Chen Shi looked at the woman before her with some bewilderment.

“Yueniang, listen to me. I’ll find you a better family. Don’t listen to the Old Marchioness, don’t marry the Prince.” She said urgently, reaching out to grasp the woman’s hand.

No, not the woman’s hand.

The girl’s hand.

The person before her looked the same, but carried a timid air, just as she had since entering the mansion, always looking at people with her head lowered, never with bright smiles.

She moved her hands from her sides to the front, avoiding her grasp, gently twisting her clothing sash without speaking.

“Yueniang, listen to me.” Chen Shi was so anxious she nearly cried as she tried to grab her hand again.

This time, she was even more frightened, pulling back her hand and trying to dodge. She glanced up at Chen Shi, eyes as evasive as a little rabbit’s, yet carrying stubbornness.

Chen Shi understood this kind of stubbornness.

This type of girl, beneath her timid exterior, harbored an almost obsessive stubbornness.

She let go of her hand in dejection.

Going around in circles, she was still spinning in place.

“Aunt, rest well. Didn’t you want to be good to me? My happiness is how you’re good to me.” Qi Yue said, standing up to arrange the cushions behind her.

Chen Shi reached out to grab her.

“What counts as you being happy? Marrying that Chang Yuncheng is happiness?” She said in a trembling voice, somewhat breathless. “Yueniang, why won’t you listen to me?”

As she spoke, tears couldn’t help but roll down her eyes.

Qi Yue sat down, frowning slightly.

“By rights, Chang Yuncheng should be quite good in your eyes, shouldn’t he?” She asked.

Setting aside his initial bad temper, his birth, appearance, and position were truly remarkably good. How could Chen Shi not approve of him?

“A divorced woman like me – could there be anything better than being with Chang Yuncheng?”

She had always thought Chen Shi had sought the imperial decree because she couldn’t bear to see her suffer grievances from Chang Yuncheng and Madam Xie. She hadn’t expected that the events before seeking the decree were also her idea, which clearly meant she wanted her to leave the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion.

For a woman like Qi Yueniang, was taking this step really good?

“Yes.” Chen Shi’s eyes lit up, tightly grasping Qi Yue’s hand. “Listen to me, there really is, very soon there will be.”

Qi Yue smiled and patted Chen Shi’s hand.

“Aunt, you still don’t understand. What I mean is, the good life I want to live is the life I want to live, not the life you think I should live.” She said, speaking very slowly as if afraid Chen Shi wouldn’t understand.

Chen Shi tightened her grip.

“Yueniang!” She called out, her face showing some anxiety and unease. Then thinking of something, she sighed and let go, leaning back. “Yueniang, I know. To you, I’m nobody, and I can’t control you. But what if I said all this was for your father’s sake?”

She looked up at Qi Yue.

There was no surprise on Qi Yue’s face.

“I know I shouldn’t be a simple beggar.” She nodded. “I also know that aunt knows my father and relatives.”

She smiled at this point.

“So aunt is actually doing this for my father, not for me?” She asked with a half-real, half-fake smile.

Chen Shi was stunned.

“I’m not interested in knowing about my father, nor about any background. It’s probably something shameful anyway.” Qi Yue spread her hands. “In any case, one must be oneself. Since those things are past and those people are gone, and Qi Yueniang is just a little beggar, then let her remain a little beggar forever.”

Chen Shi looked at Qi Yue in shock. Could someone hear this and remain so unmoved?

Background, relatives, bloodline – weren’t these what a person cared about most?

Why would the woman before her react this way upon hearing this?

Surprise, shock, excitement, joy, sadness – nothing, nothing at all!

Was this still human?

Chen Shi wasn’t wrong. These reactions should have been what Qi Yueniang would have, and certainly would have had. Unfortunately, the person before her wasn’t Qi Yueniang.

Chen Shi watched the woman stand up, turn around, and walk toward the door.

“What if…” She suddenly sat up, gripping the blanket. “What if you could bring devastating disaster to Chang Yuncheng, to the entire Marquis Dingxi’s mansion?”

Qi Yue’s body stiffened, and she stopped walking.

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Chen Shi watched the woman slowly turn around. She already regretted it – she had regretted it the moment she spoke those words.

She was actually threatening her, threatening his daughter, his only flesh and blood…

Chen Shi placed her hand on her chest, watching the woman turn to look at her.

“Then I should thank the Old Marchioness even more, thank aunt.” Qi Yue smiled slightly, then with a serious expression, bowed her head and gave Chen Shi a solemn bow.

Chen Shi collapsed back, covering her mouth with her hand as tears fell like rain.

Meanwhile, at the Grand Secretary’s mansion, after hearing Madam Huo’s words, Rao Chen Shi was shocked and furious.

“What? How could…” She stood up in distress.

Madam Huo’s expression was also complex.

Today’s events had truly opened her eyes. Having lived half her life in the capital and seen many strange things, none had brought as much shock as today.

“This Marquis Dingxi’s mansion is really absurd. The husband and wife don’t even discuss things, each arranging marriages for their child separately.” She shook her head, then looked at Rao Chen Shi with some earnestness. “You should be more careful about this marriage. Such elders are really…”

She shook her head, having conveyed her meaning without saying more.

Who wouldn’t want to be careful about this marriage! But there was no choice – they had already lost face to this extent!

Rao Chen Shi looked embarrassed, forcing a smile, not knowing what to say. She listened to Madam Huo’s earnest and rambling words about choosing spouses, especially emphasizing that Rao Yufang was fostered under her name, not her biological daughter, requiring even more care lest people gossip and point fingers. This only made Rao Chen Shi’s heart more anxious, angry, and depressed, yet she could only thank her repeatedly.

After finally seeing off Madam Huo, Rao Chen Shi went straight to her husband’s study and sat down crying.

Scholar Rao helplessly put down his book and stroked his beard.

“What’s wrong now? Ever since coming to the capital, you cry every day?” He asked. “If this continues, you might as well return to Shandong.”

Rao Chen Shi put down her handkerchief.

“It’s all because of your niece!” She said.

Scholar Rao frowned and sighed. It wouldn’t be right to speak ill of his niece, but scolding his wife seemed unfair given her years of irreproachable service.

“I know you’ve been wronged.” He finally said, standing to pour tea and bringing it to Rao Chen Shi.

Seeing her husband give her face, Rao Chen Shi’s grievances lessened considerably, though she didn’t dare accept his tea.

“Good that you know.” She said.

“I know.” Scholar Rao sat beside her. “The whole family knows you’ve been devoted to Yufang and properly sent her off. We can consider this matter settled.”

Mentioning this made Rao Chen Shi anxious again.

“This marriage is truly hopeless.” She said. “This time our reputation is completely ruined!”

“How so? Wasn’t everything settled?” Scholar Rao asked in confusion. “What more do the Xie family want? We won’t skimp on the dowry. Besides the original items, we’ll add two more loads. This way their extra betrothal gifts won’t be wasted. We don’t care about the money – we just want respect.”

“What respect is left? What respect!” Rao Chen Shi said angrily, then related what Madam Huo had told her. “Master, what should we do? This is utterly humiliating!”

Scholar Rao was also shocked.

“Outrageous!” He slammed the table heavily, his usually refined face showing anger. “The Marquis Dingxi’s mansion goes too far!”

“So what if they go too far? What can we do? We can only endure it!” Rao Chen Shi was both angry and helpless, pressing her forehead. “That Editor Fang from the Hanlin Academy was such a good family. They were just poor, but with support from both our families, how could his future be bad? As long as he’s a good person with prospects, how could life be difficult? The dowry alone would ensure she never worried about food and clothing. How could this dead… this child be so disobedient!”

Outside the rear window under the pomegranate tree, a small figure quietly turned and tiptoed away from under the tree, running off like a wisp of smoke.

Under the flower-covered corridor, Rao Yufang turned around.

“So it’s true?” She asked in a low voice.

The little maid nodded.

“The madam said it herself.” She whispered.

Rao Yufang looked thoughtful. Because of being confined for reflection, she wore no makeup, her eyelids red and swollen from crying, looking pitiful and forlorn.

“Go on.” She said, handing the little maid some money. “Buy some fruit to eat.”

The little maid happily thanked her, took the money, and ran off.

Rao Yufang sat down nearby, slowly stroking the vines with her hand.

“Miss.” A seventeen or eighteen-year-old maid with thin eyebrows and a long face approached, looked around, and whispered, “Third Young Master has something to tell you.”

Rao Yufang glanced at her.

“About that Qi Yueniang matter?” She said, viciously tearing off a thin branch. “Tell him I already know.”

The maid responded affirmatively.

“Miss, what should we do?” She asked quietly with some unease. “I heard that Qi Yueniang’s adoptive father is the Medical Director of the Imperial Medical Academy.”

“So what if he’s Medical Director? Is his position higher than uncle’s? He’s just a doctor.” Rao Yufang said impatiently, tearing the branch and leaves to shreds before throwing them on the ground and standing up.

The maid quickly agreed.

“But Miss, Third Young Master said the Marquis Dingxi is on Qi Yueniang’s side.” She couldn’t help adding.

After all, men were the ones who made decisions at home.

If uncle hadn’t decided back then, how would Rao Chen Shi have dared refuse the Marquis Dingxi’s proposal and instead arrange her marriage with that poor, ugly wretch!

With the Marquis Dingxi being forceful, plus Rao Chen Shi fanning the flames, this matter might fail again…

Rao Yufang slowly paced back and forth a few times, but ultimately didn’t know what to do.

“Go tell Third Young Master he must handle this matter well.” She finally said irritably. “Otherwise, he shouldn’t expect to have an easy time.”

The maid responded and hurried away.

The Marquis Dingxi’s wife and Chang Yunqi were right – that Qi Yueniang had endured three years of hardship to win Chang Yuncheng’s favor. If she could do it, why couldn’t she do it too? And she would certainly do it better!

What she lacked was just the qualification to endure hardship, and that qualification was finally within reach. She absolutely couldn’t let it slip away!

Rao Yufang let out a soft breath.