The Grand Dowager instructed many people to follow, still uneasy, she said to Xiqiu: "Why don’t you go and take a look too, you don’t need to stay here with me, it’s a good chance for you to relax."

Xiqiu hesitated a bit, and the First Madam also smiled and nodded: "I’ll stay here with mother, you go ahead."

Xiqiu paused, took Chunliu and Bihuai along with a few others, and headed out the door. Xiqiu asked: "Did you see Fourth Master?" Chunliu responded: "Tiancheng just came back and said Fourth Master met Second Master Lou at the foot of the mountain, they’re talking and will come up soon!"

Xiqiu nodded slightly, and the group turned and headed to the backyard. Standing at the mountain pass, they saw a few children chatting around the Lotus Pool; Nanny Cen and Mrs. Zhou were with Yu Ziyang and others. Feeling relieved, she got the idea to visit Master Puning. She turned and instructed Chunliu: "No need to follow. There are no outsiders here. You all can go too. I’ll come later."

"Madam?" Chunliu glanced at the distant courtyard, knowing that Master Puning resided there, understood Xiqiu’s intention, and thought since it wasn’t far, she said: "Then I’ll go first, Madam, take care."

Xiqiu nodded, turned a corner, walked through a long corridor, where white magnolias were gracefully simple. Remembering the various thoughts she and her sisters had when they first came here, she couldn’t help but smile... Without stopping, she entered Master Puning’s courtyard as if expected. Master Puning came out to greet her, and Xiqiu, smiling, took her arm: "Did you know I would come?"

"After all these years, Fourth Madam’s character hasn’t changed," Master Puning said with a smile, leading Xiqiu inside. A young nun brought tea. Xiqiu took a sip and praised: "Still as refreshing as ever."

Master Puning chuckled and asked: "Did Fourth Master go to the foot of the mountain?" Xiqiu nodded while listening: "Caught up with a friend, it seems."

"The boy went to play at the Lotus Pool, right?" Master Puning nodded and mentioned Zhi’s intelligence and cleverness, then looked at Xiqiu with relief: "Seeing that you’re doing well, I feel at ease."

Xiqiu also laughed, and Master Puning said: "I saw your Aunt last month. She’s much plumper than before and looks healthy... She said she’s only worried about the Seventh Young Master’s career prospects and future marriage... It seems, Seventh Young Master is already fourteen, it’s time to pay attention to these things."

So it turns out Madam Xia is already worrying about Tong Minzhi’s marriage. Xiqiu, smiling, said: "He is focused on achieving success in the imperial examination, saying ’how can one establish a family without success’..." then added: "I think waiting a bit longer is no harm." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Seventh Young Master is indeed a sensible child," Master Puning said, nodding with a sigh.

After chatting for a while, Xiqiu stood up: "The children are still at the back mountain, I’ll go check." Master Puning saw her out of the courtyard, and Xiqiu traced her steps back. Passing by her former residence, she paused slightly...

The building was newly renovated, doors and windows replaced. She paused at the door with a smile, memories of her time living here, bits of joy and sorrow, surfaced... Back then, she didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, yet life took a turn here... She thought of the two times she met Fourth Master Xiao, and a smile appeared on her lips...

Her eyes fell on the newly painted door, hesitating, she noticed it was slightly ajar. She raised a brow, wondering, Master Puning had said this place was never lent to guests, why was the door open?

As she wondered, she suddenly saw a familiar yet strange face behind the unpasted window paper, startling her into a step back...

Xiao Yanyi!

Xiao Yanyi, equally surprised, didn’t expect to meet Xiqiu here. He couldn’t control the magnetic pull, his gaze fixed on her face, greedily capturing every expression... He recalled the two times he saw Xiqiu here, hidden pain in his eyes, yet reluctant to look away... A godsend surprise, never before such an opportunity, never such reckless abandon...

Xiao Yanyi stood behind the window, Xiqiu at the front... This moment seemed detached from the mundane, at least in Xiao Yanyi’s eyes.

Xiqiu hastily nodded, turned, and left quickly without looking back, somewhat flustered.

It wasn’t until her figure vanished behind the corridor that Xiao Yanyi slowly retracted his gaze, turned and leaned against the window frame, smiling wistfully...

Xiqiu calmed herself, eager to rejoin the others, kept her head down as she walked, when suddenly voices interrupted her thoughts, as if returning to the world, she looked up smiling, then froze.

The person across also froze.

Today was full of surprises.

"Sixth Sister?" Tong Xiyu stood in front, obviously not expecting to see Xiqiu here, looking a bit tense: "What... a coincidence..."

Xiqiu furrowed her brows slightly, glancing around her surroundings. She saw several maidservants and four servant women with her, but no one else. She smiled and asked: "Eighth Sister, you came alone?"

"Yes!" Tong Xiyu came over, replying: "Here to pray for a peace charm for Aunt." She paused and asked Xiqiu: "Fourth Sister, you came alone?"

Xiqiu shook her head: "The family is all here." Tong Xiyu smiled and said: "So the Grand Dowager is also here? How about I accompany you back to pay respects to her."

"Sure." Xiqiu examined Tong Xiyu. Her hibiscus-colored double gold overcoat matched her delicate face, light green pleated skirt, tall figure, and an elegant gold-plated crabapple hairpin in her hair. Xiqiu raised her brow and walked side by side with Tong Xiyu toward the Grand Dowager’s quarters, asking as they walked: "Why did you come alone?"

"My elder sister-in-law can’t leave home, and Fourth Sister has been busy with the embroidery shop these two days... so I came alone." Tong Xiyu replied with a smile.

If she remembered correctly, the last time she returned to the Tong Mansion, Tong Xiyu had come to Puji Temple. And now she came again today...

After Tong Xiyu went in to pay respects to the Grand Dowager, Xiqiu pulled aside Biwu, who was returning with a cloak for Zhi: "Go find out why Eighth Miss came to Puji Temple."

Biwu acknowledged, and Xiqiu went in to talk with the Grand Dowager and the First Madam, while Tong Xiyu stood up: "I’ll head back now, in case my family worries if I’m out too long."

"Let your Sixth Sister accompany you back," the Grand Dowager said with a smile, and Xiqiu got up to escort Tong Xiyu out: "Eighth Sister, shall I send more servant women with you?"

Tong Xiyu shook her head: "No need, no need!" She laughed and added: "It’s not far, and this isn’t my first time here, sister, don’t worry." With that, she stopped: "I won’t disturb the boys, sister, stay here!"

Xiqiu fixed her gaze on her face, nodded slightly, and Tong Xiyu led the maids and women down the mountain.