Zhou Ruyu was in a bad mood and cursed as soon as she opened the door, “Why the h.e.l.l are you shouting, b.i.t.c.h?”

The maid Qiong Zhi shrank with fear and replied respectfully, “Madam, Fourth Lady has come back. She is in Youran Boudoir now…”

Zhou Ruyu was stunned to hear that and then got overjoyed. Before Qiong Zhi finished her words, Ruyu ran out quickly and rebuked, “Useless girl, why didn't you tell me earlier?”

She ran fast and only thought of Fourth Lady, s.h.i.+ Baoyou, totally ignoring s.h.i.+ Baojin's surprised and sad eyes behind her.

s.h.i.+ Baojin subconsciously ran a few steps after Zhou Ruyu, but her mother ran too quickly and she couldn't catch up with her. She knew that Youran Boudoir was just one hundred steps away from her, but she just stood at the door and watched Zhou Ruyu disappear from her sight.

The first-level maid in Yujin Boudoir, Xiao Tao walked to her and said in a low voice, “My Lady, it's cold outside. Let's enter the room.”

s.h.i.+ Baojin glanced at Xiao Tao and suddenly laughed. “Xiao Tao, we are both Mother's children, but how could she be so partial to Baoyou?”

Xiao Tao kept silent. After quite a while, she responded, “No. Madam also loves you.”

“Yes, she loves me very much at ordinary times, but I am n.o.body after s.h.i.+ Baoyou comes back…” s.h.i.+ Baojin smiled with self-mockery and then turned around to enter the room.

The fourth lady Baoyou of the s.h.i.+ Family was a mysterious one among all the ladies. She had been born prematurely and was in poor health but destined to be wealthy. When she was young, a fortuneteller said she was coveted by G.o.d and should be hidden and raised secretly. Otherwise she wouldn't have survived. She couldn't get rid of the disaster until she was seventeen years old.

Zhou Ruyu thought it was better to believe than to take the risk. When s.h.i.+ Baoyou was under the age of one, she was sent to the Zhou Family and raised in Marquis of Wuyang's mansion. She had never come back to the s.h.i.+ Family. Zhou Ruyu went to her parents' home to see her little daughter at intervals.

Not long ago, s.h.i.+ Baoyou had her seventeenth birthday, and s.h.i.+ Baojin's marriage was decided, so Zhou Ruyu couldn't wait to bring her back home to meet the elders.

Although s.h.i.+ Baoyou had been raised in secret, she was a n.o.ble lady brought up in an atmosphere of luxury and wealth. She had received the treatment as good as her sisters. It could be seen that Zhou Ruyu had spent a lot of money on her.

Of course, s.h.i.+ Baoyou lived up to Zhou Ruyu's expectations. She was graceful and attractive with a nice figure. Although she was not as outstanding as s.h.i.+ Qingxue, she was pleasant to the eye, like a lotus.

s.h.i.+ Baoyou came back to the mansion. With her beautiful face, obedient character and silver tongue, she defeated s.h.i.+ Baoning and s.h.i.+ Qingxue, and became Mo Shujun's favorite granddaughter.

s.h.i.+ Qingxue didn't care about it. Since she had grown apart from Mo Shujun, she never expected to win her grandmother's love, and she was very busy these days.

Because everything had changed in this life, Dong Hui didn't have the plan to marry off s.h.i.+ Baoning to Wenren Chi. On the contrary, she always tried to set s.h.i.+ Qingxue up with Wenren Chi.

Qingxue was not sensitive to the love relations.h.i.+p, but she couldn't resist Dong Hui's repeated hints. She was helpless. She had loosened her tongue in front of Dong Hui, so she couldn't go back on her word and say that she wouldn't marry Wenren Chi.

s.h.i.+ Qingxue had no choice but to go to Baoning. “Big sister, do you want to marry Chi?”

She asked straightforward as soon as she entered the room, which shocked Baoning, who then asked after a while, “Qingxue, what are you talking about?”

s.h.i.+ Qingxue blinked and said innocently, “Nothing. You and Chi are not siblings. And Father and his father want you two to get married, right?”

This was what had happened in the previous life, but s.h.i.+ Qingxue spoke out without feeling embarra.s.sed.

s.h.i.+ Baoning was more astonished. After a pause, she laughed. Then she said in a more indifferent tone, “Didn't Mother say that she will marry you off to Chi and let your child inherit the official position?”

“Ah?” s.h.i.+ Qingxue finally remembered that the two of them had eavesdropped at the window of their parents then. She smiled awkwardly and explained in a hurry, “Mother was just joking. Grandma is here, and Father wouldn't give his official position to a man from another family. I have never wanted his position. And Chi likes you, so he will certainly marry you.”

She took her answer for granted, but Baoning was petrified for a long time. She stared at Qingxue, with a complex expression in her eyes that the latter couldn't understand.

“Sister, what's wrong with you?”

s.h.i.+ Baoning lowered her head and clenched her fists, murmuring, “I think, I think he likes you. I think you are going to get married.”

Her voice was so low that s.h.i.+ Qingxue heard it clearly with difficulty. She shouted in surprise, “How can it be possible?”

It occurred to her that s.h.i.+ Baoning was cold to her these days. She was suddenly enlightened. It turned out that her big sister loved their brother.

“You misunderstand it. Chi has always treated me as his younger sister. He wouldn't marry me!” s.h.i.+ Qingxue held Baoning's hand and explained seriously.

For fear that Baoning didn't believe her, Qingxue briefly told her what Wenren Chi said to her in the Wenren Family's mansion the other day. Of course, she didn't mention that she had said she would marry him.

After hearing that, s.h.i.+ Baoning couldn't hide the joy on her peaceful face. She grabbed Qingxue's hand and asked excitedly, “Really? You didn't lie to me?”

s.h.i.+ Qingxue almost swore to G.o.d. “Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, you can ask Chi.”

s.h.i.+ Baoning was finally relieved and showed a smile. But she concealed it when she met Qingxue's sincere and concerned eyes. She lowered her head, and apologized softly,” I am sorry.”

Qingxue thought she apologized for her misunderstanding and waved her hand in an instant. “It's nothing. Never mind.”

It was just a misunderstanding, and it caused nothing serious.

After thinking for a while, Qingxue told her big sister, “Anyway, we are sisters. In the future, if you have something to ask me, just ask. It would be a pity if we are not on good terms because of some misunderstanding.”

s.h.i.+ Baoning went stiff and didn't have the courage to meet Qingxue's eyes. She answered in a low voice and then said, “But Father told Chi to move out of our mansion. He might not agree to our marriage.”

“Huh?” Qingxue didn't think of this problem. “I thought Chi asked to leave our mansion.”

s.h.i.+ Baoning shook her head and said dispiritedly, “No. Grandma said Father drove Chi away to the City Guardian Army and told him to be independent.”

Baoning's complaint made Qingxue at a loss for words. But it had something to do with Mo Shujun, so she believed it was not simple. “Baoning, do you believe Grandma so much?”

s.h.i.+ Baoning was petrified. “What do you mean?”

s.h.i.+ Qingxue didn't like to make mischief, but she didn't want her sister to act upon whatever their grandma said. She couldn't help but remind her, “Baoning, don't forget that Grandma likes Third Uncle's family the most.”

“But the mistress and Infanta are both in First Master's Family. Even if Grandma favors Third Uncle, she wouldn't be partial.”

Qingxue sneered and said indifferently, “Mother is First Master's wife in Duke s.h.i.+'s mansion and has never made any big mistakes. Who is qualified to manage the domestic affairs except her? As for the Infanta, do you think Empress Dowager would agree if Grandma asked her to give the position to Third Sister or Fourth Sister?”

s.h.i.+ Baoning was shocked. She always trusted Mo Shujun and never doubted her love. Sometimes, she even felt proud that their grandma was partial to her.

Now that Qingxue mentioned it, Baoning finally realized that her glory and being favored was probably not being partial, but it was proper for her official status.

She was the most valued eldest legitimate daughter in the mansion. No matter how Mo Shujun didn't like her, she would give her everything that she should. Otherwise, many people must criticize her behind her back.

As she thought with this clue, s.h.i.+ Baoning suddenly found that Mo Shujun treated her nice not because of her but her status.

Mo Shujun never hugged her but told her that the eldest legitimate daughter should be dignified and mature and couldn't act like a spoilt child.

Mo Shujun gave her anything the same as her sisters and taught her that the s.h.i.+ Family shouldn't care too much about the status, so she gave Third Lady and Fourth Lady more than the rules said just to prevent others from looking down upon her sisters.

s.h.i.+ Baoning shook her head and didn't dare to think more. She just said decisively, “No. Grandma loves us. Qingxue, we shouldn't comment on elders behind their backs.”

s.h.i.+ Qingxue shrugged and didn't reply. But she incited Baoning, “Sister, you love Chi so much. Let's ask Father to grant your marriage.”

Qingxue's direct words made Baoning flush. “I didn't say that I love Chi. I just take him as a brother.”

Baoning's face was red, and Qingxue didn't believe her words. She joked, “Brother or boyfriend?”

s.h.i.+ Baoning lowered her head almost to her chest and hesitated in speaking.

s.h.i.+ Qingxue acted as she said and thought Baoning agreed in silence. She happily pulled Baoning's arm and went to s.h.i.+ Junhe's study.

It happened that s.h.i.+ Junhe and Wenren Chi were inside.

“Father, Brother, what are you talking about?” s.h.i.+ Qingxue held s.h.i.+ Junhe's arm and asked in a sweet voice with a smile.

s.h.i.+ Junhe rubbed his little daughter's head, with love in his eyes. He rebuked her but smiled. “Girl, you come in without asking for my permission. You are so rude.”

He said that but didn't get angry.

s.h.i.+ Qingxue was not afraid of being rebuked.

She pretended not to have heard that and laughed. “I miss you.”

s.h.i.+ Junhe leisurely took a sip of tea. “Tell me. What do you want?”

Qingxue rubbed her nose shyly and wondered if she was often ill-behaved. Her father guessed right so soon.

She winked at Baoning secretly and hinted, “Sister, say it now. What a coincidence that Chi is here too. As long as you mention it, your marriage can be decided.”

So it was safe to say that s.h.i.+ Qingxue was not a good match-maker.

She didn't know the feeling of being shy and couldn't learn from other girls. She never thought that an ordinary girl wouldn't ask her parents to get her married, especially when the man was present.

Even if she loved him, she couldn't mention it first. Otherwise, it would show that she was not valuable.

s.h.i.+ Baoning thought so, and she couldn't say a word. But she dreamed of marrying Wenren Chi, so she had to look at Qingxue to ask for help, indicating, “I am too shy to say that.”

s.h.i.+ Qingxue was also at a loss. “What do you want me to say? It's not me who is going to get married.”

s.h.i.+ Junhe noticed his two daughters' eye contact and saw that Wenren Chi focused his eyes on him. He thought that Wenren Chi didn't want to hear the girls' talk. “Chi, go to visit your mother first. We will talk later.”

“Yes,” Wenren Chi answered and left the study.