Hey everyone! ?? If you love adorable, unique items, check out my Etsy shop AdorableThingsByNoen! ?? Every purchase helps, and I truly appreciate your support!

  ??? Follow my shop for new releases every week!?? Share with friends & family who love cute, high-quality finds!

  Even a like, follow, or share means the world to me! ?? Thank you for your love and support!

  ___

  Qin Yunyun said softly, “Mother, I know it’s hard for you to act freely now, so I will take care of everything myself. But no matter what we’re pnning, it will require a great deal of silver. Mother, would you be willing to give me some?”

  Madam Xu was stunned. After a long pause, she nodded almost mechanically. “How much do you need?”

  “Ten thousand taels.”

  “So much?!”

  Qin Yunyun smiled sweetly. “Mother, you can’t catch a wolf without risking a child. The more you invest, the more you stand to gain. Don’t you think so?”

  Madam Xu murmured uncertainly, “But… wouldn’t this bring serious trouble? What about your grandmother…”

  Qin Yunyun let out a cold ugh. “Mother, even if I tried to curry favor with Grandmother now, she still wouldn’t look at me with different eyes. Otherwise, why would she let my Sister-in-w arrange my marriage? Mother, don’t you see? Are you really going to sit back and watch her casually marry me off to someone insignificant?”

  By the end of her words, the resentment toward Madam Xu was no longer concealed. If her mother hadn’t been so useless, how would she have ended up like this?

  Madam Xu instinctively tried to defend herself. “Your sister-in-w wouldn’t…”

  “Mother, what is Sister-in-w’s rank? What kind of families can she access? What say does she have? Does she even have the luxury of choice?”

  Madam Xu fell silent. What Yunyun said was true.

  Qin Kaile had just been promoted to the fifth rank. Any households that Dong Shi could regurly visit weren’t likely to be very prestigious. Even if, for the sake of Consort Lian and Qin Yongtao’s positions, the Qin family women were invited to a banquet, Dong Shi would still be seated near the bottom—merely an ornament with no real opportunity to speak, let alone converse with noble dies from high-ranking families.

  And besides, Qin Yue was also of marrying age. If a suitable match came along, wouldn’t she first consider her own daughter before thinking of her husband’s younger sister?

  Qin Yunyun didn’t believe otherwise.

  Madam Xu asked hesitantly, “And what do you pn to do with these ten thousand taels? A young woman’s reputation is everything—whatever you do, make sure no one suspects you.”

  Qin Yunyun’s heart lightened—Madam Xu had agreed.

  “There’s no need for Mother to worry about what I’m doing. I give you my word—no one will ever suspect me.”

  Of course, they wouldn’t. She was only providing money to hire people for a task.

  A task that couldn’t be done with a mere few hundred taels. If she wanted someone to stake everything on a single move, she had to make the bait worth it.

  This time, she was going to drag Qin Shuying down into the mud—so deep she’d never rise again.

  And then, she would stomp her down—again and again—until Qin Shuying could never lift her head, ughed at by all, and tormented for a lifetime.

  The next day, Yin Garden.

  Qin Shuying studied the invitation in her hand. When she saw the signature at the bottom, her lips curved into a faint smile.

  Xu Peiwei… you’ve finally returned.

  Back when she was still Qin Yaoyao, Xu Peiwei had aided Qin Yunyun more than once in extracting favors and benefits from her.

  After she returned from the south, timid and meek as a shadow, it was rgely thanks to Xu Peiwei's so-called "help."

  Xu Peiwei had spent the past six months at her maternal grandmother’s home, far from the capital. She had just returned and, after a few days’ rest, had sent an invitation to Qin Yunyun and Qin Shuying to visit her residence.

  Every time she invited Qin Yunyun, she also invited Qin Shuying.

  But Qin Shuying had only gone once or twice in the beginning. After enduring a few humiliations at the Xu household, she refused to return.

  Still, Madam Xu always told others: “My niece, the Fifth Miss Xu, is the kindest and most thoughtful young dy. Every time she invites Yunyun to the Xu residence, she always includes Shuying as well. But poor Shuying is in poor health and often declines. My niece misses her terribly, and whenever she visits my home, she always wants to go check on her. Such a considerate child—so rare nowadays!”

  Only Qin Shuying knew what sort of things Xu Peiwei had said and done when she “visited” her at the Qin residence.

  At first, Qin Shuying had considered telling someone.

  But Madam Xu had seen through her immediately, and a single sentence crushed any idea of exposing Peiwei:

  “Shuying, think about it. In this whole capital, who else but Peiwei even bothers to visit you? She’s cheerful, kind, and well-liked—everyone says so. Even Old Madam favors her more than your Sixth Sister. Whatever you say won’t outweigh a word from her!”

  Thinking back, Qin Shuying’s lips curled slightly. She set the invitation down, stood up, and stepped outside.

  The garden bloomed with spring, bursting with life.

  The sunlight was perfect, the kind that refreshed the spirit.

  And yet, despite the beauty of the day, there were always those who couldn’t sit still…

  “Miss, this old servant will begin preparations for our visit to the Xu residence the day after tomorrow,” said Nanny Fu, thoughtfully. She had guessed that Qin Shuying would go.

  Qin Shuying nodded. “Thank you, nanny.”

  Nanny Fu beamed. “Miss, this is nothing—this is just my duty.”

  She hadn’t always understood why the young miss avoided the Xu family. She’d tried to persuade her more than once, but the girl wouldn’t listen. When Xu Peiwei came and mocked her to her face, Nanny Fu had witnessed it more than once.

  Eventually, the young miss stopped letting her accompany her closely. Though she knew Xu Peiwei was no easy foe, Nanny Fu had no choice but to observe from afar. Only Huiqin had been allowed close.

  Now that the young miss was willing to go again—it was a good sign.

  Even though she had warned that the Liu family had ulterior motives, they hadn’t yet said they wouldn’t proceed with the match. Nanny Fu still held hope.

  If that was the case, the young miss had to step out—let the noblewomen of the capital see her.

  Even if it meant going to the Xu residence. Though Nanny Fu doubted any good would come of it.

  “Miss, the household Ziteng found—my husband looked into them. They used to live next to the Zhou family—also a schorly family. When the Zhou house burned, the Che family suffered as well. The entire Zhou line perished, with no one left to seek compensation. The Che family swallowed their grief and lost everything. Their house, their wealth—all gone. The young master took to drink, the second son became an apprentice, and their daughter does sewing and washing just to get by.”

  Qin Shuying had known all of this.

  That household had once lived next door to the Zhou family. After the disaster, they’d moved into a small courtyard, their fortunes utterly fallen.

  Now that Ziteng served as her personal maid, it wasn’t suitable for her to go out often. It was more appropriate for Shopkeeper Jin to send someone.

  Qin Shuying’s eyes dimmed. A memory of Uncle Zhou’s kind face surfaced, and a sharp pain pierced her chest. She shut her eyes for a moment, breath catching.

  Behind her, Nanny Fu assumed she was deep in thought and continued.

  “Miss, that Che family is really down to nothing. I doubt they even eat meat more than once a year.”