When Xiao Du returned to the manor with Yuanxi, the crowd that had anxiously waited through the night finally breathed a sigh of relief. An’he’s eyes were swollen from crying, and upon seeing Yuanxi enter, she immediately rushed over, embracing her tightly while resting her head on Yuanxi’s shoulder, saying: “Madam, you’ve finally returned.”

Yuanxi smiled and took her hand, gently comforting her: “Don’t worry, with the Marquis here, I’ll be fine.”

Xiao Du stood beside her, and upon hearing this, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward. At this moment, Xiao Chun also approached with a bitter expression, about to follow An’he’s example and sob a few words, but was glared at fiercely by Xiao Du. Immediately frightened into silence, he quickly changed his demeanor and fawningly approached with a smile: “Marquis, you’ve worked hard. Would you like me to fetch water for you to wash your hands and face?”

Xiao Du thought to himself that he wasn’t particularly tired, then unconsciously glanced toward Yuanxi. Understanding his meaning, Yuanxi straightened her face and glared at him. Xiao Du touched his nose and instructed An’he: “Quickly go fetch water for Madam to wash properly.”

An’he hurriedly responded with an “Mm,” but as she turned around, she felt something strange – why was Miss’s face so flushed red?

Xiao Du tilted his head slightly upward. The rain-washed azure sky was clear and bright, and she stood within his reach, the breeze blowing her hair to lightly brush across his face, making him recall her warm hands and soft lips. His heart felt settled and satisfied. Though last night had deviated somewhat from his expectations, it didn’t matter – they had plenty of time to take things slowly.

Little did he know that upheaval would come as suddenly as yesterday’s rain. Just after lunch, someone from the marquis’s mansion arrived with news: Prince Qing and the Princess had returned to the capital a day early. The Princess would enter the palace tomorrow to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and Emperor, then come to the marquis’s mansion to visit the Princess. Yuanxi felt the string in her mind immediately tighten, losing all interest in leisure, and quickly ordered the maids to pack their belongings for an immediate return to the marquis’s mansion.

Though Xiao Du felt reluctant in every way, he couldn’t go against his wife’s wishes. He had originally planned to enjoy some intimate moments after returning to the mansion, but who knew that upon entering, Yuanxi would be so busy her feet barely touched the ground, with no time to pay him any attention.

Finally, when evening arrived and he knocked on Yuanxi’s door with great anticipation, he only received Nanny Li emerging with an apologetic expression, saying: “Madam says there are too many matters today, and she fears being distracted would cause mistakes. She asks the Marquis to come again tomorrow.”

Thus, Xiao Du experienced his first rejection in life, and could only stand in the courtyard, sighing mournfully at the moon: So even having too ambitious a wife wasn’t entirely a good thing.

The next day, Princess Qing’s carriage arrived as promised. Since this visit was to see the inner family members of the marquis’s mansion, Prince Qing didn’t accompany her. The blue curtain was drawn back, and several maids and servants descended first, helping down a woman adorned with jeweled hairpins and luxurious silk robes, whose every gesture carried dignity – this was Princess Qing, Meng Jingrou.

The stewardess and a group of servants from the marquis’s mansion had long been waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing the Princess descend from her carriage, they immediately knelt in unison, respectfully escorting the Princess to the main courtyard according to protocol.

Everyone else was now waiting in the main courtyard, with the Princess standing at the front. Upon seeing Meng Jingrou, she couldn’t hide her excitement, and her usually pale face showed hints of an excited flush.

Meng Jingrou, seeing her old friend again, momentarily forgot her composure and rushed forward several steps, grasping the Princess’s hands to examine her closely. The former budding maiden and intimate friend from their chambers, when reunited, were both women with graying temples at their temples. Gazing at each other, countless sighs welled up in their hearts, and for a moment both women’s eyes reddened.

Meng Jingrou took out her handkerchief to wipe away tears, saying in a trembling voice: “After decades apart, Tonghui, you’ve changed.”

The Princess also wiped her tears and was about to speak when a violent coughing fit erupted, forcing her to cover her face and retreat. Nanny Yu quickly explained: “The Princess knew the Princess was coming and was so excited she couldn’t sleep well for several nights. Who knew this would trigger her old ailment? Please forgive her, Princess.”

Meng Jingrou had long heard that the Princess’s health had been poor these years, but seeing her condition today was more severe than expected, making her feel even more heartache, and tears flowed uncontrollably again. Yuanxi stepped forward at this time, bowing to the Princess: “Tea and refreshments have been prepared in the hall. Please, Princess and Princess, go inside to talk.”

Meng Jingrou nodded, so accompanied by the womenfolk, she entered the main hall. The two drank tea and chatted casually, but the atmosphere seemed somewhat distant and formal throughout. Partly because the Princess kept coughing continuously, and Meng Jingrou couldn’t bear to make her talk much. Partly because there were many outsiders present, so many private intimate words couldn’t be spoken freely.

Fortunately, the banquet was soon ready, and everyone escorted the Princess to the dining hall. Meng Jingrou insisted on sitting together with the Princess, but the Princess said she feared passing her illness to her and insisted on letting her sit in the seat of honor.

During the meal, the Old Marquis looked around and never saw Xiao Qing and Wang Shiqin, feeling somewhat uneasy, so he secretly sent Zhou Jingyuan to inquire.

Just as Zhou Jingyuan left, Xiao Qing entered from outside with Wang Shiqin. Upon seeing them, everyone gasped in shock. On such an occasion today, Xiao Qing was dressed entirely in plain white, looking from afar as if wearing mourning clothes. Even Wang Shiqin wore only plain clothing, walking behind with lowered brows and submissive eyes. Both their expressions and attire were completely at odds with the celebratory atmosphere in the hall.

Xiao Qing merely performed a casual bow to the Princess before taking his seat. The Old Marquis looked furious and shouted: “Look at what you’re wearing! Go change your clothes immediately!”

Xiao Qing smiled coldly, glancing at him sideways: “My mother’s first seven days haven’t even passed. What does Father think I should be dressed like?”

At these words, everyone at the table changed color. The Old Marquis slammed the table and was about to rage when the Princess coldly spoke: “Does a morally corrupt concubine deserve someone to wear hemp and mourning for her?”

Xiao Qing turned to stare at her intently, his eyes revealing deep resentment. Wang Shiqin quickly tugged hard at his sleeve, signaling him not to continue. But Xiao Qing still smiled and said: “If the Princess hadn’t done so many guilty deeds, why would she be so paranoid as to hide in her room every day pretending to be ill?”

“You!” The Princess hadn’t expected he would dare say such words. For a moment, anger attacked her heart, and she trembled while pressing her chest, actually spitting up blood. The Princess was so frightened she covered her mouth and cried out. Xiao Du and Yuanxi immediately rushed forward to support the Princess’s swaying body, and the banquet immediately erupted into chaos.

The Old Marquis rose in fury, pointing at Xiao Qing and roaring: “Rebellious son! How dare you be so disrespectful to the Princess! Usually I’ve been too lenient with you. Take him away and beat him severely!”

Wang Shiqin looked up in terror and was about to plead for Xiao Qing, but Xiao Qing had already stood up, lifting his robes. He turned to look disdainfully at the panicking crowd, then strode to the door and said to the several servants who were staring dumbfounded: “The Master has given the order. Why don’t you quickly fetch the rods? This young master can’t wait.”

The Princess leaned against the table trembling, her face pale as paper, as if having received an extreme shock. Xiao Du and Yuanxi beside her both looked extremely anxious. Nanny Yu cried: “The Princess must return to her room immediately to take medicine and rest. I’m afraid we’ll have to neglect the Princess.”

The Princess quickly told them to take the Princess back to her room first. With such an incident occurring, everyone else lost their appetite for the meal. The Princess was concerned about the Princess’s illness and only ate a few bites before taking two personal maids to visit the Princess’s room. Seeing the Princess take her medicine and prepare to sleep, she reluctantly returned to Qixia Courtyard.

In the main room of Qixia Courtyard, the maids and servants had already laid out gauze curtains and lit incense. The Princess sat by her dressing table with furrowed brows, staring thoughtfully at a blooming peony in the room. After a while, she dismissed the other servants to rest, leaving only the most trusted nanny in the room.

This nanny had served her since before her marriage and could tell at a glance that she was troubled, immediately asking: “Is the Princess worried about the Princess’s illness?”

The Princess nodded, hesitating for a moment before speaking: “Also, I always feel that the Princess seems to have changed greatly.”

The nanny said: “The Princess and the Princess haven’t seen each other for over twenty years. Now you’re both wives and mothers. Since your status and experiences are different, naturally you can’t be the same as when you were unmarried.”

The Princess still frowned: “But… I can’t quite put it into words. I just feel like she’s become somewhat gloomy as a whole.” She thought for a moment, then sighed: “Forget it, I’m overthinking. Perhaps her days at the marquis’s mansion haven’t been too pleasant. Tomorrow when her illness improves, I’ll ask her properly.”

The nanny smiled: “Don’t let your thoughts run wild, Princess. The Princess gave birth to the legitimate eldest son who inherited the title, and the Old Marquis doesn’t have many concubines beside him. It’s just that her health is weak – what could be unpleasant about it?”

The Princess sighed: “It’s a pity she only has one son. Having more children around would always be better. And this Marquis Xuanyuan’s mansion is also declining day by day…”

She seemed to realize she had said too much and casually chatted about other matters with the nanny. Having traveled for several days and entered the palace early this morning, she now felt very tired and went to bed early.

Night soon deepened. Crows cawed from the swaying treetops in the wind. In her half-asleep state, the Princess suddenly heard what seemed like someone singing nearby – a sharp, thin female voice softly singing a nursery rhyme: “Pull big brother, drag little brother, step on broken tiles without touching ground.”

It sounded like a mother lulling her child to sleep, but why would it be in her courtyard, and why did it sound so close, so close it seemed… right beside her bed.

The thin female voice echoed in the silent darkness. Though clearly an old nursery rhyme, the more she listened, the more mournful and sharp it sounded. The Princess frowned tightly, waving her hand to drive away this voice disturbing her, but the singing persisted right by her ear – neither far nor near, neither hurried nor slow, singing in that sharp, thin voice.

Though she was in a dream, she finally sensed something was wrong and was suddenly startled awake. Upon opening her eyes, she saw a woman’s face suspended above her head: dressed as a maid, hands gently stroking her belly, and upon seeing her open her eyes, finally stopped singing and grinned widely.