The Second Branch was bustling with guests at the moment, filled with laughter and cheerful conversations. Although Yin Furen could walk for a while now, she was still unable to attend the banquet, so Xu Nian’an was helping Er Taitai organise the feast.

The female relatives of the household had all arrived, and today’s main focus, Zhao Chengke, was surrounded by the relatives like stars around the moon.

Zhao Shuxian glanced sideways at the peacock feather zhuanghua gauze Zhao Chengke was wearing, feeling very uncomfortable.

“Aiyo, look how radiant our Ah Ke is dressed today! This fabric is truly beautiful. Even Biao Jie has never seen such fine material,” praised Shi Er Guniang, the Wai niece of Er Taitai Ning Furen.

So the one talking was the daughter of Er Taitai (Ning Furen)’s sister. so she's a younger biao cousin of Zhao Chengke.

“Of course, this is something bestowed by the palace. It’s not something you can just casually come across,” laughed Shi Furen, the elder sister of Ning Furen, playfully tapping her daughter on the forehead.

Jia Shi (Zhao Huanxu’s wife) looked at Zhao Chengke’s clothes, finding them unbearably eye-catching, and turned her head away to sip her tea.

Si Taitai, filled with jealousy and resentment, thought about the two bolts of fabric. It was one thing for the Fifth Branch to keep one and give the other to the First Branch, as they held the title of the legitimate main branch. But why give it to the Second Branch? She had spent every day flattering the Fifth Branch and pleasing Lao Taitai, yet hadn’t gained a thing in return.

“This is all because our Lao Taitai favours Ah Ke, that’s why she gave her the fabric to make clothes. No one else could get their hands on it!” She chimed in, feeling bold since Lao Taitai had excused herself due to feeling unwell and wasn’t present.

Wu Taitai’s face froze in that moment. She wanted to signal to Si Taitai with her eyes, but with so many people watching, she was afraid someone would notice, so she had to hold back, secretly hoping Er Taitai would casually brush it off without explanation.

However, how could Ning Furen let her wish come true? She immediately smiled and said, “Si Dimei, you’ve got it wrong. This fabric wasn’t given to Ah Ke by Lao Taitai. It was gifted by Da Sao from the First Branch. The fabric had already been cut, and since it wouldn’t fit Huanxi’s wife, who else but my Ah Ke could wear it?”

These words left the female guests at the banquet exchanging glances, while the faces of the Fifth Branch’s mother and daughter-in-law turned red, and Si Taitai was stunned.

So the fabric wasn’t given to the Second Branch by Lao Taitai? What was really going on?

“Yimu, what do you mean by ‘the fabric had already been cut’? Who gives away fabric that has already been cut?” Shi Er Guniang asked Ning Furen, confused.

Shi Da Taitai coughed awkwardly and said to her daughter, “Your Yimu knows you love osmanthus cake and specially prepared some for you. Why haven’t you eaten any?”

The other women caught on and tactfully changed the subject, discussing the refreshments or admiring the chrysanthemums.

The story on the birthday of Zhang Lao Taijun of Ying Guogong Residence, where Zhao Lao Taitai of the Jing Guogong Residence was publicly humiliated by Qingxiang Junzhu for being biased had already spread throughout the noble circles of the capital. However, soon after, rumours circulated that Qingxiang Junzhu’s accusations were false, and that the zhuanghua gauze in Jing Guogong Residence was indeed one bolt for the First Branch and one for the Fifth Branch.

Everyone had initially been unclear about the truth, but after Ning Furen’s words today, what was left to be confused about? It seemed that after being humiliated by the Junzhu, in an effort to salvage their reputation, the already cut fabric was given to the First Branch. Since the First Branch couldn’t use it, they passed it along to the Second Branch.

Tsk, tsk, how shameless!

Most of the female guests at the banquet today were relatives of Ning Furen. Although they didn’t say anything outright, their gazes towards the Fifth Branch’s mother and daughter-in-law were far from kind.

Just as the two from the Fifth Branch were feeling utterly humiliated, there was a sudden shout from Shi Da Taitai’s foolish son. Turning around, she saw that a maid had accidentally spilled a cup of tea on his robe.

The maid was terrified and repeatedly apologised.

“Aiya, how could you be so careless!” Shi Da Taitai was about to go over when Ning Furen said, “It’s alright. Have the maid take him to Chun Ge’er’s room to change. Siling, take Shi Shaoyé over there.”

An older maid standing behind her responded immediately and gently coaxed Shi Shaoyé to follow her to the room of Ning Furen’s third son, Zhao Huanchun.

When they reached Zhao Huanchun’s room, Siling turned to the foolish young master and said, “Shi Shaoyé, please wait here for a moment. Nubi will go inside and borrow some clothes for you. Don’t go with anyone else, alright? Be good and wait for Nubi. When I come out, Nubi will take you to eat your favourite lion-shaped candy, okay?”

The foolish young master happily responded, “Alright, alright, I want the lion-shaped candy, I want the lion-shaped candy.”

Seeing this, Siling entered Zhao Huanchun’s room.

At that moment, a maid with an unfamiliar face suddenly appeared from behind a nearby corner. She approached the foolish young master and whispered, “Shi Shaoyé, Siling Jiejie asked me to take you to get the lion-shaped candy. Don’t make a sound, or else others will come and try to take it from you.”

The foolish young master quickly covered his mouth, looked around nervously, and mumbled, “Mmm! Mmm!” noticing that no one else was coming.

“Follow me,” the maid said as she cautiously surveyed the surroundings, leading him quietly out of the second household’s courtyard and along a secluded path toward the small garden.

In the small garden, Xu Hui’an followed the maid through several twists and turns until they arrived at a single-story pavilion called Fucui Pavilion.

“Guniang, the coming-of-age ceremony hasn’t started yet, and Er Taitai hasn’t arrived either. Please sit here for a while and have some tea,” the maid said as she entered the pavilion, placed the tray on the table, and lifted the teapot to pour a cup of tea for Xu Hui’an.

Xu Hui’an had noticed along the way that it had only been the maid and herself, making her increasingly cautious.

She thought to herself that, even if the ceremony hadn’t begun and the guests had yet to arrive, the garden should have already been set up for the event. Yet, as they walked, there was no sign at all of preparations for a banquet. Something felt off.

Moreover, since the guests hadn’t arrived yet, why was this maid walking alone with a teapot? Who was the tea for? Now it seemed as if it had been specially prepared for her.

Not knowing exactly what was going on, Xu Hui’an’s heart pounded with anxiety. However, she recalled her eldest sister’s teachings: the more urgent the situation, the less one should panic. The calmer the mind, the quicker one could think of a solution.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she walked over, placed the gift box on the table, and sat down on the chair. She thanked the maid, picked up the cup of tea, and held it in her hands.

There was no way she would drink the tea, but with the maid watching her closely, Xu Hui’an couldn’t let her realise that she had already sensed something was wrong. The garden had been deserted on their way here, and Xu Hui’an was unfamiliar with the area. If this maid had other tricks up her sleeve after the first plan failed, Xu Hui’an could be in real danger.

Though her mind raced, she maintained a calm facade. Holding the teacup, she glanced out the window, pretending to be captivated by the view. She stood up and walked over, saying, “The maple trees in this estate are truly beautiful.”

The maid agreed, “Indeed they are.” However, her eyes remained fixed on the teacup in Xu Hui’an’s hand.

Xu Hui’an turned back, lowered her head as if to blow on the tea, and subtly glanced outside. Suddenly, she let out a startled cry.

The maid, startled by her reaction, instinctively looked towards the doorway.

Seizing the opportunity, Xu Hui’an quickly flung the tea out the window, keeping her hands around the now-empty cup as if nothing had happened.

Seeing nothing outside, the maid turned back and asked, “Why did Guniang scream just now?”

“I think I just saw a mouse run by,” Xu Hui’an replied, still wearing a look of feigned panic.

The maid chuckled and said, “It’s not unusual to have a couple of wild mice in the garden. Guniang, have some tea to calm the nerves.”

Xu Hui’an nodded, still pretending to be shaken. She bowed her head and acted as though she slowly drank the entire cup, then returned to the table and placed the empty cup down.

The maid kept her eyes fixed on Xu Hui’an, scrutinising her every move.

Noticing the maid’s intense gaze from the corner of her eye, Xu Hui’an raised her hand to her forehead and said softly, “Jiejie, I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel a bit drowsy.”

The maid quickly said, “Then, Guniang can rest the head on the table and sleep for a while. It’s alright.”

Xu Hui’an slumped onto the table, knocking over the teacup in the process, and closed her eyes.

The maid approached and gently called out, “Guniang, Guniang?” and even gave her a slight push.

Xu Hui’an remained unresponsive.

The maid gathered the teapot and cup from the table, placed them on the tray, and left the pavilion, closing the door behind her.

Once she heard the footsteps fade away, Xu Hui’an immediately opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked around frantically. She then climbed out the window and ran in the direction opposite to where the maid had gone, since she was unfamiliar with the area.

The paths in the garden were numerous and intricate. Xu Hui’an deliberately ran towards the area with more buildings, hoping to find someone to help. The first courtyard she came across when she exited the garden was Shenhui Courtyard.

“Help! Help!” she cried out as she rushed towards it, but was stopped by the maid on duty.

“Who are you, and why are you barging in?” the maid asked, scrutinising the unfamiliar Xu Hui’an.

Shenhui Courtyard was small, and as the commotion reached the corridor, Yisu, who was sewing and keeping watch, came over and, upon seeing Xu Hui’an, exclaimed in surprise, “Wu Xiaojie?”

Seeing Yisu, Xu Hui’an felt a wave of relief. Tears welled up in her eyes as she asked in a trembling voice, “Yisu, where is my sister?”

Realising the seriousness of the situation, Yisu quickly led Xu Hui’an into the courtyard, asked for details, and, understanding the gravity of the matter, immediately sent Mingli to notify Xu Nian’an in the Second Branch’s courtyard.

Mingli arrived at the Second Branch and pulled Xu Nian’an aside to whisper urgently. Xu Nian’an’s heart sank as she listened. She quickly excused herself from Er Taitai and, with Mingli, headed towards the small garden.

Arriving at the small garden, Xu Nian’an instructed Mingli, “Go to the back door and bring that Pozi here with Danping.”

Mingli nodded and ran towards the back door.

Xu Nian’an proceeded towards the Fucui Pavilion and spotted the Shi Family’s young master, who was wandering outside the pavilion. The foolish young master was mumbling to himself, “Liar, all liars! There’s no little sister and no lion-shaped candy. I want lion-shaped candy…”

Xu Nian’an’s heart sank as he saw this.

The Second Branch was not close by, so it was impossible for the foolish young master to have come here on his own in such a short time.

Looking around, Xu Nian’an saw that there was no one else besides the foolish young master.

Entering Fucui Pavilion, she noticed that the gift Xu Hui’an had brought was still on the table and that there was nothing else unusual in the pavilion.

Xu Nian’an took the gift and stepped outside, asking the foolish young master, “Who brought you here?”

The young master replied, “A sister, a sister.”

“What did the sister look like?”

“A sister, a sister.”

Disappointed, Xu Nian’an told him, “Your mother is looking for you to go eat lion-shaped candy. Come with me.”

“Oh, eat lion-shaped candy, eat lion-shaped candy!” The young master cheered and followed Xu Nian’an out of the small garden.

At the entrance of the small garden, Mingli and Danping were waiting for Xu Nian’an.

Xu Nian’an asked, “Where is the Pozi?”

Danping responded urgently, “Not long after we arrived, the Pozi claimed she had something to attend to and asked me to watch the door while she left. After a while, a young servant came and said he was the one supposed to guard the back door.”

Mingli added indignantly, “The servant had been drugged and was suffering from severe diarrhoea all morning, which is how the Pozi managed to slip in.”

Hearing this, Xu Nian’an did not say much more. She took everyone back to Shenhui Courtyard, arranged for a maid to escort the foolish young master to the Second Branch, and then went to her room.

“Jiejie,” Xu Huian, who had already cried once, felt a surge of distress and fear upon seeing Xu Nian’an. She couldn’t help but throw herself into her sister’s arms and cry again.

Xu Nian’an held her sister and comforted her until her emotions calmed down. Once she was steady, Xu Nian’an asked, “You said that yesterday evening a maid, claiming to be sent by this residence’s Er Taitai, delivered an invitation for you to attend the banquet today?”

Xu Hui’an, with reddened eyes, nodded.

“And the invitation?”

“I left the invitation and the gift box together, and they were left in Fucui Pavilion,” Xu Hui’an replied, her voice still trembling.

Xu Nian’an realised that the invitation was likely taken by the person behind the plot.

Angry and frustrated, she had to control her emotions in front of her sister. She led Xu Hui’an to a dressing table in the inner room and began to tidy her dishevelled hair with a comb. She asked, “You were invited to visit, and they told you to use the back door. How could you believe that? The back door is not for guests.”

Xu Hui’an lowered her head and explained, “I also thought it was strange to use the back door, but the maid said it was closer to the small garden. I remembered that when we first split from the main Residence (of the Count Family), we also used the back door to get to enter the Count Residence. So, I… I didn’t think much.”

Her words left Xu Nian’an with no room to rebuke.

At that time, their family finances were really tight. When they couldn’t even afford to cook, she had once shamelessly gone to the Count of Zhongyi Residence to ask her Da Bomu for help. Da Bomu had said that using the front door would be inappropriate and suggested using the back door for such matters.

She had to bend and accept the humiliation because she was in need of help. Little did she know that this act of bending and lowering her head would make her younger sister feel inferior for many years.

Feeling a pang in her nose, she hugged her younger sister’s head and let her lean on her, saying, “Times have changed. Remember, now that we don’t need to use the back door when visiting anyone’s home.”

“I will remember it, Jiejie,” Xu Hui’an replied obediently.

Xu Nian’an composed herself and continued to brush her sister’s hair, saying, “This matter is my fault. I didn’t expect there would be such despicable people in the residence. Fortunately, you were clever and avoided a disaster. When you return home, you must tell everyone that unless it’s Yisu or Mingli, if anyone says there’s something wrong with Jing Guogong Residence or with me, do not believe it.”

Seeing her eldest sister always happy whenever she came home, Xu Hui’an had always thought that her sister had married well. It was only today that she realised it wasn’t the case. She anxiously said, “Jiejie, if they are capable of harming me, doesn’t that make you even more dangerous? Why don’t we go home?”

Xu Nian’an shook her head, a cold glint in her eyes. “I hadn’t expected they would go this far, but now that they have, I know how to handle it. Don’t worry about me. Just take care of yourself.”

“Jiejie,” Xu Hui’an wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist.

Xu Nian’an gently touched her sister’s hairpin, thinking of Shi Gongzi and considering how things might have been different if Hui’an had not been so perceptive…

She dug her nails into her palm.

Perhaps her expression was too unsettling, as even Xu Hui’an couldn’t help but worry. She gently pushed Xu Nian’an and called, “Jiejie?”

Xu Nian’an snapped back to reality, looked at Xu Hui’an, and seeing that her emotions had mostly stabilized, said, “Come on, I’ll take you to the Second Branch and ask Ning Furen what’s really going on.”