My wife wants a divorce; if she ruins my life, I'll leave.

A short while later, Aunt Lü entered the room, bringing with her a chill. Seeing everyone inside comfortably and warmly drinking tea and chatting, she felt a pang of sadness, but could only suppress it.

She replied cheerfully that Changling Pavilion was ready, which earned her a compliment from the Second Madam.

Meng Ruohua, not wanting to be outdone, praised her highly.

"I heard that Aunt Lü manages the sewing room very well, and all the old people in the mansion praise her!" Seeing Lü Ningshuang raise her chin slightly with pride, she turned to the Second Madam and said, "Madam should give Aunt Lü a raise in her monthly salary. Even if you don't raise her salary, you should at least give her some reward money for personally going to tidy up in this cold weather."

She beckoned Aunt Lü over and pointed to the chair next to her, saying, "Sit down and rest, have some hot tea to warm yourself up."

Yu Ye, quick-witted, poured a cup of hot tea from behind and offered it to him with both hands.

The second wife glanced at Meng Ruohua sideways and sneered inwardly, "You're quite the pity person. I think you should give Aunt Lü a reward for her hard work. She's already given you two sons."

Anyone who mentions money to her is rubbing salt in her wounds, and the second wife certainly won't let Meng Ruohua have an easy time.

Meng Ruohua smiled nonchalantly and said, "Madam is right. I'll talk to Second Master about it later. If we're talking about giving him a reward for his hard work, he's the one who deserves it the most. He not only has two sons, but also such a gentle, considerate, and capable concubine!"

Aunt Lü was overjoyed; finally, someone recognized her hard work!

At that moment, she felt a slight fondness for Meng Ruohua, thinking that this mistress was quite insightful.

Meng Ruohua didn't care about her thoughts; she just wanted to elevate Lü Ningshuang as much as possible.

Seeing everyone praising Lü Ningshuang, Shen Yunlan knew her status in the household, so she had no choice but to stand up, curtsy, and say, "Thank you, Aunt Lü, you've worked hard!"

Lu Ningshuang was praised for so long, and the second young mistress even talked about rewarding her for so long. Wasn't that implying something to Shen Yunlan? How come she dismissed her with just one sentence?

It's not really about asking for money, but you should be more humble and respectful!

In Lü Ningshuang's eyes, Shen Yunlan was just a poor woman who had come to seek refuge with relatives, and her status was even lower than hers! She had tidied up the courtyard for her, so she should at least show her appreciation. If she didn't have any money, she should at least offer a handmade needlework or two, or at the very least, she should say a few polite words.

Her words of thanks and gratitude were as if she were being treated like a housekeeper.

As Lü Ningshuang thought this to herself, her expression darkened. She nodded with a hint of reserve and didn't reply.

Shen Yunlan was furious at his arrogant attitude, but as a newcomer, she couldn't be too bothered, since it wasn't her own home.

As dusk fell and the light dimmed, a cold wind began to howl outside the window.

Song Chen'an strode into Rongxi Courtyard, barging in before Tuanfu could even lift the curtain.

"Sister Lan is here?"

The second wife scolded, "Why are you in such a hurry? Your cousin isn't leaving anytime soon."

Song Chen'an looked a little awkward, but he composed himself and walked over. "Sister Lan, you must be tired from your journey."

The letter from Mid-Autumn Festival made no mention of her going to the capital, and he was quite surprised when he suddenly heard the news!

"Why did you come so suddenly? You didn't even give us any advance notice. How long will you be staying this time, Sister Lan?"

Shen Yunlan's eyes flickered, her affectionate gaze seemingly both reproachful and angry. "Cousin, are you not welcoming me? Why are you asking this as soon as I arrive?"

Song Chen'an was stunned for a moment, but quickly explained after he came to his senses, "Of course you're welcome, but it was just a casual question. Just relax and stay here, Sister Lan." After saying that, he turned and walked towards Meng Ruohua's side, where there was an empty chair.

He couldn't contain his joy; if he didn't turn around, he'd probably burst out laughing in front of Lan. He turned around with a broad smile, then quickly lowered his head, trying hard to suppress his laughter.

But Meng Ruohua and Lü Ningshuang had been watching him closely and witnessed the whole scene.

"How could I not welcome you?" Meng Ruohua said, "Your cousin didn't see how happy your cousin was, he couldn't stop smiling. Just stay here and don't talk about leaving or not. I'm hoping you can stay here for a long time, so we can have some company."

What do you mean she'll stay here forever? Does that mean she'll never get married?

As expected, the women in the inner quarters of the capital only know how to scheme and fight for favors, and their words are always barbed.

She and Song Chen'an are fine yet. If something really happened, wouldn't those two team up and tear her apart?

Shen Yunlan felt extremely uncomfortable listening to Meng Ruohua's words, but she didn't know how to refute them. She wasn't particularly eloquent, and besides, Meng Ruohua's words could be interpreted as politeness. If she held onto them, she would seem petty. Helpless, she could only show a hint of embarrassment, but her eyes revealed undisguised disdain.

Song Tian quickly chimed in, "Cousin, you should stay in the capital. Don't go back to Yanzhou."

The second wife laughed and scolded, "Nonsense! Who stays at a relative's house all the time? Even if you're willing, your uncle Shen won't be!" She didn't want Shen Yunlan to stay any longer, as it would increase her monthly allowance by a lot.

The group chatted merrily for a while until a servant came to report that the Second Master had an appointment and would not be returning to the mansion for dinner. Only then did they move to the flower hall to have dinner together, as a way of welcoming Shen Yunlan.

It was cold, so everyone relaxed and drank some alcohol to warm up.

Lu Ningshuang stood behind the second madam to serve her, serving her food and wine from time to time. It wasn't until she had eaten half of the food that the second madam asked her to sit down and eat some with her.

Meng Ruohua looked at the half-cold food on the table and sneered inwardly.

Winter food cools down quickly, and this large table of food has to be prepared well in advance so that it's at the perfect temperature when they eat it; otherwise, it will get cold.

He only said he didn't need to be served halfway through, which not only showed his thoughtfulness but also saved the kitchen from having to cook something else.

How much would it cost for just three or four side dishes?

The second wife is getting more and more stingy!

A few days ago, Shanhu told me that Aunt Lü's expenses were high, and the Second Madam had already complained. She glanced at Lü Ningshuang and saw that she only drank a few sips of soup, so she knew that she also disliked the lukewarm food.

Perhaps it was the special tutoring provided by Lianxiao Academy that spoiled her palate.

Lu Ningshuang's tastes have not only been spoiled by the special treatment she received, but she is also paying attention to Song Chen'an and Shen Yunlan.

When she was setting out the dishes behind the Second Madam, she noticed that Song Chen'an's eyes kept glancing at Shen Yunlan, his gaze filled with undisguised tenderness.

Before entering the manor, she knew of Shen Yunlan's existence and had even met him once or twice.

But today's situation made her wonder if there was something between the two of them that she didn't know.

Fortunately, Shen Yunlan's eyes were clear and without any hint of lust, which put her at ease a little.

No matter how much affection the two have for each other, Song Chen'an cannot divorce Meng Ruohua and marry another woman, and Shen Yunlan's status dictates that she cannot become Song Chen'an's concubine!

However, we must not be complacent!

One pearl is enough. If another childhood sweetheart cousin comes along, will there still be a place for her in the mansion?

Song Chen'an and Shen Yunlan sat on either side of the Second Madam. They could see the person they had longed for for many years as soon as they looked up, so they ate the meal with great satisfaction. They even ate a slice of radish, which they usually did not like, without any hesitation.

Remembering that her fiancé had passed away, a thought suddenly stirred in his mind, and a burning desire rose within him. Did he have a chance now?

He glanced at Meng Ruohua, who sat blankly to the lower seat. In recent months, she had become incredibly arrogant and domineering, utterly lacking in manners. She was unfilial to her parents, neglected to educate her younger siblings, and completely abandoned her responsibilities at home, leaving her grandmother to worry about household affairs!

He married Meng Ruohua because of her family's connections, but now it seems that the Meng family is just an isolated force in the court, and their few close friends are powerless and can't offer him any help.

If Meng Ruohua is no longer of any use to him, then could he...?