With the return of Lu Zhuo and Lu Mu, Duke Ying Mansion was flooded with guests from early morning the next day.

Seeing how busy her father was, A’Bao obediently went to play with her brothers and cousins.

Zhao Song served in the front courtyard, but didn’t see the princess come even by noon.

Zhao Song hurried to find his wife Bitao.

Bitao had been Wei Rao’s head maid. After marrying Zhao Song, she followed Wei Rao’s arrangements and stayed at Duke Ying Mansion to live with Zhao Song. When the heir returned alive this time, Bitao cried tears of joy, hoping only that the heir and princess would resume their former relationship. She never expected the princess wouldn’t come to see the heir, nor would the heir go find the princess.

When Zhao Song returned to their room last night, he told her the heir knew the princess intended to remarry and might harbor resentment.

Bitao’s heart went cold.

If the heir blamed the princess for this, would he still accept her back? The princess’s absence was probably from fear of receiving the heir’s cold looks, wasn’t it?

The heir’s resentment was obvious, but what was the princess thinking?

Bitao didn’t even eat lunch and left Duke Ying Mansion through the side gate, hurrying toward the princess’s mansion.

Wei Rao had just lain down.

It was time for an afternoon rest. She couldn’t sleep but wanted to be alone in peace and quiet.

When Liu Ya said Bitao had come, since she was someone Wei Rao was accustomed to, Wei Rao remained lying down and just had Liu Ya bring Bitao over.

Bitao first saw Liu Ya and quickly asked how the princess was and why she didn’t go see the heir.

Liu Ya felt distressed: “Didn’t the heir also not come to see the princess?”

Though the princess said nothing, Liu Ya had served her so long she could see the princess’s suffering. If the heir didn’t come to see the princess, it meant he already resented her recent meetings with suitors. Being that way, even if the princess went, what good reception could she expect?

Bitao’s tears fell.

The heir suffered, and the princess suffered too. Both had each other in their hearts. If the heir had returned earlier, none of this would have happened. Now with such a knot formed, how could it be untied?

Bitao wiped her tears and entered the inner chamber alone.

Wei Rao heard footsteps, turned over, and seeing Bitao, smiled and pointed to the table: “Pour me a bowl of tea.”

Bitao responded with reddened eyes, poured tea, and brought it to the bedside.

Wei Rao sat up, drank the tea, then hugged her quilt and leaned against the headboard.

Bitao knelt before the bed, looking at her master with heartache.

The master and servant who had lived together since childhood didn’t need to speak in circles. Wei Rao asked softly: “How is the heir?”

Bitao’s tears fell like scattered pearls. She knew the princess still cared about the heir.

“He’s well. They say when escaping Iron Scorpion Ridge, he injured both legs and couldn’t move, was saved by a kind-hearted Wuda family, and only returned after his legs healed… In a place like Wuda territory, the heir got much darker, and his face was cut by a blade, leaving a scar.” Bitao gestured on her left cheek with her finger.

Wei Rao nodded. Having been through life and death, being alive was good—an extra scar meant nothing.

“How is A’Bao?”

“The princess loves the heir very much, calling ‘father, father’ so sweetly. Last night, the heir coaxed the princess to sleep. After all, blood is thicker than water—though the princess is young, she knows what blood relation means.”

Wei Rao thought of her daughter and guessed Lu Zhuo’s scar probably didn’t diminish his handsomeness, or her daughter wouldn’t have accepted him so easily.

Bitao wiped her eyes and said through sniffles: “Princess, you don’t go see the heir—are you afraid he’ll blame you? Zhao Song told me everything. When the heir returned yesterday, he looked everywhere for you. He was anxious to enter the palace, so he sent Zhao Song to the leisure manor to fetch you. When he returned that evening and didn’t see you, the heir was like he’d lost his soul.”

Wei Rao looked out the window: “No one told him about recent events?”

Bitao lowered her head, her handkerchief no longer sufficient: “The heir knows everything, but Princess, even if the heir resents you, it’s just temporary confusion. As long as you go and the heir sees you, knows you still care about him in your heart, he definitely won’t mind those things. After all, you didn’t know he was still alive!”

Wei Rao smiled bitterly and shook her head.

After three years apart, Lu Zhuo certainly missed her, but upon discovering she hadn’t remained a widow for him and was planning to remarry, Lu Zhuo’s resentment exceeded his longing.

How could he not resent her?

His father had been away so long, yet He Shi still waited faithfully. But this son, after only three years, his wife had run off.

Bitao didn’t know about the arguments she and Lu Zhuo had had.

During the ghost wedding, Lu Zhuo had mocked her as the type of woman who wouldn’t dutifully remain a widow for her husband, even disdaining her mother. Given Lu Zhuo’s attitude toward widowhood, he might not mind her throwing a teacup at his forehead or entering taverns with strange men, but he would mind her refusal to remain a widow for him.

So he didn’t come to see her.

If Lu Zhuo didn’t even want to see her, what was the point of Wei Rao going? To explain, she hadn’t wanted to remarry? But she had met with so many men, had entertained thoughts of finding someone new to try with, even though she hadn’t found anyone who could make her forget Lu Zhuo.

Wei Rao couldn’t lie to deceive Lu Zhuo, nor would she deign to lie. What was done was done.

“Go back. When it’s time to meet, we’ll naturally meet.”

Bitao sadly returned to Duke Ying Mansion.

Zhao Song asked her: “What did the princess say?”

Bitao wiped her tears while saying, “What could she say? The heir already resents the princess—what could the princess say if she came?”

Hearing her imply blame toward the heir, Zhao Song couldn’t help defending his master: “We can’t blame the heir for being angry either. If it were anyone else, after going through countless hardships to return and finding his wife had forgotten him and was meeting other men…”

Bitao suddenly raised her head, red-eyed, and demanded: “You mean the heir did nothing wrong and it’s all the princess’s fault for not following women’s virtues? Wasn’t the princess heartbroken when the heir had his accident? It’s been three years—Old Madam and the others pitied the princess’s youth and advised her to return home. Must the princess wash her face with tears daily to be acceptable?”

Zhao Song didn’t think that way. He blamed no one, he just…

Zhao Song looked at Bitao dejectedly. He felt sorry for the heir, but he couldn’t say the princess was wrong either.

Night fell, and Duke Ying Mansion finally quieted down.

A’Bao could finally be alone with her father.

“Father, let’s go find Mother?” A’Bao missed her mother. Usually, she could go days without seeing her, but now that Father had returned, A’Bao wanted to take Father home and make Mother happy, too. She knew mother liked father—mother had two golden walnuts that A’Bao wanted, but mother would only let her play with them in the room and put them back afterward.

Lu Zhuo looked at his daughter.

A’Bao resembled Wei Rao greatly—the same beautiful phoenix eyes, the same petal-like cheeks, the same… cleverness.

Lu Zhuo already knew that when Wei Rao met with those men, A’Bao sat nearby and met them too, knew A’Bao also wanted to find a new father, knew that yesterday morning A’Bao had even bragged to her cousins that mother was going horse racing with Uncle Li San and might make Uncle Li San her new father.

Children speak without restraint.

Lu Zhuo didn’t blame his daughter. He had been gone three years—his daughter had never experienced having a father, so naturally she hoped to find one.

Lu Zhuo also didn’t blame his daughter for lying to him. His daughter was so clever—he was pleased.

Lu Zhuo couldn’t even bear to tell his daughter he had already discovered her childish lie.

“Father still has things to handle and can’t get away. Is A’Bao anxious to go back?” Lu Zhuo asked gently. When he smiled, A’Bao felt his father was the gentlest person in the world.

But she still wanted to quickly return and find her mother, to tell her mother how wonderful her father was.

A’Bao nodded.

Lu Zhuo couldn’t force his daughter to stay: “Father will coax you to sleep one more night. Tomorrow morning, Father will have someone escort you back, alright?”

A’Bao looked at her father: “Then, when father finishes his work, will you come to the princess’s mansion to find us?”

Lu Zhuo explained: “Father might be busy for a long time. If A’Bao misses her father, she can come here to see him.”

A’Bao pouted—she didn’t like such a busy father.

Lu Zhuo only touched his daughter’s head.

When acting spoiled didn’t work, A’Bao had to say: “Then I’ll bring Mother to see Father.”

Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and Fifth Uncle were often absent during the day, too—Father was probably the same.

The next day, Lu Zhuo arranged for Zhao Song to escort his daughter back to the princess’s mansion.

A’Bao saw her mother and excitedly praised her father. Though her father was a bit dark and his hair a bit coarse, he was more handsome than Fifth Uncle and Uncle Li San, with a pleasant voice too—both handsome and gentle. A’Bao loved her real father most: “Mother, don’t see Uncle Li San anymore. Father is the best—I don’t want to change fathers!”

Wei Rao smiled: “Alright. If Uncle Li San comes to the princess’s mansion, Mother definitely won’t see him. But if we meet outside, Mother can’t be rude.”

A’Bao understood and immediately forgot about Uncle Li San, continuing to boast about her father: “…It’s too bad Father is so busy he can’t come find us. Mother, come back to Duke Ying Mansion with me—let’s live in Pine Moon Hall with Father.”

Wei Rao smiled: “Father is busy with very important matters. We can’t disturb him.”

A’Bao pouted again.

Duke Ying Mansion.

Lu Zhuo had nothing particularly urgent. With the New Year approaching and father and son having just returned, they would wait until after the holiday for new official appointments.

When guests came to visit, Lu Zhuo would receive them. When they left, he would return to Pine Moon Hall.

He Shi came to urge him: “Go see the princess! The princess met so many men and didn’t fancy any of them. Now that you’re back, how could she see anyone else?”

Lu Zhuo said indifferently: “She’s already let go—why should I disturb her? Mother, spend more time with Father. Your son is grown—such matters don’t require your concern.”

He Shi had never been able to manage his son and left helplessly.

Duchess Ying waited two days without seeing her grandson make any move and came to urge him too: “Are you holding a grudge against Raorao? If you were here, would she have met others? This is all a series of misunderstandings. Now she’s afraid you’ll blame her and doesn’t dare see you, while you’re being stubborn too. Do you not plan to live properly anymore?”

Lu Zhuo looked at his white-haired grandmother and smiled bitterly: “How does Grandmother know she’s afraid to see me? Perhaps she simply doesn’t want to.”

Would Wei Rao fear him?

She would only be angry enough to kill him.

Duchess Ying also returned defeated.

But in Duke Ying Mansion, one more person was watching Lu Zhuo’s movements.

This evening at dusk, Lu Ya came to Pine Moon Hall carrying a pot of wine.

It was dinner time, and Lu Zhuo smiled, inviting his cousin to dine with him.

After drinking some wine, Lu Ya looked at his elder brother across the table and said directly: “Elder Brother has been back in the capital for seven days—why haven’t you gone to see the princess?”

Lu Zhuo didn’t answer, drinking his wine with detached calm.

Lu Ya lowered his eyes, and when he raised them again, they were red: “Elder Brother and Sister-in-law first had the ghost wedding connection, then the emperor’s marriage decree. Being together wasn’t easy. I initially thought Elder Brother indulged Sister-in-law too much—it was always Elder Brother eagerly trying to please Sister-in-law. Until that day before Iron Scorpion Ridge, when Sister-in-law pushed aside soldiers to see me and discovered I wasn’t Elder Brother, she spat blood on my face. Only then did I understand that Sister-in-law’s feelings for Elder Brother were equally deep-rooted.”

Lu Zhuo’s hand holding the wine bowl froze in mid-air.

Lu Ya looked at his elder brother’s hands, roughened by the sun on the grasslands, and his memory returned to three years ago: “After Sister-in-law returned to the capital, she quickly seemed to laugh and chat normally. If I hadn’t seen her appearance in the military camp, I might have thought Sister-in-law was heartless, too. But I had seen her—everyone thought Elder Brother was dead, and Sister-in-law stayed alone in your tent all day without coming out. She couldn’t eat anything and was so weak from hunger that she could only lie in bed. That’s how she managed to deceive Marquis Xiting. When General Xiuji brought that corpse, Sister-in-law insisted on viewing it and immediately fainted. She never showed her face again during the journey back to the capital, but I know she barely ate anything the whole way. Only after returning to the capital, when more people were watching her, did she again live like a human being.”

Lu Zhuo had long since lowered his hand, staring at the wine bowl on the table with an unreadable expression.

Lu Ya drank some wine and stared at him: “I don’t believe Sister-in-law could truly let go of Elder Brother. Even if she had, if a woman were willing to do that much for me, I would win her back rather than watch her be with other men.”

Having said this, Lu Ya stood up and strode away.