"These aren't pretty enough; change them again," Chang Yuncheng said to Qi Yue, who was just about to leave the house, standing under the eaves.

He pointed to the plants and flowers that Qiu Xiang was currently directing the young maids to move out. Qiu Xiang's face couldn't hide a touch of smugness, but as Qi Yue looked over, she quickly lowered her head with a hint of apprehension.

In front of a courtyard full of maids and older female servants, Qi Yue felt she couldn't openly slight this 'leader,' so she respectfully led the group out to select new ones herself.

Then, this exact scene replayed itself.

"Chang Yuncheng, that's enough. Stop playing this game; it's childish," Qi Yue stood in the main hall, looking at Chang Yuncheng, who was 'pruning' the flowers with his precious sword in the side room. He wore only a plain cyan robe, unbelted, hanging loosely on his body, revealing his toned chest with every movement.

"This is my room; I'll decorate it however I please," he said, casually tossing the sword onto the floor and striding toward her. He brushed past Qi Yue and headed toward the bedroom.

"Also, what did you just call me?" He turned back, his eyes deep as he asked.

In modern custom, people addressed each other by name, so Qi Yue forced a smile. "Shizi Ye," she said, offering a bow that didn't quite reach her eyes.

The mocking smile on Chang Yuncheng’s lips vanished as he withdrew his gaze.

"Shizi Ye, let's talk properly..." Qi Yue followed him, stepping into Chang Yuncheng’s inner room. As soon as she entered, she saw him pulling off his outer robe.

Before Qi Yue’s eyes appeared the man’s half-naked body: skin like ancient bronze, hard muscle, broad shoulders, narrow waist... Her words caught in her throat, and she froze.

Then, Chang Yuncheng's hands went to his belt, and with a single sharp pull, his loose trousers fell down. "You pervert!" Although Qi Yue was older, she couldn't immediately accept this close-up view of human anatomy. Startled, she spun around, shouting in exasperation, "There are people in the room! Why are you undressing!"

"My room—who let you in?" Chang Yuncheng’s slow voice came from behind her.

"Your room is my room too. Why can't I enter?" Qi Yue retorted indignantly.

"Then do as you please. Why the fuss?" Chang Yuncheng said flatly.

Me? What haven't I seen? Am I afraid of looking at a man's body? What body haven't I seen! Never mind being a doctor; even if I weren't, couldn't she just search online for whatever she wanted to see?

"Fine," Qi Yue scoffed, chuckling, and turned around as she spoke.

Chang Yuncheng clearly hadn't expected her to actually dare. His expression instantly changed.

"You..." He opened his mouth to scold her, but then he saw that the little serving girl who had turned around had her eyes tightly shut. After a moment’s pause, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Scared you," Qi Yue said with a trace of triumph while keeping her eyes closed. Only then did she slightly and cautiously open one eye, not seeing the scene that would surely give her 'eye sores.' The man's trousers were securely fastened at his waist.

"Is playing games like this fun?" Qi Yue glared at him, her eyes wide open.

Chang Yuncheng wore a smile on his face. "Bluffing," he said.

When he smiled, his sharp, somewhat cold features softened, taking on a hint of bright sunshine. A handsome man's smiling face always brought pleasure, and Qi Yue found herself smiling too. Seeing the woman before him break into a smile, Chang Yuncheng froze, and his expression suddenly darkened, his heart filled with shock.

What was he doing? He actually smiled at this woman? This woman actually made him laugh?

Qi Yue didn't notice.

"Shizi Ye, let's talk properly..." She still intended to coexist peacefully, taking advantage of the boy's good mood.

"Get out," Chang Yuncheng said coldly, cutting her off.

Only then did Qi Yue notice that the man before her had reverted to that expression of someone demanding repayment of a debt—even more intense than before. If before it was like owing money and refusing to pay, now it was closer to owing money, refusing to pay, and having killed one's own father.

"Hey, you..." Qi Yue started, confused, wanting to speak again.

"Get out. Don't make me throw you out," Chang Yuncheng interrupted coldly.

This attitude was unbearable even for a good-tempered person, let alone Qi Yue, whose temper wasn't exactly mild.

"Are you crazy!" Qi Yue snapped, her face sinking. "Why are you so jumpy, swinging from joy to anger? If you're unhappy, just say it!"

Before her words had completely faded, Chang Yuncheng indeed strode forward, grabbing her shoulder with one hand and shoving her away without ceremony. Qi Yue couldn't withstand his strength; she staggered and was flung out, crashing into the newly placed flower stand near the corner of the room.

The sound of shattering pots and a falling stand alerted the maids outside. Qiu Xiang rushed in first, followed closely by A Ru and Que Zhi. They saw the scattered pots, soil clumps, and wooden frame on the ground, and Qi Yue, who had managed to steady herself against a folding screen wall instead of falling completely.

"Madam..." A Ru hurried forward to help her.

"I bumped into it accidentally," Qi Yue smiled, patting her clothes as she spoke. "Que Zhi, send someone to clean this up." Que Zhi responded and quickly called for helpers.

Qiu Xiang looked at Qi Yue with scrutiny. When Qi Yue met her gaze, Qiu Xiang quickly averted her eyes and bent down to help lift the wooden stand.

Chang Yuncheng did not emerge from the inner chamber; silence reigned within. Qi Yue smiled at A Ru.

"Let's go," she said, not needing A Ru's assistance, and walked out slowly. Que Zhi led two or three young maids carrying brooms and other tools, filing in.

A Ru followed Qi Yue into the main room, watching her cautiously with a worried expression.

"I'm fine. I won't stoop to the level of that lunatic. What kind of people haven't I seen? My previous patients and their families were all sorts," Qi Yue said with a smile to A Ru while picking up a cup of tea.

A Ru saw that the entire basket of comforting words she had prepared was now useless, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Madam, please don't be sad... Shizi Ye just has a bad temper; he’s actually quite good..." she tried to say.

Before she finished, Qi Yue slammed the teacup onto the table. "Brat, taking your temper out on me—you just wait, I've made a note of this," she huffed.

A Ru sighed helplessly; she knew it was coming...

"Madam, please don't talk like that. You and Shizi Ye should value harmony..." she quickly urged.

Qi Yue pouted a smile at her. "Of course, harmony. He is my husband; am I going to fight him with a knife? Wouldn't that just invite divorce papers?" she laughed, lightly tapping A Ru's shoulder with her fan. "Don't worry, I'm not that foolish as to do something that pleases my enemies and hurts my loved ones."

This boy giving me the cold shoulder—isn't it just because he wants to drive me away? I absolutely won't leave. I'll stay right here, happily and cheerfully, to slap him in the face.

At dinner that evening, Qi Yue appeared in the dining hall with the same cheerful smile. "Shizi Ye," she greeted him with a respectful bow.

Hitting her really straightened her out. She never showed this much etiquette before, Qiu Xiang thought to herself.

Chang Yuncheng didn't spare Qi Yue a single glance, his expression one of knowing contempt.

"Shizi Ye, counting the days, tomorrow is when you should be heading out," Qi Yue said nonchalantly, sitting down herself and smiling as she looked at the dishes being served.

The chopsticks in Chang Yuncheng's hand paused slightly. Counting the days—he calculated in his mind, remembering he seemed to have heard something about stitches needing removal...

"What? You have somewhere you need to go?" He raised his eyes to look at Qi Yue, a barely concealed hint of mockery on his lips. One trick, and she really thinks she has me completely trapped?

"Need to go somewhere? Where would I need to go?" Qi Yue looked up at him, feigning confusion. "Does Shizi Ye have any instructions?"

Playing dumb? Chang Yuncheng sneered.

"But even if Shizi Ye has instructions, you'll have to wait. I must go out tomorrow. Since I've taken on this matter, I must see it through to the end," Qi Yue said, speaking before Chang Yuncheng could.

This woman is still so arrogant, daring to speak to Shizi Ye like that! Shizi Ye, smash your rice bowl at her! Qiu Xiang screamed inwardly.

But to her disappointment, Shizi Ye merely lifted his bowl to his own mouth and said no more. He finished his soup, set down the bowl, and left. Qiu Xiang quickly followed, glancing back just before exiting.

"This congee is quite well-cooked; bring me another bowl," Qi Yue said.

Although Qi Yue remained outwardly calm, as if nothing had happened, too many people monitored the Shizi’s courtyard, and since those who enjoyed seeing the Eldest Young Mistress suffer still formed the majority in the Dingxi Marquis's residence, the incident where Qi Yue collided with the flower pots in the Shizi’s room quickly spread.

"...The Madam was scolded by the Shizi, got scared, and crashed into the flower pots..."

"...The Madam tried to seduce the Shizi and crashed into the flower pots..."

"...The Madam was hit by the Shizi with a flower pot..."

"...The Madam was hit by the Shizi with a flower pot so hard she vomited blood..."

A Hao and Liu'er only returned after seeing Qi Yue's carriage leave. However, they didn't go back to the Shizi’s courtyard. When Qi Yue wasn't there, A Hao would also retreat. Though she appeared recovered now, Qi Yue still insisted she rest more. Obeying the Young Mistress was A Hao's only faith. Liu'er naturally followed A Hao's lead.

As the two turned down a small path, they ran into a group of maids who were gossiping animatedly, completely unaware of A Hao and Liu'er behind them. An old man, swaying as if half-asleep, trailed behind the maids.

"...Vomited blood? Can she even survive?" one maid expressed skepticism about the rumor.

"How could she not survive?" another maid scoffed, lowering her voice. "...Vomiting blood is hardly a major issue..."

The old doctor at the back could no longer stand the ignorance of the young maids.

"Vomiting blood isn't a major issue? Vomiting blood means internal organs are damaged. What does internal organ damage mean? In severe cases, it means death," he snorted, clearly impatient with the chattering ignoramuses. "Your family's maid last time, didn't she die precisely because her internal organs were injured? She didn't even vomit blood then, just retched. Don't underestimate all this vomiting..."

The doctor’s words startled the young maids into a panic.

"Ah, Doctor, the maid you're supposed to see for the Third Miss today also seems to vomit after eating something... Could it be..." the maids chattered.

"Hey, wait a minute," one maid realized something. "No maid has died here." Hearing this, everyone snapped back to attention.

"Right, no one died. Doctor, did you remember wrong?" they asked the old man one after another.

"How could I remember wrong? A young maid, punished with a caning. I was called over late at night, and she was already gone..." The old man hated having his memory questioned. He harrumphed, shaking his head and sighing. "So young, what a pity..."

Before his words died down, he heard a cough from behind him, followed by a call: "Doctor."

The old man instinctively turned around and saw two maids, about fifteen or sixteen years old. Having worked among the servants of the Dingxi Marquis's residence for a long time, he recognized the rank from their attire. One of them looked sweet and pleasing, and she gave him a bright smile.

"Doctor, I died so tragically..." the maid suddenly stuck out her tongue, leaned forward abruptly, and whispered to him in a drawn-out, low voice while shaking her head.

In broad daylight, such a sudden remark startled the old man. Is this girl mad? He widened his eyes to look closer, and upon clearly seeing the maid's face, he let out a great cry and stumbled back several steps.

The younger maids were about to curtsy to A Hao and Liu'er and hadn't noticed what A Hao had said. They were thrown into disarray when the old doctor bumped into them.

A Hao burst into laughter.

"Which young lady is sick? Or perhaps find another doctor. This one... " She shook her head. "...isn't very good..." With that, she waved her hand with a smile and walked past.

"Doctor, what are you doing?" The young maids, feeling embarrassed, scolded the old man.

"Ghost... ghost..." the old man stammered, staring at A Hao walking away, his face filled with terror.

"What ghost? That’s Young Mistress’s A Hao," the young maids said more sharply, thinking the doctor was truly incompetent and having a fit of delusion.

The old man stared, his eyes wide. The sunlight cast clear shadows of the moving maid on the ground, long and short as she walked. She truly was alive...

The old man’s mouth hung open as he stared fixedly at the walking maid. Her figure was light, her steps composed, and she occasionally turned her head to chat and laugh with the maid beside her; her smile was vibrant, her face vivid.

"Impossible, impossible," he muttered repeatedly. "Impossible!" That night, although it was dark, he clearly remembered the appearance of that poor maid. Perhaps because she was so young, or perhaps because of the dirty methods the Marquis’s residence used against servants, or perhaps because of the rare display of genuine concern and anxiety he witnessed that night—a girl who already had one foot in the King of Hell's palace—he remembered her clearly.

"Sister A Hao, what are you doing?" Liu'er asked, confused.

A Hao shook her head and laughed.

"The first thing this doctor said when he examined me was that I was going to die. I was so scared I passed out on the spot..." she said with a trace of indignation. "If it hadn't been for..." She stopped abruptly there.

"If it hadn't been for what?" Liu'er pressed, waiting to hear more.

"If it hadn't been for my strong life force, I really would have been scared to death by him," A Hao chuckled. "I’ll scare him back this time."

Liu'er laughed and glanced back. She saw the old doctor, whom A Hao had scared, running towards them with wide eyes.

"Oh no, the old man is chasing us," she said quickly, grabbing A Hao's arm, ready to hide.

A Hao turned back. The old doctor had rushed up to her, reaching out to grab her other arm.

"You... why aren't you dead? Why aren't you dead?" he shouted excitedly. "Who saved you? Who cured you?"

Chapter update: Four thousand characters released. Day off on the 28th. Apologies.