Old Madam Song glanced at Song Chuyi standing there quietly and calmly, furrowing her brows with even more dissatisfaction.

Both were granddaughters—Song Chuyi could be obedient and sensible to the point of heartache, yet Song Chumi not only didn’t know what was good for her, but could even say things like “I’ll marry no one but him.”

Back then, though Song Linlang had also insisted on choosing her own husband, she hadn’t made such a blatant fuss about wanting to marry someone. That had been brought up privately in secret, not like Song Chumi who seemed eager to make it known to everyone.

First Madam’s gaze was also heavy. She could say with a clear conscience that because of her daughter’s situation, she paid extra attention to the marriage prospects of all the young ladies in the manor. She personally vetted the candidates and had people investigate their families—she certainly hadn’t been perfunctory. Yet this niece of hers had been picky about everything before, and now was even crying and shouting that she already had someone in her heart. She had thrown all her painstaking efforts to the winds of Java, truly making it difficult to save face.

“You’ve studied propriety for so many years—where has it all gone?” Old Madam Song waited until her stare made Song Chumi stop crying, then let out a cold, indifferent laugh: “When elders are speaking, where is there room for you to interrupt? Not to mention uttering those incomprehensible words just now, mouth after mouth. I recall you’ve studied with those palace ladies for quite some time—have you truly learned nothing?”

Song Chumi wiped her tears and looked at Old Master Song sitting expressionlessly in the seat of honor, then at Old Madam Song whose expression was somewhat grim. In the end, she didn’t dare cry out loud as she had before.

She knew Old Master Song was different from Old Madam Song. He valued family reputation and honor most. If she continued to cry and shout without regard for dignity, who knew what Old Master Song might do.

“Old Madam…” As soon as she opened her mouth to call out, tears began falling pitter-patter: “I heard that in the past, Aunt also personally chose Uncle. Grandfather, Grandmother, I just want to marry someone I like…”

One sentence turned Old Madam Song’s face ashen. Letting her daughter choose her own husband, indulging her daughter’s temperament, allowing her to become what she was now—this had always been the hidden pain in her heart. Now Song Chumi was using Song Linlang as an example, truly making her unable to suppress her inner rage any longer. She lost her voice: “Shut your mouth!”

Song Chumi was so frightened by Old Madam Song’s shout that she swallowed back the words already at her lips. However, her tears only fell more fiercely—she hadn’t said anything wrong. Aunt really had chosen her own husband. Now Uncle was at least a prefect in Qingzhou, and Aunt had an imperial title. What was wrong with that?

First Madam sighed, carefully glancing at Old Madam Song and Old Master Song’s expressions before turning to look at this headache-inducing niece: “You’re young and don’t know that within the two words ‘marriage’ lies learning at every turn. Grandmother and First Aunt certainly won’t harm you. Moreover, even if you don’t trust our judgment, you should at least trust your mother, shouldn’t you? Today’s candidates were all selected by your mother…”

“I don’t know about this learning, but I know the principle of mutual affection!” Song Chumi blurted out without thinking, her voice suddenly rising much louder: “If I’m made to live together with those people I haven’t even met a few times, what’s the point?! I might as well be dead!”

Old Madam Song twitched her lips and exchanged glances with Old Master Song. Both saw the ugly expression on the other’s face.

“Then first tell us, who is this person in your mouth—this so-called mutually affectionate person?” Old Master Song held Old Madam Song’s hand and uttered a sentence with excessive calmness.

By rights, such matters shouldn’t be heard by a young lady like Song Chuyi. However, everyone in the room knew Song Chuyi was different from ordinary young ladies, so they all automatically overlooked this point.

Old Madam Song reached out to beckon Song Chuyi, pulling her to sit beside her, though her expression didn’t soften at all.

Song Chumi bit her lip, seeming very hesitant. After a long pause, she finally exhaled: “It’s… it’s Elder Brother from the Zhang family.”

The Zhang family?! Everyone in the room furrowed their brows simultaneously, unable to react for quite some time.

There were several families surnamed Zhang with whom they had dealings, but thinking of the most frequently seen recently…

First Madam suddenly widened her eyes, looking at Song Chumi with some disbelief, her voice trembling with hesitation: “You couldn’t possibly mean that one from Elder Zhang’s household…” Seeing Song Chumi didn’t refute, she was even more shocked, her eyeballs nearly falling out: “But he’s already married!”

The Zhang family had distant relations with Third Madam’s natal family. Since they both resided in the capital and the elders on both sides were willing, they had gradually reconnected and maintained good relations.

But even the Zhang family’s grandsons’ generation were all already married!

At this point, Song Chuyi finally looked at Song Chumi with astonishment, her palms already covered with a clammy layer of cold sweat.

Song Chumi was an inexperienced young lady, but those Zhang family men were not—especially those young masters of the Zhang family. They were all already married. How could they not know what it meant to seduce a daughter of an earl’s manor?! Unless they had premeditated this or even had ulterior motives!

Old Madam Song could no longer control the cold laugh on her face. Furiously raising her hand, she grabbed the teacup and smashed it at Song Chumi from head to toe: “Do you have a brain?! Do you know that if this gets out, your future is ruined?!”

Old Master Song also hadn’t expected this granddaughter to be so shocking. For a moment, his head was buzzing. His thoughts aligned with Song Chuyi’s—those Zhang family people weren’t uncultured country bumpkins. Why would they provoke a young lady from the Earl of Changning’s manor for no reason? They certainly had some purpose.

Song Chumi bit her handkerchief and finally seemed somewhat ashamed. However, she still gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and endured the pain on her body, crying: “He refuses to let me be a concubine. He said he would marry me as an equal wife…”

But which respectable family truly married equal wives?!

Song Chuyi suddenly found Song Chumi before her both pitiful and pathetic, as if through her she saw herself from the previous life—probably also this unreasonable, shameless, and undignified, with a face that invited disgust.

Song Chumi thought she had met a good man who truly cared for her, but didn’t know that in others’ eyes she was merely possessed, so frivolous that she had lost all dignity and self-respect.

Everyone was so shocked by Song Chumi’s words that they stood frozen in place. First Madam opened her mouth several times wanting to speak but didn’t know what to say.

Old Madam Song no longer wanted to speak with Song Chumi. She turned to look at First Madam, suppressing her inner fury: “Send a letter. Tell Third Madam to come back.”