In her previous life, the first and second branches didn’t seem to have been at each other’s throats like this… Perhaps they were, but she simply hadn’t noticed.

Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly. For some reason, she felt quite cheerful. The next day when she saw Ji Ying, she took the initiative to greet her and asked, “Have you eaten breakfast yet? Our kitchen made crystal cakes and assorted tofu pudding today—both are favorites of mine. Would you like to have some?”

“Sure!” Ji Ying replied. “Give me two pieces of crystal cake and half a bowl of assorted tofu pudding. I’ve already eaten.” Then she complained, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have had breakfast at the Small Mountain Osmanthus Courtyard.” As she spoke, she pointed to the paper box in her hand and said, “These are cloud slice cakes and crispy candies from Jingzhou Prefecture. Try them and see if they suit your taste.”

Shi Xiang accepted them with a smile and went to fetch the crystal cakes and assorted tofu pudding for Ji Ying.

Ji Ying took out the socks she had been making.

She had only sewn a few more stitches than yesterday, and the stitching was a complete mess—it wasn’t the cross-stitch method at all anymore.

In her previous life, Zhou Shaojin had also taught young girls on the estate how to sew. Some were quite inept with needle and thread, requiring a long time of instruction before showing even slight improvement, while others simply couldn’t learn no matter how much they were taught. Yet these same girls were quite capable at other tasks.

Perhaps Ji Ying was one of those people.

Ji Ying was so clever—if she realized she was this type of person, she would surely feel very sad, wouldn’t she?

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t bear to criticize her and said with a smile, “It’s all right, it’s all right. I’ll teach you again from the beginning. Take your time learning, and you’ll pick it up before long.”

Ji Ying nodded.

Zhou Shaojin carefully unpicked what she had sewn before and taught her again hand-by-hand, watching as she sewed a few stitches.

Ji Ying said, “I always feel that your stitching is better than mine. Keep me company and sew a few stitches!”

Zhou Shaojin gave her a kind smile, picked up the cut fabric for the sock, and showed Ji Ying how to sew a few stitches.

Ji Ying watched very carefully.

Zhou Shaojin thought that since the thread was already in place, she might as well finish sewing this section.

Her needle flew through the fabric, and in no time at all, she finished the sole.

Ji Ying followed what she had shown her, slowly sewing away.

Shi Xiang brought in the crystal cakes and assorted tofu pudding.

Zhou Shaojin invited Ji Ying to eat.

Ji Ying didn’t stand on ceremony. She thanked her with a smile and sat down to eat.

With Zhou Shaojin idle beside her, she simply finished sewing that sock.

Ji Ying set down her bowl and said, “Oh dear, I’ve eaten too much. I need to walk around to digest.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and began embroidering a forehead band.

Ji Ying walked around the room to aid her digestion.

Chun Wan ran in and said, “Second Young Miss, Miss Jia has come.”

Cheng Jia came over every few days. Zhou Shaojin had long grown accustomed to her unannounced visits and said to Chun Wan, “Please show her in!”

Chun Wan acknowledged and left.

Ji Ying raised her eyebrows and asked Zhou Shaojin, “Miss Jia from the third branch?”

“That’s right!” Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. “Do you know her?”

“I don’t!” Ji Ying said quite directly. “But I’ve heard of this person.” She wore an expression of disdain.

Zhou Shaojin said nothing, thinking of the scene when Ji Ying had first met her.

Did Ji Ying look down on most people, or did she only disdain Cheng Jia because she was from the third branch?

But when Cheng Jia saw Ji Ying, she was greatly surprised and quickly said, “Who is this? Why is she so beautiful?”

Ji Ying’s expression darkened slightly as she raised her eyebrows.

Zhou Shaojin hurriedly introduced Ji Ying to Cheng Jia.

Ji Ying nodded at Cheng Jia with a rather haughty air.

Cheng Jia didn’t take offense at all.

She looked Ji Ying up and down, examining her while saying, “So you’re from Uncle Chi’s household. Why have I never seen you before? Why are you learning needlework with Shaojin? That bracelet on your wrist is really beautiful! Is it agate? Agate bracelets of such fine quality are quite rare!”

Was this any way to talk upon first meeting someone?

Zhou Shaojin wished she could cover Cheng Jia’s mouth and quickly said, “What did you come to see me about?”

Cheng Jia gave an “Ah” and pulled Zhou Shaojin over to sit in the grand master’s chair to the side. She said, “My mother wants me to attend classes at the Quiet Peace Studio after the ninth day of the ninth month. I wanted to ask your opinion.”

The Quiet Peace Studio currently had only her and Zhou Shaojin as female students. If Zhou Shaojin didn’t go, what would be the point of her going alone?

Zhou Shaojin said, “I need to discuss this matter with my maternal grandmother and eldest aunt.”

Cheng Jia nodded and sighed, “I really want to get married, so I won’t have to deal with my mother managing everything I do every day.”

What kind of absurd talk was this?

Zhou Shaojin glared at her.

But Cheng Jia didn’t care. She casually flipped through the items on Zhou Shaojin’s sewing table and said, “Who are you making these socks for? Why have you made so many?” As she spoke, she picked up the sock Zhou Shaojin had just made to examine it.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart jumped. She pressed her hand to her chest and took several deep breaths.

Cheng Jia asked in confusion, “What’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“I’m fine,” Zhou Shaojin said. “Ji Ying brought cloud slice cakes and crispy candies from Jingzhou Prefecture. Would you like to try some?”

“Never mind, I just had a bowl of lotus seed sweet soup before coming out,” Cheng Jia said. “I’ll have some when I’m hungry.”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t insist.

Chun Wan brought in tea and refreshments. Seeing that Zhou Shaojin still had needlework to do, Cheng Jia drank her tea, exchanged a few words, and then rose to take her leave.

Ji Ying came over to sit with Zhou Shaojin and do needlework together.

But Zhou Shaojin fell silent.

She quietly finished making the other sock and placed it together with the other five socks. She said to Ji Ying, “There’s one more pair of socks left. Take your time making them, and you’ll eventually finish them well.”

Ji Ying looked at her, her gaze flickering.

Zhou Shaojin took out the forehead band she was making for Old Madam Guo, lowered her head, and quietly embroidered the flowers.

Ji Ying bit her lip and watched Zhou Shaojin for quite a while. Only after seeing that Zhou Shaojin never once raised her head did she begin to sew the socks following Zhou Shaojin’s instructions.

The room was utterly quiet, with only the sound of Zhou Shaojin’s needle piercing through silk fabric, making the room seem even more silent and tranquil, though also somewhat oppressive.

With a “snap,” Ji Ying threw the sock in her hand onto the sewing table and said irritably, “I admit this matter is my fault, and I apologize to you. I made a bet with Nan Ping—as long as I could make four pairs of socks for your Uncle Chi, she would never boss me around again. I originally intended to tell you directly, but I know the Cheng family has strict rules. You’re an unmarried young lady, yet you’re making socks for a man, even if he is your uncle. I thought you probably wouldn’t agree, so I resorted to this underhanded tactic…”

“You don’t need to explain to me,” Zhou Shaojin said, still keeping her head lowered. Ji Ying couldn’t see her expression but could hear her voice sounding muffled, as if she had been crying. “This is a matter between you and Miss Nan Ping. But I hate being deceived more than anything else. Please leave now and never come to the Fragrant Rue Residence again!”

Ji Ying felt extremely awkward. She mumbled apologies and asked uneasily, “Are you, are you crying?”

“I’m not!” Zhou Shaojin raised her head. Although her eyes were red, no tears had fallen. “Someone like you isn’t worth my tears.”

Ji Ying’s face flushed red and then pale. She mumbled, “I, I really didn’t mean it. I just wanted to win against Nan Ping…”

“No matter what you say, the fact remains that you deliberately deceived me,” Zhou Shaojin stood up and looked at her coldly. “Please leave! I don’t have friends like you.”

“Friends?” Ji Ying looked at Zhou Shaojin in shock.

Zhou Shaojin had already turned to call Shi Xiang in and said, “Escort Miss Ji Ying out of the Fragrant Rue Residence.” With that, she walked into the inner chamber without looking back, bolted the door, and threw herself onto the bed.

How could she have been so foolish?

To trust Ji Ying so easily?

Zhou Shaojin’s heart ached as if being cut by knives.

In Uncle Chi’s eyes, was she also an idiot who could be tricked by a few words?

Otherwise, how could the maid by his side treat her this way?

As soon as this thought arose, Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat ashamed again.

It was Ji Ying who deceived her—what did it have to do with Uncle Chi? She couldn’t blame Uncle Chi just because she had been too trusting of Ji Ying.

Ji Ying looked so coldly elegant and poised—who would have known she could do such a thing? Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance.

Zhou Shaojin felt terribly wronged.

“Second Young Miss, Second Young Miss.” Ji Ying knocked on her door. “This matter is my fault. I apologize to you. Please don’t be angry with me. How about you hit me a couple of times… or however you think would help you feel better. I’ll accept whatever you decide… Second Young Miss, Second Young Miss…”

Zhou Shaojin’s head began to ache from all the noise. She shouted loudly toward the door, “If you never appear before me again, I won’t be angry anymore.”

The knocking suddenly stopped.

Zhou Shaojin collapsed weakly on the bed.

After a while, Shi Xiang said softly outside the door, “Second Young Miss, Miss Ji Ying has left.”

“Oh!” Zhou Shaojin lay on the bed, her whole body feeling as if her bones had scattered. She didn’t want to get up until Shi Xiang called her to have lunch. Only then did she hastily wash up and go to the Fine Tree Hall.

But when she returned from the Cold Jade Mountain Room, she discovered that Ji Ying hadn’t taken the three pairs of socks she had made for Cheng Chi with her.

The evening sun’s remaining light shone on the snow-white socks, leaving mottled colors upon them.

She slowly sat down at the sewing table, put on her thimble, and finished making all six remaining pairs of socks. Then she rubbed her somewhat sore eyes and instructed Shi Xiang, “Tomorrow, help deliver these to Miss Ji Ying. Just tell her that I’m not angry with her anymore, but also ask her to treat me as a stranger from now on.”

Shi Xiang nodded gloomily.

Zhou Shaojin went to bed very early.

But when she woke up the next morning, Shi Xiang told her with an anxious expression, “Miss Ji Ying has come!”

Zhou Shaojin was somewhat puzzled.

Shi Xiang said carefully, “I haven’t had a chance to deliver the socks yet, but Miss Ji Ying came first. She brought a lot of food, saying she wanted to apologize to you. No matter what I said, she wouldn’t leave, and I couldn’t stop her… She’s sitting in the main hall right now waiting for you to wake up!”

Zhou Shaojin was furious.

Was she calculating that she was easy to talk to and easy to bully? Had she switched to wearing her down with soft tactics?

Zhou Shaojin rushed out angrily and immediately saw Ji Ying sitting by the table with a table full of pastries.

“Second Young Miss.” Ji Ying immediately stood up and said, “What happened yesterday was my fault. I thought about it all night and still decided I must ask for your forgiveness…”

“I forgive you!” Zhou Shaojin interrupted Ji Ying’s words. “You can leave now!”

“Second Young Miss…” Ji Ying frowned, her expression somewhat displeased, carrying a somewhat intimidating coldness.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart sank.

How had she forgotten that Ji Ying was someone who wasn’t even afraid of Cheng Xu—why would she fear her?

But to her surprise, Ji Ying lowered her eyes and eyelids, said “I’m sorry” to her, and actually left obediently.

Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.