Hearing this, Song Wan said: “It’s late. Husband, you should rest early. Tomorrow morning we still need to pay respects to Grandmother.”

After speaking, she instructed Heng Wu to fetch water for removing her makeup and paid no more attention to Jiang Xingjian.

Having been rebuffed, he found it difficult to bring the matter up again and left the main room rather unhappily.

After removing her makeup and letting down her hair, Song Wan leaned against the bright red python-patterned cushion, slightly lost in thought.

“Meow…”

The Golden Silk Tiger jumped up from the floor, as if able to sense her mood, constantly tilting its head and nuzzling against Song Wan. Its fluffy big head rubbed back and forth in Song Wan’s palm, occasionally lightly touching her palm with its warm little nose.

“Have you finished your meat soup? Or do you want me to play with you?”

The Golden Silk Tiger was extremely intelligent, as if it could understand Song Wan’s words, and meowed softly twice more. After years of companionship, they had developed some mutual understanding. Song Wan stroked the plump little cat paws and drew it into her embrace. The Golden Silk Tiger hummed contentedly as it found a comfortable position and fell asleep.

Song Wan smiled as she combed through its fur with her fingertips, quietly listening to its purring.

The turmoil in her heart disappeared with each contented rumble. Song Wan looked at the row of wood carvings placed on the window sill, casually picked one up and handed it to Heng Wu: “Throw it away.”

Heng Wu was surprised: “Miss, you’ve always treasured these most…”

“Give it to me.”

Heng Zhi took the wood carving from Heng Wu’s hand and ran out quite efficiently, casually tossing it into the flower bed.

Looking at the now incomplete set of wood carvings, Song Wan felt a slight ache in her heart. Yet feeling the warmth the Golden Silk Tiger transmitted from within her embrace gave her inexplicable peace of mind.

Early the next morning, she rose early and let the Heng sisters help her dress and arrange her hair. She was in the middle of applying makeup when a kindly-faced servant woman came to the courtyard seeking an audience.

“Good Mother, you’ve come so early?”

The woman smiled: “The embroidery room has Young Mistress’s measurements. This old servant thought that Young Mistress usually wears plain clothes and doesn’t have many brightly colored garments, so I had the girls rush to make several sets overnight. Moreover, Old Madam and the mistress had us open the storeroom to select the finest fabrics for Young Mistress to choose from.”

Heng Zhi received the clothes and shoes, then had Heng Wu fetch several strings of coins from the room: “Thank you for your trouble. Please take this to buy tea and fruit for the girls in the embroidery room to refresh themselves.”

The woman smiled as she took the money, left behind several bolts of fabric that Song Wan had selected, and then departed. Due to handling this small matter, the master and servants were delayed for a moment when leaving. By the time they reached the courtyard, Jiang Xingjian was already waiting there.

“My apologies for keeping husband waiting.”

Song Wan made a slight curtsy and stopped half a step behind Jiang Xingjian: “Husband, please go first.”

Jiang Xingjian pressed his lips together, quite displeased with this manner that was so polite it bordered on distant. However, as it was getting late and there was no reason to keep the elders waiting, he didn’t mention anything else.

Morning and evening attendance was a required practice for every younger generation member of the marquis manor. If Old Madam Jiang kept them for a meal, it would be delayed until after the hour of the snake.

Lin Jiayue had waited in Xiuyan Pavilion for quite a while without seeing the two return. She was already somewhat resentful. When she saw Jiang Xingjian and Song Wan return together—that picture of the handsome and elegant man with the gentle and beautiful woman—it made her even more sour with jealousy.

“Brother Xingjian.”

The two had just passed through the hanging flower gate when Lin Jiayue called out loudly.

Huai Su looked up at her and sighed helplessly.

“Brother Xingjian, do you have any plans today? If you’re free, how about taking Yue’er to tour the capital?”

She felt like she would suffocate after just one day in the marquis manor. Moreover, with Huai Su following her around constantly pointing out that this wasn’t allowed and that wasn’t permitted, it was truly vexing.

Jiang Xingjian had just freed his arm from Lin Jiayue’s grasp when Song Wan had already returned to the main courtyard. He pressed his brow and gave Huai Su a meaningful look.

“If Miss has nothing to do, why don’t this servant accompany you on a tour of the manor?”

“What, I’m not allowed to go out?”

Huai Su said: “Women of the inner quarters indeed should not go out and show their faces publicly. Moreover, there is a rule that women should not peer beyond the middle gate without cause. This propriety passed down by our ancestors truly cannot be broken.”

Lin Jiayue’s expression stiffened. She laughed coldly: “Don’t tell me all the women of the marquis manor cannot leave their courtyards?”

“If there is no important matter, it is indeed so.”

“Brother Xingjian…”

Lin Jiayue bit her lip and looked at Jiang Xingjian: “You truly cannot accompany Yue’er out for a stroll? What if Yue’er simply wants to go out today?”

Jiang Xingjian didn’t answer. Huai Su said: “It’s not impossible for Miss Lin to leave the manor, but the inner quarters of the marquis manor have many rules. Old Madam and the mistress absolutely cannot tolerate those with loose conduct. For the sake of the other women of the marquis manor, if Miss Lin goes out, I’m afraid it will be difficult for her to return to the inner quarters.”

“Ha.” Lin Jiayue laughed coldly: “You keep saying the marquis manor has many rules, but how is it that before the master speaks, you as a servant speak first?”

Huai Su said: “This servant has overstepped.”

After speaking, she retreated behind Jiang Xingjian and said no more.

Yet Lin Jiayue could see no sign of remorse in her demeanor.

Jiang Xingjian said with displeasure: “Huai Su originally served in Old Madam’s quarters. Having come from Old Madam’s room, her status is naturally not comparable to other servants.”

By rights, as Jiang Xingjian’s personal maid, Huai Su should have been elevated to the status of concubine. However, due to the sudden changes in the manor and Jiang Xingjian’s departure, this status had never been formally established. Now it was awkward to bring up.

If one were to be particular about it, Lin Jiayue should actually address her as elder sister. But Huai Su had always handled matters prudently and had no intention of competing jealously with Lin Jiayue, so she had never spoken of it.

Seeing Lin Jiayue biting her lip with an aggrieved expression, Jiang Xingjian said: “Since you’re uncomfortable living in the marquis manor, why don’t I buy you a residence outside?”

“I don’t want that.”

If she left the marquis manor, wouldn’t she truly become a kept woman?

Lin Jiayue’s eyes reddened: “Does Brother Xingjian not want that gunpowder formula anymore?”

Jiang Xingjian glanced at her and stopped mentioning buying an outside residence.

Today’s farce was thus glossed over.

Having been away from the capital for six years, Jiang Xingjian naturally had many matters to handle. After instructing Huai Su to continue teaching Lin Jiayue the marquis manor’s rules, he went out to visit friends.

Huai Su knew Lin Jiayue didn’t welcome her, so she called over two maids named Xieyi and Ling Yun.

“The mistress has business with me today. You two accompany Miss Lin and take good care of her.”

The two nodded, and Huai Su went to Jiangxiang Courtyard to find Mother Jiang.

“One leaves and two more watchers arrive.”

Lin Jiayue felt irritable and randomly found a place to sit. Xieyi wanted to give her some guidance but was held back by Ling Yun.

The two were second-rank maids serving Jiang Xingjian and had been very busy these past days. Now having to watch over a constantly troublesome Lin Jiayue naturally bred resentment.

Seeing that there was no one else in the courtyard, Ling Yun became lazy and sneaked into the artificial mountain to cool off. Xieyi told her to keep watch and went off to attend to other matters.

After sitting in the covered corridor for most of the day, Lin Jiayue finally felt somewhat better. She was about to return to her room for some water to relieve the heat when she saw a large, chubby orange cat walking unsteadily along the corridor.

The orange cat was so fat its cheeks were perfectly round. Combined with a pair of big eyes, it looked exceptionally adorable.

Lin Jiayue was delighted to see the Golden Silk Tiger and quickly went forward to scoop it into her arms. Just as she was about to take it back to her room, she saw Ling Yun rush out from the artificial mountain.

“Miss Lin, this is Young Mistress’s treasured pet that she’s raised for many years—the kind she carries in her arms all day. You must be very careful not to hurt it.”

Her improved mood instantly turned cold again. Lin Jiayue said with a sullen face: “Just because she raised it, I can’t touch it?”