The commotion outside was so loud that Old Madam Chen was helped out by Lü Luo. “What’s happening here?”

Chen Sixth Master Chen Yan Jiang stammered: “Mother, it’s my fault. I accidentally spilled hot tea on Third Sister-in-law… I, I don’t know who put the tea on the tall table! This can’t be entirely my fault.”

Old Madam Chen glared at him and hurried to Jin Chao’s side. “Third daughter-in-law, are you badly scalded?”

Jin Chao shook her head. The burn was stinging, but not too painful. “It wasn’t boiling water, please don’t worry.”

Madam Qin patted Chen Xi’s back and explained to Old Madam Chen: “…Just now Sixth Master and Sixth Sister-in-law were arguing and accidentally knocked into the tall table. The third Sister-in-law and Miss Xi were sitting nearby. Not only was Third Sister-in-law scalded, but Miss Xi was frightened to tears.”

Madam Ge looked full of remorse, as this incident was partly her fault. “Mother, I should be blamed too. I shouldn’t have argued with Sixth Master…”

Chen Yan Jiang stood nearby, not knowing what to do.

Old Madam Chen raised her walking stick and struck Chen Yan Jiang hard: “What kind of person are you? If your Third Sister-in-law had been seriously injured, what would you do then!”

She then led Jin Chao into the inner room to remove her clothes and examine the injury. Indeed, a large area was red from the scalding, but it wasn’t very serious. A maid brought over a box of medicinal ointment to apply on Jin Chao’s burn and gave her one of Old Madam Chen’s padded jackets as a temporary replacement.

Madam Wang said to Old Madam Chen: “Originally Miss Xi was sitting next to the tall table. It was fortunate that Third Sister-in-law shielded her… Third Sister-in-law could have avoided it herself.”

Madam Qin hadn’t mentioned this earlier. Old Madam Chen asked Jin Chao gently: “You shielded her?”

Jin Chao hadn’t thought it through at the time; she had instinctively pulled Chen Xi toward herself. Perhaps it was just her maternal instinct, after all, Chen Xi was so young—if she had been scalded, the injury would certainly have been more serious than her own. Jin Chao simply said: “It’s nothing special. I am her mother. Of course, I would protect her.”

Old Madam Chen lovingly stroked her hand but said nothing.

Shortly after they went out, Third Master Chen arrived.

Old Madam Chen explained what had happened to Third Master Chen. His face immediately darkened, causing Chen Yan Jiang’s heart to sink. Someone like Third Brother may seem easy-going normally, but when he truly becomes angry, it’s no small matter.

He had already made a mistake, what should he do now…

Chen Yan Yun ignored Chen Yan Jiang and first walked to Jin Chao’s side, asking her in a low voice: “Is the burn serious?”

Jin Chao shook her head and said it was nothing: “It wasn’t extremely hot water…”

She wanted to smooth things over… Chen Yan Yun nodded and said, “Go back and rest first. I’ll check on you when I return.” He instructed Qing Pu to escort her back to Mu Xi Hall first. Then he asked Old Madam Chen and the other women to wait in the side room.

He gave Chen Yan Jiang a cold look and spoke slowly and clearly: “Tell me exactly how she got scalded.”

Chen Yan Jiang explained everything. Then he added: “…I don’t know how that cup of tea ended up on the tall table. I’ve been so upset these days that I’m confused. Third Brother, I deserve to die!” He cautiously looked up and saw that Chen Yan Yun remained silent, but his gaze was more severe than ever, causing him to feel a chill down his spine. He quickly slapped himself twice, “I deserve to be punished! Third Brother, you can punish me however you see fit…”

Second Master Chen was far away in Shaanxi, and as the eldest brother present, Third Master Chen had the authority of a father. All major household matters were decided by Third Master Chen. He was in charge.

Chen Yan Yun asked him: “What did Mother say?”

Chen Yan Jiang quickly answered: “She told me to stay at Baoxiang Temple for half a year, to pray for Cui Shi and… that child…”

Chen Yan Yun said: “This afternoon I sent Jiang Yan to the Cui family to inform them that you had granted them fifty mu of land. That settled Cui Shi’s matter. Where did that land come from?”

So Third Brother had sent someone to follow him! Chen Yan Jiang didn’t dare conceal anything: “It was bought with my private savings. From the business you arranged for me with the Duke of Zheng’s nephew, I earned several thousand taels of silver…”

Chen Yan Yun’s expression softened slightly: “If you weren’t so reckless, I wouldn’t need to punish you severely. But you’ve shown such poor judgment… If Father were still alive, he would surely break your legs.” As an elder brother, no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t strike his brother. “Starting tonight, you will kneel in the ancestral hall for five days to reflect on your actions. Then you will move to Baoxiang Temple for a year. I have a permanent courtyard at Baoxiang Temple with warrior monks as guards. You will follow the regimen of a cultivator: no alcohol, no meat, and especially no women. I will have people watching you.”

Everything else was manageable, but no women… that was worse than death! Moreover, going to Baoxiang Temple on his terms was entirely different from being sent there by the Third Brother. On his own, he could still find loopholes, but with Third Brother’s guards watching him, he would truly have to live like a monk!

Chen Yan Jiang felt somewhat unwilling: “Third Brother, you can’t…”

Chen Yan Yun said: “If you say one more word, you’ll be a monk for the rest of your life.”

Chen Yan Jiang immediately fell silent.

Chen Yan Yun paused, then continued: “It’s difficult to say who put that cup of tea there. No one in the room added water, and the tea was freshly brewed… Who was the last person to enter?”

Standing nearby, Chen Xuan Qing’s lips moved slightly. Although he had always disliked Gu Jin Chao, no matter how much he resented and suspected her, he would never harm her like this. It was just an accident… and she had even shielded Chen Xi. If Miss Xi had been scalded, he would have felt a thousand times more remorseful.

Even if Gu Jin Chao had been wrong in the past, now he had unintentionally hurt her.

“Father, it was my fault. The maid brewed tea and brought it up, but I didn’t want to drink it, so I put it on the tall table…” he said softly.

Chen Yan Yun walked up to him.

His father was half a head taller than him and seemed even more stern when silent. Chen Xuan Qing knew his father well and could tell he was truly angry. The angrier he became, the less he would speak…

His father held a special place in Chen Xuan Qing’s heart. He had been raised by his grandparents, so the father-son relationship with Chen Yan Yun wasn’t deep. But the environment around him had always influenced him subtly, and when he was young, his mother often taught him to be like his father in his conduct. Courteous to others, and vastly knowledgeable—he deeply respected his father and felt he could probably never achieve his accomplishments in his lifetime.

Did his father truly value Gu Jin Chao so much? He could have remarried anyone, why did it have to be Gu Jin Chao…

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Third Master Chen asked.

Chen Xuan Qing didn’t know how to respond and gave a bitter smile: “Your son didn’t consider things thoroughly.”

Chen Yan Yun looked at Chen Xuan Qing for a long time before saying: “Since it was unintentional, let it be. Go apologize to her tomorrow. She is your mother, after all.”

Chen Xuan Qing agreed.

By the time this questioning finished, night had fallen.

Having eaten plenty of lotus leaf rice in the afternoon, Jin Chao didn’t have much appetite now. She only drank a bowl of mung bean soup, then bathed and changed her clothes. Qing Pu looked at her injury with great concern: “Madam, this burn will probably take several days to heal. Fortunately, no blisters formed.”

“It’s fine as long as it’s not serious,” she said after dressing. “Still, have the kitchen prepare an evening meal. Third Master probably hasn’t eaten yet…”

As she was speaking, a young maid announced that the Third Master had returned.

Qing Pu withdrew to relay the message. After Chen Yan Yun entered, he instructed the maids to draw the curtains. Jin Chao was momentarily stunned. He sighed: “I want to see your injury.”

Jin Chao shook her head: “It’s not serious…”

He approached her and dismissed the serving maids with a wave of his hand. Refusing to take no for an answer, he untied her padded jacket.

“Third Master… you haven’t had your evening meal yet…” Jin Chao grabbed his hand.

He paused silently, ignoring her resistance, and removed her padded jacket and inner garments… revealing her pale yellow lotus-embroidered Lu silk undergarment and exposing her fair shoulders and back. He gently held her hands behind her back and carefully examined her wound.

Gu Jin Chao lowered her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. The room had just been lit with candles, illuminating his solemn profile, without a trace of a smile.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

“How could it not hurt when it’s so red?” he said softly. Before she could respond, Chen Yan Yun asked, “Where is the ointment?”

Chen Yan Yun applied the ointment for her and asked if she had eaten dinner. She nodded. Chen Yan Yun then picked her up and carried her to the inner chamber, placed her on the bed, covered her with a brocade quilt, and tucked in the corners as if caring for a child. He said softly: “You sleep first, I’ll come back later.”

Jin Chao thought to herself that she was injured on her shoulder and back, not her feet—she could still walk on her own…

Nevertheless, she was indeed tired and fell asleep soon after her head touched the pillow.

During the night, Jin Chao was awakened by pain, but not from her back…

Her lower abdomen was cramping, and she felt wetness beneath her… Not now, of all times! Jin Chao calculated with her eyes closed and realized her monthly cycle was indeed due around this time. She was in so much pain that she had no strength at all, but she needed to get up and take care of it.

Gu Jin Chao glanced to the side. Third Master Chen was sound asleep, with one hand still resting on her waist. For something like this, it was better not to disturb him.

Gu Jin Chao carefully moved his hand aside and called for Cai Fu, who was on duty in the western side room.

Chen Yan Yun wasn’t sleeping deeply; he awoke as soon as she spoke, but seeing that she didn’t want to wake him, he remained still. When her maid helped her to the bathroom, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, listening to the sounds from the bathroom and guessing what was happening.

After changing into clean undergarments, Xiu Qu brought her a bowl of brown sugar, longan, and ginger soup to drink. When Jin Chao lay back down, she saw that Chen Yan Yun still had his eyes closed and let out a small sigh of relief.

With pain in two places, Jin Chao couldn’t sleep, curling up and staring at the floor lampshade beside the bed. After a while, feeling uncomfortable, she turned toward Chen Yan Yun, then turned back again.

But then a large hand reached out from behind and pulled her close. Jin Chao’s body stiffened: “Third Master?”

The person behind her didn’t speak, but the large hand that embraced her gently massaged her lower abdomen, and the pain indeed eased.

He had probably been awakened earlier. Jin Chao softly said thank you, her body gradually relaxing. She didn’t hear his response and thought the Third Master might be a little upset. He probably wasn’t in a good mood today. Sixth Master Chen had done such a thing and showed no awareness of his mistake. But he had never ignored her before…

“Gu Jin Chao,” he suddenly called her name.

Jin Chao opened her eyes; she had never heard the Third Master address her this way before.

“Next time you’re in pain, remember to tell me,” Third Master’s voice was gentle.

“Mm,” she responded and closed her eyes, feeling a warmth in her heart.

After a long while, her hand gently covered his.

Chen Yan Yun’s body tensed. After a moment, when he looked at her again, he found her breathing evenly—she had fallen asleep.