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Qu Moying stood before the pot of chrysanthemum; her gaze fixed on it. However, her true focus was on the two flowers beneath it.

After a while, she exchanged a glance with Yu Dong, who understood the signal. Seizing the moment when Qu Moying turned away, Yu Dong obstructed the view of the people in the flower hall. Taking two quick steps forward, she swiftly plucked the small flowers and concealed them in her sleeves. Nonchalantly, she followed Qu Moying as they made their way to the flower hall.

Once inside, Yu Dong stayed close behind Qu Moying. Meanwhile, Qi Xiangyu was busy attending to the guests, so Qu Moying didn’t disturb her. Finding a secluded spot in a corner, she sat by a window and admired the scenery outside.

Qu Moying leaned against the window, facing the lake of the mansion. The window was slightly ajar, offering a view of the outside without too much breeze. Being in the corner, the wind wouldn’t bother the other guests even if it blew in.

Leaning thoughtfully in front of the window, Qu Moying wore a long eye veil that covered half her face. The exposed portion revealed a complexion with a milky white luster akin to jade. As the veil descended, a hint of weariness emerged. Her hands rested gracefully on her knees, even when she slightly angled her body. She exuded elegance, despite her petite figure tucked away in the corner.

When Duke Qi entered the room, his gaze immediately fell upon the scene before him.

It was a small figure, just a young girl, and she appeared so delicate and fragile that it struck a heavy blow to his heart.

If he had only heard about it without seeing it for himself, he might not have been so concerned. Previously, he had heard that the child was doing well, though her father didn’t like her. Nevertheless, as Old Lady Qu’s precious, anything related to her would always be of concern to the Qu Mansion, and they would send everything she wanted to her.

He thought the reason she didn’t want to return to the estate was that she didn’t want to live with Qu Zhizhen’s newly-wedded wife. The people in Qu Mansion had to accommodate her temperament.

However, recently he discovered that the child wasn’t living well at all; her life was completely different from what he had imagined.

It wasn’t that she insisted on leaving; she simply couldn’t stay there. Qu Zhizhen, Yu, and their two children were the true family to themselves, so how could Qu Moying possibly fit in?

Before, Duke Qi hadn’t paid much attention to Yu, viewing her as an extremely ordinary woman.

But now he realized just how malicious she truly was.

Such a woman deserved to die a hundred times!

Because of this, he had even personally called for Qu Zhizhen to come over, scolding him as an elder in Little Yue’s family.

A heavy feeling weighed on Duke Qi’s heart, making it difficult for him to catch his breath. Even his strong physique as a military general seemed to slump in front of this petite girl.

He felt unable to stand straight, unable to stand at all, and he didn’t even have the face to do so!

Upon seeing Duke Qi’s arrival, all the ladies stood up and bowed respectfully. Duke Qi took his seat in the designated position, his face clouded with gloom.

Duchess Qi, wearing a cheerful smile, invited everyone to take their seats and then looked at Duke Qi with a smile, asking, “Why do you have time to come now?”

Regardless of the circumstances, it didn’t seem appropriate for Duke Qi to be here at this moment. Could something has happened?

“I came to see if there was anything you needed here.” Duke Qi replied in a low voice.

“We don’t need anything here; everything has already been arranged.” Duchess Qi laughed and glanced around. “Why hasn’t Jingyu come? It’s getting late. Could it be that she’s not planning to come?”

“Jingyu already came earlier. She was just in my study. Her mother fell ill, so she couldn’t come today.” Duke Qi explained.

“Sick? What did the imperial physician say?” Duchess Qi asked. “She was fine before. How did she get sick?”

Although she didn’t like this daughter very much, she was still her only daughter, so Duchess Qi still cared a lot about her.

“The imperial physician said that it’s nothing serious. She just needs to recuperate properly. Just now, I sent someone to the storeroom to find some medicinal herbs for Jingyu. I told her to bring them over.” said Duke Qi.

“I hope it’s nothing serious. My health hasn’t been great lately. It’s easy to fall ill during the change of seasons. She should take care of herself too.” Duchess Qi expressed her concern. “Has Jingyu not returned yet?”

“I had her go back first to deliver the medicinal herbs. She should be returning soon.” Duke Qi replied, his gaze sweeping towards the corner. Qu Moying had already taken her seat again, her head lowered as she quietly listened to their conversation.

She appeared both gentle and graceful, but also thin and weak, eliciting a sense of pity.

As she sat there, Duke Qi couldn’t help but feel a tinge of loneliness and solitude of her, as if something had tugged forcefully at his heart.

“All the young ladies have been waiting here for a long time, all waiting for Jingyu. They say she’s become even more elegant and dignified.” Duchess Qi cheerfully remarked, eager to hear others praise her beloved granddaughter

Even the other ladies and madams in the estate couldn’t help but heap praises on Jingyu.

The betrothal between Liu Jingyu and the crown prince was practically a done deal, and at this stage, there was nothing but praise for her.

Duchess Qi had always had a fondness for Liu Jingyu, and her smile could blossom like a flower.

In the past, Duke Qi would have agreed with her sentiments, although he wasn’t as concerned about Liu Jingyu, his own granddaughter. However, he couldn’t possibly ignore her presence, especially considering Liu Jingyu’s exceptional qualities. She showed respect to the elders of the mansion and handled matters with utmost diligence.

She had an air of elegance.

In the past, Duke Qi even considered Liu Jingyu a source of pride for their family. Though he didn’t have many granddaughters, having one who outshone the rest was a matter of prestige.

But now, as he caught a glimpse of the small Qu Moying in the corner, Duke Qi felt a pang in his heart. The pride he once felt had completely dissipated, replaced by a sense of guilt and an unusual remorse.

Was it really there?

Perhaps it was, but he didn’t want it to be this way. He couldn’t help himself.

In the past, when he couldn’t see or hear about such matters, he could choose not to inquire or ask questions. He could casually ask and believe whatever the people around him said, striving to forget about it.

However, now, when Duchess Qi proudly mentioned Liu Jingyu in front of Qu Moying, Duke Qi felt as though his tail had been stepped on. His expression turned somber, “Jingyu is Jingyu, but Xiangyu is the young lady of the mansion. Please don’t constantly mention Jingyu as if Xiangyu is not here.”

Duchess Qi’s face stiffened. Being called out like this in front of so many people made her feel uneasy, and her expression darkened, “What do you mean, my lord? Are you implying that I mistreat Xiangyu?”

Qi Xiangyu was the legitimate daughter of a concubine, and Duchess Qi had never held her in high regard.

“I didn’t mean that. It’s just that Jingyu’s surname is Liu after all. Today’s banquet is hosted by Xiangyu.” Duke Qi expressed his dissatisfaction. Seeing the increasingly unpleasant expression on Duchess Qi’s face, he promptly stood up, trying to ease the tension, “It’s almost time to start the banquet. If Jingyu hasn’t arrived yet, so be it. After all, this is the Qi’s Mansion’s banquet.”

Did this mean that he no longer cared about Liu Jingyu?

The several elderly ladies, who were observing the situation, couldn’t understand why Duke Qi would say such things. Did Liu Jingyu offend Duke Qi, causing him to lose his temper? However, when Duke Qi spoke about Liu Jingyu just now, he did so with a smile.

After finishing his words, Duke Qi turned and left without giving Duchess Qi a chance to inquire. This infuriated her, but she couldn’t say anything in front of the full audience.

Lately, Duke Qi’s temper had become increasingly peculiar. Not only did he inexplicably decide to hold a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet, but he also frequently flew into fits of anger. Duchess Qi was keeping a lot of anger inside as well.

Her exceptional granddaughter, who was her own flesh and blood, what was wrong with saying a few more words? How did it lead to the situation like this?

Whenever she thought of this, Duchess Qi felt uncomfortable in her chest.

She believed she had treated her well. Even though she was the daughter of a concubine, she had always been kind to her. But of course, she couldn’t compare her to her own biological granddaughter. Did this mean that the Duke of Qi felt sour about it?

Or did Qi Xiangyu say something to Duke Qi?

Duchess Qi glanced suspiciously at Qi Xiangyu, who was sitting quietly beside her. But she dismissed the thought. She knew that her granddaughter was afraid of the Duke Qi and would never approach him without a reason.

So, what was the reason behind his recent behavior? The Duke Qi had become increasingly unpredictable. Not only did he arrange a chrysanthemum banquet out of the blue, but he also went to the palace to request a few pots of chrysanthemums from the emperor. Moreover, he had brought two pots that their daughter had obtained from the empress to display at the banquet.

Just thinking about it. Duke Qi, a renowned military general who had emerged victorious on the battlefield, rarely visited the palace. But now, he was going to the palace for a few chrysanthemum plants. It seemed he was solely focused on hosting the flower-viewing banquet at home. It was truly embarrassing.

What on earth is happening with him lately? The Duchess suspected that there must be something going on that she was unaware of. Her eyes glanced thoughtfully at Qi Xiangyu, wondering if the matter is related to her, or perhaps to Jingyu?

She didn’t know how Jingyu had offended this old man.

The Duchess Qi couldn’t figure it out for a moment, so she decided not to dwell on it. She composed her emotions, briefly explained the situation to the other ladies, successfully dispelling the somber atmosphere brought by the Duck, and then instructed her staff to prepare the banquet.

At this moment, the opposite flower hall also opened its doors. The windows of both sides faced each other, wide open, allowing a clear view of the people on either side.

Separated by a courtyard adorned with chrysanthemums, several young gentlemen emerged from the opposite flower hall and stood in the garden, admiring the flowers. The young ladies who were about to leave halted their steps and sat properly in the flower hall.

The old ladies from each mansion were present, and the young ladies appeared quite demure. However, their eyes occasionally wandered outside. On the other hand, the gentlemen across the street were more forward in their glances, occasionally directing their gaze towards the ladies in the flower hall.

The windows directly facing each other were large and wide open, with the curtains pulled high, providing a clear view on both sides.

It was unusual to see so many young ladies gathered in one place, and the young gentlemen couldn’t resist stealing a few more glances.

“Young Master Yongning, is this sachet yours?” Suddenly, someone called out from the flower hall across, drawing the attention of the young ladies on this side as well.