The mother and daughter, fished out from the pond, looked absolutely miserable.
"Don't you hurry back to change your clothes, stop disgracing yourself here!" Ye Zhengde coldly reprimanded them upon seeing their state.
At this moment, no matter how much Zhou Ruotang and Ye Zhilan acted aggrieved and pitiful, Ye Zhengde still despised them in the end.
Firstly, they really were in an utter disheveled state; secondly, such embarrassment in these circumstances was a blow to Ye Zhengde's reputation.
He had not anticipated that on such an important day, it would be Zhou Ruotang and Ye Zhilan who embarrassed him thoroughly.
By contrast, the transformations in Qin Mengxi and Ye Qichi somehow rippled through his heart, even though he showed no sign of it.
Zhou Ruotang knew she was utterly disgraceful at the moment, and didn't dare act too coquettishly in front of Ye Zhengde, so she had no choice but to take her daughter and leave. As they left, she glanced back at the radiant An Ning and Qin Mengxi, her eyes brimming with undisguised hate and jealousy.
Ye Zhilan, reluctant and resentful, followed Zhou Ruotang in an embarassing departure.
The scene soon returned to normal.
Ye Zhengde kept apologizing to the women present.
Such an incident might have caused a scare, but since no one was injured, no real fuss was made.
Qin Mengxi was also continuously comforting the women, displaying the demeanor of a true housewife.
Just as Ye Zhengde was about to leave, he couldn't help but take another glance at Qin Mengxi.
For many years, it seemed as if he had only seen her that beautiful on their wedding day, and even begun to wonder whether the beauty of that day was a mere illusion.
Qin Mengxi clearly noticed his gaze, but she did not look back.
Ye Qichi beside her naturally witnessed this scene too.
To cause disgrace for Zhou Ruotang and her daughter today was one aspect; the other was to catch Ye Zhengde's attention.
The men in the inner court might be unreliable, yet they are critically important.
To win the adoration of the patriarch was the quickest and most effective way to regain her own power.
She could not stay at the Minister Mansion for too long; within a brief period, she had to transfer the mansion's authority back into the hands of Qin Mengxi.
"Dad." Ye Qichi took the initiative to call him.
Ye Zhengde came back to his senses.
He felt somewhat embarrassed.
He coughed, attempting to appear composed.
"I and your mother can manage here; the other guests are all waiting for you," Ye Qichi reminded him.
Ye Zhengde nodded, "I'll count on you and your mother then."
"Rest assured, father." Ye Qichi smiled brightly.
It was the first time he found his daughter looking so elegant and upright, her smile gracious and appropriate.
"By the way, were you scratched by the black cat just now?" Ye Zhengde inquired with concern.
"Not at all. It's just that I was in such a hurry that I accidentally threw the cat onto my stepmother and half-sister..." Ye Qichi looked very apologetic.
Even though she had just been smiling radiantly.
Of course, Ye Zhengde didn't notice these nuances, and said, "You could push away the cat and still protect your mother, while they are so helplessly frail. Nevermind, it's good that you're unharmed."
It seemed that he also preferred not to dwell any further on Zhou Ruotang and Ye Zhilan.
Ye Qichi smiled subtly, of course, she would not say a good word for Zhou Ruotang and Ye Zhilan.
After expressing his concern a few more times, Ye Zhengde turned and left.
Ye Qichi and Qin Mengxi also called all the ladies to the inner hall for lunch together.
From dining at noon to continuing to entertain guests in the afternoon until the dinner ended, Zhou Ruotang and Ye Zhilan never appeared again.
In ancient times, saving face was of utmost importance. After such a commotion, naturally, they had no face to see people.
The women's dinner ended early, and An Ning accompanied Qin Mengxi back to her courtyard first.
Having not exerted herself so much in a long while, Qin Mengxi was physically spent.
She reclined on the soft couch, her body utterly drained and devoid of strength.
"Nanny Zhang, go and prepare a tub of hot water for my mother, add some rose petals, and also some fragrances," Ye Qichi instructed.
"No need to trouble so much, a hot bath will suffice," Qin Mengxi waved off the suggestion.
"That won't do," Ye Qichi smiled, "Tonight is different."
"Father might come over," Ye Qichi stated bluntly.
Qin Mengxi's cheeks reddened somewhat, "Don't spout nonsense."
"Didn't you see the way father looked at you by the pond today? Anyway, I saw it."
"Qi'er, when is it appropriate to tease your mother !"
"I just want to tell you, if father does come, don't send him away, understand?"
"Your father and I have not been... well, for many years," Qin Mengxi couldn't continue.
Of course, Ye Qichi knew.
Ever since Zhou Ruotang married into the family, Qin Mengxi's relationship with Ye Zhengde had deteriorated progressively. In the beginning years, they could barely share a bed, but as Qin Mengxi grew increasingly averse, and Ye Zhengde, unwilling to invite humiliation, stopped visiting Qin Mengxi's courtyard.
Over the years, Qin Mengxi had given up on Ye Zhengde.
"Mother, have you considered divorce?" Ye Qichi asked.
As soon as these words were spoken.
Not only was Qin Mengxi shocked, but even Nanny Zhang, who had accompanied Qin Mengxi from her family home, was startled.
Such words should not be uttered carelessly.
"You haven't considered it, right?!" Ye Qichi could tell from their expressions, "Since you're meant to spend a lifetime with father, why not live well? Mother, if you want to divorce, I absolutely support you, no matter the conventional views—I'll stand by you. But if you do not choose this path, then you must ensure you live better on the original path, without shortchanging yourself."
Qin Mengxi fell silent.
She felt her daughter had matured so much compared to a year ago.
"Ultimately, it is still father who runs the household. If you and father improve your relationship, then this household will be under your control. You can't let Auntie Zhou bully you anymore."
"Didn't you just say yesterday that men are unreliable?"
"What I said about being unreliable means that one can't entirely rely on men, but I didn't say you can't use them. What's wrong with using his status as the head of the household to secure your position as the housewife?" Ye Qichi retorted.
Qin Mengxi was somewhat persuaded by Ye Qichi's words.
Nanny Zhang, listening on the side, saw that Qin Mengxi had not made a stance and couldn't help but become somewhat agitated, "Madam, I think the Princess is very right, you can't continue being bullied by Auntie Zhou."
Qin Mengxi looked at her maidservant who had always followed her, still somewhat indecisive.
"Mother, don't you want all those loyal maids and servants serving you to have a better life?" Ye Qichi found Qin Mengxi's soft spot.
Qin Mengxi clenched her teeth and said, "Alright, mother knows what to do now."
If only Qin Mengxi showed a bit of initiative, Ye Zhengde definitely wouldn't have his heart entirely fixed on Zhou Ruotang.
Men, especially those chauvinistic ones, just yearn for a sweet and tender little wife, that's all.