“Why not let Qingzhen go with Madam instead? Cousin can’t be left without anyone. I want to stay and care for my cousin…” Dong Qingfang said hurriedly.

“Cousin Qingfang, rest assured. I’ll take care of my eldest sister. We sisters still have some intimate words left unsaid, so I naturally need to go over. There’s no need to trouble Cousin Qingfang.” Bai Jinxiu finished speaking with a light smile, not giving Dong Qingfang another chance to speak. After bowing to Liu Shi, she said, “Mother, cousins… I’ll go to Qinghui Courtyard first!”

“Go ahead!” Liu Shi gently took the hands of Dong Qingzhen and Dong Qingfang. “I heard that the Dong family girls all have excellent culinary skills. I’m planning to stew a blood-nourishing medicinal soup for A’Bao, but it always has a fishy smell that I can’t get rid of. Come help me!”

Seeing Bai Jinxiu walk away, Dong Qingfang felt her face burning hot. Liu Shi and Bai Jinxiu were guarding against her… how could she not know?

She had indeed been thinking that since her relationship with Bai Qingyan had always been good, and now Bai Qingyan held a high position with the dignity of a princess, if Bai Qingyan spoke up, this engagement could surely be broken off.

Now, the people from the Fu family’s main branch were all watching her, hoping that after she married the eldest legitimate son, they could use her relationship with Bai Qingyan to help support the main branch. That’s why they were so eager to marry her into their family.

But what if, after she married in, the Fu family’s main branch discovered that no matter how good her usual relationship with Bai Qingyan was, Bai Qingyan would never help support the Fu family’s main branch? Would she have any good days then?

Moreover, the eldest legitimate son of the Fu family’s main branch wouldn’t even give her a proper glance. Last time when they were alone… she had intentionally tried to capture the heart of the Fu family’s eldest legitimate son, but he righteously told her to conduct herself properly, scolding her for using dishonorable means to ruin his engagement with his cousin, causing his cousin to weep daily…

The eldest legitimate son of the Fu family’s main branch only had his scheming cousin in his heart. What good could come from marrying into that family in the future?

Rather than suffering torment after marrying in, it would be better to end it now. But no one in the family would listen to her. Father already looked down on concubine-born sons and daughters, and mother Song Shi wasn’t her birth mother, so naturally wouldn’t consider her interests. Fearing she would damage the Dong family’s reputation and implicate the marriages of her two biological daughters, she insisted that since she had been embraced, she must marry!

When Dong Qingzhen was having an affair with Prince Liang back then, why didn’t Song Shi worry about Dong Qingzhen implicating the Dong family’s reputation? How was it that she just had Bai Qingyan take her to Shouyang… wasn’t it because Dong Qingzhen was her biological daughter while she wasn’t?

No one in the family was willing to listen to her speak. Moreover, because… when the nanny at her birth mother’s side said her trousseau was meager, she had said that as a concubine-born daughter, it was natural for her trousseau to be inferior to others! When these words reached mother Song Shi’s ears, mother flew into a rage, and the whole family misunderstood her, leaving her unable to explain herself.

Dong Qingfang was full of resentment and dissatisfaction, but could only follow Liu Shi to the kitchen.

In Qinghui Courtyard, after hearing Bai Jinxiu talk about Dong Qingfang’s situation, Bai Qingyan thought for a moment and said: “No matter. Let’s hear Dong Qingfang’s reasons for wanting to break off the engagement.”

“From what the eldest sister says, you’re planning to help Dong Qingfang?” Bai Jinxiu asked.

“Concubine-born daughters in the Dong family have very difficult lives. Planning for herself isn’t a big mistake. As long as she can honestly tell me the truth, I’ll help if I can… she’s family after all.” In her heart, Bai Qingyan also greatly disliked the Fu family’s main branch wife’s behavior. “This is to prevent Qingfang from doing something irreparable to break off the engagement.”

In Bai Qingyan’s memory, although Dong Qingfang was narrow-minded, she was not someone who disregarded family affection. Otherwise, in her previous life… she wouldn’t have worn mourning clothes alongside her uncle to collect the bodies of the Bai family members.

No one is perfect. She was family after all, and Bai Qingyan remembered Dong Qingfang’s good points. If she could help, she was willing to help.

Bai Qingyan glanced out the window lattice. Dusk was gathering, with rosy clouds filling the sky.

The lights in the corridors of Qinghui Courtyard had already been lit. The glow of sunset and lamplight intermingled, painting the gray walls of the eastern side rooms and the vermilion lacquered red pillars in the long corridor with warm colors.

“I wonder if the Crown Princess has given birth yet,” Bai Qingyan said.

When they left the Crown Prince’s residence today, it was said that the Crown Princess had gone into labor.

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess had always hoped this pregnancy would produce a son. It remained to be seen whether their wish would be fulfilled.

At dinner time, Dong Qingzhen and Dong Qingfang came to Qinghui Courtyard together. Dong Qingzhen repeatedly warned Dong Qingfang not to mention breaking off the engagement in front of Bai Qingyan. If Father found out, he would surely punish Dong Qingfang. Only after Dong Qingfang agreed did Dong Qingzhen dare to bring her along.

“Cousin, try this. We made it together with the Second Madam. It shouldn’t be fishy anymore.” The maid behind Dong Qingzhen opened the black lacquered gold-decorated food box, took out a soup bowl, and placed it on the bedside table in front of Bai Qingyan. “Cousin, your complexion looks much better now than at noon. At noon, your face was deathly pale… it scared me to death!”

“After taking medicine twice, it’s better!” Bai Qingyan turned to look at Bai Jinxiu standing beside her bed. “Jinxiu, go back and take care of Wang Ge’er! Qin Lang will finish his examinations the day after tomorrow, and you still need to help him prepare.”

“It’s fine. I told Qin Lang I’d stay with my eldest sister tonight and return early tomorrow morning.” Bai Jinxiu bent down, rolling up one sleeve to help Bai Qingyan open the soup bowl. Steaming vapors accompanied by fragrance wafted up. Bai Jinxiu smiled and said, “It’s truly not fishy anymore. The two Dong family cousins have excellent culinary skills!”

Bai Jinxiu picked up the soup spoon: “Eldest sister, let me feed you…”

“Let it cool first, it’s too hot. Help me get some pastries for Qingzhen and Qingfang. Qingzhen makes excellent white tea—I’d like to try some.” As Bai Qingyan spoke, her gaze turned toward Dong Qingfang. “I’ll trouble Qingfang to stay here and take care of me!”

Dong Qingfang was somewhat surprised and looked toward Bai Qingyan.

Bai Jinxiu knew that Bai Qingyan wanted to ask Dong Qingfang about the whole story, so she took Dong Qingzhen and left the main room first.

Hearing Bai Qingyan dismiss everyone, Dong Qingfang nervously gripped her skirt with both hands, timidly raising her eyes to look at Bai Qingyan leaning against the head of the bed. She saw her raven-black hair cascading over her shoulders, giving her an overall delicate and fragile appearance.

The glazed lamp on the high table illuminated Bai Qingyan’s refined and beautiful features. Perhaps due to Bai Qingyan’s pale complexion, her eyes appeared even more dark and profound.

“Qingfang, tell me the truth. Your unwillingness to marry the eldest legitimate son of the Fu family’s main branch—is it because the Fu family has encountered misfortune?” Bai Qingyan’s voice was extremely gentle.

Upon hearing these words, tears immediately welled up in Dong Qingfang’s eyes. She knew this was what everyone thought.

Dong Qingfang lifted her skirts and knelt, kowtowing to Bai Qingyan: “Cousin, I, Dong Qingfang, swear to heaven that if I’m unwilling to marry because I despise the Fu family’s misfortune, may my face rot, my heart rot, my entrails rot, and may I die a horrible death!”

“Qingfang doesn’t dare to deceive her cousin. I was friends with Wen Juan, the cousin of the Fu family’s eldest legitimate son. Hearing Wen Juan speak of various things about Fu Anze, the eldest legitimate son of the Fu family’s main branch, I was indeed infatuated! But I never crossed any boundaries!”