“Sister Yutong, I will accept this gift. I come from Yannan. I have a string of turquoise prayer beads from Yannan here. They have been blessed, but they are not as precious as your bracelet. I hope you will accept them.”

Jiang Shuyue took off the turquoise prayer beads from her left wrist and put them on Du Yutong's wrist.

Du Yutong was overjoyed. "Okay, I like the gift Sister Jiang gave me. With this turquoise prayer beads, I will definitely be safe and sound, and I will never have to worry and lose sleep all night again."

Du Yutong didn't mention payment for the consultation, but instead gave her a jade bracelet, which shows that she sincerely wanted to befriend her.

Du Yutong personally escorted the two to the gate of the Du residence. When the maid went to call the coachman, Jiang Shuyue still frankly said, "My surname is Jiang, my given name is Shuyue, and I live on Guixiang Street."

"Sister Jiang is from Yannan?" Upon hearing Jiang Shuyue's name, Du Yutong was completely stunned.

"Miss Du, didn't you notice that we still have a Yannan accent when we speak?" Seeing her expression, Qiuju deliberately emphasized the Yannan accent when she spoke.

Even after Jiang Shuyue and Qiuju boarded the carriage, Du Yutong was still thinking that the world was full of wonders and this was too much of a coincidence.

On the other hand, Madam Wu went out early and returned late every day, spending her days drinking tea in the teahouse with her two dowry maids.

One evening, Madam Wu finally couldn't resist calling her eldest daughter-in-law over.

"Eldest sister, you've been out every day for several days now, haven't you?"

Madam Wu bowed respectfully to Old Madam Wu, "It has been six days."

Looking at her dignified and polite eldest daughter-in-law, Old Madam Wu felt a surge of anger welling up inside, but she couldn't vent it.

Suppressing his temper and gritting his teeth, he asked, "Have you found out anything? Where does Miss Jiang live? Who are the people around her?"

Mrs. Wu picked up a handkerchief and dabbed non-existent sweat from her forehead.

She replied respectfully, "Mother, don't worry. In this sweltering heat, what girl would go out for a stroll? When the weather is clear and cool in autumn, the girls will naturally come out to shop for cosmetics."

"Don't change the subject. Did you actually find out anything?"

Madam Wu thought that Jiang Shuyue was not young anymore and was probably eager to get married. If she waited any longer, such an outstanding girl might be betrothed to someone else, and she would have wasted her time.

"Mother, please calm down. We haven't found it yet. I'll try looking in a different street tomorrow. We'll have some news then," Madam Wu said, her face innocent and sincere.

In Madam Wu's eyes, she was like a dead pig that doesn't fear boiling water.

"What results can you get by searching on the street? Go ask a matchmaker in the capital."

Madam Wu was completely bewildered. "Does the matchmaker know Miss Jiang? Why don't you bring the matchmaker here and ask her? She's been making my neck hurt these past few days."

Towards the end, Madam Wu's voice was so soft that only she could hear it.

She almost let slip that she had been sleeping on the small couch in the private room of the teahouse for the past few days without a pillow, and her neck was sore from sleeping so long.

"There are so many matchmakers in the capital, can I summon them all for questioning?" Old Madam Wu glared angrily, almost cursing.

Suddenly, Madam Wu had a flash of inspiration. "I understand now. Too many people will talk too much. Tomorrow I will personally lead a group to ask them."

"Watch your words, don't blurt things out." Old Madam Wu's face was full of disappointment and frustration.

Madam Wu, however, smiled ingratiatingly and said gently and quietly, "Mother is so thoughtful. Mother, please rest early. I'm all sweaty, I'll go back and take a bath now."

The implication was that after I had dinner and showered, you would already be asleep, and she wouldn't come to check on me again that night.

The next day, Madam Wu went out with her maid, only to find that she couldn't find where the matchmaker lived.

Finally, gritting my teeth, I changed to a quiet teahouse.

Since they couldn't find anyone on the street anyway, the three of them simply asked for an ice basin, closed the window, and started playing cards.

After lunch, Madam Wu asked the waiter to change the tea and closed the door to the private room.

With the ice basin, the heat in the room dissipated. Feeling sleepy after eating, she simply took a nap on the small couch in the private room.

Seeing that their mistress was asleep, the two maids opened the window a crack and looked out. There were very few pedestrians on the street.

The two maids closed the window and then lay down on the table to doze off.

I don't know how long I slept, but suddenly, I heard the sound of stools colliding coming from the private room next door.

Madam Wu raised her hand and gently rubbed her temples.

The two maids also raised their heads, and the wrinkles on their sleeves left marks on the maids' faces.

Disturbed from her sleep by the neighbors, Madam Wu muttered listlessly, "I chose this teahouse because I thought it was secluded, but I didn't expect the soundproofing to be so bad."

Seeing that the lady was not sleeping well, the maid wanted to go next door to check on her.

Just then, a gentle male voice came from next door, "My dear, what are you afraid of? We love each other. I... I couldn't help myself when I saw you. Just give in to me."

Then came the sound of tables and chairs colliding.

A panting sound could be heard.

"If Sanlang also has feelings for my daughter, why haven't you come to propose marriage yet?"

The woman's voice was soft and sweet, like a gentle breeze brushing past the ear, stirring the heart.

Madam Wu's eyes widened suddenly. She raised her hand to stop the maid who had just gotten up, and then made a shushing gesture.

My God!

In broad daylight, people are having a secret rendezvous in a teahouse's private room! She's been there, and judging from the sounds, it's like things are about to get really heated!

This melon is quite big.

Madam Wu sat up abruptly, her posture clearly indicating that there was juicy gossip to be had, and that she was no longer sleepy.

Both maids were Madam Wu's personal maids, and they blushed with embarrassment upon hearing the commotion next door.

The two maids couldn't help but look at their mistress.

Just then, the voices from next door started again.

"Jiao'er, you know that the First Madam disregarded my feelings and forced me into a marriage. I've been making a fuss these past few days, and you don't even try to comfort me."

“I made a big fuss, and my father had the accountant deduct my allowance. That’s why I invited you to this quiet teahouse today to save money.”

After the man finished speaking, a "smack" sound came from next door.

A coquettish voice rang out, "If your stepmother insists that you marry the Du family girl, where do you intend to put me?"

"Let me make it clear first, I am the daughter of a high-ranking official, and I will not become a concubine of your Wei family!"

Jiang Jiaojiao?

Madam Wu's hand trembled, and she almost knocked over the teacup on the table.

No wonder the voice sounded familiar; it was the daughter-in-law she had once chosen. At that moment, Madam Wu wished she could gouge out her own eyes.

The maidservant reacted quickly and reached out to steady the teacup.

In the next private room, Jiang Jiaojiao was held in Wei Mingzhou's arms, his hands moving up and down.

One was coyly refusing, the other was infatuated and desperately thirsty.

The two, lost in their passion, were completely unaware that they were being watched.

I didn't hear any cups or saucers clinking against the table next door.

Their lips pressed together, inseparable, as if glued together.

Wei Mingzhou was a connoisseur of fragrances and a seasoned veteran. Jiang Jiaojiao was no match for his teasing. In no time, she felt as if she were floating on clouds, losing all sense of time.

All that remained were her soft moans and a sliver of obsession as she held onto the last line of defense.