Xiqiu could feel her hands shaking—shaking from anger. She finally understood why Madam Le had held her hand and told her to scold Le Yao as if she were her own daughter, why she’d kept wanting to speak yet hesitated and covered things up, and why Ruan Pingrong had been so nervous upon seeing her...

"You... are involved with Minzhi?" Xiqiu was so angry that her own voice sounded strangely distant in her ears, hollow to the point she could barely hear herself.

Le Yao saw Xiqiu’s expression clearly and her own face darkened. She asked, "So you also care about family status, you also think Minzhi and I don’t match?"

Xiqiu closed her eyes, then suddenly opened them again, looking at Le Yao to confirm once more: "You really are involved with Minzhi?"

Le Yao nodded very firmly, then showed a vexed look and shook her head. "It doesn’t really count as involved; Minzhi doesn’t even know I like him." In her mind she thought of that day in the Governor Mansion, when fireworks filled the sky and she watched Tong Minzhi standing there, as if his whole body were radiating a dazzling light that made her unable to open her eyes. She could no longer hear the thunderous booms, only the pounding of her heart in her ears like rolling thunder.

Xiqiu let out a breath and looked at Le Yao, asking, "So you’re making a fuss about not going back because you want to marry Minzhi?"

Le Yao nodded again.

Xiqiu almost wanted to laugh. She handed the letter in her arms to Le Yao and shook her head lightly. "I’m sorry, this is something I can’t help you with."

Le Yao’s eyes reddened and she glared angrily at Xiqiu. "You’re just like my mother after all, only caring about family status. Let me tell you, in this life I’ll marry no one but him."

Xiqiu gave a helpless little laugh and shook her head. "You’re only eleven. Life holds endless possibilities. Don’t let your future be decided by the impulse of this moment. You say you’ll marry no one but him because you haven’t met any other man yet. No one can say for sure what the future holds. Don’t jump to conclusions so early, all right?"

Le Yao felt looked down on by Xiqiu and said angrily, "I know my own heart very clearly. So what if I’m young? Haven’t you all ever been young? I’ll tell you this: my word is as good as gold, I never go back on what I say. In this life, unless I die, I will definitely become your Tong Family’s daughter-in-law."

"Yao." Xiqiu stepped forward and pressed down on Le Yao’s shoulders. "Calm down. Your mother just fainted from anger because of you, and here you are still going on about living and dying for the sake of love. Your love is built on her suffering—do you think you’ll be happy like that?"

Le Yao was stunned. Xiqiu continued, "I don’t care how you feel about Minzhi; I know my younger brother’s character very well. He’s very simple, his feelings haven’t awakened yet. You just said yourself that Minzhi doesn’t know you like him. When you made this decision, you never even asked for his opinion. How do you know what he thinks?"

"What could he think? I want to marry him, he ought to be happy." Le Yao furrowed her brows and shrugged off Xiqiu’s hand from her shoulder, saying displeased, "Would he possibly look down on me?"

"That’s not what I mean." Xiqiu drew back her hand and faced Le Yao. "Since this is love, and you’re already talking about marriage, then your future should be something the two of you discuss and decide together. How can it count just because you say so?" Le Yao was confused, not understanding what Xiqiu meant, so Xiqiu went on: "That’s why I say you don’t understand what love is. Love is respect, understanding, and tolerance. Look at you—you’ve decided the future for the two of you all by yourself without even informing him. How do you think he would feel?"

Le Yao took a step back, somewhat in disbelief. Xiqiu sighed. "I won’t comment on your actions—whether they’re brave, decisive, or fearless, I don’t know. I only know this: you’re very selfish!"

"You!" Le Yao’s brows drew together, her face full of anger. "You’ve gone too far. How can you say that about me? Even my mother has never spoken to me like that."

"Exactly, your mother has never said that to you. Why? Because she can’t bear to; she loves you too much. And this is how you repay her!" Xiqiu sighed. "Stop making a scene. Calm down and think carefully about why your mother is so opposed. Since she’s doing this, she must have her reasons." 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Hmph!" Le Yao turned her head away, refusing to listen to Xiqiu’s persuasion. Xiqiu paused, then said, "How about this: you quiet down and stop making trouble. I’ll go ask Minzhi what he thinks. If he also has feelings for you, I’ll certainly help you with this marriage. But if he doesn’t agree..." Xiqiu looked at the hope brimming in Le Yao’s eyes and, feeling a bit soft-hearted, said, "Then will you obediently go back to Huainan with your mother, all right?"

"All right, it’s a deal!" Le Yao’s face was full of seriousness.

Xiqiu nodded slightly. "A deal." Le Yao handed the letter over again, but Xiqiu waved her hand. "I won’t deliver the letter for you. Just wait for my news." With that, she no longer looked at Le Yao and walked straight out without turning back.

"Fourth Madam..." Madam Ruan stood outside the door with an embarrassed face. Xiqiu paused in her steps and nodded to Madam Ruan. "I won’t disturb you any longer. Please help me speak to Madam Le." Having said that, she left without looking back.

Madam Ruan stamped her feet in anger, pointed at Le Yao for a long while without managing to say anything, then tapped Ruan Pingrong’s forehead. "Thoughtless thing—let’s see how you all clean up this mess." With that, she went out after Xiqiu.

Bihuai and Biwu saw that Xiqiu’s face didn’t look good and silently supported her as they accompanied her out through the second gate of Marquis Jinxiang’s residence. Madam Ruan hurried up from behind. "Fourth Madam, when you go back, please don’t tell your cousin-brother about this either. I already know how this whole thing started—it’s just Yao off in her own wild fantasies. I’m afraid he doesn’t even know yet..." She paused, then added with some difficulty, "Actually... my elder sister-in-law doesn’t mean anything else... It’s just that Yao is the apple of her eye. How could she bear to let her marry far away? She had long planned to bring in a man as a live-in son-in-law, so..." Her face full of bitterness and helplessness: "Who would have thought she’d cause such a commotion..."

So this was her way of saying that Tong Minzhi’s status isn’t good enough for Le Yao, and that it would be impossible to bring Tong Minzhi in as a live-in son-in-law, wasn’t it.

Xiqiu felt deeply awkward and nodded. "I understand. I’ll go back and ask him, so we can give Madam Le an explanation." With that, she got into the carriage.

Madam Ruan smiled awkwardly and watched the Governor Mansion’s carriage depart.

Xiqiu’s chest ached from anger with every heartbeat. Instead of going home, she went straight to the Tong Mansion. Madam Jiang saw her suddenly return and was a bit puzzled. "Why are you back all of a sudden, is something the matter?"

"I have something to discuss with Seventh Brother." Xiqiu smiled. "I’ll go home once I’m done. Sister-in-law, don’t worry about me, go on with your business."

Madam Jiang didn’t think much of it and nodded. "Seventh Brother happens to be home today. He should be in his room right now. I’ll have Nanny Qiu go with you."

"No need, how could I not know the way in my own home?" Xiqiu waved her hand. "Go on, I’ll come find you once I’ve finished speaking to him."

Madam Jiang replied, "I actually do have things to do—I’m helping Fourth Sister pick out fabrics. Since you’re back, come help me choose in a bit."

"All right." Xiqiu agreed, then went straight past the East Cross Courtyard to Tong Minzhi’s room in the outer courtyard.