Qi Yue stood up and walked over to sit beside Chang Yuncheng on her own.

Old Madam Xie’s expression became even more unpleasant.

“Did I tell you to sit?” she suddenly shouted. “How utterly rude!”

Qi Yue was startled, and Chang Yuncheng also stood up with an ugly expression.

This old lady certainly had strong lungs—where was any sign of illness?

“Grandmother,” Chang Yuncheng called out.

“Look at your worthless appearance!” Old Madam Xie glared and scolded him. “A grown man—when an elder is talking to his wife, what business is it of yours!”

Chang Yuncheng was left embarrassed and speechless by the scolding.

Qi Yue couldn’t help but laugh. This was indeed a Xie family member—never hiding joy or anger. It seemed Madam Xie had truly inherited her mother’s character.

“All of you, get out,” Old Madam Xie directly waved them away.

Chang Yuncheng glanced at Qi Yue and saw that this woman showed no sign of panic or unease on her face. Instead, she seemed somewhat amused, as if watching excitement that had nothing to do with her.

For her, did these displays of anger and joy no longer matter?

Chang Yuncheng took a deep breath.

“Grandmother, Yueniang has excellent medical skills. Let her take your pulse,” he said.

“Are you crazy?” Old Madam Xie asked, beckoning him over.

Chang Yuncheng was puzzled but still walked over as instructed.

Old Madam Xie grabbed his hand and looked him up and down.

“Let me see if you’re still my grandson Chang Yuncheng,” she said. “Why are you saying such strange things this time?”

Chang Yuncheng’s face immediately darkened.

Qi Yue couldn’t help but lower her head and laugh.

“Grandmother, I’m not joking,” Chang Yuncheng said with some suppressed irritation. “If you don’t believe me, go ask around in our Yongqing Prefecture, and you’ll know.”

Old Madam Xie gave a bland snort.

“I don’t have that kind of free time,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “If you came to see me, then see me properly. Let’s have a good talk, just us grandparents and grandchild. If you have other thoughts, you can leave right now.”

When she said “other thoughts,” her eyes were looking at Qi Yue.

Clearly, the mastermind behind these “other thoughts” was naturally Qi Yue.

Somehow, seeing Chang Yuncheng’s complex expression, Qi Yue suddenly felt some sympathy. The so-called “caught between a rock and a hard place”—this was probably exactly his situation now.

“Grandmother, Prince, I’ll take my leave first. The bumpy journey has left me somewhat unaccustomed to travel, and I’d like to rest. Grandmother has already arranged a place for me, thank you for your consideration,” she said with a smile, bowing as she spoke.

This statement was also an explanation to Chang Yuncheng. Chang Yuncheng looked at her.

Qi Yue raised her head and smiled slightly at him.

Chang Yuncheng looked away.

“Then go quickly,” Old Madam Xie said, a flash of disdain in her eyes. She watched Qi Yue withdraw, then looked at Chang Yuncheng and raised her hand to hit him.

“Grandmother,” Chang Yuncheng frowned and protested.

“Look at your worthless appearance—have you never seen a woman before?” Old Madam Xie glared and said, raising her hand again to poke Chang Yuncheng’s forehead.

Chang Yuncheng dodged to the side.

“Grandmother, how old am I now?” he said with some helplessness, though his expression was quite gentle.

“No matter how old you are, you’re still my grandson,” Old Madam Xie said, turning to speak to a nearby maid. “Go, invite the madams, young madams, and misses back. That eyesore is gone. Let our family talk properly.”

Chang Yuncheng’s brow furrowed and never relaxed. Laughter came from outside, and the women who had withdrawn upon learning that Qi Yueniang was coming to pay respects returned. The room became lively again. He couldn’t help but look toward the door. Through the women entering one by one, he seemed to see that woman’s lonely departing figure.

When dinnertime came, no one came to invite Qi Yue. A’Ru stood at the door with a very ugly expression.

“Is this the Xie family’s way of treating guests?” she was about to go out and argue.

Qi Yue reached out and held her back.

“You’re right—this is exactly the Xie family’s way of treating guests,” she laughed.

“Young Madam,” A’Ru couldn’t hide her anger. “Let’s leave. We won’t eat their food.”

“You’re wrong. The food we eat isn’t theirs—it’s… the Prince’s,” Qi Yue laughed, pressing her to sit down. “If we leave, we won’t be slapping the Xie family’s face, but the Prince’s face.”

A’Ru naturally understood this point after hearing it.

“Although the Prince was inconsiderate in dragging me here, but… the crime doesn’t warrant suffering this kind of treatment,” Qi Yue laughed.

A’Ru looked at her, her expression softening.

“Young Madam, it’s wonderful that you can think of the Prince this way,” she said.

Somehow, hearing A’Ru say this, Qi Yue couldn’t help but blush slightly.

“This isn’t really thinking of him—any normal person would think this way,” she said, standing up and turning her back to A’Ru under the pretense of exercising.

As they spoke, servants from the Xie family came to deliver food.

They bustled about setting a full table.

“Wow, not bad at all—really sumptuous,” Qi Yue laughed, beckoning to A’Ru. “Perfect, let’s have a comfortable meal and save ourselves from all that forced smiling and talking.”

A’Ru came over with a smile. She knew that when the Young Madam was happy, she was genuinely happy, and when unhappy, she was genuinely unhappy—she would never force a smile.

“Good, let’s taste the Xie family cooks’ skills,” she said, picking up chopsticks to serve Qi Yue.

Hearing the laughter from inside, the Xie family servants standing outside couldn’t help but exchange glances. She could still laugh under these circumstances? Could this Young Madam be simple-minded?

The banquet in the Xie family’s front hall was lively. Halfway through the drinking, drums and gongs on the small stage created a din as two young performers flipped somersaults like flowers, drawing continuous cheers from the Xie family children.

Chang Yuncheng watched the stage, but his expression seemed distant.

“When you were young, you loved watching the martial arts performances grandmother’s house put on. You and Zhao-ge’er secretly practiced somersaults in the back courtyard and ended up breaking your head…” Old Madam Xie laughed.

“That happened?” Chang Yuncheng came back to himself and laughed.

“Cheng-ge’er has forgotten…” a middle-aged woman sitting beside Old Madam Xie said with a smile. “Third Sister scolded the household servants terribly for that, frightening our Zhao-ge’er so much he never dared play with somersaults again.”

Chang Yuncheng laughed, and a young man about his age on the other side also laughed.

“I wouldn’t dare compete with my younger brother now. I’m a weak scholar, while younger brother is already a fine general who mounts horses to kill bandits,” he said loudly with laughter.

Chang Yuncheng raised his wine cup to him. The young man also raised his cup, and they touched cups across the air before both drinking it down in one gulp.

Old Madam Xie wasn’t laughing, though. Her face fell as she glanced sideways at the woman.

“Cheng-ge’er brought his Young Madam this time?” the woman just smiled at Chang Yuncheng and spoke again. “Why didn’t we see her come to dinner?”

Old Madam Xie hadn’t specifically invited her, and Chang Yuncheng hadn’t mentioned it again either.

“It’s her first time traveling and she’s not used to carriages. She can’t eat much either, so I didn’t want her to spoil the mood,” Chang Yuncheng answered the woman.

It was better not to have her come to this kind of occasion—coming would only subject her to coldness and embarrassment.

He wondered if she had eaten. What was she doing now? At home, she liked to be alone, either reading or just reading. In this unfamiliar environment, she must feel even more lonely and isolated…

The middle-aged woman’s laughter interrupted Chang Yuncheng’s thoughts.

“…Cheng-ge’er is so considerate,” she laughed. “It seems next time you come, you won’t just bring your wife, but your son too…”

“Even eating can’t shut your mouth! Where do all these words come from!” Old Madam Xie suddenly shouted, throwing her chopsticks heavily on the table.

The drums and gongs on stage had just stopped, so everyone in the flower hall heard this roar.

The children all quickly stood up.

The middle-aged woman looked both ashamed and anxious as she stood up.

“You’re asking for it,” a middle-aged man across from her glared and scolded, hurrying over to bow to Old Madam Xie, repeatedly asking mother to calm her anger.

Chang Yuncheng naturally also stood up.

Old Madam Xie sat with a dark face. The middle-aged woman lowered her head and apologized before being glared at and dismissed by the middle-aged man.

The performers on stage didn’t know what had happened. When the drums stopped, they didn’t dare resume, until a servant frantically waved at them. The troupe leader understood, and the stage became lively again.

Perhaps accustomed to Old Madam Xie’s temper, this episode didn’t much affect the banquet. Everyone resumed talking, laughing, eating, and drinking.

Seeing Old Madam Xie still looking sullen, Chang Yuncheng smiled and served her food.

“Grandmother, aunt was just concerned about me…” he said.

“Concerned about you? Does she think we’re all fools?” Old Madam Xie snorted. “Clearly saying disgusting things but pretending to be gracious about it—this kind of behavior, this kind of mentality, is even more disgusting than the words! There are no fools in this world. It’s just that some hear it earlier and some hear it later. Don’t tell me you didn’t hear it…”

Chang Yuncheng smiled faintly and drank some wine.

Of course he could hear it. Old Madam Xie was mocking openly, while his aunt was sneering secretly. In any case, that woman was a laughable existence in their eyes.

Perhaps he had come wrong, perhaps he had thought too simply…

It was enough for her to suffer cold looks at home—why bring her out to suffer cold looks elsewhere?

One cup of wine after another, Chang Yuncheng quickly became drunk.

“This child doesn’t usually drink much—how did he get drunk?” Old Madam Xie said with great concern, calling for people to serve sobering soup.

“Isn’t it because he came to our house? Naturally he wouldn’t drink so freely elsewhere,” others laughed.

“That’s true—only when coming to our house is it really coming home,” Old Madam Xie nodded with a smile.

A soft sedan was brought, and servants asked where the Prince should rest.

“At the Young Madam’s place…” they said.

Before they could finish, Old Madam Xie interrupted.

“What nonsense are you talking? The warm pavilion behind my courtyard is empty. Let Cheng-ge’er rest there and find someone to attend him properly,” she said. “Young Madam, not Young Madam—what does she have to do with anything?”

The servants quickly laughed and went to carry out her instructions.

Chang Yuncheng woke up not long after falling asleep, perhaps due to the sobering soup, or perhaps… because sleeping in a different place was unsettling.

He opened his eyes knowing he was sleeping in a bed. This was somewhat strange, but then he laughed.

Here, if that woman wanted to make him sleep in the servants’ bed, it would probably be impossible.

He looked through the bed curtain directly toward the small bed by the door and saw a small figure sleeping there, wrapped in a quilt and curled into a tiny ball, looking somewhat pitiful.

Chang Yuncheng suddenly threw off the covers and got up, walking somewhat unsteadily toward that side.