“What’s the matter?” Yun Moxiao put down his chopsticks after hearing Yun Ruoyan’s sudden exclamation, then looked at her curiously.

Without saying a word, Yun Ruoyan removed a small, silver hairpin from her head and began testing the food that Yun Ruoyu had brought.

Her actions made her intent clear.

Yun Moxiao’s expression turned severe as he watched his sister. In front of Yun Moxiao were three dishes, a tureen of soup, and a large bowl of rice. Yun Ruoyan tested each one with her silver hairpin and only relaxed after confirming that everything was safe to consume.

“Alright, let’s eat.” She stuck the hairpin back into her hair.

Yun Moxiao’s expression had turned somewhat downcast; Yun Ruoyan’s skillful, meticulous testing made it clear what her life in the Yun manor had been like without him around.

She smiled upon feeling her brother’s gaze. “There’s nothing wrong with being a little careful, is there? Now eat, or the food’ll go cold.”

Yun Ruoyan set her own dishes down in front of her brother. Yun Ruoyu had only sent vegetarian dishes over, and all of hers were meat dishes, so their combination formed quite a feast.

“Madam Qin is hardly going to poison us, is she?” Yun Moxiao had a morsel of meat.

“Madam Qin isn’t the one I’m suspecting.” The mouthful of Chinese cabbage that Yun Ruoyan consumed was sweet and refreshing, and it was a better dish than her own cook could make.

She put down her chopsticks once more and told Yun Moxiao about Yun Ruoyu’s unusual behavior. Although Yun Moxiao was forthright, he was as prudent as she was.

“Your suspicions aren’t unfounded, so we really should be more careful, but Madam Qin really did care for us after our mother passed away. You might not have remembered it given your age, but I certainly have to pay back this favor.”

“I know, Brother. If Ruoyu is truly repentant, I won’t begrudge her what she’s done.”

After finishing their meal, Yun Ruoyan packed up the containers and left. Yun Moxiao continued serving his punishment within the ancestral hall, and the two siblings quickly forgot about this brief interlude.

The next day, it was time for Yi Qianying’s wedding. The lake-green dress had been sent for modifications eight times in a row; when Xi Lan finally nodded in satisfaction, Hong Yu was almost ready to cry in relief.

She had barely slept the last two nights, rushing between Yun Ruoyan’s cottage and the dressmaker’s shop. At the shop, she had to supervise the workers as they made the required modification; at Yun Ruoyan’s cottage, she had to deal with Xi Lan.

The dressmaker had been enraged after seeing Hong Yu for the third time in a single day. What sort of dress required so much modification? She had to be nitpicking! With no other recourse, Hong Yu could only pay a hefty fee for the extra labor.

Because Xi Lan wouldn’t listen to her, and she didn’t dare to appeal to Yun Ruoyan, she could only complain to Madam An. Naturally, Madam An was aware that Yun Ruoyan was trying to get back at her. She was already quite angry because of the confrontation with the Yun matriarch, and Hong Yu’s complaints only caused her to lash out at her once-favored servant.

“I instructed you to modify the dress a little. Isn’t it your own fault that you made the waistline so small?” When she thought back to the Yun matriarch’s scathing criticism, she itched to slap Hong Yu.

“Madam, didn’t you say it was fine as long as the dress wouldn’t fit her?” Hong Yu sighed in grievance.

“You dare talk back to me?!” Madam An suddenly stood up from her chair, her eyes wide. Yun Ruoyan was one thing, but she wasn’t about to have her own servants acting up!

“Mother, I’m sure Hong Yu simply misspoke.” Yun Ruoyao hurriedly patted her mother on the back, then turned to Hong Yu. “Hong Yu, leave us. Deal with this yourself, and don’t come bother Madam An.”

Hong Yu left Madam An’s quarters dejected. Madam An didn’t look as though she would compensate her for the additional fee for fixing Yun Ruoyan’s dress, so it would have to come out of her own pockets.

Angered, Madam An was beset by a fit of coughing.

“Mother, are you alright?” Yun Ruoyu suddenly walked into Madam An’s quarters and asked in concern.

“Sister Ruoyu, how did you have time to visit today?” As Yun Ruoyao patted her mother’s back, she glanced somewhat snobbishly at her younger sister.

“Sister Ruoyao, I’ve been accompanying Madam Qin and participating in her daily routine. Not being able to see Mother has left me somewhat uncomfortable. I told Madam Qin that Mother had been feeling unwell, and she insisted that I visit.” Yun Ruoyu ignored her sister’s attitude.

Yun Ruoyao was about to sneer at her sister for turning her back on Madam An as soon as Madam An seemed to be falling out of favor, but Madam An made eye contact with her and signalled her to stop talking.

Turning to Yun Ruoyu, she smiled and said, “Madam Qin is really quite considerate—” before devolving into another coughing fit.

“Mother, are you alright?” As if she had suddenly thought of something, she continued, “Shall I have Madam Qin make you some cough syrup, Mother? She’s an amazing physician, and she’s been an amazing help with my scars!”

Madam An was coughing so harshly that she could barely breathe. “Alright… ahem, ahem!… have Madam Qin do it quickly…”

“Alright, Mother, I’ll ask her immediately.”

Madam An’s coughing fit continued uncontrollably, as though she were about to cough her lungs out.

Back in Yun Ruoyan’s cottage, Hong Yu followed Xi Lan into Yun Ruoyan’s room.

“Miss, the dress is ready. Would you like to test it on?” Xi Lan held out the dress to Yun Ruoyan happily.

“Yes, let’s test it.” Yun Ruoyan yawned as she stretched languidly and stood up.

Peony helped Yun Ruoyan dress, while Hong Yu stood anxiously by one side. Except for Madam An, she had never felt any sort of anxiety in front of anyone else.

First, because she was Madam An’s personal servant, everyone tried to curry favor with her. Second, she firmly believed that, as long as she didn’t offend Master Yun or the Yun matriarch, Madam An would be able to shield her from any incidents she caused.

These two reasons were the basis for Hong Yu’s arrogant and domineering manner, but she had now found the latter reason to be flawed. In Yun Ruoyan’s quarters, Madam An was powerless to protect her against any punishment she received.

“Ouch!” Yun Ruoyan suddenly exclaimed, and Hong Yu’s heart jumped.

“What’s the matter, Miss? Are you feeling alright?” Before Hong Yu could say anything, Peony and Xi Lan asked in concern.

“I don’t feel well anywhere.” Yun Ruoyan frowned.

What? Xi Lan had approved the dress herself! Hong Yu didn’t dare to speak up in protest, because it would be considered talking back to Yun Ruoyan as soon as she did so. Nervously, she looked toward Xi Lan, her eyes almost pleading. With no one to shield her, she could only count on Xi Lan.

“Miss, there really isn’t much else that can be changed.” Honest to a fault, Xi Lan didn’t realize that Yun Ruoyan was putting on a show for Hong Yu, and she simply spoke the truth.

“In that case, we won’t have it modified further,” Peony quickly jumped in. “Miss, you can’t wear this dress if it’s leaving you so uncomfortable.”

Peony helped Yun Ruoyan undress before tossing the dress back to Xi Lan. “You can take the dress back.”

Trembling in fury and dismay, Hong Yu could only stand stock-still as the dress that she had spent the last two days slaving over was sent right back to her.

“Well, aren’t you going to leave? Did you intend on having breakfast with us?” Xi Lan asked icily.

Hong Yu clutched the dress tightly as she walked out of the cottage. When she was finally outside, she took a deep breath. The air rushed down her throat, and she suddenly felt a sense of numb itchiness in her throat before she was beset by a coughing fit.

“Miss, we’ll be heading over to the Yi manor in the afternoon. Without this dress, what are we going to do?” Xi Lan asked anxiously.

“Xi Lan, you’ve forgotten about all the other formal dresses!” Peony flung the closet open, dug through the bundles of clothing, and brought out the formalwear that the Yun matriarch had bestowed upon Yun Ruoyan over the past few months.

Xi Lan quickly helped Yun Ruoyan change.

“I’ve really become fat—this red dress used to fit me perfectly!” Yun Ruoyan sighed. She remembered that she had worn that red dress when the crown prince had visited the Yun manor. It had been form-fitting, and now it wouldn’t fit at all.

“Miss, you’ve only grown up, not out!” Peony joked.

“Right, Miss, you look prettier the way you are now! In the past, your lower jaw was so sharp you could have used it as a weapon! Your cheeks are a lot rounder than before, but they look so soft and tender!” Xi Lan’s “praise” was so distressingly honest that it made Yun Ruoyan laugh.

After going through the remaining dresses, Yun Ruoyan finally chose a diaphanous silk dress, embroidered with a flower motif. Numerous butterflies were stitched in gold thread along the collar and sleeves, coming to life as Yun Ruoyan twirled around in a circle.

“Miss, why haven’t I seen this dress before?” Xi Lan wondered out loud.

“Wasn’t this one of the dresses you purchased?” Yun Ruoyan asked. She remembered that she’d found the dress in a dilapidated residence within the imperial palace. Back then, Yi Qianying had poisoned her with an aphrodisiac. She had fallen into a pond, emerged sopping wet, and needed a new change of clothes.

“When did the Yun matriarch make you such a beautiful dress, Miss? I really don’t remember seeing it at all!” Xi Lan exclaimed.

Yun Ruoyan smiled, not providing any explanation. Peony, on the other hand, was quite confident that the Yun matriarch hadn’t commissioned this dress; instead, Yun Ruoyan had worn it back after an event. However, if Yun Ruoyan wanted to hide the origins of the dress, then she wasn’t about to expose her.

Yun Ruoyan had just gotten ready when Yun Moxiao came by her cottage to pick her up. He had on a set of purple robes. His hair was tied back with a jade-white crown, and his robes with a jade-white sash.

Given his height, handsome features, and the dazzling smile he sported on his face, all the other female servants in the cottage were struck dumb when he arrived.

“Xi Lan, the tea’s about to overflow!”

Xi Lan had been pouring Yun Ruoyan some tea. She had frozen when Yun Moxiao entered, and it was only Peony’s timely reminder that had prevented her from making a fool of herself.

“I… I’ll go prepare some snacks for you, Miss!” Xi Lan ran out of Yun Ruoyan’s rooms, blushing furiously.

Yun Ruoyan looked at her, then at Peony. Both of her servants were of marriageable age, and it seemed time to marry them off.