"Yes."
Qingque almost didn't snap back to reality. She responded and walked towards Wei Xian, her steps feeling as if she were treading on clouds, unreal and unsteady.
She heard her own voice, trembling with an indescribable mix of fear and exhilaration, "Third Madam, please."
"Good, very good!"
Wei Xian finally caught her breath, stopped coughing, but her voice was still hoarse.
She sneered, glancing at Qingque who had now approached her, then raised her head to glare fiercely at Lu Jinxi.
If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that this was the same pushover she had been manipulating for four years.
It was her own arrogance to blame. She had heard rumors about Lu Jinxi's changed temperament but dismissed them, thinking she could still use her old methods to provoke her.
Instead, her momentary jealousy and loose tongue had given Lu Jinxi the upper hand, leaving her unable to retaliate!
Wei Xian's heart burned with hatred, but she was no ordinary person. As the cherished daughter of the Wei family and having lived under the shadow of her perfect elder sister, Wei Yi, she was far from simple.
In just a few moments, her mind had raced through countless thoughts.
No matter the reason, she had lost today.
Rather than stubbornly clinging to the matter and forcing Lu Jinxi to escalate it to the matriarch, it was better for her to swallow her pride and let it go for now.
After all, she and her second sister-in-law had a long future ahead.
Having made up her mind, Wei Xian forced herself to suppress the raging fury within her and instead put on a dazzling, almost terrifying smile.
"Since Second Sister-in-law has given the order to leave, I won't linger. I only hope you handle Xue Chi's mess properly and don't bring any misfortune to the General's Mansion. Otherwise, if you can't manage the household affairs, I'll take them over sooner or later!"
With that, she turned and left in a huff.
"Ling Zhu, let's go!"
Ling Zhu quickly responded, not even bothering to bid farewell to Lu Jinxi, and hurried after her.
As soon as they stepped out of the warm chamber, the forced smile on Wei Xian's face froze, replaced by a heavy gloom and suppressed rage.
"Madam, are you alright?"
Ling Zhu followed closely behind her, her almond-shaped eyes filled with concern as she asked in a soft, hesitant voice.
She was Wei Xian's personal maid, having served her since Wei Xian was the Second Miss of the Wei family.
After all these years, she knew Wei Xian's temperament well. Seeing her now, cold and bitter, Ling Zhu felt a mix of complexity and heartache, recalling all the reasons behind it.
Wei Xian walked briskly, as if trying to shake off everything behind her with her pace.
She gritted her teeth, "What could be wrong? It's just another person standing against me. But does she think her little tricks are enough? I have countless methods, and sooner or later, she'll regret it!"
"But..."
Ling Zhu hesitated, glancing at Wei Xian several times before finally summoning the courage to speak.
"This servant has noticed that her temperament seems different now. She might actually be capable of managing the General's Mansion. She's alone, with several children to care for. If she loses control of the household affairs..."
"What do you know?!"
Wei Xian sharply cut her off, her eyes icy as she stared at Ling Zhu.
"Remember this clearly—it's not that I want to take it from her. It's that she doesn't deserve it!"
"..."
Ling Zhu opened her mouth, glancing at the stains on Wei Xian's new skirt. In the end, she swallowed her words, sighed, and said, "This servant was thoughtless. Please don't be angry."
Personal maids were often treated like young mistresses.
Wei Xian had always confided in Ling Zhu since they were children. Seeing her now, softened and apologetic, Wei Xian couldn't bring herself to continue scolding.
"I'm just... unwilling to accept it..."
She murmured, her earlier anger dissipating.
In her mind, she recalled the harsh words she had blurted out in the warm chamber, and the furious look in Xue Chi's eyes—it was as if that person was looking at her.
For some reason, Wei Xian suddenly felt exhausted.
A sense of helplessness and confusion began to seep into her dark, pearl-like eyes.
Ling Zhu didn't dare to say more, simply accompanying her as they left the eastern courtyard.
The maids and servants who had been gathered outside had already dispersed, leaving the area quiet and desolate.
Only the sound of crisp slaps could be heard from the flowerbed ahead.
"Slap."
"Slap."
...
One after another.
Wei Xian hadn't paid attention earlier, having heard the noise from inside the house. She assumed it was a servant being punished and didn't care to investigate.
Following the sound, she saw Madam Zhou slapping someone.
She had recently disciplined Madam Zhou's daughter, and now it seemed Madam Zhou was taking her revenge.
Wei Xian thought idly. On any other day, she might have gone over to see, but today she had no interest. She turned to head back to the western courtyard.
But just as she turned, something flashed through her mind—
Wait!
The maid kneeling on the ground, being beaten—why did she look so familiar?
Wei Xian's eyelids twitched violently, and she immediately turned back, focusing on the scene.
The maid was being held down by two stout servants, her mouth gagged, her face already swollen beyond recognition. Only her tear-filled eyes remained, pleading desperately in Wei Xian's direction, muffled sobs escaping her throat.
Wasn't this Ruizhu, the maid who served in her chambers?
For a moment, Wei Xian's vision darkened.
Ling Zhu also realized what was happening, her face a mix of shock and anger as she shouted, "What are you doing?!"
Inside the warm chamber, Lu Jinxi had just settled onto the heated kang when she heard the commotion outside.
She frowned, displeased. "What's all this noise now?"
"Madam, it's Ruizhu. Third Madam just saw her and is causing a scene."
A maid standing outside the door, having witnessed the situation, replied nervously, bowing deeply.
"It's of no consequence."
Lu Jinxi didn't care at all about Ruizhu's situation.
"She's too tolerant to be truly foolish. Today's matter isn't settled yet, so even if she wants to demand 'justice' for that maid, she won't do it today. Nothing will come of it."
Besides, what "justice" was there to speak of?
Ruizhu deserved the beating, though it was unfortunate that she ended up in the hands of Madam Zhou, her enemy, making it particularly brutal.
Wei Xian wasn't stupid. She would figure it out once she asked around.
"Close the doors and windows. It's too noisy."
Lu Jinxi ordered.
The maids immediately began closing the doors and windows, their movements swift and efficient.
Qingque watched, still feeling as if she were in a dream.
In the past, they would only move if prodded, and even then, they would grumble. But today, under Second Madam's orders, they moved as if their hands and feet were enchanted, faster than ever...
The change was too drastic, making her feel somewhat uneasy.
Lu Jinxi, however, didn't notice anything unusual.
She simply turned her gaze back to Xue Chi, who was sitting in front of her. Their eyes met, and she saw a mix of surprise, curiosity, hesitation, and... fear in his large eyes.
The moment their gazes connected, he flinched, quickly lowering his head to avoid her stare.
His long, thick eyelashes, like two small fans, cast shadows over his face.
Qingque had already wiped the dirt from his small face, leaving only bruises—purple and red marks. Despite his young age, his nose was straight, and his lips were pressed tightly together, exuding a stubbornness.
This was the first time Lu Jinxi had taken a good look at the child since entering the room.
At a glance, she could tell he was indeed a little tyrant, likely with a strong will.
But perhaps not as bad as she had imagined.
After all, he still knew fear.
Perhaps her earlier verbal sparring with Wei Xian had been too intense, frightening him.
Lu Jinxi didn't know how the original Lu Jinxi had interacted with her children, but she had heard that she taught them to read and write, so she guessed their relationship was more like that of a teacher and student.
But now, it was her in this body, not the original Lu Jinxi. Replicating their previous dynamic would be nearly impossible.
Lu Jinxi had never raised a child and rarely interacted with children. She could only rely on her instincts, feeling her way forward step by step.
Seeing that Xue Chi refused to look at her, she softened her voice. "Did Mother scare you just now?"
Xue Chi kept his head down, silent.
Lu Jinxi pondered. The relationship between this child and the original Lu Jinxi couldn't be so bad that he wouldn't even speak to her. It was more likely that he was frightened or had something on his mind, unwilling to engage.
In situations like this, getting a child to open up was like negotiating with someone.
How can one make someone lower their guard?
It’s simple—align yourself with them, make them believe you’re on their side, that you’re one of them.
With this thought in mind, Lu Jinxi steered the conversation in a new direction: “You’re only six years old, but you’re already a little man. Mother believes you’re smart and have your own sense of right and wrong. You saw it yourself earlier—when you threw the medicine jar at your third aunt, I stood by your side and didn’t scold you at all.”
Xue Chi’s head slowly lifted.
He seemed a little guilty, glancing quickly at Lu Jinxi before lowering his gaze again, his voice muffled: “I know Mother is good to me. But I… I don’t like Third Aunt…”
He didn’t like how Third Aunt always brought up his father.
Even though everyone called him a little tyrant, Xue Chi thought he was quite sensible.
Like how, even though Mother never mentioned it, he knew what the character “Chi” in his name truly meant.
He thought he was just a bit short-tempered and impatient…
Of course, to adults, these traits just made him seem unruly.
“I know what you don’t like about her. No one who understands would like it either. You’re not wrong…”
Lu Jinxi’s voice was soft, like clouds drifting in the sky.
Xue Chi listened, her voice still gentle and soothing, but somehow different.
When he used to hear his mother speak, whether reciting poetry or giving orders to the servants, it always reminded him of a gray, drizzly day—soft, but with a veil of melancholy.
But now, even though she wasn’t talking about anything happy, and his mood wasn’t particularly good, he couldn’t help but think of a spring day with a clear blue sky and white clouds.
It was hard to describe this feeling.
Xue Chi couldn’t quite put it into words, but he vaguely felt that he didn’t dislike it.
He couldn’t help but look up at her again, studying her carefully.
It had been over half a month since he last saw her. He’d heard she’d been sick, almost to the point of not waking up.
Now she looked thinner and paler than before. She should have seemed frail, but there was a certain vitality in her eyes.
Strangely, Xue Chi thought his mother looked even more spirited now than before she fell ill.
“…So, you should know by now that Mother is someone who can see right from wrong and will always think of you first.”
Lu Jinxi had been speaking for a while, gently guiding him, before finally steering the conversation toward the incident at the Duke of Ying’s Mansion.
“Earlier, they said you got into a fight with Second Young Master Luo next door. When Qingque asked you why, you didn’t want to say. Now that Mother is back, would you like to tell me?”
“No!”
Xue Chi, who had been hesitant to speak earlier, immediately refused.
His small body tensed up in an instant, his eyes widening as he glared at her, his brows furrowed in anger, filled with wariness and defensiveness.
Lu Jinxi was taken aback.
She had thought the boy was like a docile donkey, but the moment she brought up the reason for the fight, he immediately lashed out.
It seemed this topic was off-limits.
But if she didn’t know the details, how could she judge who was right or wrong?
Lu Jinxi’s mind worked quickly as she looked at him, meeting his gaze. In that moment, she didn’t treat him like a child.
Her eyes were calm, her voice even calmer, as she spoke lightly: “If you won’t say, then I won’t ask. But without knowing the details, I can’t judge who was right or wrong. All I know is that Second Young Master Luo was more seriously injured than you—his arm was bleeding. Later, I’ll have to go to the Duke of Ying’s Mansion to apologize. Would you like to come with me…”
“No! I’m not wrong! And you’re not allowed to go!”
Before she could finish, Xue Chi shouted, cutting her off. His face flushed red with anger, as if he had exploded.
“You’re not allowed to apologize! I won’t let you!”
He was like a little lion that had been provoked, his fists clenched tightly, his face red, his eyes filled with rage as he stared at Lu Jinxi—and also…
a faint, hidden trace of hurt.
Lu Jinxi looked into his eyes, and in that moment, she felt something incredibly subtle.
Her previously hardened heart softened inexplicably.
