The low murmur of voices inside the room suddenly broke off, followed immediately by raised shouting. A’Ru and Qiu Xiang under the eaves quickly gestured to the maids in the courtyard, who smoothly withdrew.

This time it was more chaotic than usual.

A’Ru and Qiu Xiang exchanged glances. Besides the voices and cursing, there was also the sound of porcelain shattering, causing both of their expressions to become anxious.

This time they really started fighting?

Should they go look?

No…

The two maids outside the door were anxiously restless.

“A’Ru.”

Qi Yue’s voice came from inside the room.

A’Ru immediately hurried to push open the door, and Qiu Xiang hesitated for a moment before following her in.

Neither maid dared to raise their heads, looking at the scattered broken vase on the floor by the bedroom, as well as the overturned table and stools.

Qi Yue’s white dress appeared in the two maids’ line of sight.

“Bring something to bandage the Lord,” she said.

A’Ru and Qiu Xiang were startled, and when they raised their heads, they indeed saw Chang Yuncheng sitting over there with blood flowing down from his forehead.

Qiu Xiang cried out in alarm and hurried forward.

A’Ru quickly turned around to fetch the medicine box from the opposite room.

Chang Yuncheng stood up before the maid could approach.

“Hey, if you go out like this, aren’t you afraid of losing face?” Qi Yue called out.

Chang Yuncheng stopped.

“I’ve already lost face anyway, so why should I care about this one time?” he roared, turning around and slamming through the curtain as he left.

A’Ru stood there holding the medicine box, at a loss.

“Don’t mind him,” Qi Yue said through gritted teeth, while covering her torn collar with her hand. “Find me some clothes.”

A’Ru responded with a “yes” and gave Qiu Xiang a meaningful look.

Qiu Xiang understood and hurried out.

“Young Madam, what are you doing!” A’Ru couldn’t help but say anxiously this time, following Qi Yue into her bedroom.

“Self-defense!” Qi Yue said, raising her eyebrows.

“What are you defending yourself against with your own husband?” A’Ru stamped her foot, while uneasily looking outside. “If Madam and the Marquis find out, what will we do?”

“What will we do? Oh, he wants to sleep whenever he wants now, but three years ago when I wanted to sleep, why couldn’t I sleep? What logic is that! Getting hurt? Getting hit on the forehead once is still light. Your Young Madam? She died…” Qi Yue said with raised eyebrows.

Before she could finish speaking, A’Ru rushed forward to cover her mouth.

“My lady, please keep your voice down,” A’Ru said in a low voice, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Qi Yue snorted and sat down.

A’Ru looked at her torn clothes and the purple-red bite marks on her neck, quickly averting her gaze and turning to the wardrobe to fetch clothing.

The room quieted down.

“So what do you plan to do?” A’Ru brought over the clothes and asked in a low voice with a sigh.

Qi Yue began undressing.

“That depends on what he plans to do,” she said. “If someone respects me one foot, I’ll respect them one yard.”

A’Ru reached out to help her undress while changing into the new clothes.

“But the Lord is already like this, what more do you want him to do to respect you?” she said in a low voice.

“Hey, how is he?” Qi Yue looked at her with a smile. “I’m not asking for much either. Very simple, just two words: respect.”

Respect?

What exactly is this respect?

A’Ru frowned in confusion.

When A’Ru came out, she didn’t see Qiu Xiang and knew she had followed Chang Yuncheng. Her heart was very uneasy, but the other maids in the courtyard didn’t know what had happened and were chatting and bustling about as usual.

A’Ru paced back and forth restlessly. When she was getting anxious from waiting, she finally saw Qiu Xiang hurrying back with small steps.

“How is it?” she immediately went over and asked in a low voice.

Qiu Xiang waved her hand at her. The two entered the side room.

“It’s fine, it’s already been bandaged,” she said in a low voice.

“What about the Marquis and Madam?” A’Ru asked worriedly in a low voice.

“We couldn’t hide it on the way. The Marquis and Madam found out. The Lord went to see the Marquis and Madam. Guess what he said?” Qiu Xiang said.

A’Ru was so anxious she was about to burst into flames.

“My lady, don’t make me guess. What time is it now?” she stamped her foot and said in a low voice.

Qiu Xiang smiled with pursed lips.

“The Lord really treats the Young Madam exceptionally well,” she sighed.

A’Ru reached out to pinch her cheek, and Qiu Xiang laughed while dodging.

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you,” she laughed. “The Lord said he got into a fight with Young Master Fan, the son-in-law of the Wang family…”

“What?” A’Ru was stunned.

In Rongan Courtyard, the maids and servants were being rushed about frantically. Serving tea, pouring water, fetching medicine, while Madam Xie wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

“Go invite a physician. The Old Physician An that my mother often consulted would be best. Go invite him…” she thought of something else and said to the maids.

“What physician should we invite? We have a divine physician right here in our household. Why invite someone else?” Marquis Dingxi said from the side.

“It’s because of her!” Madam Xie shouted. “It’s all because she caused trouble that Cheng-ge got into this disaster. Marquis, we can’t keep her in the house anymore. Have her go live on the estate immediately.”

“We can’t say she caused trouble. It was that Wang family…” Marquis Dingxi frowned, though his tone was somewhat soft.

Madam Xie caught his hesitation.

“If she hadn’t gone to their door to cause trouble, would the Wang family have bothered to argue with her?” she said with a cold laugh. “For a lowly physician, and a man at that, who knows what people are saying outside now!”

Marquis Dingxi’s frown deepened.

“Don’t talk nonsense. That’s her disciple, naturally she needs to look after him,” he said, standing up. “I’ll have someone go to the Wang family…”

“Father.” Chang Yuncheng, who had been silent all this time, spoke up.

Marquis Dingxi looked at him.

“Father, this matter is between Young Master Fan and me. It doesn’t involve the two families,” Chang Yuncheng said, standing up and bowing. “Father, please don’t get involved. I’ll handle it myself.”

Marquis Dingxi snorted.

“I wasn’t planning to solve it for you anyway. Once was enough. I don’t have time to clean up your messes every day!” he said. “But people respect me, so I respect them. Last time the Wang family lowered their heads first, so this time I should at least give them face.”

He called for someone and had them immediately prepare gifts to send to the Wang family.

Madam Xie pulled Chang Yuncheng close, feeling both heartbroken and tearful.

“Enough, it’s just a bump. It’s not that serious. I’ve been hurt worse in fights before. Go back to your courtyard and rest,” Marquis Dingxi said with a stern face.

“Yes,” Chang Yuncheng stood up and said respectfully.

Watching Chang Yuncheng leave, Madam Xie felt deeply distressed.

“Marquis, have you finished writing the memorial?” she asked urgently.

Marquis Dingxi coughed.

“I’m writing it, I’m writing it,” he said.

“Hurry up. Yuncheng will be leaving soon. Get the marriage arranged before he leaves, so he can have peace of mind while away,” Madam Xie said.

Marquis Dingxi made agreeing sounds.

“Don’t we need to wait for the right opportunity? We need to find out what the Emperor’s mood is like lately, so we don’t end up ruining a good thing and getting a cold shoulder,” he said.

Not long after, the person sent to the Wang family returned.

“I saw with my own eyes that Young Master Fan was hurt much worse than our Lord,” the steward said with delight.

“Of course…” Marquis Dingxi said with some pride, then quickly suppressed his smile. “What did Lord Wang say?”

“Lord Wang was very pleased. He said the Marquis was being too considerate, and that adults shouldn’t interfere in children’s matters,” the steward laughed, taking out a gift list. “This is Lord Wang’s return gift.”

Wang Tongye was quite surprised that Marquis Dingxi had actually sent someone to deliver gifts. After learning the reason why Fan Yilin was beaten by Chang Yuncheng, he truly felt that Fan Yilin had gotten off too lightly. He wouldn’t even know how to begin apologizing for such a thing, but unexpectedly, the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion had come to his door first.

Wang Tongye had no idea that Chang Yuncheng had simply used Fan Yilin as a shield. Both excited and moved, he felt that the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion was giving him tremendous face. So his return gift was even more valuable than Marquis Dingxi’s gift.

This exchange actually improved the relationship between the two families, which was beyond Chang Yuncheng’s expectations.

Chang Yuncheng didn’t return to his courtyard but instead spent the night randomly resting in his study. The next day he had no mind to go out, until he heard a servant report that Young Master Fan had come.

Chang Yuncheng didn’t immediately realize who Young Master Fan was, but when he did, he frowned.

What was this little rascal doing here?

Fan Yilin didn’t know why he had come either. Early in the morning, he had been dragged from his warm bed by his father-in-law, hastily ate some food, and was then driven out of the house. Something about going to console the Lord of Marquis Dingxi’s mansion.

He was still an injured person, alright?

He was the one who got beaten, alright? Why did he still need to console the perpetrator?

Fan Yilin couldn’t help but have tears in his eyes. A father-in-law was still a father-in-law, not comparable to a real father.

“Is the Young Madam also inside?” he asked the young servant leading the way.

Since he had come, he might as well get some benefit from it…

The door curtain was suddenly yanked open, and Chang Yuncheng stood in the doorway with a dark expression.

Fan Yilin shrank his neck, feeling the winter wind even colder, but quickly straightened his neck and glared back at Chang Yuncheng.

Chang Yuncheng’s forehead wasn’t seriously injured, just a broken layer of skin with not much blood flow. Now it was somewhat red, purple, and swollen.

“Huh? Lord, how did you…” Fan Yilin couldn’t help but call out.

Chang Yuncheng turned and went inside, the door curtain dropping heavily.

Did he actually fight back heroically at the time? Fan Yilin was extremely puzzled, trying hard to remember while stepping into the room.

Chang Yuncheng was already sitting at the table, picking up a book.

“Cut the nonsense. Get out quickly after you’ve looked,” he said coldly.

Fan Yilin ignored him, curiously examining Chang Yuncheng’s room, and immediately noticed the inner room was furnished with bedding and a vigorously burning charcoal fire.

A charcoal fire burning in the inner room of the study early in the morning could only mean he had spent the night there.

Fan Yilin was very familiar with this scenario and immediately understood.

He remembered his conversation with his wife yesterday. Chang Yuncheng and his wife still hadn’t consummated their marriage. If it wasn’t because Chang Yuncheng had some unspeakable problem, then one of them didn’t want to. As for which one didn’t want to, while it was uncertain yesterday, Fan Yilin could now be very sure.

What a fierce beauty…

She was truly too lovable!

Fan Yilin couldn’t help but chuckle.

Chang Yuncheng heard Fan Yilin’s laughter and slammed the book down on the table.

Fan Yilin was startled and shuddered.

“Lord, don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret,” he said, not turning to run away but instead slouching in a chair and looking at Chang Yuncheng with a grinning smile.

“Do you think I need that?” Chang Yuncheng looked at him with disdain.

Fan Yilin straightened his expression.

“The Lord naturally doesn’t need to care about such trivial matters, but…” He patted his chest, accidentally hitting his injured spot, moaning twice and ruining his composed image. He quickly sat up straight and continued, “But I care.”

Chang Yuncheng looked at him as if he were looking at a madman.

“The Lord’s thoughtful protection and care for the Young Madam is truly admirable and worthy of everyone’s attention,” Fan Yilin also looked at him, saying with sincere expression.

Chang Yuncheng’s expression was as if he had seen a ghost.