After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Xie Yun's eyes sparkled with schadenfreude. "The other day, wasn't she on a boat trip on Taihu Lake with a group of noble ladies? I don't know how, but she slipped and fell into the lake with a 'plop'!"

"I heard that when they were pulled out of the water, their faces were pale and they had swallowed a lot of water. When they got back, they developed a high fever and were delirious at night, crying and screaming, causing chaos in the Princess's residence. The imperial physician examined them and said that they had been frightened and caught a chill, and that they would need to rest and recuperate for a while."

Xie Yun spoke with great enthusiasm, almost clapping her hands in delight.

"Tell me, isn't this karma? She hit you in our house, and God sent her to drink the waters of Taihu Lake. How satisfying!"

As Afu listened, she didn't feel the "satisfaction" that Xie Yun had imagined.

For Qinghe County Princess, falling into the water was merely a temporary reprieve from that potential threat.

However, seeing Xie Yun's genuinely happy expression, Afu couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth curve upwards slightly.

It was a very faint smile, like the sky after the rain, shining with a glimmer of light.

"Hey, you smiled!" Xie Yun exclaimed, pointing at her face as if she had discovered something amazing. "That's more like it! You should smile more. You're always so serious; it's a waste of such a pretty face."

Afu assumed she was joking, lowered her eyes, and continued eating the osmanthus cake in her hand.

"Honestly," Xie Yun nudged her with her elbow, "the injury on your face is almost healed, and staying cooped up in the house all day isn't good. My mother wants me to inspect some of the shops that are part of my dowry; would you like to come with me?"

Afu paused in her movements.

Leaving the residence?

She instinctively wanted to refuse. Xie Xun's command was still ringing in her ears, "You are not allowed to go anywhere."

"Young Miss, I..."

"What do you mean, 'you'?" Xie Yun interrupted her. "It's settled then. Aren't you good at checking and managing accounts? My maids get a headache just looking at numbers. You can go and take a look for me, so those cunning servants won't take advantage of my youth and tamper with the accounts."

"But what about the young master..." Afu still hesitated.

She feared that if Xie Xun returned as soon as she stepped out of the Marquis's residence, it would stir up some trouble.

"My brother?" Xie Yun patted her chest with a "don't worry" expression. "He already agreed!"

Afu was stunned.

"I already asked him," Xie Yun explained. "I told him I was going to keep you locked up in the yard; you were practically going crazy. I wanted to take you out for a walk to clear your head. Guess what my brother said?"

Xie Yun, mimicking Xie Xun's icy tone, cleared her throat and said, "Whatever you want."

She imitated it so well that even Granny Hua couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Look, he's already agreed. He just wants me to take you out to clear your head." Xie Yun held her hand. "It's settled then. I'll pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."

Afu looked at Xie Yun, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

Did Xie Xun agree?

Being able to get some fresh air is better than being trapped in this small space. Even if it's just a brief moment of freedom, it's precious to her.

"Okay." She nodded gently.

Seeing that she agreed, Xie Yun happily gave her another piece of pastry and chattered on about the interesting stories of the shops they were going to visit the next day.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling warmly on the two of them.

Hearing Xie Yun's clear laughter, Afu's tense nerves, which had been taut for many days, seemed to relax a little.

The next morning, Xie Yun arrived as promised.

Bai Zhi had already prepared Afu's clothes for going out. It wasn't a fancy style, just a simple light blue dress, but the material was excellent, making it both comfortable and flattering.

After a night of treatment, the bruises on Afu's face had faded to almost invisible, leaving only a small scar at the corner of her mouth, which, if not looked at closely, looked like a grain of cinnabar.

Yunxi styled her hair into a simple bun, without any jewelry, just tied with a hair ribbon of the same color. She looked clean and neat.

"Miss Afu, you look so beautiful." Yunxi exclaimed sincerely as she looked at the person in the bronze mirror.

The woman in the mirror looked less gentle and graceful than before, and more aloof after recovering from her injuries.

Afu didn't react much; she simply looked in the mirror and gently touched the scar on the corner of her mouth with her fingertip.

"Let's go," Xie Yun urged from outside.

The two boarded the Marquis's carriage and drove out of the mansion gate one after the other.

The wheels rumbled and groaned as they rolled over the cobblestones. Afu lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked at the street scene rushing past outside, momentarily lost in thought.

Familiar streets, familiar hawking sounds.

Her biggest dream is to save enough money to leave this place, go to a place where no one knows her, open a small pastry shop, and live a peaceful life.

But now, she's out, not as a free person.

"What are you thinking about?" Xie Yun handed over a hand warmer. "It's cold outside."

"It's nothing." Afu lowered the carriage curtain and took the hand warmer, holding it in her hands.

"Let's go check out my silk shop first today," Xie Yun said enthusiastically. "That shop is located on Zhuque Street, the most bustling street in the capital, in the best location, but its annual profits are always mediocre. My mother said that there must be something wrong with the manager, and she wants me to investigate thoroughly."

Afu nodded: "Did Miss bring the account books from the past few years?"

"I brought it, I brought it." Xie Yun pointed to a small box next to her. "It's all in there. But all those numbers give me a headache, so I'll have to rely on you later."

Afu responded with a nod and said nothing more.

She knew that this was Xie Yun's trust in her.

The carriage stopped in front of a silk shop called "Jinxiu Pavilion" on Zhuque Avenue.

The shop is a three-story building with an impressive facade and a prime location. At this moment, the shop is bustling with people, and the business seems to be thriving.

A servant saw the Marquis's carriage and hurried over to greet it.

Xie Yun led Afu and Granny Hua straight up to the private room on the third floor.

Soon, a well-dressed middle-aged man with a small mustache walked in, bowing with a broad smile.

"This humble servant, Zhou Fu, greets Miss. I was unaware of your presence today; please forgive my failure to warmly welcome you."

This Manager Zhou is clearly a shrewd person.

"Manager Zhou, there's no need for such formalities." Xie Yun picked up her teacup, adopting the airs of a young lady from a noble family. "I've come today on my mother's orders to check on the shop's current situation. Bring me the account books from the last three years so I can take a look."

"Yes, yes, yes," Manager Zhou quickly replied, and personally went to bring over a thick stack of account books.

Xie Yun casually flipped through a couple of pages, then felt dizzy and lightheaded. Without making a sound, she pushed the account book in front of Afu.

"Afu, come and see."

Manager Zhou's gaze then fell on Afu, who had been sitting quietly behind Xie Yun.

He glanced at her and saw that she was dressed plainly. Although she had delicate features, she had the air of a maid in her eyes, and there was a slight blemish on the corner of her mouth. A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

Sending a maid to audit the accounts? The young lady is really something else.

Afu ignored his gaze, picked up the top ledger, lowered her eyes, and began to flip through it page by page.