The most dissolute couple in the capital

Although she had successfully avoided attracting Madam Zheng's attention today, just in case...

She has to completely block this path.

Simply "not standing out" is not enough.

She had to make Old Madam Zheng feel that she was unsuitable.

Cui Qingyi lowered her eyelashes and quickly went through the process in her mind.

What did Madam Zheng value most when choosing a daughter-in-law?

Four words: calm and composed.

All she needs to do is... lack composure and magnanimity.

Moreover, it cannot be too deliberate; it must appear as an unintentional mistake so as not to damage the Cui family's reputation.

She looked up and glanced around.

Madam Zheng was walking back to the pavilion from that Miss Lu, and she would pass through this area.

The timing was perfect.

Cui Qingyi picked up the scalding hot teacup and made a gesture as if she was about to drink it.

Then--

Her hand "accidentally" trembled.

The tea spilled out from the rim of the cup, soaking most of her skirt.

The scalding liquid soaked through the pale yellow fabric, leaving patches of dark and light color, making the garment look extremely disheveled.

"Oh dear!" Cui Qingyi exclaimed softly, hurriedly standing up and knocking over the fruit plate on the table in the process.

A few candied fruits rolled to the ground. She stepped on one, swayed, and almost fell. It was only thanks to Cui Lingyi's quick reflexes that she was caught.

Although the series of commotions was not loud, it was enough for people within three to five steps to see clearly.

A girl who couldn't even hold a cup of tea properly got her skirt dirty in public and almost tripped and fell flat on her face while stepping on candied fruit.

Old Madam Zheng happened to be passing by, paused slightly, and glanced at Cui Qingyi's disheveled appearance.

There was no disdain in that gaze, and it even carried a hint of concern, but more than anything, it was a silent judgment.

A young girl accidentally knocking over a teacup is not a big deal in itself. But at a flower-viewing banquet, not even being able to control one's own manners...

Moreover, they were merely a collateral branch of the Cui family of Qinghe.

Madam Zheng smiled and nodded, giving her a reassuring look, before walking over with a composed gait.

The firecrackers in Cui Qingyi's heart exploded for the second time.

It became.

"Qingyi! Are you alright?" Cui Lingyi anxiously checked her hand. "Why was the tea so hot?"

"It's nothing, it's just that my skirt is dirty." Cui Qingyi looked at Cui Lingyi pitifully, "Sister, please help me."

Cui Lingyi glanced at her tea-stained skirt and frowned. "I'll have Qiu Rui fetch the spare dress I brought. You can go to the side hall to change first."

"Thank you, sister." Cui Qingyi gratefully shook her hand.

Cui Lingyi patted her shoulder, turned and instructed her maid Qiu Rui to fetch her clothes, then pointed to the east corridor: "Go to the end of that corridor, turn left and there's a small flower hall. It's quiet there, not many people."

Cui Qingyi nodded, lifted her dirty skirt, and walked out along the covered walkway.

Behind me, the noise of the flower-viewing banquet gradually faded into the distance.

She walked at a leisurely pace, her steps light and quick, and the corners of her mouth even curled up slightly.

Both goals were achieved in one go.

First, she didn't steal the spotlight; Old Madam Zheng's gaze didn't linger on her for more than three breaths.

Secondly, her dignified persona collapsed. In Madam Zheng's mind, she was just a timid girl who couldn't even hold a teacup properly.

Cui Qingyi, you are a true genius.

Bamboo groves line both sides of the covered walkway, and sunlight filters through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled shadows.

She walked for a while, and Qiu Rui jogged up from behind, carrying a set of folded clothes in her hands. It was a moon-white narrow-sleeved shirt paired with a smoky blue long skirt, simple and elegant, clearly Cui Lingyi's aesthetic.

"Miss Cui, the young lady has instructed me to assist you in changing your clothes."

"Thank you for your hard work." Cui Qingyi took the clothes and walked into the small flower room.

The flower hall was small and simply furnished, with a rosewood table, two armchairs, and a four-panel silk screen in the corner. Cui Qingyi went around to the back of the screen and quickly changed out of the pale yellow dress stained with tea.

The combination of moon white and smoky blue made her look much more refreshing.

She straightened her clothes, handed the dress she had changed out of to Qiu Rui, and told her to go back and report.

"Aren't you going back together, young lady?" Qiu Rui asked.

"I'm just getting some fresh air, I'll be right back."

Qiu Rui nodded, picked up her dress, and left.

Cui Qingyi stood at the entrance of the flower hall and took a deep breath.

The air is filled with the fresh scent of bamboo and earth, mixed with the fragrance of flowers drifting from afar.

I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time.

She lived for forty-three years—sixteen as a daughter of the Cui family and twenty-seven as a daughter-in-law of the Zheng family. In those forty-two years, she never truly lived for herself.

Now, God has given her a second chance.

This time, she's going to live for herself.

Cui Qingyi smiled and stepped out of the flower hall, intending to circle back to the flower viewing banquet along another path—after all, she still had to show her face in front of her stepmother, Li, to avoid being nagged at home.

The path meanders along the sides, lined with neatly trimmed bushes, and occasionally a few clumps of wildflowers peek out from the cracks in the rocks, blooming freely.

After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Cui Qingyi arrived at a relatively secluded area. This place was far from the center of the flower-viewing banquet, and the only sounds were birdsong and the wind.

She was about to turn when she suddenly stopped.

There is something on the ground.

She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the bluestone pavement two steps in front of her.

That was half a broken fan rib.

The finest Hetian white jade is lustrous and translucent; even broken in two, it still radiates a warm glow. The fan ribs are carved with extremely fine cloud patterns, the craftsmanship so exquisite that even the best artisans Cui Qingyi had seen in the Zheng family in her previous life could not have achieved such a level of skill.

One of these fan ribs is worth at least a hundred gold coins.

Moreover, this cloud pattern—

Cui Qingyi's pupils contracted slightly.

This cloud pattern is not a style available on the market; it was made in-house.

"Neizao" means that it was made by the Imperial Household Department of the palace.

Those who could use items made in the palace were either rich or noble, and the number of people who could use them could be counted on one hand.

She crouched down, picked up the broken half of the fan, and turned it over to examine it.

The break in the fan rib didn't look like a natural break; it looked more like someone had stepped on it forcefully. The cut was sharp, and a few jade fragments were scattered in the gaps between the floor tiles.

Cui Qingyi put down the fan and looked ahead along the ground.

There was a puddle of water on the bluestone slab.

The water stains weren't completely dry, shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Following the direction of the water stains, they stretched intermittently towards the end of the path, where a dense thicket of bushes blocked the view, and from beyond the bushes, the sound of water could be faintly heard.

Cui Qingyi stood up, and a scene suddenly flashed through her mind.

At the flower-viewing banquet in her previous life, besides catching the eye of Old Madam Zheng, another major event occurred.