The m, before Su Li had woken up, the side startled her awake.

  Su Li sat up and asked, "What's all the side?"

  Mo Hua lifted the curtain and said, "Miss, are you awake? The Seiss is outside, causing a fuss and insisting on ing in. Sister Si Qin is stopping her, saying you haven't gotten up yet."

  As Mo Hua helped her get dressed, Su Li asked, "Why has she e so early?"

  "It seems the Old Master has punished her. I heard that st night, the Old Master went to the West Courtyard in a fit e, stripped Summer Niang of her managerial duties, fined her to her room for a month, and ordered the Seiss to attend to the Madam every m and evening. This has never happened before."

  Hearing this, Su Li smirked. Was she really this uled by such a minor punishment?

  Once she finished washing up, she signaled for Mo Hua t the person in.

  "Big Sister, you're finally awake! It's already te m!" As soon as Su Yue entered, she spoke with dissatisfa.

  Su Li, still eating her breakfast, did not respond.

  Seeing Su Li's silence, Su Yue added, "Big Sister, your maidservants are getting more and more unruly. They actually made me wait outside for so long!"

  Su Li looked up and asked, "Did you e all the way here this early for something?"

  Su Yue noticed that Su Li wasn’t engaging with her pints, so she stopped pressing the issue.

  "Big Sister, I don’t know what happened, but Father was really angry st night in the West Courtyard. He evericted my e’s movements. Big Sister, please talk to Mother and ask her to plead with Father for my e's sake."

  Su Li took a bite of her meal, not responding.

  Upon hearing Su Yue's request, Su Li inwardly sneered. How bold, to ask her so fidently.

  "Are you askio help? It doesn’t sound like it."

  Su Yue froze. Usually, whatever she said, Su Li would agree right away. Why was she ag this way tely?

  Su Yue had inally po have Su Li speak to their mother, and maybe that would irritate her a little.

  After all, her real daughter was always closer to her e.

  "Big Sister, my e has always been kio you than she is to me. you really bear to see her suffer?"

  Su Li put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, and said slowly, "Father puhe e. Surely, she must have done something wrong. If we go to ask Father for mercy, wouldn't that be questioning his decision? Besides, it’s not a very serious punishment. She doesn’t have to mahe house now, which means she take it easy. Isn’t that better for her?"

  Su Yue’s face darkened in ahis was the same argument she had used to deceive Su Li before, saying that their mother was overwhelmed managing the household and suggesting that the e be givehority to ease her burden.

  Now, Su Li was using the same words to ter her.

  Su Yue gritted her teeth, then forced a smile. "Big Sister, you know how my e is. She’s born with a hardw nature. If she’s left with nothing to do, she might fall ill from the boredom."

  Su Li stood up and walked toward the courtyard, and Su Yue quickly followed.

  She thought Su Li had listeo her words and was going to plead with their mother.

  But when they reached the garden, Su Li picked up a pair of scissors and began leisurely tending to the flowers and pnts.

  "Big Sister! What are you doing…?"

  "Little sister, look at how well these flowers are blooming. Here, take oh you to put in a vase."

  Su Li casually cut off a flower and ha to Su Yue.

  Su Yue's face darkened as she relutly accepted it.

  "Big Sister, I’ve said all of this. Have you listened?" Su Yue demanded in frustration.

  Su Li g the flower in her hand, a cold glint fshing in her eyes.

  She turned back to the flowers and said, "I’ll bring it up with Mother at lunchtime."

  Su Yue’s face lit up. "I knew Big Sister would help! You really do care about my e."

  Su Li smiled gently.

  Care? Yes, she would definitely "care" for her e, but in her own way.

  Su Yue, having pleted the task her mother had assigned, felt much better. Looking at the flowers in Su Li's garden, she thought they seemed to be blooming even more beautifully than usual.

  Yet, the more she looked at them, the more she thought that Su Li's ugly scar seemed to stand out even more, making her mood all the better.

  She she flower in her hand. "This flower really smells wonderful."

  Su Li smiled sweetly and kindly. "I’m gd you like it."

  When Su Yue finally left with her maid, Si Qin approached Su Li. "Miss, are you really going to plead for the West Courtyard?"

  Su Li smiled coldly. "Plead? Hah!"

  Seeing Su Li’s rea, Si Qin rexed.

  She had been worried that Miss might act foolishly and harm the Madam’s feelings just for the sake of a e.

  Su Li put the scissors down and said, "Take care of the garden. Don’t let anyone disturb me." She theered the inner room.

  She o finish preparing Jun Mo's medie quickly.

  However, this medie was tricky to make and required some rare herbs. For now, she could only mix the basigredients and then figure out how to gather the remaining herbs.

  Apart from meals at Madam's courtyard, Su Li spent all her time in the inner room.

  Yu Qi had tried multiple times to approad inquire, but each time, she was stopped by Si Qin and the other maids.

  Wheempted to get closer to the inner room again, Zhi Shu quickly stepped forward to block her. "Yu Qi, the Miss said no one is allowed in this room."

  Yu Qi gave a fttering smile. "I was just worried the Miss might be thirsty, so I wa her some tea."

  Zhi Shu’s expression was cold. "No need. If the Miss is hungry or thirsty, she will speak up."

  Yu Qi gred at Zhi Shu, fuming in silence, before sn and turning to leave.

  Meanwhile, in the main room, Xia Shi had been anxiously waiting for news from her daughter. When she heard Su Yue had said Su Li would plead for the e, she had hoped that, even if the managerial duties couldn’t be restored right away, at least her fi might be lifted. But despite waiting and waiting, there was no sign of the Old Master softening his stance.

  "Qiao He, go call the Seiss over," Xia Shi said, growing impatient.

  "Yes, I’ll go at once."

  Qiao He arrived at Su Yue's courtyard to find Liu’er standing by the door.

  "Liu’er, is the Seiss still taking her afternoon nap?" Qiao He asked.

  Liu’er nodded. "Yes, Sister Qiao He. Is there something wrong with the e?"

  Qiao He nodded and was about to speak when a voice came from ihe room.

  "Liu’er, bring me some water."

  Liu’er looked at Qiao He. "You’re in luck, Sister Qiao He. The Seiss has woken up. You may go in now."

  Qiao He pushed the door open aered, with Liu’er following behind her, holding a water basin. Liu’er pced the basin down ao lift the curtain.

  "Miss... your face…"

  Qiao He gasped. "What happeo your face?"

  Su Yue, fused, reached up to touch her face, feeling an itg sensation.

  She had always take care of her appearance, so this sudden ge armed her. She hurried to the copper mirror and gasped in horror.

  "How could this happen?! Quick, fetch a doy face must not be harmed! You wretched maid, go and call the dht away!"

  Liu’er scrambled out of the room to fetch a doctor in a hurry.

  Qiao He, trying to calm Su Yue, said, "Miss, don’t panic. I’ll go fetch the e."

  Su Yue, however, was too frantic to listen to her words. She kept scratg at her face, her screams eg in the room.

  "My face! My face is so itchy!"

  Xia Shi was waiting anxiously inside her room.

  "e, something’s wrong with the Seiss!" Qiao He burst in and excimed.

  Xia Shi shot to her feet in anger. "What are you making such a fuss for? What happeo Yue’er?"

  "e, you o see for yourself. The Seiss’s face is covered in rashes—so thid de looks terrifying!"

  Before Qiao He had even finished speaking, Xia Shi, fetting her fi, rushed out of the room in a panic.

  [--------------------------------------------]

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