The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

Mu Shuiqing took the cup and looked around Nie Sangyu’s room. It was nicely scented and warm. There was even a toddy cat gracefully walking around.

Mu Shuiqing sighed and said, “I didn’t expect that in the end your life would be the best.”

Ji Man smiled and responded, “I didn’t expect that in the end, you would be the person that I can calmly drink tea with either. Didn’t you use to hate Sangyu the most and want to fight with me as soon as you saw me?”

Mu Shuqing chuckled. In a low voice, she said, “But I can’t beat you Besides, I think the marquis most likely likes your type. There’s no point in me continuing to compete with you. As long as I’m not confined in that desolate courtyard in the other estate with other people thinking I’m insane, I’m content.”

During their conversation, Dengxin brought over a small account book for her master to look. This was Ji Man’s personal account book. The expenses hadn’t been high this month. Other than amounts for buying some clothes and jewelry, there was only one number that was relatively noticeable. It was a gift for fifty silver taels.

Mu Shuiqing glanced at the account book. She thought that line item looked a bit strange, but she didn’t ask any questions about it. Madam had money, and it was her private business if she wanted to give money to someone.

Two hours later, Ji Man and Mu Shuiqing put on their cloaks and went to the back gate.

The old guard at the back gate was still pretty happy to see Nie Sangyu. He stood up and took tottering steps towards the outside so that he could salute her.

Ji Man hurriedly stopped him and told him to stay in the warm room by the brazier.

A short while later, a carriage really did stop at the back gate. Li Zixiu helped a woman down from the carriage. She seemed to be quite angry. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she pushed him away from her and irritably walked through the back gate.

Looking at the person’s face under the hood, Ji Man was slightly surprised, and yet she felt it wasn’t too unexpected. “Muxu?”

“... Madam?” Shocked, Muxu almost dropped Fu-er.

Li Zixiu’s face turned white. He came inside the estate and knelt down.

Ji Man looked back and forth at them for a while as well as the baby in Muxu’s arms. She neutrally smiled and asked, “What did you leave the estate for?”

Muxu looked around the courtyard. Even after thinking for a long time, she couldn’t figure out an excuse, so she simply knelt down and didn’t reply.

Li Zixiu hesitated for a little bit longer before finally speaking, “Today is a market day, so...”

This was worse than staying silent. So what if it was a market day? Did it make sense for a doctor to accompany an honored concubine and her baby out to go shopping just because it was a market day?

Muxu’s voice was slightly trembling as she called out, “Master.”

Muxu hadn’t called her “Master” in a long time. Since Muxu had become one of Ning Yuxuan’s women, she had changed to calling her Madam. Now that she was calling her Master again, Ji Man found it laughable.

It only confirmed that Muxu had been doing something wrong.

“This servant was just thinking that since Doctor Li’s mother has become so pitifully sick, it would be nice to bring a baby to visit her and cheer her up.” Muxu gritted her teeth and straightforwardly said, “Master, you also know that this servant and Doctor Li... Even though this servant hasn’t had any relationship with Doctor Li after this servant was favored by the marquis, this servant can’t bear to see his elderly mother feeling such regret...”

Li Zixiu turned his head to silently glance at Muxu.

Ji Man seriously said, “Muxu, raise your head.”

Bewildered, Muxu raised her head to look at her.

With a splitting smile, Ji Man pointed at herself and said, “Do I look like a fool to you?”

Mu Shuiqing, “...”

Muxu’s lips trembled, but Ji Man just continued smiling as she took Fu-er from her and said, “This matter, let’s just hand over this child to the marquis and let him decide.”

“Master!” While kneeling, Muxu crawled over and grabbed her master’s cloak. “Master, in consideration for the several years this servant served you...”

“It’s useless. I won’t accept your play of an emotional card.” Ji Man shrugged. “This matter doesn’t benefit or harm me. Someone has given my husband a green hat for no reason and even passed off another man’s child as his. I feel that he deserves to know the truth.”

Muxu’s body trembled, but Mu Shuiqing found the situation somewhat humorous. “Madam didn’t even say that she would punish you and you already scared yourself into this shape. Isn’t that the same as confessing without even being pressured?”

Ji Man waved her hand. Holding Fu-er, she started walking back to Feiwan Courtyard. “Shuiqing, go get the marquis. On your way to his study, invite over anyone that’s awake too.”

Mu Shuiqing made a sound of assent. Wrapping the cloak tighter around herself, she left.

Li Zixiu helped Muxu stand up.

Looking at Nie Sangyu’s back figure, he whispered, “Muxu, how about we run away?”

Muxu harshly flung his hand away from her, clenched her jaw, and said, “She doesn’t have evidence and can’t prove anything. I finally have a good life. I won’t accept losing like this.”

Li Zixiu’s stopped his hand in mid-air before he slowly put it back down.

—

Sitting in the head seat, Ning Yuxuan listened to Mu Shuiqing’s report of what had happened. His expression was very ugly. It was as if his face had been painted with a layer of back paint, then brushed over with a layer of green paint. The excess green paint was even wiped off his head.

“What do the two of you have to say for yourselves?” He looked at Muxu and Li Zixiu. They were kneeling below him.

Muxu hurriedly kowtowed and said, “My lord, Fu-er is your son. This servant had only taken him outside for a bit and ended up being slandered by other people. My lord, please investigate this matter. Even a tiger wouldn’t devour his own cub ah!

People from the various courtyards had come to watch this spectacle. Muxu’s life had declined quite badly. First, her son had gone from being the oldest son to the second oldest. And now, her son wasn’t even the marquis’s child.