When Qi Yue sat down at the dining table, Chang Yuncheng had already nearly finished eating.

Since it was breakfast, the table was set with small dishes and bowls: braised vegetables with meat, steamed fish, clear soup with shrimp, small steamed buns, finely cut egg strips, and a bowl of meat porridge.

It wasn’t quite to her taste. Qi Yue frowned slightly.

“Go get me some plain porridge, and also prepare some pickled cucumber and radish,” she said.

Qiu Xiang was about to go upon hearing this, but A’Ru stopped her with a smile.

“I’ll go. I know what the young madam likes to eat,” she said.

While Qi Yue waited for her food, she watched Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng felt increasingly uncomfortable eating under her gaze.

“If you have something to say, just say it,” he put down his chopsticks and said with a dark expression.

“I don’t,” Qi Yue gestured to him with her hand. “You eat. No talking during meals, no talking during sleep.”

Chang Yuncheng picked up his chopsticks again, but Qi Yue continued watching him, as if studying whether his chopsticks were different from others’.

Chang Yuncheng put down his chopsticks, pushed his bowl away, stood up, and walked out.

Now she could eat comfortably…

Qi Yue picked up her chopsticks as Qiu Xiang eagerly served her food.

“Young Madam, please try this shrimp first…” she said.

Qi Yue smiled and tasted it.

“Qiu Xiang,” Chang Yuncheng’s voice came from outside, tinged with subtle displeasure.

The proper master was here, so how could he walk out without even one servant following him?

Chang Yuncheng stood under the eaves, watching the maids and servants milling about chaotically outside the door, feeling even more irritated.

“What are you doing?” he shouted.

The maids standing in the courtyard hurried over.

“Um, hanging up the plaque… the nannies said it wouldn’t look good otherwise…” she said timidly.

After Qi Yueniang had been driven out to the estate, that plaque with the name she had suggested, written by the Marquis himself, had already been taken down by Chang Yuncheng under the pretext of reframing…

These people really were quick-eyed and swift-handed…

Was this his courtyard or that woman’s courtyard?

Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help but look back. Through the carved window lattice, he saw that woman smiling as she ate, surrounded by two or three maids serving food and adding rice, with occasional laughter.

No talking during meals, no talking during sleep?

After eating, Qi Yue took a brief walk in the courtyard before entering the room, preparing to start reading.

Chang Yuncheng sat in the room drinking tea.

“Aren’t you busy?” Qi Yue asked.

Chang Yuncheng glanced up at her.

“Haven’t you finished dealing with yesterday’s matters?” Qi Yue asked again.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t managing the household anymore? The person who harmed you has been found too, so what are you worrying about?” Chang Yuncheng said flatly.

Qi Yue smiled.

“I’m worrying about you,” she said.

Chang Yuncheng snorted and lowered his head.

“Don’t you get bored staying home all day?” Qi Yue walked around the room a few steps, then thought of something else to say. “Such nice weather, and you don’t go out to play?”

Chang Yuncheng held his teacup and ignored her.

Qi Yue pursed her lips and ignored him too, walking directly into her side of the room and beginning to read.

Knowing that Qi Yue wanted to read, A’Ru didn’t come in to serve. Since she didn’t enter, Qiu Xiang naturally didn’t dare enter either. With only the two of them in the room, the atmosphere was particularly quiet.

Chang Yuncheng drank cup after cup of tea, finally noticing that the woman over there was secretly watching him.

If I don’t talk, I’ll suffocate you to death…

He reached for another cup of tea.

“Hey, you just finished eating. Drinking tea like this isn’t good for your health,” Qi Yue said, rubbing her eyes and looking toward Chang Yuncheng.

Traditional characters, vertical layout, obscure and difficult language—her eyes were getting tired. Time to relax a bit.

“You’re the one who knows so much,” Chang Yuncheng put down his teacup. Since she was taking the initiative to be friendly, he should give her some face…

Qi Yue stretched her neck.

“Pour me a cup of tea while you’re at it, thank you,” she said casually.

This woman was actually ordering him around! Chang Yuncheng snorted. He glanced outside at the courtyard, where several maids were standing in the sunlight talking quietly.

It was just a matter of calling out, but instead of having the maids come in to serve, she was asking him to do it…

She was doing it on purpose, wanting to find an excuse to talk to him.

Chang Yuncheng hesitated for a moment, then somewhat reluctantly picked up the water cup and poured it, walking over step by step with somewhat stiff movements.

“Thank you,” Qi Yue took it and smiled at him.

Chang Yuncheng looked away, staring at the other side of the kang table…

To sit or not to sit…

If he sat, wouldn’t he be giving this woman too much face…

After Qi Yue drank a few sips and put down the teacup, she saw Chang Yuncheng still standing there.

“Lord, go about your business. I’ll read for a while…” she said.

Before she could finish speaking, she saw Chang Yuncheng in front of her suddenly turn and walk away, so fast he created a gust of wind.

Qi Yue quickly reached out to smooth down her book pages, hearing the heavy door curtain being slammed.

“What’s wrong now?” she shook her head and sighed.

A’Ru lifted the curtain and entered.

“Young Madam, did you anger the Lord again?” she asked.

“Am I that idle?” Qi Yue laughed and shook her head. “I know he doesn’t like seeing me, so I avoid talking when possible. Besides, what do you mean ‘again’? A’Ru, you’re wrongly accusing me.”

“But the Lord just left with a very unpleasant expression… what… what did you say to him?” A’Ru asked with obvious disbelief.

“I didn’t say anything. I just told him to go about his business. My attitude was very polite and courteous,” Qi Yue said, smiling at A’Ru. “What’s with that look? As if I’m the type to deliberately stir up trouble.”

Aren’t you? A’Ru smiled helplessly.

“Forget it, let him be. Whatever he wants to do,” Qi Yue waved her hand dismissively.

A’Ru stood there without leaving.

“Young Madam, the Lord was deliberately staying in the room to keep you company, wasn’t he?” she said after hesitating.

Qi Yue gave a dry laugh.

“I can’t accept such kindness,” she said, then after a moment of silence, “Did A’Jin have any family?”

A’Ru’s expression grew somber.

“No, she was like me—bought from outside. Her parents are long gone,” she said quietly.

Qi Yue said nothing more.

“Young Madam, I’ll burn some extra money at her grave…” A’Ru said.

Qi Yue sighed.

“Burn some for me too. After all, it was because of me…” she said.

Before she could finish, A’Ru interrupted her.

“Young Madam, it was that Concubine Zhou who was black-hearted. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t think such thoughts,” she said urgently.

Qi Yue smiled.

“Don’t worry. I won’t take blame for things that aren’t my fault,” she smiled. “Go rest for a while. It’s rare for the room to be quiet. I’ll take advantage of the time to read.”

A’Ru nodded and quietly withdrew.

When Chang Yuncheng arrived at Madam Xie’s place, she immediately saw his unpleasant expression and felt relieved.

She had been worried all night. It was only when a servant secretly reported that the two were sleeping separately that she felt somewhat at ease, while also feeling gratified. She knew her son was reliable.

“Living with that woman must be difficult for you…” Madam Xie sighed. “It’s just that it’s not convenient to speak to your father now. He’s currently holding a belly full of anger with nowhere to vent it. Let’s avoid the storm for now.”

Chang Yuncheng grunted in agreement.

“Mother, don’t be angry anymore. This household should be managed by you anyway,” he said.

Madam Xie knew he was still thinking about her anger from that day. She felt even more comforted.

But this statement also reminded Madam Xie that the woman had directly gone to Marquis Dingxi and thrown away her duties, making it so that even though she was managing the household now, everyone thought it was because the young madam didn’t want it and had thrown it to her. Her reputation was greatly damaged.

“That wench finally got what she deserved. That old witch never dreamed that the two people she wanted to protect would turn on each other,” Madam Xie said, then couldn’t help but laugh loudly. “It shows that human plans are no match for heaven’s will.”

She took a deep breath as her laughter faded, then looked full of sorrow and hatred again.

“If your mother knew in the afterlife, she could finally rest a little easier. If not for that shameless wretch seducing your father back then, your mother wouldn’t have been so shocked that her illness became incurable. It’s just that vile creature is still alive…”

Hearing her mention his mother, Chang Yuncheng’s expression became somewhat melancholy.

“Sometimes being alive is more torturous than being dead,” he said slowly.

Madam Xie nodded, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. While Marquis Dingxi was cold toward that woman, she had to quickly elevate some new people to make the Marquis completely forget that woman, leaving her to live in the family temple for the rest of her life, living without any hope.

Following this comment, Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help but think of that woman.

Only after he left did he realize that the woman had deliberately wanted to drive him out.

What about being broad-minded, what about forgiving, what about letting bygones be bygones—she was clearly still sulking inside.

Being so unreasonable, she still wanted him to give in and say nice things to coax her.

“Yuncheng?” Madam Xie’s voice rang in his ears.

Chang Yuncheng realized he had been distracted and immediately felt uncomfortable.

“What did Mother just say?” he asked.

Madam Xie looked at him without thinking too much.

“You’re still not sleeping well. Your complexion really looks poor,” she sighed, then smiled at Chang Yuncheng. “I was thinking, since you can’t avoid it, why not go stay at your maternal grandmother’s house for a few days?”

Chang Yuncheng was stunned.

“You’ve been back for so long, it’s appropriate to visit your maternal family. This way, you can also avoid that woman for a few days. When you return and your father gets past this phase, we’ll find an opportunity to make that woman get out,” Madam Xie said with a smile.

Chang Yuncheng looked at Madam Xie, feeling for the first time that he didn’t want to agree.

“But what if that woman wants to go too?” Nanny Su, who had been standing nearby, couldn’t help but interject.

“She wouldn’t dare!” Madam Xie snorted.

“Madam, what wouldn’t she dare to do…” Nanny Su sighed.

Daring to perform surgery, daring to seriously examine a corpse, daring to go directly to the father-in-law when the mother-in-law ignored her, daring to say anything, daring to use any influence, shameless, heartless, soulless…

Madam Xie obviously thought of this too, her expression becoming dejected.

“It’s better to keep her under my watchful eye. If you let her go out alone with you, you’re too honest-hearted. There’s no telling what tricks that cunning wretch might play…” she murmured.

What ghostly tricks would that cunning wretch play, thinking she could attract him? Chang Yuncheng couldn’t help but smile slightly, feeling somewhat eager to try.