Chapter 3

Evening

Shen Wei sat on the soft couch by the window.

The room was lit with candlelight, and she was focused on reviewing several ledgers sent by the stewards earlier in the afternoon.

She didn’t find it difficult, though the accounts were a bit too detailed, making it somewhat straining on the eyes. However, she had no intention of dealing with it all at this moment. After entering the household, the original body had been in charge of household affairs, but she had been pampered since childhood. Although she had some abilities, they were still lacking.

If not for the support of Old Madam Xie and Lu Buwei behind her, it was likely the people below would have already caused chaos.

She had only just arrived in this era, and she didn’t want others to notice anything out of the ordinary about her…

The wind and snow outside hadn’t stopped, and the sound of branches scraping in the wind was sharp and piercing. Shen Wei placed the ledger aside, and just as she took a sip from her tea cup, Mo Qi’s soft voice was heard from outside: “Madam, the person from Wushui Alley has entered the manor and is currently in the Dacheng Zhai greeting Old Madam.”

After a pause, she added, “The other two madams have also gone over.”

Shen Wei didn’t respond immediately. She finished her tea and then slowly spoke: “Understood. Come in and attend to me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Mo Qi respectfully replied.

Moments later, Mo Qi entered with a group of maids, preparing to assist Shen Wei with her dressing. Since she was still in mourning, she couldn’t apply too much makeup. Mo Qi selected a dark-colored outfit for her, and instead of decorating her with the jade and pearls from the jewelry box, she chose a few jade hairpins and a pair of pearl earrings.

Shen Wei didn’t speak as the maids attended to her, only glancing at her reflection when Mo Qi said, “It’s done.”

The woman in the copper mirror appeared to be in her early twenties, in the prime of youth, but her attire made her look much older—though she appeared dignified, there was an air of lifelessness about her. Shen Wei remembered that after reaching adulthood, the original body never wore bright colors. She and Lu Buwei had an age gap, and as the matron of the Rongguo Duke’s residence, she couldn’t dress too youthful.

But Shen Wei thought it was a bit of a shame…

Although the original body’s looks couldn’t compare to hers, she was still a pretty woman. But dressed this way, even if she had seven parts beauty, only four could be seen. At least the eyes, untouched by resentment or bitterness, were still pleasant.

Mo Qi noticed Shen Wei staring at the mirror in silence and assumed she didn’t want to proceed. She gently reminded her, “Madam, it’s time to go.”

Shen Wei nodded, then raised her hand. Mo Qi helped her up, and as they walked outside, someone offered a heated brazier and rabbit-fur hand warmer. The snowstorm outside showed no signs of letting up. Mo Qi held an umbrella while carefully supporting Shen Wei, step by step, toward the Dachen Zhai.

—-

When they arrived at Dachen Zhai, it was still Yi Nan who greeted her. While helping Shen Wei remove her cloak, he lowered his voice and said, “The two madams have already arrived.”

Shen Wei nodded, handed over the brazier, and then entered through the curtain. The warmth of the floor heating dispersed the cold from her body. She looked inside through a screen and saw people seated on both sides, with a slender young man in black standing in the center.

The young man seemed a bit awkward, with his body slightly hunched.

If one only saw his back, no one would have guessed that this young man would soon become one of the most powerful figures in Bianliang.

The conversation in the room was still ongoing, so no one noticed Shen Wei’s arrival. It was Old Madam Xie, sitting on the Luohan bed, who first saw Shen Wei standing by the screen. She stopped fiddling with her prayer beads and spoke kindly, “You’re here, come sit.”

As soon as she spoke, everyone in the room turned to look at her.

Shen Wei remained composed under their gaze. She followed the formalities and greeted Old Madam Xie before taking a seat on the right side. After receiving the greeting of others, she heard Old Madam Xie address the young man in black, “Xuan Yue, this is your mother.”

Lu Qi Huai, courtesy name Xuan Yue.

Just as Shen Wei processed that thought, the young man in black faced her and cupped his hands in greeting. “Mother.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but there was a slight tremor in it. Shen Wei didn’t speak immediately. She raised her eyes to look at him. The young man, though only fifteen, was tall, though his slim frame made him appear a bit frail. He looked decent, but with his head lowered, she could only glimpse so much.

Quite the actor.

That was Shen Wei’s first impression of Lu Qi Huai.

Now, the person may appear harmless, but the things they will do in the future are truly ruthless and cruel. Such a person cannot be offended, or one will never know how they will die in the end.

When Shen Wei thought of this, she responded, “Get up.”

Her tone was indifferent, but she did not make things difficult for anyone. Sitting above her, Old Madam Xie relaxed slightly at this and still wore a gentle smile on her face. Looking at the young man below, who still appeared somewhat restrained, she spoke, “Alright, Xuan Yue, sit down… You’ve just arrived at the house, so if there’s anything in the future, just find your mother.”

Lu Qi Huai replied softly, “Yes,” and then found a spot to sit down. However, his head remained lowered, and he only occupied about a third of the chair, with his back still tense.

Not long after he sat down, a woman sitting to his left smiled and spoke, “Look at Xuan Yue, he really is a copy of Eldest Brother.” As soon as she said this, the atmosphere in the room became much quieter, but the woman seemed oblivious. After a pause, she followed up with, “But he does look a bit too thin, really quite pitiful.”

Shen Wei held a teacup in her hand, the lid half-removed, yet she didn’t drink and instead turned her gaze toward the speaker. The woman across from her appeared to be about thirty, looking fairly good, but her eyes hid too many scheming thoughts, making her uncomfortable to look at.

She was the wife of Lu Bu Wei from the second branch and also the illegitimate daughter of the Wang family, a person who often enjoyed spreading gossip and speaking ill of others.

While she was speaking to Lu Qi Huai, her eyes kept darting toward Shen Wei, and the meaning was clear.

Had the original Shen Wei been in her place, she likely would have already snapped back at Wang Shi or left outright. Either action would have earned her a reputation of being unsuitable as a matriarch, though.

Shen Wei found this amusing, but her expression remained calm. She leisurely sipped her tea without saying a word.

Wang Shi, seeing this, furrowed her brows. She wanted to say something else but was interrupted before she could speak when Old Madam Xie’s voice rang out, “Alright, it’s getting late. Xuan Yue will stay; the rest of you can leave.”

Old Madam Xie was usually a gentle-tempered person and had never gotten angry in all these years. However, while her face remained unchanged, her voice had grown much colder… Wang Shi immediately quieted down and dared not say anything further.

—-

As they stepped outside.

Shen Wei had just taken the rabbit fur hand warmer that Mo Qi handed her and was about to take a few steps when she heard footsteps behind her.

Without turning around, she knew it was Wang Shi. Sure enough, after a short while, she heard Wang Shi’s voice from behind, “Eldest Sister-in-law, please don’t blame me for being too talkative. There aren’t many children in our family, and Eldest Brother has only one daughter… Now this child has already caught the Old Madam’s favor. If this goes on, who knows what will happen in the future?”

She paused for a moment before continuing, “If you had a son or daughter, it wouldn’t be so bad, but alas…”

Although Wang Shi’s words sounded polite, the implication was harsh.

Mo Qi’s expression darkened, and she was about to turn and respond when Shen Wei gently stopped her with a hand. Shen Wei turned slightly to look at Wang Shi, her face calm, her tone casual: “You needn’t worry. The master’s children are my children, and regardless, they all have to call me ‘mother’.”

After saying this, she nonchalantly glanced at Wang Shi and added, “I heard Mi De is ill. Though she’s not your biological daughter, she still has to call you ‘mother’. Second sister-in-law, if you have time to concern yourself with someone else’s household, you’d better focus on your own. It wouldn’t be good if the rumors get out and you gain a reputation for being harsh toward your stepdaughter.”

Wang Shi’s face changed, her voice becoming much colder: “You…”

Before she could finish, they were interrupted by a clear voice from behind: “Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law.”

It was Wei Shi from the third branch.

Wei Shi greeted both women and then spoke gently to Shen Wei, “Eldest Sister-in-law, you’ve just recovered, so it’s not good to catch a draft. Let me escort you back.”

Shen Wei, listening to this, said nothing but nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing Shen Wei and Wei Shi walking further away, Wang Shi tightened her grip on the arm of her maid. Her expression darkened as she muttered under her breath, “Now that Lu Bu Wei is dead, the Duke’s title is still hanging. I don’t believe these two can really continue as if nothing happened.”

The maid, hearing this, quickly tried to dissuade her, “Madam…”

Wang Shi, though silenced, still had a mocking look in her eyes: “I originally thought she was so lucky, with a husband who adores her, the Old Madam’s care, and even the servants not daring to mistreat her. Who in the Duke’s house has it as easy as Shen Wei?”

But now, it seemed, every family had its own troubles.

Wang Shi watched as Shen Wei and Wei Shi turned the corner and then looked away, speaking coldly, “Let’s go. After we return, call that Zhou Shi over.”

Thinking of Shen Wei’s previous words, her voice dropped: “Let’s see how she’s taking care of her daughter, and I don’t want to hear any more gossip about it.”

The maid dared not speak further and quickly agreed.

—-

By the time the evening came, the sky outside had darkened.

The house was brightly lit with candles, and Mo Qi had just finished preparing dinner. Shen Wei, having had her hands cleaned, was about to sit down when she heard someone announce, “Madam, the eldest son has come to pay his respects.”