"Why didn't he give that woman a piece of his mind?" Madam Xie wondered, perplexed.

Chang Yuncheng certainly hadn't given the woman a piece of his mind. He went straight back and asked why she hadn't come to pay respects that morning.

Qi Yue explained calmly that since Yan'er's surgery was fast approaching, with only the crucial issue of anesthesia remaining, she had to rush to the Qianjintang to inquire early. It wasn't that she intentionally skipped Madam Xie; she truly couldn't squeeze in the time.

Chang Yuncheng made an "oh" sound, his expression softening.

"You see, you should have told Mother, lest she misunderstand," he said, reaching out his hand.

Qi Yue placed her hand in his and leaned against his embrace.

"Yes, I forgot; it was my fault. I'll remember next time," she chuckled, giving Chang Yuncheng a quick kiss.

Chang Yuncheng blushed on one side of his face.

"It's good that you remember, otherwise Mother will think you're just placating her, without sincerity," he mumbled.

"Those who truly matter will see my sincerity," Qi Yue laughed.

Chang Yuncheng found the words a bit strange, but looking at the woman pressed against him, he couldn't spare the thought for anything else.

"Well, are we done yet?" he asked in a low voice, rubbing her waist.

Qi Yue knew exactly what he was asking by the look on his face and giggled.

Chang Yuncheng's eyes immediately lit up.

"Not yet," Qi Yue replied, shaking her head with a smile.

A sudden burst of high-pitched laughter echoed in the room. Outside, Qiuxiang and A'ru quickly waved the maids away.

The next morning, in Rong'an Courtyard, Madam Xie still refused to let Qi Yue, who had come to pay her respects, enter the room.

"This lowly maid is truly haunting!" she said, pinching her head with hatred.

Mother Su brought her tea.

"Madam, perhaps you should just let her in," she suggested quietly.

"What? Do you want to go curry favor with her too?" Madam Xie scoffed.

Mother Su smiled.

"Miss, you are angry to the point of confusion; you still don't understand this woman's petty tricks," she said with a chuckle. "Her doing this is nothing more than trying to please the Young Master. The more you refuse to see her, the more wronged she appears before the Young Master, and gradually, the Young Master will come to think that you are... unreasonable and deliberately making things difficult for her."

"He dares!" Madam Xie retorted, putting her hand down and raising her eyebrows.

Mother Su looked at her and sighed.

"Is Madam unable to think of this, or unwilling to?" she asked. "The Young Master’s expression just now was clearly a little displeased, and he kept looking outside..."

Madam Xie’s expression darkened, and she let out a breath.

"For now, let's not stoop to her level. Doesn't she want to set the rules? Then let her set them. Whether you let her or not is your business, but whether she sets them well is hers," Mother Su said. Knowing Madam Xie understood, she continued with a smile, "Before Miss Rao enters the household, what we need to do is ignore her. If you pay her no mind, she naturally loses the chance to jump around. Then the Young Master won't pay her attention either, lest he be swayed by her. Once Miss Rao is married in, no matter how much she throws a fit, what can she really accomplish?"

Madam Xie nodded.

"The Marquis's memorial has been written," she said to Mother Su with a smile. After this New Year, this was the only thing that brought her joy.

Mother Su also grew happy.

"See, the Bodhisattva recognizes your devotion, Madam," she murmured a Buddhist phrase.

"That Miss Rao has family background and beauty. Once she is married, the Marquis will finally know what a woman of true pedigree is," Madam Xie said with a sneer. "He will realize what a shameful thing it is to dote on this lowly maid. When he realizes he has been disgraced..."

The outcome, one could easily imagine.

Mother Su nodded.

"So, Madam, there's no need to get angry with that woman. If she comes to fawn over you, just let her. Whether it goes well or not is still up to you to decide," she said, smiling. "Better than letting her stir up trouble with the Young Master."

Madam Xie nodded.

At lunchtime, Chang Yuncheng naturally came to accompany Madam Xie.

"Call your wife over," Madam Xie said to Chang Yuncheng, who was about to personally pick vegetables for her.

Chang Yuncheng froze, not immediately reacting.

"You are a grown man, not a child anymore. Now that you have a wife, this is naturally her duty," Madam Xie said, smiling slightly. "It's just that I wonder if assigning her this task upsets the established etiquette."

Chang Yuncheng finally understood and was instantly overjoyed.

"How could it? This is exactly the etiquette she should follow," he quickly said, then hurried the maids to call Qi Yue, afraid Madam Xie would change her mind if he delayed.

Seeing his eagerness, Madam Xie's face inevitably darkened. Mother Su quickly signaled to her, and Madam Xie lowered her eyes without a word.

"Call me over for a meal?" Qi Yue was quite surprised when the maid told her, and she smiled at A'ru. "I wonder what trick they've thought up to deal with me."

A'ru didn't know what to say.

"Young Madam must endure it," she could only reply.

"Fine, no problem. I've worked as an attending physician; what can't I endure?" Qi Yue laughed.

A'ru hissed at her; fortunately, the other maids paid no attention to her words.

Qi Yue walked directly to Rong'an Courtyard. The maids in the courtyard looked much better this time; one by one, they smiled and announced her arrival, holding up the curtain for her.

"Mother," Qi Yue said, performing the greeting, already prepared not to be told to rise.

Madam Xie hummed in acknowledgement.

"You may rise," she said.

So readily! Qi Yue looked suspicious but quickly thanked her with a smile and stepped over.

"I know you want to show filial piety. I don't have anything else for you to do. If you aren't too tired, help me serve some dishes and refill my rice," Madam Xie stated, her expression neutral—neither pleased nor displeased. She smiled after saying this. "In another household, this wouldn't be a big deal, but we've never had this custom here. I worry you might feel..."

"Yue Niang would be happy to, let alone come," Chang Yuncheng couldn't help but interject, looking at Qi Yue.

Qi Yue smiled then, seeing the man's excited and careful expression, wondering how many good things he had said about her to Madam Xie.

Since she loved this man, she couldn't let him be caught in the middle.

"What are you saying, Mother? It is my honor as your daughter-in-law," she said, walking over and taking the chopsticks from the maid's hand.

Madam Xie truly imposed no further strict rules. After eating, she didn't even let Qi Yue return to her own courtyard but had her dine with her. This made Chang Yuncheng beam with joy.

Watching Chang Yuncheng, Qi Yue wanted to laugh but shook her head. She hadn't missed the flash of anger in Madam Xie’s eyes.

Silly boy, I know you are happy because Mother accepted me, believing the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is finally harmonious. But your mother might only think you are happy because I am standing up for you.

If you act this way, she will only grow angrier with me.

Back in her own courtyard, Chang Yuncheng impatiently pulled her into an embrace.

"This is great; Mother has finally agreed to accept you," he said happily, kissing her deeply.

Qi Yue was amused by him and laughed.

"How so? This is just the beginning; it's too early to say that," she chuckled, pinching Chang Yuncheng's nose.

"How could that be? You must trust Mother," Chang Yuncheng said, frowning.

This woman was always on guard against Mother; that wasn't very good...

"It's not being on guard; it's not that quick; that wouldn't be normal," Qi Yue replied with a smile.

"That's because Mother pities me and understands my worry, so she acted that way. Don't overthink it," Chang Yuncheng said, slightly displeased.

Qi Yue smiled. She supposed that was true; when a mother doesn't want to see her son suffering in the middle, she might humble herself a bit to please her son and put his mind at ease, which was normal.

"Fine, I understand. If Mother dotes on you so much, I certainly can't fall behind; I will dote on you very much too," she said, reaching out to pinch his nose again.

Chang Yuncheng laughed, slightly raising his head to evade her, and opened his mouth to take hold of Qi Yue's finger.

"You're so dirty," Qi Yue joked, trying to pull it back.

Chang Yuncheng laughed and lightly bit it before letting go.

"Are you a dog? You left a mark," Qi Yue said, shaking her finger.

Chang Yuncheng leaned in close.

"Do you want a taste somewhere else?" he asked in a low voice.

Although they hadn't truly been intimate yet, they had slept in the same bed several times, and these little marital intimacies were understood between them.

Qi Yue immediately knew what he meant, blushing as she reached out to pinch his face.

"No!" she hummed.

Chang Yuncheng loved hearing that.

"No means yes," he laughed, sweeping the woman up into his arms.

Qi Yue cried out.

Where did this wicked man learn such strange theories! She remembered he had muttered something about 'no means yes' that one time, and 'no means go' was a lie...

"Hey, what nonsense are you spouting? I'm not interested in playing riddles or this push-and-pull thing with you..." she said, grasping his arm with a laugh.

Saying one thing and meaning another... Chang Yuncheng smiled without speaking.

Qi Yue was amused by his look and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Hey, I'm done messing around with you. I need to go out for a bit. The operating table arrived today. I want to see if it's suitable so we can quickly perform Yan'er's surgery. I don't want them both—mother and daughter—to remain anxious and tense, as that's not good for the surgery either," she said, smiling.

Chang Yuncheng stopped walking, still reluctant to let her go.

Qi Yue proactively hugged him and gave him a kiss.

This woman is too forward... He liked it!

Chang Yuncheng immediately knew he couldn't lose his manly composure and returned the affection passionately.

After a long moment of intimate closeness, the two reluctantly separated.

"Come back soon..." Chang Yuncheng said, squeezing her hand.

Qi Yue couldn't help but laugh again.

Look at this man acting like a nervous young bride!

"What are you laughing at!" Chang Yuncheng glared again.

Qi Yue brought her hand to her mouth and made a zipping motion, holding back her laughter.

This time Chang Yuncheng smiled; this woman always had so many playful gestures...

He imitated her gesture, reaching out to pinch her cheek.

"Tonight, perhaps?" he asked, his hand slipping under her clothes to rub her side.

They were pressed closely together, and Qi Yue could clearly feel the change in a certain part of the man's body. She puffed out her cheeks in feigned annoyance.

"Not yet," she said, opening his hand and calling out loudly for A'ru.

The curtain rustled, and Chang Yuncheng had to withdraw his hand, assuming a proper expression.

Qi Yue, however, smiled at him mischievously.

"Tomorrow night," she promised.

Chang Yuncheng immediately reached out, but the maids were already bustling in, so he had to pull his hand back, watching the woman smugly as she went to change.

Arriving at Qianjintang, a large group of disciples were gathered around the operating table, looking at it with curiosity.

This was a table higher than their usual sleeping cots. It looked more like a plank to the onlookers—a plank that seemed capable of movement. Mounted on top were three bronze mirrors, inlaid and polished to a brilliant sheen. Beneath the mirrors were placed candlesticks. In short, it looked utterly strange.

Since there was no need to consider the complex configuration of operating room instruments, this surgical table was very simple, designed only to facilitate the manipulation of medical staff.

"Come, come, who wants to lie on it and try it out?" Qi Yue called out cheerfully.

The other disciples pushed each other, all feeling too shy to lie down while Qi Yue looked so closely. Naturally, Hu San had to step forward to demonstrate. The room became lively and noisy.

Outside, a carriage stopped. A man jumped down, and the young servant rushing to meet him lifted the curtain, lowering a wheelchair from the carriage. Then, he turned his back and carried an old man down from the vehicle.

The old man was seated, then raised his head to look at the plaque above the door.

Qianjintang.