The cyan steed stopped at the main gate of the Earl’s residence. Xiao Ye dismounted swiftly. He had been invited out for drinks by Tu Yiting tonight and was unaware of Madam Wang’s visit. Upon seeing a luxuriously decorated carriage parked nearby, he merely assumed that someone had come to visit his mother. Tossing his whip to a servant, he casually asked in a subdued tone, “Who’s here?”
The young servant replied nervously, “It’s… it’s the Marchioness of Changxing.”
As soon as he heard this title, Xiao Ye frowned. He could never say he liked this former mother-in-law of his. In the past, out of filial duty and the respect a junior owed an elder, he had no choice but to treat her with utmost deference, even if she did something inappropriate. Now… though he still disliked her, since she had already arrived at his home, it was impossible for him to avoid seeing her.
With a faint hum of acknowledgment, he headed toward the guest hall where his mother was entertaining guests. As he approached, he noticed the servants—maids and old women alike—standing outside, their faces unsightly.
Xiao Ye furrowed his brows. Before he could ask what had happened, a sharp female voice pierced through the embroidered curtain inside.
“My daughter was staying properly in your home, yet you actually locked her up and refused to let her come out? Sun Yurong, is this how the Xiao family treats its guests?”
“I’ve already told you that I had no knowledge of this. Besides, why would Ye’er keep her inside for no reason? Instead of asking me, why don’t you go and ask your own daughter what she has done?” Madam Xiao, who had been unwell and bedridden recently, already lacked energy. She had to pause to catch her breath after just one sentence. Even so, the coldness and impatience in her tone were unmistakable. She had had enough of Madam Wang’s unreasonable tantrums.
Sweeping a glance at Gu Qing, who sat beside Madam Wang with her head lowered, Madam Xiao felt even more disgusted. Her voice turned completely frigid.
“Since you’ve asked, then I might as well ask you too—Second Miss Gu has both a father and a mother, as well as elders in her family. Why don’t you take your own daughter home? Why must you entrust her to my Ye’er? Do you even realize that it was because of her that your eldest daughter and my Ye’er ended up divorced?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the mother and daughter before her both had a drastic change in expression.
Originally, Madam Xiao had not intended to bring this matter up again. After all, the past was the past, and she no longer held a favorable opinion of Lanyin. Bringing up old grievances would only damage the reputation of both families.
Now that the Earl’s household was teetering on the edge in Bianjing, and Ye’er had just been reprimanded by His Majesty, she had no wish to fall out with the Marquis of Changxing’s family. Yet, who would have thought that Madam Wang would behave like a madwoman? Upon hearing that her daughter had been confined, she didn’t even bother to investigate the matter and immediately started raising a ruckus, completely disregarding the reputations of both families and their past relationship.
This completely enraged Madam Xiao.
In the end, wasn’t it Madam Wang and her daughter who had caused the Xiao family to end up in this state?
She didn’t believe that Madam Wang was unaware of Gu Qing’s intentions. Knowing full well that her daughter had feelings for her own sister’s husband, she still indulged her, allowing her to follow Ye’er home and causing their household to become what it was now. Madam Xiao hadn’t even held them accountable, yet Madam Wang dared to come and question her? How utterly ridiculous!
Since Madam Wang wanted an explanation, then she might as well properly settle this account.
“Why doesn’t Second Miss Gu explain herself? Why did Ye’er order you to stay in your room and not come out?” Madam Xiao questioned Gu Qing.
She knew her son’s temperament well.
If Gu Qing hadn’t done something shameless, he would never have given such an order.
Seeing Gu Qing’s face turn a shade paler at her question, Madam Xiao’s suspicion grew stronger. She was about to press further when, suddenly, the curtain was flung open with a loud swish. The abrupt movement startled everyone inside the room, and all eyes immediately turned toward the entrance.
“Shizi.”
Several voices called out at once as Xiao Ye strode into the room under the cover of night. Dressed in a black, fitted robe, his expression was even darker than the night outside.
Almost the moment the word “Shizi” was uttered, Gu Qing immediately turned her head. Ever since that night, she had not seen Xiao Ye again. Now, seeing the man she longed for standing not far behind her, tears welled up in her almond-shaped eyes once more.
During the days she had been confined, she had indeed felt resentment toward Xiao Ye. She couldn’t understand why he had changed so suddenly. But all those grievances and frustrations dissolved into sorrowful longing and bitter ache the moment she laid eyes on that familiar, godlike face.
She still liked him. She liked him so much that even though she knew he no longer loved her, she couldn’t bear to feel even a trace of resentment toward him.
She gazed at him eagerly.
Xiao Ye noticed her stare but merely frowned and did not acknowledge it.
“Mother.”
He first greeted Madam Xiao before turning to Madam Shi. Unlike in the past, he did not address her as “Mother.” Instead, he spoke plainly, “Marchioness.”
Hearing him address her this way, Madam Shi’s expression instantly darkened even further. Yet, given their current relationship, she had no grounds to protest and could only sit there with a sullen face.
As for Madam Xiao, her previously gloomy mood immediately lifted. Holding a teacup in hand, she sat upright and, with a deliberately composed demeanor, remarked, “You’ve returned just in time. You can explain to the Marchioness why you confined Second Miss Gu in her room. That way, the Marchioness won’t think our Xiao family doesn’t know how to treat its guests.”
Since Madam Shi wanted to make a scene, she might as well escalate it—let everyone see just how shameless her daughter truly was!
Madam Shi immediately sensed the complacency in Madam Xiao’s tone, and her heart tensed. Earlier, she had been so angered by Xueya’s report that she had acted impulsively, forgetting to ask Qing’er for details first. Could it be that Qing’er had truly done something improper? Anxiety crept into her heart. If Xiao Ye said something that shouldn’t be said, it would ruin Qing’er’s reputation!
Madam Shi hesitated, uncertain about how to respond, when she suddenly heard Xiao Ye reply coolly, “Nothing. The household has been in turmoil lately, so I simply asked Second Miss Gu to rest in her room.”
As much as Xiao Ye loathed Gu Qing, he wasn’t so petty as to ruin a young lady’s reputation by exposing everything in public.
Besides, he was tired.
Gu Qing had once saved his life, and because of her, he had lost Lanyin. The tangled debts of gratitude and resentment between them could no longer be clearly distinguished. Now, all he wanted was for the mother and daughter to leave the Xiao family, so that in the future, their paths would diverge, and neither would owe the other anything.
“Ye’er, what are you saying?!” Madam Xiao, who had just been sipping her tea with ease, suddenly stiffened.
Madam Shi, however, instantly shed her earlier hesitation. With a cold laugh, she smirked triumphantly, like a rooster who had just won a fight, and turned to Madam Xiao. “Did you hear what your dear son just said? What a fine excuse—asking Qing’er to rest in her room!”
As she spoke, she turned to Xiao Ye, her voice rising in anger.
“When I entrusted Qing’er to you, you promised to take good care of her. Look at her now! Just what have you people done to her?”
Thinking back to how Qing’er had looked so dejected and miserable earlier, Madam Shi’s fury only intensified.
“Today, the Xiao family must give me a satisfactory explanation!”
Her voice once again echoed throughout the room.
This time, however, Madam Xiao did not retaliate. Instead, she simply clenched her teeth in frustration as she stared at Xiao Ye, who stood silently to the side, his expression unreadable. She was enraged but knew that now was not the time to speak out, so she could only glare at Madam Shi and grit out, “What do you want?”
“I—”
Madam Shi let out a scornful laugh and was just about to reply when Gu Qing suddenly grasped her hand.
Seeing her beloved daughter’s reaction, Madam Shi’s heart was filled with tenderness. Ignoring Madam Xiao, she turned to Gu Qing, her voice unconsciously softening. “What is it, Qing’er?”
She had been too preoccupied arguing with Madam Xiao earlier to notice, but now she saw that Gu Qing’s eyes were brimming with tears.
Her anger surged once more. Assuming that Qing’er had been mistreated by Xiao Ye, she didn’t even think before turning back to him and demanding, “What have you done to Qing’er?!”
Xiao Ye frowned.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Gu Qing’s tear-streaked face. Perhaps due to lack of rest, she looked even frailer than before. Her face, pale to the point of translucence, was covered in tears.
But he felt no pity whatsoever.
He had no idea what new act she was putting on now. Pressing his thin lips together, he said nothing, simply standing there with a cold expression.
“You—”
Madam Shi was infuriated by his attitude and was about to explode in anger when Gu Qing grabbed her hand once more.
Gu Qing clutched Madam Shi’s hand tightly, yet her gaze remained fixed on Xiao Ye. “Mother, this has nothing to do with Ah Ye. It was… it was my fault,” she said, tears streaming down her face. Yet, deep inside, a trace of hope still lingered.
He refused to speak of that night. He refused to ruin her reputation. Did that mean that, in his heart, he still had feelings for her? (TL: UGH)
But at this moment, Madam Shi didn’t care about who was to blame. Seeing Gu Qing in tears, she grew even more anxious, immediately shifting all the blame onto the Xiao mother and son. Holding Gu Qing’s hand tightly, she declared, “Don’t worry. No matter what they did to you, I will never let them trample on you!”
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to face Xiao Ye. The tenderness she had shown toward Gu Qing vanished in an instant, replaced by a dark, stormy expression. But before she could utter a word, a servant came rushing in from outside, panting.
“Madam, Shizi… the, the Old Madam of the Wang family has arrived!”
“Mother?”
Madam Shi was stunned, clearly not expecting her mother’s arrival.
Xiao Ye, who had remained expressionless since entering the room, finally showed a subtle change in demeanor upon hearing this. While the others were still processing the news, he had already lifted the curtain and stepped outside.
To him, anything related to Lanyin was of utmost importance. He knew that the person Lanyin respected most in the world was her maternal grandmother, and so he dared not delay. Hastily striding forward to greet her, he saw the elderly woman being escorted inside.
Unlike his cold indifference toward Madam Shi and Gu Qing, Xiao Ye respectfully saluted the old woman and addressed her in a solemn yet deferential tone, “Grandmother.”
The sky was dark, and the Old Madam of the Wang family was of advanced age. It wasn’t until Xiao Ye approached that she could see him clearly. Upon hearing his greeting, her expression remained unchanged, but she replied in a calm voice, “I do not deserve to be addressed that way by the Shizi.”
Her dignified and composed words stung Xiao Ye more than Madam Shi’s shrill accusations ever could.
But what could he say? There was nothing he could say. His gaze dimmed, and under the old woman’s indifferent scrutiny, he lowered his eyes. No matter how much sorrow and guilt he carried in his heart, he still maintained the respect due to an elder as he said, “Allow me to lead you inside.”