“Young Madam, you mustn’t joke about such things. That’s not going back—that’s death,” she said with a trembling voice.

“Well, it’s precisely because your Young Madam died that I came here. If I die, maybe I can go back then,” Qi Yue still gazed at the ceiling beam with a furrowed brow, her expression eager to try.

“Who can say for certain? This isn’t something to test—this is about life!” A’Ru anxiously tugged at her sleeve. “Life only comes once, it can’t be tested. You—you yourself said that life is precious, that one shouldn’t casually talk about dying. You lecture me about this, yet you don’t listen to your own words.”

Qi Yue snapped back to reality and laughed heartily, quickly reaching out to pull A’Ru up.

“Yes, yes, absolutely right. One truly can’t test such things carelessly. Just this one little life, barely managed to survive—who knows what kind of good fortune that was,” she laughed. “I deserve to have my mouth slapped for saying such wrong things.”

Only then did A’Ru breathe a sigh of relief.

“Young Madam, let’s go outside for a walk,” she quickly said, not daring to stay in this place any longer.

Qi Yue shook her head and sat down in the room instead.

“Let me sit a while longer. Maybe if I sit long enough, I’ll suddenly be able to go back,” she muttered to herself. “But if I do go back, would it be my soul going back or my body going back together? If it’s just my soul, would this body die, or would Qi Yueniang come back?”

She mumbled these words to herself, while A’Ru listened from the side with her hair standing on end, wishing she could drag Qi Yue away from here immediately.

“A’Ru, I really want to go home,” Qi Yue lifted her head to look at the high ceiling and sighed.

A’Ru didn’t know how to comfort her. She remembered when she first came to the Marquis Dingxi’s manor—during the day she didn’t dare cry, but at night she would hide under her blanket and weep, homesick. That home was so poor, staying there might have meant starving to death, but she still longed for it, missed her parents. With parents there, it was home—no matter how poor or bitter, it was a place that brought happiness just thinking about it.

Young Madam’s home must be much, much better than her own, so she would miss it even more…

Both women in the room fell silent.

A ethereal and deep guqin melody drifted in.

Qi Yue, who had been in a daze, came back to her senses and listened intently.

The music seemed distant yet near, graceful and flowing, profound and refreshing.

Qi Yue couldn’t help but stand up.

“Who’s playing the guqin? Let’s go see,” she said.

A’Ru was eager to leave and quickly followed her out.

Opening the courtyard gate, the music became even clearer. Qi Yue followed the sound, turned past Qiu Tong’s courtyard, and saw ahead a bamboo grove like a screen. At this moment, in a small pavilion in front of the bamboo grove, a man with his back to them, facing the bamboo grove, was playing the guqin.

Qi Yue walked over, and A’Ru pulled her back.

“It’s Third Young Master,” she whispered.

Before she finished speaking, the music stopped, and the man turned around. Indeed, it was that Third Young Master.

“Yue… Sister-in-law?” He was obviously surprised and stood up.

“You can play this too?” Qi Yue smiled and walked over, remembering that Chang Yuncheng also had a guqin in his room. People in ancient times were truly refined, skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Her use of the word “too” made Chang Yunqi understand.

“Father enjoys this, so all us brothers and sisters hired famous teachers to learn. However, elder brother learned the best. Your younger brother is just making a fool of himself,” he smiled.

“How is it foolish? It sounds so beautiful,” Qi Yue laughed while walking over. “I haven’t heard music in so long. Play another piece for me to listen to.”

A’Ru tugged at her sleeve from behind.

Qi Yue shook her off.

“I’m about to die of boredom,” she whispered to A’Ru.

A’Ru paused and awkwardly withdrew her hand.

Chang Yunqi saw all their movements and conversation, merely smiled without saying anything, lifted his robes and sat cross-legged, steadied the strings, and began to play.

Qi Yue sat down on the nearby steps, listening to the long, deep guqin music in her ears, watching the bamboo grove that remained verdant even in autumn, temporarily casting aside her complex thoughts. She didn’t know how much time passed before the music ended with lingering echoes.

“That was truly beautiful,” Qi Yue came back to her senses and applauded.

Chang Yunqi smiled.

“How long did you study? Is it hard to learn?” Qi Yue asked again.

Chang Yunqi looked at her.

“Have you really forgotten everything from before?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“Would I lie about that?” Qi Yue laughed.

Chang Yunqi’s expression showed disbelief.

“In this world, when you tell the truth, no one believes you, but when you lie, everyone believes you. How strange,” Qi Yue made a face at him.

“How is that possible?” Chang Yunqi shook his head.

“Why not? Anything is possible,” Qi Yue laughed, looking at the guqin in front of Chang Yunqi, couldn’t help but get up and walk over, crouching down to touch it.

The strings made discordant sounds.

“This is a guqin, right?” she asked curiously.

“Yes,” Chang Yunqi smiled.

“It must be very expensive,” Qi Yue nodded.

Chang Yunqi didn’t know what to say and just smiled.

“Are you doing well?” he suddenly asked.

Qi Yue was studying the guqin when she heard the question and looked up at him.

“I’m fine,” she said, seeing the genuine concern in Chang Yunqi’s expression. This concern wasn’t fake—it was one of the few kind expressions she’d seen since coming here. She smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

Chang Yunqi was made somewhat uncomfortable by her smile and thanks.

“At least you’ve improved—you know how to say thank you now,” he smiled.

“I didn’t say thank you before?” Qi Yue asked, following his lead.

A’Ru coughed once from the side, interrupting their conversation.

“Young Madam, we’ve been out for quite a while. We should go back,” she said with her head down.

“Go back for what?” Qi Yue shook her head and replied casually.

These words had a different meaning to Chang Yunqi’s ears, and his expression darkened as he looked at Qi Yue.

“Did he really hit you?” he suddenly asked.

A’Ru’s head shot up like a startled rabbit, while Qi Yue was a bit slow to react.

“Who? Hit me?” she asked, looking at Chang Yunqi before understanding. She laughed. “No, no, you’re listening to their nonsense.”

Chang Yunqi looked completely unconvinced.

“You? Every time you’re bullied, don’t you always say ‘no’?” he shook his head.

That might be true for Qi Yueniang, but not for Qi Yue.

“Really, no,” Qi Yue raised her hand and laughed.

“Young Madam, let’s go back,” A’Ru raised her voice again, glancing at Chang Yunqi. “It’s getting late.”

Qi Yue looked up at the sky—it was just past midday, with blue sky and white clouds.

“Let’s go back,” Chang Yunqi smiled, standing up first. “I should go back too.”

Qi Yue made a sound of acknowledgment, clapped her hands and stood up.

She walked down with him.

“Your courtyard is nearby?” she made casual conversation.

Chang Yunqi stopped and looked at her.

Qi Yue didn’t understand and looked back at him.

“I believe you now,” Chang Yunqi smiled. “You really have forgotten everything from before—you don’t even know where I live. Back then, that courtyard was one you and I chose together…”

A’Ru coughed heavily from behind, cutting off Chang Yunqi’s words.

Chang Yunqi frowned and turned to look at A’Ru, his expression darkening.

“What? Now I can’t even speak to Yueniang?” he asked A’Ru. “Never mind that she’s my sister-in-law now—just considering the sibling bond from living in grandmother’s courtyard together for a year, now even talking is forbidden?”

A’Ru immediately knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly and saying she wouldn’t dare.

“She doesn’t mean it that way,” Qi Yue quickly smiled and reached out to help A’Ru up.

A’Ru kept her head down and didn’t dare get up.

Chang Yunqi snorted and walked away first. Only then did A’Ru stand up.

“You’re brothers and sisters, it’s normal to talk. Don’t be so nervous,” Qi Yue whispered to A’Ru. “Could it be that here you can’t even…”

A’Ru was frightened and quickly covered her mouth, shaking her head with terror in her eyes.

Qi Yue smiled and said nothing more, seeing that Chang Yunqi ahead had stopped again.

“Sister-in-law, that barbecue you made last time, especially the roasted garlic—it was quite delicious. When will you invite me to eat it again?” he turned around and said.

“Sure, no problem, anytime,” Qi Yue smiled.

After speaking, she frowned again. When had she ever invited him to eat barbecue?

As they spoke, four or five maids and old women approached from the roadside. Seeing the three of them, they quickly stopped, and hearing these words, they quickly lowered their heads.

Chang Yunqi had already walked up to them.

“Third Young Master,” they all bowed in unison.

Chang Yunqi, carrying his guqin, strode away.

“Young Madam,” the maids and old women then bowed to Qi Yue as she approached.

Qi Yue acknowledged them with a sound, A’Ru kept her head down and followed closely, and the two went in another direction.

A’Ru seemed quite affected, remaining silent throughout the journey despite Qi Yue’s attempts to cheer her up.

“You child, you’re too nervous,” Qi Yue laughed.

A’Ru kept her mouth shut and said nothing.

Just as Qi Yue was trying to think of ways to make her talk, a maid came running toward them.

“Young Madam, Young Madam!” Que Zhi called out with a frightened expression.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Yue quickly asked.

“Young Madam, this is terrible!” Que Zhi was almost crying, rushing up to her with legs that could barely support her. “The Prince has brought back two room attendants…”

The term “room attendant” was not unfamiliar to Qi Yue.

“He’s only getting room attendants now? Don’t they usually get them as soon as they come of age? Your Prince is already in his twenties, how come he’s only getting them now?” Qi Yue curiously asked A’Ru in a low voice.

“First, our Old Madam is stricter with the young masters. Anyone who dares to seduce the young masters will surely be beaten to death, so the young masters in the household don’t dare to keep women in their rooms before they come of age…” A’Ru whispered.

Qi Yue nodded. With so many beauties in the household, plus having such a father as an example, it was necessary to be strict, otherwise…

“As for the Prince, even after he came of age, Old Madam didn’t allow him to have any,” A’Ru continued, glancing at Qi Yue.

Qi Yue pointed at herself, and A’Ru nodded.

“Old Madam really was good to me,” Qi Yue sighed. She sighed again, though she didn’t know whether this kindness was a blessing or a curse for Qi Yueniang. But regardless, it was indeed sincere, wholehearted treatment.

“Young Madam, please hurry,” Que Zhi was almost jogging ahead, seeing Qi Yue still walking leisurely and couldn’t help but urge her on.

“What’s the rush? It’s not me who’s eager to embrace beauties and enjoy myself,” Qi Yue said unhurriedly, while looking at A’Ru again. “What are the rules for room attendants? Like, do they need my approval or something?”

“The maids around the Prince are naturally Young Madam’s maids, especially those with this kind of status—they need Young Madam to speak up and have the tea ceremony and face-opening ceremony before it counts,” Que Zhi quickly interjected. “Young Madam, don’t put on that generous act. The Prince just returned, and it hasn’t been long, yet he’s already asking for room attendants. If word gets out, your dignity will be…”

“Shut up,” A’Ru cut her off sharply, her face darkening. “The affairs between the Prince and Young Madam—when is it a maid’s turn to point fingers and give directions?”

Que Zhi was afraid of her and lowered her head, not daring to speak.

“Oh, so I need to agree?” Qi Yue smiled.

“That may be what they say,” A’Ru saw her smiling so brightly and felt a bad premonition. She quickly said, “But Young Madam, since the Prince has already brought them back, you mustn’t let him lose face. They’re just two maids, after all.”

Qi Yue made a sound of acknowledgment, nodded with a beaming smile, and said nothing more.