Let's talk about Qin Miao again. Yesterday was listless and couldn't fall asleep, slept until the sun was high in the sky, only then did her body feel a bit relaxed.

  Xie Ayi made a special trip to inform Qin Miao of Old Madam's intentions, asking her not to worry and assuring her that she would not let Master Hou take advantage of her. Qin Miao felt embarrassed and thanked Old Madam for troubling herself on her behalf. Ayi didn't linger long and left after completing her task, returning to Nurturing Harmony Courtyard.

  Since that day when she was scolded by Xiangxiang, she and Xieyun have been estranged. The two of them, who were still in the process of getting to know each other, could hardly see each other from dawn till dusk. She no longer went to Yuyinzhai with her food box to look for him as she used to. He also rarely came to Chaoyangyuan, let alone stayed overnight.

  Days passed one by one, and autumn dryness arrived in the blink of an eye. The air in the northern region was originally dry, and the wind at the end of summer and early autumn made people's faces hot and dry.

  Qin Miao looked at the distant cloud cluster gathering in one place, pressing down on the eaves of the house with a sense of urgency. The wind was getting fiercer and fiercer, swirling up the yellow leaves that had fallen early in the courtyard, rubbing against the muddy ground and flying up into the air.

  This scene, she couldn't help but think of her current relationship with Xie Yan. Everyone knew what was going on, but they were all holding back, even like the sky before the storm, filled with a sense of impending doom. But Qin Miao didn't expect that this day would come earlier than she had anticipated.

  Inside and outside the mansion, rules had long been established. The managers also found her to be fair in reward and punishment, governing with ease, and everything was very smooth. Gradually, she also had more free time, occasionally still going out of the mansion to visit the Qin family's shop, or talking to Qin Lang, chatting about new things brought by Hangzhou City.

  Sometimes, Xie Wei would also bring Sun Miaorou here to sit for a while. Since the last time Sun Miaorou was scolded by her and then strictly disciplined by the Sun family, this young lady from the Sun family has become more obedient. The Sun family had originally intended to let their niece become a concubine of Xie Wei's, as she had taken a liking to him herself, and also because they wanted to have someone to rely on in the mansion. However, after the incident with Qinxiao, they gave up on this idea. As a local official family, no matter how poor they were, they couldn't afford to lower their status by competing with someone from a brothel. So, after being brainwashed several times, Sun Miaorou also gave up, and she didn't think much of the Rain Fragrance Pavilion anyway, so she obediently listened to her aunt's arrangements for her marriage in the capital. Fortunately, she was good-looking and had the support of the Sun family, so now her engagement has been settled, with a young man from Huzhou who has just entered the Hanlin Academy as a junior scholar. The two families met and agreed on the arrangement, and they will hold the wedding ceremony in half a year's time.

  On this day, Xie Wei and Sun Miaorou came to find Qin Miao after lunch. The three of them gathered together, pondering the embroidery pattern. Among them, Sun Miaorou's needlework was the best, Xie Wei was obsessed with calligraphy, and Qin Miao was obsessed with accounting, none of whom had practiced their domestic skills as much as Sun did. So in this regard, Xie Wei and Qin Miao were still humble, thinking that good flower patterns would be shown to Sun Miaorou for her opinion. Xie Wei is now also talking about marriage, so she thought of embroidering two lotus bags, just thinking about the color matching, when she was teased by the other two.

  "I think it would be better if you each embroidered a mandarin duck, one male and one female. If your husband wears the male one, you can keep the female one." Sun Miaoru covered her mouth with her handkerchief and giggled, causing Xie Wei's face to turn bright red.

  "You're so shameless, not even married yet, and you're already so unrestrained." But in her heart, Xie Wei actually thought Sun Miaorou's suggestion wasn't bad.

  She saw Qin Miao didn't react much, so she went over to take a look at her flower basket: "Sister-in-law wants to show off something." She knew that recently her brother and sister-in-law had some cold war because of the Rainy Pavilion, so she winked at her and said: "I think big brother's body seems to be missing a sachet, why don't you embroider one for him, he'll definitely like it."

  Ke Qin Miao remained silent, staring at the flower shelf for a long time before responding faintly, "My skills are not good, it's better not to lose face. Let someone with better craftsmanship embroider it for him."

  She had embroidered a white horse sachet for him before she came of age, but he didn't wear it on his body. Now that she and he were so estranged, she couldn't muster the enthusiasm to do those things again.

  "It's been a long time since I've done any needlework, let me embroider a handkerchief to practice."

  Qin Miao didn't want to thank Wei and Sun for worrying about her relationship with Xie Yan. After all, one had already gotten engaged, and the other was about to get engaged, both were full of expectations as they walked towards their husband's home, walking towards their own future. Her things with Xie Yan weren't a very good example after all, no need to let two passionate girls waiting in the boudoir lose their enthusiasm.

  Even if she felt uncomfortable with Xie Yun, it didn't mean that all couples under the sky were not loving. For example, her grandparents, and also her elder brother and sister-in-law, they were all full of warmth and love. Having seen many such examples around her, she believed from the bottom of her heart that relationships between men and women could have good outcomes. As for herself and Xie Yun, perhaps there would be a turning point, but it was also possible that things would remain as they were now, with each going their separate ways.

  She silently smiled at the flower shelf in her hand, with one end of the kerchief depicting a budding lotus.

  Three people were busy laughing and chatting in the house, while Yu Lu, a little girl from outside, seemed to have fire on her feet, hurriedly pulling Zi Xuan, who was airing the bedding, into a corner.

  "Sister Zi Xuan, I just heard some unbearable news in the garden! What to do... what should our mistress do..." Yu Lu's eyes were filled with anxiety, her two hands tightly grasping Zi Xuan's arm.

  She had just wanted to go to the courtyard to trample some fresh flowers and add some color to Madame's room, but she heard a few sweepers whispering over there. She also curiously leaned in to listen for a few sentences, but after listening, she was stunned and hurriedly carried half a basket of flowers back quickly. But when she arrived at the Chao Lu courtyard, she became flustered and didn't know what to do, wondering how to bring up this matter with Miss. As she hesitated, she saw Zi Xuan in front of her and busily asked for her advice.

  Zi Xuan was stunned after hearing the "big" news brought by Yu Lu. How could things have come to this point? It's hard to retrieve spilled water, and now that the news is out, what should Miss do?

  She first comforted Yulu, telling her not to mention this matter in front of the young lady. She couldn't grasp this situation well either, after all, the young lady had been in a daze for the past month, where was her lively and clever self from before? If she were to find out, who knows how heartbroken she would be.

  After sending away Yuluo, Zixuan wandered and pondered for a long time, deciding to let the eldest Li Nian take charge.

  Mrs. Li listened to her words and was momentarily stunned, but then quickly regained her composure.

  "What's meant to come will come. If not this one, then the next. Not all men are like the young masters of the Qin family..." She didn't continue with the unnecessary words, but Zi Xuan had already understood the implication behind her words.

  Mrs. Li patted Zixuan's hand and knew she was anxious at the moment, "I'll serve you tonight, let the maids keep a distance."

  "What do you plan to do?"

  "It's come to this, and it can't be hidden any longer. Just you wait and see, by tonight the whole household will know. It's better for Miss to have some mental preparation."

  Zi Xuan lowered her head in distress, wiping away tears with a handkerchief: "Brother-in-law is really too much... Can he really bear to..."

  "Alas... I hope Miss will soon see through it, otherwise she'll be the one crying."