The sun in the fifth month was indeed growing more and more intense.

Exactly like Yun Chu’s previous life—April still held the lingering cold of spring, but once May arrived, the temperature skyrocketed, making people dizzy with heat.

They had been standing for less than a quarter-hour when a young servant ran out and said, “Lord Xie, Lady Xie, please follow me inside.”

Yun Chu had thought Marquis Xuanwu would deliberately make things difficult for Xie Jingyu for a while. She hadn’t expected him to let them in so quickly.

This was the first time in both her lives combined that she had entered Marquis Xuanwu’s residence.

Pavilions and waterside gazebos, carved beams and painted rafters—one could tell the Qin family ancestors had been people of great taste.

The young servant led them into the garden. Summer flowers bloomed like brocade, butterflies fluttered everywhere. Just as they walked in, suddenly there was a dog’s bark.

A large hound as tall as a person charged out from the side, barking wildly at Xie Jingyu. Xie Jingyu, a scholar, had never seen such a display before and retreated repeatedly in fright.

Yun Chu stood in place without moving. This large hound had a rope tied around its neck—it simply couldn’t pounce and bite them.

“Lady Xie has such courage!” Qin Mingheng emerged. “Lord Xie, an eight-foot tall man, is actually inferior to a woman. Tsk tsk.”

Xie Jingyu’s expression was ugly.

He lowered his head and cupped his hands. “Marquis, this official and my wife have come bearing thorns to apologize. Yesterday when the Marquis brought the Young Lord to the Xie family to drink wine, it gave the Xie family face. But this official failed to teach his son properly, causing my worthless son to injure the Young Lord. My worthless son’s leg is ruined for this lifetime. This official has sent him to an estate to reflect. He has received the punishment he deserves. I beg the Marquis to be magnanimous and give this official a chance to atone.”

Yun Chu took the inkstone from Tingshuang’s hands and respectfully presented it with both hands. “This is an extremely rare Songhua inkstone. I ask the Marquis to accept it with a smile.”

Qin Mingheng didn’t enjoy reading and couldn’t care less about any Songhua inkstone, but this was an inkstone Yun Chu had personally delivered.

He walked over and received the inkstone. After glancing at it, he held it in his hand playing with it, then looked askance at Xie Jingyu. “Lord Xie doesn’t think that bringing your wife to apologize will make this Marquis let this matter go, does he?”

Xie Jingyu’s fingers secretly clenched tight. “I ask the Marquis to enlighten me.”

“Five years ago, Lord Xie came to my door begging me to produce an extremely rare divine medicine.” The corners of Qin Mingheng’s lips curved in a smile. “At that time, what price did Lord Xie pay? Do you still remember?”

Xie Jingyu’s heart sank heavily.

Five years ago, on the eve of his wedding to Yun Chu, his mother Yuan Shi’s illness had suddenly worsened. She vomited blood constantly all day, spending most of her time unconscious.

Since he became aware of the world, Mother had been ill in bed. His greatest hopes were two: first, to rank among the officials and bring glory to the Xie family; second, to cure Mother’s grave illness.

How he had hoped Mother could sit in the seat of honor and drink the wedding wine at his and Yun Chu’s joyous occasion.

He inquired everywhere and finally learned that Marquis Xuanwu had divine medicine passed down from his ancestors, said to be able to cure a hundred illnesses.

He used the Yun family’s connections to gain entry to the Marquis’s residence. When he knelt before Marquis Xuanwu requesting the divine medicine, the Marquis had proposed a demand that made him tremble all over even now when he recalled it.

“Lord Xie’s wedding night—may I have it instead?”

He still remembered the sinister look when Marquis Xuanwu said these words, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Only then did he know that Marquis Xuanwu, who had married the Luo family’s daughter, actually harbored unusual thoughts toward the General’s residence’s legitimate eldest daughter, Yun Chu.

“What is Lord Xie thinking about? Your expression is so ugly?” The mockery at the corners of Qin Mingheng’s mouth deepened. “This is all because this Marquis has been a poor host. Someone, serve tea to Lord Xie and Lady Xie.”

A maid brought up two cups of tea and placed them before Yun Chu and Xie Jingyu.

Yun Chu’s upbringing told her that when visiting, when the host served tea, whether thirsty or not, one must symbolically take a sip—this was the etiquette of being a guest.

She picked up the teacup and brought it to her lips.

“Madam.”

Xie Jingyu cried out.

Yun Chu’s tea-drinking motion stopped. She turned her head. “What is it?”

Qin Mingheng leaned back in his chair. “What, does Lord Xie think there’s a problem with my tea?”

Xie Jingyu gripped his cup tightly.

Bringing Yun Chu to the door—hadn’t he anticipated this very scene?

Five years ago, Yun Chu had used that one night to exchange for his mother’s life.

The current Yun Chu was long no longer that pure young lady from the General’s residence. Using her one night again to exchange for the Xie residence’s peace—what was wrong with that?

Having clearly already made such a decision, why did he feel hesitation when seeing this cup of tea?

He discovered for the first time that he truly was an extremely hypocritical person.

Xie Jingyu spoke slowly. “Be careful the tea is hot.”

Yun Chu lowered her eyes. “Thank you for the reminder, Husband.”

She brought the teacup to her lips and lightly took a sip, but didn’t swallow the tea. She used her handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth, imperceptibly spitting that mouthful of tea onto the handkerchief.

Though her movements were very small, Qin Mingheng had been watching her with his peripheral vision the whole time, so naturally he saw.

He couldn’t help but laugh mockingly. His tea had nothing in it at all, yet she was so vigilant she wouldn’t drink a single sip.

Yet five years ago, in the nuptial wine she and Xie Jingyu shared, there had been enough knockout drug to render a grown man unconscious.

At this moment, Luo Shi came with maids, her face full of smiles. “Lord Xie and Lady Xie have both come to our door. Marquis, please don’t hold yesterday’s matter against them anymore.”

Not only was the Xie residence’s Second Young Master’s leg broken, he had been sent far from the capital by the Xie family, which was equivalent to the Xie family abandoning this child.

Although this child was only a concubine-born son and couldn’t be compared to the Marquis residence’s heir, the Xie family couple had already gone this far. If their Marquis residence still haggled over every detail, that would be somewhat unforgiving.

“I received some good tea. Lady Xie, please come sit in my courtyard for a while.” Luo Shi smiled at Yun Chu. “It just happens to be the noon hour. Will Lady Xie accompany me for lunch?”

Yun Chu naturally wouldn’t refuse. She rose and followed Luo Shi to the rear courtyard.

The two had just left when the smile on Qin Mingheng’s face disappeared completely. He said coldly, “Lord Xie isn’t leaving yet—do you wish to stay and dine with me?”

Xie Jingyu clenched his fists. “This official takes his leave.”

Watching his figure disappear at the Marquis residence gate, Qin Mingheng’s expression grew even colder.

It was such a selfish, despicable scoundrel—where was he worthy of Yun Chu? Why had Lady Yun been so blind as to marry Yun Chu to such a base person?

He walked to the study and pressed a mechanism. Inside was a painting room. The walls were covered entirely with portraits of the same woman. On the table was also a handkerchief.

He took down a portrait and murmured, “Yun Chu, I’m the one who wronged you. If I had defied the imperial decree and not married Luo Shi, could I have become husband and wife with you…”

Marquis Xuanwu was an idle position without real power. He didn’t understand why the Emperor had arranged a marriage for him when he was still the heir.

If he had just waited two more years, until Yun Chu came of age, he could have persuaded Mother to go propose marriage. But in the end, he was a step too late.

He married the Luo family’s daughter, and she became the Xie family’s wife.

In Luo Shi’s courtyard, Yun Chu drank tea and accompanied her for a meal. She was extremely careful, secretly spitting everything that entered her mouth onto her handkerchief.

It wasn’t that she was overly guarded against people, but Marquis Xuanwu and Xie Jingyu clearly didn’t get along. She had to be carefully on guard.

After chatting with Luo Shi for a while, she learned that the rumors in the outside world were true—besides Luo Shi, Marquis Xuanwu’s residence had no second woman.

Which man in this dynasty didn’t have three wives and four concubines? Yet Marquis Xuanwu could do this for Luo Shi.

When the time was about right, Yun Chu bid farewell to Luo Shi, then went to the front courtyard to meet up with Xie Jingyu.

The young servant in the front courtyard told her that Xie Jingyu was in Marquis Xuanwu’s study discussing matters, and asked her to sit briefly in the study’s side hall.

Yun Chu nodded and followed to sit in the side hall.

Ice basins had been placed on all four sides of this side hall. Even though the sun was fierce, one couldn’t feel the heat at all.