Nanny Xu came to bid farewell to Song Chuyi with tears streaming down her face. She cried quite wretchedly—whenever she thought about the difficulties that this girl she had raised from childhood, who had lost her mother so young, would face in the future, she felt she had failed her former mistress.

Song Chuyi smiled as she helped her up, her expression calm and inscrutable.

In her previous life, she had experienced so many separations by death and distance that she had long understood there was no such thing as perfect completeness in this world.

Separation in life still held the promise of reunion; separation by death meant never meeting again.

Aside from death, everything else was a small matter.

She comforted Nanny Xu with a few words and handed her several banknotes worth one hundred taels each.

Nanny Xu hastily waved her hands and stepped back, nervously clutching at her clothes. “How could I possibly take Miss’s money!”

“This money isn’t just for you to use, Nanny.” Song Chuyi patiently kept her hand extended and said gently, “I told you before—since you’re going out, you can help me search for those people from back then. Everything requires money. If you say you can’t take my money, should I instead use yours?”

After much hesitation, Nanny Xu finally accepted the banknotes and solemnly promised Song Chuyi, “Miss, rest assured. After I leave, I’ll make inquiries.”

Although she had come with the Cui family, she had married Zhang Side, a household-born servant of the Song family. Over nearly ten years, she had managed to accumulate some connections.

Song Chuyi nodded and told her to go bid farewell to Luyi and the others.

Shortly after, Nanny Xu came in carrying a bundle, with a young maid following behind her who was about the same height as Luyi.

The young maid wore her hair in double buns and had clear, pretty features. Her complexion looked very healthy. Upon seeing people, she didn’t panic but stood respectfully to the side with her head lowered, neither tense nor careless.

Nanny Huang’s granddaughter—her manners were indeed excellent.

Song Chuyi smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Nanny Xu, then said, “Then Nanny, why don’t you rest in Nanny Xu’s former room?”

This young miss’s current standing with Old Master Song and Old Madam Song was plain to see, so Nanny Xu naturally agreed graciously. She then smiled and called the maid forward to greet Song Chuyi. “The Old Madam said to leave it to you to bestow a name on this girl.”

The young maid indeed stepped forward to bow to Song Chuyi, looking very obedient.

“Let’s call her Ziyun.” Song Chuyi thought for a moment and couldn’t help but laugh. “We’re almost completing the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple.”

Ziyun froze for a moment, then thinking of the names of the other maids in her room, couldn’t help but smile.

Nanny Xu went down to hand things over to Nanny Xu, while Hong Yu led Ziyun to put away her belongings and familiarize herself with the place.

Qing Tao took the opportunity to whisper in Song Chuyi’s ear, “Last night there was a huge uproar over there. I heard that when Su Zhi and Su Xin returned to their rooms, their legs were so weak they could barely stand.”

Song Chuyi had already guessed that Old Madam Song wouldn’t let Li Shi, who had used Song Yi as a blade, off lightly. At the very least, she would detain her and not allow her to accompany Song Yi to his post. It seemed her guess was correct.

Song Chuyi smiled slightly. She couldn’t let Li Shi go far away from the capital with Song Yi.

Three years—so much could happen in that time. They might even directly decide her future from a thousand miles away. Moreover, staying by Song Yi’s side every step of the way for three years would deepen their bond even further. They might even have a son.

She had a pile of accounts to settle with this stepmother. How could she possibly let her go off to live a carefree life?

—

Qing Tao’s intelligence network was becoming increasingly extensive. After thinking for a moment, Song Chuyi asked her, “Which servant in their courtyard did you establish a relationship with? Nanny Yu manages the servants very strictly—be careful not to implicate others.”

“Miss, don’t worry.” Qing Tao’s eyes sparkled brightly. “I was trained by Nanny Yu before. She still doesn’t know that I…” She scratched her head somewhat awkwardly before continuing, “She still thinks I’ve always been cautious and discreet by nature, and she’s hoping to get information about you from me. Since I came from Second Madam’s courtyard, I’m very familiar with the sisters who serve there. It’s very easy to gather information in general. The one I’m closest to is a young maid that Sister Su Zhi is now training, called Lüshan.”

“Lüshan is being trained by Su Zhi?” Song Chuyi asked, then suddenly smiled.

She remembered this Lüshan. In the future, Li Shi would transfer her to serve Song Chuning. She was an extremely slippery maid—when Song Chuning drowned in Duke Yingguo’s garden, it was she who ran to find help.

Qing Tao didn’t know what she was smiling about and nodded somewhat apprehensively. “Lüshan and I entered the household in the same group. Our families live right across from each other, and we’ve played together since childhood.”

This slippery girl—did she have that future shrewdness now? Regardless, those who should be used still needed to be used. Song Chuyi smiled. “Since you two are so close, that’s quite convenient. You should become even closer in the future.”

A maid trained by Su Zhi at least meant she was someone Li Shi had selected, so gathering information would indeed be easier.

She needed to know everything that happened in Li Shi’s quarters. In the future, they might not just transfer people away from her side—they might directly resort to deadly measures. She couldn’t afford to be deaf and blind.

Qing Tao understood her meaning and quickly nodded.

That evening, Song Chuyi went as usual to dine with the Old Madam. Song Chengru returned dusty from travel and, as soon as he sat down, complained that his neck hurt.

He had been dealing with the Su family matters recently, and counting all those items must have given him a headache.

Old Madam Song quickly had Nanny Huang massage his neck and complained, “Are you really that busy? You haven’t been home for half a month. Fortunately you found time—tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. Otherwise, your son departs the day after.”

“It’s a long story.” Song Chengru glanced at Song Chuyi and waved his hand, telling Song Chuyi to follow him into the study to grind ink.

This was something that had never happened before. The study was a place where girls generally weren’t allowed to enter.

Song Chuyi was somewhat surprised, but then obediently nodded and went to the inner study to grind ink for Song Chengru.

Song Chengru lit the lamp and came in after her. Seeing her working properly, he nodded, walked around to sit in the chair, casually pulled out a letter to read, then turned to ask her, “You know about your mother not being able to accompany him to his post, right?”

She knew she couldn’t hide this from Song Chengru, that old fox.

Song Chuyi honestly nodded and looked at Song Chengru without dodging or avoiding. “I won’t hide it from Grandfather—I told Nanny Xu to speak truthfully to Grandmother. The incident with Huang Yao and Nanny Wang in my quarters the other day was also deliberately orchestrated by me to let Grandmother know.”

Her straightforward admission dispelled much of Song Chengru’s suspicion.

“Why didn’t you come directly to me, or tell your grandmother?” Song Chengru put down the letter to look at her. “Did you not trust that we would seek justice for you?”

Song Chuyi honestly shook her head. “Grandfather, before these two incidents happened, if I had told you that Mother seemed to harbor ill intentions toward me, would you have believed it?”