Qi Yue glanced at him. Silly child, when mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are talking, you absolutely cannot interrupt, especially with words that obviously protect the daughter-in-law.
Eh? This boy would protect me? Qi Yue was stunned again.
Madam Xie looked at Chang Yuncheng, her face iron-blue, lips trembling slightly.
She wanted to believe she had misheard—her Cheng-ge’er would actually speak up for this woman!
But everything before her told her she hadn’t misheard!
Her expression frightened Chang Yuncheng.
“Mother, what’s wrong?” he hurried over a few steps to ask.
Qi Yue put her hand to her forehead, while Nanny Su and A’Luan also lowered their heads.
Madam Xie looked at Chang Yuncheng, then glanced at Qi Yue, who stood there as if nothing had happened.
“Get out,” she uttered two words.
Chang Yuncheng was stunned, only now realizing that Madam Xie was angry.
“Mother, you…” he began to inquire.
Madam Xie looked at Chang Yuncheng’s worried and confused expression. Her son was honest—he must have been bewitched by that woman behind the scenes. She couldn’t embarrass him in public; she’d explain everything to him later. He would definitely still listen to her.
“I’m tired now and don’t want to talk. You all go out,” Madam Xie took a deep breath, finally suppressing her boiling emotions, and said slowly.
Chang Yuncheng looked at Madam Xie’s expression. His mother didn’t like Qi Yueniang—over the years, she had seen her only a handful of times, so naturally she wouldn’t want to talk to her much. He nodded and didn’t insist.
“Alright, I’ll come again this evening,” he said, lifting his feet to leave. After walking a few steps, he saw Qi Yue still standing there unmoved. “Why aren’t you leaving? Are you staying here to anger Mother?”
The one angering your mother isn’t me, Qi Yue glanced at him without speaking.
“It’s like this—I came to tell Mother that I, as a daughter-in-law, am young and don’t understand things. Household matters should still trouble Mother,” she said.
Qi Yue knew that Madam Xie was unhappy now, very unhappy. Saying this now was undoubtedly adding fuel to the fire, but she had no mood to wait for Madam Xie to be in a good mood. Moreover, as long as she was here, Madam Xie would never be in a good mood.
Madam Xie, still angry, seemed not to understand and looked up at her.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“I said the matter of managing the household should still be handled by Mother,” Qi Yue said with a smile.
These words stunned everyone in the room.
Before, when she had no power or support, she jumped out to fight for household management. Now that she had power and support, she didn’t want to manage it?
This Young Madam’s thinking was really different from ordinary people…
Madam Xie laughed angrily.
“Do you think this is a game?” she looked at Qi Yue and sneered. “You want it when you want it, and throw it away when you don’t? What do you take me for?”
Qi Yue was about to say something when Chang Yuncheng strode over and grabbed her wrist.
“Mother is not feeling well. She said she’s tired and wants to rest. Did you not hear, or what?” he said through gritted teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, clearly controlling his anger with great effort.
After saying this, he dragged her outside.
The curtain lifted and fell, blocking the muffled sound from inside the room—it seemed like a teacup had been thrown onto the carpet.
Qi Yue was dragged by Chang Yuncheng’s grip all the way out of Rong’an Courtyard, with maids and servants along the way lowering their eyes and avoiding direct eye contact.
“Enough, my hand hurts,” Qi Yue called out.
Only then did Chang Yuncheng let go of her.
“What are you making trouble about now?” he demanded.
Was this woman stupid? Didn’t she know Mother disliked her? Yet she insisted on adding fuel to the fire!
“I wasn’t making trouble,” Qi Yue said, rubbing her wrist and looking up at him. “Like you, I’m also fulfilling my promise.”
Chang Yuncheng gave a cold laugh.
“What am I fulfilling? Do you think I disagreed with Mother’s words for your sake?” he said.
Qi Yue smiled at him.
“Whatever it is,” she said. “In any case, since I’ve returned, I’ll do as I said before—no longer manage the household, no longer cause trouble, and live honestly and peacefully.”
Chang Yuncheng looked at her without speaking.
“Also, actually,” Qi Yue looked up at him with a smile, “if you like any woman, you can feel free. That was just a joke at the time—you don’t need to take it too seriously.”
Chang Yuncheng’s face suddenly became ugly.
“Is that so?” he said slowly.
“Yes,” Qi Yue said with a smile.
This woman was indeed different from before. Chang Yuncheng’s eyes showed slight surprise. That’s right—before, her smiles were mostly provocative and curious, as if she were admiring some rare object, or like dealing with a caged beast, occasionally poking it with a small stick for amusement. But now, she was also smiling, yet that smile contained distance.
“Then I’ll go first,” Qi Yue said, seeing that he hadn’t spoken for a long time. She bowed slightly and turned to leave.
“You…” Chang Yuncheng called out, following a few steps.
Qi Yue turned back.