Nanny Huang immediately knew she had misunderstood. Unable to help feeling both amused and exasperated, she patted her hand: “Elder Sister, from now on Sixth Miss will move to keep Old Madam company! This is a joyous occasion!”

A thunderous boom—now everyone truly was thunderstruck.

Nanny Wang’s face, usually tight as tree bark, finally could no longer maintain its composure. Her eyeballs nearly popped out.

Huang Yao’s face turned even paler, cold sweat seeping from her forehead along her hair to drip onto the ground.

Nanny Xu herself took quite a while to react, looking blankly toward Song Chuyi.

Nanny Huang took them all for being deliriously happy. Smiling broadly, she called to Nanny Xu: “Quickly organize Sixth Miss’s belongings. Tomorrow Old Madam will consult the almanac and select an auspicious day, then it will be time to move.”

Wind swept up fallen petals through the corridor. The oriole hanging under the eaves fluttered its wings and cried chaotically, so noisily it irritated Huang Yao. Especially after nightfall, once she had attended Song Chuyi to sleep, Nanny Wang still came to knock on her door.

Carrying an uneasy heart, she rushed to the main courtyard, her impression hall somewhat darkened. Lately her luck had truly been unfavorable. Originally she thought Song Chuyi would definitely not fare well this time. Who could have predicted that since falling ill, this Sixth Miss’s fortune would be so good? Not only did she escape unscathed again, she even gained the benefit of Old Madam personally raising her.

Thinking of Song Chuning who was also legitimately born, her back molars felt somewhat sour.

Both her father and mother were estate-born servants of the Earl’s household. When they sent her to serve in Second Household, they thought she could latch onto the high branch that was Song Chuning. Who knew Song Chuning didn’t favor her, but Li Shi did, sending her to Song Chuyi’s side instead.

Growing up steeped in the affairs of the Earl’s estate’s inner quarters, she naturally knew that Song Chuyi was not a good mistress to serve—losing her mother at a young age, with her maternal family far away thousands of miles distant, and her family adding a stepmother who also came from a scholarly family. What prospects could she have in the future?

Therefore, when Li Shi subtly hinted with a pursing of her lips, she was moved.

Actually, she had always acted quite smoothly and discreetly. Song Chuyi treated her even better than Luyi and Hong Yu, always remembering to share good food and clothes with her. Li Shi also didn’t forget to frequently give her small favors, recently even promising her the benefit of becoming head maid in Song Chuning’s quarters in the future…

But who knew that when she took advantage of the chaos to push Song Chuyi, fully expecting Song Chuyi to fall into ruin, Song Chuyi actually began having good fortune!

How unlucky! She cursed inwardly, standing trembling with fear below Li Shi.

“Come tell me how this happened.” Li Shi sat on her daybed looking at her, her expression calm without anger, even carrying a hint of a smile, yet inexplicably causing one’s spine to run cold: “How is it that in the blink of an eye, your Sixth Miss is moving to Ningde Courtyard?”

Huang Yao was scared out of her wits. Her knees went soft as she heavily knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing: “Madam, spare my life! I truly followed Nanny Yu’s instructions exactly. Sixth Miss very obediently went to make trouble with Fifth Madam! It’s just that later…”

Li Shi glanced at her and actually hummed calmly in acknowledgment.

“What about later?”

Huang Yao didn’t know why but felt even more chilled to the bone. After shivering, she hastily said: “Later I don’t know what happened. Not long after entering Old Madam’s courtyard, I was driven out by Sister Yushu and the others… I only heard that Sixth Miss was being punished. I also don’t know why it suddenly turned out this way.”

Li Shi’s brows knitted tightly, her expression grave as she looked toward Nanny Yu: “She’s a calamity and cannot be kept!”

Originally she wanted to wait until leaving the Earl’s estate to go to the new post before dealing with her, but now it seemed that wouldn’t do.

Old Madam actually planned to keep Song Chuyi by her side to raise—this was slapping her, the stepmother, in the face!

She had maintained a virtuous and kind appearance for over five years, treating Song Chuyi with meticulous care—which outsider didn’t praise her? Once this matter spread, what would others think of her?!

Hearing this, Huang Yao was already drenched in sweat. She hung her head trembling, not saying a word.

Having heard such secret plans from Li Shi, even if she wanted to extricate herself, it was now impossible.

When First Madam heard the news, she was also quite surprised. Turning her head, she asked Jin Ling, the head maid beside her: “You didn’t mishear? Perhaps she’s just going to Old Madam’s place to stay a few days to recover?”

“How could this servant mishear such a matter?” Jin Ling stepped forward to remove First Madam’s silver wire chignon, smiling: “This Sixth Miss really is… fools have foolish fortune.”

Jin Ling was First Madam’s confidante and spoke without much restraint.

But this time First Madam couldn’t laugh.

Foolish?

That child these past few days was sharper than anyone.

What kind of person was Old Madam? Nobly born, advanced in years—an old, cunning Titled Lady who had always favored clever girls. Could a fool gain advantage from her?

One must know that counting forward and backward over nearly thirty years, only two girls had received Old Madam Song’s personal instruction: one was Old Madam’s only legitimate daughter Song Linlang, and the other was the Earl’s estate’s legitimate eldest granddaughter, First Madam’s own daughter Song Chuchen. Apart from these two, though Old Madam loved her granddaughters, she ultimately hadn’t raised any other girls. This was an unprecedented level of favor.

“Being personally raised by Old Madam—what great fortune.” First Madam sighed with feeling.

Jin Ling removed all of First Madam’s hairpins and ornaments and handed them to Jin Huan. While using a dampened cloth to gently wipe her face, she smiled with pursed lips: “Who knows if this rash Sixth Miss might offend Old Madam the very next day and be driven out again? Usually she’s truly alarmingly reckless. Once Old Madam’s novelty wears off, she’ll probably find Sixth Miss clamorous. Moreover, our Second Madam’s heart probably won’t be pleased either.”

If Second Madam’s heart wasn’t pleased, she would definitely find ways to feel better and vent her anger. If a stepmother wanted to manipulate the children of the previous wife, it was exceedingly easy.

Of course, if this Sixth Miss could hold onto Old Madam’s support long-term, that would be different. But Jin Ling didn’t think such a thing possible.

Jin Ling hadn’t accompanied First Madam out recently and wasn’t present for today’s events. Naturally she didn’t know Song Chuyi had already become different from before. Based solely on Song Chuyi biting Fifth Madam, she felt Song Chuyi was still that firecracker that could be set off with casual instigation.

But Nanny Qiu glanced at First Madam and said hesitantly: “Perhaps not entirely… I observed Sixth Miss’s conduct today—it couldn’t have been more seasoned.”

First Madam’s heart stirred as she looked at Nanny Qiu and nodded.

To be fair, even she herself didn’t have the capability to emerge unscathed from Old Madam Song’s fury. That Song Chuyi, still young in years, could accomplish this and do so without leaving traces, not making people feel she was deliberately clinging to others—this truly wasn’t ordinary seasoned experience.