Chapter 287 The Maid's Thoughts

“My dear Second Madam, don’t you even look at the time? Let’s go tomorrow. You should find Mr. Yuan and ask him what happened, so that I can clear my name.”

"Hmph, who can say for sure whether she's innocent or not!" Wang Xifeng regretted her actions.

Jia Lian had previously given her 30,000 taels of silver, saying it was money he had earned from the Xue family.

Because Wang Xifeng had previously "earned" money from the Xue family in a less than honorable way, she didn't ask Jia Lian in detail what method he had used to earn that money.

If they had asked back then, they wouldn't have allowed Jia Lian to continue using his connections to get Xue Baochai an auditing student qualification!

Wang Xifeng went into the inner room, took off her jewelry and makeup. No matter how angry she was, she would never skip her entire pre-sleep skincare routine as long as conditions allowed.

Ping'er, along with two young maids, helped Wang Xifeng complete this entire process.

In the past, Wang Xifeng would often talk and chat with them, but today she had just had a quarrel with Jia Lian and was still feeling resentful, so she didn't say a word.

No one around, not even Ping'er, dared to utter a word of advice.

Ping'er knew that Second Grandma's temper had gotten better and better in recent years, and she had become a truly kind person.

However, tonight's situation made her feel as if she had returned to the time before Qiaojie was born.

Back then, the couple were like honey when things were going well, but when things were bad, they were like a pair of fighting cocks, neither willing to back down first.

Just like tonight, it's like a needle clashing with a wheat awn.

After Wang Xifeng fell asleep, Ping'er quietly went out.

Since the end of her postpartum period, the second mistress has refused to allow anyone to stay in her room at night, and she also refuses to ask anyone to come and serve her at night.

Those of them who were on duty were able to get a good night's sleep.

As Wang Xifeng's dowry maid, Ping'er naturally had an extraordinary mission.

When she came out and saw Jia Lian lying alone on the couch, wrapped only in a thin blanket, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

She was Jia Lian's concubine. Although Jia Lian had not been close to her for the past two years, Ping'er could not easily forget the affection she had shown him in previous years.

Jia Lian is handsome, and in the past two years he hasn't done the things those dissolute men do, making him seem more and more reliable.

Sometimes Ping'er couldn't help but think: If only the Second Master treated her the same way he did a few years ago!

Second Madam has a good temper and is tolerant, while Second Master is capable and can accomplish great things; at first glance, he seems like a man you can rely on.

She felt honored to be the second master's concubine.

Sigh, with such a good master, what more could the second mistress possibly want? Why did she suddenly get angry again?

Tonight, Second Grandma and Second Master had a fight. Second Grandma wouldn't let Second Master into the bedroom, so Second Master could only sleep on the bed.

On its own, the couch wasn't small, but Jia Lian couldn't even stretch his legs out while lying on it; his feet were dangling in the air. How could he possibly sleep well like that!

Ping'er was heartbroken to see this.

"Second Master, Second Master," she called softly as she approached.

Jia Lian opened his eyes groggily and was startled to see Ping'er squatting by his bedside.

"Ping'er, what are you doing! Squatting by my bedside to scare me!" Jia Lian patted his chest. "In the middle of the night, if I had a sword by my side, would you still be alive?"

In the past two years, Jia Lian has long been accustomed to sleeping with no one on night watch by his bedside.

Therefore, Ping'er's actions almost caused Jia Lian to erupt in anger.

Ping'er felt deeply wronged, but she still maintained a nonchalant expression and said...

"Second Master, this place isn't comfortable to sleep in. Why don't you come and sleep at my place first?"

"What are you saying? I'm a grown man, sleeping with a little girl like you? Do I have no shame?" Jia Lian was not moved by Ping'er's kindness, but instead scolded her.

"It's not like we haven't slept together before, why are you being so reserved today?" Ping'er grumbled unhappily.

Jia Lian gave her a meaningful look, then got up and tossed the blanket aside.

“I remember Ping’er and Second Madam are about the same age. They should have been betrothed to someone long ago.”

After saying that, she ignored Ping'er's terrified expression and stepped into the inner room.

A short while later, Wang Xifeng's voice could be heard from inside the room.

"You were sleeping soundly outside, how did you manage to come in and sleep?"

“How can I sleep well without Feng’er here? I see those maids coming and going around you, it’s making my eyes blurry, so I’ll just wait until they leave before I come back.”

Even though the two had many arguments in the past two years, Wang Xifeng never asked Jia Lian to sleep in a separate room.

It's easy to kick someone out, but it's not so easy to coax them back.

What Wang Xifeng wanted was either a divorce, after which she wouldn't care what Jia Lian did; but as long as they weren't divorced, Jia Lian couldn't go around bothering other people.

She wouldn't give Jia Lian a chance on her own, and Jia Lian himself did a very good job.

At this point, Wang Xifeng was beginning to believe Jia Lian's words, thinking that he might have really asked Sister Yuan before doing this.

She secretly resolved that if her sister Yuan knew about the matter and didn't hold it against her, she would apologize to Jia Lian tomorrow.

The couple slept well, but Ping'er couldn't sleep all night, tossing and turning, thinking about what Jia Lian had said.

Has Jia Lian forgotten the friendship they once shared?

He's only been apart from her for the past two years, and now he wants to marry someone else.

Ping'er felt a deep sense of desolation and sighed at her bitter fate.

She hadn't slept all night, and only managed to close her eyes as dawn broke, when she heard the gong signaling roll call. She had no choice but to drag her weary body to the courtyard to complete the roll call.

After roll call, she couldn't rest. Wang Xifeng had to get up, wash, and eat breakfast. This busy schedule took up most of the day.

Finally, after Wang Xifeng got into the carriage and left, Ping'er had a chance to catch her breath and went back to her room to catch up on sleep...

Yuan Hongqu felt her eyelids twitching badly all morning; a twitching left eyelid meant good fortune, while a twitching right eyelid meant bad luck.

Her left eyelid was twitching so badly that she could barely press it down.

She had just mentioned Zhao Huajing's proposal from yesterday to open an adult women's class in the academy, and asked the academic affairs and teachers to discuss it among themselves, when she heard someone calling her from outside.

"Mr. Yuan, the Second Mistress of Rongguo Mansion has something urgent to discuss with you."

"What's the matter that you've come all the way to the academy?" Yuan Hongqu asked in surprise. This was the first time Wang Xifeng had come to the academy looking for her.

Wang Xifeng knew what was important and wouldn't easily show her close relationship with Yuan Hongqu in front of outsiders, fearing that if something happened to the Rongguo Mansion in the future, it would implicate Yuan Hongqu.

However, Yuan Hongqu didn't care at all.

Upon arriving at the academy gate, Wang Xifeng merely asked someone to go in and announce her arrival; she did not follow them inside.

Yuan Hongqu felt something was amiss. Just as she reached the door, she saw a maidservant from Wang Xifeng's side approach.

"Mr. Yuan, Second Madam said it's not convenient to talk inside the academy, please go to the teahouse next door to talk."

With that, he led Yuan Hongqu onto the carriage.

"Sister Yuan, I'm sorry." Wang Xifeng had thought of many ways to begin, but when she saw Yuan Hongqu, all she could say was "I'm sorry."

Then he handed over a box of silver notes...

Yuan Hongqu was completely confused: What's going on here?