Qi Yue walked over with a smile.
“Father, it’s my fault,” she said with a smile while curtsying.
Previously, Qi Yue wouldn’t dare speak to him openly and gracefully—it would have been remarkable if she dared to lift her head when seeing him. The Marquis Dingxi was very surprised. What surprised him even more was that after Qi Yue finished speaking with a smile, without waiting for his response, she beckoned and took a wine cup and wine pot from a nearby maid’s hands, pouring herself a cup.
“Father, I’ll punish myself with a cup of wine,” she said with a smile, truly draining it in one gulp. “You mustn’t be angry. On such a good day today, if you get angry, then I would be greatly at fault.”
The surprise on the Marquis Dingxi’s face completely disappeared, and he burst into hearty laughter.
“Good!” he said with a laugh, saying “good” three times in a row.
With his laughter, the originally somewhat tense atmosphere immediately became lively.
“Also,” Qi Yue smiled and poured another cup of wine, raising it to everyone, “it’s all my fault for making everyone put down their chopsticks. Your sister-in-law apologizes to you all and punishes herself with another cup.”
She smiled and drained it again in one gulp.
“Sister-in-law has a good tolerance for alcohol,” a male voice laughed.
Qi Yue looked over with a smile and saw it was a young man sitting next to the Third Young Master.
“Since I’ve already had two cups, let’s make it complete. Why don’t we all drink together? ‘Ten thousand li of mortal world, three cups of wine; a thousand years of achievement, one pot of tea,'” she said with a smile while pouring wine again.
“Good poetry!” the Marquis Dingxi clapped and said, repeating it once. “‘Ten thousand li of mortal world, three cups of wine; a thousand years of achievement, one pot of tea.’ Good, very good!”
His gaze toward Qi Yue was full of joy.
Was there anything more pleasing to the eye in this world than seeing a beautiful, intelligent, and clever woman?
“Sister-in-law can actually compose poetry now,” several seated young men laughed and called out.
“What poetry? I don’t understand such things. You scholars shouldn’t tease your sister-in-law,” Qi Yue said with a laugh.
Looking at such a Qi Yue, more than half the people present stared in amazement.
“My heavens,” the Second Miss said to the Third Miss beside her, holding her chest and speaking in a low voice. “She really has been completely transformed…”
The Third Miss looked toward the area behind the Marquis Dingxi with flickering eyes.
“Did Concubine turn stone into gold?” she said hesitantly in a low voice.
The Second Miss frowned.
“That can’t be right. I never heard Concubine mention it,” she murmured quietly.
The two looked at Qi Yue again, seeing this woman with gentle smiles, graceful and poised, with a flavor different from what they usually knew, saw, and learned.
“Could it really be true?” both of them had this thought simultaneously.
That story secretly circulating in the Marquis Dingxi’s mansion about the Great Young Madam walking the path to the underworld, drinking Meng Po’s soup, and being personally sent back by the Old Marchioness—could it be more than just a story?
“Come, listen to your sister-in-law. Let’s all drink together,” the Marquis Dingxi said with a smile, raising his wine cup.
With his lead, everyone raised their wine cups and drained them, making the atmosphere even more joyful than before.
“Eldest daughter-in-law, sit down quickly,” the Marquis Dingxi said with a laugh, looking at Qi Yue and nodding with satisfaction.
Qi Yue curtsied again with a smile before turning back to her seat. As she sat down, she breathed a small sigh of relief and gently patted her chest.
Chang Yuncheng beside her put down his wine cup and glanced at her sideways, his expression unreadable.
The stewardess retreated safely, while Concubine Liu stood there somewhat embarrassed. Concubine Zhou pushed her aside while talking to the Marquis Dingxi.
Concubine Liu retreated rather awkwardly, looking indignant but not daring to say anything, hurriedly looking to Madam Xie. Madam Xie’s expression was somber, slowly turning her wine cup, lost in thought.
“Marquis, here’s the opera program. You choose. Yueniang just took over, and frankly, she’s completely in the dark. Don’t let her make another public mistake,” Concubine Zhou whispered in the Marquis Dingxi’s ear while pouring wine for him as cover.
“You should help her watch over things,” the Marquis Dingxi also whispered, smiling. “She’s just a child who doesn’t understand, but you should understand.”
“What do I understand? I’m just a concubine talking too much,” Concubine Zhou glanced at him sideways and smiled quietly.
Under the combined light of lanterns and moon, Concubine Zhou’s demeanor had a special charm that made the Marquis Dingxi’s heart flutter.
“I know best how much you understand,” he whispered with a laugh, reaching out to gently squeeze Concubine Zhou’s hand that was holding the wine pot.
Concubine Zhou’s face flushed slightly as she spat at him.
“You’re about to hold grandchildren, yet you still like to tease as before,” she whispered.
Hearing her mention the past, the Marquis Dingxi felt slightly guilty. He hadn’t been to Concubine Zhou’s place for quite some time. Thinking of those intensely passionate days from before, he patted Concubine Zhou’s hand without speaking. Concubine Zhou looked at him with a smile, a thousand words contained in that one glance.
Madam Xie nearby filled her cup with wine and drank it all at once. Not being good with alcohol and drinking too hastily, she couldn’t help but choke.
“Madam, we can’t compare with these young children. It’s better to drink less wine,” Concubine Zhou quickly smiled and used a handkerchief to help her wipe, speaking gently.
Madam Xie looked at her coldly and pushed away her hand. Concubine Zhou didn’t mind, smiled, stood up, and walked away.
Here, Chang Yunhong was raising his wine cup to drink with Qi Yue, also pulling Chang Yunqi along.
“With big brother here, how can we ask big sister-in-law to drink?” Chang Yunqi pulled Chang Yunhong down and said.
“Big brother isn’t drinking. I didn’t expect sister-in-law to have such a good tolerance for alcohol,” Chang Yunhong said with a laugh.
Chang Yuncheng ate his food on his own, completely ignoring them, as if he hadn’t heard their words. Qi Yue just smiled at them.
A’Ru whispered in her ear, introducing that this was the Third Young Master and this was the Fourth Young Master.
“What drinking? If you drink too much and can’t get up tomorrow, let’s see how your teacher punishes you,” Concubine Zhou said with a laugh as she walked over.