Qi Yue and Chang Yuncheng hadn’t spoken to each other for two days.

The news quickly reached Madam Xie’s ears, and she was delighted.

“Cheng-ge’er truly understands me.” She said to Nanny Su with emotion. “That woman can only jump around in front of others, but she still can’t get anywhere with Cheng-ge.”

Nanny Su smiled and agreed, but somehow she felt uneasy, as if this wasn’t quite right.

After serving Madam Xie, she found a little maid.

“Go ask what the Prince and Young Madam are quarreling about.” She instructed in a low voice.

The little maid acknowledged and went.

“I couldn’t find out much. They say everything’s fine, just that they always argue at night.” The little maid reported back after inquiring.

Arguing at night?

Nanny Su was very puzzled. Why was that?

“Why do they argue?” She asked.

The little maid shook her head – this really couldn’t be found out.

“The Prince and Young Madam don’t like being attended to. When they’re in the room, even Qiu Xiang and A’Ru don’t go in.” The little maid said.

A man and woman alone…

Nanny Su frowned and entered the room where Madam Xie was examining a pair of shoe uppers with a little maid standing beside her, pointing and discussing something.

“Oh my, who made these? They’re really beautiful.” Nanny Su praised.

“Miss Yufang sent them as New Year gifts for her aunt, and incidentally gave me a pair too. See if they fit properly?” Madam Xie smiled.

How could Nanny Su say they didn’t fit? She held the shoe uppers wishing she could praise them to high heaven.

She grabbed some money and sent the little maid away.

“The Second Madam said that the palace has responded.” Madam Xie smiled at Nanny Su.

This was the most comfortable smile she had shown recently, and Nanny Su immediately understood what this meant, clasping her hands and invoking Buddha.

“As long as the Marquis submits a memorial, Noble Consort will help speak for him.” Madam Xie also breathed a sigh of relief, clasping her hands and invoking Buddha. “My son finally has hope.”

She immediately busied herself sending someone to call Chang Yuncheng.

“The Prince left early this morning.” A maid came in to report.

Madam Xie angrily slammed the table.

“It’s all that lowly servant’s fault for causing trouble.” She said hatefully.

“Madam, shall we call the Young Madam then?” Nanny Su suggested.

Madam Xie laughed coldly.

“I won’t call her. Why should I tell her anything – so she can cause trouble? With the Marquis’s thin skin, he can’t withstand his precious daughter-in-law’s dark looks. I won’t let her ruin Cheng-ge’s good fortune. First, we’ll make the raw rice into cooked rice, and then we’ll see how she looks!” She said with a cold laugh, as if already seeing that lowly servant’s expression then, and couldn’t help but beam with satisfaction.

When Chang Yuncheng went out, Qi Yue was still at home.

Watching Chang Yuncheng stride out without a word, Qi Yue’s expression was also complex.

A’Ru helped arrange her clothes while persuading her in a low voice.

“This can’t continue. Someone has to give in, right?” She said.

“Nothing even happened. Why is he putting on that sour face?” Qi Yue said.

“You acted like that, and you call it nothing?” A’Ru said in a low voice.

Qi Yue came to her senses and glared at her.

“Hey, acted like what?” She asked.

A’Ru blushed and turned her head.

“So you were eavesdropping!” Qi Yue grabbed her arm and asked.

A’Ru blushed while suppressing laughter.

“That’s not called eavesdropping – it’s this servant’s duty.” She said, simply not hiding anymore.

This time it was Qi Yue who blushed.

She had heard that in ancient times, when couples were intimate, there would be maids attending nearby. Though she hadn’t encountered such extremes, thinking about how during her several struggles with Chang Yuncheng, a group of maids were pressed against the door outside listening…

“Ah, you dead girl!” Her face burned with heat as she raised her hand to hit A’Ru.

A’Ru laughingly dodged.

“Young Madam, are you… embarrassed?” Having come this far, A’Ru simply spoke openly.

“I… I… embarrassed about what?” Qi Yue glared.

A’Ru smiled with pursed lips.

“A few gourds could make me sell myself out? I’m really not worth much.” Qi Yue snorted while putting on her cloak herself.

“See, you understand perfectly well in your heart. The Prince is really devoted to you.” A’Ru smiled while helping her put on warm sleeves.

Qi Yue sighed.

“A’Ru, the human heart is fickle and inscrutable.” She said softly, looking at the clearing sky. “I dare not take it!”

The last words were so low that even she couldn’t hear them.

Though she said this, when Chang Yuncheng entered the room after dark and Qi Yue, who was drawing surgical diagrams for Yan’er’s cleft palate operation, put down her brush.

“Hey.” She called to Chang Yuncheng, who was having his large cloak removed by a maid.

Chang Yuncheng ignored her, threw off his clothes, and headed toward his side.

Qi Yue put on her shoes, got off the kang, and waved the maid away. The maid lowered her head and withdrew.

“Have you eaten?” Qi Yue asked, standing in the main room looking toward the bedroom.

Chang Yuncheng was clattering around pouring tea for himself.

“Hey.” Qi Yue walked in, somewhat wanting to laugh. “Chang Yuncheng.”

Chang Yuncheng still ignored her with his back turned.

“Chang Yuncheng.” Qi Yue reached out and poked his back with her finger.

“Don’t touch me.” Chang Yuncheng waved his hand.

Qi Yue burst out laughing.

“Hey, petty.” She said. “You’re a grown man – why are you sulking?”

Chang Yuncheng turned around with a dark expression.

“If I’m unhappy, why can’t I sulk?” He said.

Qi Yue couldn’t help laughing even more.

Chang Yuncheng just stared at her coldly as she laughed, then lifted his foot to walk out.

Qi Yue quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.

“Don’t go, don’t go.” She laughed.

A flash of joy appeared in Chang Yuncheng’s eyes.

“…If anyone’s leaving, it should be me.” Qi Yue continued laughing.

Chang Yuncheng raised his arm to break free from her grip.

He raised his arm rather than jerking it away – this way he could break free without knocking Qi Yue down.

Qi Yue watched this man stride toward the door.

“Chang Yuncheng, can you give me some time?” She said. “After all, the past… you can’t just forget when you say forget. You should know I was once someone who would rather hang herself than continue living…”

Chang Yuncheng’s foot, which had stepped out the door, paused, then continued moving.

Qi Yue sighed and didn’t plan to say more, turning toward her side.

“I’m going to pay respects to mother. Are you coming?” Chang Yuncheng’s voice came from the doorway.

Qi Yue was startled, looking at the man who had stopped and smiled with pursed lips.

“If I go, your mother might not be happy.” She said.

“So you plan to never go?” Chang Yuncheng said roughly. “Since you know she’s unhappy, can’t you do something to make her happy?”

The only thing that would make your mother happy would probably be me getting kicked out, Qi Yue thought, but still said “oh.”

“Wait while I get my cloak.” She said.

Madam Xie, who was preparing to rest, was happy to hear the Prince had come, but when she heard Qi Yue had also come, she sat down with a dark expression.

“Just say I’ve retired for the night.” She said ungraciously.

This lowly servant was clinging to her son more and more tightly.

Nanny Su acknowledged and went out after lowering the bed curtains.

After hearing Madam Xie’s message, Qi Yue spread her hands and smiled at Chang Yuncheng.

“See, I told you. Your mother doesn’t like seeing me at all. When I come with you, she simply won’t see you either.” She said.

The two had already turned back, with maids and servants carrying lanterns for illumination, maintaining a distance of several steps.

“What nonsense are you talking?” Chang Yuncheng frowned. “Mother just retired for the night.”

Men always think mothers and daughters-in-law are always loving toward each other, Qi Yue pursed her lips.

“Where did I talk nonsense? It’s not like I don’t know. Everyone in the household knows – nobody in your family likes me…” She said while gently swaying her large cloak, looking at her deerskin boots that occasionally showed from underneath.

“Don’t you feel heartless saying such things?” Chang Yuncheng said in a heavy voice.

Qi Yue laughed heartily.

“If anyone’s heartbroken, it should be me.” She laughed. But what did it matter? How could she be heartbroken over people she didn’t care about at all?

Chang Yuncheng stopped walking and looked at her with a grave expression.

“But it’s all in the past.” Qi Yue quickly smiled. “Look forward – people must always look forward, right?”

Chang Yuncheng still stood motionless.

Qi Yue smiled and reached out to pat his arm.

“Come on, you’re a grown man. Where do all these petty moods come from? Like a sissy…” She laughed.

Chang Yuncheng raised his hand and grasped the hand she was patting his arm with.

Qi Yue was startled and quickly tried to withdraw it.

“You woman just talk too much.” Chang Yuncheng said in a muffled voice, striding forward. “Where do you come up with all this nonsense? So chattering!”

His hand gripped Qi Yue’s hand tightly without letting go, so Qi Yue had to be pulled along by him.

With maids and servants following in front and behind, Qi Yue’s face immediately turned red. She struggled twice but to no avail, so she had to quicken her pace to keep up.

Stepping from the cold night into the warm interior, whether from the temperature difference or something else, both their faces were somewhat flushed.

Qi Yue shook her hand, feeling uncomfortable all over as she hurriedly walked toward her side.

“Hey.” Chang Yuncheng called after her.

Qi Yue stopped and turned around.

“Do you want…” Chang Yuncheng began.

Qi Yue made a “pah” sound and pulled down the door curtain.

“Just asking if you want a late-night snack.” Chang Yuncheng said in a muffled voice while rubbing his nose. “This stinking woman – where did her mind go? Really vulgar.”

The next day, the two’s demeanor made the maids breathe a sigh of relief.

“I said it would be fine. Couples quarrel at the head of the bed and make up at the foot.” Qiu Xiang said to A’Ru in a low voice with a smile.

A’Ru also breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help clasping her hands and invoking Buddha.

“Heaven protect us, please let them settle down quickly.” She murmured.

With the cold war ended on this side, good news also came from Liu Pucheng’s side.

“Everything has been arranged?” Qi Yue asked with some excitement.

Liu Pucheng’s expression was somewhat complex.

“It’s arranged, but we can only go there.” He said with some hesitation.

Meaning they couldn’t bring it to Qianjin Hall. Qi Yue understood – this was understandable. After all, it involved dead bodies, and ancient people had many taboos about such things. Besides, Qianjin Hall wasn’t a school but also did business, and for business, corpses were always somewhat inauspicious.

“Then we’ll go there.” Qi Yue said, though she didn’t know where “there” was.

“It’s just that first, that place…” Liu Pucheng’s expression became even more conflicted, as if he had something difficult to say, stammering, “Second, we have to go at night… after all, this kind of thing can’t see the light of day…”

Ancient people believed that the body and hair were received from parents, and damaging corpses after death was absolutely unacceptable, so naturally such things could only be done secretly. Qi Yue nodded – she understood.

“At night.” She thought briefly. For her current status, going out casually at night was indeed inconvenient. “I’ll think of a way.”