Chapter 62: Returning to the Xie Residence

She dared not think too far ahead; simply not having to be a servant was already beyond her wildest expectations.

Upon second thought, there would be people to handle everything in the Old Mistress’s courtyard, and she would merely be keeping the Old Mistress company, sparing her from toiling away as a beast of burden in a husband’s household or enduring beatings and scoldings. Who could say how comfortable this life might turn out to be?

Tian Fang’s heart instantly warmed up.

Before the afternoon was through, the entire Marquis's Estate was abuzz with the rumor. The Grand Dowager had fallen severely ill the night before, complaining that her daughter-in-law was remiss in her duties, and had thrown a massive tantrum. Consequently, the Eldest Master had gone out of his way overnight to bring back the Grand Dowager’s maternal niece to keep her company, purely as a demonstration of filial piety.

Hearing the gossip drifting through the estate, Xie Mingyue lay lazily upon her couch, set down the ledger in her hand, and let out a soft scoff.

"A demonstration of filial piety? If they had heard the words the Eldest Master uttered last night, rumors like this would never have seen the light of day."

Wutong was peeling almonds nearby. "But, My Lady, since the Eldest Master brought that woman into the estate, hasn't he simply played right into the Grand Dowager's wishes?"

With such a commotion, everyone now knew the Eldest Lady was unfilial, forcing the Eldest Master to seek out an outsider to fulfill filial duties in her stead.

Xie Mingyue rose languidly, the thin quilt sliding from her shoulder to reveal the delicate, soft, and fragrant curves of her figure beneath.

She smoothed back her long hair. "You fool, that is the Eldest Master's birth mother after all. He rebuffed the Lady Yun for my sake, and since Lady Yun happened to use past events to pressure others yesterday, the Eldest Master simply followed her cue to find someone to shut her mouth. Because of this, Lady Yun will never again find an excuse to pick a fight with me."

Her eyes were filled with amusement, genuinely impressed by Qi Jingshan's tactic of fighting poison with poison.

The moment Tian Fang had arrived at the estate, she had been dazzled by its wealth and luxury. Once she discovered that this Lady Yun did not hold absolute power over life and death within the household, the real show would only just begin.

By then, when she learned that her entry into the mansion was entirely thanks to a jesting remark by Lady Yun, she could only wonder what her reaction would be.

Listening nearby, Wutong finally understood the intricate twists and turns hidden beneath the surface.

"The Eldest Master truly goes to great lengths; he simply cannot bear for you to suffer even the slightest grievance, My Lady."

She beamed as she bantered with Xie Mingyue, whose eyes curved into gentle crescents. Catching sight of Qi Jingshan leisurely stepping into the courtyard through a crack in the window, she hurriedly rose to greet him.

"My Lord, you are back from your official duties so early today?"

Seeing her skin, smooth as suet jade, draped in nothing but a soft gauze and shod in velvet slippers as she came running out, Qi Jingshan quickly stepped forward and wrapped her snugly within his great cloak.

"The weather has barely warmed up a fraction, yet you are already courting the chill."

His dark eyes lowered as he gazed at the person in his arms. Xie Mingyue wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled. "I am not courting the chill; I merely took a short nap just now."

It was right around noon, and she had woken up feeling wonderfully relaxed and soft all over. Upon seeing Qi Jingshan, an instinctive sense of reliance welled up within her.

Watching his increasingly radiant wife, Qi Jingshan raised a brow with a faint smile and pulled her into the room.

"Since you have just woken, tidy up and dress, then accompany me out of the estate."

Xie Mingyue’s lips parted in a smile. "Where to?"

Qi Jingshan tapped the pearwood table beside him. "The Xie Residence."

The understated carriage of the Marquis of Shunqing halted before the Xie Residence. Looking at the estate—where she had parted ways not even a month ago, yet everything now felt thoroughly estranged—Xie Mingyue experienced a turbulent wave of emotions.

Ever since Qi Jingshan had granted her plea that day, she had spent every single day wondering when she might finally see her mother.

She had imagined countless scenarios, even entertaining the absurd notion that Qi Jingshan might sneak her into the Xie Residence under the cover of night. What she had never anticipated, however, was that he would bring her directly through the front gates for an open visit.

"Lord Qi?"

Upon catching sight of Qi Jingshan, the doorkeeper of the Xie family widened his eyes in astonishment. When he spotted the all-too-familiar "Eldest Miss" standing by his side, the man scrambled head over heels to scurry into the courtyard and report the news.

After a short while, the vermilion gates swung open, and Qi Jingshan, accompanied by Xie Mingyue, slowly stepped into the estate behind a guiding servant.

Years had passed since they parted, and everything familiar to Xie Mingyue had been entirely replaced.

She walked along paths that were simultaneously alien and well-remEMBERed, every corner capable of instantly dragging her back into the past.

Especially this quadrangle paved with cobblestone and floral bricks; at sixteen, she had danced here and chased after butterflies. In the blink of an eye, however, the world had turned upside down, and people had changed.

Master Xie had long been waiting in the front hall. When he laid eyes upon Xie Mingyue standing beside Qi Jingshan, his stern visage tightened into an even deeper scowl.

"Lord Qi, are there critical state affairs to be discussed today? Why trouble yourself with bringing your esteemed wife along..."

Xie Changxun swept a glance over Xie Mingyue and addressed Qi Jingshan in a stiff, rigid tone.

Hearing rumors that Qi Jingshan recently intended to reinvestigate the tragic case of the Cao River from years ago, he had assumed this visit was for a detailed discussion of important matters. Who would have thought that trailing in Qi Jingshan's wake would be that impostor who had lingered in the Xie family for over a decade?

Xie Changxun's expression instantly turned glacial.

Qi Jingshan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression severe. "Lord Xie, I have come today to discuss other crucial matters concerning the estate. As for my wife, she merely rode along with me today as we happened to pass by her former home, so she wished to return and take a look."

A former home?

Xie Changxun’s eyes widened sharply, a sneer hovering on the edge of his lips.

She was nothing more than a wild seed swapped away by a wicked servant, who had stolen their doting affection in the Xie household for sixteen years, only to latch onto Qi Jingshan and attempt a grand comeback!

When the betrothal between Xie Mingyue and Qi Xiuyu had been annulled, she had immediately married Qi Jingshan instead, making the Xie family the laughingstock of high society!

The Xie family prided themselves on being upright, scholarly officials. Whenever he recalled the humiliation of those years, Xie Changxun felt as though death would be preferable to such agony.

"Lord Qi jests. My esteemed wife is no member of the Xie household; how could one speak of a 'former home'?"

He could not help but retort.

Yet no sooner had the words left his mouth than he recalled Qi Jingshan's usual arbitrary and overbearing demeanor, causing cold sweat to break out across his back.

Qi Jingshan bringing Xie Mingyue here today was unmistakably a deliberate display of backing her up.

Yet he had just rebuffed the man so bluntly. Word had it that over the years, Qi Jingshan had taken no concubines and fathered no children, living out his days solely devoted to a sickly wife—evidently loving her down to his very bones.

With such thoughts, Xie Changxun could not help feeling a chill seep into his marrow.

Instead of growing angry, Qi Jingshan chuckled softly. "It was my phrasing that was amiss. However, now that my wife has accompanied me here, and since you and I have matters to discuss, Lord Xie, I must ask you to arrange a pleasant spot for her to view the scenery and partake of tea, lest she grow bored."

His words were laced with impeccable courtesy, leaving Xie Changxun with no room for refusal. After a fleeting thought, he instinctively replied, "Then I shall have your esteemed wife escorted to the Zhaohua Hall. The spring scenery there is exceptional; there is no better place to sip tea and admire the views."

Hearing the name "Zhaohua," Xie Mingyue felt a sharp ache in her nasal passage, and tears nearly spilled from her eyes.

That pavilion had originally been constructed by the Xie family specifically for her. Even though her father was currently unwilling to acknowledge her, habits carved into one's very bones could never truly be erased.

Thus, without conscious thought, Xie Changxun had blurted out Zhaohua Hall.

Noticing her reaction and hearing the name of the hall, Qi Jingshan instantly understood the underlying reason.

The dark shadow in his eyes vanished in a flash. He turned back and pulled her into his arms as if no one else were around, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek.

"I shall only be conferring with Lord Xie for a moment. Go and wait for me there, hmm?"

Taken completely by surprise by the kiss, and acutely aware of the surrounding Xie family servants, Xie Mingyue lowered her gaze in shyness and murmured softly, "Very well, I will go."

She had no idea what arrangements Qi Jingshan had made, but simply being brought back to the Xie family and allowed to tread once more upon these familiar paths filled her with profound gratitude.

Mother...

If her mother remained unconscious, she doubted she would have been able to see her so easily merely in the capacity of an ordinary guest.

With such thoughts, Xie Mingyue sat quietly in Zhaohua Hall, sipping tea in a daze, until a maid with spirited, clear-cut brows approached, startling her out of her reverie.

Ensuring no one else was near, the maid lowered her voice.

"Please, My Lady, come with me to the changing room immediately. Your servant is under orders from the Eldest Master to lead you to see Madam Xie."