A Call for More Chapters and Votes Qi Yue awoke to the sun blazing high in the sky, the lingering, sweet scent of recent intimacy still heavy in the air, but a quick reach confirmed the man was gone.
Men certainly had endless energy; even after all that, he rose punctually every day for his exercises. Didn't he ever get tired? He seemed only more vigorous!
Qi Yue yawned, drew the quilt closer, and immediately shut her eyes again.
She drifted in and out of sleep until Chang Yuncheng roused her.
“You can’t skip a meal,” he said, radiating the fresh crispness of a recent bath and the vigor of exercise.
Indulgence harms the body—what nonsense.
Qi Yue muttered something under her breath, not rising but reaching out to pull the man closer, planting a kiss square on his face.
“Slobbering all over you, and you’re all dressed up looking so pleased with yourself—where are you off to?” she huffed, rising just as Chang Yuncheng was about to return the embrace with equal fervor, calling for A’ru at the same time.
Chang Yuncheng let out a hearty laugh, kissed her once, and stood up.
A’ru and Qiuxiang entered, their faces flushed, heads bowed, as they came to assist Qi Yue in getting ready.
“We’re going to Great Buddha Temple today,” Chang Yuncheng said, watching her eat.
Qi Yue lifted her chopsticks, regarding him, feeling a slight unease under his gaze.
“Hey, are you really going to entertain me one by one like this?” she asked with a smile. “Why the rush? We have plenty of time ahead of us.”
She laughed as she spoke.
“You’re being a little too good to me,” she scrutinized him again. “And Mother hasn't caused any trouble either… Anything too unusual is bound to be a trick.”
Chang Yuncheng set his bowl down, his face darkening.
“Do you only think things are normal when I’m scolding or hitting you?” he snapped back.
“Try me,” Qi Yue teased.
Chang Yuncheng glared at her, then picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her bowl.
“Eat more!” he commanded.
After the meal, Chang Yuncheng went to inform Madam Xie before heading out, while Qi Yue selected her attire for the day with her maids.
“Young Mistress!” Quezhi burst in, shouting, startling the two maids and making Qi Yue jump.
Behind her trailed A’hao, looking utterly distraught.
“What is it?” A’ru asked quickly.
Qi Yue turned to look.
“Why do you two look like that?” she asked, taking in their pale faces.
“Young Mistress, we were… disoriented,” A’hao hesitated before speaking. But before she could continue, Quezhi abruptly dropped to her knees with a thud.
“Young Mistress, the Heir is taking a wife!” she announced loudly.
The room instantly fell silent.
Qi Yue looked at Quezhi.
“You silly girl, what are you saying? You call me Young Mistress; how can he take another Young Mistress?” she laughed, glancing at A’ru.
A’ru’s expression was equally shocked.
“I just saw the wife of Deputy Inspector Yang from the Surveillance Office come over…” Quezhi stammered hastily.
What wife? Qi Yue was confused.
“This Madam is famous for arranging marriages; she’s successfully matched eighty-six couples. People call her Granny Bodhisattva for her accumulating virtue,” A’ru quickly explained, then looked back at Quezhi, “What about Madam Yang? Why are you screaming like this?”
The young ladies and gentlemen in the household were all reaching the age for marriage arrangements; a matchmaker visiting was normal.
“Maybe we misheard,” A’hao whispered fearfully, tugging Quezhi’s arm. “I told you to speak slowly; why shout it out like that…”
It turned out that when the two were going to the storeroom to fetch silver for the expansion materials of Qianjin Hall, they passed the family storeroom and saw Madam Xie’s maid escorting a strange maid who was selecting screens, claiming they were borrowing one at Madam Yang’s request.
They hadn't thought much of it, but as they brushed past, they overheard Madam Yang’s young maid joking with Madam Xie’s maid about a new bride entering the gates. Quezhi couldn't resist poking her nose in and asked which new bride. The maid, seeing Quezhi’s fine attire and the respectful deference shown by the elderly storeroom manager, mistakenly assumed she was one of Madam Xie’s trusted servants and said it was for the Heir. Quezhi was startled, and when she tried to ask more, the maid was subtly signaled to stop by Madam Xie’s servant.
“When I asked again, she stopped talking, she just smiled,” Quezhi said, anxiety etched on her face. “Young Mistress, she… she… why would the Heir be taking a new wife?”
“Yes, how could he possibly take another wife?” Qi Yue laughed. “That girl must have been mistaken, right?”
“Perhaps she was talking about the Third Young Master,” A’ru suggested. “The Third Young Master is certain to pass the exams this time; it’s drawing families eager to propose.”
That made some sense...
Quezhi stood up, clutching her chest.
“Oh, I was so scared my heart nearly stopped; I couldn't clearly hear anything that girl said. Turns out I misheard…” She looked at A’hao. “You didn’t listen properly either, did you?”
A’hao looked equally flustered.
“I… I was scared too…” she admitted. “Thinking about it now, it seemed like they weren't talking about the Heir, but the Third Young Master…”
Qi Yue frowned slightly, pausing the movement of her hands as she smoothed her collar.
Misheard? Just a simple mishearing could frighten the two maids to this extent?
Sometimes, when one hears news they desperately don't want to believe, the brain receives a directive to engage in self-deception.
Meanwhile, Quezhi and A’hao became more convinced they had misheard, alternating between lingering fear and laughter, while A’ru quietly admonished them for being jumpy.
The atmosphere in the room returned to normal, but Qi Yue stood aside, feeling distracted, slowly tracing the knot buttons on her lapel.
“Has the Heir returned yet?” she asked.
The three stopped talking. A’ru hurried out to inquire.
“No, he is still with Madam,” she reported.
Qi Yue nodded.
“Let’s go; I should pay my respects to Madam as well,” she announced.
This was for the best. After the incident with accompanying him to bed, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law hadn't met. Although she and the Heir were reconciled, the issue between her and Madam Xie hadn't been fully settled. Matters between in-laws, even minor ones, wouldn't simply fade with time; they tended to accumulate.
“Young Mistress, she is still your elder. No matter what you say or do, you won't win the argument in front of her,” A’ru followed along, whispering her advice. “You must be careful…”
“Must endure a bit, right?” Qi Yue finished her sentence with a smile.
“Young Mistress, I know you understand in your heart, you are doing this for the Heir…” A’ru said with a gentle smile.
“Yes, I will endure what I can endure. I won't stoop to her level of pettiness,” Qi Yue said softly, smiling sideways.
A’ru smiled upon hearing this, feeling relieved, but then her brow furrowed again.
“Then, Young Mistress, what is it that you won’t endure?” she couldn’t help but ask.
She recalled that Qi Yue had expressed this sentiment more than once.
Qi Yue walked on, still smiling.
“That’s hard to say,” she chuckled.
“Like kneeling, for instance,” A’ru chastised playfully.
It seemed the Young Mistress had a strong aversion to kneeling...
Qi Yue smiled without answering.
By the time they reached Rong’an Courtyard, the maids at the entrance looked astonished to see her arrive, and two of them bolted inside.
What now? Had they seen a ghost?
Still, it didn't matter much; she was never treated with any respect when she was at Madam Xie's place anyway.
“Young Mistress,” the remaining maids said with forced smiles, blocking her path. “Madam has a guest.”
Qi Yue stopped.
“Then I will wait,” she said politely.
The maids exchanged glances. It was one thing to be told not to enter, but making her stand outside was beyond their authority...
“…What kind of guest?” Qi Yue asked casually.
“It is Madam Yang,” the maids did not conceal the information.
“Oh, what is she here for?” Qi Yue asked with a smile.
Just as they were speaking, a maid rushed over.
“Young Mistress, there you are,” she said, curtseying. “Our Madam wishes to ask you to come over.”
Qi Yue recognized the maid as one of the Second Madam’s personal attendants.
“What is it?” she asked immediately. “Is Aunt unwell?”
“Yes, that’s why she wants the Young Mistress to come and take a look,” the maid replied.
A patient’s needs were paramount. Qi Yue immediately set off, instructing A’ru to fetch the medicine box on her way back. A’ru hurried off, and Qi Yue followed the young maid toward the Second Madam’s quarters.
Just past the doorway, she saw Chang Yinglan standing under the covered walkway, looking distraught and sighing heavily while watching a caged bird.
“Yinglan,” Qi Yue called out.
Chang Yinglan started, looked over, and saw Qi Yue beckoning her.
“Sister-in-law,” she nearly jumped down from the platform but stopped herself, hurrying down the steps instead.
“Oh my, what’s wrong with you?” Qi Yue was momentarily startled, then laughed. “What’s the hurry?”
Chang Yinglan couldn't spare the breath to answer; she grabbed Qi Yue’s hand and scrutinized her from head to toe, making Qi Yue laugh and touch her own face.
“Did I sprout flowers on my face?” she joked.
Only when she saw the sincerity in Qi Yue’s smile did Chang Yinglan finally relax.
“Sister-in-law, I’m relieved you’ve come to terms with it,” she said.
“What?” Qi Yue smiled, not understanding.
Chang Yinglan sighed again, shaking Qi Yue’s hand.
“I’m relieved you’ve come to terms with it. That woman is cunning, but you don’t need to fear her. As long as Eldest Brother truly respects and treats you well, even if she ranks equally, you were the first one married, so don’t be afraid. She won’t be able to surpass you…” she rushed out.
Qi Yue looked at her, slowly letting her smile fade.
“Is your mother alright?” she suddenly asked.
Chang Yinglan was slightly stunned by the abrupt change of topic.
“Mother? What’s wrong with Mother? She’s fine. She just went to see Eldest Aunt not long ago,” she replied.
“Yinglan!”
Madam Chen, hearing the commotion, rushed out and waved at Qi Yue. “Yue Niang, come here. I have something to tell you.”
Qi Yue looked at her and smiled faintly.
“Aunt, please wait a moment. There are some things I would first like to hear the person concerned say for herself,” she stated, then turned and walked away.
“Yue Niang! Come back, listen to me first…” Madam Chen called out urgently from behind.
Alas, being frail, she couldn't match Qi Yue’s pace; by the time she hurried down the steps, Qi Yue was already far ahead.
Qi Yue walked faster and faster. The two maids trailing behind had no idea what had happened but dared not ask, hurrying to keep up.
A’ru came running toward them, carrying the medicine box.
“Young Mistress…” she began to call out, but Qi Yue swept past her side, seemingly not noticing her at all.
A’ru froze on the spot.
“Young Mistress?” she rushed to follow.
Qi Yue remained silent, marching forward with haste. Seeing her expression was wrong, A’ru quickly pressed her for an explanation.
“Where is Chang Yuncheng?” Qi Yue suddenly stopped and demanded.
“He just returned to his quarters,” A’ru reported, but before she could say more, Qi Yue had already left.
A’ru’s heart began to pound, filled with a rising sense of panic.
She had never seen the Young Mistress look this way before...
“What happened?” she frantically asked the two maids following behind. “Is Second Madam unwell?”
“No, Young Mistress just exchanged a few words with Miss Yinglan, then turned around without even seeing Second Madam…” the maids stammered fearfully.
“What did they say?” A’ru asked, pressing a hand to her chest.
“They said… we don’t really know what was said… Miss Yinglan told the Young Mistress not to be sad… something about coming to terms with it…” one maid stuttered out.
A’ru felt her vision darken, and she swayed.
It was true. They hadn’t misheard...
The two maids were terrified and rushed to steady A’ru.
“Young Mistress… Young Mistress…” A’ru regained her balance, dropped the medicine box with a clatter, and stumbled after her, chasing after Qi Yue.
Qi Yue had already reached the gate of her courtyard.