Chapter 21 - Strange

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Luyi got up to help Song Chuyi get dressed. Because of what Nanny Huang had mentioned the day before about the move, she hadn't been able to sleep all night. Just thinking about how they would no longer have to live cautiously in the second household made her feel immense joy.

Most of this happiness came from being glad for Song Chuyi.

She believed heaven had eyes, recalling the scene of Song Chuyi kneeling devoutly in front of Lady Cui's memorial tablet. It only deepened her feeling that Lady Cui was watching over them.

With her heart at ease, her thoughts wandered. She pointed toward the room where Huang Yao stayed and pursed her lips in disdain. "Miss, now that we can go live with the Old Lady, can't we send her away? Last night, when I switched shifts with Hongyu, she told me Huang Yao went to the main courtyard again."

Song Chuyi smiled, her sharp chin even more pronounced due to her recent weight loss, and tilted it slightly. "No, we shouldn't do anything."

Luyi was dissatisfied. "But she has bad intentions! She keeps pushing you to do things that would irritate the Old Lady. Who knows if her boldness will grow even more in the future?"

"That's exactly what I want—to let her boldness grow," Song Chuyi said, fully dressed. She lifted the beaded curtain and glanced at the small round table outside. Seeing that breakfast had already been laid out, she sat down and took a sip of porridge. "Just wait and see in a few days."

Why bother to act herself?

In her previous life, she had learned how to achieve her goals without direct confrontation—using others to do the dirty work.

Although she had now gained the Old Lady's favor, she was still only a seven-year-old girl. It wasn't likely she could carry out anything truly damaging by herself.

Even if she did manage to deal with Huang Yao, Nanny Wang, and the rest, she would only earn a reputation for being sharp and ruthless at a young age.

Public opinion could be devastating, something Song Chuyi had experienced all too well in her past life. The treacherous pair who had cheated on her in secret, her husband and his lover, had eventually been praised as star-crossed lovers, while she, the legitimate wife, was branded as the villain standing in the way of their "true love."

Lowering her head, she scooped up another spoonful of porridge and smiled. In this life, she would cherish her reputation carefully—no one would have the chance to tarnish her name.

As she calmly continued drinking her porridge, Huang Yao suddenly barged in recklessly, her face showing signs of panic. "Miss, Miss, something bad has happened!"

Luyi glared at her in annoyance. "What's bad? It's early morning, what nonsense are you spouting?!"

Though Huang Yao felt guilty about yesterday's events, she still relied on the favor Song Chuyi had shown her recently. She shot Luyi a glance and responded directly to Song Chuyi, ignoring Luyi.

"Second Lady has gone to see the Old Lady!"

Song Chuyi tilted her head and glanced at her, still wearing a faint smile. "Isn't going to pay respects to the Old Lady normal? What's so surprising about that?"

She didn't mention yesterday's incident, where Huang Yao had pushed her to go to the fifth household, nor did she seem to know that Huang Yao had snuck out to the main courtyard last night. 

Seeing Song Chuyi's calm and cheerful expression, Huang Yao's panic eased, and she relaxed a bit. After all, she shared a room with Qingtao, who was too simple-minded to betray her. Nanny Wang was firmly aligned with the Second Lady, so she would surely cover for her.

With this thought, Huang Yao felt even more at ease and spoke more freely, almost animatedly. "No, no, the Second Lady didn't go to pay respects—she went to beg for forgiveness!"

Song Chuyi immediately showed a concerned expression and turned to her, repeating, "Went to beg for forgiveness?"

Qingtao, holding a blue-and-white porcelain spoon, scooped another bowl of jade-green porridge for Song Chuyi. She nudged Huang Yao in the stomach, sidestepping her to place the bowl in front of Song Chuyi.

Huang Yao, taken by surprise by Qingtao's action, doubled over in pain and clutched her stomach. Forgetting that Song Chuyi was right there, she angrily snapped, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? How can you be so clumsy?!"

Song Chuyi glanced at Huang Yao, then let her gaze sweep over Qingtao, a meaningful smile on her lips.

This Qingtao is even smarter than I imagined.

Qingtao hadn't expected Huang Yao to be so oblivious. She had intended to subtly warn her not to say anything that might cause trouble, but Huang Yao failed to take the hint. Frustrated, Qingtao's heart skipped a beat when she saw Song Chuyi's faintly amused expression. She suddenly became flustered and unsure of herself.

However, Song Chuyi acted as if nothing had happened, turning her head away. She then stood up and called out directly, "You two, come with me to take a look."

Huang Yao hadn't finished what she wanted to say and felt a little unwilling. She hesitated to speak further but feared appearing too eager and exposing herself, so she reluctantly followed Song Chuyi to Ningde Courtyard.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw a few maids leisurely sitting in the corridor, basking in the sun. When they noticed Song Chuyi's arrival, they hurriedly stood and greeted her.

With a smile, Song Chuyi passed through the corridor into the main courtyard, where Zimei greeted her with a smile. "Sixth Miss is here? Please come in."

The atmosphere inside seemed somewhat heavy. Song Chuyi immediately noticed that the Old Lady's expression wasn't good and that Li Shi, seated on the left, had red-rimmed eyes. Song Chuyi quickly understood the situation.

As soon as she entered, Li Shi stood up and rushed over to grab her, falling to her knees with a loud thud. She choked back sobs, crying out to the Old Lady, "Mother, all these years I've done my duty to Chuyi as best I could. I made sure to take care of anything Nanny Xu neglected. Anything she needed, if I had it, I gave it to her without hesitation... Even Ning'er often came second to her. Now that you want to take her under your wing, I don't dare to object, but... but what will others think of me when this gets out? What will the Second Master and the Cui family think of me? How will I face the world after this?"

"Besides, I have truly treated her as my own daughter. If she's no longer by my side, how could I ever rest easy?"

The Old Lady looked at Li Shi without speaking.

To be fair, after Li Shi had married into the family, she had treated Song Chuyi well—at least on the surface, there was nothing to criticize. Song Chuning, her own daughter, had indeed been overlooked for quite some time.

The Old Lady recalled an incident from when Song Chuyi was four years old and had a high fever. She had stayed by Song Chuyi's side for days, and Li Shi had done the same. Later, when they heard that a revered monk at Qingliang Temple could ward off evil, Li Shi personally went to the temple to request a ritual—even though she hadn't noticed when her own daughter, Song Chuning, had also fallen ill with a high fever for several days.

It was after that incident that the Old Lady fully trusted Li Shi.

Now, with no warning, she was planning to take Song Chuyi under her care, which, admittedly, was rather harsh on Li Shi. After all, being a stepmother is never easy.

However, Song Chuyi's true reasons for wanting this arrangement could never be spoken aloud.

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