How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

It snowed all night, and when I woke up early in the morning, I saw that everything outside was covered in a blanket of white. The little thing breathed on its hand and seemed reluctant to go out.

Seeing that the snow hadn't stopped, Du Juan quickly opened an umbrella and came out. "Sister Xiao Fang, why don't you walk a little further ahead?"

The little creature rolled its eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid? What are you going out for in this heavy snow?" Then it noticed that Dujuan had a basket slung over her arm and asked curiously, "Where are you going again? I won't cover for you if the person upstairs asks later."

Du Juan smiled good-naturedly, "I didn't go to do anything, there just weren't any fresh vegetables in the kitchen, so I went to check the main kitchen."

"The old woman by the stove doesn't know to go herself, why should you go?" the little thing said in disbelief.

"She's brave enough to go, but the master hasn't been back lately, and the kitchen staff have started to give her attitude. Even if she goes, she won't get anything good out of it."

Hearing her explanation, the little one's eyes lit up, and he snatched the basket from her. "How about this, I'll go for you. The road is too slippery."

Du Juan let her go after her things were taken, saying, "Go ahead, but watch your step."

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me."

Du Juan watched the little creature disappear into the distance, her face gradually darkening. She glanced upstairs, gave a mocking smile, and went to her room to rest.

It's freezing cold today, and I imagine Yanru is too lazy to move, which is a boon for the servants. They're all hiding in their rooms, slacking off. Even worse, some of them often use Yanru's name to request things from the accounting office.

If the master were here, they would restrain themselves, but once the master was gone, few of them treated Yanru as a proper master; they only thought about how to benefit themselves.

Once inside, Du Juan folded the bedding that had been taken from Yan Ru's room, preparing to take it up later when Yan Ru called for someone.

Du Juan was originally a maidservant by the side of the second concubine, but because there were so many people surrounding the second concubine, she didn't stand out.

When Master Song asked his second concubine to add more servants to Yanru's household, he picked her out from the crowd. She wasn't a servant born into the family, nor was she one of the second concubine's favorites; she was simply obedient and clever, which is why she was chosen.

Remembering the second concubine's instructions before she left, Du Juan felt a surge of annoyance. To be honest, Yan Ru was much easier to serve than the second concubine. She was young and beautiful, and even before giving birth, she could already move freely in the garden—a privilege no other woman possessed. Being by her side was far more pleasant than the power struggles with the second concubine.

Moreover, the little thing is both greedy and stupid. Yanru is only familiar with her, but does not truly trust her. As long as she puts in more effort, she will surely become the number one person in Yanru's courtyard in time. Why worry about not having a future?

But… Du Juan blushed as she recalled the scent she had smelled when she made Yan Ru's bed that day. Although she hadn't experienced it herself, Du Juan knew that the scent on Yan Ru's bed didn't belong to her, nor to the master, but to… the young master.

The eldest son was the second concubine's biological son. As the second concubine's maid, Du Juan had naturally handled Song Yuanliang's clothes before, so she knew very well about them.

Since she began to have doubts and observe more closely, Dujuan was horrified.

I'm afraid... I'm afraid that the sixth concubine and the eldest young master have an affair!

Du Juan's heart pounded. She dared not tell anyone, much less confront Yan Ru, and could only cover for the two of them. She subtly lured Yan Ru into conversation, only to discover that Yan Ru and Song Yuanliang were classmates at school, and that their unexpected arrival at the Song residence was due to a series of coincidences…

If Yanru still wouldn't say more, Dujuan didn't press the matter further. From that moment on, she kept a close watch every night, preventing anyone from easily going upstairs. Every morning, she would also get up early to prepare. Fortunately, the little one was used to being lazy and didn't argue with her about these things.

Winter is a good time for sleeping, especially since the room was warm and cozy. Song Yuanliang was still fast asleep when Yan Ru woke up. She gently pulled away his hands that were wrapped around her waist and quietly got out of bed.

"You woke up so early?" Song Yuanliang suddenly spoke, startling Yan Ru. "Why did you suddenly speak? You scared me."

Song Yuanliang smiled happily, "I woke up a long time ago, but I couldn't bear to wake you because you were sleeping so soundly."

Yan Ru pouted unhappily, "You should leave now, I'm going to call the little one to bring me my food."

Song Yuanliang tried to put his arm around her waist, but Yan Ru dodged him, saying, "Don't always try to take advantage of me."

Song Yuanliang's eyes flickered, but he didn't say much, only feeling resentful.

After getting out of bed and tidying herself up, she saw Yanru still putting on her makeup and quietly went over to give her a kiss. "I have to go. The New Year is coming soon, and there's a big exam at school. I need to study harder these days."

When the school was mentioned, Yanru couldn't help but feel regretful. She had only studied for less than half a year before dropping out of school.

"Okay, then don't come here for a while. Focus on your studies."

Song Yuanliang patted her shoulder. He couldn't make any promises in his heart because he couldn't keep them. He couldn't even say words of comfort. He didn't want to say anything empty to her, so he left silently.

The room fell silent, and Yan Ru felt a pang of loneliness. She could sense that Song Yuanliang wasn't treating her the same way as before. He still doted on her, but the respect he once showed was gone. Before, Song Yuanliang had cherished and protected her so much, never daring to cross the line even slightly. Now…

Yan Ru's heart pounded like a drum, yet her reflection in the mirror remained beautiful, her furrowed brows still conveying a pitiful air. Clearly, it wasn't her appearance that was the problem; it was her own lack of respect that made her appear so contemptible.

Yan Ru casually grabbed a coat and put it on before leaving the room and calling out to people downstairs.

Dujuan quickly came upstairs and deftly made the bed, which still smelled of the two of them. Dujuan's face was grim as she held the bedding in her hands, and for the first time, she asked with a hint of disrespect, "Sixth Madam, shall we serve dinner?"

Yan Ru's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't heard that title for over a month. During this time, her close relationship with Song Yuanliang had given her a brief illusion that she was still innocently in love with him. But the title "Sixth Concubine" was like a wake-up call, chilling her to the bone.

She trembled, not refuting, but just staring at herself in the mirror. She saw her mouth opening and closing, as if saying "You're talking nonsense," but what she heard was, "Go, serve the food."

Yan Ru went straight to the veranda and gazed at the window of the outer study not far away. It was a pity; the window was open, but no one was there. She felt a mixture of relief and inferiority, as if she were once again drowning in the presence of the Song father and son. Now that Master Song was away, how would she face him if he returned?

In the outer study, Song Quan paced anxiously. Ever since Song Yuanliang collapsed in the study last time, the second concubine had set aside a separate room for him to rest in, so it didn't attract much attention when he occasionally didn't return to his own courtyard.

But the premise was that no one was looking for him. What was making Song Quan anxious right now was that the second concubine had come early this morning to invite Song Yuanliang to lunch in the main courtyard. Song Quan readily agreed, but inside he was almost frantic with worry. Song Yuanliang had disappeared again last night, and he didn't know where he had gone to steal some pleasures, leaving him, a servant, extremely anxious.

With a creak, followed by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, Song Quan finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh my, my young master, you're finally back! Come on, come on, Second Madam is looking for you."

"Don't panic, what does my mother want with me?" Song Yuanliang brushed his hand away and went inside to find clothes to change.

Song Quan slapped his thigh in frustration, "How would I know? They said they wanted to invite you over for lunch, but maybe there's something else going on."

Song Yuanliang changed his clothes and put on a scarf before leading Song Quan toward the main courtyard.

"Hehe, you're such a thoughtful child. I'm so envious of your mother because I don't have a biological daughter..." The second concubine's voice came from inside the main courtyard. She sounded to be in a good mood. Song Yuanliang glanced at Song Quan. The latter shrugged, indicating that he knew nothing.

As Song Yuanliang stepped inside, he saw his second concubine talking to a girl, while the other concubines were keeping him company.

"Mom, are you in a good mood today?" Song Yuanliang asked, and then greeted the girl.

The girl stood up and returned the greeting.

The second concubine introduced, "This is my good-for-nothing son, Yuanliang. He's a freshman at Nancheng University. Yuanliang, this is Miss Liu, Liu Xiang. She's about your age and studies at Shuya Girls' School."

The two exchanged names and said a few more words.

The third concubine exclaimed, "Oh my, what a perfect match! I think this young couple is a perfect match!"

Liu Xiang blushed and lowered her head, feigning shyness. Song Yuanliang was somewhat displeased, "She's about the same age as my younger sister, and I treat her the same way."

The second concubine's actions were so obvious that even a fool could see what she meant. It was simply a matter of the two families acquainting, inviting their respective children to meet, and if both were satisfied, the marriage could be arranged. Song Yuanliang was unwilling to have an arranged marriage, especially since he still had feelings for Yanru.

The third concubine, interrupted by Song Yuanliang, gave an awkward laugh and brushed it off.

The second concubine frowned. "Yuanliang, we have guests at home."

Hearing these slightly warning words, and thinking of his second concubine's kindness, Song Yuanliang softened his expression. "I'm sorry, I've been a bit too hot-tempered lately."

"Hehe, it's nothing, it's nothing." The third concubine flipped the page.

Liu Xiang kept her head down, so her expression was not visible, but she behaved very obediently. She answered all the questions asked by the concubines in a way that was neither servile nor arrogant, which made her quite likable.

The fact that Liu Xiang came to the Song residence alone, instead of being accompanied by a female elder from her family, is enough to tell us something. Although her family is well-off, it probably isn't that good.

“Yuanliang, you should talk to Miss Liu more. You young people probably don’t want to be with us, and we don’t get along…”

"Madam, the master... the master is back!"

Before the second concubine could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a servant who rushed in to report the news. The other concubines were both surprised and delighted to hear this.

The second concubine was slightly better. "Explain yourself clearly. Has the master really returned? Where is he now? What does he look like?"

The servant stammered, "We've just...we've reached the alley entrance, and we'll be heading back to the mansion soon."

"What?!" Not only was the second concubine surprised, but the other concubines were also astonished. "Why didn't anyone inform us beforehand? They only sent word when we were almost at the doorstep?"

Seeing everyone in a flurry of activity, Liu Xiang quickly said, "Second Madam, since you have a joyous occasion at home today, I won't bother you any longer. Please invite the Song family sisters over another day, and I'll treat them."

The second concubine quickly took her hand and slipped a white jade bracelet onto her wrist. "Good child, your thoughtfulness makes us seem impolite. We have mistreated you today, and we should come to apologize in person in the future. We shouldn't offend such a precious guest as you."

He then instructed Song Yuanliang, "Yuanliang, your father's sudden return to the mansion must have caused chaos among the servants. You must personally escort Miss Liu home. If even a hair on her head is missing, I will hold you responsible."

Song Yuanliang had no choice but to take Liu Xiang with him when he went out. Since she was a woman from another family, it was not appropriate for her to confront his father directly. Therefore, Song Yuanliang tried to avoid taking the main road and instead took a detour around her.

Song Yuanliang was accompanied by Song Quan, while Liu Xiang walked alone. The two walked one after the other, the atmosphere somewhat tense.

With a stern face and pursed lips, Song Yuanliang looked like an old scholar. Liu Xiang couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"What you said is completely different from what my sister said."

Song Yuanliang asked in surprise, "Your sister? Does she know me?"

Liu Xiang nodded and said, "Yes, I know you. We even went to the same school. I've often heard about you."

"My business? What business is it of mine?"

Seeing that he didn't seem to know her sister, Liu Xiang simply introduced herself, "My sister is your classmate, her name is Liu Yu, don't you remember? You know, you're quite the active one, you're always there for plays and performances. Before I met you, I thought you were such a lively person, but... tsk tsk, seeing is believing."

"Hmph," Song Yuanliang snorted self-deprecatingly, "People always change."

Seeing his unpleasant expression, Liu Xiang kept her questions to herself, as she was still not familiar with him.

However, Song Yuanliang was puzzled. "Why didn't your sister come?" Liu Yu was clearly older than Liu Xiang and of marriageable age.

Liu Xiang suddenly clapped her hands and said, "Ha! Could it be that you're interested in my sister?"

Song Yuanliang's face darkened. "I was just curious for a moment."

Seeing that he was angry, Liu Xiang stuck out her tongue and confessed honestly, "She's already engaged, otherwise you two would indeed be a better match in terms of age."

Song Yuanliang was unwilling to pay attention to her anymore, and Liu Xiang didn't want to make a fool of herself, so she just walked away with her head down.

"Excuse me, which courtyard is this?" A strange woman approached and asked.

Liu Xiang shrugged. "I'm not the young lady of this family. You should ask him."

Song Yuanliang sized up the person in front of him. She was wearing a brand-new light blue jacket and skirt, with a coarse cloth coat over it, as if she were wearing clothes that didn't belong to her, looking out of place. Her face was slightly yellow, clearly indicating that she was not a girl from a wealthy family, but her face was very pretty, and she was timid, even speaking in a soft voice.

Seeing Song Yuanliang staring at her, the woman who had asked the question lowered her head even further, so shy that she almost buried her head in the ground.

Liu Xiang couldn't stand it any longer and said, "Young Master Song, they're asking us questions."

Song Yuanliang snapped out of his daze. "Ah, who are you? What are you doing standing at the door of the inner study?"

The woman lowered her head like a quail. "My name is Wan Niang. I was bought by Master Song. He told me to wait for him here."

A surge of anger welled up in Song Yuanliang's heart. He had just acquired Yan Ru, and now he had already forgotten about her? How could such a person be his father!

"Then you can wait here."