Chunxiu struggled to organize her thoughts and tentatively asked: “Sister, are you saying… you didn’t write down the complete formula?”

Jirong smiled slightly: “That’s right. Only by hiding it in this place can it not be found by others.”

While feeling relieved, Chunxiu also secretly admired Jirong’s meticulous thinking. She had already anticipated that the Tendon-Mending Muscle-Regenerating Powder would make some people envious, so she deliberately wrote an incomplete formula in her notebook to deceive those with ill intentions, while keeping the real formula in her mind, ensuring that no one else besides her could know it.

“Even if what she took is an incomplete formula, we can’t just let this go. Come, while she hasn’t hidden the formula yet, I’ll go with sister to catch her red-handed, then report to First Young Master.”

This time Jirong didn’t refuse and went with Chunxiu to find Zhang Chenyue. Before leaving, to prevent anyone from sneaking into their room again, she specially locked it.

Zhang Chenyue didn’t know that what she had painstakingly stolen was an incomplete formula. She was examining it carefully, her eyes full of greedy delight.

Tendon-Mending Muscle-Regenerating Powder… what a good thing indeed. With this, she wouldn’t need to be a dancer in the Governor’s estate anymore. She could sell this for a lot of money and live comfortably with her family for the rest of her life.

Jirong was truly lucky to have such a hereditary formula. What a pity – if she were the one with this formula, she would be the one gaining face at Qingchun Garden now.

After memorizing every detail of the formula, she removed the lamp shade and ignited the paper in her hand. Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open. She quickly turned around, and upon seeing who it was, hurriedly hid her hands behind her back. Chunxiu, sharp-eyed, saw this movement and reached out sternly: “Take out what you’re hiding!”

Zhang Chenyue’s eyes flickered: “What thing? What… what are you talking about?”

“Still playing dumb with me?” Saying this, Chunxiu went forward to snatch it. Zhang Chenyue didn’t dare let her see what was in her hands, dodging while saying: “Sister, what are you doing?”

“You know very well what I’m doing. Zhang Chenyue, I’ve never seen anyone more shameless than you. It was one thing not to help me before, but now you’re actually stealing the formula that Sister Jirong worked so hard to restore!”

Zhang Chenyue said with false bravado: “When did I ever steal any formula? Don’t talk nonsense!” She spoke while hoping the paper would burn up quickly.

Jirong stepped forward: “I’ve already checked my notebook. The last page was torn out. Today, besides Chunxiu, only you entered my room. Who else could it be but you?”

“How would I know? Maybe…” She glanced at Chunxiu: “Someone is crying thief to catch the thief?”

“I’m not as shameless as you!” Chunxiu spat and pressed aggressively: “Since you say you didn’t steal it, then why don’t you dare take out what you’re hiding behind your back?”

Zhang Chenyue desperately avoided her gaze, saying guiltily: “My… my business is none of your concern!”

Chunxiu snorted coldly: “Today you have to take it out whether you want to or not.” She went forward to snatch it again. During their struggle, Chunxiu finally seized the paper from Zhang Chenyue’s hand, but she couldn’t laugh, because the paper had already burned down to just a small corner with no visible words.

Seeing this, Zhang Chenyue immediately felt relieved: “Well, now the thing is in sister’s hands. Please tell me, is this the formula you mentioned?”

Chunxiu angrily threw the paper fragment on the ground: “If it wasn’t the formula, why did you burn it?”

“Do I need sister’s permission to burn something?” Now that the evidence was destroyed, Zhang Chenyue was naturally confident and no longer as cowering as before.

Chunxiu gritted her teeth: “So what if you destroyed the formula? So many people saw you sneaking into our room. Don’t think you can escape.” With that, she grabbed Zhang Chenyue: “Come, go with me to see First Young Master.”

Hearing Li Jiancheng’s name, Zhang Chenyue’s body trembled slightly. She could not fear Chunxiu, but she couldn’t not fear this First Young Master. However, she quickly calmed down. Even First Young Master couldn’t kill people arbitrarily. At most, he would drive her out of the estate. With this formula in hand, she had no need to treasure this job at the Governor’s estate.

Thinking this way, she said with a face full of grievance: “Fine, I’ll go with you to see First Young Master and ask him to uphold justice for me.”

This matter eventually reached Li Jiancheng. Without the formula as evidence, it ended with Zhang Chenyue being driven out of the Governor’s estate.

In the following days, everything was as usual. Jirong continued treating Li Jiancheng’s leg ailment, Chunxiu still worked in the firewood room, all calm and peaceful.

On this day, after Yunyi and the others finished dance practice, instead of dispersing as usual, they were called back by Nanny Yang. She said: “Second Madam has given instructions that in a few days, two distinguished guests will come to visit the estate. You will perform dances for them then. So starting this afternoon, you must practice two additional hours each day. Everyone must be alert. If anything goes wrong then, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Someone asked curiously: “Nanny, who are these distinguished guests?”

“I’m not clear either. I only know they’re two officials from the capital. Alright, you all go have lunch. Come back half an hour early later.” Nanny Yang’s words shocked Yunyi. Although she had grown up in the palace from childhood, she wasn’t completely isolated from the outside world and had met many officials with the Empress Dowager. If the visitors this time were officials who had seen her, that would be troublesome.

After Nanny Yang left, the women gathered together chattering about the guests’ identities. Only Yunyi remained silent. Jiang Caiping noticed her condition and asked with concern: “Sister, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Yunyi shook her head: “No, I’m just a bit worried. What if we don’t dance well and displease those two officials?”

Hearing this, Jiang Caiping immediately laughed: “That won’t happen. Sister is the best dancer in the whole world, even Chang’e in the moon palace can’t compare.”

Yunyi was made to laugh by her words, gently pinching her cheeks: “Where did you learn to flatter people like this? So insincere.”

“That’s not true. Everything I said is real, so sister, please don’t worry.”

“Alright, alright, I understand. You go back first. I want to walk in the back garden for a while, then I’ll return.”

Seeing her say this, Jiang Caiping didn’t say more and left first as she said.

After seeing the winter plum blossoms everywhere, Yunyi’s mood finally improved somewhat. Well, she’d take it one step at a time. If they really were officials she knew, she could claim illness and not go. That should be enough to get by.

“What are you thinking about?” The sudden voice startled Yunyi. She quickly turned around to see Li Shimin had somehow appeared behind her.