The low laughter of the maids drifted from the courtyard, adding a touch of lightness to the winter night.

"Where is everyone?" Chang Yuncheng slapped the book he hadn't turned a page of shut, remarking.

The sounds of chatter outside instantly ceased. The maids, who never dared to enter to serve unless summoned, came in at the sound of his voice.

"What are the Young Master's orders?" Qiuxiang asked, bowing.

After a long pause, there was no reply from Chang Yuncheng. Qiuxiang couldn't help but look up.

Chang Yuncheng held the book clenched in his hand for another moment of silence.

"Since you're idle, go and tidy up over there," he said.

Qiuxiang was left utterly bewildered by the instruction.

"Young Master... do you require rest?" she ventured tentatively.

"What time is it to be resting!" Chang Yuncheng shot back, glaring.

Qiuxiang glanced at the water clock in the room.

It was getting late...

What was wrong with the Young Master today? He had been eating in the Madam's quarters these past days, yet he had suddenly returned today. His expression had seemed somewhat off even during dinner, and after eating, he was unusually staying in his room to read...

She had never known the Young Master to enjoy reading so much...

"Have you tidied the rooms belonging to the Young Mistress yet?" Chang Yuncheng put down his book and took a deep breath.

Qiuxiang's face paled slightly, surprise etched on her features. Was the Young Master saying the Young Mistress would be coming to stay?

"Then... then this servant will go and prepare immediately." She dared not ask further, lowering her head to take her leave. Her footsteps were somewhat flustered, and she nearly knocked over a vase near the folding screen door.

"Lock up properly when it's time to lock the doors. Don't let one person delay everyone's rest," Chang Yuncheng muttered heavily. "We don't break that rule here..."

Every word of that sounded utterly dismissive. Yet, Qiuxiang would never interpret it that way. To her ears, it was merely someone conceding defeat and putting on a stern front to save face.

The Young Mistress had won again this time, just as she had declared the very first day she stepped into this courtyard. Her courtyard. She could stay whenever she wished; even after being driven out, she had ultimately been welcomed back.

By now, the entire estate was buzzing that the Young Mistress was the successor of a Divine Physician, whose skills could pluck a soul back from the clutches of Yama. Otherwise, why would the Old Madam have treated her with such regard in the first place?

If that was true, then the old rumors about the Young Mistress walking through the gates of the Underworld and drinking Meng Po's soup must also be true...

The successor of a Divine Physician—even the Halls of Yama would surely not dare to keep her.

Qiuxiang completely shed her former disdain and contempt. The Young Mistress's position in the Marquis of Dingxi's estate was now unshakable.

Qiuxiang stepped out of the room. She looked at the maids gathered under the covered walkway, waiting for orders with a trace of trepidation.

"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and get the Young Mistress's rooms ready!" she commanded, waving a hand, her face showing annoyance and urgency. "Look at the time! Don't the Young Mistress deserve rest after all her strenuous efforts these past days..."

The maids stared at her in astonishment, as if they hadn't understood a word she said.

"You little wretches, you're getting too bold, aren't you? Hurry up and prepare the Young Mistress's rooms!" Qiuxiang stomped her foot and said, then rushed down herself, heading straight for the room where Qi Yue had temporarily stayed.

The maids finally snapped back to reality. The maids from the Young Master's side were quicker on the uptake and instantly grasped the situation. One by one, they gasped in shock, sticking out their tongues. But none dared to slow their pace, and they all surged toward that specific room.

The commotion in the outer courtyard only made Chang Yuncheng more agitated. He felt suffocated, reached down to untie his outer robe, and walked a few steps before feeling slightly more comfortable.

This time, it was fulfilling a gentleman's promise. It wasn't something shameful. It would be best if this woman knew her place. If she dared to act smug or presumptuous again...

Chang Yuncheng let out a cold snort. He wouldn't mind letting her remember his might again!

The night deepened, and the cold winter wind whistled through the trees and eaves of the houses, making a low, moaning sound.

The maids in the courtyard wrapped their padded clothing tighter, retreating as far as possible into the corners under the walkway. Usually, by this hour, everyone except the night-duty maids would already be tucked into their warm beds. But at this moment, they all stood rigidly in place, not daring to leave.

Qiuxiang hurried back inside, stomping her feet.

The maids immediately gathered around her.

"How is the Young Mistress?" they whispered.

"The Young Mistress has rested. That side is locked up..." Qiuxiang murmured, her expression complex in the flickering lamplight swaying with the wind.

The maids let out a collective, low gasp.

Just then, the main door was violently thrown open, startling the maids in the courtyard into immediate silence.

"Close and lock the door," Chang Yuncheng said coldly.

Qiuxiang quickly responded, bustling the off-duty maids out quickly. A flurry of disorganized footsteps echoed in the courtyard.

Chang Yuncheng slammed the door shut, and the light inside the room was immediately extinguished.

As the sky brightened, A'ru, unable to suppress her worry, gently lifted the thick curtain of the sleeping chamber to peer inside.

Qi Yue was lying on the bed, wearing only her underclothes, her hands propping her head, her legs crossed in the air, staring up at the canopy.

A'ru was momentarily stunned by the sight, followed by a wave of awkwardness.

"Oh, A'ru, you truly think so little of me..." Qi Yue laughed heartily, sitting up but not getting out of bed, instead settling into a cross-legged position. "Why do you always assume I don't want to live..."

A'ru felt exposed for having her thoughts seen through and was very embarrassed.

"That's not it at all. I was just checking if the Young Mistress was awake?" she said, walking in with candid boldness and reaching out to roll up the window curtain. "It's quite late; the Young Mistress should get up now."

"There's nothing urgent, so why get up," Qi Yue laughed, flopping back onto the bed and patting the soft quilt. "Sleeping until I naturally wake up, not having to worry about eating, drinking, or where to relieve myself—clothes brought to me, food served—this is the life many of us dream of. I never thought I'd actually see the day it came true..."

More incomprehensible words from the Young Mistress. A'ru pursed her lips into a smile without replying, instead retrieving warm water from the brazier and offering it to her.

"Well, Young Mistress, you still have to reach out and open your mouth," she said. "You can't just lie there like this."

Qi Yue took the cup of water, looking at A'ru with surprise.

"A'ru, so you can joke too," she commented, tutting.

A'ru smiled without speaking, picking up a light shawl from the side to help Qi Yue sit up.

"This servant will comb your hair—a simple style. So the Young Mistress can lie down again whenever she wishes without messing it up," she explained.

Speaking of hair combing, Qi Yue thought of someone.

"A'ru, I wonder how Ah'Hao is doing?" she said as she got off the bed.

A'ru shook her head.

Since their return, they had been so busy until yesterday when they finally caught a breath. They hadn't even left this courtyard. Moreover, they weren't allowed other servants or maids in, so they couldn't gather any news, and truthfully, they hadn't thought to inquire about anything either.

"She must have been terribly frightened?" Qi Yue shook her head and smiled.

"This servant will go check on her later," A'ru said, expertly tying Qi Yue's hair up in the meantime.

"Let her come back," Qi Yue said.

A'ru paused, somewhat surprised.

"I always thought I might leave, so I wanted to secure a retreat for you all. But now, I can protect you for a lifetime," Qi Yue said, smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

Early morning was not the time for the storeroom to be busy, so after eating, the female servants gathered in small groups, holding their sweeping tools, chatting about mundane things: who won how much last night, who lost how much, which family's child was hoping for what kind of assignment—everyday gossip.

A little maid came running up rapidly.

"The 'Yi Nai Nai' needs a bolt of cloth to make clothes," she said, tossing the tally token in her hand over with a degree of impatience. "Be quick. I haven't eaten yet, and they're waiting over there."

A few servants glanced at the young maid. One of them slowly took the tally token and examined it.

"This won't do; the tally token is incorrect," she drawled languidly.

The little maid glared.

"What's incorrect? Have you been drinking until your vision is blurred? This is the Madam's tally token," she retorted, placing her hands on her hips.

The servants chuckled, making the little maid irritable.

"Of course, I recognize this as the Madam's token. However, the Young Mistress has returned, and if she needs to retrieve items from the storeroom, we also need to see if there is a token belonging to the Young Mistress..." one of them said softly, with a gentle smile.

The little maid froze, addressed by the servant's words.

"What?" Mother Su's face darkened when she heard the little maid's tearful complaint. "Is that what they said?"

The little maid nodded quickly.

"Then, Mother Su, please go ask the Young Mistress for a token. Our Yi Niang truly needs it right now," she pleaded. "If I go back late, I'll be beaten again. The older our Yi Niang gets, the worse her temper becomes..."

Mother Su was so incensed by this that she let out a short, exasperated laugh.

Zhu Yi Niang had recently dreamed that she ate a large melon whole, and ever since, she had been loudly proclaiming that the fetus was a boy. Coupled with the fact that the favored concubine Sumei had regained the Marquis's favor, the minor and major members of the household had become increasingly disrespectful.

"How can this old face go? You should go yourself. Your Yi Niang is pregnant now; she carries weight, and everything she says carries more weight," she chuckled.

The little maid nodded in understanding.

"So, from now on, if we need anything, we just go directly to the Young Mistress, right? I understand now," she said. With that, she dashed off, leaving Mother Su choking back her anger.

"Where is everyone?" Mother Su snapped crossly, looking at the few servants scattered in the courtyard. "How early is it? Have you all started acting like masters and mistresses? Not even showing your faces all day long?"

One servant stepped forward hesitantly.

"Mother Su, they... they have all gone to the Young Mistress's side..." she managed to say.

Mother Su froze, and this time she genuinely struggled to catch her breath.

Indeed, that woman was back.

Now, looking back at the moment this woman stepped forward to take charge of the household affairs, everyone had been shocked. But looking at the present situation, it was even more earth-shattering than that time.

This woman, when still, was nothing; when she moved, it was terrifying. Who knew what major event she would stir up next...

These troublesome days were about to begin again...

Qi Yue stretched her limbs in the courtyard, watching A'ru go to open the door.

"Don't let them send so much food over anymore. I only need plain congee and a few side dishes," Qi Yue instructed.

A'ru nodded, opened the door, and immediately froze in place.

"You... you all..." She was startled by the dense crowd standing outside the door.

"What is it?" Qi Yue turned her wrists and came over to ask.

"Young Mistress, you're finally back," a maid cried out with tears in her voice and rushed in.

A'ru was bumped backward by the charge and reached out to steady her.

"Quezhi," Qi Yue said with a smile upon seeing the maid. Then she saw the group behind Quezhi surging in, some familiar faces among the new ones.

"Young Mistress, we've come for the morning meeting," they said in a chaotic chorus, their voices filled with respect and attempts to please... Da Shuang Yu (Big Gemini) is temporarily in a low tide against the current; I will write more and update more after this passes. I apologize~RQ