After such an incident occurred, no one could remain seated.

At Second Madam’s signal, the several juniors rose timidly like quails to take their leave, leaving only Second Madam and Old Madam Yi in the room to comfort Old Madam Pei.

Having exited through the moon gate of the main courtyard, Fifth Miss patted her chest in alarm and said to Yu Tang in a small voice: “This is the first time I’ve seen Grandmother fly into such a rage—it scared me to death!”

Yu Tang had also been greatly startled.

She hadn’t expected that Old Madam Pei, who usually appeared kind and amiable, could scold people so sharply. No wonder everyone in the Pei household both respected and feared her—when a tiger doesn’t show its might, don’t mistake it for a sick cat.

She gently consoled Fifth Miss: “Didn’t you just say yourself that this was the first time you’d seen the Old Madam fly into such a rage? This shows the Old Madam doesn’t lose her temper easily. She lost her temper because Madam Shen’s words were too excessive.”

Fourth Miss also seemed frightened. Hearing the conversation between Yu Tang and Fifth Miss from the side, she rather impatiently moved closer and asked Yu Tang quietly: “Does that mean if we don’t provoke Great-Aunt-Grandmother, she won’t lose her temper?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Yu Tang nodded repeatedly, also gently patting Fourth Miss’s head as she said with a soft laugh, “No one loses their temper without reason!”

Third Miss had been walking ahead of them with a stern face, originally striding angrily forward. No one knew when she had slowed her pace. She turned back and took Fourth Miss’s hand, saying quietly: “Today it was Madam Shen who was in the wrong to begin with—whatever happened between Uncle Yan and Miss Li, what business is it of hers? If others heard her words, they’d certainly think Uncle Yan was in the wrong. She was framing and slandering him! If I were Great-Aunt-Grandmother, I’d also lose my temper!” Saying this, she let out a small sigh and said, “However, Great-Aunt-Grandmother’s temper is truly fierce—scolding just like that. I’m afraid Madam Shen won’t let this rest!”

Yu Tang had previously been shocked by the Old Madam’s temper and hadn’t carefully considered Madam Shen’s words. Now hearing Third Miss say this, she also felt Madam Shen’s words had hidden meanings and were indeed quite inappropriate.

She was just thinking about how to gloss over this matter when she heard Second Miss let out a cold “hmph” and say to Gu Xi: “…Consider her dignity? Who considered our family’s dignity! Sister Axi, I think Madam Shen is no good person. You should keep your distance from her in the future.”

Sister Axi! When had Second Miss become so intimate with Gu Xi?

Yu Tang looked up.

She saw Gu Xi standing face to face with Second Miss with an awkward expression, clearly having just been saying something when Second Miss got excited and spoke too loudly, letting everyone hear.

“Second Sister is right!” Third Miss stepped forward with a solemn expression to support Second Miss. “Sister Gu, you’re a very good person, but sometimes even good people need to distinguish right from wrong. Madam Shen… speaking so recklessly like this isn’t good. You’d better have less contact with her.”

Gu Xi was extremely embarrassed.

Yu Tang stepped in to help her out of the awkward situation, reaching out to pull Third Miss aside: “See no impropriety, hear no impropriety. As for Madam Shen’s matter, the Old Madam, Second Madam, and Old Madam Yi will make their own decisions. We shouldn’t discuss it behind her back. The Old Madam’s mood is certainly not very good today. Let’s each return to rest for now, then see if the Old Madam wants us to keep her company. If not needed, we can think tonight about what we can do tomorrow to make the Old Madam happy as well.”

“Alright!” Third Miss, feeling somewhat embarrassed for having discussed Madam Shen behind her back, nodded and turned to take Fourth Miss’s hand.

Fifth Miss ran over and said to Third Miss: “And me, and me too.”

Third Miss quickly took Fifth Miss’s hand with her other hand.

Only then did Second Miss give Yu Tang a proper look, saying with somewhat respectful tone: “Sister Yu, we’ll head back first. You and Sister Gu be careful on the way too.” She also instructed Gu Xi, “If Sister Gu has nothing else, you can come find us or Sister Yu to spend time together. I remember Sister Yu’s quarters still have a back side room with no one living in it. Although that place isn’t very good, at least it’s better than living together with someone like that.”

Gu Xi nodded repeatedly, thanking Second Miss.

The four Pei young ladies returned to their quarters one after another.

Gu Xi, face flushed, thanked Yu Tang: “Thank you for speaking up for me. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have known what to do.”

As she spoke, even the corners of her eyes reddened, looking ashamed and distressed.

Yu Tang hadn’t done that for Gu Xi’s sake but rather didn’t want the several Pei young ladies to keep discussing this matter. If it spread and wasn’t explained clearly, others would think the Pei family was bullying people with their power. Yet if explained in complete detail, it would become one of the Pei family’s anecdotes. Better for the juniors to all pretend not to know. Therefore, hearing this, she said: “You’ve also suffered an undeserved calamity. Don’t take it to heart.”

But Gu Xi at this time was still young after all and hadn’t cultivated the skills of her previous life. Thinking Yu Tang was sympathizing with her, she couldn’t help but complain to Yu Tang: “Originally I thought that since she was an elder, coming out with her as a guest, she could point out any improprieties on my part. Who knew such a thing would happen? I also don’t know what she was thinking. Even if Third Master truly had rejected the Li family’s marriage proposal, she shouldn’t have said it like that! With her saying it this way, how can Miss Li maintain her dignity? If the words spread through gossip and others think the Old Madam said this, wouldn’t it make the Pei and Li families into enemies?”

Yu Tang looked at Gu Xi with a strange expression.

Gu Xi was taken aback.

Yu Tang was reminded of her previous life—before Gu Xi had discovered Li Duan’s sordid thoughts toward her, she had also often complained to her in low voices about Madam Lin like this.

She still remembered one time, also standing in a covered corridor with maids and old women following far behind them. Outside the corridor was white snow everywhere, and a branch of red plum blossoms reached over—she could pick one just by extending her hand.

Yu Tang felt somewhat dazed.

Time seemed to return to the past. What was real and what was false—for a moment she couldn’t quite distinguish.

But Gu Xi’s heart felt somewhat uneasy.

Just a quarter-hour ago, Yu Tang had told the several Pei young ladies to “see no impropriety,” yet she had turned around and started criticizing Madam Shen to her. If Yu Tang had engaged with her words that would have been fine, but Yu Tang had this appearance of not wanting to say more. By comparison, it made her seem very ill-bred.

She hurriedly took leave of Yu Tang. When she returned to her room, her face still burned.

As Hexiang attended to her changing clothes, she discussed quietly with her: “What should we do? After all, we’re living in the same courtyard—can we really pretend not to know? This Madam Shen is also useless—more hindrance than help. If Young Master learns what she’s done, who knows how much he’ll regret it!”

But in Gu Xi’s mind kept floating up Yu Tang’s somewhat indifferent face.

She also thought of the Pei young ladies’ attitude toward Yu Tang. Especially Second Miss—she had spent so much effort to gradually become familiar with Second Miss, and Second Miss had only just begun willing to tell her some things about the Pei family. Yet Yu Tang had used just a few sentences to make Second Miss, who previously hadn’t thought much of Yu Tang, regard her differently.

Could this be Heaven’s will!

No matter what she did, Yu Tang was more pleasing to the Pei family’s eyes than she was?

Gu Xi refused to accept this. Her heart in turmoil, she interrupted Hexiang’s words with an irrelevant response: “That Miss Yu really knows how to put on airs. When you try to share intimate words with her, she still maintains that dignified posture. I’ve seen affected people, but I’ve never seen anyone more affected than her. I think we’d better keep our distance from her in the future!”

Hexiang’s face was full of confusion, not knowing how to respond.

Only then did Gu Xi realize her slip of the tongue.

When had Yu Tang gained such influence over her?

Her heart grew even more chaotic.

Then thinking of Madam Shen, her face could no longer maintain any smile. Her expression darkened as she instructed Hexiang: “I’m writing a letter to Young Master. Find a way to send it to the capital without alerting the Pei family. As for me… say that after I returned, I was so distressed I couldn’t eat and fell ill!”

“Ah!” Hexiang exclaimed.

Gu Xi said sternly: “Keep your voice down! Are you afraid the Pei family won’t pay attention to us? With Madam Shen having done such a thing, if I don’t fall ill, what else can I do? Would you have me attend to her at her bedside?”

Hexiang didn’t dare speak.

Gu Xi asked: “How is Madam Shen’s side?”

Hexiang quickly said: “Nanny Chen personally accompanied her back, and afterward Nanny Chen remained in Madam Shen’s room the whole time. Fearing we’d be implicated, I didn’t dare go inquire carefully, but there hasn’t been any commotion from that side.”

Was the Old Madam’s statement made in momentary anger? Or would she truly have Shen Shanyan take her away?

The fear was that after losing such great face this way, Madam Shen wouldn’t want to live anymore!

With complicated feelings, Gu Xi wrote a letter to Gu Chang, then had Hexiang heat a hand warmer for her behind the backs of the Pei family servants attending in the courtyard, and then went to Second Madam’s quarters to report her illness.

Second Madam rushed over in alarm, asked her a few questions about her condition, and when the physician arrived, Second Madam yielded her place. An old physician over sixty took her pulse and prescribed an ordinary Bupleurum Decoction. After the Pei family sent someone to fill the prescription and Gu Xi rested, only then did Second Madam return to the Old Madam’s quarters.

The Old Madam’s anger had dissipated. She had recovered her former pleasant demeanor and said: “Miss Gu’s quarters are settled?”

“Yes!” Second Madam let out a long breath. “Fortunately it’s just an ordinary fever. The physician also said it might have been caused by shock—probably triggered by Madam Shen’s incident.”

The Old Madam let out a cold snort, noncommittal, and asked about Yu Tang: “What about Miss Yu’s side?”

“Quite well!” Second Madam said. “She said she practiced calligraphy for a while then rested.”

The Old Madam’s expression cleared slightly.

Though Yu Tang who had rested kept her eyes closed, her mind was racing rapidly.

Gu Xi’s words had reminded her.

The Old Madam’s loss of temper certainly wasn’t simply because Madam Shen had misspoken.

Analyzing Madam Shen’s words, the marriage between the Li and Pei families hadn’t come to fruition, and it should have been the Li family who backed out. Otherwise, the Li family wouldn’t have helped arrange First Master’s funeral affairs and helped secure an inheritance position quota. One must know that when a person dies, their influence wanes. For inheritance positions, the Emperor must remember you—only then might you receive one. If he doesn’t remember you, even if you’re the son of a third-rank official, you’d need to maneuver considerably to possibly receive one.

For the Pei family, this was also a very honorable matter.

But deducing from the Old Madam’s words, the situation didn’t seem so simple.

A great man need not worry about finding a wife. Even if the Li family had backed out of this matter, the Pei family had still received compensation. Why did the Old Madam react so strongly to Madam Shen’s words?

This didn’t look merely like fearing damage to relations between the two families!

The more Yu Tang thought about it, the less sense she could make of it. The more she thought, the less she could sleep. She simply got up with her clothes on, pushed open the window, and got some fresh air.