Chang Yuncheng declined Madam Xie’s invitation to stay for dinner.
“I’ll go check on Father,” he said, his expression slightly uncomfortable. “Father is still staying in the study?”
Madam Xie nodded.
“Don’t worry, he’ll be fine in just a few days,” she said lightly.
Chang Yuncheng withdrew.
Due to the Concubine Zhou incident in the household, Madam Xie used the excuse of being troubled to tell the concubines and children not to come for daily attendance. Marquis Dingxi spent all day in his study, claiming to be fasting and atoning for his sins. Therefore, in the vast dining hall, only Madam Xie sat alone, looking at the table full of fine wine and delicacies without touching her chopsticks much.
“Madam,” a servant woman entered and paid her respects.
“How was it?” Madam Xie asked with downcast eyes.
“The Lord went to the Marquis’s study, but the Marquis didn’t see him, so the Lord returned,” the servant woman answered quietly.
Madam Xie said nothing, holding her chopsticks and slowly picking at the braised fish and tofu before her, pulling out fishbones one by one.
“He…” she murmured, “went back to have dinner with that woman…”
Nanny Su quickly waved for the servant woman to leave and took the chopsticks herself to pick up the deboned fish meat for Madam Xie.
“Madam, it’s the Lord’s filial piety. He was afraid you’d know and wait for him, delaying your own meal,” she said with a smile.
Madam Xie smiled but didn’t take the fish meat from Nanny Su. Instead, she pulled the whole plate of fish toward herself.
“The Marquis hasn’t been seeing anyone these past few days. He’s not unaware of this…” she said. “He finally lied to me, and it was for that wench…”
Madam Xie used her chopsticks to stab the beautifully carved fish repeatedly, crushing it. Only by picking out fishbone after fishbone did her nerves seem to find relief.
Chang Yuncheng stepped through the courtyard gate and saw all the maids standing in the courtyard, including Qiu Xiang.
Seeing him enter, everyone hurried to pay their respects, with Qiu Xiang stepping forward to take his outer garment.
This weather-vane wall-grass of a wretched maid—wasn’t her eyes only for that woman?
Why wasn’t she inside serving?
He couldn’t help but glance at the dining hall, seeing it was quiet without the liveliness of that woman’s mealtimes.
At least you have some sense, knowing to wait for the master to return…
“Serve dinner,” he said.
Qiu Xiang responded and passed the word. The courtyard became busy but orderly, with the prepared dishes being served one by one.
Chang Yuncheng entered the room and, though he walked directly into his bedroom, his peripheral vision had already swept the other side. His steps into the room involuntarily stopped.
No one there?
He looked back—that side was empty.
In the washroom?
He hesitated for a moment, then deliberately made his footsteps heavier as he walked toward the washroom, but didn’t hear that woman’s voice stopping him.
Chang Yuncheng stopped and looked back, seeing Qiu Xiang standing at the bedroom door watching him. She showed no sign of reminding or dissuading him, but instead…
“Lord, would you like this servant to attend your washing?” she asked respectfully when she saw Chang Yuncheng looking over.
Not in the washroom…
Chang Yuncheng grunted with some discomfort.
“Where is the young madam?” he asked seemingly casually.
Qiu Xiang had already brought clean casual clothes.
“The young madam went to Second Madam’s place and sent word back that Second Madam is keeping her for dinner,” she answered.
Chang Yuncheng looked up and took a deep breath, then heavily stepped into the washroom.
As Qiu Xiang followed Chang Yuncheng toward the dining hall, all the maids received her warning look.
The Lord was in a bad mood, very bad. Everyone should be extremely careful.
The atmosphere in the entire Pengcheng Courtyard immediately became tense.
Meanwhile, Chen Shi’s courtyard in the western mansion hadn’t been this lively in a long time.
“…Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, what is this?”
Watching another dish being served, Chen Shi’s daughter immediately asked, while the young man sitting beside her couldn’t wait and stood up to serve himself.
“Second Brother, Mother hasn’t eaten yet,” Chen Shi’s daughter, fifteen-year-old Chang Yinglan, tapped the young man’s hand with her chopsticks.
Qi Yue stood nearby watching them with a smile.
“Aunt can’t eat this,” she said, personally picking up several pieces and putting them in a small dish. “Aunt, try this. Mock crab roe.”
Chen Shi reclined against her chair back with a thick blanket over her legs, smiling as she watched the roomful of people competing to sample the dishes. Hearing Qi Yue’s words, she looked over and reached out with a smile.
“Young Madam, our madam’s physician has advised that she cannot eat crab, shrimp, and such…” Cai Qing said quickly, seeing that Second Madam was reaching for it without hesitation.
Second Madam didn’t stop her hand and took the small dish.
“I haven’t eaten crab roe in so long, I’m almost forgetting what it tastes like,” she said with a smile, picking up a small piece and putting it in her mouth.