The life swap begins with Consort Hua becoming Lady Qin.

Qin Yanwan sneered inwardly, but slowly raised her eyes to look at Bai Qing.

"You're planning to ask him to be Ye-ge's mentor?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Qing immediately shook her head, as if afraid that she would misunderstand: "How could I be so kind? You didn't see the way he looked when he came to our door back then. He almost made my father furious. If my father knew that I had asked him to teach Ye'er, he would probably be so angry that he would rush over from home in the middle of the night to scold me. I was just saying this to make you happy too."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a soft laugh came from the side.

It is Langhua.

She leaned against the soft pillows, holding a half-cup of tea in her hand, a faint smile in her eyes: "The way you say that makes it sound like Yanwan is just passing the time by relying on his little bit of retribution."

Bai Qing's face flushed slightly.

She had spoken freely earlier and hadn't thought much of it, but now that Langhua had teased her like this, she belatedly realized that her gloating seemed a bit harsh.

Qin Yanwan, however, remained calm: "So what if it is? Of course not. Their affairs aren't worth me sending someone to inquire about. But if I happen to hear a word about it, that's fine too."

She paused, then said seriously, "Knowing they're not doing well makes me feel relieved."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Immediately, everyone burst into laughter.

Just then, Yu Die walked in from outside.

She walked very lightly, without disturbing anyone, and stopped a few steps away, giving Langhua a wink from afar.

Langhua's smile faded slightly, but she remained composed.

-

As dawn approached, Lin Qinshuang, cloaked, quietly pushed open the door and, together with Wei Jing'an, tiptoed down the steps.

With the side door in sight, Lin Qinshuang turned to look at Wei Jing'an. The scholar, now off the bed, was once again the proper and upright man, completely different from the madman of the night before.

She tried to hold back, but finally couldn't help and let out a soft laugh.

Wei Jing'an looked puzzled.

A wicked thought crossed her mind. She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Doesn't what we're doing look like that? My husband's not home, and I've secretly brought my lover over to do something naughty?"

Wei Jing'an's ears turned bright red instantly, and he didn't know where to look.

But he couldn't help thinking about it.

That's pretty much how it is...

He sneaked into her room in the dead of night and was about to leave before dawn, barely daring to make a sound, for fear of being seen by others...

If it's not stealth, then what is it?

And how could I not have...done bad things?

but.

Wei Jing'an lowered his eyes and looked intently at Lin Qinshuang.

The morning light was soft, and she had only casually tied her hair up, with a few strands still loosely falling at her temples. Her eyes and brows showed the weariness of not having slept enough all night, yet her smile revealed an indescribable charm.

She was his beloved, the mother of his child, and the only wife in his heart.

Beneath his wide sleeves, he clenched his hands, using all his strength to swallow back the words, "Since that's the case, let's get married as soon as possible."

He dreamed of coming to her side openly every day, staying overnight openly, holding her hand openly, and hugging his child openly.

But he knew it wasn't the right time yet.

Even though she still had him in her heart, and even though her tenderness remained unchanged.

Over the years, he has been in the Northwest and in officialdom, falling into many traps and taking many detours. He has finally learned to hear the unspoken meaning in the pauses of people's words and to glimpse a trace of sincerity or pretense in the shifts in their eyes.

As Wei Jing'an thought of this, the eagerness in his eyes slowly subsided.

But it was only for a moment.

He quickly looked at her again.

Not in a hurry.

She has now returned to his life, and he knows where she is and that they have a child together.

This is already a sign of divine mercy.

There is ample time.

One day, he will gradually understand what she is hiding in her heart, and he will eventually make her understand that he is not just acting on impulse, nor is he simply clinging to the past.

He truly wanted to spend his life with her.

She was someone she could entrust her life to.

Thinking this, Wei Jing'an suddenly mustered up his courage and leaned down to gently kiss her forehead.

Lin Qinshuang was taken aback.

Wei Jing'an's face was still a little red, but his eyes were very serious: "I'll come see you again tonight, and also to see Feng'er, okay?"

Lin Qinshuang's eyelashes trembled slightly, and after a moment, she nodded obediently, her voice softening: "Okay."

Wei Jing'an seemed to finally feel completely relieved.

The carriage was still tied outside, having been parked overnight. Wei Jing'an went forward to untie the reins, then turned back to give her a deep look.

Lin Qinshuang stood inside the door, draped in a cloak, and gave him a slight smile.

Wei Jing'an gripped the reins tightly, sat on the carriage shaft, and with a gentle tug, the carriage slowly began to move, gradually driving away along the still quiet alley.

Lin Qinshuang stood by the door until the two lanterns completely disappeared at the alley entrance, only then did the smile on her face slowly fade.

She closed the door, turned and went upstairs, walking straight to the front door of her mother-in-law. As soon as she pushed the door open, Lin Qinshuang stopped.

The lights are already on inside.

Fang's mother had gotten up at some point, her hair neatly combed, and she was getting dressed.

Hearing footsteps, Fang's mother looked up.

The two women looked at each other, and when Mrs. Fang's eyes darted away, Lin Qinshuang immediately realized that she must know that she had brought Wei Jing'an upstairs last night.

My face felt hot.

But it's too late to be ashamed now.

Lin Qinshuang took a deep breath, suppressing her embarrassment, and quickly went into the house, whispering, "Mom, let's pack our things quickly and leave before he comes to his senses."

Mrs. Fang was taken aback: "Leave? You're leaving already? Where are you going?"

"Doesn't Mother have a manor in the suburbs?" Lin Qinshuang said quickly, her hands moving even faster as she opened a wooden box and took out Feng Ge'er's small cloak. "Let's go there and hide for a while. He's back in the capital this time to report on his duties and also to attend a colleague's wedding. He'll be returning to the Northwest by February at the latest. We'll come back after he leaves."

Mother Fang was completely bewildered: "Shuang...Sister Shuang..."

You might call her heartless, but over the years she hasn't truly forgotten Wei Jing'an. Sometimes when news from the Northwest comes in, she always makes sure to listen carefully.

She was stunned for a long time when she heard that the Wei family had bought a house near Daxiangguo Temple.

Now that we've finally reunited, I even stayed behind last night.

If you say there's no affection between us, who would believe you?

But no sooner had the person left than she tried to escape.

Fang's mother really couldn't understand it.

Lin Qinshuang didn't give her time to ask questions. She picked up Changfeng, who was still fast asleep, put his padded jacket on him, put on his hat, and wrapped him up tightly in a cloak before picking him up in her arms.

"Mom, I'll explain everything else to you later. Let's go now."

Mrs. Fang opened her mouth, but seeing that her expression had made up, she didn't ask any more questions.

Fortunately, this shop was only a temporary place to stay.

There weren't many valuables left, and it was just a temporary stay last night. The housekeeper was quick and efficient, and soon packed two bundles, put on a thick coat, and hurriedly went out to hire a car before dawn.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the carriage stopped outside the back door. Lin Qinshuang got into the carriage with the child in her arms, and then Fang's mother followed.

The wheels rolled over the thin morning frost, heading towards the city gate.

At this time, there were few pedestrians on the street, only a few vegetable vendors carrying loads and servants who had gotten up early to sweep snow.

Lin Qinshuang lowered her eyes, looking at her sleeping son's face in her arms, and gently tucked the blanket around him with her fingertips.

She sighed softly.

She wouldn't mind having another fleeting affair with Wei Jing'an.

He was born well.

Even in his humble beginnings, he was already a rare and handsome young man. Now, after three years of training in the Northwest, he has gained a sense of composure in his eyes and his shoulders are much broader than before. He has become more and more dignified and captivating.

He was deeply in love with her.

If she could have another girl, that would be best; if not, it wouldn't be a loss.

The problem is that last night, when things got really heated, Wei Jing'an said too many things he shouldn't have said to her.

He said that he was returning to Beijing this time accompanied by the emperor's brother-in-law.

He said that during the past three years in the Northwest, he had inadvertently saved the life of the emperor's brother-in-law, and since then he had received some favors from him. Although there was a difference in their social status, they had become quite close friends.

He said that this time when he went to Beijing, he would also go to the wedding banquet of the emperor's brother-in-law.

When Wei Jing'an said these things, there was no boastfulness in his tone.

He just wanted to reassure her and let her know that he was no longer the poor scholar who collapsed in the snow and couldn't even afford a hot soup.

But as Lin Qinshuang listened, her heart sank little by little.

They truly realized that Wei Jing'an was no longer the same person he used to be.

Was the shop where she stayed last night bought or rented? Was it a temporary place to stay or a place where she could truly settle down?

Is her surname Xu or Lin?

He could still spout nonsense and make wild claims when speaking to Wei Jing'an, who had only been in officialdom for three years and whose foundation was still shallow.

Even if he doesn't believe it, what can he do?

But if it were a real powerful figure... they'd probably be exposed in less than half a day.

The consequences would be unimaginable.

It's best to get out of there as soon as possible.