Qiu Xiang looked at Qi Yue somewhat appraisingly. When Qi Yue looked at her, she quickly averted her gaze and bent down to help with the wooden frame.
Chang Yuncheng didn’t emerge from the inner room, which remained silent.
Qi Yue smiled at A’Ru.
“Let’s go,” she said, not needing A’Ru’s support and walking out slowly by herself.
Que Zhi led two or three young maids carrying brooms and other tools as they filed in.
A’Ru followed Qi Yue into the room, looking at her carefully and worriedly.
“I’m fine. I won’t stoop to the level of that lunatic. What kind of person haven’t I seen? My former patients and their families came in all varieties,” Qi Yue said, sipping her tea and smiling at her.
A’Ru looked at her and realized the basket of comforting words she had prepared was useless. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Young Madam, don’t be sad… The Lord just has a bad temper, but he’s actually quite good…” she said.
Before she finished speaking, Qi Yue set her teacup down heavily on the table.
“That brat, losing his temper with me—you just wait, I’ll remember this,” she said with a snort.
A’Ru sighed helplessly. She knew it…
“Young Madam, don’t say that. Between you and the Lord, harmony should be valued…” she said hurriedly.
Qi Yue smiled at her with pursed lips.
“Of course, we need harmony. He’s my husband after all. I can’t possibly fight him with a knife, can I? That would be asking for a divorce letter,” she said with a smile, patting A’Ru’s shoulder with her fan. “Don’t worry, I’m not that foolish to do something that would make enemies happy and loved ones sad.”
This kid is giving me this sour face because he wants to drive me away, right? Well, I won’t leave. I’ll stay right here, happy and cheerful, and slap his face swollen.
That evening at dinner, Qi Yue still appeared in the dining room with a bright smile.
“Lord,” she respectfully bowed in greeting.
After a beating, she’s finally behaving properly. She never had such manners before, thought Qiu Xiang, who was standing by.
Chang Yuncheng didn’t even glance at Qi Yue, looking completely unsurprised.
“Lord, counting the days, I should go out tomorrow,” Qi Yue said indifferently, sitting down herself while watching the servants serve dishes and smiling.
Chang Yuncheng’s chopsticks paused slightly.
Counting the days, she should go out. He calculated in his mind, remembering he seemed to have heard about removing stitches or something…
“What? Do you have something that prevents you from going?” He looked up at Qi Yue, his lips showing undisguised mockery.
One trick, and she really planned to have him completely under her thumb?
“Something? What thing?” Qi Yue looked up at him, appearing confused. “Does the Lord have any instructions?”
Playing dumb? Chang Yuncheng sneered.
“However, even if the Lord has instructions, you’ll have to wait. I must go out tomorrow. Since I’ve taken on this matter, I need to see it through to the end,” Qi Yue said with a smile, speaking before Chang Yuncheng could.
This woman was still so arrogant, daring to speak to the Lord like this. Lord, quickly smash her with the rice bowl… Qiu Xiang screamed internally.
But to her disappointment, the Lord only raised his bowl to his mouth and said nothing more. After finishing his soup, he put down the bowl and left.
Qiu Xiang hurried to follow, glancing back as she reached the door.
“This porridge is well-made. I’ll have another bowl,” Qi Yue said.
Although Qi Yue remained as calm as if nothing had happened, too many people were watching the Lord’s courtyard. Plus, those who enjoyed seeing the Young Madam’s misfortune still constituted the majority in the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion, so news of Qi Yue’s collision with the flower pot in the Lord’s room quickly spread throughout.
“…The Young Madam was scolded by the Lord and got so scared she crashed into the flower pot…”
“…The Young Madam was trying to seduce the Lord and crashed into the flower pot…”
“…The Young Madam was hit by the Lord with a flower pot…”
“…The Young Madam was hit by the Lord with a flower pot so hard she vomited blood…”
A’Hao and Liu’er watched Qi Yue’s carriage leave through the gate before turning back. However, they didn’t return to the Lord’s courtyard. When Qi Yue wasn’t in the Lord’s courtyard, A’Hao would also withdraw. Though she appeared fine now, Qi Yue still required her to rest more. Following the Young Madam’s words was A’Hao’s only faith.
Liu’er naturally followed A’Hao’s lead.
When the two turned a corner, they happened to meet several maids gathered together. These maids were enthusiastically discussing these rumors and hadn’t noticed A’Hao and Liu’er behind them.
Following the maids was an old man swaying and half-asleep.
“…Vomited blood? Can she still live?” one maid expressed doubt about this rumor.
“Why couldn’t she live?” another maid snorted, lowering her voice. “…Vomiting blood isn’t that serious…”
The old man couldn’t stand listening to these young maids’ ignorance any longer.
“Vomiting blood isn’t serious? Vomiting blood means the five organs and six bowels are damaged. What does organ damage mean? In severe cases, one can’t survive,” he said with a snort, very impatient with these ignorant little maids’ chatter. “That maid in your house last time died because of internal organ injury. She didn’t even vomit blood then, just nausea and vomiting. Don’t underestimate this vomiting business.”
The old physician’s words made the young maids somewhat panicked.
“Ah, Doctor, the Third Miss’s maid you’re going to see this time also seems to vomit after eating. Could it be…” the maids chattered.
“Hey, that’s not right,” one maid thought of something. “We haven’t had any maids die here.”
Only then did everyone react and come to their senses.
“Right, we haven’t. Doctor, you must be mistaken,” they asked the old man.