Xu Lanyin knew who it was. A handsome young man in his twenties, he didn't dare to reveal his name, and he had studied with the Chai family since childhood. It had to be Gu Wangchen. He must have been scared, and knowing Wen Zhuoan wasn't home today, he wanted to repeat his old tricks, saying sweet words to her so that she wouldn't harbor any resentment towards him...

Does he still think he is the same silly girl as before?

Xu Lanyin said, "No. Ask the doorman again. He's always like this. He dares to go through the second gate and pass on the message without the visitor's name? Then tell the housekeeper to deduct three months' salary from him."

The little girl went out and told the fourth grandmother what she had said. The doorman was so angry that he almost cried. He ran out and scolded Gu Wangchen and ran away. If someone hadn't stopped him, he would have gone up and beat the man up.

As the sun sets, the twilight casts a light pink hue on the thick window paper.

The little girl came in again and reported, "Fourth Grandma, my wife is here."

"My mother?"

Xu Lan looked at the window paper dyed red by the setting sun, got off the kang and went out to the side room, where she saw Chai walking in with a sullen face.

"Mom, what happened at home?"

Seeing Chai's expression, Wei Mama knew that she had some family matters to discuss, so she left with the servants.

Seeing that there were no outsiders around, Chai pulled her daughter to sit on the kang and whispered, "That shameless Gu Wangchen just came to our house."

Xu Lanyin didn't expect that Gu Wangchen didn't see her and went to see Chai again.

Chai said, "Oh, that shameless guy, he actually had the nerve to come to me and call me aunt. He came to our house when your father was not at home. He must be afraid that your father would beat him. He thought I was soft-hearted and easy to please. Did you know that he even asked to see you? How infuriating. Yin'er, I'm here to tell you, if he comes to see you, don't see him, and don't let your son-in-law know that he came to our house. Don't let it affect the relationship between you two."

Chai was so angry that her face turned red and her teeth were clenched.

Xu Lanyin was also disgusted and sneered, "He can't affect the relationship between Zhuo An and me. If Zhuo An knew he came to see me, he would be beaten to a pulp without me having to show up." She added, "That man first came to my house, but I didn't see him, so he went to yours. Humph, he must have seen that my husband is the empress dowager's grandson and my father's future is getting better and better, so he was scared and wanted to come and repair our relationship. How dare he think that! Mother shouldn't have seen him, just tell him to get out."

Chai hadn't expected this. She said, "A servant came and reported that he was an old friend from Xiaozao Village. I thought it was just a neighbor, so I had him brought in. Who knew it was him? He knelt down before me, saying he was young and impatient, and that he didn't deserve my kindness to him, and my love for him... Oh, I'm embarrassed to listen to those shameless words..."

In the Zhou Mansion, in a courtyard of the second branch of the Zhou family, Mrs. Zhou Er was whispering with her daughter Zhou Zimei, and both of them looked unhappy.

Because Grand Tutor Zhou's birthday was next month, Mrs. Zhou rushed back to the capital from Shaanxi to celebrate. Coincidentally, Gu Wangchen had a business trip to the capital, so Zhou Zimei also returned with him. The mother and daughter, who had not seen each other for a long time, finally met.

Madam Zhou Er scolded, "Don't overthink it. Your uncle wanted to marry you to Wen Zhuoan, but you turned him down because your eyes were on your forehead. You also fell in love with Gu Wangchen and tried every possible means to marry him. Now that you have a daughter, don't dwell on the past. It's useless to think about it."

Mrs. Zhou was also furious. Upon returning to Beijing, she heard from Mrs. Zhou Da that her uncle had initially taken a liking to Wen Zhuoan, then Zhao Wu, believing him to be a capable woman and wanting to marry Zimei to him. Zimei, however, despised the impoverished Zhao Wu and resorted to a trick to ruin the relationship. Later, for some reason, she fell for Gu Wangchen, and they hooked up before he even divorced his wife. She became pregnant out of wedlock, and she had no choice but to marry him. The girl had lost the watermelon and found the sesame seeds, and she had also offended the old Grand Tutor and the eldest wife's family...

Mrs. Zhou Er was so angry that she felt like vomiting blood. Now that she saw her daughter regretting it and even being a little neglectful of her son-in-law, she was even more angry.

Zhou Zimei's tears flowed again. Ever since she found out that Zhao Wu was Wen Zhuo'an, the Empress Dowager's legitimate grandson, the eldest princess's son, and even granted the title of Marquis, she had cried countless times. The good marriage she had always wanted, offered to her by her elders, had been rejected by her own hands. If she had agreed, she would now be the Marquis's wife, with everything her aunt-in-law had, leaving all her sisters far behind...

I used to think Gu Wangchen was the most handsome man in the world, handsome and elegant, with both talent and beauty. Now I know that Wen Zhuoan is the most outstanding man in the world, handsome and majestic.

Mrs. Zhou Er saw that Zhou Zimei's eyes were vacant and she was still thinking about something. She said angrily, "Did you hear what I said? Your husband is Gu Wangchen, a Jinshi from a poor family. You married him when you were pregnant before marriage, and you have become an abandoned child in your family. Don't dwell on the past. Think about how to make your own little family better and how to appease your grandfather and uncle again..."

Zhou Zimei snorted coldly, "I could have chosen not to coax my grandfather and uncle. They should have tried to coax me..."

"Enough!" Mrs. Zhou Er shouted, then quickly lowered her voice when she realized it was too loud. "You also said 'originally'. Originally, you married Gu Wangchen. Originally, Wen Zhuoan had nothing to do with you. Originally, your grandfather and uncle wouldn't have coaxed you. Alas, you've always had high expectations but low skills, unable to recognize reality. Even after becoming a mother, you're still like this. Listen, stop dwelling on the past and look at the present clearly. With the love of your grandfather and uncle, your son-in-law's future will be bright, your father will value you, and you'll both live a good life..."

As he was speaking, he heard the voice of the maid outside, "The third uncle is back."

Mrs. Zhou Er and Zhou Zimei quickly fell silent. Mrs. Zhou Er adjusted her facial expression, looking very happy, and glared at her pouting daughter. Zhou Zimei had no choice but to put away her previous grievance.

As the twelfth lunar month approached, Xu Lanyin's belly grew even bigger. At seven and a half months pregnant, it was much bigger than others who were nine months pregnant. Not only was her bloated stomach uncomfortable, but her legs and feet were also severely swollen.

Fearing a premature birth, a midwife had already moved into the Wen residence. This time, the midwife was the one Su Qing had mentioned, Hao Wengpo, who was known for her exceptional midwifery skills. Because Hao Wengpo was old, she brought her daughter-in-law with her.

She also hired two wet nurses. One was because they were worried that Xu Lanyin didn't have enough milk, and the other was because they didn't want outsiders to know that Xu Lanyin was breastfeeding her child, which would be a shame for a lady.

The Empress Dowager was also worried, so the imperial physician came to take Xu Lanyin's pulse every day and report back to her.

It just so happened that Wen Zhuoan was not in Beijing these days as he was catching criminals, and the strong wind and heavy snow outside made Xu Lanyin even more uneasy.

She sat up straight, indicating she was about to get up, and the chess master quickly helped her up from the kang. She walked around the room twice, feeling tired again, and went to the edge of the kang, where the chess master helped her sit down again.

Xu Lanyue, who was walking in circles with her, had red eyes.