As Cai Die stared at Du Shao in utter horror, she heard her mother's voice coming from the corridor outside the door:
"Shuwan...you...you're really better?" Wei Ping looked at Wei Shuwan, who was walking towards them, in disbelief, her voice hesitant and stammering, as if she had encountered a ghost in broad daylight.
Wei Shuwan glanced at her coldly, nodded slightly as if to acknowledge her, and then nodded to Wei Wenshi beside Wei Ping: "Grandmother."
Wei Ping, considering herself an elder, was understandably uncomfortable being ignored by a junior. She was about to reprimand him, but when her gaze fell upon the young Prince Qiaochuan behind Wei Shuwan, she hesitated. In the end, she swallowed back the words that were on the tip of her tongue, and pouted with a bitter expression.
Lady Wei was equally shocked. The person who had been lying unconscious on the bed had suddenly become conscious and was even able to get out of bed and walk... This was simply a miracle!
Grandmother didn't react for a while, but Cai Die, who was inside the hall, knew that Wei Shuwan was truly awake as soon as she heard the voices outside. She paused, feeling a sense of unease. She had been standing and talking to Du Shao, but subconsciously took two steps back, slumped into the chair, and looked at him with a look of panic in her eyes.
Du Shao naturally heard it too, and was happy for Cai Die's sister that she had finally recovered from her illness. But when he turned his head, he saw that Cai Die's face was ashen, and he felt a chill and pity.
"Little Butterfly, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I...I'm fine..." Cai Die tried to explain, not wanting to give herself away in front of Du Shao: "I just suddenly heard that my third sister had woken up, and I got so excited that I felt dizzy..."
While lying, Cai Die gradually calmed down. She remembered that although Wei Shuwan and her daughter had been poisoned unconscious by her, they might not know that she was the one who did it. Perhaps things were not as bad as she imagined.
Clinging to this sliver of hope, as Wei Shuwan was helped through the door by two maids, Cai Die suddenly rose from her chair and, as expected, rushed forward with feigned surprise: "Third sister, are you really alright? That's wonderful! You know, during the days you were unconscious, our whole family couldn't eat or sleep properly."
Cai Die smiled, more enthusiastic than ever, while Wei Shuwan stared at her coldly, her face taut as if coated with a layer of paste.
Seeing that she remained silent, the forced smile on Cai Die's face gradually faded, and she guessed that Wei Shuwan had probably realized that this matter was related to her. She also understood that a dispute was likely to follow.
That would certainly be embarrassing.
Cai Die didn't want Du Shao, who had just developed feelings for her, to see that side of her, so she put on a smile again and turned to Du Shao, saying, "Young Master Du, your arrival today brings joy to our household. You are truly a lucky charm for Cai Die... However, my third sister has woken up, so I'm afraid we won't have time to properly entertain you today. Perhaps you could come another day..."
"Why are you in such a hurry, sister?"
Wei Shuwan's sudden voice interrupted Cai Die, who turned around blankly to look at her. This time, her eyes were filled with a smile, as gentle and polite as usual, but Cai Die could see a cold and fierce aura in those two crescent-shaped smiling eyes.
Wei Shuwan's gentle gaze was like an ice knife coated with sugar.
Seeing that Cai Die dared not speak again, Wei Shuwan shifted her gaze to Du Shao. Sure enough, she noticed a resemblance between him and Du Xun in his eyes and brows. No wonder her fourth sister was so attentive to him after her setback with Du Xun.
“Young Master Du, since you are here, you are a guest. Even if our Wei family cannot provide you with a good meal and drinks, we should at least treat you to a good show, so as not to violate the principles of hospitality.”
Du Shao was slightly taken aback, sensing a hidden meaning beneath the young woman's polite words, and asked in surprise, "Watching a play? What play?"
"In the Yuan dynasty play 'The Romance of the Western Chamber,' there is a scene called 'Hongniang Teases Zhang Sheng,' which includes the line, 'Today, upon meeting you, I am moved; the flower's heart unfolds, the willow's waist sways, and the peony blooms with dewdrops.' Have you ever seen this scene, Young Master Du?" Wei Shuwan asked Du Shao, raising her eyebrows.
Although Du Shao was puzzled by the question, he still answered truthfully: "My mother requested this play during the New Year festival, and I also watched it with her."
Wei Shuwan smiled lightly, "That's great. Since you've seen it, Young Master Du should know that the matchmaker in the play was originally just a maid who relayed messages between Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying, but she developed an inappropriate lust for Zhang Sheng over time. Fortunately, the matchmaker was still clear-headed and only flirted with Zhang Sheng a few times, without actually having an affair with him, so she didn't completely betray her master."
At this point, Wei Shuwan looked at Cai Die with an enigmatic smile in her eyes. She seemed to be talking to Young Master Du, but her eyes were fixed on Cai Die.
"But what if this matchmaker is not discerning and develops an inappropriate relationship with Zhang Sheng? What does Young Master Du think?"
Cai Die felt uneasy under Wei Shuwan's gaze, and at this moment she was absolutely certain that Wei Shuwan knew that she was the one who made the medicine.
At this moment, Du Shao replied decisively, "Such a treacherous person will surely be abandoned by everyone, and there will be no one around who will trust her!"
Not satisfied with that, he added, "As the old saying goes, 'One should not covet a friend's wife,' so how can one casually seduce and flirt with a friend's husband?"
"Young Master Du is absolutely right!"
The sudden sound of someone bursting in from outside drew everyone's attention. There stood Wei Shuyao and Madam Meng, both mother and daughter bearing the same indignant expression. And the words spoken earlier were indeed those of Wei Shuyao.
Seeing that the person in question had arrived, Wei Shuwan moved aside, making room for Caidie and Du Shao so that her fourth sister could have plenty of space to perform.
Having not seen her granddaughter for a long time, Madam Wei Wen leaned on her cane and stepped forward, stroking Wei Shuyao's arm: "Yao'er, you're back?"
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