Only after being reborn did I realize that I was the white moonlight of a powerful minister.

Chapter 30 Secrecy

Zhou Yu stopped when they reached a point where the Qian family manor was no longer in sight.

"Sir, you've painstakingly built up this business for so long, what has become of the Qian family?"

Zhou Yu frowned. After breaking off his engagement with Ye Wanning, he knew he had to lay low for the time being. He could only plan his future slowly.

From the moment Zhou Yu boarded Minister Qian's ship, he lived cautiously, constantly pondering the Qian family's affairs.

He had finally seen some improvement, but if his marriage to the Qian family was ruined, it would be even harder for him to find a backer in the future.

Feng Ran shared the same concern, "Lord Qian clearly favors you, but Madam Qian's attitude seems uncertain. Should we do something?"

“No need.” Zhou Yu continued riding towards the capital. “The Qian family knows about my past. Now that I’ve sent my cousin away, and even Feng-ge’er wasn’t left behind, it was my way of showing goodwill to the Qian family. Since Madam Qian asked me to escort them here, she certainly won’t bring up the past again. As for Madam Qian’s intentions, I can’t guess for now.”

Let's not guess for now.

Zhou Yu had been living a life of being trampled on for too long. He wanted to be a superior person, and he was willing to pay any price.

On the other hand, the Ye family also couldn't figure out the Qian family's intentions. Only after learning that the Qian family had sent invitations to the Ye family did Ye Wanning dare to agree.

On the day she set off for the Qian family, Ye Wanning dressed simply. When she saw Jiang Si there, she quickly went over to her.

Jiang Si pulled Ye Wanning inside, saying, "Madam Qian is my aunt. She invited me to come over as a guest. Knowing that you were coming, I decided to stay a few more days."

"I see. Come visit my house tomorrow. My estate isn't as grand as the Qian family's, but it's small and charming in its own way," Ye Wanning said warmly.

Jiang Si readily agreed and brought the Ye Wanning sisters to meet Madam Qian.

Madam Qian, who was somewhat plump, fixed her gaze on Ye Wanning and praised her, "No wonder everyone praises you, you really are a beauty. Si'er, take your two younger sisters to play in the garden. I just got a piece of red agate, which is perfect for Miss Ye."

Jiang Si understood her aunt's meaning and took Ye Wanyu and her sister out.

There was no one else in the room. Madam Qian's nanny brought over a plate. The agate was as red as flames, and it was a top-quality item.

"Madam, this is too precious!" Ye Wanning couldn't accept such a generous gift without having done anything for it; she didn't have a good relationship with the Qian family.

“I am the one who needs your help, so you deserve this gift,” Madam Qian sighed. “Seeing you today makes me understand even more how Zhou Yu feels about my daughter Ruomei. Unfortunately, I have raised my daughter to be too naive, and she can no longer listen to the advice of others.”

Ye Wanning felt a little embarrassed; she shouldn't have told her this secret.

“As a mother, I don’t ask my daughter to be rich and powerful, I just want her to have a smooth life. My Ruomei… she’s a little different.” Madam Qian wrung out her handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Her husband thought Zhou Yu was good, and her daughter fell in love with him at first sight. No matter what she said, she couldn’t change their minds.

Left with no other choice, Madam Qian had to temporarily relent, hoping that Zhou Yu would lower his guard and allow him to find a weakness.

At this point, Ye Wanning understood Madam Qian's meaning. "Since Madam is so frank, I'd like to share a few words from my heart with you. I used to be like Miss Qian, unable to bear hearing anyone say a bad word about Zhou Yu, and I thought everything Zhou Yu did was good. It wasn't until I saw it with my own eyes that I became completely disappointed."

Her voice was gentle, and she kept observing Madam Qian's expression as she spoke. "People can't teach people everything. But experience teaches people, and once is enough. Miss Qian rarely goes out and has never seen the wickedness of people. Such a simple girl can't outsmart the cunning Zhou Yu. Instead of constantly persuading her, it's better to let her go and see for herself."

"have a look?"

"Yes, as far as I know, Zhou Yu has already sent Xu Zhuling and her son away. I didn't know why before, but now I understand. Given Zhou Yu's current situation, he won't give Xu Zhuling and her son much money, and you can imagine how miserable their lives are. Madam, why don't you take Miss Qian to see for yourself now? Xu Zhuling is devoted to Zhou Yu and disregarded her reputation to give birth to his son, yet Zhou Yu treats her like this. Put yourself in her shoes, and then you can ask Miss Qian whether Zhou Yu will treat her the same way when he no longer needs to rely on the Qian family?"

Ye Wanning finished speaking in one breath and waited quietly for Madam Qian's reaction.

Madam Qian was stunned for a long time before taking a deep breath. "No wonder my sister praised you for your intelligence and wisdom; you truly are a perceptive young woman. I owe you a favor regarding my Ruomei..."

"Don't worry, Madam. Even if my sisters ask, I won't say a word," Ye Wanning assured her.

Madam Qian insisted on giving the red agate to Ye Wanning so that Ye Wanning could go and play with the other girls.

Parents' hearts are always full of love and concern. Minister Qian was a man, and he didn't care whether his son-in-law was lecherous or ambitious. He valued Zhou Yu's talent and knew that Zhou Yu had the ability to climb the social ladder. But Madam Qian was different. She had lived in the inner quarters of the house for so many years. If her daughter were an ordinary person, she would definitely have raised her to be resourceful. She wasn't afraid that her son-in-law was scheming.

Ye Wanning left the main courtyard. Wanyu asked her what Madam Qian had said, and she only said that Madam Qian felt a connection with her, without saying anything else.

When leaving the Qian family, Jiang Si saw the Ye sisters to the door and subconsciously looked into the distance.

Ye Wanyu said playfully, "Sister Jiang, stop looking. My second brother is being held in the capital to study."

Jiang Si blushed instantly. "Who brought this up? Wanyu, if you keep this up, I'm going to get angry!"

"Good sister, I won't say anything. My carriage has arrived. Remember to come early tomorrow, and my sister and I will make you lotus root starch and osmanthus cake!" Ye Wanyu was lively by nature, and she was kind to whoever she liked. Jiang Si was a good candidate for sister-in-law, but unfortunately, her second brother didn't like her.

Thinking of her second brother, Ye Wanyu's eyes flickered. After returning home, she sent a letter to the capital.

Ye Wanning pretended not to know about her sister's little tricks, but when Jiang Si came to visit the next day, Xie Bohuai was among the people who came with her, which surprised Ye Wanning.

"I met Lord Xie on the way. When he learned that I was coming here, he specially escorted me for a part of the journey," Jiang Si explained.

The Qian family's residence wasn't far from the Ye family's manor, but it was still about five or six miles away. It was normal for Imperial Censor Jiang to escort Jiang Si here, as he was Xie Bohuai's former teacher.

Now that Xie Bohuai had arrived, Ye Wanning had no choice but to politely ask, "Thank you for escorting me, sir. Why don't you stay and have a cup of tea with me?"

She thought that Xie Bohuai was a very busy man and would definitely not agree.

Unexpectedly, Xie Bohuai responded with an "okay".

With Xie Bohuai added to the household, and no male master in the manor, Ye Wanning had no choice but to let her sisters take Jiang Si out to play while she waited for Xie Bohuai to finish his tea and leave.

Xie Bohuai picked up his teacup, looked at it, and then put it down. "I've heard that Miss Ye is famous in the capital. She visited the Lin family and many matchmakers came to propose marriage. I wonder which family Miss Ye has taken a fancy to this time?"