Shen Qingrang was once again stunned by his foolish fiancée. After hearing the message his sister had reyed through someone, he stood dumbfounded by the shore, feeling as if his mind were as muddled as his reflection in the water.

  He had always found Song Chuyi displeasing—she was too clingy, always following him around, too delicate, prone to crying and tantrums, and frequently taking her temper out on his younger sister for no reason.

  But now he realized his mistake. There existed a girl even more insufferably foolish and annoying—Tong Shao. She wasn't even a tenth as beautiful as Song Chuyi. With bloodshot eyes, he numbly followed a young maid to the second gate, where he saw Shen Huixin rushing up, sighing urgently, "Go talk some sense into your fiancée... We simply can't handle her anymore. It's fortunate that Sixth Miss Song is patient and level-headed; otherwise, how could the Changning Marquis Residence endure such disgrace? If they lose face, Father's pns will be completely ruined..."

  The entire family was serving Tong Shao as if she were an empress, all because she had an unreasonable, partial grandfather and an irrational, fierce grandmother who would do anything to protect her.

  Shen Qingrang clenched his fists tightly, suppressing his rage as he closed his eyes briefly, his face dark, and followed Shen Huixin to the backyard.

  Meanwhile, Song Chuyi finally encountered Lady Fang. She quickly noticed that Lady Fang was no longer sticking close to Old Lady Chen. Instead, Lady Fang was forcing a smile as she dealt with some younger girls who greeted her, then sat alone on a bridge, watching the fish below fight over food.

  Song Chuyi whispered a few words into Cui Huaying and Xiang Mingzi's ears, then walked up the arching bridge, calling sweetly, "Aunt." Lady Fang jumped as if startled, and upon recognizing Song Chuyi, she looked slightly puzzled but forced a smile. "It's Sixth Miss. Are you here to fish? Am I disturbing your fun?"

  Lady Fang felt uneasy around the Song family. With the impending Imperial Assessment by the Ministry of Appointments, Fang Xiaoru had been too anxious to eat or sleep, seemingly on the verge of colpse. Lady Fang herself felt as if she were walking on a tightrope, fearful that the Fang family might get entangled.

  At that moment, Old Lady Chen was likely in the flower hall, chatting with Duchess Ying and First Lady Cui, and the troublesome Chen Mingyu had been coaxed away by Cui Huaying and Xiang Mingzi. Song Chuyi brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, her brows tinged with concern. "Are you worried about my cousin from the Fang family? I heard Grandmother and Aunt mention it..."

  The Wang family's sentence had already been passed: all male members aged sixteen and over would be executed in the fall, those under sixteen exiled three thousand miles, and the female members sold as sves.

  Lady Fang blinked, her eyes filling with tears, but she held them back. She had secretly tried to buy her daughter's freedom, but even that had been impossible. Fang Xiaoru kept a close watch, forbidding her from seeking connections. She didn't even know if her daughter and grandson were alive. Her grandson was only two... following his young brothers into exile was likely a death sentence...

  Turning away, she dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, her voice hoarse. "His Majesty's wisdom sees all. The Wang family's officials were disloyal and unfilial. This is simply the consequence of their actions..."

  "I heard that Old Lady Chen recently purchased the female family members of Minister Li, saying it was out of pity..." Song Chuyi tilted her head, noticing Lady Fang's face twist with confusion and disbelief. "But my cousin from the Fang family was sold alongside the Li family's women..."

  Yet the Chen family hadn't bought her! The Chen family, who would sympathize with the Li family's misfortune, wouldn't extend a hand to help the Fang family, who had loyally served them for so many years!

  Song Chuyi was pying her cards well. The Chen family had aided the Li family because the Li family still had valuable connections, and the Li family's crime was much lighter than the Wang family's. Helping the Li family would earn the Chen family a reputation for benevolence with both His Majesty and the Crown Prince. But if they had purchased the wife of Wang Ying, it would have sent a completely different message, raising suspicions about the Chen family's ties to the Wang family.

  However, Lady Fang, in her emotional state, couldn't think through these nuances. She clenched her teeth, her throat dry and sore, and a tear suddenly slipped down her cheek.

  Song Chuyi feigned shock, stepping back and waving her hand, "I... I was just talking nonsense... I only heard Grandmother sigh that my cousin from the Fang family was sold off to an official in Lingnan and that her son... had passed away..."

  Her grandson had died?!

  Yet Fang Xiaoru, that scoundrel, had never mentioned it, ciming he would make arrangements to ensure their comfort. Was this what he meant by comfort?

  Lady Fang wobbled, struggling to stand as she gripped the railing.

  Song Chuyi quickly stepped forward to support her, sighing sympathetically. "Poor Cousin Fang... I heard that on the day of the arrest, she was paraded through the streets for half a day, and her little son... didn't st more than a few days in prison..."

  Lady Fang's eyes were bloodshot, and she was gasping for breath as she leaned against the pilr in the keside pavilion.

  "Grandmother also went to see her that day," Song Chuyi continued, pouring hot water from a nearby kettle to make tea for Lady Fang, then handing it to her. "But Old Lady Chen assured her there was no need for concern, saying she would buy Cousin Fang. But who would have thought that Old Lady Chen wouldn't..."

  Lady Fang's tearful eyes were filled with resentment, though she bit her lip and remained silent.

  Sitting opposite her, Song Chuyi leisurely sipped her fragrant chrysanthemum tea, giving a pointed smile. "I wonder when Uncle and Aunt will see clearly. Compared to the Chen family, our Song family is much more loyal and honorable."

  Lady Fang's heart skipped a beat as she looked up at the girl before her, smiling as radiantly as spring, unsure if her words were meant to be an olive branch or a threat.

  Song Chuyi, however, was already standing up and giving a polite bow to take her leave. "The other dies are waiting for me outside, so I can't stay to keep Aunt company. But if Uncle refuses to see reason, Aunt should think more about the children in the family. If something like this happens again, who do you think the Chen family will sacrifice? There's no Wang family left to take the fall this time..."