Just as Physician An was stewing in indignation, Qi Yue and Chang Yuncheng finally arrived home safely.
Darkness had already fallen. Qi Yue, having slept through the carriage ride, took a long, comfortable bath, then rolled around on the soft luohan chuang, finally spreading herself out in a wide, relaxed sprawl.
“What sort of state are you in!” Chang Yuncheng, already washed up, hurried over when he heard she was back from A'ru’s quarters. He instantly saw her indecent posture and quickly frowned, sharply demanding.
Qi Yue rolled her eyes at him, shifted into a graceful side-lying pose, and tried to strike a seductive posture she’d seen on stage. Catching the look in Chang Yuncheng’s eyes—a look that seemed off—she swiftly sat up straight, pulling her robe tight.
Chang Yuncheng felt a mix of annoyance and awkwardness.
In the past, if he merely glanced at a woman a few times, she would practically strip right there for him. But this dreadful woman…
Still, it was understandable; this dreadful woman refused to let him anywhere near her…
Thinking back to the only two times he had managed to get close, her struggling beneath him like a wild cub had provided its own unique kind of thrill…
Chang Yuncheng felt a surge of heat rise instantly, his throat bobbing once.
“Hey, hey, you need to go outside now. I want to read for a while.” Qi Yue saw his expression change immediately, instantly bristling defensively, waving him away while shouting for A'ru on the outside.
A'ru answered the summons and entered.
Chang Yuncheng spat the word “dreadful woman” in frustration, yet he couldn't bear to leave her side. He turned away, pretending to flip through a book to hide his own agitation from the maidservant.
Qi Yue chatted endlessly with A'ru about trivialities. By the time Chang Yuncheng calmed down by reading for a spell, he looked over to see Qi Yue speaking while cautiously observing him—a sight that was slightly vexing, somewhat amusing, and tinged with a familiar melancholy.
“Speaking of which, the physicians at Shanning Manor are probably enjoying the taste of humble pie right about now,” he suddenly remarked.
Qi Yue’s conversation with A'ru broke off.
“You mean Physician An is about to become an innocent target?” Qi Yue laughed.
This woman was sharp at times, capable of following his line of thought; perhaps she wasn't entirely foolish after all.
“It’s quite normal for a physician to refuse cases. This time, running into you proved to be a disaster brought from the heavens,” Chang Yuncheng said. “The An family must be cursing your name right now.”
Coincidentally, Qi Yue let out a sudden, sharp sneeze.
“Are you a crow’s beak?” she quickly covered her nose with her hand, glaring at him.
“Scared now?” Chang Yuncheng laughed, a hint of triumph in his tone.
Scared? This woman must say she isn’t scared. If she says she isn't scared, it’s only because she’s protected by the status of the Young Madam of the Dingxi Marquis Estate…
“Scared? What is there for me to be scared of…” Qi Yue smiled.
Chang Yuncheng smiled too, willing her to say the next sentence, to utter the inevitable words….
“When a person drifts on the Jianghu, how can they avoid taking a knife? Either you take the knife, or I take it. It's better that you take it than me. Whoever has the skill avoids the blade, and if one is struck, it’s simply bad luck,” Qi Yue said, sitting cross-legged. She shook her half-dry hair loose, reciting a familiar local adage, “It’s not my fault if he resents me. When the situation is urgent, one must act according to expediency. He’s the one who got shot, after all. Besides, if he stubbornly believes that being humiliated was entirely my fault and grows to resent me…”
She paused, looking toward Chang Yuncheng.
“Then?” Chang Yuncheng inquired.
“Then I was entirely justified in humiliating him,” Qi Yue replied, a slight smile playing on her lips.
“How is that justified? If you were Physician An, wouldn't you hate someone for treating you that way? Wasn't that Physician Wang humiliating Qianjin Hall? Look at how badly you handled him in the end. Aren’t you afraid Physician An will treat you the same way?” Chang Yuncheng sat down, realizing the bedding here was softer than his own, finding it very comfortable. He instinctively pulled over a nearby yin zhen pillow to lean against.
Qi Yue frowned and glared at him, protesting his action of sitting down, grasping the pillow firmly.
Chang Yuncheng gave a light tug and took it.
“You should leave,” he said to A'ru.
He felt the presence of another person in the room was truly an eyesore and made him uncomfortable.
A'ru hesitated, glancing at Qi Yue.
“Enough,” Chang Yuncheng said flatly. “What kind of person do you take me for?”
If he dares to lose his beastly nature again, I’ll have him castrated…
Qi Yue snorted, signaling A'ru to depart.
As A'ru withdrew, she glanced back one last time. In the moonlit room, the husband and wife sat at opposite ends of the bed. One occasionally shook her long hair loose; the other gazed at her with a gentle expression. It appeared warm and tranquil.
The only pity was that perhaps neither of the two in this picture felt the peace that A'ru perceived.
“How can that be the same? The nature of the conflict is completely different. Furthermore, I didn't say anything malicious; I merely pointed out the hidden anxieties in those physicians' hearts. If Physician An truly allows himself to become consumed by hatred toward me, I would genuinely look down on him as a coward,” Qi Yue said calmly. “Besides, does mere gossip truly make a physician incompetent? A doctor’s worth is spoken through genuine skill; not one ounce of it can be faked. If he calmly treats his patients and continues to heal the sick without saying a word, that itself is the most resounding rebuttal.”
Chang Yuncheng watched her, observing the simple, clear expression of her inner thoughts, finding it delightful.
“Of course, human hearts are complex. If he resorts to other means to deal with me, I won’t fear him either. To shrink back for fear of making enemies or incurring revenge is impossible for me. At worst, it’s just giving up a life. I’d rather die standing than live kneeling,” Qi Yue continued.
Rather stand and live, than kneel and die…
Chang Yuncheng looked at her, his gaze probing, which immediately made Qi Yue uneasy.
“What are you doing?” she asked defensively, shifting further away.
“Your insistence on being so strong…” Chang Yuncheng said, shifting his posture to support himself on one arm, “Why is that?”
“Why? What do you mean, why?” Qi Yue asked, genuinely confused.
“Don’t you find it tiring, being like this?” Chang Yuncheng asked.
“Tiring? I’m used to it. Isn’t this how it always is…” Qi Yue laughed, then abruptly stopped mid-sentence.
No... this isn't how it always is…
The women here don't hold up half the sky; they don't need to struggle outside for a living like men do…
“Used to it?” Chang Yuncheng repeated, his gaze analytical.
“Ha, ha, of course,” Qi Yue forced a dry laugh twice, relaxing her posture to lean against a pillow on the other side. “Did you think that being a beggar, if you didn’t fight and scramble, food and drink would just arrive? No one cares who you are—man, woman, old, or young. If you aren't tough and strong, you starve…”
“Yue Niang, you don't need to live like that anymore,” Chang Yuncheng said suddenly.
Qi Yue was momentarily stunned by his words. Seeing the softness in his expression and the depth in his eyes, she could only offer another nervous laugh.
“You won’t have to in the future. You don't need to feel so… insecure,” Chang Yuncheng finished, searching for the right word to convey his meaning.
Insecure…
No reliance…
Only herself…
She couldn't be afraid… even if she was, she had to pretend not to be…
Qi Yue’s expression flickered with a hint of panic. Just as Chang Yuncheng thought she might flinch away from his gaze, she looked back up at him.
“Thank you,” Qi Yue said with a slight smile.
She understood the implication of his words, and instead of avoiding the issue or arguing back defensively, she addressed it head-on for the first time. Chang Yuncheng felt a surge of ecstatic joy, leaving him momentarily flustered himself.
“Let’s forget the past. Looking at the present, you are actually quite a decent person. You’ve helped me a great deal. I'm genuinely surprised you could manage this,” Qi Yue laughed. “Perhaps I can actually try believing what you say.”
“I was always decent,” Chang Yuncheng replied, turning his head away.
Qi Yue smiled faintly.
“Say, have you ever been praised by anyone before?” she asked. “You’re always praising yourself.”
Chang Yuncheng froze at her question.
Praise…
It was the Young Master who broke the vase…
The Young Master failed to memorize the master’s texts…
The Young Master got into another fight…
Such an irritating child…
Why does he look so slow and dull…
Children without mothers are simply dull and simple-minded…
You unfilial son! Look at the trouble you’ve caused! Kneel down for me!
Those distant memories were instantly dredged up.
“I’m not flattering you. You are genuinely remarkable—daring to try new things, possessing an open heart. For a man, that’s very important; not everyone can achieve that,” Qi Yue said with a smile. “It’s just that your temper could stand to be a bit better.”
Chang Yuncheng became even more ill at ease.
This sudden change in the woman made him truly unaccustomed to her.
“We’ll be good brothers from now on! We’ll get along harmoniously…” Qi Yue declared cheerfully.
“Who’s your good brother! You wretched woman…” Chang Yuncheng stood up, his face set, and declared, “Time for sleep.”
With that, he walked out.
It was late; Qi Yue pouted, blew out the lamp by the bedside, and flopped under the covers.
In his own chamber, Chang Yuncheng also threw himself onto the chuang, wrapping his head and face in the quilt to muffle the inexplicably uncontrollable laughter escaping him.
One day before the New Year, the Xie family’s maternal uncle sent a grand ceremonial gift into the Dingxi Marquis Estate under his own name. The Marquis of Dingxi and Lady Xie only then learned of such matters within the Xie household.
Listening to the maidservant sent from the Xie family repeatedly repeat words of singular, flowing praise, expressing effusive and heartfelt gratitude, the Marquis of Dingxi could barely contain his joy.
Truth be told, his relationship with his in-laws had always been poor.
While the Eldest Lady Xie was alive, due to her poor relationship with the Marquis’s mother, her mother-in-law—who was fiercely protective of her—never offered him a kind look. When the Eldest Lady Xie died, the Xie family descended into utter chaos. Finally, the Marquis’s mother consented to allow the Younger Lady Xie to marry in as the replacement bride to quell the unrest, but the relationship between the two families never improved; it became even stranger. Beyond the necessary courtesies during festivals, the two families rarely met, let alone offered compliments or thanks face-to-face.
To have people who previously despised and loathed you suddenly smile deferentially, flatter you, and express gratitude—that feeling was… magnificent!
Could this be the sensation of taking vengeance that his daughter-in-law had spoken of?
Serve you right for being so arrogant and overbearing! Finally, you bow your head before me one day!
While the Marquis of Dingxi experienced the thrill of turning the tables, the Younger Lady Xie felt only pain.
Since the Xie family emissaries arrived, her face had been aching as if she might suffer a stroke.
“Madam, this is not the Old Mistress’s intent, no, this is only the Eldest Madam’s intent. Please, do not be angry…” Mama Su carefully helped Lady Xie regulate her breathing while speaking hurriedly.
Lady Xie took several deep breaths, her body still trembling uncontrollably.
“I know,” she clenched the silk handkerchief in her hand so tightly her knuckles were white, her expression ashen. “I know. This is Gu Shi’s deliberate act. Rather than being grateful to that lowly maid, she is doing this to humiliate me. After so many years, she finally has this chance.”
And this chance…
“It’s all that lowly maid’s fault!” Lady Xie could no longer suppress the fury in her heart, sweeping everything off the low table before her. “Why didn’t she just die! Why didn’t she just die!” (To be continued)
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