and “real dragon” videos on the internet ten years ago. The photo was taken in this private room. The sofa at that time was still the old-fashioned, genuine leather brown sofa. Two little girls sat on the sofa, with different expressions. The little girl on the left side of the photo had an impatient look on her face. She had a delicate, doll-like face, yet an air of “stay away” emanated from the polyethylene paper.
This must be Zhu Xi. Little Zhu Xi sat cross-legged on the sofa, her shoes not even taken off, her gaze at the camera as if to say, “Can you hurry up?”
The one on the right was Zhu Qiao. That year, Zhu Qiao and Zhu Xi looked almost identical. Neither of them had fully grown, and their features were all inherited from their beautiful mother. At first glance, it seemed as if the two of them had been carved from the same mold. It was just that Zhu Qiao seemed much more reserved. She sat up straight and proper, her eyes wide, as if she were listening to someone speak off-camera.
A line of words was written under the photo: “The Fourteenth Princess and her unannounced sister ran away from home in July. Entrusted by His Majesty in secret, Qingyuanfang took care of them. Princess Qiao is very fond of peach crisps. The Fourteenth Princess seems not to be very easy to get along with…”
Ran away from home… Lu Li remembered Zhu Xi saying that she used to sneak Zhu Qiao out of the ancestral hall when she was a child. So she had brought her to Qingyuanfang to freeload on food and drinks.
Flipping another page, the Zhu Xi and Zhu Qiao in this photo looked a little older, but it was hard to tell where they had grown up. Little children are all like that. You just watch them, and before you know it, they grow up. By the time you come back to your senses, she has become a young lady.
The Zhu Xi in this photo was smiling particularly happily. She and Zhu Qiao were standing in front of the bookshelf, holding hands and making a big V-sign. Lu Li noticed that the future, famously formidable Fourteenth Princess was actually missing a tooth at this time. Zhu Qiao beside Zhu Xi was also smiling, but the little girl was clearly more reserved, her smile not showing her teeth.
“Her Highness the Fourteenth would regularly bring Princess Qiao to play. Thanks to Her Highness’s favor, I also went from a small waitress to their dedicated receptionist. This photo was a candid shot. I hope Her Highness didn’t notice. I think Her Highness at this time is very cute… I hope that when my daughter starts elementary school, she can be as delicate as the two princesses.”
Lu Li smiled, took out his phone, and took a picture of this toothless Zhu Xi. Not only did he take a picture, but he also planned to use it as his chat background.
The next few photos were all of Zhu Xi and Zhu Qiao playing. Sometimes they would chase each other in the corridor, causing a ruckus in Qingyuanfang. Sometimes they would snuggle together on the sofa and read, like quiet little ladies. Sometimes they would eat all sorts of little pastries with a look of satisfaction. Zhu Qiao would even shyly cover her face with her little hands, not letting Li Zhiyun take a picture of her sneaking a bite.
Lu Li himself didn’t even realize that he was watching with a smile on his face, also immersed in the carefree childhood of the two sisters.
Continuing to flip, the tone of the photos suddenly became colder, and the paper was no longer yellow. Li Zhiyun must have updated her equipment. At this time, Zhu Xi and Zhu Qiao were also clearly a head taller, especially Zhu Xi. There was basically no smile on her face. She faced the camera with a cold expression, as if she were saying something.
“Her Highness the Fourteenth had been receiving a home education before. Since she was sent to junior high, she seems to have smiled very little. I hope the two princesses can be happier…”
The time interval between the previous photos was mostly two or three months. After the equipment was updated, the shooting interval was, on the contrary, extended to once every six months. And in the pictures, the sisters no longer jumped and played in Qingyuanfang like two little madwomen. The pictures were generally of Zhu Xi leaning on the sofa and reading silently, and Zhu Qiao obediently nibbling on a cake.
The high-definition photos also had more details. It was also during this period that the scars on the back of Zhu Xi’s hands became more and more numerous, which meant that Yan Rujun’s physical punishments were becoming more and more frequent.
The last photo was taken when Zhu Xi entered high school. In the picture, the curtains of the private room were drawn, and the outside was a dusky scene, looking like a heavy rainstorm. Zhu Xi had her back to the camera, rummaging for something on the bookshelf. Zhu Qiao, on the other hand, was looking at her sister with a worried expression. The tone of this photo was cold and gloomy. The two beautiful girls only showed half a face in total.
“This photo was taken in June. Her Highness the Fourteenth said this was their last visit to Qingyuanfang. She said she was not in the mood to eat the pastries of Qingyuanfang now, and she wouldn’t have such a mood in the future. What on earth happened?”
…
Closing the photo album, Manager Li happened to walk in with two gift bags. “Mr. Lu, the pastries have been packed. You can leave a contact number. Next time, if you need snacks, you can contact us directly by phone. I’ll have someone send them to you by plane, so you won’t have to trouble Mr. Lu or Her Highness to make an extra trip.”
Lu Li’s mind was in a turmoil. He roughly knew why Manager Li had specially invited him to see the photos of the Zhu sisters when they were children. This photo album had been locked in this private room and should not have been shown to anyone.
“Manager Li, how old is your daughter this year?” Lu Li weighed the two bags. They weren’t heavy.
“…She passed away from illness when she was six,” Manager Li said in a small voice.
Lu Li was stunned for a moment, said nothing, and walked out with the gift bags. At the door, he heard Manager Li call out to him. “Mr. Lu, I hope you will treat the two princesses well… especially Her Highness the Fourteenth. I know Her Highness the Fourteenth is sometimes not easy to get along with, but she is really a kind girl. She needs more consideration and tolerance…”
Lu Li’s steps faltered. He gave a soft “mm” and pushed the door open, leaving.
