The maid shook her head, "This morning, the eldest young master was called out for something and hasn't returned since he left."
"Is that so?" Su Yunmo's eyes flickered. She waved her hand, signaling the maid to continue with her tasks, but a sense of unease settled in her heart for some reason.
"Nothing should happen," she murmured, trying to reassure herself.
Perhaps the academy was simply busy with matters and had called him back to handle them.
What major event could occur at her doorstep? Could someone have knocked him out with a brick and abducted him?
Thinking this, Su Yunmo dismissed the lingering unease and walked out of the study. "Never mind, my elder brother won't be back from the academy anytime soon anyway."
He probably wouldn't check my homework that quickly.
She left the courtyard and returned to her own room.
Ye Ningyuan was still sound asleep, as they had played too late yesterday.
Su Yunmo didn't wake her, simply washed her face, changed her clothes, and asked Linlang to prepare the carriage.
She planned to visit Consort Liang at the palace today; she hadn't seen her in a long time.
Linlang knew that Su Yunmo wasn't just concerned about Consort Liang's health, but more importantly, feared that someone might make a move against Consort Liang during this time.
While Linlang prepared the carriage, Su Yunmo went to see Zhou Wanyou first.
Zhou Wanyou had recovered, and the residual poison had been neutralized. She was about to get busy again.
Su Yunmo playfully pestered her for a while, and then Zhou Wanyou had to attend to the month's account books.
Just as Linlang returned to call for her, Su Yunmo left the mansion.
The carriage didn't go directly to the palace but detoured to Prince Yu's manor first.
The 'injured' Prince Yu was currently lying on his bed, half-dead, unable to visit Consort Liang at the palace.
News of Ye Jingyu's situation was likely known throughout the capital. To prevent Consort Liang from asking, Su Yunmo still intended to speak with Ye Jingyu first.
She entered the manor.
The manor was quiet today, with few servants around.
Qianxue also didn't come to greet her upon hearing her arrival.
"It seems she's been sent out on another mission," Su Yunmo thought, walking inside without needing anyone to escort her.
She happened to see someone coming from the direction of Ye Jingyu's bedroom.
From a distance, Su Yunmo couldn't clearly see who it was. She only saw the person carrying a basin of water and assumed it was a new maidservant in the manor. "Has Ye Jingyu woken up yet?"
Jiang Qinyue heard the voice and looked up. Upon seeing Su Yunmo, her expression immediately darkened. "So it's you, you wretched girl."
If Jiang Qinyue hadn't spoken, Su Yunmo wouldn't have recognized her based on their previous brief encounter.
But now, with her hostile tone, Su Yunmo immediately remembered who she was. "You certainly have some backbone."
Ye Jingyu's slap last time was not light. To still dare to come to Prince Yu's manor after being beaten like that, she was quite audacious.
Jiang Qinyue caught the sarcasm in her words and gritted her teeth. She pointed at Su Yunmo and said, "What do you mean by that?"
This wretched girl shouldn't think that just because she caused a scene at Prince Lian's manor, she's now a benefactor to the prince.
Even without her, the prince could have dealt with Ye Jingcheng!
"Think about what I mean yourself," Su Yunmo said, too lazy to argue with her further. She walked towards Ye Jingyu's sleeping quarters.
As she passed Jiang Qinyue, Jiang Qinyue grabbed her shoulder. "You little slut, explain yourself clearly!"
Jiang Qinyue's fingernails were long, and she deliberately applied more force as she grabbed Su Yunmo's shoulder.
Her nails dug into Su Yunmo's shoulder through her clothes.
Su Yunmo felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, and a murderous glint flashed in her eyes. She swung her hand and slapped.
With a 'slap,' Jiang Qinyue's hand was knocked away, and the back of her entire hand turned red.
She immediately cried out, her eyes reddening, and glared at Su Yunmo. "What are you doing?!"
A cold light flashed in Su Yunmo's eyes. "You know perfectly well what I'm doing."
This person truly was incorrigible. Had she not learned her lesson last time?
I really don't know where she gets the energy to pick fights.
Jiang Qinyue choked, her eyes red. "The Prince is resting and cannot receive guests! Qianxue said so!"
Su Yunmo had been wondering when she entered the manor why Qianxue hadn't come to greet her. So, she was busy engaging in a battle of wits with this woman.
"It's not that he's not receiving guests, it's that he's not receiving *you*. What does that have to do with me?" Su Yunmo glanced at her coolly and continued walking inside, adding, "I have other matters to attend to, don't waste my time."
After visiting Consort Liang at the palace, she still had to go to Jiulan Yuan, and her schedule was tight today.
After the previous incident, Jiang Qinyue already knew that Su Yunmo's relationship with Ye Jingyu was unusual.
Seeing her so familiarly heading towards the sleeping quarters made her feel even more displeased.
If this wretched girl was right, and Qianxue was only blocking her but not Su Yunmo, then where would she even show her face!
"Su Yunmo, don't get cocky. Don't think I don't know, you're just a little slut!"
Su Yunmo stopped in her tracks and shot Jiang Qinyue a cold, sharp look.
Seeing that she had reacted, Jiang Qinyue sneered and said, "You're already engaged to Prince Kun, aren't you? In a sense, you already have a husband. How can you keep running to Prince Yu's manor when you have a man, you shameless woman!"
Normally, Su Yunmo would have retorted fiercely, but hearing these words, she couldn't help but feel a hint of sourness in Jiang Qinyue's tone.
Su Yunmo crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What, are you envious?"
Jiang Qinyue's face changed, and she became enraged. "Who's envious! You're clearly playing both sides, so don't try to smear others!"
Su Yunmo curved her lips into a light smile, tilted her head slightly, and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? But these two boats came to my feet on their own. What can be done about that?"
"How about this, if you have the ability to win him back, I'll be waiting anytime."
Jiang Qinyue's eyes widened in disbelief. She pointed at Su Yunmo, unable to form a complete sentence for a long time. "You... you, how can you say such a thing! Truly shameless!"
Su Yunmo found it ridiculous.
It was clear that she was the one fixated on this, obviously having taken a liking to Ye Jingyu, yet she had the nerve to call others shameless.
"How can I compare to your shamelessness? Ye Jingyu doesn't even spare you a glance, yet you still come crawling back."
"People of the martial world are indeed different, even ladies have such unrestrained thoughts."
In the past, Su Yunmo wouldn't have said such things, but now she understood that one should treat people according to their nature.
It was useless to reason with someone like Jiang Qinyue. Only by playing along with her words could she make her feel uncomfortable.
As expected, Jiang Qinyue's face showed annoyance. After a muffled sound, she strode towards Su Yunmo and raised her hand to strike her face.
"You little bastard, I think you're asking for a beating!"
The Prince isn't here today, so no one will protect you!
A cold glint flashed in Su Yunmo's eyes. As Jiang Qinyue's hand neared her face, she gathered her spiritual energy and struck back.
"Ah!" Jiang Qinyue's entire arm went numb, and then she saw something even more terrifying.