Madam Xiao felt bitter anguish she couldn’t express—she’d finally learned just how formidable the Song family truly was.

Without speaking a single word, they’d taken every advantage.

From start to finish, the Song family hadn’t even mentioned Song Chuxuan, yet they’d forced her to take a stand.

She narrowed her eyes, concealing her inner alarm, and after a long pause forced herself to stretch her lips into a smile. “This girl doesn’t know what’s good for her. Earlier she offended several young ladies, and now she’s openly contradicting her elders. She’s truly disgraced all daughters of noble families. If we don’t discipline her now, she’ll become completely uncontrollable.”

These words at least sounded somewhat reasonable. The First Madam watched expressionlessly as Xiao Siniang opened her mouth to speak but was held silent, then turned her head away noncommittally.

“Just now Second Sister-in-law sent word in, saying she wants to take Little Six to pay New Year visits.” She changed the subject, looking at Old Madam Song. “I think the hour is getting late—if we miss the proper time, it wouldn’t be good.”

Lady Li, to demonstrate her virtue, always took Song Chuyi to visit the Li family during festivals.

Old Madam Song nodded and instructed Nanny Xu to look after Song Chuyi well. After thinking for a moment, still feeling somehow uneasy, she added, “Jieyi should go along too. Little Yi’s health isn’t good—in this bitter cold, be careful she doesn’t catch a chill.”

Everyone in the room was somewhat surprised.

Song Chuwan couldn’t help but look at Song Chuyi several more times—Old Madam Song’s care and affection for Song Chuyi exceeded what she’d shown any previous granddaughter.

Song Chuyi knew this was because of the incident with Huang Yao and Nanny Wang—though Old Madam Song hadn’t pursued the matter, she was uneasy about it. Song Chuyi smiled and agreed.

Nanny Huang went with Nanny Xu to help Song Chuyi prepare, then went to the second branch to meet with the Second Madam.

Seeing that besides Nanny Xu, Nanny Huang had also come along, Lady Li’s expression changed several times. She nearly had an outburst on the spot. Was the Old Madam deliberately not giving her face?!

Was this girl made of jade, liable to shatter at the slightest touch?!

Song Chuning glanced at her silent mother, then at her beautiful, gentle, smiling sister, and suddenly let out a cry, flying like a swallow into Song Chuyi’s embrace.

“Sixth Sister, the swallows under the eaves of my courtyard have come back! They’ve had a whole nest of baby swallows, all fat and plump. They don’t even hide when they see people—it’s so interesting!” She looked up at Song Chuyi with wide, blinking eyes. Combined with her delicate, fair skin, she could almost pass for one of the New Year painting dolls on the wall behind her.

Even Nanny Xu, who always maintained a wary attitude toward Lady Li, couldn’t help but smile.

Lady Li was startled back to her senses by Song Chuning’s words, and her face also took on a kind, gentle smile. “Indeed. You don’t know how this little girl talks about you every day, wanting you to come see the swallows. Speaking of which, that nest was nearly blown down by the wind last year, and it was you two sisters who pestered me to have someone help secure it properly.”

Song Chuyi’s face also showed a reminiscent expression to match theirs. “Yes, Mother could never resist when we coaxed her.”

With this diversion, Lady Li’s behavior became entirely as it had been before—warm, meticulous, and thoroughly considerate. Nanny Huang watched and nodded approvingly.

Song Chuyi discreetly studied Song Chuning with a glance, a trace of self-mockery rising in her heart. Though Song Chuning, not yet six years old even after the New Year, still had childish mannerisms, everything she said and did was perfectly calculated to please—this depth of scheming made even Song Chuyi, living her second life, feel alarmed.

—

Song Yi didn’t ride in a carriage. He led the way on a tall horse, followed by a carriage carrying New Year gifts for the Li family. Song Yan was too young to ride, so he shared a carriage with Song Chuyi. Song Chuning was just recovering from a serious illness, so she rode with Lady Li in the same carriage, making it convenient for Lady Li to care for her.

As soon as they got in the carriage, Song Chuning lowered the curtain and lay on the small couch, hugging a pillow and watching Lady Li.

That gaze held several parts scrutiny mixed with several parts amusement, making it nearly impossible for Lady Li to maintain her smile.

“Why do you keep staring at me?” Lady Li had been feeling inexplicably guilty when looking at her daughter lately, and being watched like this made her somewhat agitated.

Song Chuning suddenly dropped that uncomfortable posture, her slightly chubby face breaking into a smile as she nestled softly into Lady Li’s embrace.

Lady Li hadn’t held her daughter in a long time. She felt her hands were somewhat stiff, and it took her a long moment to embrace her, releasing a sigh.

After all, she was her own flesh and blood. Though her scheming was deep and the things she said were rather shocking, it was all for her own good.

Song Chuning seemed to guess her thoughts. She raised her hand to smooth out Lady Li’s furrowed brow, her voice soft and carrying a child’s sweetness. “Mother, don’t be angry anymore. Since we’ve already missed the good opportunity, being angry won’t help matters.”

Lady Li had already blamed herself countless times in her heart—acting rashly in pursuit of merit, being too softhearted, allowing Old Madam Song to catch Huang Yao and Nanny Wang’s mistakes and reprimand her.

All that aside, what was most infuriating was that Song Chuyi now had another Buddha watching over her—Nanny Huang’s own granddaughter!

The people she’d planted around Song Chuyi had been cleaned out completely. Now that Song Chuyi was also living in Old Madam Song’s quarters, she herself was completely in the dark about Song Chuyi’s affairs, knowing nothing at all.

“Tell me, what should your mother do?” Lady Li steeled herself. Since her daughter was not one to remain ordinary and would have to face these sordid matters sooner or later, better to deal with them early and gain some experience.

Satisfied with Lady Li’s compromise, Song Chuning smiled like a cat, her round eyes sparking with excited light.

—

Madam Xiao also exhausted all her lifetime’s self-control, beginning to beg Old Madam Song and the First Madam for forgiveness in a humble voice. “What happened before was our family’s fault. It was me who was blinded by greed, actually allowing Siniang to torment her sister-in-law like that.” As she spoke, she couldn’t help choking up. “To tell you both the truth, before I came, my husband gave me an ultimatum—if I can’t persuade Second Daughter to return with me, he’ll divorce me.”

Xiao Siniang stopped struggling and watched as Madam Xiao humbled herself. The fire in her heart blazed higher and higher.

“Among all the noble families in the capital, I’ve never heard of a sister-in-law tormenting her brother’s wife to this extent.” Song Chuwan looked coldly at Xiao Siniang, her tone quite aggressive. “Marquis Pingyang’s household has truly broadened my horizons.”

Being spoken to like this by a junior was equivalent to being cursed to her face, and Madam Xiao felt angry but didn’t dare show it. Even setting aside whose face she needed to consider, she didn’t dare offend the upright Hanlin scholars—those bookworms were not easy to fool. When their stubborn streak came out, they were capable of anything.

The words that the First Madam couldn’t say had been spoken by the Third Miss, which pleased her greatly. She looked at Song Chuwan with increasingly gentle eyes, though her expression was reproving. “What are you saying? The room is full of elders—where is the need for you to step forward and defend your sister?”

How could Madam Xiao not hear the implication in the First Madam’s words? She glanced at the still-silent Old Madam and knew this matter couldn’t be so easily resolved. She bit her lip hard, finally making up her mind.