After being reborn, I hugged the villainous boss tightly.

Ye Zhuxi didn't know how to respond, so she quietly withdrew her cold hands from Gu's grasp and stammered, "It's just... I saw someone building a snowman, so... I couldn't help but start a snowball fight with my older brother..."

Madam Gu's face grew increasingly grim. She glanced at her daughter, who was looking down and dared not look at her, and finally turned her gaze to Fu Jingyuan behind her.

“Fu Jingyuan, you’re the older brother. How could you take Ruoruo to play in the snow? It’s so cold. If she gets sick because of it, can you take responsibility?”

"..."

Fu Jingyuan pursed his lips and remained silent, his eyes slightly lowered, offering no explanation for himself.

Seeing her mother blaming Fu Jingyuan without understanding the situation, Ye Zhuxi hurriedly pulled her back, her eyes slightly red.

"Mom, it's not my brother's fault, it's me. I dragged him to have a snowball fight with me. He did nothing wrong!"

Gu ignored Ye Zhuxi's explanation, her eyes still coldly fixed on Fu Jingyuan, her tone equally indifferent.

“Even if he didn’t lead the charge, as the older brother, he should be responsible for protecting his younger sister, instead of indulging you.”

Ye Zhuxi tugged at her mother's sleeve: "Mother..."

She was about to say something when Madam Gu interrupted her: "I'm talking to your older brother, don't interrupt!"

Gu was clearly very angry, but because she was well-educated, she did not curse Fu Jingyuan.

Fu Jingyuan raised his hand and bowed to the Gu family without any expression.

"Auntie is right, I won't do it again!"

"Alright!" Madam Gu looked at him unhappily and said, "I know you don't like the Ye family, and I don't expect you to treat Ruoruo any better. Go back to your backyard!"

Fu Jingyuan raised his eyes and gave Ye Zhuxi, who was trying to explain herself, a cold look. He didn't defend himself and turned to leave.

Watching Fu Jingyuan's departing figure, Ye Zhuxi felt wronged and turned to look at her mother, whose face was pale.

"Mother, you've really misunderstood, it really is me..."

Madam Gu pulled her sleeve away from her hand, her expression not improving despite Fu Jingyuan's departure.

"If this wasn't because of you, then was it also you who instigated the conflict with the Crown Prince in the palace a few days ago?"

"..."

At this point, Ye Zhuxi lowered her head, her eyes began to dart around, and her hands frantically twirled the ribbons of her skirt at her sides.

"It was me...it was me who started it!"

Madam Gu frowned and pulled Ye Zhuxi, who was looking down and dared not look at her, in front of her.

"Do you think your mother knows nothing? Your every move in the palace has already been reported to me long ago."

"Fu Jingyuan implicated you not only because of the Ye Fan incident, but also because of the Emperor's questioning, which you shielded him from..."

Speaking of this, Madam Gu looked at her with a face full of disappointment and frustration.

"Ye Fan is someone who isn't afraid of trouble. Hasn't he done enough bullying and harassing of men and women? You've offended him, and who knows how he'll retaliate against you in the future."

"And you even spoke up for Fu Jingyuan in front of the Emperor. Aren't you worried that you might anger the Emperor and be charged with insubordination?"

Gu's barrage of questions left Ye Zhuxi speechless. She bit her lip and said, "Mother knows everything."

Madam Gu turned her head away, avoiding looking at her aggrieved expression, afraid that her momentary leniency would embolden her daughter and cause her to become increasingly unruly.

Ye Zhuxi pitifully shook Gu Shi's hand and said in a pitiful tone, "Mother, since you know about what happened that day, you should know how wronged my eldest brother was and how much Ye Fan bullied people."

Madam Gu couldn't bear to see her looking so pitiful, and patted her hand that was holding hers with heartache.

She sighed helplessly and looked at her earnestly, saying, "It's not that I didn't know Ye Fan bullied you first, it's just that you were outnumbered and outmatched at the time. What would I do if he did something to you?"

"Besides, Fu Jingyuan is naturally a jinx to his wife and family. The misfortune you encountered in the palace this time was probably brought by him..."

Ye Zhuxi frowned deeply upon hearing this and interrupted Madam Gu, saying, "Mother, my elder brother has never brought misfortune upon anyone. Everything before was just a coincidence. Otherwise, how could we still be safe and sound now?"

Madam Gu wouldn't listen to Ye Zhuxi's advice and waved her hand dismissively.

"No matter what, we should make him get married and move out as soon as possible. Anyway, we have plenty of fertile land, so he won't starve even if he does nothing!"

Gu wanted Fu Jingyuan to get married as soon as possible, not only because Fu Jingyuan had reached the age to get married but had not married, which was a disgrace to the General's Mansion, but also because she wanted him to move out as soon as possible. Once he was married, he would have no reason to stay in the General's Mansion, especially since Fu Jingyuan was just an adopted son!

"Your father wrote a letter a few days ago..."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhuxi's eyes were filled with surprise and delight.

Did Father say when he would be back?

Madam Gu pursed her lips: "He said he would be back in April. The letter also mentioned that he was accidentally stabbed in the abdomen by the enemy because of the war on the border."

"Is Father alright now?" Ye Zhuxi asked in alarm.

Madam Gu shook her head, stood up, and looked at Ye Zhuxi seriously: "Your father is invincible, yet he has been stabbed because of a mere war. How is that possible?"

"If something happens to Fu Jingyuan because of him, would you feel at ease?" Seeing that Ye Zhuxi wanted to say something more, Madam Gu directly nipped in the bud when she thought she was going to plead for Fu Jingyuan.

Ye Zhuxi bit her lip. She knew this had nothing to do with Fu Jingyuan, but her mother was clearly convinced that Fu Jingyuan would bring bad luck.

If I say anything in his defense now, my mother will only dislike him more and more.

"Mother, I understand!" She nodded, looking like she had taken it all in.

The thought that had come to mind resurfaced in her mind. Her eyes darted around, and then she grabbed Gu Shi with a fawning expression.

"Since Mother wants my eldest brother to get married and move out as soon as possible, if we just randomly pick someone for him, the General's Mansion will definitely start gossip about it..."

"So...why don't you leave your marriage to me, brother!"

"You??" A smile finally returned to Madam Gu's face. She curled her lips, her expression full of disbelief.

Seeing that her mother didn't believe her, Ye Zhuxi patted her chest and said earnestly, "Of course, Mother, you have to believe me. I will definitely do a good job and will never give outsiders a chance to speak ill of the General's Mansion."

Hearing her so certain, Madam Gu hesitated for a moment before nodding: "Alright, then I'll leave it to you." As she spoke, she affectionately tapped Ye Zhuxi's nose: "You'd better hurry, otherwise every day he's at home, your father will be in danger outside for another day."

Ye Zhuxi smiled and hugged her mother, nuzzling her shoulder affectionately: "Yes, yes, I will definitely find him a wife as soon as possible and make him 'get out' of the General's Mansion!"

backyard

"Did Ye Zhuxi say all of these things herself?"

Listening to the conversation that Ying had overheard, Fu Jingyuan's eyes were indifferent, and his face showed no emotion, but he tightened his grip on the bamboo cup in his hand.