But she and Cheng Hao were inseparable, it was just that magical!
Neither of them ever grew tired of it.
It was as if they had become an indispensable part of each other's lives.
It was difficult to explain to others.
While Su Miaomiao spoke stories, she was also thinking about her childhood sweetheart in her heart.
Wasn't her every thought of him alone?
He felt the same.
He just didn't trust her enough, always feeling that she would abandon him, and then acting in ways that were incomprehensible, which made her feel infuriated.
And then she had to act out.
Afterward, he would be appeased, and she would suffer the consequences; it was a vicious cycle.
Su Miaomiao's words once again shattered the imagination of the woman before her. She had never imagined such a possibility! Was the world truly round?
If there was fate.
Could they meet again after circling around?
The women here were too pessimistic. Although Beiyan Kingdom was relatively open and imposed fewer restrictions on women, it was ultimately male-dominated.
Women had little power.
They could indulge in food, drink, and entertainment, but any respectable profession required men.
So their lives felt superficial. Sometimes, it was better to be ignorant than to be clear-headed and watch themselves confined to the inner courtyard.
Madam Tao was deeply moved, and her admiration for Su Miaomiao soared even higher.
But in her heart, she also found release.
It wasn't that she was excessively immersed in romance novels; it was because reality was too harsh. She could only find fleeting happiness by immersing herself in stories and experiencing entirely different lives. However, stories always had endings, and she would be left heartbroken.
Madam Tao was undoubtedly the most immersed in story plots that Su Miaomiao had ever seen. For her, letting go of a fictional world was extremely difficult.
In simple terms, she couldn't detach herself from the roles.
And yet, she loved precisely these things.
Su Miaomiao sometimes felt quite sympathetic towards her, but she had no right to interfere with others' lives. She wasn't that powerful, and she certainly couldn't rewrite this world. Every world had its own rules, and as an outsider, it was best to be discreet. She couldn't turn this world upside down, could she?
Madam Tao wiped away her tears and felt much more at ease now. Because she had taken Su Miaomiao's words to heart, she no longer fixated on whether they would meet again.
Although Su Miaomiao could arbitrarily assign them an ending, whether happy or tragic, there was indeed a voice in her heart that felt things should be left as they were. Sometimes, the ending of a plot wasn't determined by the author, but rather by the characters themselves driving the narrative and settling the conclusion.
An open ending was indeed the most suitable outcome for this pair.
Madam Tao also found peace.
The four head maids beside them were listening with befuddlement but could still empathize.
Xing Hua knew her lady was quite capable, but this was the first time she had heard her speak these words, making her seem exceptionally unique and captivating.
Yuanyang was certainly surprised, but she had been following Su Miaomiao closely recently, so she had heard more. Yet, even she would occasionally marvel at Su Miaomiao's ingenious ideas.
Having followed her for so long.
She gradually began to understand why the master of the house was so fond of her.
They chatted as they talked.
The carriage stopped at the largest pear garden, where many spectators had already arrived.
The maids alighted first.
Then they reached out to help Madam Tao alight. The more magnificently they were dressed, the more inconvenient it was to move, so they had to assist her carefully, lest she fall flat on her face.
Su Miaomiao's attire was both beautiful and unencumbered, making her relatively agile. When she accompanied Madam Tao to "see the world," she felt that women in this ancient era favored elaborate outfits, adorned with considerable gold and silver jewelry. Was this not also a form of self-confinement?
Locking oneself within rigid boundaries.
When she stepped down, Madam Tao even reached out to help her, showing great closeness.
There were other carriages nearby as well.
Those who could afford to come here for entertainment naturally had considerable wealth.
Soon, Madam Tao encountered someone she knew.
They immediately came over to greet her.
Su Miaomiao waited by the side, not interrupting their conversation. She was simply curious about such a large theater, so she looked around more.
However, this action was interpreted by others as the unrefined behavior of someone poor.
Madam You even pulled Madam Tao aside and said disdainfully, "Why did you bring these poor relatives here? Aren't you afraid they'll embarrass you? Although she looks like she's been pampered, her behavior is too petty."
She frowned, showing utter disgust.
She felt it was beneath her to walk alongside Su Miaomiao, let alone bring her along to watch.
She admired Madam Tao.
Madam Tao was also taken aback by the attitude of a sister she usually got along with so well.
She forced an awkward laugh and said, "Saying that about her! Otherwise, I'll be angry."
Su Miaomiao had instructed her when they were playing together earlier not to reveal her family background. Her current identity was rather sensitive, not only as Madam Cheng but also as the original author of those romance novels, making her easily mobbed.
Fans' fervent adoration was one thing.
Cheng Hao also worried that she might be kidnapped by someone with ill intentions.
To reassure him.
Su Miaomiao said she wouldn't reveal her identity when she went out to play, so she also forbade Madam Tao from mentioning it, which greatly frustrated Madam Tao.
Facing Madam You's disdain, Madam Tao could only use herself as a shield. This even frightened Madam You, who hadn't expected Madam Tao to protect this young woman.
"Oh, look at you. I was just saying it casually, wasn't I? I was just worried you'd be bothered by poor relatives. I have so many relatives who visit every few days asking for favors, one moment it's this aunt, the next it's that nephew. They're incredibly bothersome!"
Madam You's coaxing speech indeed calmed Madam Tao down.
Mainly because the interactions between their two families were sometimes linked to business matters.
Madam Tao was not entirely satisfied with Madam You's behavior today, but she couldn't afford to fall out with her, as it would be difficult to explain to her husband. She could only endure it.
Fortunately, Madam You hadn't said these words in front of Madam Cheng, or she wouldn't have known what to do.
On one hand, she couldn't damage their relationship, and on the other, she admired and respected Su Miaomiao.
Thankfully.
Madam Tao repeatedly asked Madam You not to say such things again before bringing her to find Su Miaomiao, and then the three of them entered together.
Their seats had already been reserved.
A waiter led them to the private seating area, where tea and snacks were all prepared.
There were many other people around.
People from the same circles mingled, so everyone knew each other.
At the very least, they were familiar faces.
Or they would mention their husband's name and their family business's trademark.
That way, everyone would have a general understanding.
Su Miaomiao, having only been accompanying Madam Tao for a few days, naturally didn't know anyone.
But some people were sharp-eyed.
They knew that Madam Tao had been bringing her around recently, as if to introduce her into their circle. Therefore, many people speculated that she was either the wife of a newly appointed minor official or the wife of a wealthy family who had just moved to the capital.
In any case, they wanted to integrate into this circle.