Within less than a quarter of an hour, Madam Liu had already led Jiang Fuyue back to Songshou Courtyard.

  The courtyard was eerily empty. The servants had all scattered to who knows where. Only from the main hall came the occasional sounds of things being smashed — clearly, the person inside was furious.

  Jingzhe and Guyu exchanged gnces, then looked at Jiang Fuyue with concern.

  “Madam, it seems the Old Madam is in quite a rage right now. What if she hurts you? Maybe we should come back ter, once she’s calmed down?”

  Before Jiang Fuyue could reply, Madam Liu cut in sharply, “Madam has already stepped through the gates of Songshou Courtyard. If she turns around and leaves without even greeting the Old Madam, wouldn’t that be extremely disrespectful? That’s not how a junior should behave!”

  The Old Madam was furious, and she had personally demanded Jiang Fuyue come. If Jiang Fuyue refused to enter, who else would serve as the target of her wrath?

  Besides, this whole incident had started because of Jiang Fuyue. If she didn’t face the consequences, who would?

  With that, Madam Liu took a step behind Jiang Fuyue, completely cutting off her retreat.

  Guyu ground her mors in frustration, nearly lunging forward to bite Madam Liu.

  Even the normally composed Jingzhe couldn’t help but shoot Madam Liu a few sharp gnces.

  No matter how favored Madam Liu was by the Old Madam, she was still just a servant. What right did she have to use “propriety” to pressure her mistress?

  Ignoring Madam Liu entirely, Jiang Fuyue simply told Jingzhe and Guyu, “You two stay outside. No need to come in.”

  “No way!” Guyu blurted out immediately. “Madam, how can you say that? No matter where you go, we must follow!”

  Jingzhe nodded repeatedly in agreement.

  “Madam, quit dawdling and go in already. The Old Madam’s probably been waiting impatiently,” Madam Liu said with an irritated tone.

  Jiang Fuyue gnced at her, then lifted her feet and walked toward the main hall.

  ——

  When they entered, the Old Madam had just finished throwing a tantrum and was now panting heavily as she sat in her chair.

  The moment she saw Jiang Fuyue, she grabbed a teacup and hurled it to the ground. “You wretched girl! Kneel!”

  Her face was flushed red with anger. Madam Liu rushed forward to pat her back in comfort.

  “And why should I kneel?” Jiang Fuyue asked calmly, her gaze sweeping over the wreckage in the room as she stopped by the door without stepping inside.

  The Old Madam ughed in fury. “After doing something so disgraceful to ruin the reputation of the Marquis’s household, you still have the nerve to question why?!”

  Jiang Fuyue stared at her silently.

  Her gaze was sharp, even icy. The Old Madam suddenly felt uneasy, her momentum faltering. “I’ve already heard what happened at the inn today! Don’t you think you owe me an expnation?”

  “If we’re talking about that,” Jiang Fuyue replied coolly, “I’d like to ask you something first — why did you privately use my dowry?”

  The Old Madam sneered, completely unrepentant. “You married into the Marquis’s household. Everything you brought with you is now ours! I used my own family’s things — do I need your permission for that?”

  Jiang Fuyue smiled faintly. “In that case, I truly don’t see what wrong I’ve done.”

  The Old Madam froze. Jiang Fuyue continued, “Since Mother-in-w believes you did no wrong, then why be so flustered when others find out? What are you guilty of?”

  The Old Madam’s expression turned downright ugly, but she had no rebuttal.

  Madam Liu quickly tried to steer the conversation away. “Madam, really! Look how upset the Old Madam is — how can you still be so aggressive? That’s not how a proper junior should behave…”

  That fired the Old Madam right back up. “Exactly! You’ve been married into this house for three years and haven’t even birthed an egg. That alone is shameful enough, but now you dare to talk back to me?! Aren’t you afraid my son will write you a divorce letter and send you packing back to the Jiang family?”

  “She’s right!”

  A deep voice cut in — Marquis Anyuan had just stormed in, stepping over shards of porcein as he took a seat beside the Old Madam. “A woman who brings disgrace to the family should be kicked out with a divorce decree!”

  The Old Madam was shocked. “Yier? Why are you back so soon?”

  Her son had just returned yesterday to get some silver. Why was he already back again today?

  He’d never returned this quickly before!

  “Don’t mention it, Mother!” the Marquis snapped.

  Earlier, after finishing a battle, he had gone to the pleasure house for food and entertainment, when suddenly a group of people started pointing fingers at him. As they left, they even clicked their tongues in disdain — as if he were some disgrace instead of a noble marquis.

  Word traveled fast in pces like those. A servant quickly reported that Jiang Fuyue had caused a commotion while picking up a tutor, and now the whole city was saying that the Marquis’s household was so poor it had to use the daughter-in-w’s dowry for bribery. Some even said he was spending her silver at the brothel.

  He found it ughable.

  The Marquis household was wealthy! Why would they care about Jiang Fuyue’s petty dowry?

  But the outsiders didn’t know that.

  Rumors spread like wildfire — saying he ignored his crumbling home to chase pleasures daily, that he had no backbone, that he was a pathetic man. The insults were endless.

  All while he was just trying to enjoy a meal!

  He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. Raised with pride and pampered by the Old Madam, he had never endured such scorn.

  Furious, he stormed back the moment he finished eating. Just as he arrived, he heard the Old Madam talking about divorce. He was more than happy to go along with it.

  He had never liked Jiang Fuyue anyway!

  With the Marquis backing her up, the Old Madam straightened with pride and gave Jiang Fuyue a smug look.

  But instead of fear, Jiang Fuyue only smiled.

  “Well then, since Mother-in-w and the Marquis both say so, please write me the divorce letter. Once I have it, I’ll leave immediately and won’t cause any trouble.”

  The Old Madam froze.

  She hadn’t actually pnned to divorce Jiang Fuyue — just scare her into apologizing.

  If Jiang Fuyue really left, the burdens of managing the household would fall squarely on her shoulders.

  Who wanted to give up carefree days to break their back over housework?

  The Marquis, however, didn’t understand her thoughts. He sneered, “So you do have some backbone. Very well. Someone—”

  “Madam! The Old Madam only said those words out of anger — how could you take them seriously?!” Madam Liu cut him off in a panic. “Jingzhe, Guyu, quickly take Madam back so she can calm down!”

  Jingzhe’s eyes were red. Guyu even wiped a tear away.

  The two of them stepped to Jiang Fuyue’s side, gently tugging at her sleeve.

  Jiang Fuyue looked at the Old Madam.

  The Old Madam instinctively avoided her gaze.

  Leaving the Marquis’s household wouldn’t be so simple — but Jiang Fuyue turned and walked out anyway.

  Jingzhe and Guyu quickly followed.