Instinct told Yan Sanhe that this room full of female family members looked harmonious on the surface, but undercurrents were actually swirling—everyone was watching the show.

“It’s fine. First Madam, please give Madam another piece.”

“It’s also my fault.”

Madam Zhu was so clever. “Madam’s health hasn’t been good lately—her hands lack strength. I didn’t think to bring up a plate.”

A maid immediately brought over a plate.

Madam Zhu placed the mooncake on the plate and personally presented it to Wu Shi.

With the ladder already built, even Wu Shi in her stupidity knew to climb down it. She quickly took a bite.

With this bite, she froze.

Yan Sanhe didn’t ask anyone else, only her. “What does Madam think?”

She couldn’t bring herself to repay evil with kindness, but regarding the matter of Jingchen’s heart demon, Xie Zhifei had helped her too much—if not for the monk’s sake, then for the Buddha’s.

Moreover, she could be polite and civil even with the Old Madam—what was Wu Shi worth?

A foolish person was also a pitiable person.

Wu Shi gritted her back teeth, feeling all kinds of unpleasant inside as she nodded.

Seeing Wu Shi nod, everyone else eagerly tried the mooncakes in their hands.

With this taste, everyone’s expressions changed.

Sweet but not cloying—truly delicious.

Having swallowed the last bit, the Old Madam looked unsatisfied. “Child, is this your handiwork?”

“It’s Li Buyan’s handiwork.”

Only then did everyone turn their gazes toward Li Buyan behind Yan Sanhe.

With this look came another shock—on such a major festival, this maid had worn men’s clothing again.

Li Buyan had deliberately worn men’s clothing, even more deliberately worn it for Wu Shi to see.

But seeing Wu Shi’s face looking worse than cabbage leaves…

Sitting there like a puppet without making a sound, the desire to spar with her suddenly deflated.

People should compete with those stronger than themselves.

Fighting with Wu Shi…

Forget it!

“The Master has arrived.”

As they spoke, Xie Daozhi entered the inner hall with his three sons.

The female family members all rose to pay their respects.

Yan Sanhe remained seated, her gaze passing through the crowd to immediately spot Xie Zhifei.

He wore casual home clothes, his figure tall and straight—the very picture of an elegant young gentleman, if one didn’t look at those bloodshot eyes.

Suddenly, someone drew Yan Sanhe’s attention even more than Xie Zhifei.

It was Concubine Liu.

Dressed plainly with only a small white jade hairpin, she appeared elegant and refined as a chrysanthemum.

Seeing Xie Daozhi arrive, rather than stepping forward to greet him, she moved aside. Yet Xie Daozhi’s first glance upon entering was directed at her.

Yan Sanhe watched as their gazes met in midair, then looked at Wu Shi greeting them at the forefront, gently shaking her head.

No wonder even a Li Zhengjia’s wife could make Wu Shi lose her head—this Concubine Liu was far too favored by Xie Daozhi.

At this moment, Xie Daozhi had already walked before Yan Sanhe.

Only then did Yan Sanhe stand. “Master Xie.”

Xie Daozhi looked at her and smiled. “Are you settling in well over there?”

Yan Sanhe: “Very well.”

Xie Daozhi: “If you lack or need anything, just speak up.”

Yan Sanhe: “Everything’s provided.”

Xie Daozhi: “I heard Miss brought mooncakes—do I have a share?”

Yan Sanhe: “No.”

Not only was Xie Daozhi not angry, he actually stroked his few sparse whiskers and smiled. “Miss Yan is still the same as before—a woman of few words.”

“Few words is good.”

The Old Madam glared at her son. “For a young lady, talking too much means loose lips. Child, sit down quickly and pay him no mind.”

Xie Daozhi looked at his own mother and smiled again. “Miss Yan comes once and Third Son has to stand aside—Old Madam, you’re showing favoritism!”

“That’s because the child is good—unlike those in our household who only know how to vex me.”

The Old Madam said, “Someone come, quickly let the Master taste the mooncakes Miss Yan brought. They’re delicious!”

“If Old Madam says they’re delicious, they certainly can’t be wrong. Bring them here for me to try.”

“Once you try them, you’ll want more.”

“If Old Madam loves them, I’ll shamelessly ask Miss Yan for more.”

“You—don’t trouble the child.”

“With Old Madam protecting her, your son wouldn’t dare.”

Yan Sanhe watched this mother and son duet, the coldness in her eyes flickering briefly.

These were just pleasantries—they sounded lively and likely contained some genuine feeling, but also certainly mixed with falsehood. One couldn’t take it all seriously.

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a gaze fall upon her.

Yan Sanhe looked up, meeting Xie Zhifei’s eyes.

Her heart skipped slightly.

She didn’t know why, but lately this person kept staring at her. Fine if he just stared, but his gaze was wrong—as if trying to see right through her.

Not only was his gaze wrong, but his tone was off too, carrying a hint of coldness. The sweet-talker from before had vanished without a trace.

Yan Sanhe looked away as if she’d seen nothing.

In the same instant, Xie Zhifei also withdrew his gaze, looking at the bluestone tiles on the ground.

Usually on such festive occasions, Third Master Xie would be witty and humorous with quips flowing freely, most skilled at pleasing his elders.

But today, for some reason, sitting among the crowd, he didn’t want to say a word—he wished he could become invisible.

Yan Sanhe’s gaze silently returned.

With such festivities all around, he sat there with his head lowered looking at the ground, silent as he stared at the bluestone tiles beneath his feet, as if all the surrounding gaiety had nothing to do with him.

This person definitely had something on his mind.

Moreover, it wasn’t something small.

After reaching this conclusion, Yan Sanhe once more looked away. What she didn’t know was that Concubine Liu had observed all of the silent exchange between her and Xie Zhifei.

Concubine Liu had grown up in a large clan household with dozens of siblings, where daily chaos reigned, which made her skilled at reading people’s expressions from a young age.

Reading expressions meant observing people.

This was both an art and her way of surviving in the Xie household all these years.

In this Xie Manor, everyone wore a mask to get through each day.

The Old Madam seemed muddled and weak but was actually shrewd everywhere.

The Old Master’s shrewdness was cut from the same cloth as the Old Madam’s.

The only difference was that when he should be soft he was soft, when he should be hard he was hard—confused about small matters but never ambiguous about large ones. He was the type who yielded to gentleness but not force.

First Master’s worldly sophistication exceeded even the Old Master’s, with his weakness lying in the character for “sentiment.”

First Madam was clever and forbearing, with her weakness also in the character for “sentiment.” The couple maintained a marriage in name only.

First Miss, blind in both eyes, never competed for anything.

Only Third Master—after all these years of observation, Concubine Liu still hadn’t seen through this person’s true nature.

To say he was a worthless wastrel who relied on his father for a living—yet he did quite well for himself. To say he was shrewd and capable—this person spent all day eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, accomplishing nothing of substance.

Now there was one more person.

Concubine Liu once again turned her gaze toward Yan Sanhe.

Just now when the Old Madam and Old Master had sung their duet, short of writing “we care about you” across their faces, she’d remained composed with neither blush nor racing heart, completely calm.

If this had been her own daughter, her tail would be pointing straight up to the sky.

At seventeen years old with such steady composure—this absolutely couldn’t be simply described as mature beyond her years.

Such a person…

Concubine Liu’s gaze shifted back and forth between Yan Sanhe and Third Master, suddenly feeling a determination arise within her heart—

No matter what, she had to risk everything for her son and compete for him. She absolutely couldn’t let this woman fall into Xie Zhifei’s hands—otherwise, the second branch would never have a day of prominence.

Better to act on an auspicious day than wait for one.

Today it would be!