The Eldest Madam’s originally furious expression finally looked somewhat better, though she still wasn’t very pleased.

“Ren Yijun’s awakening might indeed have her contribution to it, but where is there precedent for speaking to one’s husband in such a manner? This is truly too unreasonable!” the Eldest Madam said with a frown.

The maids lowered their heads to look at their feet.

The Eldest Madam sighed again and said, “Forget it, forget it. She’s a girl from a rustic background—how can I expect her to have the cultivation of a refined young lady from a noble family? As long as Ren Yijun can recover, that’s good enough. Just make sure in the future not to let her attend closely to Third Young Master, and don’t let her run around wildly in the manor, making others laugh at us.”

Ren Yijun’s maids quickly replied in low voices.

The Eldest Madam shook her head and turned to leave.

At this time, Ren Yaoqi was also asking Ren Yijun about his newlywed wife: “Third Brother, why are you angry with Third Sister-in-law?”

Could it be that Ren Yijun had discovered something wrong with Qi Yuegui?

Ren Yijun closed his eyes again and turned his head away, ignoring Ren Yaoqi, but his breathing became heavier, as if he were sulking.

Ren Yaoqi found this rather baffling. In the end, it was Ren Yijun’s maids who hesitantly recounted what had happened that morning.

After hearing this, both Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua had somewhat strange expressions on their faces.

Ren Yijun said, “Don’t, don’t mention that poisonous woman!”

Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yijun and said, “Poisonous woman? Perhaps she did this for your good? Look, didn’t you wake up? What good would it do her if you died? Besides, you’re a grown man—why get angry with a young woman? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you if word gets out?”

Ren Yijun became even more irritated with Ren Yaohua and angrily said, “You, who let you come in? Get out!”

Ren Yaohua glanced at Ren Yaoqi, put down the teacup in her hand, and stood up quite decisively: “Since Third Brother, you’re already awake and seem to be in fairly good spirits, I’ll go back first.”

Without waiting for Ren Yaoqi, Ren Yaohua left on her own.

Seeing that Ren Yijun was so weak he could barely catch his breath, yet still looked indignant, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel helpless: “Third Brother, you’ve only just woken up not long ago. You should rest and recover properly. Why get worked up over such pointless anger?”

Ren Yijun closed his eyes again.

Ren Yaoqi felt that Ren Yijun sometimes had a child’s temperament, but what could she argue about with a sick person? So Ren Yaoqi only spoke gently and soothingly to Ren Yijun for a few more moments, then instructed him to rest well before withdrawing.

After this day, although Ren Yijun was still bedridden, he could take medicine and consume rice water, and his body gradually began to recover.

During the period when Ren Yijun was convalescing, Qi Yuegui never showed her face. It was said that the Eldest Madam had found an old nanny to teach her proper etiquette, forbidding her from going out to see people before she had learned the rules properly. She was even exempted from morning and evening greetings. Qi Yuegui didn’t even return home on the third day after the wedding, though this was because Qi Yuegui herself didn’t want to return to her natal family. Since she was unwilling to go back, the Ren family also felt it saved them trouble.

This time, Ren Yijun had injured his vital energy and rested for a full three months before he could get up and walk around.

On this day, Ren Yaoqi was writing a letter to Xiao Jinglin in her small study when Sangshen suddenly came in to report: “Miss, this is bad! Third Young Master and Third Young Madam are fighting again!”

Ren Yaoqi calmly put down her brush and rotated her right wrist: “What’s the reason this time?”

Sangshen hurriedly said, “Third Young Madam pulled up by the roots several clusters of orchids that Third Young Master had people plant behind the courtyard. Third Young Master was so angry that he was jumping up and down, chasing Third Young Madam all around the courtyard, saying he would tie her up and send her back to her natal family. Right now, Qingfeng Courtyard is in complete chaos. Old Madam and Eldest Madam both went out today, and Eldest Young Madam had no choice but to send someone to ask you to come and persuade Third Young Master.”

Everyone in the Ren family knew that among all the brothers and sisters in the large family, the odd and solitary Ren Yijun could only really talk to the Fifth Miss from the third branch, and wouldn’t easily show her a cold face. This treatment, even his blood siblings didn’t receive, so it was no wonder that Eldest Young Madam Zhao Shi would ask for help here.

Since her eldest sister-in-law had requested her presence, Ren Yaoqi had no choice but to quickly change clothes and go to Qingfeng Courtyard.

When she entered, Ren Yijun could no longer run and was leaning against a large pillar under the eastern wing corridor, gasping heavily. A group of maids and servants surrounded him, helping him catch his breath and offering him tea.

But Ren Yijun’s eyes were fixed deadly on Qi Yuegui under the western wing corridor opposite him: “You come over here!”

Compared to Ren Yijun’s disheveled and exhausted state, Qi Yuegui didn’t even have a hair out of place. She looked at Ren Yijun with a smile, then slowly shook her head: “I won’t come over!”

Ren Yijun was so angry he jumped up and down: “Are you coming over or not?”

Qi Yuegui blinked: “Just won’t come over!”

“You!” Ren Yijun waved away all the servants and maids, pointing at Qi Yuegui and saying harshly, “You just wait! If I can’t catch you today, I won’t be surnamed Ren!”

Seeing that Ren Yijun was about to run over and chase her again, his maids were so anxious they broke out in cold sweat, hurriedly pulling at Ren Yijun’s sleeves and pleading: “Third Young Master, why don’t you let the servants help you tie up… I mean, chase Third Young Madam over here? You should rest?”

Before Ren Yijun could speak, Qi Yuegui laughed from across the way: “Right, right, Young Master! You can’t catch me anyway, so why not let the maids and servants do the work? Either way, you’ll still be surnamed Ren.”

Hearing this, Ren Yijun was so angry his teeth itched, and he pushed away the maids blocking his path: “No need! Everyone, get out of my way!”

The Eldest Young Madam who had brought Ren Yaoqi in quickly called out: “Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law, Fifth Sister is here, stop making a scene!”

Only then did Ren Yijun stop and look over, frowning: “Why did you come?”

Ren Yaoqi glanced at Ren Yijun, and with this look, she was startled. Ren Yijun, perhaps from all the running, now had some flush on his face and sweat on his forehead. His eyes were also much brighter than when he was bedridden, and surprisingly, she couldn’t see that perpetual gloomy air he usually carried. This was the first time Ren Yaoqi had seen Ren Yijun so full of vitality.

Thinking this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but take a deep look at Qi Yuegui. Qi Yuegui noticed her gaze and gave her a brilliant smile: “Fifth Miss, the weather is nice today. You should come out for walks more often.”

Ren Yaoqi also smiled, then asked: “What’s all this about today?”

As soon as Ren Yijun heard this question, his anger flared up again. He walked huffily to Ren Yaoqi and said: “Yaoqi, come look at what this foolish woman has done! She pulled up by the roots the orchids I worked so hard to keep alive! By the time I discovered it, they were all beyond saving!”

Qi Yuegui quickly said, “I didn’t know those were orchids. They weren’t even blooming—they just looked like weeds. I only wanted to use those flower pots to plant something else.”

As she spoke, Qi Yuegui walked over to her, shaking her head: “Young Master, I’ve already admitted my mistake. I didn’t do it on purpose. Can’t I replant them for you? Why get so worked up over such a small matter? Getting angry will only harm your health.”

Ren Yijun’s mouth twitched, then taking advantage of Qi Yuegui approaching, he grabbed her arm: “Let’s see where you run now! Foolish woman!”

Though caught by him, Qi Yuegui wasn’t afraid at all, instead laughing cheerfully: “Oh? Changed from poisonous woman to foolish woman? Since Young Master has caught me now, I’m at your disposal.”

Looking at Qi Yuegui’s “dead pig fears no boiling water” attitude, Ren Yijun found himself at a loss. What could he do to punish her?

Beat her? Too crude, not the behavior of a gentleman.

Scold her? This foolish woman’s tongue was sharper than his.

Holding Qi Yuegui’s arm, Ren Yijun frowned deeply.

Ren Yaoqi sighed and couldn’t help finding it amusing. She spoke up to help Ren Yijun save face: “Third Brother, didn’t Third Sister-in-law say she would help you replant the orchids?”

Hearing this, Ren Yijun’s eyes lit up, and he pointed at Qi Yuegui triumphantly with his other free hand: “If you can restore those orchid pots to their original state within one day, I’ll let you off this time!”

Qi Yuegui blinked and said reluctantly, “Fine then.”

Ren Yijun smiled. He was certain those orchids were completely dead—even the gods couldn’t save them. As for asking Qi Yuegui to buy new ones…

Ren Yijun sneered coldly. Even if she were sold, the money might not be enough to buy two plants.

Thus, the farce that had been going on all morning came to an inexplicable end.

That afternoon, when Old Madam and Eldest Madam returned and heard about the incident at Qingfeng Courtyard, they were very angry. They summoned Qi Yuegui and gave her a severe scolding, making her kneel for two hours and ordering her to continue learning proper etiquette in her courtyard without running around, or she would face family punishment.

Actually, since marrying into the family, apart from coming to Ronghua Garden and Eldest Madam’s courtyard for scoldings, Qi Yuegui truly hadn’t left Qingfeng Courtyard.

Qi Yuegui obediently admitted her mistakes before being allowed to return.

The next day, Ren Yijun was in excellent spirits and sent someone to invite Ren Yaoqi to Qingfeng Courtyard to inspect Qi Yuegui’s orchid-planting results together—actually, he wanted to see Qi Yuegui make a fool of herself.

Ren Yaoqi was increasingly curious about Qi Yuegui as a person, so when Ren Yijun invited her, she went.

But when Qi Yuegui brought out a flower pot and Ren Yaoqi saw what was planted in it, she first froze, then turned her head away, trying not to laugh.

Ren Yijun frowned and circled twice around Qi Yuegui, holding the “orchid”: “What kind of orchid is this? Why haven’t I seen it before?”

Qi Yuegui winked at Ren Yaoqi, then said earnestly to Ren Yijun: “This is a precious variety I worked hard to find. Young Master shouldn’t have seen it before.”

Ren Yijun looked at Qi Yuegui skeptically: “Really?” It did look somewhat like an orchid, and he indeed hadn’t seen this variety before.

Qi Yuegui nodded quickly: “Really.”

Ren Yijun snorted coldly: “Didn’t you say you’d restore them to their original state? You’re trying to fool me with this thing?”

Qi Yuegui said regretfully, “Young Master, don’t you want it? If not, I’ll pull it up and plant something else.”

As Qi Yuegui spoke, she was about to pull it up, but Ren Yijun quickly stopped her: “Forget it, forget it. I’ll let you off this time and not argue with you!”