After being reborn, her aloof ex-husband and her crazy deceased husband got into a fight.

Although Zhu Xiaoxiao agreed to attend the plum blossom viewing party, she wasn't very enthusiastic and dressed quite plainly, almost as plainly as Huan'er. Her dress was only slightly more luxurious, but even that was minimal, with hardly any embroidery on it.

Sitting in the carriage, Gan Cai'er looked at him speechlessly and said, "You're going to a blind date dressed like this?"

Zhu Xiaoxiao glanced at her, looking listless, and didn't say anything.

"Hey, did you really get angry with that bookworm?" Gan Cai'er nudged Zhu Xiaoxiao, her eyes full of gossip.

"Who's angry with him? I'm just planning for my own future." Zhu Xiaoxiao slapped Gan Cai'er's hand away.

"All he does is draw all day long, he won't even look at half a page of a book. How could he possibly pass the exam looking like that? If it weren't for the special imperial examination quota, I don't think he would have even passed the provincial examination!" Zhu Xiaoxiao said with a look of disgust.

"You really tore up all his paintings?" Gan Cai'er asked hesitantly.

"Hmm." Zhu Xiaoxiao nodded. "Is there a problem?"

Gan Cai'er paused for a moment, then said with a pained expression, "Xiao Xiao, do you know how high a price Young Master Wei's painting will fetch in the future? It'll be priceless! Priceless!!"

"You didn't tear up a painting, you tore up banknotes!"

Zhu Xiaoxiao fell silent upon hearing this. After a long while, she turned to Huan'er and said, "Next time, you should stop me a little."

“Miss, I will try my best.” Huan’er looked at her mistress sincerely, “However, when you lose your temper, even Young Master Wei can’t stop you. I think I probably can’t either.”

Zhu Xiaoxiao silently turned her head, lay down on the soft pillow of the carriage, and remained silent.

Gan Cai'er leaned closer and poked her again, continuing to ask in a very gossipy manner, "How did you tear up his drawing?"

Zhu Xiaoxiao looked at her strangely and said, "How else could you tear it? You just tore it by hand."

As she spoke, she demonstrated: "Look, just grab it like this, then pull with both hands, and it's torn off, isn't it? How difficult could it be?"

Gan Cai'er paused for a moment, glanced at Zhu Xiaoxiao, and said, "Do you know that Wei Shi'an killed five bandit dens with a single sword when he was only thirteen years old, thus becoming famous in one battle?"

Zhu Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows and said, "Heh, does he dare to pick a sword at me?"

Gan Cai'er could only remain silent. Suddenly, an image popped into her mind: Wei Shi'an being chased and beaten by the defenseless Zhu Xiaoxiao... The image was strange, but Gan Cai'er felt it was very real, and she found it hard to comment on.

"From now on, we'll go our separate ways and have nothing to do with each other. Whether he loves painting or reading, I no longer care," Zhu Xiaoxiao said sullenly, her mood very low.

"Xiao Xiao, don't worry. Young Master Wei is a lucky man, he will definitely pass the imperial examination. Don't worry," Gan Cai'er comforted her.

"By the way, didn't you tell Madam Chen about Young Master Wei proposing to you? Why is she arranging blind dates for you?"

"What's there to talk about? We haven't officially settled anything yet. If I announce it now and it doesn't work out in the end, wouldn't that ruin my reputation?"

Gan Cai'er glanced at Zhu Xiaoxiao a few times, sighing inwardly. Her outfit today was clearly meant to prevent anyone from falling for her. Gan Cai'er didn't know if Wei Shi'an would ruin her reputation, but she was certain he had won her heart.

When they arrived at the plum grove outside the Chen residence, Madam Chen frowned upon seeing Zhu Xiaoxiao's attire, clearly displeased.

Zhu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to say that she hadn't prepared enough clothes for Kyoto, and that several sets had been taken to be washed, leaving only this simple outfit. She thought that Kyoto valued elegance, so she wore it.

"You can't leave her like this," Madam Chen complained, immediately pulling a hairpin from her own head and inserting it into Zhu Xiaoxiao's hair. Zhu Xiaoxiao couldn't refuse, so she accepted it.

With the hairpin as a complement, Zhu Xiaoxiao's complexion did indeed brighten up a bit, and Madam Chen was finally somewhat satisfied.

"Most of those who came today are the women from your colleagues' families, and there are many young ladies your age. There aren't many men here. Don't be shy; you can go play in the woods and get to know them. Later, I'll introduce you to the ladies," said Madam Chen.

Zhu Xiaoxiao obediently replied "Yes," bowed respectfully to Madam Chen, and then left the main hall to go to the plum grove with Gan Cai'er.

"In Kyoto, do men and women not meet in person during blind dates?" Zhu Xiaoxiao tilted her head and asked Gan Cai'er.

"Yes, that's right." Gan Cai'er nodded.

She had lived in Kyoto for over a decade in her previous life and knew the city quite well, especially its various requirements for women.

“Kyoto is more traditional and strict in its etiquette than other places. Women are required to ‘not show their teeth when they laugh and not show their feet when they walk.’”

"The rules governing the relationship between men and women were even stricter. Unmarried adult men and women were not allowed to meet in private; otherwise, it would be considered 'illicit,' and they would be criticized, ridiculed, and their reputations would be ruined."

"Therefore, men and women cannot meet in person when going on a blind date."

At this point, Gan Cai'er sighed softly. In her previous life, when she first came to the capital, how could she have known these things? As a result, she was framed time and time again, and in the end, she was branded with the stigma of "adulteress" and "impure".

"If the man and woman don't meet, how can they know if the other person is right for them?" Zhu Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled.

"Oh, you don't understand. In Kyoto, matchmaking doesn't refer to the relationship between a man and a woman, but rather the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law," Gan Cai'er laughed.

“In Kyoto, marriage is strictly arranged by parents and matchmakers. The opinions of the two people to be married are not important.”

"Oh, I see." Zhu Xiaoxiao suddenly realized, shaking her head repeatedly after hearing Gan Cai'er's words. "Kyoto is really scary."

"As long as you don't dress up and act cute, with your temper, I'm afraid no matriarch would want you as a daughter-in-law. Let's go see the plum blossoms." Gan Cai'er smiled and pulled Zhu Xiaoxiao towards the plum grove.

Knowing that no men would be present at the gathering, Zhu Xiaoxiao relaxed considerably and began to play and joke with Gan Cai'er in the plum grove.

The two bickered and teased each other all the way until they arrived at a pavilion. Several women were sitting in the pavilion, including young ladies of fifteen or sixteen and women in their early twenties. They were all dressed in very gorgeous clothes and behaved with dignified elegance. They were probably distinguished guests invited by Madam Chen.

The older folks were sitting together, chatting and warming themselves by the charcoal fire, while a few younger ones were playing a game of pitch-pot on the side. They seemed to be having a great time and enjoying themselves immensely.

However, there was a woman who sat a little further away from the others. Although she was inside the pavilion, the lively atmosphere seemed to have no effect on her, making her appear particularly lonely.

Gan Cai'er was very familiar with this scene; it was a scene of being deliberately isolated and ostracized by others. She couldn't help but glance at the woman a few more times.

The woman wore her hair in simple double buns, the attire of an unmarried young lady. However, her face suggested she was far older than fifteen or sixteen, appearing much more mature. Her clothes and headdress were extremely expensive, clearly placing her far above the other women around her; she was obviously a young lady from a prestigious family. Yet, her demeanor was quiet and reserved, lacking the composure and poise expected of a noblewoman… she was quite a contradictory person.

When the people in the pavilion saw Gan Cai'er and Zhu Xiaoxiao approaching, a warm woman greeted them and invited them over. The two entered the pavilion, bowed to everyone, and exchanged pleasantries with each of them.

After the two women finished their greetings and briefly introduced themselves, the way everyone looked at them changed.

Everyone knew that Madam Chen's purpose in attending this plum blossom viewing was to find a suitable husband for Miss Zhu from Danzhou. Therefore, the older women in the pavilion looked at Zhu Xiaoxiao with scrutiny.

As for Gan Cai'er, most people looked at her with curiosity, mixed with a little disdain. Gan Cai'er smiled; it seemed that after the last beauty gathering, her "reputation" had spread far and wide in Kyoto.

Gan Cai'er ignored the glances directed at her, both overt and covert. Not wanting to implicate Zhu Xiaoxiao, she walked straight towards the woman who was being ostracized and neglected.

When the woman saw Gan Cai'er walking towards her, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes.

Gan Cai'er held a handful of dried dates in her hand. She handed a few slices to the woman and said with a smile, "The dried dates are quite sweet, you should try some."

The woman hesitated, then slowly raised her hand, as if to take the dried dates. At this moment, the maid standing beside her suddenly spoke up to stop her.

“Miss, when you came out today, Madam told you not to eat anything while you are out.”

The woman raised her hand, then lowered it again.

Gan Cai'er withdrew her hand, stuffed the dried dates into her mouth, then plopped down next to the woman, tilted her head, looked at the maid, and smiled.

"What, are you afraid I'll harm your young lady, or do you think there's something wrong with the dried fruit the Chen family prepared?"

"Or, should I ask Madam Chen to come and investigate?"

"No, this servant wouldn't dare! Madam, that's not what I meant!"

The little maid was only eleven or twelve years old, and she panicked at the slightest fright.

“My young lady is frail and cannot tolerate many foods. When we came out today, Madam specifically instructed me not to let her eat anything from outside.”

Hearing this, Gan Cai'er didn't know what to say. She turned to the woman and smiled gently.

“My surname is Gan, and my husband’s surname is Lan. He will be participating in the imperial examination next year, and I just came to the capital with him from Danzhou a few days ago.”

"Yes, I know you are Madam Lan." The woman smiled gently.

"May I ask which family the young lady comes from?"

"My surname is Mei, my given name is Wanqing, and I am the eldest daughter in my family. My father is Mei Qingru."

Gan Cai'er was startled; this person was actually the eldest daughter of the Mei family!