Qingying was sitting on the edge of the bed, letting Yu Yue feed her soup spoonful by spoonful.

She peered into the room and suddenly felt something was off. "Where's Tong Xia? Was she hurt by them?"

"Don't worry, young lady, she's fine. She's washing clothes outside the yard."

Qingying frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Since when has it become Tongxia's job to do the laundry?"

Yu Yue and Tong Xia were both first-class maids by her side. They only needed to serve her daily life and do things according to her orders. The rough work of sweeping and washing was done by maids of second class and below.

Yu Yue seemed hesitant to speak.

Qingying immediately understood, "Did something happen while I was unconscious?"

Yu Yue lowered her head, her expression dejected. "Madam has sent all the maids in the courtyard away, leaving only me and Tongxia. She said, she said..."

Yu Yue found herself unable to continue.

Qingying had already guessed it. "What did she say? That I, a lowly concubine's daughter, don't need so many maids to serve me?"

“…Mmm.” Yu Yue started crying again.

"Why are you crying? It's not like we can't survive if there are only three of us left. Besides, she wouldn't dare to kill me right now."

After this incident, she finally understood. In Pan's eyes, she had become Liu Shushu's biggest threat, a thorn in her side.

As for the reason, she quickly understood.

Qingying only drank one bowl of chicken soup and didn't eat anymore. She had slept for too long and wasn't sleepy at the moment, so she sat on the edge of the bed in a daze.

It wasn't until Yu Yue came over to announce, "Miss, the eldest young master has arrived," that things changed.

Qingying's face lit up with joy. "Big brother is here. Did he come to see me?"

"Yes, the eldest young master brought quite a few things." Yu Yue seemed very happy as well.

She thought to herself, "Finally, there's someone in this household who truly cares about the young lady."

"Let him in quickly." Qingying sat up straight.

A short while later, Liu Chengfeng walked in.

Seeing her haggard face, he seemed somewhat surprised and confused. "Why do you look so pale? Has your lung disease relapsed?"

Qingying was stunned for a moment, and looking at his expression, she gradually realized that Madam Pan had not told the others in the mansion the truth.

She was already afraid and dared not disobey Madam Pan any longer, so she could only swallow her bitterness.

"No... it's just that it's almost autumn and I caught a cold."

"You should take more rest. You're already weak, and you're prone to getting sick when the seasons change." Liu Chengfeng presented her with several paper packages he had brought, smiling as he said, "Look what good things your brother brought you."

Qingying leaned closer excitedly to look. "What is it? Brother, open it quickly!"

"You want to see them, but I have to open them for you." Liu Chengfeng opened them one by one, and they were all delicious treats: peach blossom pastries, pear blossom cakes, peanut cakes...

"It's all food..."

"Don't you like it? These are all your favorite foods."

Qingying forced a smile. "No, I'm just sick and don't have an appetite."

"Then take a look at this." Liu Chengfeng pulled out a brocade box from somewhere and handed it over.

"What is this?" Qingying was about to reach out to take it.

Liu Chengfeng's gaze fell on her left hand, which she had been hiding under the quilt. He frowned and said, "You seem to be in a difficult situation. Let me help you open it."

Qingying paused for a moment, then withdrew her right hand without refusing.

He opened the brocade box and placed it in front of Qingying. She stared at the contents and was instantly stunned.

Inside the brocade box was a hairpin, a hairpin stained with blood, with two pearl pendants missing, making it look somewhat damaged.

This was the very same one she wore when she attended the banquet at Biyuan Garden that day.

However, when Pan severed her tendons, she struggled and ended up somewhere unknown.

"What do you mean by this, brother?" Her voice was somewhat strained.

“Ying’er, I’ve not come here today to interrogate you.” Liu Chengfeng said sincerely, “There have been some bad rumors about Shushu these past two days. I believe you know why. She has only recently returned to the capital and doesn’t understand anything. I hope you can be more lenient with her.”

"So, brother, you've come here today to help her bribe me?" Qingying smiled sarcastically. "How does brother expect me to give in to her? I've already given her everything. If she hadn't bothered me, we could have lived in peace."

Liu Chengfeng frowned, his voice turning cold. "What are you saying? Shushu is the legitimate daughter of the Liu family. Why don't you just not compete with her?"

"What did I fight with her for? Tell me, what did I fight with her for?!" Qingying suddenly couldn't hold back any longer and roared at him.

Liu Chengfeng had never seen her like this before and was stunned. "Ying'er, what's wrong?"

"Get out!" Qingying swept everything onto the ground.

Seeing the cold glare she was giving him, Liu Chengfeng suddenly lost his temper, stood up abruptly, and growled, "What are you doing?"

"I told you to get out, didn't you hear me?!"

"Fine, really fine!" Liu Chengfeng gave her a disappointed look, then turned and left.

Qingying's movements had been too forceful, aggravating the injury on her wrist. The pain caused her to break out in a cold sweat, and tears instantly streamed down her face. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether the pain was physical or emotional.

Disappointed? What right does he have to be disappointed in himself?

Looking back on all that they had spent together, Qingying felt extremely sad.

Hearing the commotion and seeing Liu Chengfeng leave angrily with a cold face, Yu Yue and Tong Xia ran in together. They saw a mess on the floor and Qingying covering her face and crying. The two looked at each other and bent down to silently clean up.

...

Qingying secluded herself in her room for half a month without showing her face. During this time, Xie Jiaoying and Wei Dongchen sent her visiting cards, but she rejected them all.

It wasn't until news of Princess Yongning's marriage arrived and Qingying received the wedding invitation that she seemed to regain some energy.

Tong Xia said, "His Highness the Crown Prince specifically instructed that a copy be delivered to you, Miss."

Qingying was pleasantly surprised. "Really? He specifically instructed that?"

"It's absolutely true. The wedding invitation was personally delivered by Eunuch Fu, who serves His Highness."

Qingying finally believed it. She opened the wedding invitation and looked at it, but then frowned. "It really is a marriage to Song Changrun? What about Grand Tutor Jin?"

"Who knows?" Tong Xia sighed. "I heard that this marriage was personally arranged by the Empress Dowager, and the princess had no choice but to agree."

"I suppose it was the Emperor's intention as well."

The Empress Dowager wanted to get close to Jin Heng through the Princess, but how could the Emperor allow it? Even if the Princess agreed not to side with the Empress Dowager, the Emperor would not allow Jin Heng to marry Princess Yongning. He wanted to destroy the Yan family, but he was also afraid that after his death, Jin Heng's achievements would overshadow the Emperor.

Several officials in the court had been investigated and punished for corruption and bribery; they were all people affiliated with Chief Minister Yan. Therefore, the Yan family has begun to behave more cautiously, and only then has the Empress Dowager softened her stance.

Qingying put down the wedding invitation and rubbed her slightly throbbing temples. "I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen."