The women in the main hall dispersed.

As Fourth Aunt Yun left, her unwilling gaze still lingered before Yun Chu’s eyes.

She had tested the waters slightly—now it remained to be seen what choice Fourth Aunt Yun would make.

While she was pondering this, Tingfeng hurried over from the front: “Miss, the eldest young master requests an audience.”

Yun Chu didn’t react immediately: “Brother Jiang?”

“It’s the eldest young master of the Xie Family, Xie Shi’an,” Tingfeng replied. “Will Miss see him?”

Yun Chu set down her account book: “Let him in.”

Xie Shi’an was led into the courtyard.

Although he walked with his gaze fixed straight ahead, his peripheral vision constantly surveyed the courtyard.

After leaving the Xie Family, his mother hadn’t returned to the Yun Family home, but instead lived in this three-courtyard compound, roughly the same size as the Xie residence.

He wasn’t permitted to pass through the hanging flower gate into the rear courtyard. In the main hall of the first courtyard, he saw Yun Chu.

Naturally, Yun Chu wouldn’t allow Xie Shi’an into the rear courtyard.

The back courtyards were filled everywhere with traces of Yu’er and Changsheng’s lives. If Xie Shi’an went in, he would surely notice certain things.

She wouldn’t create unnecessary trouble for herself.

“I heard that Mother has been granted the title of Fifth-Rank Lady of Grace, so I came specially to offer congratulations,” Xie Shi’an presented his gift with both hands. “I bought a box of rouge—I hope Mother won’t find it distasteful.”

Yun Chu accepted the congratulatory gift and said with a smile: “Your information network is quite well-informed.”

“News from the imperial court actually reaches the common people in the streets to some extent,” Xie Shi’an said. “His Majesty bestowing honors upon Mother means he still trusts the Yun Family. Mother need not worry anymore.”

On the surface, he appeared quite filial.

In his heart, however, he was vexed to the extreme.

He couldn’t understand why, when the letters proving the Yun Family’s treasonous dealings with enemies had been presented before His Majesty, the Emperor still chose to spare the Yun Family and even granted his mother an imperial title.

Did he trust the Yun Family that much?

Was such trust unshakeable even by evidence?

He realized he had made a completely wrong decision.

But regret was too late now.

“Thank you for still thinking of the Yun Family,” Yun Chu’s voice was gentle but carried obvious distance. “What have you been busy with recently?”

Xie Shi’an answered honestly: “Preparing to open a shop specializing in the four treasures of the study and paintings.”

Yun Chu nodded: “That’s a stable livelihood.”

Having said this, she didn’t continue speaking, and Xie Shi’an didn’t know what else to say either.

He could only say: “Then I’ll take my leave.”

Yun Chu nodded: “Tingxue, escort Young Master Xie out.”

The address “Young Master Xie” made Xie Shi’an’s footsteps pause. Those affectionate calls of “Brother An” from before—he probably would never hear them again.

He had made a special trip to offer congratulations, yet his mother hadn’t even invited him to stay for a meal.

He smiled bitterly.

Could he blame his mother?

He should blame himself.

It was he who forced his mother to sever ties with the Yun Family, and his mother chose to leave the Xie household.

When Mother left, she gave him a writing brush, hoping he would become an unbending person of integrity.

He too had tried to be an upright person.

But he discovered that relying on his upright self, he couldn’t obtain anything at all.

One day, he would stand at the same height as his mother and proudly tell her that even without relying on the Yun Family, he could have a brilliant future.

Xie Shi’an walked back to the Xie residence from Yulin Lane, taking nearly a full hour.

Ever since the Xie Family no longer had a carriage, he realized that the capital was larger than he had imagined—it was difficult to get anywhere.

Returning home, he asked his page boy: “Has Concubine Yu returned?”

San Jiu shook his head: “Should I go out and search for her?”

Xie Shi’an waved his hand.

He knew very well where Concubine Yu had gone.

Previously, she would return to the Xie residence every day before dawn, but it was already afternoon now—why hadn’t she come back yet?

Could something have happened?

“Brother An, do you know where Concubine Yu went?” Yuan Shi came over holding Xie Shikang. “I heard from Brother Yun that Concubine Yu didn’t return all night.”

Xie Shiwei appeared from somewhere: “Grandmother probably doesn’t know yet, but Concubine Yu hasn’t just been gone one night. For many days now, she’s been going out after dark and only returning just before dawn…”

“Shiwei!” Xie Shi’an interrupted Xie Shiwei’s words. “Say less.”

Xie Shiwei replied coldly: “Elder Brother, after Concubine Yu returns to the residence each day, she goes straight to your Qingsong Pavilion first thing. Can you tell us what she’s been doing?”

Xie Shi’an’s expression darkened immediately: “You’ve been watching me?”

“Is there any need to specifically watch? The Xie Family only has these few people,” Xie Shiwei’s gaze was somewhat sinister. “What are you two plotting?”

“What are you two brothers arguing about?” Yuan Shi couldn’t quite understand. “Right now the urgent matter is to quickly find Concubine Yu. Brother Yun is her lifeline—she couldn’t possibly stay away this long without returning. Something must have happened!”

The group stood talking in the Xie Family’s front courtyard when someone knocked at the door.

San Jiu, standing behind Xie Shi’an, hurried to open it.

A matron stood at the entrance: “Excuse me, is this the Xie residence?”

As the current head of household, Xie Shi’an stepped forward: “This is the Xie residence. May I ask who you are and what business brings you here?”

“I’m the personal attendant of Madam Hu from the Hu Family,” the matron said coldly. “Your household has a Concubine Yu, correct?”

Xie Shi’an’s heart sank to the bottom.

Others might not know where Tingyu went at night, but he knew very clearly. It was he who had given Tingyu a note to deliver.

That Master Hu was lustful but feared his wife, so he had Tingyu find a way to climb into his bed, then use this matter as leverage to threaten and extort silver from Master Hu.

Every night Tingyu went to the Hu residence to secretly serve Master Hu, and Master Hu would give Tingyu a large sum of money. This transaction had continued for many days, and he had obtained quite a bit of silver from it…

But today, Madam Hu’s matron had come to the door.

He knew the matter had been exposed.

He hadn’t expected it to be discovered so quickly—he was still short of the money needed to buy the shop… Tingyu had been too careless.

Yuan Shi had already stepped forward: “Yes, yes, yes, Concubine Yu is from our household. May I ask what happened to her? Did something occur?”

“Heh!” The matron laughed coldly. “Your household’s Concubine Yu is truly fortunate—our master has taken a fancy to her. This morning she served tea to our mistress and is now a concubine of the Hu Family. Where is Concubine Yu’s indenture contract?”

The matron pulled out a banknote from her sleeve—one hundred taels of silver.

This amount of money might not have meant much to the Xie Family in the past, but now, when the family wished they could split one coin into two, one hundred taels was truly a lot.

Yuan Shi’s eyes widened: “What? What are you saying? Concubine Yu is a member of the Xie Family—how could she possibly become a concubine of your Hu Family…”

But before she could finish, Xie Shiwei rushed over and snatched the one hundred taels, saying: “Concubine Yu’s indenture contract is in Grandmother’s box. I’ll get it for you right away.”

Yuan Shi was completely confused as Tingyu’s indenture contract was handed over to the matron.

“Having taken the silver, keep your mouths shut, or the Hu Family won’t let this rest,” the matron said, too lazy to say more, and turned to leave.

Yuan Shi kept pulling at Xie Shi’an, asking repeatedly: “Brother An, what’s going on? You surely know the reason—tell me quickly…”

Xie Shi’an was being shaken until his head felt dizzy.

He pressed his lips tightly together.

Madam Hu was not a magnanimous household mistress—otherwise Master Hu wouldn’t have strayed.

Yet this less-than-magnanimous Madam Hu had accepted tea from Tingyu, taken her as a concubine, and even spent one hundred taels of silver to buy her indenture contract. What did this mean?

Tingyu was probably…

Xie Shi’an shook his head, driving that trace of pity from his heart, his gaze falling on the banknote in Xie Shiwei’s hand.