By all rights, if Madam Gu had been at the estate, she surely would have come out with Patriarch Gu to welcome Ziqing and the others!

Clearly, Madam Gu had just returned from outside. Back when the Gu clan had been thriving, Madam Gu had rarely gone out at all — and after the scandal of Jiang Chen and Gu Suying’s collusion with the Bai clan had come to light on Liuxian Island, she’d gone out even less.

Ziqing guessed at once that this lady must have gone to the Jiang family!

And what could she possibly have brought back besides her most precious grandson?

As for Gu Suying, Patriarch Gu had already given up on her entirely — casting her out of the family had said it all. But toward Gu Meiting and Jiang Chen, though furious, he wasn’t quite so utterly resolute.

Especially with a grandson the two elders had raised with their own hands still in the picture — however stern Patriarch Gu appeared on the surface, in his heart he still couldn’t quite bring himself to let go.

As for all this, so long as it didn’t interfere with her, Ziqing wouldn’t concern herself with it — that was their own family business, flesh and blood, and she understood that well enough. She had no right to interfere in whether a father and daughter met, or to stop a grandfather and grandson from seeing each other.

The moment that delighted voice faded, a child of five or six years old burst through the door — none other than Jiang Chen and Gu Meiting’s precious son, Jiang Yuan!

More than half a year had passed, and the boy had grown considerably taller. Since he hadn’t been raised in comfort at the Gu estate, his bearing was quite different from before — even his complexion had turned somewhat dark and rough, nothing like the delicate, porcelain-fine look he’d once had.

Seeing the change in the boy, Ziqing couldn’t help but pause, thinking of her own future child — what would he or she be like?

In looks, in temperament — would the child take after her more, or after Jun Beiyue?

But then, thinking of the fragrance-poison still lodged in her body, she sighed inwardly, wishing desperately she could find the antidote soon, find the Lonely Island soon, and give this man beside her a child of their own.

She wondered — would Jun Beiyue be anxious about it too?

Patriarch Gu was clearly delighted, having likely not seen his grandson in a long while, but with Jun Beiyue and Ziqing present, he didn’t dare show too much excitement, and hastily said, “Yuan’er, quickly greet your uncle and aunt!”

Jiang Yuan was, after all, still a child — but a child who could hold a grudge all the same. His mother had told him more than once that he couldn’t live at the Gu estate as the eldest young master and inherit his grandfather’s position, all because of that wretched couple!

He wished he could drive them both out — why would he ever greet them respectfully?

Jiang Yuan glared viciously at Jun Beiyue and Ziqing, not moving an inch, thoroughly rude.

Patriarch Gu grew anxious. His second daughter was already a lost cause — but his eldest, though estranged, he didn’t want to sever that father-daughter bond entirely, especially since the scheme before had been Jiang Chen and Gu Suying’s doing, with no direct connection to Gu Meiting.

At the very least, in his heart, Gu Meiting could still be forgiven.

“Beiyue, Ziqing, look at this child — already six years old, and still so unruly!”

Patriarch Gu explained awkwardly, alternately coaxing and urging Jiang Yuan, but the boy remained utterly stubborn, unmoved.

Just then, Madam Gu and Gu Meiting entered. Seeing this scene unfold before them, both mother and daughter froze — Jun Beiyue and Han Ziqing had actually arrived earlier than expected!

Madam Gu reacted fastest, quickly pulling Gu Meiting forward, as though every past grudge had already been wiped clean, and said with a warm laugh, “Beiyue, Ziqing, why didn’t you tell us you were coming home! My lord and I would have gone down the mountain to receive you!”

She was ever so warm — just as she had been the day Ziqing first entered the Gu household — so kind and gentle she could almost make a person believe, against their better judgment, that she truly was a caring mother.

Ziqing watched coldly, standing beside Jun Beiyue. With him shielding her, whether Madam Gu was warm or cold made no difference — she could simply ignore her either way.

As she spoke, Madam Gu pulled Jiang Yuan away from Patriarch Gu, and, paying no mind at all to Jun Beiyue’s icy expression, moved warmly toward Ziqing. “Call your aunt, Yuan’er. Call her ‘Aunt,’ quickly — she’s your aunt, quickly, call her!”

The repeated “Aunt, Aunt” made Ziqing’s stomach turn.

As if Jiang Yuan weren’t a six-year-old boy but rather an infant just learning to babble, needing to be coached over and over by the adults before he’d manage to say it once.

Did it really have to be this fake?

What she despised most of all was using a small child to force someone’s heart to soften, to force someone into compromise.

So what if he was a child? Did that mean she was obligated to forgive, to yield, to smile and return the warmth?

Not a chance!

Someday, when she had a child of her own, she’d make sure that even at three years old, that child would be far more endearing than this six-year-old Jiang Yuan.

Let alone paying it any mind — Ziqing didn’t even offer a smile, only watching coldly.

A six-year-old child, especially one as utterly lacking in spirit as Jiang Yuan, however much he might think he had his own opinions, was still ultimately being steered along by the adults around him.

Seeing his grandmother so insistent that he call her “Aunt,” Jiang Yuan finally couldn’t hold out any longer and opened his mouth. “Aunt.”

“Heh heh, he called you Aunt! Ziqing, your nephew called you Aunt!”

Madam Gu truly was nauseating — even Jun Beiyue’s expression beside her changed. He was just about to speak when Ziqing caught his arm and stopped him. Both mother and son were clearly directing this all at her — and since her earlier lesson clearly hadn’t been enough, she had no objection to teaching them another one.

Ziqing didn’t answer, simply staring coldly at Jiang Yuan.

They could have kept a mutual silence and avoided conflict entirely, but since Madam Gu insisted on demanding friendliness toward Gu Meiting and Jiang Yuan, she couldn’t blame Ziqing for refusing to play along.

Seeing Ziqing not respond, Madam Gu grew visibly awkward. She had hoped that, in front of everyone, Han Ziqing would at least not bother arguing with a small child — that she’d at least offer a smile, a word in reply — which would give her the opening she needed to mend things with Meiting.

And if Han Ziqing were only willing to reconcile with Meiting, then Patriarch Gu surely wouldn’t remain so harsh toward her — at the very least, he might let her and Yuan’er stay a few days.

Madam Gu still wouldn’t give up. She lifted Yuan’er into her arms and said again, “Yuan’er, your aunt didn’t hear you. Say it again, louder, so your aunt can hear — tell your aunt, you must have worked so hard on the journey back!”

Such “well-meaning devotion” — if one didn’t know the truth of what had happened before, didn’t know Madam Gu’s true character, one might genuinely believe Han Ziqing was some heartless villain, bullying the elderly and the young.

Ziqing couldn’t be bothered with any of that. A flicker of cold amusement crossed her eyes as she turned her gaze toward Gu Meiting instead.

Both son and mother currying favor like this — all for her sake. If Gu Meiting truly wished to make amends, the least she could do was come over and offer a personal greeting herself, wouldn’t she?

Seeing the look in Ziqing’s eyes, the shrewd and experienced Madam Gu understood at once, seeing a glimmer of hope, and shot Gu Meiting a meaningful glance!

These past days, Madam Gu had lectured Gu Meiting endlessly, teaching her to endure, to put on a front, to keep up appearances no matter what.

Now, with Han Ziqing looking her way like this, it was clearly a demand that she come over herself and offer a greeting before Ziqing would respond at all!

Gu Meiting thought to herself that this one step, she would concede to Han Ziqing — as her mother had said, mend the relationship first, and only then could she gain any advantage.

Thinking this, Gu Meiting finally swallowed her pride and stepped forward with a warm smile, saying pleasantly, “Beiyue, Ziqing, you’re back.”

They had both humbled themselves and made concessions like this — if Ziqing still refused to show even the slightest good grace, wouldn’t that be a bit too unreasonable?

Ziqing pursed her lips, as though about to speak. What would she say? What would she do?