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Seeing the little girl, Marquis Chu’s icy expression softened momentarily. He reached out to touch her but stopped at the curtain, retracting his hand before leaving the room.
He gave a nearly faint nod to Chen Feng, then coldly informed Chu Lingxuan, “I will return to the inn now and head south early tomorrow.”
Chu Lingxuan remained silent, simply nodding in acknowledgment.
Glancing at Chu Hua and her child, Chu Heng, Chu Hua turned her head away, ignoring him, while little Heng, with teary eyes, continued to smile at him.
Shaking his head with a sigh, Marquis Chu walked out, followed by Chu Lingxuan.
As Marquis Chu’s figure disappeared through the courtyard gate, Chu Hua finally burst into tears. The wet nurse hurried over to take little Heng from her, who was now crying.
Chen Feng approached, using a handkerchief to gently wipe her tears, advising, “Miss Chu, don’t be upset. Crying will ruin your makeup.”
Chu Hua cried, “Every time I see him, it reminds me of what my mother endured all these years, of my brother and me having to flee to the border, and the suffering Hanyan went through… I hate him, resent him… Actually, he was the most loving to me when I was young. How could he…”
Unable to comment on Marquis Chu’s actions, Chen Feng tried to console Chu Hua, encouraging her to look ahead, as the worst days were behind them, and a better life lay ahead.
As Chu Hua wept and rambled on, her maids brought water to cleanse her face and reapply her makeup.
Suddenly, she seemed to recall something, lifting her head to ask Chen Feng, “Just now, it seemed like my Heng said something, calling out ‘Grandpa.’ Did I hear correctly?”
Chen Feng smiled, “You heard correctly. Little Heng indeed called out ‘Grandpa.'”
Chu Hua smiled warmly, standing up and saying, “I must make my Heng call out ‘Mom,’ ‘Dad,’ ‘Grandma,’ to make my mother happy.”
Chen Feng held her back, chuckling, “Little Heng has already been taken to the west room to sleep by the nursemaid, let’s not disturb him.”
The two sat together and chatted for a while. Chen Feng quietly mentioned to Chu Hua about Chu Zhen and rejecting her wish to make her a clothes.
Chu Hua sneered, “Sister Chen did the right thing. You are my future sister-in-law, and if she dares to upset you, she’s being too audacious. Before my third aunt returns to the capital, that Mrs. Li has been in charge at the Marquis’s residence, showing off, waiting for Madam Jiang and you to pay her respects. Chu Zhen may think she’s the elder Marquis’s granddaughter, deserving everyone’s attention. The Peach Blossom Banquet is hosted by Princess Anjun, and all the prominent families in the capital will attend. Chu Zhen wanting a unique outfit for the banquet is clearly aiming to find a good match. Her mother-daughter duo is a joke in the capital, with lofty ambitions…”
Chen Feng chuckled, sipped her tea, and remarked, “That Madam Lou is quite eloquent.” She always felt uneasy when Madam Lou publicly praised her “beauty,” sensing it wasn’t genuine admiration but rather a form of flattery.
Hearing beyond Chen Feng’s words, Chu Hua whispered, “My second aunt had been trying to arrange a marriage between her illegitimate daughter and my brother.” She grimaced, adding, “She really dares to dream. No matter how chaotic my maternal family is, and regardless of my brother’s remarriage, her fourth-rank official illegitimate daughter cannot aspire to such heights.”
Realizing that Chen Feng’s father was also a fourth-rank official and her status was less esteemed than an illegitimate daughter, Chu Hua blushed, quickly apologizing, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to look down on you, Sister Chen. Regardless of your background, my brother genuinely cares for you, and my grandfather, uncles, aunts, especially Hanyan, they all like you, and so do I.”
Chen Feng smiled, reassuring her, “I understand, Sister Chu. It was an unintentional remark. My background has always been this way. Initially, I was reluctant to accept Chu…”
Her face flushed, and she abruptly stopped speaking. This was ancient times, and the person in front of her was Chu Lingxuan’s sister, making it inappropriate to discuss their personal matters…
Seeing Chu Hua’s enthusiasm, Chen Feng paused, but Chu Hua urged her to continue, wondering, “If you didn’t accept my brother, what did he do to win your heart?”
Chen Feng waved her hand, saying, “Nothing, really. Let’s not talk about it.”
Unconvinced, Chu Hua insisted, pulling Chen Feng back into the conversation. They playfully bantered, making Chen Feng feel like she was back in her past life, joking around with her friends.
Finally, Chen Feng asked, “Is Mr. Lou also serving in Shizhou Prefecture?”
Chu Hua shook her head, explaining, “My second uncle is serving in the Sichuan Province. Since my grandmother is still alive, my eldest and second uncle haven’t separated their households. My grandmother is bedridden, so my second uncle’s wife takes care of their children at Shizhou Prefecture, showing filial piety on his behalf.”
As they were talking, Chu Lingxuan returned. Seeing Chen Feng and Chu Hua happily chatting hand in hand, he smiled and asked, “What are you two discussing? You seem so cheerful.”
Chu Hua laughed, “It’s a secret we won’t tell you, Brother.” Then she inquired, “Has that person left? Why did you bring him here? He was so cruel in the past, why act like a good person now and not let him see Yanyan?”
Chu Lingxuan explained, “No matter what, he is our father. He came today for Yanyan’s birthday banquet, and we couldn’t keep him outside. He mentioned wanting to see the children, so Grandfather allowed me to bring him.”
Turning to Chen Feng, he added, “We will return to Tangyuan in three days. Will you come with us?”
Chen Feng shook her head, “No, when I left, Dabao was very upset, so I promised him to return early.”
Chu Lingxuan was reluctant to part with Chen Feng, but upon hearing about Dabao’s distress, he had to relent.
Autumn reminded Chen Feng, “Miss, the play is almost over. You should join Madam and the others.”
Standing up, Chen Feng told Chu Lingxuan, “Mr. Chu, I’ll be leaving now.”
Chu Lingxuan replied, “I’ll see you off tomorrow morning.”
Chen Feng nodded, then turned to Chu Hua, “Sister Chu, after visiting Abbess Liao Chen, stay at Tangyuan for a while longer. I can spend more time with you.”
Chu Hua agreed, accompanying her to the Gui Garden, where they would sing during the gathering.
The opera performed there resembled the Kun opera from a past life, with Chen Feng unable to understand the dialogue but appreciating the beautiful costumes and makeup.
After over an hour, the play concluded, and Chen Feng bid farewell to the others and Madam Lou. Madam Lou privately apologized to Madam Jiang and Chen Feng, mentioning how Mrs. Li was tactless, advising them not to take it to heart.
Madam Jiang held Madam Lou’s hand, reassuring her, “Madam Lou don’t worry. I won’t lower myself to the level of an ignorant person.”
Glancing at Mrs. Li, who was bidding farewell to other female guests in the distance, Chen Feng couldn’t help but feel sorry for her ignorance. How could the Chu family marry such a clueless person?