The next morning, A'ru, with concealer covering the dark circles under her eyes, came to serve the Young Mistress as she awoke.

Qi Yue was already up. Having experienced such an unbelievable event, she had barely slept, only drifting off toward dawn. She was currently struggling with the clothes laid out on the **stand beside the bed.

"Are these meant to be worn?" Qi Yue muttered as she tried to slip one on. Hearing the door, she quickly struck a pose as if she had just woken up.

Presumably, a maidservant's duty included helping her mistress dress.

"Did the Young Mistress sleep well?" A'ru asked, drawing back the curtains and lifting the canopy. Morning light flooded the room, instantly making it bright.

"Very well," Qi Yue replied with a smile, despite her prominent dark circles.

A'ru poured her a cup of warm tea. Qi Yue slowly sipped it, casually observing A'ru.

A'ru approached with a small white porcelain bowl placed on a stand beside the bed.

This is for rinsing the mouth? Qi Yue thought, spitting naturally into it while inwardly marveling. She had studied it for quite a while last night. The porcelain was exquisitely made—small and lovely—she had assumed it was purely for decoration, only to discover it was merely a spittoon.

The daily necessities and comforts in a Marquis's residence truly were extraordinary.

Only after rinsing did she drink the tea. Qi Yue walked a few paces around the room to stretch.

"It’s not raining today," she remarked to A'ru.

The best way to start a conversation, she mused, was always about the weather; it must be applicable across all times and places.

A'ru smiled and nodded.

"After the rain, the flowers and grass outside are vibrantly beautiful, enough to stir the heart," she said, handing Qi Yue an object.

Qi Yue took it and let out another internal "Wow!"—a toothbrush!

It certainly couldn't compare to a modern one, and the bristles were coated with salt. Qi Yue happily brushed her teeth, after which A'ru began to wash her face and apply makeup.

Truly the wicked old society... This level of indulgence was too much...

"Ah Hao, that girl, is playing around again," A'ru observed, glancing toward the door as she spoke.

Ah Hao was excellent at combing hair. That was precisely why the Old Madam had assigned her to the Eldest Young Mistress originally, so the task of hair styling had always remained hers.

"Don't rush; we have nowhere urgent to be," Qi Yue said, turning occasionally to try various ways of pinning up her hair with the numerous hairpins from the jewelry box.

"The Mistress is too kind; she has spoiled her rotten," A'ru chuckled, her hands never stopping as she tidied and wiped the room.

"What do you think of this hairstyle?" Qi Yue would turn to ask her every now and then.

The mistress and maid were chatting easily and pleasantly when they heard a quarrel outside the door, recognizing Ah Hao's voice among them.

"Go see what's happening," Qi Yue said immediately.

A'ru had been waiting for this command and rushed out upon hearing it.

As A'ru left, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Qi Yue could hear the commotion outside.

"...I picked that lotus first..."

"...Who told you to pick it! Our Concubine Yi specifically requested those..."

"...Our Eldest Young Mistress..."

"...Eldest Young Mistress, don't ruin these good flowers for me, you little slut, or I'll tear your mouth apart if you talk back again..."

Immediately following this came Ah Hao's sharp cry of pain, suggesting she had been overpowered.

"Which courtyard are you from? How dare you lay hands on someone?" A'ru demanded, looking at the young girl who had just shoved Ah Hao to the ground and snatched the lotus from her grasp.

Because three years prior, upon the marriage of Qi Yue and the Eldest Young Master, a batch of older maidservants had been married off with serving boys to celebrate the happy occasion. Most duties had been reassigned, resulting in a new influx of young maids. A'ru, having followed the Eldest Young Mistress into the Autumn Wutong Courtyard, was not very familiar with these newcomers.

The girl looked to be about twelve or thirteen, dressed in a worn, dark blue cloth tunic and matching trousers, with a sharp, cunning face—the type of rough maid suitable only for sweeping and running errands.

Since the Old Madam passed, the household rules had clearly become lax. Surely such a girl should have undergone proper instruction? Even if she didn't recognize people