The next morning, before Xu Nian’an had even woken up, she felt someone lightly pecking kisses on her nose and cheeks.

She tried to dodge, but her lips were attacked again.

“Stop it…” Xu Nian’an murmured, eyes still closed, as she reached out to cover Zhao Huanxi’s mouth. She hadn’t slept well during the twenty-odd days they’d been apart, and after staying up late the previous night, she was still drowsy.

Zhao Huanxi grasped her wrist, kissed her palm, and asked softly, “Dong Jiejie, does it still hurt?”

Xu Nian’an shivered and instantly woke up. Staring at the fiery, dazzling eyes of the person so close to her, she replied without hesitation, “It still hurts.”

Zhao Huanxi froze for a moment, then propped himself up on one elbow, looking concerned. “It’s been hurting all night? You should see a physician. I’ll call one right now.” As he spoke, he moved to get out of bed.

Xu Nian’an quickly grabbed him and said, “No need.”

“What do you mean, no need? You’re in pain. Don’t be shy, just let the physician feel your pulse through the bed curtain. I’ll handle the rest,” Zhao Huanxi insisted.

“We can’t! If you go now, isn’t that basically admitting to Mother that last year we only pretended to consummate the marriage?” Xu Nian’an clutched his sleeve tightly.

“So what if she finds out? I’ll just say it was my idea.”

“Oh, stop it. Do you really think Mother doesn’t know who actually calls the shots between the two of us?” Xu Nian’an sat up, turning her face away awkwardly. “I’m fine. Don’t make such a fuss.”

“Really?” Zhao Huanxi leaned in closer, studying her face. “You’re not lying to me, right?”

“Why would I lie to you? Why aren’t you practicing martial arts today?” Xu Nian’an asked as she got out of bed.

“It’s raining outside,” Zhao Huanxi said, following her out of bed.

“So what if it’s raining? Are you going to stop fighting just because it rains during a battle?”

Zhao Huanxi thought for a moment and realized she had a point. He quickly got dressed and prepared to head out.

“Ask the maids to bring you a bamboo hat and raincoat. Don’t foolishly go out and get soaked,” Xu Nian’an reminded him, unable to hide her concern.

Hearing this, Zhao Huanxi turned back with a smug look. “I knew you couldn’t bear to see me suffer.”

Xu Nian’an raised her hand as if to hit him, but he quickly dashed to the outer room. Opening the door, he called for the maids to bring hot water for Xu Nian’an.

When Zhao Huanxi returned from practicing martial arts, the two had breakfast together. Xu Nian’an prepared to visit Yin Furen, but Zhao Huanxi said, “You’re not feeling well today. Don’t go. It’s nothing important anyway. I’ll tell Mother you stayed up all night taking care of me and only just fell asleep. She won’t mind at all.”

Xu Nian’an shot him a sideways glance and asked, “Since when do lies come so easily to you? Who taught you this?”

“No one taught me. I just don’t want you walking all the way to Jiaxiang House while you’re in pain. If you insist on going, I can carry you,” Zhao Huanxi offered.

Xu Nian’an felt a twinge of regret for her earlier fib. Last night had been painful, but he hadn’t really moved much, so the discomfort wasn’t as severe as she’d made it seem.

Now it appeared he had taken her words to heart, genuinely believing she was in so much pain she couldn’t even walk properly.

She couldn’t very well tell him that she wasn’t actually in that much pain. What if he took that as an excuse to do it again?

“No need. Let’s go with your plan. I’ll lie back down for a bit,” she said, trying to suppress her guilty conscience.

Zhao Huanxi helped her back into bed, took off her shoes, and tucked her in. “I’ll go up front and explain things to Mother,” he said.

Xu Nian’an nodded.

Zhao Huanxi grabbed an umbrella and stepped out of Shenhui Courtyard, only to run into Yin Furen and Zhao Jiazhen coming their way.

Yin Furen was surprised to see him. “Why are you outside? There’s thunder!”

Zhao Huanxi smiled. “Mom, I’m not afraid anymore. Yesterday’s false alarm actually cured me of my fear of thunder.”

Yin Furen scrutinized him carefully. Sure enough, his face showed none of the usual stiffness or terror he displayed during thunderstorms. In fact, not only was he unafraid, he looked in remarkably good spirits.

Yin Furen was overjoyed. “This is wonderful! It’s all thanks to Nian’an’s care. Ei? Where is Nian’an?”

Zhao Huanxi quickly replied, “She stayed up all night taking care of me and just went to sleep less than an hour ago. Let’s not disturb her.”

Yin Furen nodded. “That’s my oversight. I only thought that upon waking, the person you’d want to see most would be her, so I asked her to watch over you. I forgot how exhausting her journey must have been. I should have asked Songyun to look after you instead.”

Zhao Huanxi thought to himself: Good thing you didn’t call Songyun to get in the way. Remembering the events of the previous night, his face flushed slightly. “Mom, let’s not stand here. Let’s go to the front and talk.”

Zhao Jiazhen’s eyes sparkled with amusement as she watched her younger brother. When Zhao Huanxi met her gaze, he quickly looked away, feeling a little guilty.

Zhao Jiazhen couldn’t hold back a chuckle but refrained from saying anything. The group returned to Jiaxiang House, and just as they settled in the main hall, Qianhe came to report: “Taitai, there’s a woman at our front gate holding a baby, crying and begging for shelter. She claims the child is of The Fifth Branch Er Ye’s (Zhao Huanxu) bloodline. She’s threatening to smash her head against the gate if we dare to drive her away.”

Zhao Jiazhen looked at Yin Furen in astonishment. “Could it be Zheng Man’er?”

Yin Furen calmly sipped her tea. “It must be. With Zhu Zhifu dead and no one left to rely on, naturally, she’s come to her old lover. Since this concerns Fifth Branch, send someone to notify Wu Taitai immediately. Tell her to deal with it swiftly. If a life is lost at our gates, it’ll be a real mess to explain.”

Qianhe promptly sent a young maid to the Fifth Branch to deliver the message.

Wu Taitai was serving Lao Taitai her medicine when a servant from the Fifth Branch came to report the matter. Startled and uncertain, she found herself at a loss. With Zhao Huanxu away at the academy and no one to discuss, she felt utterly overwhelmed.

After much deliberation, she worried that if the woman truly resorted to drastic measures at the gate, and Guogong Yé learned of it, it would further sour his impression of Huanxu. Left with no choice, she reluctantly asked a maid to fetch an umbrella and accompany her to the side gate to investigate.

The rain was heavy today. Although Zheng Man’er had a maid holding an umbrella for her, after standing outside the gates of the Guogong Residence for a while, the hem of her skirt was almost entirely soaked. Growing increasingly anxious, she noticed a distinguished lady in her mid-forties emerging from the gates and quickly stepped forward. “I must see Zhao Huanxu,” she demanded.

Wu Taitai glanced at the child in Zheng Man’er’s arms, a boy of about eight months, chubby and bright-eyed, with an adorably sturdy appearance. Upon closer inspection, there truly was a faint resemblance to Zhao Huanxu in the child’s brow and features.

Wu Taitai had already guessed who this woman was but didn’t want to lose face, so she asked, “And who might you be?”

“Nujia is surnamed Zheng, with the given name Man’er,” the woman replied. “Previously, Xu Langkept me at Zhu Gongzi’s place. But now that Zhu Gongzi has passed away, we, as a helpless mother and child, have nowhere to turn. We’ve come to seek help from Huanxu. Taitai, this is Xu Lang’s own flesh and blood. Just look at him, doesn’t he resemble his father so much?” Zheng Man’er pushed the baby forward for Wu Taitai to see clearly.

In doing so, the child ended up outside the umbrella’s cover. Though suddenly exposed to the rain, the baby didn’t cry. Instead, he gnawed on his chubby little fist and stared at Wu Taitai with big, shiny eyes like black grapes.

Wu Taitai panicked and immediately reached for the maid’s umbrella to shield the child.

But Zheng Man’er abruptly pulled the baby back into her arms and said, “Where is Xu Lang? I must ask him personally, does he want this child or not? If he doesn’t, I’m just a weak woman. I can’t afford to raise him and will have no choice but to sell him to someone else.”

“How improper!” Wu Taitai exclaimed, looking at the child—her grandson—with a heart full of turmoil. This was a male heir, and Huanxu still had no son. With Jia Shi currently sulking back at her parents’ house, who knew how long it would take for them to reconcile and have a child?

“I know selling one’s own child is improper,” Zheng Man’er sobbed, “but what choice do I have? If even the grand Jing Guogong Residence can’t accommodate this bloodline, what can a weak woman like me do? Xu Lang abandoned me. He can forsake me, but how can he turn his back on his own flesh and blood? Where is he? Why won’t he see me?”

“Stop shouting! He’s not home,” Wu Taitai said. Although it was raining and there were no passersby, she nervously glanced toward the street.

“Oh, right—he’s at the academy, right? Wenjun Academy. Fine, I’ll go find him there!” Zheng Man’er declared, turning to leave with the child in her arms.

Wu Taitai hurriedly signaled a maid to stop Zheng Man’er. “If you cause a scene at the academy and make him angry, he’ll be even less likely to care about you.”

She looked at the child in Zheng Man’er’s arms, bit her lip, and said, “If you truly can’t afford to raise this child and are considering selling him, then why not sell him to me? Name your price.”

Zheng Man’er eyed her suspiciously. “And who might you be?”

“I am Huanxu’s mother,” Wu Taitai admitted, her cheeks flushing as she noticed the doorman eavesdropping from inside.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Man’er returned to the side gate and knelt before Wu Taitai with the child in her arms. “Taitai, the Jing Guogong Residence is so large, surely one more mouth to feed won’t be too much? I ask for nothing but a place to stay and promise not to cause any trouble for you or Xu Lang. I am Han Ge’er’s biological mother, and you are a mother too. Can you truly bear to separate me from my child?”

Wu Taitai quickly responded, “That won’t do. You’ve been involved with Wu Cheng, how could Huanxu take you as a concubine now?” She worried that if she brought in a concubine at this moment, her daughter-in-law, who was sulking back at her parents’ house, might never return.

“But it was Huanxu who sent me to Wu Cheng!” Zheng Man’er cried. “Taitai, you can see for yourself, this is Xu Lang’s child, isn’t it? I beg you to take us in. Do it for the sake of Xu Lang’s reputation and blessings, to help him accumulate merit and fortune (as to wash off the evil deed), and perhaps ensure he achieves success in the imperial exams.”

“No, this won’t do… absolutely not…” Wu Taitai muttered, turning away in agitation.

Zheng Man’er’s pleading expression disappeared in an instant, replaced by a cold, venomous glare. “Taitai, if you refuse to take us in or insist on separating me from Han Ge’er, I’ll take him straight to Wenjun Academy and cry out at the gates, accusing Zhao Huanxu of being a heartless scoundrel who drove a woman and her child to their deaths. Then I’ll smash my head against the ground and die there. Let’s see if your talented son has any chance at a future career after that.”

“You—” Wu Taitai spun around, staring at Zheng Man’er in disbelief.

Zheng Man’er wiped away her tears with her sleeve, stood up, and said coldly, “If I can’t live well, then no one else will either!”

In Jiaxiang House, a young maid braved the rain, her feet pattering quickly as she ran over with an umbrella. She whispered a few words to Qianhe, who was standing under the eaves outside the main room. Qianhe then entered and reported to Yin Furen, “Taitai, Wu Taitai has brought the woman and her child to the Fifth Branch.”

Yin Furen, who was inside enjoying cherries with Zhao Huanxi, Zhao Jiazhen, and Xuan Jie’er, raised her eyebrows in surprise upon hearing the news. “Has Wu Taitai lost her mind?”

“That woman threatened that if Wu Taitai refused to take her and her child in, she would go to the gates of Wenjun Academy and smash her head, ruining Xu Er Yé’s future prospects. Only then did Wu Taitai reluctantly bring them into the house,” Qianhe explained.

Yin Furen nodded thoughtfully. “Even if we know this woman is likely bluffing, who would dare ignore her? What if she really does go to extremes?”

She then fixed her gaze on Zhao Huanxi and said sternly, “Let this be a lesson for you. No running around and causing trouble.”

Zhao Huanxi, with a large cherry tucked into his cheek, puffed out his face and mumbled, “I know. I don’t want anyone else anyway!”

Zhao Jiazhen burst out laughing and turned to Xuan Jie’er. “You should warn Xiao Nie not to be so young and ignorant of the ‘height of the heavens and the depth of the earth’.”

不知天高地厚 (bù zhī tiān gāo dì hòu): A common idiom meaning "not knowing the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth." It describes a young or arrogant person who is overconfident and has no idea how vast or dangerous the world truly is.

Xuan Jie’er lifted her chin confidently and said, “I’m not warning him. If he dares, I’ll break his dog legs!”

狗腿 (gǒutuǐ): Literally "dog legs." In this context, it is a derogatory and colloquial way to refer to someone's legs.

Yin Furen’s attention shifted to Xuan Jie’er. She reached out and lightly tapped her arm, scolding, “Listen to what you’re saying! Words like ‘dog legs’—is that something a noble young lady should say? It’s one thing to talk like that at home, but you mustn’t speak so carelessly in front of your future mother-in-law.”

Xuan Jie’er lowered her gaze and pouted, muttering, “Got it.”

Meanwhile in the Fifth Branch, Wu Taitai wore a stiff expression as she arranged accommodations for Zheng Man’er and her child before heading to Lingde Hall.

The attendants there had just finished giving Lao Taitai her medicine and were about to feed her porridge.

“I’ll do it,” Wu Taitai said, taking the bowl from a maid’s hands. She then instructed, “You all go and take a break.”

Once everyone had left, Wu Taitai stood by the bed, staring at Lao Taitai, who lay there half-conscious. Her lips quivered, and her eyes were half-open, weakly flickering as she looked around.

Lao Taitai had regained some awareness and could recognize people, but she was still unable to speak.

Wu Taitai*& gazed at her for a long moment. Then, without warning, she tipped the steaming bowl of porridge onto **Lao Taitai’s face.

Lao Taitai convulsed violently from the scalding heat, unable to scream, her head thrashing against the pillow in a desperate, messy struggle.

“If not because of you, how would things have come to this?” Wu Taitai hissed, her voice filled with venom. “Always berating me for being useless, for ruining everything. You’re the one who truly ruins everything, hurting others, destroying yourself!”

Her tone dripped with hatred as she vented years of suppressed anger.

Although Guogong Yé had tightly controlled the flow of information to the outside world, as a family member, Wu Taitai had heard whispers about what had truly transpired with Zhu Zhifu.

Whether it was the upheaval in Lingde Hall following the incident or the actions of Dunyi Hall later, all signs pointed to Lao Taitai’s involvement.

Had she not meddled and caused Zhu Zhifu’s death, how would Zheng Man’er dare to show up at their doorstep today? Lao Taitai had wreaked havoc with her schemes, and now, as she had a stroke, she simply reclined comfortably on her bed, expecting others to tend to her needs. Meanwhile, it was up to Wu Taitai and Zhao Huanxu to clean up her mess. What rotten luck they must have had to end up with such a mother-in-law and grandmother.

Wu Taitai, having savored the sight of Lao Taitai’s miserable state, finally felt the stifling weight in her chest lighten somewhat. She then called out loudly, “Come quickly! Lao Taitai has spilled her porridge. Bring some water to wash her face!”