Although it was quiet, the ivy and bushes were still growing luxuriantly, only the outermost leaves were a darker color.

Although it is as tall as a person, the exposed branches below allow one to clearly see the surroundings without any way to avoid them.

"Young lady, Third Master, he—"

Chunling recalled the look she had just seen, and was so shocked she didn't know what to say. If she had said Meng Zhuo was going too far before, she would have been a brainless idiot.

But Xu Yunyang was different. On the surface, there seemed to be no problem, but Chunling saw a look in his eyes that made her feel like she was being treated as prey, which sent chills down her spine.

Li Shiyue seemed not to hear, raised her hand to pluck a petal of osmanthus and placed it in the bamboo basket, her fingertips still carrying the faint fragrance of osmanthus.

Seeing that she was not in a hurry, Chunling put the bamboo basket in her hand on the stone table to the side, tugged at Li Shiyue's sleeve, her eyes full of worry, and she was almost about to cry: "Miss, my good girl, Sanlangjun looks like he is the second Meng Langjun."

In her eyes, her own daughter was delicate and fair-skinned since childhood. When she was young, she was brought back to the Earl's Mansion by the mistress. The first time she saw her daughter, she thought that the snow-white cat in her daughter's arms was the same.

In the past, the Earl's mansion had wolves like Meng Zhuo. Now, after half a year of peace, it seems that tigers and leopards like Xu Yunyang are about to emerge. How can her young lady withstand this?

"clatter."

A soft sound interrupted Chunling's thoughts. She looked up and met Li Shiyue's smiling gaze, then timidly began, "Miss..."

Li Shiyue placed all the flower petals in her hand into the bamboo basket, looked up and sighed softly: "I know you mean well. But Chunling is now in the Xu family. In the end, I am just a guest. My third cousin is the real master of the Xu family. Some things are very troublesome."

“It’s not that I can do whatever I want just because I have my grandmother’s favoritism.”

Reality ripped open the door, but Li Shiyue remained calm and unperturbed by the fact.

She was only worried that if she didn't handle things well and disturbed Old Madam Xu's peace, what would she do? Having been given a second chance, she didn't care too much about anyone, except for Old Madam Xu, whom she treated with a sincere heart from beginning to end.

Chunling was like a deflated balloon; even though she still wanted to say something, she ultimately couldn't solve the problem.

"Things always need to be resolved eventually. I've made some osmanthus cakes, so pack some and take them to Songyuan. Tell them I need to speak with my cousin. If he's not here, just tell Changshun."

Li Shiyue's gaze was calm, and she made up her mind. If she had to live under Xu Yunyang's watchful eye every day, who knew what he might do one day? Rather than waiting, she would rather take the initiative.

She used herself as bait to lure the snake out of its hole. It wasn't easy, though, because Xu Yunyang wasn't the kind of person who was simple-minded. If she wanted him to reveal his true nature, she had to think carefully and find someone who could stand up for her.

Xu Yunci is the most suitable person for this position.

The sunlight is most abundant at noon, and even though it is cool like autumn, standing in the sun will make you feel hot.

Chang Shun muttered something under his breath, then raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his face with his sleeve. He had been careless today; he hadn't expected it to be so hot and humid in the afternoon.

Suddenly her eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped out of the corridor to greet him: "Chunling? Why are you here at this time? Is there something you need from Miss Chunling?"

Chunling carried a food box in her hand. She had a round face and bright, sparkling eyes when she smiled, making her a very likable person.

She was a kind person and never quarreled with anyone in the mansion. She would call people "sister" or "nanny" in a sweet voice, and no one could resist her lovable appearance.

Seeing Chang Shun come over with a sweet smile, she called out "Second Brother Chang" and then looked inside: "Are you alone today? Sister Tao Lu isn't here."

Chang Shun scratched his head: "The young master just left, so I told Tao Lu and the others to finish their work and go back to rest. I was thinking of airing out the books in the young master's study."

Chunling then noticed that there were shelves on both sides of the courtyard, covered with books.

"The weather is nice today, especially in the afternoon when the sun is at its strongest. By the way, this is a new osmanthus cake that my daughter made, and she specially asked me to bring it over."

The aroma of the freshly baked flower cakes was blocked by the food box. Chang Shun took the cake and said, "Miss, you are so thoughtful. I will definitely give it to the young master when he returns. Do you have any instructions for me?"

Chunling shook her head, a hint of hesitation on her face: "It's not so much about giving orders, it's just that there are some things I'm unsure about, and I don't know how to talk to you about them, Miss."

Chang Shun scratched his head: "You grew up with your cousin and came to the capital with her. Why are you two, master and servant, keeping things to yourselves? Hey, have you run into some trouble?"

Chunling opened her mouth, then pursed her lips: "There is a troublesome matter, but I'm afraid I'm wrong and it might cause trouble for my young lady and Sanlangjun, so I dare not say it."

"Third Master? When did Miss Cousin get in touch with Third Master? Could it be that the West Courtyard is causing trouble for Chengyu Pavilion again?" Chang Shun asked with worry, as if he could imagine every possible bad thing.

Chunling quickly waved her hand, and seeing that he had obviously misunderstood, she hurriedly said, "It's not like that. After breakfast, Miss thought that the old lady's appetite had not been good lately, so she went to the small garden to pick some fresh flower petals and wanted to make some delicious flower cakes."

"At the long corridor outside the small garden, I met the Third Young Master, who had just returned from court. After greeting him, the young lady led me into the garden. But, but when I looked back, the way the Third Young Master looked at the young lady was..."

"I can't describe it, but it was very uncomfortable, like a hungry wolf seeing a bone."

"You know what kind of life the young lady lived in the Earl's mansion before. Now she is loved by all the masters. I am happy. But I am so scared. The Third Young Master's eyes are really scary. I hope he will not do anything to hurt the young lady."

As she spoke, the fear in her eyes gradually welled up with tears, and she gripped Chang Shun's sleeve tightly: "Second Brother Chang, you've been with the young master for a long time and have seen a lot. Why don't you give me some advice? Should I tell the young lady or not?"

Chang Shun did not answer immediately. He glanced at the hand clutching his sleeve, then looked at Chunling's round face, which showed fear and confusion, with a moment of suspicion.

"Here's what we'll do: you go back first and give Miss Biao a proper reminder. Then find someone reliable to stay with her every day. If anything happens, immediately call someone to come to Songyuan to find me."

"It's all just speculation. Maybe you're mistaken. Don't scare yourself."

Perhaps comforted, Chunling withdrew her hand, bit her lower lip with her white teeth, and nodded hesitantly.