Seeing it was Shao Mingyuan, Qiao Zhao’s eyes lit up with joy.

Shao Mingyuan quickly walked to Qiao Zhao’s side and took the bowl from Binglu’s hands: “Let me do it.”

Binglu glanced at Qiao Zhao, and seeing she didn’t object, handed the porridge bowl to Shao Mingyuan, then tactfully retreated to stand by the doorway.

Well, she might as well keep watch for the young lady and the young master, in case anyone came and she could give them a timely warning.

“Does it still hurt?” Shao Mingyuan carefully examined Qiao Zhao, seeing her face was still pale, couldn’t help feeling a pang of heartache. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and comfort her properly, but thinking of her father keeping a watchful eye outside, he had to abandon this audacious thought.

At this thought, Shao Mingyuan couldn’t help but sigh.

If only he had married Zhaozhao earlier, then he wouldn’t need to care about anyone else’s opinions.

“It hurts,” Qiao Zhao answered honestly.

Shao Mingyuan couldn’t help but lower his head to kiss the back of Qiao Zhao’s hand: “Have you applied medicine?”

“I’ve applied medicine, using the special ointment I made before. It should heal in a few more days, so don’t worry about it.”

“Eat some porridge first.” Shao Mingyuan scooped up a spoonful of porridge and brought it to Qiao Zhao’s lips.

Qiao Zhao opened her mouth to eat, and Shao Mingyuan took out a handkerchief to wipe the corners of her mouth.

Binglu quietly looked away.

Oh my, watching the young lady and young master like this made her want to get married too. What should she do?

“Father-in-law said to have me give that thing to Lan Songquan, so we can extricate ourselves from this situation.”

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but smile: “That does sound like something Father would come up with.”

“What, you don’t agree?”

Qiao Zhao shook her head: “Although the idea is good, that was a gift from Master Wumei. It’s fine if it stays with you, but if word gets out that we gave it to Lan Songquan, that would look bad. Tingquan, what I most want to understand is the secret of the prayer beads.”

“When you’re better, we’ll study it together.” Shao Mingyuan gazed tenderly at Qiao Zhao’s face: “Zhaozhao, you’ve gotten thinner.”

Their eyes met, and Qiao Zhao’s cheeks warmed slightly as she lowered her gaze: “You’ve gotten thinner too.”

“Master—” Binglu at the doorway called out loudly.

Li Guangwen coughed: “Why are you shouting so loudly? Please ask the young master to come out for a talk.”

Binglu looked sympathetically at the engaged couple and called out crisply: “My lord, the master requests that you come out.”

Shao Mingyuan touched his nose and stood up.

So the so-called permission to see Zhaozhao was just for one glance!

The young general reluctantly looked at his fiancée one more time, leaving behind all his tender feelings, and walked out dejectedly.

Qiao Zhao’s gaze followed the man’s retreating figure until it disappeared at the doorway, watching intently.

“Miss, come back to earth,” Binglu waved her hand in front of Qiao Zhao’s eyes.

Qiao Zhao’s eyelashes fluttered lightly as she glanced at Binglu.

Binglu covered her mouth and laughed: “My dear miss, is the young master that handsome?”

Qiao Zhao smiled slightly: “Isn’t he handsome?”

Binglu thought for a moment and nodded: “He is quite handsome, but if we’re talking about the most handsome, it’s actually Young Master Chi— Ah, this servant spoke out of turn, miss, please don’t mind.”

“Go help me pour a cup of water,” Qiao Zhao sent Binglu away and looked up at the silver hooks on the bed canopy, her lips curving slightly.

She didn’t know why, but she still thought her man was the most handsome.

Li Guangshu’s cause of death was determined to be sudden illness, and next came the funeral arrangements.

At this point, there was no way to keep hiding this from Second Madam Liu, even though she was pregnant. There was no precedent for a wife not appearing when her husband died.

Old Madam Deng thought it over and simply instructed Fourth Miss Li Yàn to go tell her.

In the old lady’s mind, motherhood made women strong. Even if Liu couldn’t handle hearing the news of her husband’s death, seeing her daughter before her wouldn’t cause her to completely break down. She had gritted her teeth and persevered by looking at her two crying sons back then.

In less than two days, Li Yàn seemed to have grown up considerably. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, and she walked heavily to Liu’s quarters.

“Madam, Fourth Miss has arrived,” a maid reported.

Liu leaned against her pillow and said petulantly: “This girl didn’t come to pay her respects to me this morning. I don’t know where she went to play around. Quickly invite her in.”

Li Yàn entered with her head lowered and paid her respects to Liu.

“Usually so rash and impetuous, why are you so well-behaved today?” Liu said with puzzlement, seeing Li Yàn standing motionless, she beckoned to her: “Come here.”

Li Yàn stood in place, bit her lip, and suddenly knelt.

Liu was startled: “Yàn’er, what are you doing? Did you cause trouble?”

At this point, Liu’s expression changed slightly: “Did you upset your Third Sister?”

Li Yàn kept her head lowered, her voice choked with tears: “Mother, there’s something I need to report to you. Don’t be anxious when you hear it, or it won’t be good for the little brother in your belly…”

Liu stared seriously at her daughter kneeling on the ground: “Yàn’er, first tell me, did you offend your Third Sister?”

“No.”

Liu breathed a sigh of relief and raised her hand to smooth her hair: “Then speak.”

As long as her daughter hadn’t offended Third Miss, she could handle whatever it was.

“Father… Father is gone…”

Liu was stunned.

Li Yàn had cried all night, and now her greatest concern was her mother’s health. She had no energy left for grief and asked anxiously: “Mother, are you alright?”

Liu blinked, and tears fell.

Li Yàn was frightened and quickly stood up, running to Liu’s side to rest against her knees: “Mother, please don’t be too sad. Think about the little brother you’re carrying—”

Liu slowly shook her head, her expression dazed: “Mother is fine, Mother just wants to cry…”

That man who had been her first husband was dead!

They had once shared intimate moments, drawn each other’s eyebrows, and made vows to grow old together. But in the blink of an eye, that man had changed his heart and brought home a beautiful young concubine. Her longing and affection for him had been completely worn away in just a few months. To say she was deeply saddened now didn’t seem quite right, but why did her heart still feel so blocked?

She truly hated it. That man had just left with a wave of his hand, and probably never thought of her and the children until his death. He might even have been thinking that he could finally reunite with Bing Niang.

“Mother, don’t be like this. If you want to cry, then cry it out. You’ll feel better after crying. I cried all last night, and now I don’t feel as bad,” Li Yàn consoled.

Liu took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears. Although her voice still carried a nasal tone, her manner was calm: “How did your father die?”

“Father… they said he suddenly developed heart disease while working at the yamen and died…”

“You all go out.” Liu dismissed the maids from the room, leaving only mother and daughter.

“Yàn’er, tell Mother the truth. Does your father’s death have anything to do with your Third Sister?”

Li Yàn bit her lip: “Yesterday, Third Sister disappeared, and it turned out that Father had stuffed Third Sister into a book chest and taken her out of the residence—”

Liu sighed deeply upon hearing this: “He was courting death! What about your Third Sister?”

“Third Sister came back. I just went to see Third Sister. She’s injured and not in good spirits.”

Liu breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

Thank heavens, as long as Third Miss was alright. Otherwise, that bastard would have dragged them all down with him!

“Come, let’s go see your grandmother.”

Li Yàn: “…” Had Mother been too shocked to accept the fact of Father’s death?