Blossom

Duan Gongyi steadied Chen Jia with a hand, smiling faintly as he said, "Master Chen, since you’ve come to the Duke of England's Mansion, shouldn’t you pay your respects to Madam?"

Chen Jia felt his legs go weak.

Having lost his father young and raised by a timid mother, he had endured bullying from his clan as a child and struggled relentlessly as an adult. Yet never had he felt such fear as he did now. Forcing a smile, he replied stiffly, "Of course, I must pay my respects to Madam."

Duan Gongyi gave him a knowing glance and said cheerfully, "Then please follow me, Master Chen!"

With unease gnawing at him, Chen Jia trailed behind Duan Gongyi.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yan kept her head down, hurrying straight to Green Water Residence.

She was overwhelmed with shame and didn’t know how to face Chen Jia.

If she hadn’t been so timid and indecisive, she wouldn’t have sought Jiang Lizhu’s advice. And if she hadn’t consulted Jiang Lizhu, she wouldn’t have hesitated to act. Yet Chen Jia had praised her for being more sensible than before—how could she possibly deserve such praise?

If not for Jiang Lizhu, she might have ruined his plans entirely!

Jiang Lizhu was truly remarkable.

Not only was she beautiful, but she was also sharp-witted.

And she treated others with genuine sincerity.

Just like her sister-in-law.

That was why her brother held his wife in such high regard.

Even the Wu family respected Jiang Lizhu deeply.

If only she could be half as good as Jiang Lizhu, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.

At this thought, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

How she wished to be a woman others admired, but she simply didn’t know how to emulate her sister-in-law or Jiang Lizhu…

Jiang Yan shut herself inside her chamber.

Yinghong, pale with alarm, quickly sent a trusted maid to inform Dou Zhao while she herself waited anxiously outside the chamber door.

In the main hall of the Hall of Cultivating Will, Dou Zhao sat on the daybed, smiling warmly as she invited Chen Jia to take a seat. She instructed the maids to bring in some crystal pears and Fujian oranges recently bestowed by the palace, saying to Chen Jia, "Though they’re imperial tributes, they might not be any better than what’s available outside. Please do try them!"

Chen Jia had been working in the Duke of England's Mansion for over a year, yet he had never even been offered a cup of tea.

Now, not only was he given a seat, but he was also served fruits and refreshments.

For some reason, he thought of prisoners on the eve of execution, when jailers would courteously offer them a hearty last meal…

His back was drenched in cold sweat.

To his surprise, Dou Zhao asked him nothing of importance. Instead, she chatted about the weather in the Capital and the recent prices of vegetables before finally serving tea.

Chen Jia had entered in trepidation and left in utter bewilderment, his heart only growing more unsettled.

He wanted to send word to Jiang Yan, warning her to be cautious, but he had no messenger. Worse, he feared that any misstep might worsen her situation. At a loss, he couldn’t even recall how he had exited the Duke of England's Mansion.

After seeing Chen Jia off, Dou Zhao questioned Duan Gongyi in detail about what had transpired between Chen Jia and Jiang Yan. Nodding thoughtfully, she brought up the matter to Song Mo when he returned that evening.

Before Dou Zhao could even finish, Song Mo sprang to his feet. "That toad dares to lust after a swan! How could he even think of coveting A-Yan? Has my recent favor gone to his head, making him forget his place? You must make it clear to him—he’d better abandon such notions at once!"

Dou Zhao had expected nothing less.Song Mo played the role of a father figure to Jiang Yan, and parents everywhere share the same flaw—they believe their child is the most adorable, obedient, and well-behaved in the world. Even if there are shortcomings, they must have been influenced by others.

She remained silent, quietly sitting there doing her needlework.

Song Mo awkwardly sat down beside her and said softly, “I’m not blaming you. I know you’ve always been strict in managing the household. I’m just angry at Chen Jia… he’s utterly unreasonable!”

Dou Zhao thought for a moment and asked Song Mo, “Have you ever regretted marrying me?”

Song Mo widened his eyes. “Of course not.”

“But people outside think I’m not good enough for you,” Dou Zhao said. “It just goes to show that marriage is like wearing shoes—only the wearer knows if they fit. We don’t need Yan to add flowers to brocade, nor do we need her to lend us a hand. Why do you care so much about the other party’s background and status?”

Song Mo understood this well, but Chen Jia… in his mind, he was just a useful blade. How could such a person become his brother-in-law?

Dou Zhao could empathize with Song Mo’s feelings. She, too, had initially struggled to accept Chen Jia. So she didn’t push him, instead smiling as she fetched water to help Song Mo wash up and change.

Song Mo silently let Dou Zhao tend to him.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly sat up and nudged Dou Zhao awake with his elbow. “I’ve thought about it, and I still think this person isn’t suitable.”

Dou Zhao, deep in sleep, mumbled drowsily, “Your father still sees me as a shrew! If you disagree but Yan thinks he’s good, what can you do?” With that, she turned over and went back to sleep.

Song Mo jolted awake and couldn’t fall asleep again. He leaned close to Dou Zhao’s ear and called out, “Shou Gu, don’t sleep yet. What exactly is this about Yan thinking Chen Jia is good?” He pestered her until she was fully awake.

Realizing she wouldn’t be able to sleep now, Dou Zhao simply wrapped herself in her robe and sat up, explaining the whole situation to Song Mo.

Song Mo listened in silence for a long while.

Dou Zhao then advised him, “Life is something one must live for oneself. Even if you dislike Chen Jia, if Yan feels at ease with him, we should let her be. She’s so young but has already endured more suffering than most people do in a lifetime. Don’t force her anymore.” She then recounted a story she’d heard in her past life. “...He saw her once at a temple fair and was so struck by her beauty that he insisted on marrying her, despite her humble origins. In the end, the woman didn’t even know how to carry herself and lived in constant fear, passing away within two years. The ancients emphasized ‘marrying within one’s station’ for a reason. Yan grew up in the streets—if you force her to marry into a noble family and become a Lineage Wife, she must at least be capable of handling it!”

After a long silence, Song Mo asked, “Are you talking about the nephew of Xuanning Marquis Guo Haiqing?”

“Huh?” Dou Zhao was startled. “How did you know?”

Song Mo chuckled. “I should be asking you how you knew! Guo Haiqing’s nephew’s wife passed away less than two months ago.”

Dou Zhao drifted into thought.

In her past life, she had helped Madam Guo with the funeral arrangements. In this life, however, she and Madam Guo remained like strangers.

She couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Song Mo hugged Dou Zhao and kissed her cheek. “Let me hold you. Sleep in my arms for a while.”

Dou Zhao wrapped her arms around Song Mo’s waist in response.The room was silent, save for the occasional crackle of the lamp wick.

Song Mo said solemnly, "In any case, I don’t think Chen Jia is suitable."

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. "How about we make a bet? You pretend to punish Chen Jia. If Sister Yan rushes over immediately to plead for him, then her marriage will be decided by me. If she comes after some time, you can decide. What do you think?"

Song Mo hesitated.

Dou Zhao smiled. "See? Deep down, you know they’re a good match!"

"Nothing of the sort," Song Mo denied. "Fine, let’s make the bet!"

Dou Zhao suppressed a smile.

Song Mo turned his face away.

Dou Zhao chuckled softly.

How stubborn!

He clearly agreed in his heart, yet his lips were sealed tight as a clam, revealing nothing.

She lifted her head and kissed his lips...

※※※※※

The next morning, Dou Zhao awoke to find rain falling outside, and the room felt colder than the day before.

She instructed Gan Lu, "Close the windows properly," and then told the wet nurse, "Don’t take Yuan Ge’er outside today. Let him play indoors."

The wet nurse smiled in agreement and carried the well-fed Yuan Ge’er to the hall to play.

Dou Zhao stepped out of the inner chamber.

Song Mo sat by the window on the heated brick bed in the Resting Chamber, where several maids were setting up breakfast.

With a bright smile, Dou Zhao sat beside him.

Song Mo pretended not to notice and lowered his head to sip his porridge.

Dou Zhao called Gan Lu, who was directing the maids, aside and whispered, "Go to Green Water Residence and say the Young Lord is furious and has sent someone to arrest Lord Chen."

Gan Lu was startled. Seeing Dou Zhao’s cheerful expression, she couldn’t tell if this was serious or not. Confused but urgent, she replied, "Yes," and hurried off to Green Water Residence.

Dou Zhao sat down to breakfast with Song Mo.

Before she could finish a steamed roll, Jiang Yan arrived with Gan Lu in the rain.

She entered and knelt before Song Mo, tears falling before she could speak. "Brother, this has nothing to do with Lord Chen. It’s all my fault. I begged him, and he had no choice but to agree..."

Dou Zhao had expected Jiang Yan to plead for Chen Jia, but not this quickly. She was even more afraid Jiang Yan might blurt out the matter of sending silver to Li Liang through Chen Jia. Quickly stepping down from the heated bed, she helped Jiang Yan up. "This is no way to behave. Stop crying and wipe your tears." She handed her a handkerchief, cutting off Jiang Yan’s words.

Jiang Yan took the handkerchief and dried her tears.

But Song Mo slammed his chopsticks onto the table, his face turning ashen.

Jiang Yan shrank behind Dou Zhao in fear.

Dou Zhao comforted her, "Don’t be afraid. Let’s talk inside." Then she whispered to Gan Lu, "Bring Yuan Ge’er here."

At the sight of his son, Song Mo’s anger melted away.

Gan Lu hurried off.

Dou Zhao and Jiang Yan retreated to the inner chamber.

While having a maid fetch water for Jiang Yan to freshen up, Dou Zhao said softly, "With so many maids and old women around, how could you speak up for Lord Chen right away? If even a hint of this spreads, how will you and Lord Chen maintain your reputations? Even if nothing happened, rumors will make it seem otherwise!"

Jiang Yan trembled in fear, clutching Dou Zhao’s sleeve. "Dear sister-in-law, I was too anxious to think straight. Please don’t be angry with me..."

If she hadn’t been so anxious, she wouldn’t have rushed over at the first word!Dou Zhao said, "Don’t say anything. I’ll handle it for you."

Jiang Yan nodded repeatedly.

Outside, Yuan Ge’er’s delighted giggles could be heard.

Relieved, Dou Zhao waited for Jiang Yan to finish freshening up before they both stepped out of the inner chamber.

Song Mo was holding Yuan Ge’er’s foot with one hand, suspending him midair.

The child flailed his arms and legs, utterly thrilled.

When Dou Zhao and Jiang Yan appeared, Song Mo didn’t say a word and continued playing with Yuan Ge’er.

Jiang Yan gave an awkward smile.

Wuyi entered, swiftly bowed, and said respectfully, "Young Lord, it’s time for court."

Song Mo gave a faint hum, handed the child to Dou Zhao, and left the main room.

Jiang Yan immediately grabbed Dou Zhao’s hand and asked nervously, "Sister-in-law, you don’t think Brother will actually go and… cause trouble for him, do you?"

Who knew?

Even if Song Mo did confront Chen Jia, he wouldn’t take his life—so any "trouble" wouldn’t really be trouble at all.

Thinking this, Dou Zhao smiled and said, "Your brother knows his limits. There’s no need to worry."