The mistress who remarried has returned.

So many women pursued Qin Huai, but he only loved Xue Wenying and avoided everyone else, including her. Just now, that woman asked the same question that Su Yunxi wanted to ask: was that widow really that good? Su Yunxi felt that she was no less than Xue Wenying and quite disliked Xue Wenying's behavior.

Su Yunxi planned to go to the rockery in the garden to find Lin Enxiao, but she didn't know what Liu Shun was doing with her.

As night deepened, the banquet came to an end.

After meeting with Qin's mother, Xue Wenying came over and saw Qin Huai talking to the Wen family's young lady, so she walked over.

The young lady from the Wen family glared at Xue Wenying, snorted, and left unconvinced.

"What did I do to offend them?" Xue Wenying chuckled, scrutinizing Qin Huai's face, and asked him, "A guqin worth ten thousand taels of silver, you just rejected it like that? Aren't you even a little bit tempted?"

Qin Huai shrugged. "Her household is rolling in money. Ten thousand taels of silver is just a drop in the ocean. I am not lacking in wealth either, so what is so precious about it?"

"What is truly precious, General?" Xue Wenying felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She realized how deep his feelings for her were. She had been worried that his affections for her had faded. She was relieved to see him refuse the guqin from Miss Wen just now for her sake.

Qin Huai said slowly, "What's precious is having little, yet being willing to give."

Xue Wenying was puzzled again. What exactly did he want? Wasn't it a family background and social standing that matched his own, a perfect and powerful alliance?

When Qin Huai returned to the table, he noticed that the refreshing sandalwood fragrance was gone. He could almost see the tassels of the sachet swaying in the wind, and the feeling of the hair ribbon wrapped around his neck, cheeks, and fingers. He saw the smell of meat and wine on the table in front of him, plus the smell of perfume around him, and before he knew it, his head started to ache again.

He dislikes things that are deliberately embellished.

Xue Wenying moved closer, wearing newly purchased designer perfume today. She wondered if Qin Huai would like it, and asked gently, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Qin Huai spoke politely to Xue Wenying, saying, "I'm not feeling unwell."

At this moment, Shuang'er said to Xue Wenying, "Miss, the nanny over there said that the mutton hot pot specially prepared for you is ready. The nanny said that you should eat some while it's hot when you get back. Eating some of this on a cold day is very good for warming up."

Xue Wenying looked at Qin Huai, "I usually like to eat mutton hot pot in winter, with ginseng and yam, which is very nourishing. I brought it, why don't you have some too? The dishes at this banquet get cold quickly, but the pot is simmering on a low flame, it's very warm."

Qin Huai did not refuse, "Take it here."

The nanny brought over the mutton hot pot and used serving chopsticks to put a small bowl of mutton into Xue Wenying's hands, handing it to the young lady.

The nanny then filled a small bowl for the general and handed it to him.

Qin Huai understood the mutton hot pot; it was a braised dish, with a glossy, oily appearance and a strong aroma of spices.

Xue Wenying picked up a piece of mutton covered in broth and put it in her mouth, chewing it quite gracefully.

Qin Huai watched Xue Wenying eat mutton quietly, his nostrils filled with the aroma of mutton. He suddenly remembered that during those seven years, some of the fairy maidens' diets were so bland that they didn't even put chopped green onions in them. He had also seen some of the fairy maidens eat flower cakes to fill their stomachs when they were hungry.

Qin Huai picked up a piece of mutton with the tip of his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. It had a very strong meaty flavor, and it took a lot of spices to suppress the muttony smell.

Xue Wenying asked him, "How do you think it tastes?"

Qin Huai said, "It's great. Ordinary people like us just like strong flavors, the so-called 'eating well and drinking well'."

Xue Wenying suddenly frowned. What was he saying sarcastically? Who wasn't extraordinary? They weren't immortals living on air all day. Who were they admiring? She was annoyed by Qin Huai. "Why should I share with you?"

Qin Huai realized he had offended someone with his sharp tongue. Remembering the suffering Xue Wenying endured after he broke off their engagement and married far away to Suzhou, he smiled gently to ease the tension. "Ordinary people refer to me and Shen Shu..."

Shen Shu was playing PUBG when he was suddenly verbally insulted by Qin Huai. Seriously, it's wrong to mess with Xue Wenying, but it's okay to mess with him? Is it vulgar for him to eat well and drink well? Who is he comparing himself to? His friend is really... who does he think is so superior? He likes that person so much that everything they do is sacred.

Hearing Qin Huai's words of reassurance, Xue Wenying was no longer angry. She thought back to the meaningful exchange between Madam Qin and Consort Shu earlier and wondered what it meant.

"Rongzhi..."

Hearing Xue Wenying's hesitant tone, as if she had something on her mind or was facing difficulties, Qin Huai, knowing he would definitely help, asked, "What's wrong? Did something happen with my mother?"

"No...nothing." Xue Wenying didn't really have any basis for her claim. After all, Madam Qin hadn't done anything to her, so she couldn't say anything. But she felt very uneasy. The gazes that both Madam Qin and Consort Shu were giving her were chilling. She could only wait and see.

Not long after, Liu Shun returned to the table and stood behind Qin Huai.

Zhou Qiu kept toasting Qin Huai, and Qin Huai drank two cups of tea in lieu of wine. Only then did the other party stop talking about the unpleasantness caused by Su Yunxi. People like them usually don't have deep hatred on the surface, but who knows what they are like behind the scenes. Perhaps they are brothers today, but tomorrow they are fighting to the death.

Qin Huai glanced at Liu Shun, whose expression was not pleasant.

Qin Huai remained silent.

Liu Shun sighed repeatedly, glancing at Qin Huai again and again.

Qin Huai realized something was wrong, so he put down his teacup. Since he couldn't ask about Xixi's situation, he said to Xue Wenying, "I'll go wash my hands."

Zhou Qiu followed the trail with his gaze, beckoned to his subordinate, and whispered, "Go and see."

The subordinate was taken aback. Someone went to pee, and he was supposed to follow them to watch...?

That's a bit perverted, isn't it?

But he had no choice but to do what his master ordered, and he had to do it carefully and meticulously, without letting Young Master Qin discover that he was spying.

Qin Huai went to the bottom of the corridor, walked around to the backyard to wash his hands, and glanced at Liu Shun.

Liu Shun called out, "General."

Qin Huai asked in a low voice, "What's with that expression? Did you go to repay a debt of gratitude or seek revenge from the eldest daughter of the Su family?"

Seeing that Qin Huai noticed his unpleasant expression, Liu Shun sighed and stopped hiding it. "Don't mention it, sir. It was only after your reminder that I went to find Consort Su. I suggested that I go to Su Yuanzhou and tell him to cancel the marriage with the Lin family. Just because I'm your most trusted confidant, Su Yuanzhou can't refuse me that, and he certainly won't force Consort Su to go to the Lin family for the wedding night. At the same time, I'm preparing a carriage and arranging for someone to take Consort Su back to the Su residence."

"This arrangement is quite good. The thinking is clear, and the arrangements are reasonable. Has the person been sent back to the Su residence?"

No.

Qin Huai frowned. "What? Does Su Yuanzhou not give me, Uncle Liu, any face? He's gone too far."

Liu Shun sighed, "It's not that Su Yuanzhou is disrespectful to me. It's that Consort Su told me not to meddle. She willingly agreed to the marriage with Lin Enxiao. She wants to go find Lin Enxiao; she doesn't need me to arrange a carriage to take her back to the Su residence. I was basically offering my warm welcome in return. She very coldly told me to leave!"

"What else did she say?" The gentleness on Qin Huai's face gradually faded, replaced by a cold and sharp edge. He had just taken the opportunity to be alone with her to soothe her emotions, and he had heard her say a lot of sweet words like wanting to spend time with him today. Now, his heart slowly began to ache.

Did Su Yunxi need to see Lin Enxiao about something?