Finally, the carriage stopped and we returned to the previous origin.

Silent, relatively speechless.

He still got off the carriage first and helped me walk down. The servants on both sides hurried over to greet him, but seeing me and him silently, no one dared to say anything, and walked in quietly. He was about to reach the branch place, and I was going back to the inner courtyard, and he might have to go to the study room as well.

He looked at the dense bamboo forest in front, and a house with exquisite beams exposed under the green leaves. It was originally my room and his, but now he was just looking at it from afar.

He was silent for a moment and said, "You go back and have a good rest first."

"Um."

"When the hour of You, I will go and pick up Li'er's house with you."

"good."

After the two of them said these half-salty words, they were about to turn around and part ways. I had already taken a few steps, but finally stopped and turned around: "Yuan Xiu."

“…”

He hurriedly looked back at me, with a little urgency in his eyes.

"..." I was silent for a moment and asked, "Miss Ruoshi - is she okay?"

The originally eager face froze slightly.

I suddenly felt that it was a bit unnecessary for me to ask this question again. Especially when I saw his sudden dim eyes, I felt more at a loss. I smiled awkwardly, turned around and left. But as soon as I left, I heard him calling me behind me: "Qingying."

I turned around and saw him standing there. After hesitating for a while, I still said softly: "You have a good rest. I will have someone come over and call you later."

I nodded and turned around and left.

|

Back in the room, it was quiet.

And I was even more at a loss.

The words I said to Li'er before were really just words. Pei Yuanxiu and I were different. I had nothing to do and no official duties to deal with. When Li'er went to Yangzhou, Su Su was still in Xichuan and did not come. She had a room with Pei Yuanxiu, and I was the only one left here, with nothing to do and no one to talk to.

Even when I was eating, no one bothered me and drank the bitter and unpleasant bowl of Heizi Soup.

Only then did I understand how I exist in this mansion.

I couldn't help but smile.

Just like the time I spent in the inner courtyard before, I sat alone by the window, looking at the bamboo leaves swaying in the wind outside, counting how many spots of light the sun shone out from the gaps of the bamboo leaves on the ground. This was the case before, and I spent this day bit by bit.

But today, it doesn't seem to work very much.

I couldn't calm down, and even felt upset when I sat for a while. The sound of bamboo leaves outside the window sounded particularly annoying to me. Even when the wind blew into this room, I couldn't blow away the anxious mood.

I simply got up and walked out.

But I don’t know if it was the will of heaven or the will of heaven, but as soon as I walked up to the bridge, I saw Han Zitong explaining something to several maids.

Her face was not very good, and her voice seemed very eye-catching, so before I got close, I heard what she said: "Why has the young master's room not been cleaned yet? Didn't I ask the young master to clean up the room as soon as I came back yesterday?"

"If you go back to the lady, the room has been cleaned up, but last night, the young master stayed in the study to handle official duties, so he didn't go to rest."

"Oh... the weather is getting hot, so you have to prepare everything for the young master, especially those who rely on water there, and there are many mosquitoes. Every night, you have to light incense to repel mosquitoes for the young master. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss."

"Also, the young master has had a lot of things recently. You should be careful when you serve and don't make the young master angry, do you know?"

"I got it, Miss."

What else she wanted to say, but she had heard my footsteps. She turned her head and saw that I was coming, and immediately lowered her face. The maids also saw me and hurriedly came over to salute me and greet me, but Han Zitong waved her hand lightly: "You guys go down quickly and get the job done by the young master."

“…”

The maids were obviously hesitant, look at me and then look at her.

"Why don't you go quickly!"

She showed that she was about to get angry. The maids didn't dare to delay any longer. They could only lower their heads, called me a lady, and then turned around and left in a hurry.

I stood there, not knowing whether to be embarrassed or funny, but while hesitating, she had already walked up to me with a little gloomy face, as if she was about to get angry, but as if she was trying hard to suppress me, she looked up and down a few times: "You look okay."

I smiled and said, "You look good, too."

"I thought you would be sick at least for a few days."

"I have already returned to Jinling. No matter how bad it is, it is better than at sea. How could it be sick?"

“…”

When it comes to talking, Han Zitong has never been my opponent. It seems that she understands it herself, so after answering these two sentences, her face was heavy and she didn't say anything. Instead, I asked, "Sister Ling - Miss Ruoshi, how are you doing now?"

As soon as he said this, he seemed to stab her with a needle.

She seemed to shudder and stared at me, "What are you asking for?"

I laughed: "It's under the same roof. Miss Ruoshi is not in good health. It's not an exaggeration to ask."

"Under the same roof?" Hearing this, she immediately sneered: "Who is under the same roof as you?"

“…”

"Whose roof is this? Have you figured it out?"

My face suddenly froze.

If my greeting just now just made her think too much and get stabbed, then this sentence is undoubtedly the most accurate stab to me at this moment.

But obviously, she still felt that it was not enough-

"Do you think that if the servant calls you a lady, you are really the lady here?"

“…”

"If I want them to become mutes, you won't even get the 'maid'. Do you really think you are the lady here?"

“…”

“Which 's wife' is like you?”

My smile froze, but I still smiled. It was not until this time that I sighed softly and said, "Why should Miss Zitong be so tense? I'm just a greeting to Sister Ling."

"Hmph, are you greeting my sister? Are you so kind to greet my sister?"

Speaking of this, she seemed to be even more angry, and the rage in her eyes could hardly be concealed. She walked up to me and stared at me with anger: "Do you think I don't know what you meant when you do this?"

“…”

She looked straight into my eyes and said hatefully: "Do you think that if you don't have sex with Yuan Xiu and don't give birth to a son for him, you can ruin my sister's business? You can drag Yuan Xiu to never marry my sister?"

“…”

This time, my smile couldn't hold on.

Looking at my gradually disappearing smile and my slowly cold pupils, Han Zitong smiled instead. She walked up to me and said word by word: "There is one thing you probably haven't realized it yet. Before you arrived in Jiangnan, before you married Yuan Xiu, my sister and Yuan Xiu had been together for many years."

“…”

"When he was good or bad in Jiangnan, my sister was with him."

“…”

"What qualifications do you have to let the people here call you 'Madam'? What qualifications do you have to let Yuan Xiu have the only one woman? What qualifications do you have to be his wife in front of our sisters?"

“…”

I stood there without moving, just quietly looking at Han Zitong who was full of anger.

But only I know that every word she said was like a heavy punch, hitting my chest hard, as if she was about to break the beating thing in her chest.

At this moment, even my face turned pale.

She was right - before I came, it was Han Ruoshi. To be precise, it was their sisters who were with him. Whether it was the suffering or joy in Jiangnan, the person who shared with him was not me, but this pair of sisters who always stayed with him.

In fact, I don’t feel it. Since the first time he took me to visit Li'er in this garden, Han Ruoshi came to send tea. Although her purpose was to ask me to plead with Pei Yuanxiu for Han Zitong, from Li'er's familiar attitude, Pei Yuanxiu's behavior of being kind, and from various details, I understand that the person who had been with them like this was her, and all the happiness and suffering were shared with Pei Yuanxiu.

There is a past between them.

These are already facts and I have no way to escape.

But it is impossible for me to retreat.

After being silent for a long time, I smiled slightly, looked up at Han Zitong, and said, "Han Zitong, you are right."

Her face froze, as if she couldn't believe it. Even so, I could still laugh.

And I still smiled and said word by word: "But why don't they come to me in person?"

“…”

"Let them tell me in person!"

“…”

"If Yuan Xiu, if he really wants to marry your sister..." I took a deep breath, looked at her with a smile, and said, "This son doesn't have to give birth."

She was a little stunned, suddenly came to her senses, realizing what my words meant, and suddenly widened her eyes in shock: "You, what you mean-"

I glanced at her indifferently, and then smiled.

That smile was indescribable bitterness and indescribable indifference.

Then, he turned around and left.

|

After returning to the inner courtyard, I almost lost my strength and fell on the couch.

Fortunately, it was very quiet here. There was no disturbance from outsiders, and no one saw me in a daze. The wind blew across my temples and slowly dried the fine sweat beads. I sat quietly on the couch, looking at the bamboo leaves swaying lightly in the wind and winding paths hidden under the bamboo forest.

This time, time passed quickly.

I didn't even notice the passage of time, but I saw that familiar figure walking on the winding path.
Chapter completed!