“What are you standing there for? I told you to call Second Young Madam over. Go quickly.” Shi Yutong snapped impatiently at the maid.

She was in a very bad mood right now. Even though she had avoided going to the Sun family’s banquet, just thinking about having to keep dealing with the Sun family going forward gave her a headache. She urgently needed someone to help her think through a strategy.

Seeing the maid still standing there without moving, Shi Yutong grew even more irritated and grabbed a pillow to fling at her. But the sudden exertion pulled at the wound on her stomach, and she hissed in pain.

The little maid quickly said, “Eighth Miss, Second Young Madam — Second Young Madam has already returned to her maiden home.”

“Returned to her maiden home?” Shi Yutong was bewildered. “Out of nowhere, why would she return to her maiden home?”

“Second Young Madam was… was sent home with a divorce notice by the Commander. She won’t be coming back.”

“What?” Shi Yutong was shocked. “What on earth happened? What did she do wrong?”

The little maid quickly shook her head. “I don’t know either.”

“Fine, you may go.” Shi Yutong was deeply vexed. She couldn’t get out of bed now and couldn’t go to Yan Qin’s courtyard to see for herself. “Go call Cai Yue over.”

Cai Yue came and still couldn’t tell her much — only that it was the Commander’s decision, and as for what exactly Second Young Madam had done wrong, she didn’t know either.

“What about Second Brother?”

“Second Young Master has just returned from Qian Cheng and went straight to the Blue Brick Building. He hasn’t come back to the mansion yet.”

“Second Brother hasn’t returned yet and the Commander already made the decision on his own?” Shi Yutong’s eyes went wide.

Yan Qin might have been a bit dim, but at least she had been company for her — someone to keep boredom at bay. Now that she was suddenly gone, Shi Yutong didn’t even have anyone to talk to.

While Shi Yutong was still recovering, the Shi Mansion received an unexpected guest.

The Commander didn’t wish to treat this guest lightly, and temporarily released Madam Shi, the mistress of the household, from her house arrest to receive them.

The visitor was Hui Cun and his daughter, Ling Ai.

Madam Shi had invited Hui Cun and his daughter to visit the Shi Mansion at their last meeting at the dance party. Hui Cun hadn’t stood on ceremony and had actually come, sooner rather than later.

The Commander was naturally very pleased by the visit of Hui Cun and his party. He and Shi Ting took Hui Cun to the study for a discussion, while Ling Ai was left in the care of Madam Shi.

Ling Ai was seventeen years old. She was not tall, but her figure was slender and delicate. She wore a high-waisted dress that made her look petite and graceful.

Like Hui Cun, her eyes were large and luminous — as if shimmering with moisture. Her face was a small round oval, with rosy cheeks and a little mouth shaped just like a cherry.

“It’s so big here, and so beautiful.” Ling Ai walked through the garden of the Shi Mansion, pausing every now and then, curious about everything.

Madam Shi accompanied her with a smile. “There’s also an artificial lake in the back. It has fish and lotus flowers. Would you like to see it, Miss Ling Ai?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Yan Qing and Luo Huaimeng followed behind Madam Shi and Ling Ai. Hearing what Madam Shi said, Yan Qing thought to herself that the artificial lake in the Shi Mansion wasn’t particularly large and the lotus flowers weren’t that many — it wasn’t really the finest scenery on the estate. Why had Madam Shi thought to take Ling Ai there?

Ling Ai walked ahead with wandering steps, asking about this and that from time to time, her face full of excitement and wonder.

“Where I live, the houses are very small. There’s only one courtyard, and in the courtyard there is a small pond with a bamboo water funnel in it. That’s all there is.” Ling Ai was deeply fond of the Shi Mansion’s garden.

Yan Qing had studied the human geography of the Di Kingdom and knew that the Di Kingdom’s land was small and its soil dear — even among wealthy and prominent families, the estates were not large, and no one could afford to use such expensive land for a garden of scenery.

Hui Cun’s residence here was only the commercial association’s apartment, which naturally had no garden. So for Ling Ai, suddenly encountering a mansion of this scale must have been a revelation.

The group crossed the zigzag bridge and followed the floral path west until they came to the artificial lake Madam Shi had described.

The surface of the lake did have some lotus flowers, though not many — they bloomed sparsely here and there. Compared to the truly magnificent lotus lake at Liu Huan’s residence, this place was as a brook to a great river.

Even so, Ling Ai let out a cry of wonder. “How beautiful the lotus flowers are.”

Yan Qing curved the corner of her lip and gave a small shake of her head. This Ling Ai was truly… easy to please.

“Miss Ling Ai, I can see you’ve walked a good distance and the weather is hot. There’s a pavilion over the lake. Shall we go sit, have some tea, and eat some chilled refreshments to cool down?”

“Yes, let’s.” Ling Ai said, then turned to beckon Luo Huaimeng and Yan Qing. “Come along, we’ll go eat chilled refreshments.”

From the lakeside to the pavilion was a wooden bridge that extended all the way to the center of the lake.

Before they had even reached the pavilion, Ling Ai suddenly stopped. Her eyes blinked gently. “There’s someone in the pavilion. Why don’t we not go and disturb them?”

Madam Shi immediately said, “It won’t matter, it won’t matter at all. That must be one of the Shi family.”

She took Ling Ai by the hand and walked forward. “They’re all Shi family members. It won’t be any disturbance at all.”

Yan Qing looked toward the lakeside pavilion and immediately furrowed her brow. It was Shi Guang, whom she had not seen in quite some time.

Shi Guang was sitting in the lakeside pavilion, fiddling with the chess pieces on the table.

Every pavilion in the Shi family had a chess board. It was said that the Old Master had a great love of chess. To accommodate his fondness, the Old Madam had chess boards placed in every pavilion throughout the estate, so that wherever he walked, he could play. The Old Master had been highly skilled at chess, and the Commander also played. Even all three grandsons had applied themselves to studying the game. As a result, chess boards multiplied throughout the Shi Mansion — wherever there was a table, there would be a chess board.

Hearing footsteps, Shi Guang looked up. He first saw Madam Shi, and then he spotted Yan Qing behind her.

Whenever she appeared, Shi Guang’s eyes had no room for anyone else.

“Weizhi?” Madam Shi was visibly surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Yan Qing glanced at Madam Shi and then looked away. This performance was perhaps a little too unconvincing.

Shi Guang had only just returned to the mansion today. He had not yet settled in when he received a message relayed from his eldest brother Shi Qian, saying that Shi Qian was asking to meet him at the lakeside pavilion. He had sat there for a good quarter of an hour and Shi Qian had not arrived — instead, a whole group of female members of the household had turned up.

Before Shi Guang could answer, Madam Shi said cheerfully, “This is Miss Ling Ai, daughter of Mr. Hui Cun. This is my second son, Shi Guang.”

Ling Ai smiled. “Hello.”

Shi Guang was polite in return. “Hello.”

“Weizhi, why don’t you play a round of chess with Miss Ling Ai?” Madam Shi suggested warmly.

Ling Ai saw the chess board and was also delighted by the sight. Playing chess in a pavilion surrounded by lotus blossoms — it would be her first time.

Shi Guang nodded. “Alright.”

As he took his seat, his gaze drifted — without making it obvious — toward Yan Qing’s direction. Yan Qing and Luo Huaimeng were sitting on a bench by the railing. She hadn’t looked over.

A faint disappointment stirred in his heart, but he still managed a smile for Ling Ai. “Miss Ling Ai, please choose your pieces first.”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony. I’ll take the black pieces.”

As Shi Guang picked up the white pieces, he glanced this way again.

By now it was perfectly clear to him what was happening. This was likely a blind date arranged by Madam Shi for his eldest brother. But since his eldest brother had had no interest in coming, she had set him up instead.

Madam Shi had been genuinely surprised at first — but then it occurred to her that Shi Guang had just gone through a divorce and was now unattached and unencumbered. Rather than trying to matchmake that eldest son of hers who had not the slightest interest in romantic matters, why not steer things toward a match between her second son and Ling Ai?

If Shi Guang were to marry Ling Ai, he would become Hui Cun’s son-in-law. The Commander and Hui Cun’s cooperation would then naturally reach new heights, and she would have rendered a great service — not to mention that the backing she would be finding for Shi Guang would be something others couldn’t even dream of aspiring to, far superior to that merchant family of the Yans by a hundredfold.

Thinking this way, Madam Shi looked at the two of them playing chess and felt increasingly that they were perfectly suited for each other — a match made in heaven.

What Madam Shi had in mind, Yan Qing saw clearly. She couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Madam Shi’s calculations were well-rounded, but she would also need to see whether Hui Cun would be willing to let his daughter marry a divorced man. And even if Hui Cun were willing, it would still depend on whether this Ling Ai herself was willing. From what she had heard, Hui Cun doted on this daughter greatly and would not force her into anything for the sake of personal gain.

Ling Ai and Shi Guang played one round of chess. In the end, Shi Guang lost.

“Miss Ling Ai’s chess skills are exceptional. Shi is full of admiration.” Shi Guang smiled.

Ling Ai did not look particularly pleased. She propped her chin in her hand, lost in thought about something.

Madam Shi quickly put in from the side, “How remarkable that Miss Ling Ai’s chess skills are so exceptional! My son here has been playing since he was small.”

Ling Ai only smiled and said nothing, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Weizhi, let me ask you — is that boat still there by the lakeside? Why not take Miss Ling Ai out on the lake to admire the lotus flowers? We ladies can’t row a boat.” Madam Shi suggested with great enthusiasm, doing her best to create an opportunity for the two to be alone together.

“I’ll pass.” Ling Ai quickly declined. “I get a little seasick. When I came from the Di Kingdom to Xin Guo, I was ill from seasickness for several days.”

Madam Shi was visibly disappointed. She was just thinking of what else she could arrange for Shi Guang and Ling Ai to do together, when Ling Ai spoke up. “Madam Shi, my father mentioned that your household has a great collection of traditional medicine books — including many rare editions. Is that true?”

“Indeed it is.” Madam Shi smiled. “They’re in the main study. I’ll take Miss Ling Ai there.”

Then she turned to Shi Guang and said, “Weizhi, Miss Ling Ai is visiting for the first time. You should accompany her on a tour.”

Shi Guang agreed readily.

Shi Guang had no interest in accompanying Ling Ai. The reason he was willing to go was because Yan Qing was also there. He simply wanted to find an opportunity to look at her a little more.

Once they arrived at the main study, Ling Ai was astounded by the sheer number of books. She had never seen a study so large.

Madam Shi said, “Weizhi, help Miss Ling Ai look for them. Those books on traditional medicine — where are they kept?”

Shi Guang replied, “I rarely come to this study. It would be better to ask someone who comes here often.”

He looked toward Yan Qing. “I’ve heard that Yan Qing comes here often to borrow books. She should know.”

Madam Shi privately shot her own son a reproachful look, thinking to herself: couldn’t he just not find them? That would have given them reason to linger longer. And yet here he was, passing the opportunity off to an outsider.

Yan Qing didn’t stand on ceremony with him and stepped forward. “Miss Ling Ai, please follow me.”