Events had spiraled beyond control, leaving Qiao Zhao feeling quite heavy-hearted. The only consolation was that her elder brother hadn’t been injured, which counted as the greatest comfort.

The next day, news spread that Young Master Qiao had fallen gravely ill after being invaded by wind evil, with his condition developing ferociously.

Shao Mingyuan was the first to learn of this news. He prepared gifts and went to Minister Kou’s residence to pay a visit.

Kou Zimo was sitting in her room, silently shedding tears.

Kou Qinglan consoled her from the side: “Elder Sister, no one could have anticipated such a thing happening. Why must you blame yourself so?”

“If I hadn’t arranged for Cousin to leave the residence to treat the burn scars on his face, how would Cousin have encountered such a thing?”

“Elder Sister, that’s not how you should think about it. Cousin is a grown man. Although he’s staying in our residence, he’s not imprisoned. Even if you hadn’t arranged for him to go out, he would still go out when there were matters to attend to. Yesterday, Cousin encountered assassins, but since he wasn’t injured, that’s a good thing. At least when he goes out in the future, he won’t be completely unprepared.”

“But Cousin is now seriously ill and won’t wake up from his deep sleep!”

“That’s because Cousin’s body is weak and his spirits are depressed. This illness is just taking the opportunity to manifest.” Kou Qinglan took hold of Kou Zimo’s arm. “Elder Sister, don’t take responsibility for Cousin’s illness upon yourself.”

Kou Zimo: “…” When did her younger sister become so eloquent? She seemed to have been drawn into her logic.

“First Miss, Second Miss, Madam requests that you come over.”

The two sisters exchanged glances, tidied themselves briefly, and got up to go to Lady Mao’s quarters.

“Why did Mother call Sister and me over?” Kou Qinglan asked with a smile.

Lady Mao’s face darkened: “You’re such a grown girl now, can’t you be more composed?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll be composed.” Kou Qinglan tightened the corners of her lips.

Lady Mao glanced at Kou Zimo, her gaze sweeping over her eldest daughter’s slightly reddened eyes, and said indifferently: “Come with me to see your cousin.”

Kou Zimo was startled, clearly not having expected that Lady Mao had called them over for this reason.

Ever since Cousin had come to the residence, while others hadn’t noticed, she and Second Sister understood all too clearly that Mother had been strictly guarding against her, fearing she would have too much contact with Cousin.

“What are you still standing there for? Let’s go.” Lady Mao stood up.

Kou Zimo followed behind Lady Mao as they walked out, feeling some warmth in her heart.

Regardless of everything else, Cousin was the only child Aunt had left in this world. Now that he was ill, Mother had ultimately softened her heart.

Tingfeng Residence was located in the northwest corner of the Minister’s residence, quite secluded.

Lady Mao led her two daughters through the sparse flowers and trees, walking gracefully. After turning a corner, they encountered two people head-on.

One was a woman in her forties or fifties, precisely Nanny Qing, who served Old Madam Xue. The other had refined eyebrows and starry eyes, extraordinarily handsome, surprisingly a young man in his twenties.

Kou Zimo and Kou Qinglan both looked bewildered.

Lady Mao was already smiling warmly: “Has the Marquis also come to see Qiao Mo?”

Shao Mingyuan performed a junior’s courtesy: “Greetings to Aunt.”

“The Marquis need not be so formal.” Lady Mao quickly stepped aside.

The person before her was the Champion Marquis personally enfeoffed by the Emperor. Although she was a relative by a roundabout connection, it would be foolish to truly act superior.

Lady Mao’s eyes turned, sweeping toward her two daughters, and she smiled lightly: “Zimo, Qinglan, come greet the Marquis.”

The two sisters exchanged glances.

Kou Zimo lowered her eyes and smiled mockingly in her heart.

So that was it!

Did Mother still take her for a three-year-old child, thinking she would believe in such a “chance encounter”?

Under Lady Mao’s gentle, water-like gaze, Kou Zimo felt her face burning with embarrassment and humiliation. Her hands hidden in her sleeves clenched tightly as she curtsied to Shao Mingyuan, her voice flat and emotionless: “Greetings to Brother-in-law.”

Lady Mao’s smile froze at the corners of her mouth.

What was wrong with this girl?

She had learned that the Champion Marquis had come to visit Qiao Mo, calculated the timing well, and brought her two daughters over, hoping to leave an impression on the Champion Marquis so she could facilitate a marriage in the future. But just when she finally had a legitimate opportunity for them to meet, why was Zimo calling him “Brother-in-law”?

Wasn’t this reminding the Champion Marquis of the family connection that couldn’t be separated from his deceased wife, Lady Qiao?

Without paying attention to her mother’s instantly changed expression, Kou Qinglan also curtsied and said with a bright smile: “Greetings to Brother-in-law.”

Lady Mao remained composed on the surface but was half-dead with anger inside.

These two wretched girls were truly going to anger her to death.

It was bad enough that Zimo had always harbored feelings for Qiao Mo, but was Qinglan foolish to follow her sister in this confusion?

Shao Mingyuan nodded slightly to the two Kou sisters, then stepped aside and said to Lady Mao: “Aunt, please go first.”

Lady Mao showed a gentle smile: “Since we’ve met, why don’t you come in with us, Marquis?”

“No need. Aunt needn’t wait for me. I have some private words to say to my cousin-brother. I’ll go in after Aunt comes out.” After speaking, Shao Mingyuan strode with his long legs to a nearby pavilion.

Lady Mao was dumbstruck.

What about the promised gentle refinement and proper manners? What did he mean by having private words to say to Qiao Mo? What words couldn’t be said in front of her?

Taking ten thousand steps back, even if there were words he wanted to say privately, couldn’t he have brought it up more tactfully?

Feeling quite embarrassed, Lady Mao was seething inside, but the young man she favored wasn’t some ordinary family’s son but the powerful Champion Marquis. She could only suppress her anger and take her two daughters into Tingfeng Residence.

Lady Mao had come at this precise time originally to encounter Shao Mingyuan, using the opportunity of visiting the sick to let her two daughters have more contact with him. Now that her scheme had failed, and she had always been strictly guarding against her eldest daughter, she certainly couldn’t allow her eldest daughter to develop deeper feelings with Qiao Mo now. She naturally brought her two daughters out early.

When returning, Lady Mao deliberately looked around but didn’t see any trace of Shao Mingyuan. Feeling quite disappointed, she called her two daughters to stop after returning to her room and scolded: “You two are usually clever people. How is it that today when you met the Marquis, you both acted like wooden blocks?”

Kou Zimo said nothing, her lips tightly pressed.

Kou Qinglan protested indignantly: “Mother, I don’t understand what you’re saying. How were we like wooden blocks? Didn’t we greet the Brother-in-law properly?”

“Brother-in-law, brother-in-law—you certainly say it smoothly!”

“If not brother-in-law, then what should we call him?”

Not wanting to make her intentions too obvious, Lady Mao said earnestly: “You both know clearly how your cousin died. This matter must certainly be the Champion Marquis’s heart knot. Calling him that way—aren’t you stirring up his painful memories?”

Kou Qinglan rolled her eyes: “So you’re saying that since he killed Cousin, we still have to carefully consider his feelings?”

“Qinglan!” Lady Mao glared.

“Enough, Qinglan. Go back to your room first. I have something to say to Mother.”

Kou Qinglan was eager not to listen to Lady Mao’s nagging anymore and hurriedly left.

Once Kou Qinglan was gone, Kou Zimo said indifferently: “I understand Mother’s meaning clearly. Let me tell you plainly: among all the men in this world, even if I were to marry an oil peddler, I would never marry my cousin’s husband!”