Old Doctor An took his leave as well.

"Master, the sutures come out in five or seven days, so how long until we can see the results?" he inquired.

"About a month," Qi Yue replied.

"Then I shall return in a month," Old Doctor An said, bowing deeply once more. "Thank you, Master, for providing the prescription."

Qi Yue meticulously explained and wrote down the precautions for treating intracranial hemorrhage in young children.

"Doctor An, you've come again. You mustn't address me like that anymore," she chuckled.

Little Doctor An, standing nearby, huffed and turned his head away.

"When three people walk together, one must be my teacher. Madam Qi, you certainly deserve that title," Old Doctor An remarked with a smile.

Qi Yue was never one for excessive pleasantries, and upon hearing this, she simply smiled.

"Then I shall accept that title from you, Doctor An. Truthfully, with your skill, this ailment is nothing; you just needed a bit more boldness. Even if you fail, don't be afraid. We physicians must dare to try..."

As she spoke, Little Doctor An scoffed beside her.

"Failure means nothing?" he sneered. "Failure means nothing? Easy for you to say! You..."

"Silence," Old Doctor An sternly cut him off.

Though resentful, Little Doctor An obediently fell silent, wishing he could twist his head completely around.

"Indeed, Junior Brother, why interrupt when Senior Brother and Master are conversing?" Hu San called out from the side.

Despite his earlier initiation into the practice, given Old Doctor An's status, Hu San decided to temporarily lower himself and act as the junior apprentice.

"You be quiet too," Qi Yue stated.

Hu San immediately returned to his place obediently.

"Yes, I understand," Old Doctor An replied with a calm smile, letting the topic drop.

At the Residence of Marquis Dingxi, Yan'er's return caused a minor stir. Not only the young ladies and gentlemen came to see her, but the maids and servants also found various excuses to visit. Even Marquis Dingxi himself made a rare appearance in Concubine Huang’s courtyard for a meal—though staying the night was out of the question.

However, nothing was immediately discernible, and after the brief commotion, everyone withdrew to avoid disturbing Yan'er's rest.

Upon hearing of their return, Chang Yuncheng felt deeply conflicted. Qi Yue hadn't spoken to him that day, and her demeanor was unlike her usual self.

Finally, a servant boy reported that the Young Mistress needed to look after Yan'er and was temporarily staying in Concubine Huang’s courtyard. Chang Yuncheng sat in his study and heavily slammed his desk.

Even in a large residence, it was only a few steps away; was it necessary to stay there to care for her? It was clearly...

A letter on the desk jumped slightly from the impact.

This was Fan Yilin's reply to him. Chang Yuncheng glanced at it, then reached out and picked it up.

"...It's perfectly normal for a mother not to favor her daughter-in-law..."

Reading this sentence, Chang Yuncheng let out a breath of relief. So, this was a common occurrence.

"...Of course, my mother and my wife have an excellent relationship..."

Chang Yuncheng choked again. Right, he should have known you two were abnormal! Why did I lose my wits and write to you? He almost crumpled the letter in his hand, but he managed to restrain himself and continued reading.

"...That's because I'm there... In reality, this matter is simple; it’s just like several concubines vying for favor in the household. You belong to them, and everyone wants to be the most important in your heart, so naturally, they will look upon the others unfavorably..."

What utter nonsense!

Chang Yuncheng grew more irritated and crumpled the letter, tossing it away.

Qi Yue was staying with Concubine Huang, and he had no reason to stay there either. Yet, he was unwilling to return to his own courtyard to be alone and desolate. It was strange; he used to cherish solitude, finding crowds tiresome, but now that one person was missing from his courtyard, he didn't even want to go back...

Chang Yuncheng listlessly made his way to Madam Xie’s quarters.

"You haven't eaten yet?" Madam Xie asked.

Chang Yuncheng nodded.

"Sit down and eat quickly," Madam Xie said, her heart aching for her son.

Chang Yuncheng sat down, his mood too low for conversation, just pushing the food around his bowl with his head bowed.

Madam Xie, seeing her son unhappy, attributed it to Qi Yue.

"...That's what she calls caring? Moving into someone else's courtyard. Though, it was clever of her; otherwise, where would she stay?" she remarked indifferently while adding more food to Chang Yuncheng’s plate. "This time, no matter what that woman says, don't pay her any mind. Since she doesn't respect you or me, we have no need to respect her..."

Chang Yuncheng put down his chopsticks.

"Mother, Yue Niang cares about both you and me," he said.

Madam Xie, who had been speaking happily, froze.

"She says she cares, and you believe her? I say she doesn't, and you don't believe me?" she retorted, also putting down her own bowl and chopsticks.

The atmosphere in the room immediately grew strained.

Chang Yuncheng looked at Madam Xie.

"Mother, Yue Niang truly intends to treat you well. You, you—she's actually quite good..." he started.

Madam Xie cut him off with a cold laugh.

"She treats me well? How does she treat me well? I see her paying more attention to that Yan'er than to me!" she exclaimed.

Mother’s words were a bit harsh... Yan'er is a child and she’s ill... How can they be compared...

Chang Yuncheng felt a pang of discomfort.

"Mother, Yue Niang does care for you too. During those days, she personally cooked and brought you supper every day," he offered.

Madam Xie paused.

"What?" she asked.

Chang Yuncheng recounted how Qi Yue had personally cooked meals for Madam Xie during that time.

"...Mother, Yue Niang truly cares for you. Her background might not be ideal, but now that we are family, let's not dwell on the past. She is very good, truly very good..." he tried to explain, though he struggled to find the right words, resorting to repeating "very good."

Before he could finish, Madam Xie suddenly swept her hand out, sending plates, bowls, and chopsticks clattering to the floor, the sudden noise startling everyone in the room.

"Mother," Chang Yuncheng quickly stood up, somewhat at a loss.

"You actually let that woman cook for me? What if she poisoned me to death?" Madam Xie shouted, her hands gripping the table edge tightly, veins bulging on her hands.

"Mother, how could Yue Niang do such a thing!" Chang Yuncheng burst out.

"Why couldn't she?" Madam Xie stared at Chang Yuncheng and shrieked, "If your grandmother could poison your mother to death, why couldn't the lowly maid she raised poison me?"

Chang Yuncheng's face instantly stiffened.

His mother's death was a persistent thorn in his heart...

Was it really Grandmother who did it...?

"Get out! You ungrateful wretch who recognizes enemies as kin!" Madam Xie didn't allow him to finish, extending her hand sharply.

"Mother!" Chang Yuncheng called out hoarsely.

"Go!" Madam Xie violently flipped the table.

Chang Yuncheng immediately knelt down.

The maids in the room also dropped to their knees instantly.

Madam Xie walked away upright, her posture rigid.

As night descended, Chang Yuncheng was finally persuaded to rise. He stood outside the Rong'an Courtyard, feeling disoriented and lost, and eventually returned to his study.

Chang Yuncheng sat blankly in the study, then suddenly remembered something and rushed to the corner of the wall.

"Someone, someone!" he shouted.

The servant boys waiting outside hurried in.

"Where is the paper I threw here?" Chang Yuncheng demanded.

The boys exchanged uneasy glances.

"We cleaned it up..." one offered.

"Who told you to clean it up!" Chang Yuncheng roared. "Go find it for me!"

The servants scrambled out in a flurry.

After a frantic search, the crumpled letter, stained with God knows what grime, was finally recovered. Chang Yuncheng snatched it and drove the servants out.

"What letter is it that makes the Young Lord so anxious?"

"It seems to be from Young Master Fan..."

"What? That queer Young Master Fan? Heavens, could it be..."

"If you dare to speak nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth off..."

The servants walked away whispering. In the study, Chang Yuncheng smoothed the letter flat and studied it intently under the lamp.

"...My secret manual is: flatter..."

"...Never praise your wife to your mother, and never praise your mother to your wife. Think about it, if you tell a woman who loves you how wonderful another woman is, aren't you asking for a beating?"

If he had heard this before, Chang Yuncheng would have mocked Fan Yilin, but today...

He let out a heavy sigh and continued reading.

"...Likewise, never repeat complaints made by one to the other. No matter what they say, you must let it go in one ear and out the other..."

"...You must make your mother believe that your wife listens to her in everything, and you must make your wife believe that your mother is absolutely satisfied with her. In short, you must make them both believe that they are the 'her' the other desires in their eyes..."

Chang Yuncheng could sleep in the study, but he still needed to return to his courtyard to wash and change. Just as he reached the entrance of his courtyard, he saw Qiuxiang running out in a hurry.

"Young Lord!" she exclaimed joyfully, rushing over. "The Young Mistress is back."

Chang Yuncheng froze.

"Young Lord, hurry! The Young Mistress is eating now," Qiuxiang said happily.

Back... She has consented to return... Not just to grab clothes or something, but to eat... Even if that were the case, he certainly wouldn't let her leave again.

Chang Yuncheng strode quickly inside.

In the room, A'ru was carefully adding rice to her bowl, an irrepressible smile on her face.

"Look at you all. Are you afraid I'll just throw up my hands and run away?" she laughed.

A'ru nodded without hesitation.

"Since I have accepted him and wish to have a good life with him, I cannot be driven by momentary anger. Someone has to take a step back," Qi Yue smiled, stopping her movements and tilting her head with a wry smile. "Besides, this retreat is one I can accept. When I encounter something truly unacceptable, then I'll run."

A'ru had been happy listening at first, but hearing the latter part made her stomp her foot.

"Young Mistress!" she chided gently.

The curtain rustled as Chang Yuncheng walked in.

A'ru quickly gestured for the maids to withdraw.

Before Qi Yue could even look up, Chang Yuncheng walked straight to her and embraced her.

"Hey," Qi Yue called out, still holding her bowl and chopsticks.

Chang Yuncheng held her tight, remaining silent.

"Why aren't you talking? You were quite eloquent before. Apologies, reasons, debates, and so on," Qi Yue said, allowing herself to be held.

"I have nothing to say. I was wrong. You said apologies are useless, so I have nothing to say, nor the face to say it... Yue Niang, you can hit me or scold me, just don't ignore me..." Chang Yuncheng finally spoke, his voice muffled.

The news that Qi Yue had returned to the Young Lord's courtyard instantly reached Madam Xie.

That shameless woman, she truly has her tricks. It seems she learned a lot from that harlot Zhou...

Madam Xie sat rigidly, her face frosty.

Fine. Let's wait and see. I want to see whose methods are more potent—your seductive charms or mine as a mother!