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

What does this mean? Does it mean he dislikes her for being incompetent, or... does he really intend to find a head maid to prepare for his future marriage to the Princess of Qinghe County?

Neither of these scenarios is good news for her.

Having lost her power to manage affairs, she was truly just an insignificant maidservant in this courtyard.

"I understand." Afu lowered her eyes, her voice devoid of emotion. "Please thank the young master for me."

"Miss Afu, you're too kind." Changsong paused, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he held back and only said, "Then I'll take my leave now."

After Changsong left, Afu stood in the study for a long time.

She looked at the white jade porcelain vase on the table, and then at the unfinished scroll in her hand.

The faint scent of ink lingered on his body in the study.

She suddenly felt like a piece of furniture in the study; he would pick it up and polish it when he was in a good mood, and put it aside when he was not, and could even replace it at any time.

Can't wait any longer.

She couldn't just sit idly by and wait to be tormented by the Princess of Qinghe, or be casually dismissed after being rejected by Xie Xun.

Later that evening, Cui, the old woman who served Lady Hou, led a woman around fifty years old into Shi'an Courtyard.

The woman wore a slightly worn indigo jacket, her hair was neatly combed and held in place with a plain silver hairpin. Her face was ordinary, but her eyes, when they looked at people, were calm and still, yet seemed to see right through them, inside and out.

"Miss Afu," Cui Mama's attitude was much more polite than usual. She pointed to the woman beside her, "This is Fang Mama. She used to be the head of the household in the palace. Now that she has left the palace, the madam specially invited her here. From now on, she will take over the internal affairs of Shi'an Courtyard."

After Cui finished speaking, she turned to Fang and said, "Fang, this is Miss Afu."

Granny Fang's gaze fell on Afu, scrutinizing her from head to toe, finally settling on the still-visible red mark on her neck. She said nothing, only nodding slightly as a greeting.

Afu knew in her heart that this Granny Fang was Xie Xun's person.

If Lady Hou truly intended to send someone, she wouldn't have done so so quietly, much less by hiring a palace maid to manage the household affairs. This is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

The only explanation is that this was Xie Xun's idea. He took away her power, but fearing that her subordinates would neglect her or that she would cause trouble again, he simply found someone who could definitely keep things under control.

"Thank you for your trouble, Granny Fang." Afu curtsied, her attitude docile.

Fang Mama didn't respond, but said to Cui Mama, "Sister Cui, you've gone to a lot of trouble. I've just arrived here and need to familiarize myself with things, so I won't keep you any longer."

With just a few words, he politely saw Granny Cui off.

When the new manager arrived, the maids in the courtyard stood as straight as quails, not daring to breathe.

Granny Fang ignored them and simply walked around the courtyard, carefully observing everything from the trimming of the flowers and plants to the cleanliness of the veranda. Finally, she went into the small study.

The study was spotless, with books neatly arranged and categorized, and writing implements placed in the most convenient locations.

"Did you organize all of this?" Granny Fang ran her fingers across the bookshelf, her fingertips clean.

"Yes, Granny."

Granny Fang nodded, then turned to look at Afu: "You seem to know the young master's preferences quite well."

She paused, walked up to Afu, and said in a low voice, but with an undeniable air of authority: "Miss Afu, I know you are a smart person. A smart person should know when to do what and when not to do what."

"Was it wrong of you to follow the young lady out of the manor that day?" Granny Fang suddenly asked.

Afu was taken aback and lowered her eyes: "This servant shouldn't have left the manor without permission and caused trouble for the young master."

"You're wrong." Granny Fang shook her head. "Your mistake wasn't leaving the manor, nor was it causing trouble."

She looked at Afu and said, word by word, "Your mistake was that you caused the master to lose control."

Afu's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

"In the palace, the most favored person is not the most beautiful or the most capable, but the one who can make the master feel most comfortable."

Granny Fang's voice was calm, "The master keeps you in the courtyard not to confine you, but to protect you. If you insist on going out, he can't stop you, and he'll worry about you. If something happens to you, all his plans will be disrupted. The master is a man of great importance; his mind cannot be disturbed."

"His anger towards you afterwards wasn't because you caused trouble, but because he was angry that he couldn't protect you. If you had cried or argued, he might have felt better. But you went and begged for forgiveness, acting like you were willing to admit anything. This is tantamount to telling him that you don't care about him at all and don't believe he can do anything for you. That's what really angered him."

After Fang Mama finished speaking, she said no more and turned to arrange the affairs of the courtyard.

Afu stood alone in the study for a long time.

Granny Fang's words were like an awl, piercing the facade that she had been carefully maintaining.

She thought she had done a good job—being docile, sensible, and avoiding trouble. But in Xie Xun's eyes, all of that was wrong.

What he wanted was not an easy-going servant, but a private possession that he could completely control and that would give him peace of mind.

Protect her?

Aphrodite looked down at her hands. She didn't need that suffocating protection.

She thought of Xie Yun.

Now, in the entire Marquis's mansion, perhaps the only one who truly cares for her is that hot-tempered eldest daughter.

Go directly to Lady Hou for help; Lady Hou would be more than happy for her to disappear, but she would never let her go easily. Because of the Qinghe County Princess's affair, she had become a thorn in Lady Hou's side; killing her directly would be the easiest solution.

We must find a pretext, one that the Lady Hou cannot refuse and that will force her to let her go.

Moreover, it would be best to use this pretext to tie Xie Yun together.

Afu's gaze fell on the dessert recipes she had jotted down on the table.

The audit of Jinxiu Pavilion revealed to her both Xie Yun's interest in and shortcomings in running a shop. The young lady loved to eat and enjoy lively gatherings, and she had spare money and a shop, but she was troubled by the lack of someone to manage it.

This might be her only chance.

What she lacked was never money, but rather travel permits and household registration. These things couldn't be obtained through legitimate channels. But since ancient times, wherever there are government offices, there is a black market. As long as you have money and connections, there's nothing you can't buy.

She is currently trapped in the Marquis's mansion, unable to contact the outside world. But Xie Yun can.

If she could help Xie Yun make a shop thrive, becoming Xie Yun's right-hand woman, or even a business partner, then her affairs would no longer be just her own.

At that time, she could then find a way to obtain a travel permit and leave the capital under the pretext of going to other places to buy things and inspect shops on behalf of Xie Yun, which would be perfectly logical.

Afu slowly folded the pastry recipe and tucked it into her sleeve.

She couldn't wait any longer.

She took a deep breath, turned and walked out of the study, heading straight towards Jinghong Courtyard.