The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

However, when Zhao Xianglan stepped forward and opened the door, she was greeted by a young woman in a moon-white robe, with a slender figure and a gentle expression.

She wore the cloak that had been hanging in Zhou Ningchuan's room the night before, her movements delicate and graceful, like a lotus blossom in full bloom.

Lu Mingzhao slowly stood up.

Without needing an introduction, she guessed who the other person was.

"Greetings to the old lady."

"It's been a long time. How is the old lady?"

Chu Yuan'er smiled gently at her, her eyes filled with tenderness, yet it did not make one lower their guard.

"...Miss Chu."

Lu Mingzhao smiled at her and asked bluntly, "Where's Zhou Ningchuan? Why isn't he coming?"

Chu Yuan'er smiled gently: "In that case, why is Madam asking me? I really don't know how to answer."

"Why don't you ask yourself these past fourteen years?"

Lu Mingzhao frowned slightly: "I didn't mean to argue with you, I just want to see Zhou Ningchuan... Didn't he say he wanted to see me?"

Chu Yuan'er paused subtly, then gently shook her head: "If the Marquis wishes to see the Madam, why is it me standing here right now?"

"Madam, there's no need to go to such lengths. Once the Marquis has made up his mind, even I can't change it. You won't be able to see him again."

"..."

How could this happen?

Lu Mingzhao frowned in thought, wondering where exactly the problem lay.

Yesterday, Zhou Ningchuan looked so infatuated with her, as if he wanted to devour her right there and then. How come his expression changed so drastically the moment he turned around?

At the same time, Zhao Xianglan stared at the two men with trepidation.

Seven years ago, when Chu Yuan'er was still in the Marquis's mansion, the two were already mortal enemies.

Chu Yuan'er often uses minimal force to deflect a great deal of pressure; with just a few words, she can provoke the old lady into a fit of rage and a major conflict.

If the old lady were to get angry or even take action now, as she had before... wouldn't the Marquis be even less willing to see her if he found out?

As Zhao Xianglan pondered this, she gave the maids and servants around her meaningful glances.

If the old lady gets angry later, they must rush up and stop her at all costs!

However, to everyone's surprise, Lu Mingzhao remained silent for a while before sighing.

"That's enough."

The next moment, she actually waved to Cuiju: "Bring Miss Chu a stool and pour her a cup of tea."

Even Chu Yuan'er was stunned by these words.

She frowned slightly as she looked at the female lead, and after a while, she sat down.

She took the tea from the maid and hesitated before glancing down at it.

Lu Mingzhao smiled: "There's no poison in it, drink it without worry."

Chu Yuan'er was taken aback, but put down her cup.

"Madam, if you have any other tricks up your sleeve, please use them. There's no need to be so secretive. You weren't always like this."

Lu Mingzhao was not like this before.

Whether the transmigrated woman took over her body and then acted arrogantly is another matter.

Before the arrival of the transmigrated woman, Lu Mingzhao was already a hot-tempered and difficult person to deal with.

If anyone in the village dares to say a bad word about her, she will rush to their doorstep to argue with them and force them to apologize in public.

If it were in the past, if Chu Yuan'er dared to stand in front of her and arrogantly declare her dominance, Lu Mingzhao would definitely have rushed over and torn her mouth apart.

But now Lu Mingzhao has grown up.

From the moment she left home for the first time after returning to cancel the engagement, she realized that the capital city was indeed different from the countryside.

Later, when her daughter was in danger, she completely acknowledged this fact—the interpersonal relationships in the capital were far too complicated, with too many things visible and too many things invisible.

If she acts solely on her temper, she cannot protect her family.

Lu Mingzhao still remembers when she was very young, her mother wanted to teach her military strategy.

She was very impatient to listen to those things.

But her mother said, "With only courage and strength, but no strategy, one can never become a commander; one can only be a striker."

At the time, Lu Mingzhao was very disdainful.

She's willing to be a vanguard, bravely fighting on the front lines—that's what I call exhilarating.

Now she understands that the real battlefield is not the only battlefield.

A single banquet in the Beijing city district can quietly become a battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder.

As a mother and the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, she was also a general in the mansion.

The whole family is watching her and counting on her decisions.

If she wants to protect her family, she can't act impulsively or act on a whim.

"I've heard you've served the Marquis for many years. Has he ever spoken to you about me?"

Lu Mingzhao did not get provoked by Chu Yuan'er's words, but instead changed the subject.

Chu Yuan'er didn't understand why the other person suddenly brought this up, but she still met her gaze defiantly: "Of course I've said that."

"However, the Marquis also told me that the person he wanted to protect was no longer alive."

"I don't know what method you used to bewitch Li'er, but the Marquis will not be fooled by you."

"He summoned me here today to expose you."

Lu Mingzhao glanced indifferently at Zhao Xianglan beside him: "Mother Zhao."

"Have I ever hit or scolded any of the servants in the past two months?"

Zhao Xianglan quickly replied, "No."

"So, do you think I'm still the same person I used to be?"

Zhao Xianglan: "Madam has changed a lot; she's definitely not like she used to be."

Lu Mingzhao withdrew his gaze and looked at Chu Yuan'er again: "Since Zhou Ningchuan sent you here, then please take these words back to him."

"Next time, either he will come to see me in person and apologize, or I will personally go to him with the divorce papers."

"Don't send any more unrelated people, or I will never give him another chance."

Lu Mingzhao stood up: "Aunt Zhao, see the guest out."

Chu Yuan'er's eyes changed, and her chest heaved violently.

Irrelevant...

What she hated most was the phrase "irrelevant".

Having served the Marquis for so many years, appearing in public every day with gentleness and tenderness, she was regarded as the true Lady of the Marquis by the entire army, and she also showed that she was content and had no desires.

But only she knew that she was nothing.

The Marquis didn't approve of her in his heart, and unlike Lu Mingzhao, she didn't have a formal status even if the couple was estranged.

She has nothing.

After all these years, all I've got is "unrelated".

Chu Yuan'er suddenly stood up and left quickly, almost outrunning even her maid.

Just as she turned a corner, a figure bumped right into her.

Chu Yuan'er winced in pain and nearly fell. She gritted her teeth, about to speak, when she heard the voice from the other side: "Aunt Chu? What are you doing here?"

Zhou Ming'an quickly stepped forward to help her: "Are you alright? I should have walked slower."

Chu Yuan'er lowered her head and slowly got up with Zhou Ming'an's help. Only then did the latter notice that her face was covered in tears and she was sobbing softly.

"...Aunt Chu? What's wrong?" Zhou Ming'an was dumbfounded.

In front of them, Chu Yuan'er always appeared kind and gentle, and almost never showed such a vulnerable and sorrowful expression.

"It's nothing..." Chu Yuan'er hurriedly turned her head away, wiping away her tears while forcing a smile, her eyes darting away.

The maidservant said with concern, "Miss, you've suffered such a great injustice and you still won't tell? Besides Miss Ming'an, who else in this family would ask you?"

"Lan'er, shut up!"