After the delicate and soft-spoken wife gave up, the aloof and powerful minister embraced her and sh

The next day, the sky was a little gloomy.

Large swaths of clouds piled up, blocking out the sunlight. Even though it was noon, the sky was as dark as dawn.

However, this did not affect Wen Jiayue's good mood, as she carefully selected the clothes she would wear when leaving the mansion.

Ruyi held one in each hand and asked, "Madam, what do you think of this pomegranate red and this cherry red?"

"Too gaudy," Wen Jiayue shook her head.

She often wore plain-colored clothes, such as white, green, and blue, and was gentle and unassuming.

She only wore that vibrant color when she got married.

Undeterred, Ruyi advised, "Madam has finally managed to leave the manor, so naturally she should dress up in a bright and beautiful way."

Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "I will be going out of the manor more often in the future. But what you said makes some sense. After all, it is my first time going out of the manor, so it is okay to be a little special."

She chose the pomegranate red ruqun with gold-sprinkled ruyi patterns.

Ruyi was afraid that her mistress would change her mind, so she immediately helped her put it on.

In the bronze mirror, the seventeen-year-old girl had exquisite makeup, fair skin, and a pomegranate red hue that added a touch of allure. Every smile and frown was captivating.

“Madam is truly beautiful and charming,” Ruyi said with a smile. “It feels like I’ve returned to the day you got married.”

Wen Jiayue was still a little unaccustomed to it and ordered, "Bring me that white cloak."

It looks like it's going to rain today, so she should wear more layers.

Dressed neatly, Wen Jiayue called her wet nurse over.

Zhao Zhao was awake. She opened her mouth wide and lazily yawned, as if she was sleepy, but her big eyes were darting around.

Zhao Zhao's eyes are like hers, gentle almond eyes, but her daughter is still young, and only a hint of naivety can be seen.

When she was three years old, her eyes were exactly the same as hers, big and bright, looking lively and cute.

Wen Jiayue gently stroked her daughter's smooth face and whispered, "When Zhaozhao grows up a little more, Mother will take you out to play, okay?"

Zhao Zhao blinked and stared at her curiously.

Ruyi smiled and said, "Madam is dressed differently today than usual. Miss must be thinking that Madam has become even more beautiful."

Wen Jiayue smiled and said, "You have such a sweet tongue."

She looked at the wet nurse and instructed her, "Take good care of Zhaozhao. I'll be back in an hour at most."

The wet nurse nodded: "Don't worry, Madam."

Wen Jiayue didn't linger any longer, fearing that if she stayed any longer she wouldn't want to leave the mansion, so she quickly left.

Unexpectedly, she ran into Shen Funian as soon as she stepped out of the main courtyard.

Shen Funian didn't expect to see her either. She looked her up and down and pouted, "Dressed up so nicely, where are you going?"

"Let's go to Peach Blossom Spring."

"What to do?"

Wen Jiayue frowned and said, "Naturally, it's lunch."

Shen Funian asked again, "With my older brother?"

Wen Jiayue explained good-naturedly, "It's by myself."

"Really?" Shen Funian looked at her suspiciously. "What if some random guy suddenly appears while we're eating?"

Wen Jiayue smiled calmly.

"Who knows? Didn't you say I was having an affair? How about I go and prove that accusation true?"

Shen Funian was furious: "You! I'm going to tell my older brother!"

"Your elder brother agreed and even told me to bring a few more guards."

"Brother, you're really foolish!" Shen Funian immediately said, "I'll go with you!"

Wen Jiayue: "...Weren't you busy with the flower viewing banquet?"

"What's there to be busy about?" Shen Funian said nonchalantly. "Just move a few potted plants and put out a few plates of snacks, isn't that enough?"

Wen Jiayue fell silent. That made sense, but there were many things that needed to be coordinated.

How should the seating arrangement be arranged? How should the maids and servants be assigned? What kind of tea should be served? What kind of flowers should be placed?

In her past life, she needed several days to recover after organizing a banquet.

She always strives for perfection, leaving no room for criticism, and also for originality.

Everyone praised her as a qualified lady of the Marquis's mansion, and she was overwhelmed by the chorus of praise, gaining only a brief moment of attention.

Shen Funian, however, did not think that way. She believed that she could get away with it by simply going through the motions.

In fact, she treated everyone equally, whether it was a flower viewing banquet or a full moon celebration.

That makes sense, really. Nobody cares about the banquet setup; everyone who comes to the banquet has their own purpose.

Whether or not the objective is achieved is the key to a good or bad banquet.

The full moon banquet that she still regrets was ruined by Wen Ruoqian; the banquet arrangements were just a side effect.

She looked at Shen Funian and said earnestly, "You live life with such clarity."

Upon being praised, Shen Funian couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth.

Then, remembering who had praised her, she coughed lightly, becoming serious, but couldn't help asking, "How did you figure that out?"

“From your face.”

Wen Jiayue continued walking out of the mansion, and Shen Funian quickly followed.

"Don't think I'll let you off the hook just because you praised me a couple of times. Today, I'm going to keep an eye on you for my older brother!"

Wen Jiayue got into the carriage, and Shen Funian followed.

Since she couldn't shake him off, Wen Jiayue simply said, "Should we bring Yao'er along?"

“Why bring him along? He’s just a fatso who eats everything,” Shen Funian said with a disdainful sneer. “Just looking at him makes me eat two less bites of food.”

Wen Jiayue: "..."

She was so rude to her own son.

She lifted the curtain and stared intently at the bustling streets.

Leaving the manor was always simple; it was she who set up a cage and invisible shackles for herself, trapping herself for a lifetime.

The world outside is vast and doesn't just belong to Shen Fuhan; she has a place in it too.

The Marquis's residence wasn't far from Peach Blossom Spring; the carriage arrived in a quarter of an hour.

It was mealtime, and there were many casual diners on the first floor. When they saw them come in, they cast curious glances and started talking amongst themselves.

Wen Jiayue pursed her lips, feeling inexplicably timid.

Shen Funian walked forward without looking to the side and said in a low voice, "What are you afraid of? There are guards here. No one will dare to offend us."

Wen Jiayue let out a soft breath and went upstairs to the second floor. The waiter led them into a private room.

After the waiter left, Shen Funian snorted, "I've figured it out. Even if you want to have an affair, you don't have the guts."

She was terrified of leaving the manor; being caught in bed with someone else meant being drowned in a pig cage, a fate she couldn't bear.

Wen Jiayue retorted without any hesitation, "Now that you trust me, can you go back?"

"Dream on," Shen Funian picked up her chopsticks. "Since I'm already here, I'm naturally going to have a good meal."

Wen Jiayue nodded and said, "In that case, remember to give me half of the money when you return to the manor."

Shen Funian asked in surprise, "No way, Wen Jiayue, you even want this little bit of money?"

Wen Jiayue said frankly, "I'm poor, so naturally I have to be careful with my money."

“That’s true. What money could you possibly have as the daughter of a minor official?” Shen Funian waved her hand. “Never mind, this meal is on me.”

Wen Jiayue smiled immediately and asked gently, "Third sister, you're really enjoying yourself. Is there anything else you'd like to eat? I'll ask the waiter to add a few more dishes."

She adopted a gentle and graceful demeanor, which made Shen Funian uncomfortable, and she rubbed her arms.

"Want me a pot of wine? Will you have a drink with me?"

Wen Jiayue shook her head; she couldn't hold her liquor, so she decided against it.