As dawn broke, the eastern horizon began to lighten, and the golden-red sun gradually rose. Morning dew dripped softly from the eaves, while within the gauze-draped wardrobe, all was utterly still.

Just as she heard faint noises coming from the bed with its curtains drawn, Chunling came in and softly called out, "Is Miss about to get up?"

"Um."

Li Shiyue sat up, and as soon as she lifted the blanket, the sudden chill made her instinctively shrink back into the covers.

After everything was arranged, Li Shiyue led Chunling to the main room. Today, Madam Xu had changed into a brown-red brocade jacket with a cross-collar and crane pattern, and the waist belt was embroidered with exquisite crane patterns.

Supported by Granny Chang with one hand and leaning on a cane with the other, she walked out from the inner room and smiled broadly when she saw Li Shiyue. She gestured for her to sit beside her: "Sit."

Did you sleep well last night?

Li Shiyue replied with a smile, "It's all good. Granny Chang prepared a lot, and perhaps because I'm close to my maternal grandmother, I slept exceptionally well."

He stepped forward a few paces and helped Madam Xu sit steadily on the round stool.

"But I'm late?"

The curtain was lifted, and a beautiful young woman entered; she was none other than Xu Lingzi, the sixth daughter of Madam Yang. Her personality differed from that of her gentle and dignified elder sister and the other sisters.

She walked in a few steps, her bright phoenix eyes sparkling with laughter, adding a touch of heroism to her face. When she looked at Li Shiyue, she blinked her clear eyes.

It evokes a sense of goodwill and unconsciously conveys a feeling of closeness.

Madam Xu wasn't surprised. She took Li Shiyue's hand and said, "It's not too late. If you hadn't come, I would have had to ask your cousin to come looking for you."

Xu Lingzi suppressed a laugh and walked to Li Shiyue's side, speaking without any formality: "Luckily I was quick, otherwise my cousin would have had to look for me. She really deserves a beating."

She has a lively personality, and while following Madam Xu's lead, she didn't forget Li Shiyue standing to the side, showing that she is thoughtful.

After having breakfast with Madam Xu, Li Shiyue and Xu Lingzi went to pay their respects to the various courtyards. The Duke of Rongguo had four branches of the family. According to the specifications of a prince's mansion, apart from the eldest branch living in the main courtyard, the other three branches were scattered in the south and north.

It had been almost two hours since all four households had been visited.

The weather is fine today, with a slight breeze, and the snow at the base of the wall doesn't even flutter.

Just as they turned out of the long corridor, they saw someone approaching in the distance. As they got closer, they recognized the person. It was none other than the young master who had come with the four masters the night before, the fourth son, Xu Yunbo, the only son of the third branch of the family.

When Li Shiyue and Xu Lingzi looked at him, the smiles on their faces faded somewhat.

Xu Yunbo's eyes lit up and he called out, "Sixth Sister."

He swiftly walked up to the two of them, his face suddenly breaking into a wide smile as his gaze fell upon Li Shiyue. His gaze scrutinized her from head to toe, then a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.

"This must be my cousin. Shi Niang made a huge scene yesterday, and I didn't get a chance to speak to her. Please don't be angry with me."

This sounds like something you've heard before.

Li Shiyue smiled politely, then looked away after just one glance: "Fourth cousin, you flatter me. Yesterday's events happened suddenly, and it was the first time I met everyone. How could you be angry?"

It wasn't that she lacked manners; it was simply that Xu Yunbo was someone she shouldn't get too involved with. In her past life, Xu Yunbo had taken a liking to her and had pleaded with her maternal grandmother, but her grandmother hadn't agreed and had even reprimanded the third branch of the family.

It's just that Xu Yunbo is not as capable as the heir Xu Yunci, nor as good as his younger brother in both literature and martial arts. He is only bad at both and is obsessed with women.

Just in the inner quarters alone, how many concubines did he take in? All the young men of the Xu family had been assigned concubines, but only Xu Yunbo took one after another, which was truly rare.

Seeing that Xu Yunbo was about to say something, Xu Lingzi grabbed Li Shiyue's wrist first: "Fourth Brother, you must have something else to do. I need to take my cousin to report to Grandmother, so I won't say any more to you. If we delay, and Grandmother asks, I'll have to tell you the truth."

Xu Lingzi suppressed a laugh: "Besides, my second brother said yesterday that he would ask about my studies today. Why don't we come with him to Shousong Hall? We might just see him."

Xu Yunbo's face instantly turned ugly, and he quickly cupped his hands, saying, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't chat with you two sisters any longer."

They left in a hurry, as if a raging flood or ferocious beast was behind them.

Although Xu Lingzi was smiling, there was a hint of disdain in her eyes, and she didn't say much: "Let's go."

Li Shiyue was not foolish enough to associate with such a person. Following beside Xu Lingzi, the two slowly walked towards Shousong Hall.

Don't take what your second aunt said to heart.

Li Shiyue looked up and realized what Xu Lingzi had said. Just now in the west courtyard, Liu's attitude was not good.

A slight smile appeared on her lips: "I know, after all what happened yesterday, it's only natural for my second aunt, as a mother, to punish my cousin."

Xu Lingzi retorted, "That's not right either. Shi Niang was punished because she did something wrong. She was the one who tried to harm you. What does it have to do with you?"

"Second Aunt is just spoiling her daughter too much, she doesn't understand right from wrong, and she's even arguing with the younger generation. If Grandmother finds out, it will probably cause another problem."

She spoke directly, but she wasn't wrong.

"Then please don't tell Grandmother. If she asks, just say everything is fine."

Xu Lingzi looked at her in surprise. The young woman was slender and graceful, wearing a plain-patterned short jacket, her waist so thin it could be encircled by one hand. A slight chill was in the air, and her fair skin seemed to be coated with a layer of delicate powder.

Her eyes were gentle, like spring willows unfurling in the cold wind. Xu Lingzi saw that she didn't seem to be joking and raised an eyebrow slightly: "What, Tenth Sister was in the wrong first, and Second Aunt wronged you afterwards, so you're right no matter what."

"Your grandmother will only love you more."

Li Shiyue shook her head, her hands clasped behind her back. The cloak she wore was the one Yang had just prepared, meticulously crafted, with the most fashionable designs available at the moment.

The downy hair around my neck occasionally brushed against my face, shielding me from the cold wind and making me feel warm and comfortable.

“My cousin was wrong, but she was already punished last night. My second aunt’s words didn’t really bother me and didn’t cause any real harm.”

“My maternal grandmother stood up for me because she truly cared about me. I was so happy. It turns out that besides my mother and grandmother, there are other people who really care about me.”

"As my cousin said, if my grandmother finds out, it will cause another trouble. My grandmother is not good at getting angry or worrying. If I ignore her and let her make the decisions, the family will be in turmoil and it will also harm my grandmother's health."

"Besides, my maternal grandmother and uncle brought me here so that we could live a good life, not so that my arrival would cause constant disputes among the sisters."

"So please help me, cousin. If Grandmother asks, just say everything is fine and let it go. Even if Grandmother doesn't believe me, she can't ask my second aunt, right? Then this matter will be over."

Xu Lingzi was taken aback, but then she understood why Madam Yang had insisted on reminding her last night not to stray from Shi Niang's path. No wonder her grandmother doted on her little cousin; her words were truthful yet not arrogant or rude, which made her feel good.

It has to be said, this little cousin is really insightful. Xu Lingzi's smile was much more sincere than before: "Then I'll help you this once."