After rebirth, she became the favorite of the powerful minister.

Perhaps it was because the Murong family was known to be unpopular on Zhixuan Mountain that even their residence was arranged to be in such a remote place.

Yuan Ge walked around the artificial hill for a long time before arriving at Yu Wanyu's residence. The maid who had met him earlier and called herself Cui'er was waiting outside the door. She greeted Yuan Ge from afar, "Young Madam, my mistress has been waiting for a long time. Please come with me."

The old lady, who had been waiting for a long time, had just finished her dinner and was slowly wiping her mouth. The bowls and chopsticks on the table had not yet been cleared away. Seeing that Yuan Ge did not get up, she simply instructed Cui'er in a low voice, "Have someone clear it away. I wonder if the young mistress is used to our Biluochun tea from Jiangnan?"

Yuan Ge watched Cui'er pack and casually replied, "I'm fine with anything, I'm not too picky."

Lin Mu, who was bowing and leaving, was slightly taken aback, then chuckled helplessly. The young mistress said that she herself was "not very particular"... Well, she probably forgot about the Lao Jun Mei tea that was sent to her courtyard. After learning that Sanpinju was out of stock, the master even went to the palace to get some. All those imperial teas from the palace ended up in her stomach. She was usually pampered with good food and drink, and had long since developed a personality and preferences that were more particular than anyone else's.

The old lady glanced at the trees, then looked away expressionlessly. She put the handkerchief away, leaned back in her chair, and said gently, "I only brought these with me when I travel. I've lived in Jiangnan my whole life, and I'm really not used to the food and tea from other places."

She sat there upright, her brows slightly lowered, speaking with a serious expression, a stark contrast to the restraint and trepidation she displayed during our first meeting...

Yuan Ge smiled calmly. "The old lady sent word that she has something important to discuss. May I ask what it is?"

Yu Wanyu glanced at her, almost scrutinizing her, then smiled and shook her head, resuming her previous serious expression. She said, "I shouldn't have come to you about this, since it's not something a young girl like you can decide. But I'm just a woman, and the three people in charge on the mountain are all men... that's why I thought of coming to you first, young mistress. If you can't make this decision, you might as well ask the Grand Elder for my opinion."

She, a woman, can't even meet her own in-laws, yet she thinks it's no big deal to have a relationship with a married girl. What kind of logic is that? Yuan Ge pursed her lips even more and remained silent, thinking to herself that her maternal grandmother was really... cowardly and selfish.

Taking the tea from Cui'er, Yuan Ge held it in his hand without drinking, only stirring the broken tea leaves on the surface of the water, and said, "Madam, you may speak frankly."

Yu Wanyu put down her teacup, instructed Cui'er to stand guard at the door, and then spoke, "It's like this... I'm sure the young mistress has been on the mountain for so long, so she should know that Yuan Junfeng's son and daughter-in-law died young and are buried on this mountain. That daughter-in-law is my Murong family's legitimate daughter, Murong Shao'ai, who is my own daughter... I've never had the chance before, but now that I've come here by chance, I naturally have to go and meet her."

After saying that, he looked across at the other side.

The woman opposite her had her eyes lowered, her expression obscured by the dim light… only her chin was visible, white as snow. Yu Wanyu frowned uncomfortably. The first time they met, this woman had involuntarily reminded her of her own children, but this time she didn't feel that way… However, she quickly let it go. It was to be, wasn't it? Thinking this, she felt much more relaxed facing Yuan Ge, her expression becoming increasingly serious, like that of a head of a wealthy family. “Young Madam, what do you say?”

“Died young…” Yuan Ge lowered his eyes and chewed, then nodded after a long while. “That is to be expected. Please accept my condolences, Madam. But I wonder how long ago Madam Yuan passed away?”

The other person thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "More than ten years..."

"Haven't you had a chance to see your own daughter for over a decade?" Yuan Ge looked up, her face devoid of any smile, her dark pupils like a calm, still sea. She said, "Anshi is not close to here, but it's not an insurmountable barrier either. Besides, back then, Yuan Qi and his sister were both alive. Didn't the old lady want to come up the mountain to see her grandchildren? If she hasn't thought of them for over a decade, what difference does it make whether she sees them today or not?"

The other person's expression suddenly changed. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily at Yuan Ge, "What did you say?!"

"Isn't that so? You keep calling her your own daughter, yet you can't even give a vague answer about how many years it's been since she passed away. You say you miss her, but in these past ten years, not only the deceased, but even your blood relatives haven't received a single word from you." Yuan Ge gripped the teacup so tightly her fingertips ached. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to look directly at the other woman, suppressing her heaving breath as she asked the question that had remained unanswered for so many years, "Madam, even though we are separated by mountains and rivers and have no chance to meet, what about letters? Have you ever sent a single letter?"

No.

Not a word.

At first, I would have expectations, but too many expectations inevitably lead to disappointment. Now, I no longer even have any disappointment. But seeing this person sitting here with such a hypocritical look makes me feel a lot of emotions stuck in my throat. There is sadness and anger. For a moment, I don't know if I am more sad or more angry.

Mixed feelings.

She swallowed hard, suppressing all her emotions, and looked at the old lady who was dumbfounded by her sudden outburst. She said sarcastically, "More than ten years have passed. The deceased must have long since passed away. You don't need to worry about it, old lady."

"Insolence!" Yu Wanyu's face turned pale, then red, then pale again, a truly dramatic sight. She slammed down her teacup, splashing the now-cold tea all over her hands and sleeves, but she seemed oblivious. She glared at Yuan Ge with her cloudy eyes and cursed, "You little brat, what a big mouth you have! Don't you know where you are? To be honest, I'm a guest, but you're not exactly a proper hostess either. If we're being honest, the Murong family and the Yuan family are related by marriage. It's not your place to make decisions here! I only gave you some face by having you relay a message; do you really think you can decide this?"

The old woman, enraged, stared intently at Yuan Ge, her chest heaving with each breath, her hand gripping the teacup trembling with her fury.

She rarely seemed to get angry, so much so that her face turned red and she looked somewhat nervous.

In contrast, Yuan Ge, who had been scolded, was much calmer. She observed Yu Wanyu's expression, then suddenly smiled, shaking her head as if to appease a willful old woman. "This matter is truly up to me. If you don't believe me, Madam can have Cui'er go to the Grand Elder's place to ask right now... Or perhaps, Cui'er has already gone, but as expected, she was turned away. That's why Madam had no choice but to come to me, isn't it?"