The maid Qingluan spoke up cautiously as well:
"Concubine, Biyao only refrained from waking you yesterday because she was worried about your health. Please, you must not punish her. This morning, the Eldest Young Master was clamoring for the lotus seed soup and osmanthus cakes you make by hand."
"Whenever the Eldest Young Master was sick as a child, you would prepare these things for him personally, and he would be so delighted. I have already ordered the staff to prepare fresh ingredients. Why don't you make some later and send them over to him?"
Yun Wan sipped her bird's nest soup slowly, her expression cold.
"He is grown now, no longer a child. If he doesn't like the food, let him cook for himself. If he can't, doesn't he have Meiniang, whom he holds dearer to his heart than his own birth mother? Let her make them for him. I am not feeling well and cannot handle such menial chores."
Qingluan and Biyao exchanged surprised glances. It seemed their master had truly turned a new leaf and would no longer exhaust herself running about for her children as she had in the past.
She used to handle every detail of their lives personally, never allowing the slightest mishap. Several times she had collapsed from fatigue, and no matter how many times they had urged her to stop, she would never listen.
After a while, a servant entered to report that the Lord Marquis wanted her to come to the front courtyard.
Hearing this, Biyao’s face lit up. "Master, I will go fetch that cloud-patterned brocade silk dress from the closet for you. It was newly tailored this spring."
"Last time you wore it, the Lord Marquis complimented you, saying the vibrant color suited you perfectly and brought out your beauty."
"Oh, and I will also bring the Ruyi hairpin and the plum blossom glass bead hairpin he bestowed upon you. You offended him last time, and he left in a fury to stay away all night."
"The Lord Marquis hasn't visited our courtyard for several days now. You should use this opportunity to apologize and say a few warm words to him; perhaps he won't be angry with you anymore?"
Yun Wan’s expression remained indifferent. "No need. The dress I am wearing is fine. There is no need to dress up."
In her past life, she had exhausted herself trying to win favor and appease the Lord Marquis, solely out of fear that her lowly status would lead to her children being belittled and bullied.
After all, the servants in the Marquis Manor were fickle, fawning over the powerful and trampling the weak. Moreover, Xuan'er was dull-witted, lazy in his studies, and prone to causing trouble. The Lord Marquis already favored the legitimate son, Jin'er. If she didn't fight for her children, she feared Xuan'er would be treated with even more contempt and neglect, making his life in the manor unbearable.
But now, since both her children were nothing more than hopeless idiots, so be it.
Even though they had been worthless and unfilial in her past life, she had still managed, through her own strength, to raise them up and help them climb the social ladder. Yet, they had gone so far as to commit the monstrous act of murdering their own mother.
With such black-hearted children, why should she trouble herself to pave the way for their futures? She would let things be and simply focus on living for herself for the rest of her days.
Biyao and Qingluan exchanged another look of surprise. In the past, their master would spend at least half an hour meticulously grooming and dressing herself whenever she was to see the Lord Marquis. She used to say that a woman should adorn herself for the one she loves, and only by winning his heart could she secure her position. It seemed that, for some reason, her master’s temperament had undergone a drastic change.
Though puzzled, Biyao lowered her head and followed her master to the front courtyard.
The Furong Courtyard where her master lived was the most luxurious and eye-catching residence in the entire Marquis Manor, second only to the Madam’s main courtyard. It was filled with intricate craftsmanship and elegance. Because her master loved hibiscus flowers, the Lord Marquis had ordered the courtyard to be planted with them in full, vibrant bloom and had even personally inscribed the name "Furong Courtyard" for her.Over the years, the Lord Marquis's affection for the master could hardly be overstated, even rivaling exclusive imperial favor, with fine silks, satins, and jewelry continuously pouring into Furong Courtyard like flowing water.
Furong Courtyard was also the closest to the front courtyard; by simply bypassing two winding, antique rosewood verandas and taking about half a cup of tea's time, one could reach the magnificent front courtyard.
Yun Wan stood at the doorway and waited for a moment. Only after a servant went inside to announce her presence did she slowly step into the spacious and lavish room.
At that moment, Fu Jinghuai was lowering his head, focused intently on reviewing the piles of official documents stacked mountain-high on his desk.
Yun Wan offered a gentle, graceful curtsy to the man, saying submissively:
"This concubine greets the Lord Marquis. May the Lord Marquis be blessed with boundless peace and well-being!"
With that, Yun Wan gracefully stepped forward, lightly rolling up her sleeves as she always did to reveal half of her jade-white wrists, and quietly stood beside him to grind ink for the Lord Marquis.
It was as if this scene had played out countless times before, having long since formed an unspoken, years-long tacit understanding between them.Yun Wan could understand what the Lord Marquis meant with just a single glance. Such rapport, cultivated over many long years, was naturally something others could not match. Although the Lord Marquis had a mercurial temperament, Yun Wan, having served by his side the longest, could still grasp his intentions to some extent.
At this very moment, for instance, if Fu Jinghuai’s dark eyes so much as flickered toward the side, Yun Wan would instantly understand, hurriedly replacing the man’s ink and brush before handing him a fresh scroll.
In the past, other women had vied and fought to serve the Lord Marquis with his writing, yet none were as attentive or as pleasing to him as Yun Wan. Yun Wan knew that whenever the Lord Marquis was attending to official business, he was always meticulous and disliked being disturbed. She remained quietly and obediently by his side, the room so silent one could hear a pin drop.Seeing that the Lord Marquis had nearly finished with his matters, Yun Wan stepped into the inner chamber to brew a fresh, fragrant pot of Biluochun tea.
The Lord Marquis was exceptionally fastidious, especially regarding the temperature of the water and the precise amount of tea leaves used. Back when she was first striving to brew a pot that would satisfy him, Yun Wan had scalded her fingers with boiling water, leaving them covered in blisters.
Fortunately, her hard work paid off. Once he had tasted the tea she prepared, he could no longer stand the tea made by anyone else. After all, when it came to competing for favor, Yun Wan had always put forth twelve times the effort to ensure everything was perfect. Otherwise, how could she have stood apart and remained unshaken among the endless succession of dazzling, beautiful women in the manor? She was determined to be the most unique person in the Lord Marquis's heart—a position no one else could ever replace.
Even though the Lord Marquis occasionally favored others over the years, he had always kept Yun Wan in his thoughts, no matter when or where. Although she currently lacked the desire to compete for his favor, these habits had been deeply ingrained over the years and were not something she could change overnight.
At this moment, Fu Jinghuai held the blue-and-white porcelain teacup and took a few light sips, his weary expression softening slightly. He knitted his brows and asked, "How is Xuan'er's condition? Is he any better? If that brat hadn't said such treasonous things, I wouldn't have acted on impulse yesterday and punished him according to family law."
He paused, his expression turning solemn once more. "Yun Wan, you shouldn't be so indulgent and doting toward him. If that child isn't disciplined and restrained now, who knows what kind of trouble he might cause in the future. It was one thing for him to be mischievous when he was little, but I never expected that even now, grown as he is, he would still show no trace of manners or breeding. He is simply lawless."