The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

As the sun set in the west, the sky, as if soaked in ink, gradually turned grayish-black.

However, the capital city was not swallowed by the night, but was surrounded by shimmering lights.

Brilliant fireworks exploded in the sky, illuminating the entire capital city as if it were daytime.

The Huaiyang Marquis's mansion was brightly lit tonight, with maids and servants carrying exquisite dishes in a continuous stream towards the dining hall.

Inside the dining hall, everyone was gathered together.

The old Marquis, dressed in a satin robe embroidered with cranes, was radiant with health.

Beside him sat the delicate and charming Aunt Shen, dressed in a peach-red dress, while the twins, a boy and a girl, sat in the old Marquis's lap, giggling.

Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and everyone in the household has gathered together.

Everyone had a smile on their face, except for Zhou, whose face was ashen.

She was the legal wife, but the one accompanying the old marquis was a concubine. Her position as the mistress was truly laughable.

What angered Zhou even more was Aunt Shen and her twins.

Consort Shen wore a peacock hairpin, a privilege even she, as the mistress of the house, did not have. The old Marquis so brazenly placed such a precious hairpin on the head of a concubine.

And then there were her twins, a boy and a girl. The boy wore a pure gold necklace with emeralds inlaid in glass, and the girl wore a pure gold longevity lock with eight auspicious symbols.

However, the son of a concubine was dressed in the manner befitting a son of a legitimate wife.

Such blatant favoritism is simply intolerable.

With all the dishes served, the old Marquis began to invite everyone to eat.

The twins were spoiled; neither of them would sit still to eat properly, instead chasing and playing around the house.

They were shouting and yelling in a very unruly manner, making people's ears hurt.

But the old Marquis looked at them with doting eyes, not uttering a single word of reprimand.

The others naturally dared not speak up either.

Zhou was so angry that her chest ached, and she wanted nothing more than to overturn the table and leave immediately.

But she dared not, and could only endure it.

She gave Song Wenjun a meaningful look, but Song Wenjun was too busy feeding Yan Yan to notice her gaze.

Zhou was so angry that her stomach ached. She picked up her hot tea and was about to take a sip when Gu Mingyan bumped into her.

The scalding hot tea immediately spilled onto the back of Zhou's hand.

She screamed and instinctively swung her hand, slapping Gu Mingyan across the face.

The child couldn't stand up straight and was slapped to the ground.

Gu Mingyan burst into tears.

Unfortunately, a stream of blood started flowing down his face, making him look quite miserable.

It was originally just an accident, and Zhou didn't expect to hit the child.

She hurriedly got up to help the child, but was pushed away by Madam Shen. Like a mother hen protecting her chicks, she hugged her son and knelt at Madam Zhou's feet, kowtowing repeatedly: "Madam, please spare my life. All the mistakes are mine. I failed to raise my child properly. If you want to blame me, please punish me. I am willing to take the blame for Mingyan. I only beg you to spare his life."

Shen cried pitifully, her eyes filled with fear, like a frightened rabbit.

This sudden turn of events truly shocked the people inside the room.

Song Wenjun couldn't help but look at Aunt Shen, and she said, "People die for wealth, birds die for food."

With such favor to her, how could Aunt Shen not plan for her own children?

Song Wenjun simply instructed Xu Mama to prepare generous gifts for the two children, hoping to incite Zhou Shi's jealousy and force her to make a move.

Unexpectedly, this Aunt Shen was no pushover either, and she actually staged a self-inflicted injury in public.

The old Marquis doted on her and her two children like precious treasures; how could he bear to see her suffer?

Immediately, the old Marquis slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Zhou, you are truly vicious! Mingyan only bumped into you by accident, and you beat him up like this!"

Zhou's eyes were filled with shock. She hurriedly denied it: "Master, you just saw it. I was scalded by water and accidentally splashed it on his face."

"Yes, sir, it was all a coincidence. Mingyan accidentally bumped into the First Madam, and it's understandable that she instinctively hit him. Perhaps the First Madam didn't control her strength well, which is why Mingyan was injured like this." After saying this, Aunt Shen hugged the child and started sobbing.

He looked as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Song Wenjun couldn't help but silently give Aunt Shen a thumbs up.

She wasn't trying to excuse Zhou at all; she was practically throwing the word "vicious" in her face.

Gu Huaizhou also became anxious and hurriedly stood up to plead for Zhou Shi: "Father, please calm down. This was just an accident. The most important thing is to quickly call a doctor to examine Mother and Mingyan's injuries."

The old Marquis, still furious, looked at Zhou Shi with the coldest gaze and said, "Go back to your Ruyi Residence. You are not to come out without my order."

"Master, are you really so heartless?" Zhou's eyes were filled with disbelief and despair.

On a day when the whole family is supposed to be together, the old Marquis actually wants to confine her.

"Is it because you are so vicious and intolerant of your illegitimate son that we punished you so wrongly? Don't forget how you treated the children of the household back then. If it weren't for your viciousness, how could the descendants of the Marquis's mansion have withered away like this?"

Zhou opened her mouth, but didn't dare to say anything more.

It seemed that he had tacitly agreed with the old Marquis's words.

Gu Huaizhou grew anxious. He cupped his hands to the old Marquis and said, "Father..."

"If you don't want to be confined like your mother, then shut your mouth." The old Marquis swept a cold glance over him, and Gu Huaizhou immediately fell silent.

Fearing that he would be implicated, Zhou shook her head slightly at Gu Huaizhou, signaling him not to act rashly.

Then, without saying a word, she got up and, supported by her servants, returned to Ruyi Residence.

Song Wenjun's heart was also in turmoil. Zhou Shi had harmed the Marquis's children, no wonder the old Marquis disliked her so much.

If it weren't for the fact that Gu Huaizhou was the legitimate son, he probably would have divorced Zhou Shi long ago.

Although the atmosphere at the gathering returned to calm, everyone's feelings were quite complicated.

If things get so chaotic on the first day of the new year, the coming year is sure to be anything but peaceful.

The truly chaotic days are yet to come.

Gu Huaizhou sat dejectedly in his seat, drinking alone in silence.

Zhou was punished, and he, as her son, couldn't even utter a word of pleading for her; he felt incredibly frustrated.

Even though he had already inherited the title, he still couldn't make the decisions.

The old Marquis ignored Gu Huaizhou and held Mingyan in his arms, gently coaxing her, "Good child, don't cry. Tell Daddy if it hurts?"

"It hurts so much, Mingyan hurts so much!" The three-year-old child sobbed in the old marquis's arms, then opened his bright eyes and asked, "Daddy, will Mingyan be beaten to death by Mother?"

The old Marquis's expression tightened: "How could you ask such a question? You are a child of the Marquis's mansion, who would dare to kill you?"

Although he said that, the old Marquis's heart was taut like a string.

He is very old and may pass away at any time.

If he leaves, Zhou will definitely not let Shen and her two children go.