Old Master Fu listened to the servant’s report, genuinely puzzled for a moment. Given the Madam’s usual level of affection for her son, she shouldn't have resorted to striking him unless the matter was quite serious. Thinking this, Old Master Fu dismissed his surprise and rushed over.

When Old Master Fu arrived, Fu Lan was standing stupefied before his desk, while Madam Fu sat on a nearby chair, seemingly clutching her chest in agitation.

Seeing the scene, Old Master Fu asked with confusion, “Madam, what is this about?”

Upon seeing Old Master Fu arrive, the anger on Madam Fu’s face was replaced by anxiety. Yes, anxiety. Madam Fu no longer cared about being angry at her son; all she could think was, It’s over. If the Master finds out, my son will certainly be punished, and it won't be lightly.

Old Master Fu looked at Madam Fu, who merely stared at him without any intention of answering, growing slightly displeased. “Lan’er, tell me, what wrong have you done to make your mother so angry?”

Fu Lan, who had initially struggled to accept the slap from his mother, was jolted back to reality by his father’s question. Though perhaps simple-minded in social dealings, he was not foolish. Seeing his mother’s extreme reaction to this matter, it wasn't hard to guess how furious his father would be. Thus, Fu Lan was momentarily speechless.

Seeing that his wife would not answer and his son was similarly unresponsive, Old Master Fu became even more dissatisfied and bellowed, “Someone tell me exactly what happened!”

While Madam Fu could still manage Old Master Fu’s shout, Fu Lan found he could not bear it. Seeing his father lose his temper, he dared not conceal anything further and stammered out a brief, concise account of the matter.

Madam Fu had intended to stop her son, but unfortunately, her son didn't even notice the meaningful looks she shot him; instead, he nervously watched Old Master Fu as he recounted the story.

After hearing what his son had done, Old Master Fu erupted in fury, as expected. “You rebellious child! Your engagement to the Second Miss of the Xia residence was settled by our families’ parents; how dare you say you’ll change it? And you even dared to have a secret relationship with the Eldest Miss of the Xia residence? Now you’ve gone to the Xia residence yourself to propose marriage to the legitimately born Eldest Miss of the Xia family? Are you trying to anger your mother and me to death? I tell you, you can forget about marrying the Xia family’s collateral-born daughter—our Fu family cannot afford that disgrace! You will marry the legitimate daughter of the Xia family!”

Scolded fiercely by Old Master Fu, Fu Lan refuted quietly, “But Madam Xia has already registered her under her name now. She is also a legitimate daughter of the Xia family!”

“Nonsense, that’s not the same thing! Even if she is registered under Madam Xia’s name now, it cannot change her past status. Furthermore, the future head of the Xia family will be the full brother of the Second Miss Xia. If you marry the Eldest Miss Xia, think about whether your relationship with him can remain the same as before! And the current Madam of the Xia residence is the biological mother of the Second Miss. If you switch your engagement to the Eldest Miss, do you think Madam Xia won't resent you?” Old Master Fu chastised.

Hearing his father’s words, Fu Lan actually remained somewhat unconvinced in his heart. In his view, he would eventually carve out a place for himself in the imperial court through his own abilities. Whether his in-laws offered assistance was a bonus; if they didn't, it was equally fine. After all, as a proper man, how could he constantly rely on his wife’s family for support? However, seeing his father so angry, Fu Lan dared not voice these thoughts.

Madam Fu, standing to the side, felt no happiness seeing Old Master Fu successfully reason with their son; instead, she sighed and shook her head. “Alas, Master, even if we now wished to seek the hand of the Second Miss Xia, it’s impossible. Today, Madam Xia declared in front of so many people that she would betroth the Eldest Miss of the Xia residence to Lan’er! She even mentioned that Lan’er and their Eldest Miss have deep feelings for each other. Now everyone knows that our Lan’er is to marry their Eldest Miss!”

“Hmph! That’s not something their household can decide unilaterally. The engagement between our two families was settled together back then; how can the Xia residence simply change it now? You don’t need to worry about this. I will go to the Xia residence tomorrow to speak with Brother Xia. An engagement settled between families is not something that can be easily discarded?” Old Master Fu stroked his beard.

Madam Fu recalled Madam Xia’s resolute demeanor from that day and felt the situation was not optimistic, but she didn't voice her concerns immediately. Instead, she thought that since the Master was already planning to go to the Xia residence, she could use this opportunity to make him forget about punishing their son.

Indeed, Old Master Fu became so preoccupied with planning how to negotiate with Old Master Xia that he completely forgot about the punishment he had intended for his son moments before.

Meanwhile, in the Xia residence, Xia Wanyu was so delighted she almost wanted to throw a celebration. She had finally succeeded in obtaining what she desired: status, a good marriage prospect, and even more gratifyingly, this prospect was snatched from her legitimate younger sister. The mere thought that this situation would cause distress to her stepmother and legitimate sister brought a surge of pleasure to Xia Wanyu. So what if she was born of a concubine? Hadn't she still seized something that belonged to you? And you, Xia Wanting, even though you are legitimate, cannot protect your own marriage!

Chunlan, standing beside her, felt a joy mirroring her mistress’s delight. She recalled that previously, Madam had arranged for the Eldest Miss to marry a mere Juren whose family background was reportedly not very prosperous. As the Eldest Miss’s trusted maid, she knew she would surely accompany her mistress. But marrying into a poor son-in-law’s household—no matter how hard she tried, what good fortune could she secure later? Things were different now! The Eldest Miss was marrying into the Fu residence, and not just anyone, but the legitimate eldest young master, the future head of the Fu family. If she followed her mistress there and planned things well, becoming a concubine would even be a real possibility. However, she couldn't reveal her thoughts now, or she’d face the Eldest Miss’s wrath!

Even amidst her happiness, Xia Wanyu considered that since she was now deemed a legitimate daughter, and since her younger sister had seemed unwell lately, it was only proper for an older sister to visit and inquire after her. Thus, she called Chunlan and headed toward Xia Wanting’s residence.

Upon reaching Xia Wanting’s quarters, Xia Wanyu’s eyes flashed with jealousy as she surveyed the furnishings. Her stepmother’s favoritism was truly boundless; lavishing so many fine things on her own daughter, while she, a daughter born of a concubine, didn't even possess a tenth of what was here. Was she not also a young lady of the Xia residence? Didn't she call this woman ‘Mother’ every day?

Dong'er felt a surge of displeasure when the Eldest Miss entered. The Eldest Miss had not only stolen the Second Miss’s engagement but was now registered under Madam’s name—a complete victory. For her to come visiting the Second Miss at this juncture was, needless to say, laced with deliberate provocation.

As expected, upon seeing Xia Wanting, Xia Wanyu exclaimed, “Oh, Sister, I heard you haven't been feeling well recently, so I came to check on you. Are you feeling any better?”

Xia Wanting felt intensely irritated seeing Xia Wanyu appear before her as a victor. She had committed so many wrongdoings, yet instead of apologizing, she came here to gloat?

With that thought, Xia Wanting had little desire to engage with Xia Wanyu and merely replied coolly, “Thank you for your concern, I am much better.”

Xia Wanyu remained unbothered by Xia Wanting’s coldness. After hearing her reply, she chuckled, “That’s good. You weren't present that day when Mother decided to register me under her name; I thought Sister was angry! It turns out you were ill! But don't worry, Sister, I am now your legitimate elder sister, and I will certainly take good care of you.”

Xia Wanting had no inclination to listen to Xia Wanyu’s insincere words, but since Xia Wanyu insisted on speaking, she could do nothing but nod faintly and remain silent.

Unexpectedly, as if trying to deliberately antagonize her, Xia Wanyu chattered on endlessly, leaving Xia Wanting thoroughly vexed.

Finally, when Xia Wanyu had finished speaking her mind, there was no need for Xia Wanting to ask her to leave; she departed with her maid. Xia Wanting watched Xia Wanyu walk away and sighed inwardly, Finally, she’s gone.

Although Xia Wanting found Xia Wanyu detestable, she had no intention of telling her mother about the gloating. However, her maidservant was a different matter. During this time, Madam Xia had repeatedly instructed them to take excellent care of her young lady and report any irregularity immediately. Thus, a maid had already secretly hurried off to Madam Xia to report the entire incident.

Upon hearing the report, Madam Xia was so enraged that she threw her teacup, “That wicked spawn. I haven't had time to deal with her, and she comes right to my door.”

Old Nanny Gu, listening to the maid’s report, was also deeply displeased. “Madam, shall we now…”

Madam Xia pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. Give the order. Administer that thing to her immediately. I haven't used my methods in so many years; those people must think I've gone soft. If I don’t put a stop to this now, they’ll take over completely.”

Having received the command, Old Nanny Gu nodded and departed. After leaving, Old Nanny Gu sought out another nanny, whispered some instructions, and handed that nanny a small package. Following this, the second nanny nodded and quickly left, carrying the package.