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

The clear, crisp sound successfully stopped Mei Wanyin's tears from falling. She turned around in surprise and looked towards the source of the sound.

From a peculiar rock beside the path to the pond, several people emerged. The one in the lead, wearing a white fox fur cloak, was none other than Mei Wanqing. Behind her were two unfamiliar women, one dressed in a lotus-colored embroidered brocade robe, and the other in a lake-green cross-collar long jacket.

Mei Wanqing didn't recognize the two, but Meng Yu did; they were Gan Cai'er and Zhu Xiaoxiao. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but to his surprise, he felt a strange sense of guilt, as if he had been caught red-handed.

"Second sister, we didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. We, we were just taking a walk and ended up here." Mei Wanqing stepped forward, shielding Gan Cai'er and Zhu Xiaoxiao behind her.

"Elder sister, is this the friend you've brought to visit today? How could you... how could you make such slanderous accusations?" Mei Wanyin said, her voice filled with shame and indignation.

"No, no, Second Sister. Miss Zhu was just saying it casually, it shouldn't be taken seriously."

"Don't be angry~~~" Mei Wanqing was so anxious that she didn't know what to do.

"Oh dear, it's Miss Mei. I was blind; I thought there were maids and servants hiding here. My words were too rude just now; please forgive me if I offended you."

Zhu Xiaoxiao, however, was not afraid of making things worse. Although she apologized verbally, her words were tantamount to pointing her finger at him and cursing him.

Seeing how quick-witted Zhu Xiaoxiao was, and how her words were full of barbs, it seemed that she was also someone who knew the reason. Meng Yu couldn't help but glance at Gan Cai'er.

Gan Cai'er knew that Zhu Xiaoxiao couldn't hold back and wanted to vent her anger. But she was also worried that Zhu Xiaoxiao would really anger Meng Yu, so she pulled Zhu Xiaoxiao behind her and glared at her, meaning: Enough, shut up.

Just then, Gan Cai'er felt a chill run down her spine. She turned her head and met Mei Wanyin's gaze, sharp and filled with murderous intent, staring intently at Zhu Xiaoxiao.

Gan Cai'er stepped to the side, blocking Mei Wanyin's view, and gave her a slight curtsy, saying, "Miss Mei, please forgive us. We really didn't know you were meeting with friends here. We apologize for disturbing you."

After saying that, she turned to Mei Wanqing and said, "Miss Mei, let's go and look around somewhere else. We can come back to see the red carp in this pond another time."

The red carp of the Mei family are different from those of other places. They were tributes from foreign lands, bestowed by the late emperor to reward the Mei family for their meritorious service to the court. Compared with the varieties in Dayong, these red carp are purer and more vibrant in color, their entire bodies a bright red, as vivid as cinnabar, resembling a ball of fire burning in water, hence they are also known as fire carp.

Thanks to the meticulous care of the Mei family, there are many ponds in both the outer courtyard and the inner residence. People who come to the Mei family usually take a look at them.

"Since you're already here, take a look around before you leave," Meng Yu suddenly said, stopping Gan Cai'er from leaving.

He smiled, took a few steps forward, and stood in front of Mei Wanqing, giving her a graceful bow.

"Greetings, Miss Mei. My name is Meng Yu, the third son in my family. I have come to your residence with my elder brother to congratulate you, Miss Mei. You may call me Meng San."

Meng Yu's attitude was calm and casual, as if it were the most natural thing for a stranger like him to appear in the inner courtyard of a secluded mansion.

Mei Wanqing was slightly taken aback, but then she understood.

She knew about Mei Wanyin's engagement to the third young master of the Meng family. So the man before her was her second sister's fiancé; no wonder her second sister had met with him in secret. Her earlier shock dissipated considerably.

"Greetings, Young Master Meng." Mei Wanqing took two steps back and returned the greeting with a slightly awkward air.

“Miss Mei, whether it’s red or white carp, you are welcome to look at them. If you leave like this, it will seem as if Mei Er and I have something to hide,” Meng Yu said lazily.

"We women of the inner quarters should not be in close proximity to men; it is against propriety. We should not disturb Young Master Meng and Miss Mei's conversation any longer." Gan Cai'er glanced coldly at the two of them and turned to leave.

Mei Wanyin's gaze darkened, and Gan Cai'er's words were like two slaps to her face.

"Women of the inner quarters interacting with men outside," "having private conversations," and even asking "please do as you please!" If this gets out, any one of these sentences could ruin her reputation, and she really wouldn't be able to live a decent life anymore.

We absolutely cannot let them leave like this!

So she stepped forward, took Mei Wanqing's hand, and said affectionately, "It's rare for you to come out of the courtyard, elder sister. Since you're here, please sit for a while."

"The water in the pond is so clear in winter, it's the perfect time to observe the red carp. I was just feeding the fish when Young Master Meng barged in to see them too."

As she spoke, she half-dragged, half-pulled Mei Wanqing along the fishpond. Mei Wanqing was flattered by Mei Wanyin's rare intimacy and followed her.

"What does she mean by that?" Zhu Xiaoxiao pointed at the two of them, looking bewildered.

"Perhaps. If she drags a few more people into it, then she won't be considered to be secretly meeting with men outside the marriage?" Gan Cai'er thought for a moment and said.

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt a pain in the back of her knee, as if she had been hit by something. Then her legs went weak, and she fell straight forward.

"Oh, Miss, what's wrong?" Xiao Hong exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to help.

As a result, before she could even reach Gan Cai'er, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

Gan Cai'er was helped up by Meng Yu.

"Madam, be careful. The road is slippery here."

Gan Cai'er was so angry she was grinding her teeth. She tried to shake off Meng Yu, but it was no use.

"Let go," she whispered.

"Come on, I'll take you to see the red carp." Meng Yu ignored her and grabbed Gan Cai'er's hand, heading in another direction.

"Let me go! In broad daylight, this is outrageous!" Gan Cai'er was furious.

"What's with all this talk about propriety? When did I ever say anything like that? If you dare to run away, believe me, I'll kiss you right now, right in front of them!"

Gan Cai'er was both shocked and furious!

"Nannan, you still owe me a kiss from last time," Meng Yu said in a low voice with a smile.

"Are you crazy?!"

Gan Cai'er turned her head and glanced at Zhu Xiaoxiao, only to see that the other party was staring at her with her mouth wide open, while Xiao Hong and Huan'er were standing there dumbfounded, looking shocked.

She glanced at Mei Wanqing and Mei Wanyin again. Thankfully, the two of them didn't turn their heads and walked in another direction. Otherwise, she was afraid that before she could even figure out how to take revenge, Mei Wanyin would have already torn her to pieces.

This can't go on. Gan Cai'er paused for a moment, then said, "Meng Yu, let's find some time to have a proper talk."

"Okay, how about tomorrow?"

"Alright."