Su Xi stood up, looking at Jin Yu with a worried expression. Her voice was timid, “I want to see Xiao Lian.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Jin Yu comforted her.

Su Xi smiled softly, relaxing as she stroked her belly, and they went out together.

#

Yun Mei sat quietly inside the carriage, which had stopped, lost in thought.

A respectful female voice called from outside, “Young Master Yun, the master requests that you join him for a meal.”

Yun Mei was stunned and looked at Xia Rong, “Is she talking about me?”

“Yes,” Xia Rong replied with a slight bow.

Yun Mei was uncertain, “Is she saying I can eat with the mistress?”

“Yes,” Xia Rong confirmed.

Yun Mei was dazed. Had he misheard? He had been married to the mistress for over two years but had never shared a meal. Was this invitation real?

“Young Master Yun… Young Master Yun?”

Only after Xia Rong called several times did Yun Mei come to his senses, laughing at himself for being lost in thought.

“Young Master Yun, we can go down now,” Xia Rong reminded him.

Yes, he was going to see the mistress. Yun Mei quickly straightened his clothes and hair, “Xia Rong, help me tidy up. I can’t let the mistress see me like this…” A shy smile appeared on his face, filled with sweetness and joy.

Xia Rong stared at the busy Yun Mei, surprised by his flustered demeanor instead of the calmness expected of a young master.

A respectful female voice interrupted his thoughts, “Young Master Yun, the master is waiting for you.”

“Coming,” Yun Mei replied, looking outside to see a female servant waiting. A sourness rose in his eyes; he sensed that the servants of the Jin family did not genuinely like him, merely bowing out of necessity.

As Yun Mei prepared to go out, Xia Rong handed him a warm stove and helped him into a thick cloak. “The master said not to let Young Master Yun get cold.”

Xu Yi woke to find Jin Yu absent, accompanied only by Hua Yan. He trembled with anxiety, tears streaming down his cheeks. Had he been abandoned again?

“Young Master, Miss Jin has not abandoned us. We’re at the inn, and she’ll come soon,” Hua Yan reassured him.