Chapter 45#
Broken Bead: Little Pei Returns to Yejing#
Try what?
The Crown Prince had no time for romance, nor for flowery sentiments. His tone was cold and heavy as he said, “I’m not into men.”
Pei Xiting’s nose flared as he pressed on, “What about being with me?”
He looked on the verge of tears. The Crown Prince’s gaze flickered slightly before he said coldly, “No one will do… I like women.”
It sounded like a dark joke, but Pei Xiting couldn’t laugh.
Men versus women – wasn’t the Crown Prince essentially saying he preferred girls? That meant no matter what Pei Xiting did, unless he could change his gender, all his efforts were futile.
He stared at the Crown Prince, unwilling to give up yet deeply pained. His lips pressed tightly together, gradually turning pale.
The Crown Prince had seen countless expressions far more pitiful, even thousands of times more miserable than this. At those times, he remained unmoved. But now, he found himself uncontrollably disturbed.
Losing control? The Crown Prince pressed his fingertips hard, and one of his glass beads crumbled into dust, silent and unnoticed by anyone.
He had overestimated himself and underestimated the trouble that was Pei Xiting. The Crown Prince finally and clearly realized the mistake he had made. He had to deal with this problem cleanly and decisively. The Crown Prince narrowed his eyes slightly, the long crease on his eyelid pressing down, forming a sharp, cutting arc.
Pei Xiting seemed to sense it, but he didn’t move. He still stared back recklessly and openly, his neck stiff and his face stubborn, as if he feared nothing.
They looked at each other – or rather, it was more accurate to say they were in a standoff. No one knew how long it lasted, but the faint spark of violent emotion within the Crown Prince eventually wilted under the glistening tears in those red-rimmed eyes.
“You…” One word escaped his lips, but the Crown Prince held back the harsh words he was about to say. They weren’t really harsh words, just too direct and decisive, but saying them would inevitably hurt.
He had no intention of making Pei Xiting cry. Finally, he only said, “There’s no possibility between us. Stop thinking wildly about such things. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said. There won’t be a next time.”
Confessing one’s feelings was a one-way street; success couldn’t be declared by oneself. Moreover, there had been ominous signs before, so Pei Xiting had long prepared himself for rejection. He wasn’t one to play the martyr card. He thought it wouldn’t be difficult to leave gracefully and maintain the courtesy of not bothering the other person after being rejected. But theory was one thing; accepting the reality was another.
Pei Xiting made one final inquiry: “Did you ever feel anything for me at all?”
Those autumn-water eyes held stars, astonishingly bright and moist. It seemed that if the Crown Prince gave even the slightest hint of hope, they would reignite with life, and he would continue to fight. But what was the point?
Pei Xiting was a beautiful, lively, vibrant bird. Where in the world couldn’t he go? Which branch couldn’t he perch on? But the Crown Prince was like a decaying, mottled, blood-mist-shrouded barren mountain, devouring flesh and blood, with no spring to renew it, no suitable perch for a bird to rest.
The Crown Prince’s heart stirred faintly, but in the end, it all turned to stagnant water.
“Xiting, you are very likeable, and very clever. I can nurture you, indulge you, protect you. But I have no other feelings for you.” The Crown Prince’s tone was normal, yet carried a suffocating pressure. He looked into Pei Xiting’s beautiful, pitiful eyes, paused, and then said, “Xiting, do you understand?”
Pei Xiting shuddered unexpectedly. To be fair, His Highness the Crown Prince had been very gracious to him. He smiled, seeming flattered. His two numb hands finally parted, and he roughly wiped his eyes, saying, “I understand.”
The Crown Prince turned and left without any lingering attachment. Pei Xiting didn’t call out to him again, nor did he follow.
Yu Shaoyun waited in front of the carriage. Seeing the Crown Prince come out alone, his expression was unfamiliar. A man like him rarely wore his true joys or sorrows on his face.
Yu Shaoyun’s heart leaped, and he immediately stepped forward. “Your Highness, has something happened?”
He glanced at the empty, secluded path behind the Crown Prince, but didn’t ask, “Where is Attendant Pei?”
The Crown Prince didn’t answer. He raised his hand to open the carriage door when he heard Yu Shaoyun exclaim in surprise, “Your Highness, your prayer beads are missing one!”
The Crown Prince paused mid-step and looked at his wrist. Indeed, one bead was gone, making the whole string look loose.
The Crown Prince took off the glass beads and threw them away. The bracelet hit the ground, and the beads scattered everywhere with a clatter.
Yu Shaoyun gasped. “Your High—”
“What use is a useless thing? Why keep it?” The Crown Prince entered the carriage, his eyelids drooping wearily. “Let’s go.”
Yu Shaoyun was bewildered but dared not ask further. Feeling uneasy, he thought: What on earth did Attendant Pei do?
“I failed,” Pei Xiting said, squatting by the pond, listlessly. “But your monthly salary will still be raised – doubled twice.”
Yuan Fang didn’t look particularly pleased. He stood behind Pei Xiting, arms crossed, one leg ready to kick the nuisance sitting on his feet into the pond. “Is this what you call ‘retaliatory consumption’?”
“I’m unhappy, so I’m making you happy. It’s called the doctrine of the mean,” Pei Xiting said. “Stop talking nonsense. Just say ’thank you for your grace’.”
Yuan Fang immediately cupped his hands in thanks, cherry-picking a quote from The Analects of Pei Xiting: “Master is both beautiful and kind.”
Pei Xiting grunted soullessly, patted his sleeves, and stood up. “Let’s go home.”
Yuan Fang followed, offering advice, “Want to go for a drink? Get drunk and everything will be better. At least you’ll sleep well tonight.”
“Then why not just commit suicide? Then everything would really be better,” Pei Xiting said, kicking a pebble ahead with a “whoosh” sound. “I’m fine.”
“Doesn’t look like it,” Yuan Fang said.
Pei Xiting retorted, “I’m not crying, not making a scene, emotionally stable. How doesn’t it look like it?”
Yuan Fang shrugged. “That’s precisely why. You’re too stable, so it seems like you’re about to go crazy at any moment.”
“Whether I go crazy or not has little to do with my emotional stability,” Pei Xiting shrugged. “Really, it’s not that serious. It’s just a failed confession, right? I can totally accept it. I just need some time to digest it.”
“Then should you travel separately from the Crown Prince tomorrow? To avoid awkwardness,” Yuan Fang said.
“Unnecessary.” Pei Xiting shook his head. “His Highness the Crown Prince said he’d pretend he didn’t hear it. If I start hiding and avoiding him, that would be pretentious and even more awkward. Will I have to avoid him with a grim face forever from now on?”
Yuan Fang said, “If you can keep it together while continuing to interact with the Crown Prince, then that’s fine.”
Interact? Pei Xiting felt that once they returned to Yejing, he might not even see the Crown Prince anymore. Why bother thinking about how to interact?
Pei Xiting shook his head with a faint smile. “My acting skills, are you not at ease?” He made a gesture. “Got it completely under control.”
His face was smiling but his eyes weren’t. “Under control”, his foot. Stubborn. Yuan Fang muttered inwardly but didn’t call him out. “Mm, under control.”
The next afternoon, the group boarded the boat, heading towards Yejing.
To alleviate seasickness, the cabin was filled with the scent of citrus. The Crown Prince and You Zong sat by the window playing chess, both engrossed, the only sound being the click of the pieces.
Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang sat on a cool couch not far away. A long side table was piled high with gifts, some they had bought themselves – local products and presents – and some were farewell gifts from the Bai siblings and Ying Ziyu.
Pei Xiting hadn’t accepted the gifts from Prefect He. As for Zhao Fan, he had written a letter and sent someone to deliver it. As for Shangguan Jie, he couldn’t care less.
Pei Xiting was sketching on a paper book, saying, “This is mahjong.”
Yuan Fang looked at the “mahjong” drawn on the paper. “Isn’t this just dominoes?”
“Think of it as a type of domino, but the game is different,” Pei Xiting said, tapping his chin with the tip of his brush. “When we get back to Yejing, I’ll take this drawing and have a set made. Then in our spare time, we can get four people around a table and play mahjong.”
Yuan Fang was looking forward to it. “Alright.”
Yu Shaoyun leaned against the boat window, eating an orange. Seeing Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang huddled together whispering, he became increasingly certain – something had definitely gone wrong between Attendant Pei and His Highness.
In the two hours from leaving the inn to boarding the boat, aside from formally greeting His Highness when he saw him exit the room, Attendant Pei hadn’t spoken a single word to His Highness. If it were before, Attendant Pei would definitely be sitting by His Highness’s side watching the chess game. Naturally, His Highness hadn’t proactively spoken to Attendant Pei either. The atmosphere between them was strangely normal.
Had Attendant Pei done something to anger His Highness yesterday? Unlikely, because His Highness wouldn’t bother keeping someone who angered him to travel together. Then had His Highness angered Attendant Pei? That didn’t seem right either; Attendant Pei didn’t look angry…
Strange, Yu Shaoyun racked his brains. Too strange.
You Zong had also sensed something. So when Pei Xiting put down his brush and slipped out with Yuan Fang to buy snacks, he said, “Has Attendant Pei offended Your Highness?”
The Crown Prince placed a white stone, saying indifferently, “No. Do not blame him.”
You Zong thought for a moment. “As you command.”
But the two of them were gone for a long time. After three games had been played, You Zong said, “Commander Yu, since you have nothing to do, why not go and check on them?”
“Alright.” Yu Shaoyun went out and returned quickly. “They weren’t kidnapped. They’re doing fine, outside playing dice and eating grilled meat, glowing with good cheer.”
“A single pillar reaching the sky,” Pei Xiting declared. “Another win. Pay up.”
The young man sitting opposite Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang upon hearing this, threw his head back and stared suspiciously at Yuan Fang, who was holding the dice cup. “Are you cheating?”
Yuan Fang could clearly hear the movement of the dice inside the cup and make them stack in a single pillar. Did that count as cheating? He looked at Pei Xiting questioningly.
“Don’t blame the road if you can’t drive. Sorry, but my companion just happens to have this skill,” Pei Xiting waved his hand. “If you can’t handle the stakes, get off the table.”
The young man snorted. He slapped a piece of silver on the table. “Let’s go again! I don’t believe it!”
“Fine, I’ll give you a chance to lose twenty games in a row. This round, let’s up the stakes,” Pei Xiting reached out and gently pushed the pile of coins forward. “All in. How about it?”
“Alright, but I won’t play with him this round,” the man said, looking at Pei Xiting. He raised an eyebrow, a challenge in his eyes. “You do it. Do you dare?”
The corner of Pei Xiting’s mouth twitched. He picked up the dice cup, scooped in the dice, and began to shake. His movements were fluid and practiced. In a blur, the cup landed on the table. He stood up without hesitation and casually swiped a piece of grilled fish from the small rack.
The young man quickly reached out and lifted Pei Xiting’s cup. There it was again – a single pillar reaching the sky. He was thoroughly enraged. Pointing at Pei Xiting’s retreating back, he said, “If you’re a master, why didn’t you say so earlier? You were asking all kinds of questions, pretending you didn’t know anything, trying to fool me!”
Pei Xiting was already stepping onto the stairs. He turned around, leaning on the railing. “Being low-key is a tactic. Learn something, young man.”
“Hand it over.” Yuan Fang reached out, took the money pouch from the man’s hand, grabbed a piece of cooked meat, turned around, and left, leaving the other man hugging the dice cup in solitary dismay.
Yuan Fang quickly caught up to Pei Xiting. “I didn’t know you were such a pro.”
“I used to play a few rounds with people when I went out having fun,” Pei Xiting added calmly, “Purely based on gambling skill, not relying on force.”
“Wow,” Yuan Fang said. “How can there be such a formidable figure under heaven? I humbly bow to your superiority.”
Pei Xiting replied with a polite smile. Of course, if Yuan Fang’s tone weren’t so robotic, he would have smiled with more warmth.
Yuan Fang weighed the bulging money pouch. “That guy looks like he’s from a distinguished family.”
Pei Xiting didn’t care much. “Just playing for fun. Whoever he is.”
The journey on the water wasn’t too hard to endure. Sometimes, when they passed beautiful scenery along the way, Pei Xiting would pick up his paintbrush, and half a day or a whole day would pass by quietly without him noticing.
There was a storyteller among the passengers who would set up a table outside, often drawing applause from the audience. Pei Xiting would also go down to listen. When he was there, the audience was always noticeably larger, making the storyteller chuckle and tease, “I wonder if the young ladies are here for the story, or to see the handsome young gentleman.”
During this time, Pei Xiting also got to know Dice-Bro, who had poor skills but a strong addiction. They often played dice together. Sometimes, Dice-Bro would invite them to his private cabin for grilled meat. His grilling skills stood in stark contrast to his dice skills, and he successfully won the hearts of Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang.
The weather was good today. The Crown Prince paused as he passed by an inner window on the second floor. He saw the three of them gathered around a small table betting on dice. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Pei Xiting had a faint smile on his face, looking to be in a good mood.
“Isn’t that the Fourth Young Master of the Prince Ning’s manor?” Yu Shaoyun looked at the young man sitting opposite Pei Xiting, laughing heartily, showing a mouthful of white teeth. Last time he had only seen the man’s back and hadn’t recognized him.
“Fourth Young Master is a gourmand. These years, he goes wherever the good food is, very unrestrained,” Yu Shaoyun recalled something. “I heard that this time, Lady Zhao of the Prince Ning’s manor wanted to arrange a marriage for her son. She even faked an illness to trick the Fourth Young Master into coming back.”
“This marriage will be hard to arrange,” the Crown Prince said indifferently.
Yu Shaoyun was puzzled.
The Crown Prince said, “Look at his waist.”
Yu Shaoyun looked. It was unmistakably a dark jade mandarin duck pendant.
Zong Yu touched the half of the pendant tightly tied to his waist. “I already have someone in my heart. I will marry her or no one at all.”
He smiled brilliantly, dazzling Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting felt an inexplicable trace of envy. He paused for a moment before coming back to himself and said, “May your wish come true.”
“Thank you, thank you. I’ll invite you to the wedding feast then,” Zong Yu rubbed the jade pendant, gently put it down, and smoothed the tassels, his mind wandering to something. Then he suddenly started grinning foolishly.
“Him…” Yuan Fang pointed at his own head.
“People immersed in love sometimes seem a bit silly,” Pei Xiting said softly. “Sigh. A single dog can understand.”
Yuan Fang grasped the meaning of “single dog”. Chin in hand, he looked at the single dog Pei Xiting. “Are you envious?”
Pei Xiting also propped his chin on his hand, watching the love-struck man across from him who was smiling so cheaply. His voice was a bit muffled. “A little.”
Yuan Fang said, “Want to try someone else?”
What a lousy suggestion. Pei Xiting rolled his eyes. “Do I look like I’m desperate for a man?”
He turned to look at Yuan Fang, a wicked smile curling his lips, playful and alluring. “If I really were desperate for a man, you’d be the first one I’d come to.”
Yuan Fang said coldly, “Part ways today, never to be seen again.”
Having successfully grossed Yuan Fang out, Pei Xiting burst out laughing, showing a mouthful of pearly white teeth. He looked dazzlingly handsome in the sunlight.
Yuan Fang spared a bit of thought for that handsome face and didn’t throw this foul-mouthed, morally bankrupt creature into the river to feed the fish.
When the boat docked, Pei Xiting said goodbye to Zong Yu and went back to the cabin to pack his things. Yuan Fang handled the big and small bags. He slung the painting case over his shoulder and carefully strapped the qin onto his back. Turning around, he saw the Crown Prince and You Zong still playing chess. He walked up to the Crown Prince and said, “Your Highness, shall we take our leave now?”
The Crown Prince placed his chess piece and looked up. Pei Xiting smiled when he met his gaze.
The Crown Prince said nothing more. “Go ahead.”
Pei Xiting cupped his hands in a formal bow, greeted You Zong and Yu Shaoyun, and then left first with Yuan Fang, who was laden with bags.
“If we continue this game, I’m afraid I’ll lose again,” You Zong said, not looking up, smiling. “Please grant your subject a shred of dignity, Your Highness. Let’s end the game here. What do you say?”
Yu Shaoyun looked at the board. That last move of His Highness’s had been too “unexpected and capricious”, giving You Zong a chance to revive a losing game. If this game really continued, the loser might not necessarily be You Zong.
The Crown Prince naturally saw it too. He lowered his eyes a little and tossed his remaining piece back into the bowl.
“Clatter.”
The Crown Prince stood up and left. You Zong looked up and exchanged a glance with Yu Shaoyun. Yu Shaoyun’s eyes clearly said, “Too strange. I don’t get it.” Then he quickly turned and followed.
You Zong looked at the increasingly chaotic chess game, especially that “inspired” move. Then he thought about Pei Xiting’s seemingly nonchalant behavior throughout the journey. He suddenly guessed some of the underlying story.
“Quite bold indeed,” You Zong sighed softly.
Pei Xiting and Yuan Fang disembarked at the ferry and immediately spotted a carriage parked not far away. Leaning against the carriage was none other than Pei Jintang.
“Xiting!” Pei Jintang saw them too. He immediately waved, quickly stepped forward to take the painting case from Pei Xiting, and also helped Yuan Fang with two large bags. “Wow, you bought so much!”
“Just bought whatever I saw. You guys can pick something for yourselves later,” Pei Xiting said. As he finished speaking, he saw the carriage door open and Bu Suying step out. He couldn’t help but freeze. “…Madam.”
Bu Suying stepped off the carriage on the stool, quickly walked up to Pei Xiting, looked him up and down several times, and then smiled. “You didn’t lose weight.”
Pei Xiting couldn’t help but laugh. “I ate and drank well. How could I lose weight?”
“I received your reply earlier, saying you would arrive today, so I told Madam. She wanted to come and meet you, so I brought her along… Quick, put the stuff in the carriage.” Pei Jintang directed Yuan Fang to unload the luggage and load it up, urging Pei Xiting, “Quick, take off that qin and sit in the carriage.”
Pei Xiting carefully took off the qin, hugged it, and got into the carriage. Pei Jintang immediately squeezed in after him. Yuan Fang stepped forward, closed the carriage door, and sat on the coachman’s seat beside the driver, signaling the servant to go.
Inside the carriage, Pei Jintang said, “I listened to you and didn’t disturb Sifan’s studies. I didn’t tell him you were coming back today.”
Pei Xiting stroked the qin. “Mm. I’ll send someone to deliver the local products and gifts to him later.”
“Put that qin down. Isn’t it heavy on your lap?” Pei Jintang said.
Pei Xiting said, “Mind your own business.”
“Hey, mind your own business,” Pei Jintang made a face, making Bu Suying smile. She looked curiously at Pei Xiting. “Your trip to Ningzhou… how did you bring back a qin? Is it for yourself, or a gift for someone?”
“Someone gave it to me,” Pei Xiting said. “I want to learn to play the qin.”
Bu Suying said, “The qin is a good thing. It can soothe the heart. If you want to learn, go ahead. Just be careful not to hurt your hands.”
Pei Xiting nodded. “I know… What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, it’s just this qin…” Bu Suying looked at the qin on his lap, identifying it. “‘Yanzhi Ruihua brocade qin case, blood jade qin tassels’—this qin must be worth a fortune.”
Pei Jintang couldn’t recognize the fabric, but he could sense the qin’s value. He touched the cute little qin tassel, but accidentally saw the small seal script on it. His eyes widened. “‘Yu Yin Qing He’—this is Yang Yuyin’s qin!”
Before Pei Xiting could answer, he answered himself. “Yes, it must be! This small seal script is exactly the same as the one on Sifan’s qin! That one was brought back from Jiangnan by the Zhao Family’s heir one year, worth a thousand gold.”
Bu Suying, having come from the Xian Yin Fang music academy, naturally knew Master Yang’s name. She was immediately astonished as well.
Pei Xiting looked up to meet two pairs of incredulous eyes. “…It is Master Yang’s qin.”
Pei Jintang was curious. “May I ask which rich person gave it to you?”
Pei Xiting naturally couldn’t tell the truth. “None of your damn business.”
Bu Suying was startled by his words, worried that Pei Jintang would be angry. But she saw Pei Jintang didn’t mind at all. He rubbed his chin and snickered. “Ooh, you’ve got a secret.”
Pei Xiting rolled his eyes. “I took a teacher outside and he gave it to me, as a gift. Is that not allowed?”
Pei Jintang said suspiciously, “Isn’t your teacher a bit too generous? Unless you have some exceptionally good innate talent, and your teacher wants to train you into a renowned master of the age?”
Pei Xiting actually felt that this qin was wasted on him. He had previously thought the Crown Prince was being good to him, but now thinking back, it might just have been because His Highness had to maintain his standards. He couldn’t give anyone a gift that was beneath his dignity.
Thinking about the Crown Prince made Pei Xiting feel a bit bitter inside. He said, “That’s right. It’s not too late to ask me now for a signed ticket. In the future, I’ll be a master with a packed house and no room for you, not even a spot on the wall.”
Bu Suying and Pei Jintang both laughed, vying to flatter Master Pei – pre-development version.
Bu Suying was more perceptive than Pei Jintang. She could tell that Pei Xiting’s mood was a bit low. She guessed it might be related to the person who gave him the qin, but she didn’t dare to ask too much. She could only try to keep talking to him along the way to distract him.
Bu Suying rarely went out, so Pei Xiting suggested they eat out before going home. Pei Jintang was naturally happy about it. “What would you like to eat, Madam?”
Seeing her hesitation, Pei Xiting said, “We’re fine with anything.”
“Yes, you choose,” Pei Jintang said.
Bu Suying usually ate light food. Having gone out today, her heart felt more open. She said, “I want something flavorful.”
“Roasted rabbit!” Pei Jintang said.
Bu Suying nodded to indicate that was fine. Under Pei Jintang’s direct, shining stare, Pei Xiting instructed the servant, “To Baiyou Mountain.”
“Hehe, you get me.” Pei Jintang turned to Bu Suying. “Have you ever been to Baiyou Mountain, Madam?”
Bu Suying shook her head. Pei Jintang patted his chest confidently. “Don’t worry, this trip won’t be a waste. After you taste the roasted rabbit from the Roasted Rabbit Champion, I guarantee you’ll immediately grow a craving for it.”
Bu Suying smiled. “That would be terrible. What will I do when I crave it later?”
“Xiting is usually at the yamen, far away. When you want to eat, just call for me, and I’ll take you,” Pei Jintang said cheerfully. “You can go at night too. You’d just have to climb over the wall.”
“That shouldn’t be too hard.” Seeing the two children look at her in surprise, Bu Suying explained, “Back when I performed the water dance, I had to hold a silk ribbon and dance across the entire surface of the lake. It not only required a light and graceful figure, but also no fear of heights. So, when I was practicing, I would find a small cliff and spend the whole day flying back and forth between the top and the foot, even in a downpour. If I could climb a small mountain, then a courtyard wall is nothing.”
Saying these last words made Bu Suying pause for a moment.
“Yes. If I could climb a small mountain, then a courtyard wall is nothing.”
Bu Suying came back to herself at these words. Her eyes met Pei Xiting’s gaze. She couldn’t help but smile faintly. “Yes.”
Pei Jintang hadn’t noticed the look between mother and son. He was just marveling, then inevitably felt regret. “It’s really unfortunate that I never got to see Madam dance. No luck for my eyes.”
“That’s alright,” Bu Suying said, clutching her sleeve, hesitating. “Give me some time to prepare, and I can dance again.”
Pei Xiting reached out and took Bu Suying’s clenched fist, encouraging her. “If you like it, you can pick it up again anytime. Just don’t forget to let me know in advance. I want to come and watch, and I’ll paint a portrait of you.”
Pei Jintang said sweetly, “Don’t be so beautiful that your brush dips into the wrong place.”
Pei Xiting said seriously, “Even if a celestial maiden descends to earth, I will strive to maintain the basic composure of a painter.”
“You two children…” Bu Suying smiled shyly. She reached out her other hand to hold Pei Xiting’s, feeling a warmth in her heart.
Chatting and laughing, they arrived at the Roasted Rabbit Champion’s doorstep. Shiliu Niang was tidying up some flowerpots on the wooden rack in front of the door. She liked bright, delicate flowers. The ones displayed outside were mostly pinks, purples, blues – names unknown, but every pot was beautiful, catching the eye from afar.
Pei Jintang called out to her. She turned her head. “Oh, you’re—”
The flowerpot slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. The pink rain lily was uprooted and rolled out. Pei Jintang was startled. He was about to tease her that they were old customers, so there was no need for such a surprised welcome, when he realized Shiliu Niang’s gaze had fallen behind him.
Shiliu Niang stared at the person. Incredulously, she said, “…Sister Bu?”