Just as she raised her head, she saw several people emerge from behind the artificial rock formation she had just passed by.

Judging by the direction, these should be the people who had been talking in the cave earlier. She tried hard to recall, but no matter what, she couldn’t find these people in her memory, much less guess whether they had any connection to the Loyal Righteous General’s Manor.

This was the consequence of not using her brain in her previous life. She lowered her head, trying her best to minimize her presence.

They didn’t look in this direction and seemed intent on going straight across the arched bridge toward the second gate—the men’s banquet should be set up in the main hall over there.

To be able to move freely through the rear courtyard, even if they weren’t the hosts, they must certainly have deep connections with the host family.

Song Chuyi thought about this banquet that had come about somewhat suspiciously and hadn’t existed in her previous life. Her expression was rather complex.

Huang Yao, however, couldn’t help but speak up, “Miss, earlier you…”

Before she could finish, Song Chuyi had already turned her head and unhesitatingly scolded in a low voice, “Shut your mouth!”

Not expecting Song Chuyi to suddenly speak so harshly, Huang Yao first froze, then her eyes reddened with grievance, biting her lip with an unconvinced expression.

Truly foolish beyond measure. Even without malicious intent, having such a maid at her side would sooner or later cause trouble. Song Chuyi looked up at them, her gaze meaningful.

Those men were about to cross the arched bridge when several half-grown youths suddenly bounded up from the other end of the bridge, chattering as they surrounded them in the middle.

Among those youths, Shen Qingrang was conspicuously present.

So they knew each other…

She was just about to ask some questions when she heard Princess Yunxiu behind her joyfully call out “Seventh Brother” and wave her hand toward Shen Qingrang.

Seeing her, Shen Qingrang also seemed very happy and ran over, leaving those men behind.

These aristocratic families with close relationships didn’t place much importance on the separation between boys and girls among children, so these young boys often came to play with them.

The smile on Shen Qingrang’s face completely vanished upon seeing Song Chuyi. Looking at her with displeasure, he spat on the ground and said, “How unlucky! How did I run into you, you annoying pest, again?”

Song Chuyi recalled that a few days ago, Lady He had personally gone to the Earl of Changning’s Manor and persuaded Old Madam Song to come to the Loyal Righteous General’s Manor. Now Shen Qingrang seemed quite familiar with those people who had been discussing northwestern military provisions in the rock formation…

She lowered her head, pondering what role the Duke of Yingguo’s Manor played in all this, while Ye Yunxiu felt that Song Chuyi must be losing face from being spoken to this way by Shen Qingrang.

“Seventh Brother, where are you coming from?” Ye Yunxiu smiled to change the subject and asked curiously, “Why didn’t we see you earlier?”

Shen Qingrang didn’t dare lose his temper in front of Ye Yunxiu. He quickly dismissed Song Chuyi and said, “Su Zhen and the others are pounding rice cakes. I found it novel and played with them for a while before coming over.”

Song Chuyi naturally had no mind to bother with him either. After thinking for a moment, she asked Song Chumi, “Fourth Sister, I’m going to find Grandmother and First Aunt. Will you and Fifth Sister come along?”

Song Chumi was playing enthusiastically with several Su family misses. Upon hearing this, she didn’t pay much attention, “We’ll stay a while longer. You go back by yourself.”

Song Chuyi didn’t insist and led Qing Tao and Huang Yao toward the flower hall.

She hadn’t walked more than a few steps when sharp female screams rang out from the covered corridor in the garden, startling all the young ladies who had been playing so happily into silence.

Ye Yunxiu, who had been talking with Shen Qingrang, also looked toward the Su family misses with surprise and suspicion on her face.

The several men who had been talking on the arched bridge also seemed to hear the commotion and all walked over quickly.

“What’s going on?” The leader, a young man in white python-patterned narrow sleeves with his hands behind his back, looked at Su Chenxiang with some displeasure.

Upon meeting his gaze, Su Chenxiang couldn’t help but shrink back first, stuttering as she called out “Elder Brother,” her face showing difficulty.

Su Chenxiang called him Elder Brother—the First Young Master of the Su family? Song Chuyi looked again at the several people silently following First Young Master Su and felt completely bewildered.

Su Chenxiang wore an expression of having unspeakable difficulties. Even the dullest person present knew this probably involved the family’s private matters, so everyone said they would go out to find the elders.

Su Chenxiang didn’t dare stop them. She couldn’t even manage the polite phrase of asking them to stay and play a while longer. With a bitter smile, she and her sisters arranged for the young ladies to leave.

Just then, the covered corridor that had only just quieted down erupted with screaming again, followed by the clay pots placed beside the corridor shattering all over the ground with crashes and clangs.

The Su family’s First Young Master’s expression grew even more unpleasant. Not bothering with courtesy, he strode rapidly toward the covered corridor.

He had only walked a dozen or so steps when the door of the covered corridor was suddenly knocked open. A disheveled woman burst out from inside, running at extreme speed toward the young ladies. A string of maids and old servants followed behind her.

First Young Master Su reached out to grab her but couldn’t hold on. After struggling a few times, she broke free from him and quickly ran to the lakeside directly opposite the covered corridor. She shouted loudly at First Young Master Su who had followed, “Don’t come over! None of you come over!”

Her hair was very long, covering half her face. On the exposed half of her face were vaguely many scars.

“Miss Chen!?” Ye Yunyi, who had been too shocked to speak, blurted out. She turned to look at Su Chenxiang, seeming incredulous, “Isn’t that your cousin? How did she end up like this?”

Ye Yunxiu also stared blankly for a long moment, seeming to want to go over but stopping herself.

First Young Master Su’s patience had been exhausted. Moreover, today this garden was filled with daughters of prestigious families. Miss Chen’s scene obviously left him unable to handle the aftermath. He couldn’t help but angrily shout, “Have you made enough trouble?! Why don’t you go back!”

The maids and old servants following also swarmed forward, wanting to pull Miss Chen away.

Miss Chen avoided the hands of that group of maids and servants as if avoiding snakes and scorpions, retreating several more steps backward and nearly slipping and falling into the lake. Looking at those servants still advancing, she cried out sternly, “Su Shu, you have no conscience! Not a single person in your Su Manor is good!”

“What madness are you spouting?!” First Young Master Su glared through gritted teeth at the maids and servants beside him, roaring, “Why don’t you pull her away? Haven’t you made enough of a spectacle?!”

The Su family’s maids and servants didn’t dare delay and all surged forward again to pull Miss Chen.

Miss Chen struggled fiercely. Finally, she actually turned and leaped, splashing into the lake with a loud sound. The lake quickly splashed up huge waves. Miss Chen apparently couldn’t swim—after struggling in the lake a few times, she disappeared from sight.

Song Chubin, being timid, was so frightened by this scene that she couldn’t even cry out, going limp against Nanny Qiu.

The others weren’t much better off. The timid ones had already been scared to tears.

First Young Master Su was also shocked by Miss Chen’s jump and stepped back twice. Coming to his senses, he quickly ordered the servants who could swim to jump into the water to rescue her.