The clingy concubine ran away, and the sickly prince lost control.

Sun stood with her hands on her hips, blocking the doorway.

She sensed something was off about Luo Qingyan today, so she followed her out of concern, and sure enough, something was wrong.

Luo Qingyan composed herself and said, "Mother, I still have a few copper coins on me. I was thinking of asking the nanny to accompany me to buy some snacks for you. You were right to reprimand me earlier. I am a married woman, and I cannot return to my parents' home empty-handed."

Madam Sun looked at the two of them suspiciously: "I'll have someone else accompany you. Granny Liu will have to stay and wash the clothes."

I always felt that nothing good could come of the two of them being together.

Luo Qingyan curled her lips into a smile: "Mother, with the Duke's mansion here, what will people think if they know that you made the nanny who raised me wash all the clothes in the mansion today? Will they say you mistreat your servants? Or that you dislike me?"

He threatened her again.

It's so annoying. She has to be polite even when the Duke's mansion sends two servants.

"Go quickly and come back quickly."

Mr. Sun waved his hand impatiently.

Upon arriving at the front hall, Luo Qingyan called Zheng Mama and Liu Yue together, saying she would buy them some things later to thank them for taking care of her at the Duke's mansion; she was grateful that they hadn't made things difficult for her.

"Oh, isn't this my fiancée? She's beautiful."

A male voice came from the side.

It is Ye Hui.

Luo Qingyan pretended not to hear and walked straight ahead.

When did Ye Hui arrive? It wasn't this early in my previous life! I'm so unlucky to have run into him. Luo Qingyan's heart skipped a beat, and her brain raced. If she couldn't avoid it, she would try to find a way to face it.

"What, don't you recognize your husband?"

Ye Hui took a step forward and used his folding fan to block Luo Qingyan's path.

"Where did this scoundrel come from? This is Concubine Luo from the Duke of Xun's mansion. How dare you be so rude!" Granny Zheng stepped forward and said sternly.

It seems that her mother, after all, was after the Ye family's money and didn't actually break off the engagement for her.

"Young Master Ye, I am indeed a concubine of the Duke of Xun's mansion. You can speak with your mother if you have any questions."

Luo Qingyan, with a cold face, noticed the shock in Zheng Mama's eyes beside her.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You are my fiancée. What can't you say to me? Why do you have to talk to your mother?" Ye Hui persisted.

"Granny, I have already broken off my engagement with this young master Ye. The marriage was arranged by our parents and the matchmaker, and my mother will handle all the arrangements." Luo Qingyan explained to Granny Zheng.

Granny Zheng nodded, seemingly lost in thought. She had seen many things happening in the mansion, and things were probably not that simple. Let's wait and see.

"Break off the engagement? No!"

Upon hearing Ye Hui's words, Granny Zheng's suspicions were confirmed: the Luo family had a daughter who had been married to two men.

"Young Master Ye, I'll say it again: you can ask your mother. Marriage is a serious matter, and I cannot make that decision."

She had to pin the blame on her mother, Sun.

"Smack."

Ye Hui slammed down the folding fan in his hand: "Fine! Luo Qingyan, you climb the social ladder, you'd rather be someone's concubine than marry me."

"Mother!" Luo Qingyan shouted.

As Sun, who had been hiding in a corner listening to the commotion, came out from the back room, she was called out.

"Qingyan, this is where you went wrong. Ye Hui is already engaged to you, yet you still insist on going to the Duke of Xun's mansion to leave an heir for the young master."

Sun shook his head from side to side, speaking in a sarcastic tone.

Luo Qingyan laughed. Her mother began to slander her without any regard for the facts: "Mother, you forced me to go to the Duke's mansion to carry on my sister's lineage, saying you would break off the engagement with Ye Hui. I wonder if Mother has returned the betrothal gifts?"

"It's been quite a while; any dowry should have been returned by now. It's not still locked in your private coffers, or perhaps you've misappropriated it, is it?"

In his previous life, when Ye Hui caused a huge scene, his mother admitted that some of the betrothal gifts had been used and that they would be returned once the money was replenished.

She had to steer the conversation toward her mother's refusal to return the betrothal gifts.

The Ye family are businessmen, and they are more meticulous in calculating money and profits.

Sure enough, upon hearing that betrothal gifts were mentioned, Ye Hui immediately jumped up in anger.

"Ah! No wonder Luo Haitang spent so much money on calligraphy and paintings at Yanyue Tower. Could it be that she used the betrothal gifts from my Ye family? My elder sister urged me to come early this morning, wanting to borrow some calligraphy and paintings to admire. But Luo Haitang hesitated and wouldn't give them to me. So she had something to hide!"

Ye Hui pointed at Sun's nose, spitting as he spoke.

Luo Qingyan lowered her eyes. It turned out that she hadn't died and had changed the course of events, causing Ye Hui to arrive at the Luo residence so early today.

Spending money like water? Compared to their previous life, the mother and daughter were even bolder in using the Ye family's betrothal gifts. It was probably because the mother saw that she had stayed in the Duke's mansion that she dared to bully others like this.

"Young Master Ye, that's not true. The betrothal gifts are all still here! It's Qingyan who's being foolish and insisting on marrying someone else. I've been thinking about how to explain this to you these past few days."

A guilty look flashed in Sun's eyes; Luo Haitang hadn't told her about going to Yanyue Tower to buy calligraphy and paintings.

The paintings and calligraphy at Yanyue Tower have never cost less than a thousand taels of silver. How can such a huge shortfall be covered?

"Young Master Ye is a handsome and talented man with a bright future ahead of him. Sister, you should stop trying to climb the social ladder by marrying into the Duke's family. Turn back before it's too late and marry Young Master Ye as his principal wife."

Luo Haitang walked gracefully towards her.

Compared to the Duke's mansion, the Ye and Luo families are nothing but ants. Luo Qingyan will definitely have to return to the Duke's mansion to continue her lineage, but the blame for not dissolving the engagement lies with Luo Qingyan.

"This high branch was originally meant for my elder sister, have you forgotten? Or should I return it to you? I don't want it." Luo Qingyan walked up to Luo Haitang and said, word by word.

"You dare to talk back." Luo Haitang's voice was very low. She glanced at Zheng Mama and Liu Yue, and silently withdrew the slap she was about to deliver.

"This old servant remembers that Madam said that the second young lady, Luo Qingyan, was more suitable for bearing children than the eldest young lady, Luo Haitang, so the second young lady was used to replace the eldest young lady. Since the second young lady already had a marriage agreement, why did Madam take the initiative to propose replacing her with the second young lady? Is she trying to make the Duke's mansion look unrighteous and unjust? We should report this to the authorities and see what happens."

"It was a serious expression on Zheng Mama's face," she said.

"I also agree to report it to the authorities." Luo Qingyan looked directly at Luo Haitang, her tone firm.

Luo Haitang flinched, her back no longer as straight as before.

"Granny, why report it to the authorities? It's just a misunderstanding between young people. It'll be fine once it's cleared up." Madam Sun bowed and fawned over Granny Zheng.

If the matter goes to the authorities, she'll end up in jail. It's better to downplay it and let it go.

"What does Madam mean?" Granny Zheng asked, raising her eyebrows and looking down at Madam Sun.

That Sun woman, with her pointed face and monkey cheeks, is truly a scoundrel. For money, she married one woman to two husbands, almost ruining the reputation of the Duke's mansion. Now, to shirk responsibility, she's even throwing dirty water on her own daughter's head.

Luo Qingyan was mistreated by her; a young lady of the manor was reduced to working odd jobs in a clinic.

"What's done is done, so we should naturally cancel the engagement with the Ye family and hope that Qingyan will give birth to a healthy baby boy for the young master." Madam Sun forced a smile, but her back was bent and she couldn't straighten up.

"But I must make this clear: it was you, Madam Sun, who concealed the marriage agreement from the Duke's mansion. Upon returning home, I will inform the Duchess of everything that happened today," said Granny Zheng, glaring at Madam Sun, enunciating each word clearly.

"Yes, yes, yes. I will do as the Duchess commands." Madam Sun nodded vigorously.

"No, I disagree. Why should our Ye family be annulled without cause? Surely the Duke's mansion is reasonable." Ye Hui raised his eyebrows and said. He was a merchant family, and he had gone through countless connections to climb into the Luo family, a mansion with official positions, hoping to change his fate and no longer be a lowly merchant.

"Qingyan, do you still remember this gold-threaded sachet?"