The young lady is delicate and soft, yet she criticizes the powerful minister for bowing and scrapin

Wei Ruolan's body lay before them, her eyes wide open, still holding a last trace of anger.

Wei Jun, standing a few steps away, remained completely unmoved, standing before the corpse with a frightening calm.

When his cousin, with whom he grew up, was gone, Wei Jun showed no emotion whatsoever, as if he had swept up a piece of merchandise, and even ordered his men to kill her with their own hands.

It seems he had already predetermined this ending.

"Today, Wei Ruolan broke into the temple's meditation room, intending to drug Qin Gongzi and have an affair with him. She was discovered by the servants and committed suicide out of shame," Wei Jun said.

"Yes!" All the servants answered in unison, none daring to look up.

In wealthy and powerful families, there are always some unsavory and shameful things that they must turn a blind eye to in critical moments in order to avoid losing their lives.

Qi Yunli froze outside the meditation room door, taking several steps back in fear.

The bloodstains on the ground were still there, and Wei Jun looked more like a demon emerging from the darkness.

After ignoring the cold corpse, the demon even helped the old lady up and led her out, repeatedly saying, "Grandmother, be careful on the steps," acting all filial.

The old lady's palms were cold. Ru Feng had personally summoned her to give Wei Ruolan the decision to commit suicide.

The best way to kill someone is to destroy their spirit, which means tearing apart what they care about piece by piece, or forcing them to tear it apart themselves.

As Wei Jun brushed past her, Qi Yunli met his eyes, and a smug look flashed in his eyes. He was quite satisfied with the result.

He is a ruthless killer.

Wei Ruochun was behind them, her words slurred. A servant from the Marquis's mansion carried a waterproof sack and quickly disposed of the body. In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, all traces of the corpse in the meditation room were gone; the bloody scene from before seemed more like a nightmare.

A living person was gone. Wei Ruochun got up from the ground, stumbled out of the room, and was about to collapse.

Qi Yunli reached out and helped her up.

"Don't touch me!" Wei Ruochun shouted sharply. "Are you satisfied with this situation? Sister Ruolan said that the person she hates most is you!"

Qi Yunli put down her hand, turned around and went back towards the main hall, unwilling to waste any more words on Wei Ruochun.

How could a powerless orphan like her possibly kill Wei Ruolan? Unable to speak harshly to Wei Jun, she could only run up to her and spout nonsense.

Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, even Wei Ruolan's death couldn't teach her a lesson.

If Qi Yunli doesn't leave now, given Wei Ruochun's slow-witted nature, she might harm someone without even realizing it next time.

Inside the main hall, the old lady was speaking softly with an old monk, her face full of kindness. The old monk recounted the meritorious deeds that the Marquis's family had done over the years.

"The old lady is kind-hearted. When there was a flood in Jiangnan the year before last, the Marquis's mansion donated three thousand dan of rice. Last winter, the mansion also spent a lot of money to repair ten miles of official road at the foot of the mountain, so that merchants and people traveling to and from the area would not suffer from the mud."

"By Buddha, the old lady's merits are immeasurable, and she will surely bring peace and tranquility to the Marquis's family."

The old lady was delighted with the story, and her eyelids crinkled with laughter.

Not far away, Qin Xue and her servant helped Qin Wenchang back. Qin Xue's face was deathly pale, her lips were tightly pressed together, and her hand supporting Qin Wenchang seemed to have no strength. Qin Wenchang walked with an uneven shoulder.

"Good child, what's wrong?" The old lady asked with a concerned and kind expression.

"It's nothing. I was very worried when my brother collapsed." Qin Xue was supporting her brother, but as soon as the old lady approached, she hid behind him.

The old lady's hand, hovering awkwardly in mid-air, quickly said, "We only come to Cibei Temple once a year, it's a rare opportunity. Ah Xue, why don't you have a vegetarian meal with us before you leave?"

"I'll listen to Grandmother." Qin Xue helped her brother and found a cushion to sit down.

Before long, the clear sound of the temple bells rang out, signaling the start of the mealtime. They moved to the dining hall, where the monks had already prepared their food. White porcelain bowls were laid out on the table, waiting for the distinguished guests to take their seats.

There are not many dishes to choose from, such as cold mushroom salad, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, and soft and glutinous vegetarian cakes, but each dish has its own unique characteristics.

"Ah Xue, come sit here with your grandmother." The old lady patted the empty seat next to her and beckoned to Qin Xue.

Qin Xue looked at her brother helplessly, but Qin Wenchang nodded to her: "Go ahead, don't be afraid."

But when she had already started eating, the old lady picked up a piece of mushroom from her chopsticks.

"Ah Xue, now that you are engaged to Nian An, you will be the daughter-in-law of the Marquis's family. Do you know that whether it is the Marquis's family or the Duke's family, what they value most is not necessarily the truth?"

"So, what is it that you value?"

Looking into Qin Xue's innocent and harmless eyes, the old lady sighed inwardly.

The Duke's mansion indeed fell into decline, and the eldest daughter was raised to be a sheltered, pampered flower in her boudoir, oblivious to the ways of the world.

"They value face." The old lady sighed. "Today, I purged the family, which seemed severe, but I actually left room for the Duke of Qi's family. I didn't let that person marry into the family as a daughter of a marquis. Otherwise, the whole neighborhood would be talking about this. How absurd it sounds that the Prince of Qin was drugged."

Qin Xue's furrowed brows gradually smoothed out.

But when he glanced at Wei Jun across from him, who had a cold and stern face with sharp angles, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

That was her fiancé, the man she was to spend her life with. Yet he could be so ruthless and cold-hearted towards his cousin, whom he grew up with. Would that one day befall her as well?

The old lady followed her gaze: "Without means, how can we safeguard the honor of the Marquis's mansion? He is the only heir. If you follow him in the future, he will definitely not let others bully you. Nian'an is clueless about matters of love, but he will protect the person he has chosen for a lifetime, and you are that special person."

These words, carried by the warm breeze outside the window, gently dispelled Qin Xue's worries. Looking at Wei Jun again, she saw him still with that cold, hard expression, slowly and methodically eating his vegetarian meal.

He naturally had to consider the bigger picture when he acted; the more capable a person is, the better they can control their emotions. His past kindness and care for his sisters at banquets couldn't be faked.

He must have been enduring immense pain. Qin Xue thought this and felt even more that he was hiding hardships that others did not know about.

"Thank you for your advice, Grandmother. No one else knows the suffering that Nian'an has gone through. I will definitely try to understand him."

Not many people understand Wei Jun. From now on, she will stand by his side and help him shoulder the heavy burden of the Marquis's mansion.

After finishing their vegetarian meal, everyone tidied up briefly before departing. As the old lady, supported by her servants, walked down the corridor, she bumped into Shen Junshan standing on the steps.

He bowed respectfully to the old lady upon seeing her, displaying impeccable manners.

Qi Yunli was surprised; he hadn't left yet, but with Wei Jun present, she couldn't approach him.

The old lady smiled and said, "She has a calm and composed nature."

Wei Ruowei behind him couldn't contain her enthusiasm, "Happy birthday, big brother! What kind of food do you like to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare some."

"Wei girl, tone it down a bit," the Third Madam said.

Upon hearing this, Shen Junshan smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble. I will definitely keep the appointment and bother you."

His reply was polite and appropriate, and he did not look behind him.

Qin Xue interjected, "I heard that you saved A-Li today. A-Li's zither skills are superb. She will definitely play a piece for you in front of everyone to express her gratitude."

She and A-Li could never truly open their hearts to each other. Apart from herself, she would never trust any other woman again—a realization she had learned before entering the Marquis's mansion.

Shen Junshan: "Alright, I'll look forward to it."

His heart tightened slightly. Playing music in public was no different from being a dancer.