"..." Su Yunmo looked at Qian Xue, then back at the room, finally pointing to herself and smiling, "This is my home, you know?"
Who was she supposed to put in confinement?
Qian Xue looked businesslike, "Master said that if you don't behave, I am to tie you to the study."
Su Yunmo's eyelids twitched, and she instinctively took half a step back.
The little dumpling puffed out her cheeks angrily, "Who cares? If I'm not going out, I'm not going out!"
Time to sleep!
Qian Xue shook her head with a smile.
Master truly understood the young lady.
Su Yunmo snorted and turned to go back inside.
Shouts came from outside the courtyard.
"Momo~" Su Xiayue, holding up her skirt, ran in from outside, her face full of joy, "Momo, I've come to play with you~"
Su Yunmo's eyes lit up, seeing an opportunity to slip away. She quickly turned back, "He said confinement means I can't leave the manor, but he didn't say I couldn't play with friends at home, did he?"
A hint of difficulty flashed in Qian Xue's eyes.
Seizing the moment while she was thinking, the little dumpling quickly slipped out from under her arm, "Let's go, let's go play in another courtyard."
Su Yunmo stopped Su Xiayue and pulled her away.
Qian Xue watched her quickly escaping figure with a helpless expression.
Fine, Master just wanted her to recover from her injuries within the manor; the rest was up to her.
Su Xiayue was pulled out of the courtyard to the back garden. When she finally stopped, she clutched her chest, panting, "Momo... what's wrong with you?"
Su Yunmo clapped her hands and looked back on her tiptoes.
Qian Xue hadn't followed, which was good!
"Nothing," she smacked her lips, turning her gaze back with satisfaction, "Why did you suddenly come over?"
It was impossible to stay indoors. As long as she snuck out without Ye Jingyu knowing, it would be fine.
Su Xiayue, having caught her breath, patted her chest and pouted, "The restaurant has been closed for the past two days, so I was bored at home and came to find you."
Since Qingjie wasn't in the capital, Momo was her only friend.
Su Yunmo took a step to walk out, but paused upon hearing this, "Closed? Why?"
Su Xiayue followed her footsteps and sighed, "Second Uncle went to borrow money from Eldest Uncle. He asked many times but didn't return it. Eldest Uncle didn't want to lend him anymore, so he went to the restaurant to cause trouble."
Su Yunmo frowned.
The second branch had borrowed a lot of money to settle Su Xingzhe's affairs. Su Chenghai must not have been able to repay it, which is why he was targeting his family.
Su Xiayue, "Momo, you should remind Fourth Uncle to be careful. I heard Second Uncle can't find Eldest Uncle anywhere and is planning to target the General's Manor."
Su Yunmo waved her hand, looking relaxed, "It's fine. Anyway, my family's money is managed by Mother, and Father's pockets are cleaner than his face."
She walked around the garden, leading Su Xiayue towards the front hall.
This was the closest path to the manor gate.
However, before they could reach the front hall, the butler came to greet them, "Fourth Miss, where are you going?"
Su Yunmo's eyelids twitched, "Out... Did Father say I couldn't go out today?"
No way, Ye Jingyu was watching her too closely.
The butler shook his head with a smile, "Not exactly. You can go out, but you can't go to the front hall. The General is seeing guests."
Noise came from inside the hall.
Su Yunmo asked curiously, "Who is it?"
The butler replied, "Second Master is here, saying he has something to discuss with the General. He's been inside for a while."
He paused and added, "Madam is not home today."
Su Yunmo: "..."
With the guardian of the manor, Mother, gone, it was over.
She changed direction and headed towards the front hall, "Xiayue, wait for me here."
Su Xiayue nodded and obediently stood to the side.
The butler's eyelids twitched, and he quickly tried to stop her, "Fourth Miss, you can't go."
The little dumpling nimbly darted past him, her short legs moving swiftly, and pushed open the hall door, running in, "Daddy~"
"Little girl, why are you here?" Su Qingtian, upon seeing the little dumpling, desperately suppressed the anger on his face and glared at the butler who followed her in.
"Didn't I tell you, no one is to disturb me when I'm discussing matters!"
The butler was speechless.
"Daddy, don't blame Butler Uncle, it was Momo who wanted to come in." The little dumpling pleaded in a childish voice, glancing back at the person on the ground.
Su Chenghai was sprawled in the center of the hall, his clothes disheveled, his hair messy, looking like a rogue.
A hint of sarcasm flashed in Su Yunmo's eyes.
As expected of someone from the second branch, his appearance was quite comparable to Su Chengbai, who had caused trouble at Xiaoxiang Shifu before.
"Go out." Su Qingtian frowned and waved his hand.
The butler bowed and closed the door, leaving.
Su Qingtian rubbed the little dumpling's head, "Momo, Daddy has something to deal with. Will you play with me later?"
"No, Momo wants to play with Daddy now~" The little dumpling hugged his arm and climbed into his embrace.
Because she had been running, her little face was flushed and alluring.
Su Qingtian couldn't resist her pouting and kissed her on the cheek, "Alright, alright, my little ancestor."
He frowned and looked at Su Chenghai, "Second Brother, you saw? I still have matters to attend to. To avoid any unpleasantness, Second Brother should go back."
It was truly shameful for a grown man to be crying, making a scene, and threatening to hang himself here.
Su Chenghai sat up, slapping the ground, "If you were really afraid of unpleasantness, you should have lent me the money! I'm not asking for much, just a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver. Can your esteemed General's Manor not afford it?"
Su Qingtian's brow furrowed fiercely, and he was losing patience, "This is my residence, not a treasury!"
Were these people treating him like a fool?
Su Chenghai let out a cold snort, his tone righteous, "I know you are wealthy and powerful, but Fourth Brother, we are from the same family. Even for the sake of blood ties, you have to help Second Brother this time, don't you?"
"As you know, Second Brother is truly in trouble this time, which is why I had to come to you. To be honest, I'm a barefooted person who isn't afraid of wearing shoes."
His own manor was now running at a deficit. Not only had the maids and servants been dismissed, but even the usual expenses for food and clothing had become a problem.
They were all surnamed Su, so why could these people wear gold and silver?
It was too unfair!
Seeing him like this, Su Yunmo suddenly remembered when she first entered the manor.
Back then, this Second Uncle was quite imposing. He had come to the General's Manor under the guise of being an elder and threatened Mother, preventing her from taking her in.
In just half a year, he had become like this.
Tsk, she actually preferred his previous unruly demeanor.
"Daddy, Second Uncle looks so pitiful. Why don't you lend him some money?" The little dumpling tugged at Su Qingtian's sleeve, acting spoiled.
Su Qingtian frowned and pinched her little cheek, "When adults are talking, children are not allowed to interrupt."
In fact, if he could just give him some money to send him away, he wouldn't be unwilling, but the problem was he didn't have any money!
You'er always locked the treasury tightly whenever she went out.
His monthly allowance wasn't even enough to buy wine.