The grandmother and granddaughter were in the midst of conversation when a maid came in to report that the Eldest Madam had arrived. Yueyao keenly sensed the chill in the Old Madam's eyes. She was immediately surprised—could it be that the Old Madam and the Eldest Madam were not on good terms?
The curtains parted, and Lady Mo walked in from outside.
Wen Wan looked at Lady Mo, the Eldest Madam, who was entering. Lady Mo was dressed in a lotus root pink colored gown, with her hair neatly done up in a round hairbun, adorned with a Honey Wax Teardrop Hairpin at the sides of her temples. Her skin was fair, her figure slightly full, with a round and plump face. She had kind and gentle eyes, and her presence exuded warmth and amiability, giving off a very cordial impression.
Yueyao looked at Lady Mo who was now in front of her. It seemed just a moment ago she had seen Lady Mo high above everyone else, clad in a red dress for celebrating a grand birthday. In the blink of an eye, not only had she become so much younger, but she was also so submissive in front of her grandmother.
As the Eldest Madam entered the room, she respectfully said, "Mother, I have come to pay my respects, I hope you are feeling better today." Her demeanor and movements all revealed her concern, flawless, leaving no room for criticism.
When Lady Mo saw the Old Madam's gaze toward Yueyao, and at that moment, Yueyao was looking at her. The expression revealed in her eyes was complex and hard to interpret. Lady Mo felt oddly uncomfortable inside and softly asked, "Yueyao, what's wrong?" Why was she looking at her like that?
Only then did Yueyao snap back to reality, quickly bowing her head to adjust her emotions. She dared not look directly at Lady Mo, fearing that her eyes filled with hatred would fall upon her. At her current age, where would such hatred come from? Having hatred in her eyes would certainly arouse their suspicion and invite unnecessary trouble. She had seen people burned alive for nonsensical babbling before.
Lady Mo found Yueyao's behavior so abnormal today that she couldn't help being suspicious. However, since Yueyao was sitting next to the Old Madam, it wasn't her place to inquire further.
Yet the Old Madam had seen everything about Yueyao's behavior and was inwardly doubtful, although she kept it from showing on her face: "Nanny Gu will be coming in a few days, so have the courtyard cleaned up. This matter concerns Miss Lian, and it should be taken to heart." If the young lady is not brought up properly, it could affect the Lian family's reputation.
Yueying is already twelve years old, we cannot delay any further.
Yueyao, seeing Lady Mo responding with submissiveness, couldn't help but look again at her grandmother. Lian Yuebing had always spoken about how severely the grandmother had treated Lady Mo. She even said that the grandmother supported Maternal Aunt Chen in her rivalry with Lady Mo, making no distinction between legal wife and concubine. Until her death, the affairs of the house had been tightly controlled by the grandfather, and as a result, Maternal Aunt Chen often made things difficult for Lady Mo. However, after the grandmother passed away and three years of mourning were completed, Maternal Aunt Chen became pregnant, but her end was miscarriage and death.
Yueyao, having listened to Lian Yuebing, thought her grandmother had been too harsh, favoring a concubine and suppressing the legal wife's prestige, erasing the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate. But now, it seems that it might not have been the case.
Seeing Yueyao looking unwell, Lady Mo kindly asked, "Yueyao, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"
This word 'again' caused the Old Madam to frown once more.
Yueyao respectfully said, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie, I am feeling much better now..."
Lady Mo approached, intending to hold Yueyao's hands to show affection. However, Yueyao reflexively stepped back two paces. Not only that, the fear and apprehension deep within her surfaced instantly. To others, this made Lady Mo seem like a fierce beast.
Yueyao knew this response was very bad, but it was the most genuine reaction from her heart. In her eyes, Lady Mo was a venomous scorpion, more poisonous than the scorpion itself. No matter how rational she was, she couldn't restrain the fear in her heart.
A flicker of doubt passed through the Old Madam's eyes. What on earth had Lady Mo done to Yueyao to make her so fearful of Lady Mo? The Old Madam, because of her advanced age and her awareness of her own health, had turned a blind eye to the matters of the Inner Courtyard. But now, it appeared there was a lot going on in the Inner Courtyard that she was unaware of. Sigh, it seemed there were always worries that wouldn't leave her at peace.
Lady Mo's hands fell empty, and she was taken aback. Although Yueyao hadn't always regarded her as a mother, with Nanny Gu speaking well of her in front of Yueyao, she had been quite affectionate toward her. But now, she was so distant. Nonetheless, it was just a momentary lapse, and Lady Mo quickly composed herself and smiled, "What's wrong with you, child? Why are you so estranged from your Auntie?"
In that instant, Yueyao also regained her composure. She didn't want to raise suspicion of being possessed. But her recent behavior was already questionable enough, and she couldn't afford any more issues. Otherwise, she could easily raise suspicions. However, she couldn't bring herself to act affectionate toward Lady Mo, so she just stood there stiffly.
Seeing Yueyao's attitude, the Old Madam quickly changed the subject, turning to Lady Mo, "You may leave! I must ask the child what has suddenly got into her."