You smell of her perfume, but I'd rather wipe it off and sleep with you.

The sky is a pale blue, awaiting the misty rain.

"What are you looking at? It's over here." A woman's clear voice called out from somewhere.

Light rain had been falling for days, and the sky was overcast. Ye Qingzhou stopped to look at the passersby. He saw a few blue-gray clothes, and further ahead was a wet cobblestone path.

I do not see my old friends.

"Oh dear, look at you, standing there like a dummy. You can just stand there and wait a hundred years." It was that clear, bright voice again.

Ye Qingzhou looked up at the second floor of the restaurant and, sure enough, saw Miss Liu's smiling face. Before Ye Qingzhou could wave her handkerchief in greeting, the smiling face disappeared, leaving only the wide-open window.

"Is she angry again?" Ye Qingzhou was taken aback. Without waiting for Chonghua's reply, she hurriedly walked towards the restaurant.

Chonghua, carrying her bundle, lagged behind, watching Ye Qingzhou stride briskly with her large, round belly. Chonghua's eyelids twitched, her heart leaped into her throat, and she quickly caught up.

Ye Qingzhou, supporting Chonghua's arm, rushed to the restaurant. Without even catching her breath, she headed straight for the stairs. When she reached the last floor, she was face to face with Miss Liu.

The rumored haughty and aloof Miss Liu, with a smile on her beautiful face, took Ye Qingzhou's arm from Chonghua and personally helped her upstairs. Once in the private room, their hands not only didn't loosen, but they clasped even tighter.

"Why are there still marks on this hand? Tsk tsk tsk... That guy surnamed Jiang wouldn't spend money to buy you medicine?"

Ye Qingzhou was amused by her teasing tone and didn't rush to take her arm away, letting her look at it over and over four or five times: "I applied medicine. The scabs that formed a couple of days ago have all fallen off. It will probably take a few more days to grow back."

Miss Liu held Ye Qingzhou's hand with one hand, and with the other hand opened the box held by the maid, took out a round porcelain bottle, opened the lid, took some white balm with the pad of her index finger, and applied it to Ye Qingzhou's arm.

Ye Qingzhou also moved closer and looked at the scars that had been wiped away: "Wow! The color is indeed lighter. Miss, you have such discerning eyes and skillful hands."

"Hmph, of course." Miss Liu said matter-of-factly, refusing the maids' help: "You all go to the side room, Zhouzhou and I need to talk for a bit."

Chonghua put down the package, and together with several maids, closed the windows and doors, leaving one person to guard the door while the others went to the next room.

"Are you tired?" With no one around, Ye Qingzhou used his free hand to wipe non-existent sweat from Miss Liu's forehead with a handkerchief.

With no one else around, Miss Liu laughed heartily and pinched the soft flesh on Ye Qingzhou's arm: "What's this? I can rub it for another hundred days."

“Actually…” Ye Qingzhou bit her lip and lowered her eyes, then looked up at her again: “I mean, the matter of Sima Mo.”

Miss Liu's smile vanished, and she paused for a moment. In the blink of an eye, she seemed to snap out of a daze, and with both hands, she began to rub Ye Qingzhou's arms: "Make sure the medicine is well-rubbed in so it heals faster. What is he anyway? I had already kicked him out. If he hadn't gotten a few old men to help him, insisting on bringing up old ties, would my father have believed him?"

"Local bullies are usually not easy to mess with. Master Liu may not trust him, or perhaps he is afraid that he might do something bad."

Miss Liu nodded: "The old butler also advised me in the same way. But how can I let these guys take over my family's business? I've been checking the accounts these past few days, and I'm starting to see some progress."

"How about I dress up as a man and go to the manor to help you?" Ye Qingzhou leaned closer to her and whispered.

Miss Liu looked at her seriously, then smiled and said, "My clansmen are avoiding me like the plague because they see I've lost my father's favor. When I went to the shop to check the accounts, the clerks all tried to deceive me. Yet you're so eager to help me. Today, I just wanted to talk to you."

Ye Qingzhou looked at her tenderly, took out a roll of something from her sleeve, and then took out a square wooden box from her bundle: "Take this. I haven't told you yet that I like you very much. I used to think that if I had been as brave as you eleven years ago, I wouldn't be suffering like this today."

Miss Liu chuckled twice, seemingly quite pleased, but upon opening the box, she was even more surprised: "You..."

Someone was knocking on the door.

Miss Liu glanced at Ye Qingzhou, sat up straight, and replied, "Shut up. Wait."

The person fell silent.

Seeing that Miss Liu looked unwell, Ye Qingzhou brought her a cup of tea: "Qingqing, you've had a long day. Here, have some tea."

Miss Liu, used to being waited on, didn't accept the teacup, but took a sip of tea from Ye Qingzhou's hand, and her complexion improved: "Have a meal with me. At home, I have to watch my father's face. In the shop, those waiters make it impossible to eat a single bite in peace."

"Alright." Ye Qingzhou put down her teacup, then, as if remembering something, said with a smile, "Your brother hasn't been fighting crickets these past few days, has he? Is your stepmother feeling a little better?"

“Yes. Try this camel hoof soup. I heard this dish came from the capital. The broth is rich and flavorful, with mountain delicacies inside. It’s very delicious.” Miss Liu served Ye Qingzhou a bowl, and then had one for herself. After a few sips, she felt refreshed and her mind became clearer: “How did you know? Could this be your doing? No wonder my stepmother spoke up for me when I went out today.”

Ye Qingzhou took a sip of soup: "Although I have difficulty traveling, I want to do what I can to make you feel more comfortable."

The two chatted and laughed, and both host and guest enjoyed themselves immensely.

Bang bang bang!

The knocking on the door was loud and urgent, as if they wanted to tear the door apart.

"Who doesn't know the rules? Do they deserve a beating?" Miss Liu held the spoon handle in her hand, her brows furrowed with impatience. She had given them instructions several times beforehand, so how could these people possibly behave?

"Butler Jiang, there's an urgent matter for you, Madam," came the reply from outside the door.

"Jiang Yuan?" Ye Qingzhou recognized his voice and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Sister-in-law?" Jiang Yuan, standing outside the door, visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Second brother is back. He couldn't find you and was very worried. That person couldn't find you, so second brother sent me here."

"What's the rush? Let's talk after we finish eating." Miss Liu patted Ye Qingzhou's shoulder.

Jiang Yuan, standing outside the door, seeing no one come out, urged again, "Sister-in-law, let's go. If I hadn't persuaded you earlier, my second brother would have come to pick you up himself. Besides, if you want to meet relatives and friends, there are plenty of days like tomorrow and the day after, aren't there?"

Jiang Yuan muttered to himself, and Ye Qingzhou sighed as she listened, having no choice but to go back. Before leaving, she made an appointment with Miss Liu to meet again in a few days.

After Ye Qingzhou left, Miss Liu sat silently for a while before getting up and leaving as well.

Ye Qingzhou took a carriage and soon arrived at the new residence.

There seemed to be some commotion at the entrance.

As soon as Ye Qingzhou lifted the car curtain, he saw Yu Xi's face and was somewhat surprised: How come he came out so quickly?

Yu Xi chuckled, her face still bearing a malicious grin: "Didn't expect that, did you? My older brother got me out of there! Hahahaha!"

Sima Mo? They were in jail together, and they even developed feelings for each other? Ye Qingzhou lowered his eyes, his pupils darting around a few times in secret, before he gave a silent, cold laugh.

"Scared now? Just you wait, I'll kill you all! You unfaithful old woman, just you wait!" From afar, Yu Xi pointed her index finger at Ye Qingzhou and cursed, as if she could crush her with a single finger.

Immediately, the gatekeeper of the Jiang residence stopped Yu Xi's fingers and the foot that was about to step forward.

"Hmph!" Yu Xi, having dated several women and even frequented brothels, instead accused Ye Qingzhou. Ye Qingzhou wasn't afraid of Yu Xi. Yu Xi had accomplices. She also had friends and family to protect her. She sneered, "Old habits die hard."

Is another trap being set for her?

Even now, doesn't she know what kind of person Yu Xi is?

Ye Qingzhou lowered the curtain but did not get off the carriage. The gate of the new mansion was spacious, and the carriage went directly into the courtyard. Yu Xi's cursing gradually faded into the distance.

We entered the courtyard, then the inner courtyard, and went straight into the main hall. It was getting dark.

Inside the hall, a table was laden with delicious food. Jiang Jinghong sat alone in the main seat, arms crossed, looking somewhat lonely in the dimly lit room.

Ye Qingzhou leaned against the door frame, glanced inside, paused slightly, but still stepped inside.

Chonghua, who was behind her, was about to follow them in when Pumpkin pulled her back. Chonghua turned around and saw Jiang Yuan winking and shaking his head at the two of them.

Seeing the redrawn picture and the pumpkin, still puzzled, Jiang Yuan frowned, tilted his head inward a little, and whispered, "He's not holding back any good news."

At the same time, Jiang Jinghong's voice came from inside the hall: "If Madam has no appetite, I will personally serve you to bathe and change your clothes."

Ye Qingzhou said something in a voice so soft it was barely audible, as if afraid of being overheard.

Jiang Jinghong's voice was quite loud, as if she was afraid others wouldn't hear her: "I'm not afraid of being tired, I'm just afraid that I won't get a chance to serve, afraid that I won't be allowed to serve."

As expected, he had nothing good to say! Chonghua's face flushed as she listened, but this was a private matter between the two of them, and it wasn't appropriate for outsiders to interfere. Chonghua, who usually served the young lady during her bath, felt somewhat awkward, unsure whether to stay or leave.

Jiang Yuan wasn't surprised at all; in fact, he felt a pang of emptiness in his hands, wishing he had a pot of wine. This first cup, he thought, was a toast to himself. The person his second brother had longed for for so many years was right before his eyes, like a dream, and had almost disappeared. No wonder he was so anxious, going crazy whenever he couldn't find him. His second brother wasn't crazy; it was Jiang Yuan who had kept him calm.

Pumpkin compared the two in her mind. The previous son-in-law's kindness to his employer was like the sun on a rainy day—something rarely seen. The current son-in-law's kindness to his employer was like the midday sun on a sweltering summer day—even a blind person could see it.

Afterwards, the three stewards, both inside and outside the household, had the servants prepare hot water for their two masters before they went to eat together.

Inside the private room, steam rose from the bathtub.

Seeing that her long, collared, front-opening gown, her horse-face skirt, and her inner garment were all lying on the clothes rack, Ye Qingzhou looked at herself and realized that she only had a waistcoat on her upper body and a trousers on her lower body, which looked like a white, tender grain of rice that had been husked.

Jiang Jinghong, standing to the side, was dressed neatly in four layers of clothing. Over his straight-collared, blue, homely Taoist robe, he wore a sleeveless overcoat. Wearing this, he could easily pay his respects to the prefect.

Ye Qingzhou pushed Jiang Jinghong's hand away and covered her only remaining undergarment.

Jiang Jinghong's hand was gently pushed away, but he wasn't annoyed; it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. He sniffed the cuffs of the high-necked, open-fronted long gown and asked, "Has Madam changed her rouge and powder?"

Ye Qingzhou then understood the reason why this person had made such a fuss. She took out the purse in her hand and found the round porcelain bottle: "This is the medicine given by Miss Liu."

Jiang Jinghong stretched out his long arm, immediately took the medicine, smelled it, and threw it on the table next to him: "This is not the smell."

"You!" Ye Qingzhou went to get the medicine, but Jiang Jinghong stopped her and she bumped into his arms. Jiang Jinghong held her, his head resting on her shoulder, his breath strong as he spoke, making her chest vibrate. He said, "I missed you."

Understanding his worries, Ye Qingzhou silently reached out and hugged him.

Feeling Ye Qingzhou's embrace, Jiang Jinghong grabbed her with one arm to prevent her from escaping, and with the other hand, he peeled off her clothes. Seeing her anxious expression, he immediately defended himself: "After you take a bath, I'll apply the medicine for you, okay?"

Ye Qingzhou tried to push away Jiang Jinghong's large hand with both hands. Unable to move it, he then grabbed both her hands with one of his, rendering her immobile. She glanced at Jiang Jinghong, then looked away, overwhelmed by the burning intensity in his eyes: "I have something serious to tell you. Just now at the main gate, Yu Xi..."

Another unpleasant remark, and Jiang Jinghong simply kissed her lips. His kiss lingered on her red lips, soft and delicate, like a magical spring, soothing his anxious heart.

Not just her lips and teeth, but also her cheeks, her delicate ears, her shoulders, her hands, her chest, even her… Jiang Jinghong left his scent on every part of her. Ye Qingzhou was his. No one else, no other scent, could touch him.