Qi Yue’s first New Year in ancient times had arrived. After the busy first three days of various rituals—ancestral worship and family members paying New Year visits—complex ceremonies that were overwhelming for Qi Yue, things finally became more relaxed.

On the eighth day, the Western Manor invited the Prince and his wife over to visit, which counted as an aunt entertaining her juniors. When they emerged from Second Madam’s residence at the Western Manor, it was already completely dark. Large red lanterns and colored streamers hung everywhere, sparkling and shining beautifully in response to each other.

“It’s snowing,” Qi Yue said, looking up at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

“Put on your hat,” A’Ru said, taking the umbrella a young maid had opened.

“No need, it’s not cold,” Qi Yue said, raising her hand to feel the snowflakes landing on her face and melting into water droplets.

Over there, it must be almost New Year too. No, when she arrived it was already near New Year—calculating it, more than half a year had passed.

With one person missing from home, Father and Mother must be spending a very lonely New Year…

The snowflakes were blocked by the umbrella, and someone put a hat on her.

“You’ve been drinking—be careful of catching cold,” Chang Yuncheng said. “You’re even a physician yourself, yet you don’t know this.”

Qi Yue pursed her lips.

“It’s not that easy to catch a cold,” she said, but didn’t remove the hat.

Cold? This must be her term for wind-chill.

Chang Yuncheng said nothing, but seeing this woman wasn’t deliberately opposing him like before, he couldn’t help but show a slight smile.

“Big Brother is so considerate of Big Sister-in-law,” Chang Yinglan, who had come out to see them off, laughed.

Not at all!

Qi Yue looked back at her and laughed dryly.

“Then I can rest assured,” Chang Yinglan smiled. “Big Sister-in-law, when you’re free during the first month, could you teach me to make a couple of your specialty dishes?”

“Sure, learning this wouldn’t be bad,” Qi Yue laughed, looking her over. This girl seemed to be starting marriage discussions. She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “As the saying goes, capture a man’s stomach and you capture his heart. In the future, making delicious food for your husband will definitely make him very happy.”

Such topics were very embarrassing for young ladies, especially now that everyone in the family knew she was discussing marriage prospects. During New Year visits to relatives and various banquets was the perfect time to discuss children’s marriages. Chang Yinglan had already received much ear-pulling advice and instruction from Second Madam and the nannies these days. Hearing Qi Yue also bring this up, she immediately blushed and stomped her feet.

“Big Sister-in-law, you’re teasing me too,” she said, shaking Qi Yue’s arm and snorting, looking at Chang Yuncheng who was obviously listening to their conversation. “Then Big Brother must often eat the food you cook.”

Qi Yue laughed heartily and poked her forehead.

“Alright, go back quickly. I’ll come visit in a few days,” she laughed.

The walkway between the Eastern and Western Manors was also hung full of lanterns. Servants carrying lights walked before and behind, maintaining a certain distance from Chang Yuncheng and Qi Yue who walked side by side in the middle.

“What delicious things can you make? Don’t teach my sister the wrong things,” Chang Yuncheng suddenly said.

Qi Yue glanced at him.

“Looking down on people,” she said.

Chang Yuncheng nodded.

“Seeing how greedily you eat everything on the street, I know you haven’t eaten anything good before. And you can cook? As if,” he said.

“Oh, challenging me…” Qi Yue looked at him and smiled, pointing her finger. “Today I’ll show you a little of my skill and let you see what’s called a kitchen god.”

Chang Yuncheng laughed with a disdainful expression.

When they returned home, they first went to pay respects to Marquis Dingxi and Madam Xie. Marquis Dingxi had a guilty conscience and avoided seeing Qi Yue when possible, while Madam Xie simply didn’t want to see her. Thus the couple rarely had unified words, saying they had retired for the night.

“…ate too much, make something light. Let me think…” Qi Yue said as she walked back.

Chang Yuncheng followed behind, unconsciously showing a smile, then quickly suppressing it and maintaining a stern, indifferent expression.

“…are there radishes and pickled vegetables at home?” Qi Yue asked A’Ru.

“Yes,” A’Ru smiled. “We have everything—New Year goods are complete.”

“Then prepare some pickled sour radishes, half a duck, and some mushrooms for me,” Qi Yue said, counting on her fingers.

The nearby servants quickly responded and went to fetch them.

“Just wait and see,” Qi Yue said to Chang Yuncheng, shaking her head.

With that, she also headed toward the kitchen.

Watching Qi Yue leisurely depart with her maid, Chang Yuncheng’s stern face finally relaxed.

“She even knows I like duck…” he muttered to himself, finally unable to suppress his spreading smile.

Qiu Xiang helped Chang Yuncheng change into casual clothes. Seeing him go in to wash up, she quickly pulled Que Zhi aside.

“Why is the Prince so happy?” she asked curiously.

“Young Madam went to make a late-night snack for the Prince,” Que Zhi said with a low laugh.

Qiu Xiang understood and covered her mouth laughing.

“No wonder. This is the very first time ever. Last time the Prince specially made a late-night snack for Young Madam, and this time Young Madam is proactively making one for the Prince. Amitabha,” she clasped her hands in prayer with a gratified expression. “Finally things are good—please don’t let them quarrel again.”

Que Zhi nodded while flying her needle and thread.

“What are you making? You never put it down day or night,” Qiu Xiang asked curiously, looking at the needle and thread in Que Zhi’s hands and the piece of leather on her lap…

Making shoes? This doesn’t look like it.

“This? It’s suturing,” Que Zhi said with some pride. “This is cut open, like human skin being slashed. I need to sew it up so the wound can quickly stop bleeding and heal.”

Qiu Xiang listened with great surprise.

“Is it… is it… like what’s on A’Hao’s belly?” she said in a low voice.

Que Zhi nodded.

“Wow, that’s really impressive,” Qiu Xiang said with admiration, looking at Que Zhi. “You learned it too? I thought only Sister A’Ru knew how.”

Que Zhi skillfully completed a figure-eight suture.

Sister A’Ru knows? Of course not—she knows too, and not only knows, but will be the best at it. Just wait and see.

Qi Yue quickly cut the radishes and mushrooms in the kitchen, chopped the duck meat, blanched it, and began stewing.

“Don’t lift the lid halfway through,” Qi Yue instructed the kitchen servants. “After it boils, reduce to low heat. When the time comes, I’ll have someone fetch it.”

The kitchen servants quickly agreed.

Only then did Qi Yue emerge with A’Ru.

“It already smells fragrant before it’s finished stewing. The Prince will definitely love it,” A’Ru said happily.

“Of course. With my cooking skills, there really aren’t many people who don’t like it. Back then, gathering for meals at my place was a grand event for our department…” Qi Yue laughed, then couldn’t help looking up at the winter night sky.

The snow was falling heavier, sparkling brilliantly among the surrounding festive decorations.

The lively sound of opening wine bottles, constantly changing music, colleagues busy in the kitchen who couldn’t resist sneaking tastes, the overflowing aroma of food…

None of it would ever exist again…

Everything would only exist in memory…

And with time, perhaps even those memories would fade…

While lost in reminiscence, she heard the servant leading the way call out.

“Who’s hiding there so sneakily?”

Qi Yue looked over and saw two maids emerge from the shadows of a large tree by the wall, kneeling on the ground trembling.

To avoid the maids delaying Young Madam’s walk, two older servants stood aside waiting to question and punish them, while the other servants continued leading the way forward.

As they passed, Qi Yue couldn’t help glancing at the maids kneeling on the ground.

In winter, the household servants had all changed into new cotton clothes, but these two maids still wore old garments, almost prostrating themselves on the ground so their faces couldn’t be seen clearly.

Qi Yue couldn’t help thinking of A’Ru and A’Hao’s former condition.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

The two maids became even more frightened and dared not speak.

“Young Madam is asking you a question,” the servant scolded.

“It’s… it’s…” one maid stammered, trembling.

“It’s Young Madam, please show mercy and let us leave the manor to fetch a physician for Third Young Master…” the other gritted her teeth, raised her head, and said tearfully.

Qi Yue was stunned.

Chang Yunqi?

Since the incident with Concubine Zhou, her children—Third Young Master and Second Miss—had been implicated to some degree and had kept much lower profiles in the manor.

It had been so long that aside from ancestral worship occasions, they really hadn’t seen each other again.

A’Ru looked at those two maids with complicated feelings. Such scenes had occurred before, except she had been the one kneeling. Truly fortune’s wheel turns—or rather, one’s fate isn’t in one’s own hands. What seems like glorious prosperity can vanish in an instant…

“He’s ill?” Qi Yue quickly asked, instructing servants to fetch a physician while heading over herself. “I’ll go take a look.”

The two maids were very surprised, both shocked and delighted as they kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude.

“…Third Young Master studied too hard, couldn’t sleep well and injured his spirit. A few days ago during ancestral worship he caught cold, and this morning he couldn’t get up…” the maid said in a low voice while leading the way.

“Didn’t you call a physician?” Qi Yue asked, looking at this maid who seemed familiar—vaguely called Caijuan.

“During the first month, people say before the fifth day, we shouldn’t…” the other maid started to speak.

Caijuan quickly interrupted her.

“Originally we didn’t think it was so serious. Third Young Master said drinking some hot soup and sweating would cure it. We servants were negligent and didn’t think much of it, so we didn’t think to call a physician,” she said with a face full of self-blame.

Back when A’Ru and A’Hao had difficulty even getting food, this must be shallow-minded gatekeepers making things difficult for them.

Qi Yue smiled knowingly.

“Have the managing servants finish their duties tomorrow and be sent to the estate,” she said.

This shocked everyone.

“But, but what about Madam…” the servant replied in confusion and panic.

“When Young Master is ill and they don’t even know to call a physician, such servants are clearly ruining Madam’s reputation. Would Madam really keep them?” Qi Yue said sternly.

Since Qi Yue had spoken, and considering her current position in the manor, the servants no longer hesitated and agreed.

Learning that Qi Yue had come, Chang Yunqi was startled.

“Just say I’m sleeping…” he said in a daze.

“Will Young Master not see her?” the maid asked quietly.

See her? What face did he have left to see her…

“Won’t see her,” Chang Yunqi said flatly, closing his eyes.

“If you won’t see Big Sister-in-law, you should at least see the physician.”

The woman’s voice came from outside the door, followed immediately by the door curtain being lifted.

Chang Yunqi kept his eyes tightly shut.

Won’t see… won’t see… no face to see her…

When his birth mother did such things, what should he as her son do?

He couldn’t bring himself to resent his birth mother, yet not hating her would wrong the person before him…

To think he’d always prided himself on being the kindest to Qi Yueniang in the household…

What a resounding slap in the face!

Qi Yue waved her hand, having the anxious maids stand aside, looking at Chang Yunqi on the bed covered with thick blankets, seemingly asleep.