As she walked out of the kitchen, she let out a sigh of relief, patting her chest. Her well-proportioned figure naturally drew attention, and nearby servants couldn’t help but steal glances.
She immediately glared in embarrassment and anger, scaring the person so much that their face turned pale before they hurried back to their residence.
In her haste, she even forgot to take the pastries she had made earlier.
Frustrated, she lightly hit her forehead, her expression filled with regret. She hadn’t expected Third Sister to be sick. She had rushed over last night, and this morning, it hadn’t even crossed her mind. All she had remembered was that the study’s lamp seemed to have been lit all night.
Her residence was quite close to the study, and when she got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, she noticed the light. Even in her dreams, she kept thinking about it—why had Xie Rongyun been unable to sleep?
Could it possibly have something to do with her?
But now that her aunt had discovered her presence, would she be sent away immediately? Nervously biting her lip, torn with indecision, she glanced at her maid…
—
Qingli slowly sipped the tender, flavorful meat porridge that Lady Mu had prepared. The slight saltiness of the dish helped mask the bitterness left in her mouth from the medicine.
Qiyue was relieved, carefully feeding her spoonful by spoonful with great patience.
Lady Mu, watching from the side, felt reassured. Having Qiyue by her daughter’s side was a great comfort. However, recalling Mu Lan’er’s situation, she still decided to bring it up.
“Your second uncle’s daughter, Mu Lan’er, came over last night. She said her father intends to send her to be a concubine for his superior, so she came to you for help. Were you aware of this?”
Qingli blinked and shook her head. “No, I didn’t know.”
Lady Mu found this a bit odd but didn’t dwell on it. Although Mu Lan’er had a naturally alluring figure, her temperament was gentle and well-behaved. At seventeen, she had never caused any trouble and had always been polite and reserved.
But her daughter was even more pure-hearted, so Lady Mu remained slightly cautious.
“Should I take her back with me later and speak to your second uncle myself?” she suggested.
Before Qingli could respond, a warm and clear male voice rang out.
“Mother-in-law~”
A tall, well-built man in a light blue robe stepped inside, first greeting Lady Mu respectfully before turning to Qingli with gentle eyes. “Ali, are you feeling any better today than yesterday?”
Qingli offered a small smile. “Not really, still the same.”
Xie Rongyun’s throat tightened, and he swallowed back whatever words he had initially wanted to say. Instead, he softened his tone. “You do look a little better than yesterday. I’m sure it’s thanks to Mother-in-law’s care.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” Lady Mu responded with a smile, her eyes filled with approval for her son-in-law. “The two of you don’t have any elders around. If anything happens at home, you must let us know. We are family, after all.”
Xie Rongyun nodded in agreement and cast a knowing glance at Qingli, as if to say, See? I told you not to hide things from them.
Qingli’s smile remained unchanged, unwilling to engage in silent eye-rolling with him.
Seeing that she wasn’t playing along, Xie Rongyun didn’t seem embarrassed. He took the bowl of porridge from Qiyue and casually said, “I overheard you talking about Fifth Miss Mu earlier. Actually, after morning court today, I happened to run into Second Master Mu and mentioned it to him. He has already agreed.
“But since Ali is the only mistress in this house, I thought it would be good for Fifth Miss Mu to stay here for a few days to keep her company. It might help prevent her from overthinking things,” he added with a helpless shake of his head.
“Besides, I’ll be leaving for Qu County in a couple of days and will be gone for about half a month.”
Hearing this, Lady Mu felt completely reassured and nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Let Lan’er stay with you.”
Qingli remained silent the entire time. In the past, the original Qingli and Mu Lan’er had been close, and she had also deeply loved her husband. Given the circumstances, it was unlikely that she would refuse.
Especially since Xie Rongyun had made it clear he would be leaving soon, and proper etiquette was being observed.
She subtly avoided the spoonful of porridge he was offering and said weakly, “I’m full. I don’t want any more.”
Xie Rongyun’s smile froze for a brief moment before he quickly recovered and nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave it here in case you get hungry later. Do you want to lie down?”
Qingli shook her head. “I’d like to talk with Mother for a bit.”
Xie Rongyun didn’t object, his tone indulgent. “That’s a good idea. Mother-in-law, why don’t you stay here for a couple of days? Ali has been away from home for three years—she must miss it.”
“Oh no, that won’t be necessary,” Lady Mu replied quickly. She would have loved to, but this was her son-in-law’s household. Instead, she looked at her daughter with affection and said softly, “I’ll stay with you for a while longer today and leave after dinner.”
Seeing this, Xie Rongyun said a few more words before taking his leave.
—
Not long after he left the courtyard, a maid was waiting outside.
Xie Rongyun paused slightly before walking up to her, his voice cool and detached. “Tell Fifth Miss Mu to stay at Xie Manor in peace. Though the accommodations are simple, there is no longer the life-threatening danger there was years ago.”
The maid acknowledged his command and went off to relay the message to Mu Lan’er.
Inside the second-floor attic of Moon Laurel Courtyard, a hopeful young woman suddenly felt a sharp pang in her heart. Her gaze dimmed as she stared at the distant study, her eyes blinking rapidly. Lowering her thick lashes, her shoulders trembled slightly, as if she were crying.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the courtyard, Xie Rongyun casually glanced upward and noticed the figure in the attic.
His hand, resting at his side, clenched slightly. He stood there for a long moment before finally turning away.
Before leaving, he instructed the servant next to him, “The weather is still a bit chilly. Have Hexiang remind her.”
The servant promptly answered, “Yes, sir.”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152