Chapter 49: Mute

As night fell upon the capital in May, a hint of heat already lingered in the evening breeze.

The brothers, Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng, stayed in their elder brother's room, while Ye Chutang returned to her former residence with Xiaowu.

Her place had not been touched; after the servants had finished cleaning, it was exactly as it had been before.

Ye Chutang hung a small sachet at the head of the bed, allowing a light, herbal fragrance to drift through the air.

Xiaowu looked around for a while before sitting obediently on the bed, taking out her pouch to recount the items inside. Only then did a happy smile appear on her face.

—Her fourth brother had previously said that land in the capital was worth its weight in gold and everything was expensive; she had even prepared to use all her saved pocket money! Yet, after an entire day, she hadn't spent a single tael of silver!

Seeing this, Ye Chutang pinched her little cheek.

"Xiaowu, do you like it here?"

Xiaowu tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then shook her head and nodded.

—She didn't like the people she had seen today, nor did she like living in the same place as them, but she could tell that her elder sister cared deeply about this place. When she had gone to her brother's room today, her sister had been lost in thought for quite a while.

And her third and fourth brothers clearly felt the same way as her sister.

Since they cared, then she cared too!

The corners of Ye Chutang's lips curled slightly. "Don't worry, this will always be our home. No one can take it away."

Xiaowu was somewhat bewildered, but she nodded vigorously nonetheless.

—Whatever Sister says, she believes!

...

A full moon hung high, casting down pure, bright moonlight.

At the Xu Manor.

Xu Fengchi, who was processing files at his desk, looked at the letter in his hand and let out a long sigh.

"She actually... she actually really came back!"

Previously, he had repeatedly urged Ye Chutang not to return to the capital, promising that he would take responsibility for the matters here.

But he hadn't expected her to return anyway, and to do so by presenting a fait accompli; this letter had clearly been intentionally delayed until today.

By the time he saw it, they had already arrived in the capital and had even gone directly back to the Ye Manor!

"I expect someone won't be able to sleep tonight..." Xu Fengchi murmured softly.

His gaze swept over the letter again. Ye Chutang had briefly written about the events that occurred in Jiangling; though the words were few, the twists and turns were not difficult to imagine.

She was merely a seventeen-year-old girl, left without support in that place, caught in the middle of such turmoil, and yet she managed to withdraw unscathed... even he felt deeply shocked.

It seemed that too much had happened over these three years, and it had tempered her.

After a moment of thought, Xu Fengchi held the letter to the candlelight and set it ablaze, then called for someone.

"Go prepare the gifts. I will take them to the Ye Manor in a few days."

The attendant was somewhat puzzled. "Master, you are going personally?"

Xu Fengchi held a position in the Censorate and was known for his lofty character, rarely interacting extensively with other court officials.

Ye Heng was a smooth and experienced man who formed factions—exactly the kind of person Xu Fengchi detested most.

Why the sudden change—

Just as Xu Fengchi was about to nod, a somewhat hurried sound of footsteps came from outside.

A tall, slender youth dressed in indigo brocade ran in.

He was elegant and handsome, with a rare scholarly air in his features, as gentle as jade.

"Father!" he spoke, his voice still carrying a hint of excited breathlessness.

Xu Fengchi was surprised. "Rongqing, what is it?"

Xu Rongqing struggled to suppress the waves of emotion in his heart, but his tone still betrayed his urgency.

"I heard that Sister Chutang and the others aren't dead?! And that they have already returned to the capital today!?"

Xu Fengchi understood the situation and nodded. "That is correct."

The news had already spread; there was no need to deny it.

The weight in Xu Rongqing's heart finally lifted, and his features relaxed into a genuine smile.

"That's wonderful... wonderful! I thought they might have—"

The fact that Xu Fengchi had been in contact with Ye Chutang had never been told to anyone else, not even his own son.

He and Ye Zheng were brothers-in-arms, and their families had been very close years ago; the children had been acquainted when they were young. It was only natural for Rongqing to react this way.

Thinking of this, Xu Fengchi's expression softened significantly, and he asked with a smile

"They were lucky to have survived. I am going to the Ye Manor the day after tomorrow. You haven't seen them in a long time; would you like to come along?"

...

On this night, some were filled with joy while others were filled with worry.

Ye Chutang, however, managed to get a rare good night's sleep while holding Xiaowu.

They had been traveling for a whole month; although the itinerary wasn't rushed, it was nonetheless exhausting, and only now could she finally lie down and rest properly.

In her memory, aside from the period when she first fled south with A-Yan, A-Feng, and Xiaowu, she had never been this tired.

It was only when a maid knocked on the door that Ye Chutang woke up.

"Second Miss, it is time to get up. The Master and Madam are waiting for you!"

Only then did Ye Chutang lazily open her eyes. Xiaowu was lying in her arms, blinking her large, grape-like eyes.

"Waking up so early?" Just as Ye Chutang spoke, Xiaowu's stomach let out a "gurgle."

Ye Chutang: "..." So she had been woken up by hunger.

Xiaowu's face instantly flushed red, and she buried herself bashfully in Ye Chutang's arms.

Ye Chutang sat up and massaged her brow.

"Xiaowu, it must have been hard for you following Sister all these years."

Not only had they been displaced, but Xiaowu often couldn't eat on time because of her.

Xiaowu shook her head hurriedly.

—Not at all! It was already hard enough for Sister to support Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and her all by herself!

Ye Chutang helped her wash up and change her clothes.

Last night, Ye Heng had intended to hold a welcoming banquet for them, but Ye Chutang had refused.

Why go through all that trouble when returning to one's own home?

In the end, Ye Heng could only have the servants deliver food to their room. They had a simple meal and said they were too tired from the day's journey and would deal with things tomorrow.

Oh, which meant today.

After getting ready, she led Xiaowu out the door.

"Come, Sister will take you to eat."

...

Meanwhile, Ye Heng, Lady Gao, and Ye Shixian had been waiting for a long time.

A sumptuous breakfast was laid out on the table, with servants attending to them, yet not a single person had picked up their chopsticks.

Lady Gao grew impatient and couldn't help but say, "What is wrong with these people? Do they have no sense of etiquette? What time is it, and they still don't know how to get up! Do they expect us to wait for them here forever!"

Ye Heng gave her a dissatisfied look. "They are our own juniors; why be so calculating!"

There were servants nearby; one had to watch their words!

Lady Gao was even more displeased by his look and gave a cold laugh. "You call them juniors, but to those who don't know, they might be mistaken for distinguished guests! What junior would dare make their elders wait like this?"

At that moment, a clear, pleasant young girl's voice suddenly drifted in from outside: "How can Second Aunt say such things?"

The people in the room all looked up to see Ye Chutang walking in, leading Xiaowu by the hand.

She wore no makeup, yet she was still captivating, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"After the long journey, we have finally returned home, so I thought we could sleep a little longer. Who knew that Second Uncle and Second Aunt would be waiting here so early."

Ye Heng hurriedly smoothed things over. "Rest is only proper. Come, sit!"

Lady Gao finally snapped out of it, forcing her gaze away from Ye Chutang's face, her hands clutching her handkerchief tightly.

This Ye Chutang—after only three years of absence, she had actually grown into such a person?

This—

Ye Chutang looked at Lady Gao and said, "I did not see Second Aunt yesterday; please do not take offense. A-Yan, A-Feng, Xiaowu, come and greet Second Aunt."

Though the brothers were displeased in their hearts, they still offered their greetings.

"Second Aunt."

Xiaowu blinked and remained silent.

Lady Gao's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Why is this child a mute?"

As soon as the words fell, the air in the room instantly froze.