Li Shiyue stood up and made way for Xu Lingzi, watching as Madam Yang and the Crown Princess surrounded her on either side, her heart filled with longing.

It was very lively outside, the groom must have arrived. Li Shiyue did not go forward, but instead saw the bride off to her new home in a lively manner. By the time he returned to the Duke's mansion, it was already very late.

Li Shiyue deliberately avoided Xu Yunci. Before he came over, she told Yang that she would go to Shousong Hall first. By the time Xu Yunci came over, he could only see her back.

It was late at night, and as usual, Madam Xu would have been resting, but tonight was different; there were no lights on.

Li Shiyue went inside. Lianchun was guarding the corridor. When she saw Li Shiyue coming over, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief: "Miss Li is back."

"Grandma, are you still awake?"

Lianchun shook her head and lifted the curtain: "The old lady only said that Miss Biao will definitely come."

Li Shiyue didn't say anything. She walked into the room and saw Old Madam Xu sitting on the warm couch with slightly red eyes. She must have been secretly shedding tears.

"Grandma hasn't rested yet. I'm afraid if you go to bed late, your headache will flare up again."

Sitting habitually to the side of Old Madam Xu, Li Shiyue looked at the calming soup on the table and guessed it was cold, so she asked someone to take it away and reheat it.

Madam Xu pressed down on the back of her hand: "Take a rest. You've helped a lot today, you must be tired."

Li Shiyue shook her head: "It's alright, my aunt is there for everything, I don't have to do much."

There was hesitation in Madam Xu's eyes. Li Shiyue understood and took Madam Xu's hands in her own, then spoke in a warmer tone: "My cousin is doing well, and the Guo family is doing well too. When we came back, my brother-in-law personally saw us off at the door."

"His Highness and the Empress were restricted by the palace rules and did not stay long, returning to the palace earlier. My uncle and aunt should have gone back as well; I saw that my aunt's eyes were red from crying."

"Of course I'm reluctant to part with her. Fifth Sister was raised by your aunt since she was little, and being the youngest daughter, she was spoiled a bit. Today, she's getting married and will be someone else's bride." Old Madam Xu's eyes were tinged with sadness, and even her voice became much softer.

Li Shiyue used a little force in her hand and spoke softly to comfort her: "My cousin is going back to her parents' home in three days, and her husband will also be visiting. My cousin told me that she must keep my grandmother company."

"So please get some rest. If you're not feeling well, everyone will be very worried."

As Li Shiyue emerged from Shousong Hall, she looked up at the crescent moon, which seemed to be obscured by clouds, giving it a somewhat hazy appearance.

As weariness gradually crept over her, she let Chunling support her. The moonlight was bright overhead, and a gentle evening breeze occasionally blew, gradually dispelling her fatigue.

Li Shiyue couldn't help but slow her pace. Xie Yizhi's departure from the mansion, Xu Lingzi's marriage, and her having to face Xu Yunci's feelings—these days had passed like a dream.

On the day Xu Lingzi returned to her parents' home, the Rongguo Duke's mansion was bustling with activity, and even the fourth branch of the family arrived early. Seeing Xu Lingzi dressed as a married woman, standing beside Guo Xun with a rosy complexion, Old Madam Xu's smile never faded.

After the elders finished catching up, Xu Lingzi finally had time to take Li Shiyue's arm and walk out. After looking around to make sure no one was there, she leaned against Li Shiyue's shoulder.

"Are you afraid of being seen by Guo Shaoqing?"

Although she made a joke, Li Shiyue remained still, after all, the position of mistress of the house was not easy.

Fortunately, the Guo family is small, so Xu Lingzi should be able to handle it without much difficulty.

"So what if he saw it? After all, his aunt couldn't help but give me a hard time yesterday, but I didn't let her succeed. The power to manage the household is now in my hands."

Xu Lingzi sat up and saw the doubt on Li Shiyue's face: "It's not a big deal. You know the Guo family. They don't have that much wealth. They're all supported by his salary from his years as an official."

“He said he had never been involved in those family matters, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t know. His cousin was mediocre and playful, and his aunt spoiled him with his salary. On the second day after the wedding, he handed me the key to the family storeroom and the account books as well.”

Li Shiyue recalled that Madam Guo the Second, who indeed had a commoner's demeanor, but she knew nothing else about her.

"Wouldn't that mean you have to be the bad guy? Are you going to disobey your elders on the second day of your marriage?"

Xu Lingzi shook her head, and when she spoke again, her face was sweeter: "No, it was him who asked me to do it. He was afraid that people would gossip, so he made sure to put on a good show before leaving everything to me."

"As for his aunt, it was even easier. She remembered my dowry and wanted to use it to help her son. She said nice things to me. I just picked a few things and sent them over to shut her up, so she couldn't say anything more."

“He said that misappropriating the bride’s dowry was something only an incompetent husband would do. He told me to handle the things in the dowry myself. He would bring back his salary every month and give it to his aunt the same amount he used to give her. There was no need for me to make up the difference.”

“He said I could do it, but others might not remember my kindness, so it would be better not to do it. He was afraid I would be wronged.”

Looking at Xu Lingzi's shy, downcast expression, Li Shiyue covered her mouth and chuckled, "Brother-in-law really knows how to take care of people, that's great."

"But what you said makes sense. We are marrying down. If we don't cause trouble or make the house uneasy, we can at least live in peace. There's no need to do anything useless."

Xu Lingzi hesitated, "I saw Xu Lingwan, but she didn't see me."

Speaking of her cousin Xu Lingwan, they grew up together in the Duke's mansion. Although she was a bit spoiled, Xu Lingzi didn't particularly like her. But in this situation, with her being addressed as "elder sister" all the time, anyone would feel uncomfortable.

On the day of the bride's return visit, one cannot leave too early, nor can one stay too long; naturally, parting is bittersweet. Shousong Hall fell silent for a moment. Old Madam Xu looked weary, her eyes reddening, and she held Li Shiyue's hand tightly, refusing to let go.

Old Madam Xu wasn't feeling very energetic and fell asleep soon after. When Li Shiyue came out, the sky was red, resembling a fiery sunset.

The cool evening breeze caressed her face. Li Shiyue rubbed her wrists. Although she had been tired these past few days, seeing Xu Lingzi's face today made her feel much more relaxed.

Happiness and joy cannot be faked. When Xu Lingzi talked about Guo Xun, the joy in her eyes almost overflowed. This is something that cannot be lied about.

She stopped and looked at the person walking towards her, hesitating about which way to go.

Xu Yunci looked very serious, as if something big had happened. He was clearly taken aback when he saw Li Shiyue.

"Has Grandmother gone to rest?"

Seeing Li Shiyue nod, Xu Yunci took a deep breath: "Someone will go to Chengyu Pavilion to burn mugwort later, so don't leave the mansion during this time."