After several gloomy days, the sky finally unleashed the first bolt of lightning since the Beginning of Spring. Rumbling thunder echoed across the skies above the capital.

Song Chuyi was jolted awake by the thunderclap, drenched in cold sweat. She sat up, gasping for breath.

It was her familiar carved yellow pear-wood canopy bed. The pink soft silk gauze curtains had been personally selected for her by her mother when she was still alive. Through the curtains, she could see the glazed lamp still burning on the table.

It was warm. Her breath was warm. She pinched her cheek hard—it hurt.

This wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a dream. She covered her frantically beating heart, consoling herself.

“Miss is awake?” Luyi’s warm, familiar voice sounded above her head. She deftly drew back the bed curtains and felt Song Chuyi’s forehead, then let out a relieved sigh. “Thank goodness, the fever hasn’t returned.”

Song Chuyi sat dazedly at the head of the bed. Even now, she couldn’t understand why, despite dying filled with hatred, she had in the blink of an eye returned to when she was only seven years old.

At this time, her grandmother still remembered how her mother, Cui Shi, had been filial and gentle, had given birth to a legitimate son for Second Master Song Yi at the cost of her life, and thus showed abundant affection toward Song Chuyi and her younger brother.

Her stepmother, having been married into the family for five years but only having produced one daughter in the year of her marriage and remaining childless since, was keeping her head down and treading carefully.

In her previous life, when she was seven years old, she had gotten into a fight with her cousin Song Chumi from the third branch. Upon returning home, she had fallen ill and run a fever for several days, nearly not surviving.

Fortunately, this also provided a reasonable explanation for why she had been waking up with nightmares every night for the past half month.

In just the time it took to exchange a few words, all the lamps in the room had been lit. Servant girls filed in carrying towels, basins, and other washing implements.

Song Chuyi looked them over one by one.

Hong Yu, Huang Yao, Qing Tao—every face was familiar.

She allowed Luyi to press a steaming hot towel to her face, feeling every pore on her skin open. Her eyes grew hot and misty, pooling with tears.

“Has the fever not subsided?” Nanny Xu lifted the curtain and entered. Seeing Song Chuyi’s tear-filled face in the lamplight, she crossed the room in two steps instead of three, reaching out to feel Song Chuyi’s forehead, her eyes brimming with concern.

This was Song Chuyi’s wet nurse, a servant who had accompanied her birth mother Cui Shi as part of her dowry. She had raised Song Chuyi from infancy but had been dismissed for an offense when Song Chuyi was eight years old. Counting her previous life, Song Chuyi hadn’t seen her for more than twenty years.

“Nanny Xu…” Sorrow welled up in Song Chuyi’s heart, and tears streamed down her face.

Nanny Xu was immediately so worried she didn’t know what to do. Song Chuyi was accustomed to being domineering, and because her birth mother had passed away, she was especially doted upon by Old Madam and Second Master. She was basically a little tyrant who had never shed many tears. For her to cry like this truly made Nanny Xu’s heart ache. She hurriedly scolded Luyi: “How have you been attending to her? I’ve only been away for half a day—”

Song Chuyi quickly reached out to tug at her clothing, sniffling to stop her tears, looking pitifully at Nanny Xu. “It’s not their fault. Just now I had a nightmare, Nanny. Please don’t blame them.”

The usually tyrannical and domineering Sixth Miss was actually speaking up for her servants?! Everyone exchanged glances, unable to react immediately.

Why would she have nightmares? Wasn’t it because Fourth Miss had been too harsh? Nanny Xu sighed with heartache but couldn’t speak ill of her mistress. She deftly helped Song Chuyi put on a padded jacket and knelt down to tie the sashes for her. “Since you’re well now, you should go pay respects to Old Madam. I just came from there, and Old Madam was asking after you.”

Song Chuyi nodded emphatically, docile beyond recognition.

Nanny Xu simply assumed that having suffered a loss and endured a serious illness, she had learned to be more sensible. She felt both gratified and distressed.

Only then did Luyi come forward with a smile, carrying a cup of red date tea. “Yesterday, Miss told us to remind her that no matter what, she mustn’t delay today—we must wake her to pay respects to Old Madam.”

Huang Yao finally found an opportunity to speak and said hurriedly, “Old Madam loves our miss most and has already sent word that there’s no need to rush over to pay respects—proper recuperation is what matters. In my opinion, Miss need not be so hasty. Just say the illness hasn’t recovered yet, and it will also dampen Fourth Miss’s spirits.”

Nanny Xu looked over with mock reproach and spat, “What nonsense are you spouting?! Can paying respects to Old Madam be delayed?”

From the corner of her eye, Song Chuyi caught sight of Huang Yao’s flushed, smiling face. Her heart lurched.

The conflict between her and Fourth Miss Song Chumi was originally nothing serious—at most just children’s squabbling. But in her previous life, she had been manipulated into losing her head and pretended to be bedridden for over half a month.

Third Madam Yun Shi had come to check on her daily at first, but later, after somehow learning that she was feigning illness to pressure Old Madam into punishing Fourth Miss more severely, she had simply laughed coldly at Song Chuyi a few times and returned home to severely punish her own daughter.

Song Chuyi still remembered that from that point on, Third Aunt’s gaze toward her had never been right.

Hong Yu quietly draped a cloak over Song Chuyi’s shoulders, carefully arranged her clothing, and stood to the side with her head lowered, saying nothing.

Luyi and Hong Yu were her mother’s people—household-born servants of the Cui family with impeccable manners and temperaments. Yet in their previous life, neither had ended well. Hong Yu had been sold off early on for some unknown reason. Although Luyi had always stayed with Song Chuyi, she had never enjoyed favor. It wasn’t until Song Chuyi’s son died and she suffered cold treatment in Duke Yingguo’s estate that it was precisely Luyi—whom she had always neglected and ignored—who unhesitatingly stood by her side to protect her.

Song Chuyi’s eyes swept over the two of them but in the end she said nothing, walking out the door into the morning breeze.

All the camellias planted in the Earl’s estate were in full bloom, clusters of three or five blooming exuberantly along the roadside. Their brilliant red faces turned toward the morning sun, bursting with vitality and bringing joy to anyone who saw them.

There were no flowering trees around Ningde Courtyard. The perimeter was surrounded by neatly trimmed privet hedges, lush green and full of life.

Song Chuyi led Luyi and Huang Yao through the screen wall and turned onto the covered corridor. She saw several maids feeding birds. When they spotted her, their faces lit up with smiles as they greeted her.

Someone called out repeatedly, “Sixth Miss has arrived.”

Immediately someone lifted the door curtain to emerge. Seeing Song Chuyi, she smiled. “You’re finally here. Old Madam has been asking after you.”

It was Yushu, one of Old Madam’s personal attendants—gentle and amiable in temperament, easy to get along with. Old Madam liked her best.

Seeing her hold up the curtain, Song Chuyi walked inside.

The moment she entered, the chill covering her entire body was completely dispelled by the warmth from the heated floor.

Old Madam sat in the seat of honor, apparently discussing something with the Princess Consort beside her. When she saw Song Chuyi arrive, the smile on her face diminished somewhat.

At this time, Old Madam was still willing to treat her well. Though she would get angry with her, it was because she still held hope. It wasn’t like later years when she wouldn’t even look at Song Chuyi properly and remained completely indifferent to whatever she did.

Song Chuyi’s nose tingled. She prostrated herself properly on the floor. “Your granddaughter pays respects to Old Madam and wishes Old Madam peace and good health.”

She was completely unlike her usual undisciplined self. The little girl who had just turned seven performed her etiquette precisely and fluidly, as smooth as flowing clouds and water, a pleasure to behold.

Everyone was taken aback in unison.

Old Madam had just finished hearing Third Madam’s words and was truly harboring anger in her heart. She had originally intended to give Song Chuyi the cold shoulder for a while. But seeing her like this, her anger unknowingly dissipated by more than half. She couldn’t help but sigh, though her expression softened. “Rise.”

Song Chuyi stood up and once again humbly and obediently greeted each of the madams.

When it came to Third Madam’s turn, Third Madam looked at her with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Third Aunt was just about to bring your Fourth Sister to kowtow and beg your forgiveness. How dare we accept your respects first?”

Her tone was mocking, her smile not reaching her eyes.

“Mother!” Song Chumi called out sharply, then immediately realized she was in Old Madam’s Ningde Courtyard and didn’t dare say anything more. She simply glared at Song Chuyi indignantly.

No matter what had happened, for Third Madam, an elder, to embarrass a junior in front of a room full of people was somewhat excessive. First Madam rolled up her sleeves and coughed lightly, turning to Third Madam with a smile. “At your age, still so playful. Be careful not to frighten the children.”

First Madam was the Princess Consort. In the future, this entire Earl’s estate would belong to her. As for the other branches, if one day Old Madam was no longer around and the family divided, they would be nothing.

Of course Third Madam didn’t dare to disrespect her. She laughed falsely a few times, but thinking it over, she still felt indignant. She stared at Song Chuyi and sighed. “The physician said you have no illness and could have gotten out of bed long ago. It’s understandable that you’re angry with your Fourth Sister, but be careful not to damage your own health from sulking. You’ve also caused Old Madam to worry.”

So in her previous life, while they had manipulated her into feigning illness, they had simultaneously been poisoning Third Madam’s and Old Madam’s minds against her this way.

Although in this life she had truly been ill, since the physician who examined her had said there was no illness, combined with all the demons and monsters in her quarters, then she could only be declared healthy.

To harbor resentment against her cousin over minor squabbling and to feign illness to make her cousin’s punishment more severe—this wouldn’t reflect well on her reputation no matter where it was discussed.

Song Chuyi unexpectedly didn’t defend herself. She lowered her head and apologized in a voice barely above a whisper to Third Madam and Song Chumi. “It was Xiaoyi’s fault. I shouldn’t have spoken rudely to Fourth Sister.”

The smile on Third Madam’s face truly froze this time.

She hadn’t expected Song Chuyi to admit fault, and certainly not so readily.

Song Chumi was also somewhat incredulous. Then, thinking that Song Chuyi had indeed schemed against her by feigning illness to have Old Madam punish her, anger surged in her heart once more. She snorted coldly and turned her head away.

Old Madam harrumphed from her seat of honor, her expression somber as she asked, “So you’re saying you truly did feign illness to frame your Fourth Sister?”

As the actual power holder of the inner quarters of Changning Earl’s estate, Old Madam’s position was pivotal—especially for a girl like Song Chuyi who had lost her birth mother and gained a stepmother.

In her previous life, everyone understood this principle. Only she herself had not.

Everyone held their breath on her behalf. Huang Yao’s expression had already changed dramatically, and she was about to speak up in defense.

But Song Chuyi had already knelt on the floor before her. Her clear eyes met Old Madam’s gaze directly, neither dodging nor evading. She bowed her head sincerely to admit her fault. “Yes. Xiaoyi was thoughtless. First I quarreled with Fourth Sister, then I caused trouble for Third Aunt and Fourth Sister.”

What kind of trouble, she didn’t specify.

Old Madam was an extremely intelligent person who had consumed more salt than these juniors had eaten rice.

In her previous life, it had been true, so Old Madam had genuinely been disappointed in her.

But in this life… She lowered her head and curved her lips in a cold smile.