Feng Jin sighed helplessly, letting Er Bao continue to play. After coaxing Da Bao to sleep, just as she finally had a moment of rest, Er Bao started fussing about wanting to sleep.
Dragging her weary body, Feng Jin stood up and held Er Bao in her arms, gently lulling him to sleep.
Once both troublesome little ones were asleep, Feng Jin was so tired she could barely straighten her back. She endured her sleepiness and got up for a drink of water.
She had only just closed her eyes when she heard a faint knock. Feng Jin, in a light sleep, instantly opened her eyes, got up carefully, and went to open the door.
Opening the door, she saw Chu Qing standing outside. "What is it?"
Her greatest worry was someone finding her late at night, and her heart couldn't help but become tense, fearing she would hear bad news.
"Young Madam... it's..." Chu Qing panted, pausing for a moment before steadying her breath. "It's... it's the Young General who sent someone, to escort us to the capital."
"Why did they come at this hour..."
The two children had just fallen asleep, and now the people sent by Ling Mohan had arrived. They certainly knew how to pick their timing.
"Young Madam, do we leave now?"
After a long pause, Feng Jin finally spoke. "We're not leaving. We'll depart for the capital tomorrow morning after Da Bao and Er Bao wake up. You arrange for them to stay at the estate, and we'll set off tomorrow."
What time was it? Adults could endure any hardship, but the children were so young. Feng Jin couldn't bear to let them endure more trouble, so she decided to depart tomorrow morning.
In broad daylight, under the emperor's watchful eye, she didn't believe Chu Yanxi would dare to make a move against them.
"But didn't the Young General tell us to..."
"Now it's the Young Madam who decides. Everything follows my orders. You should go back and rest quickly. We depart tomorrow morning."
Feng Jin urged Cai Qing to go back and rest. She had been busy and stressed these past few days, with no respite.
What time was it? Da Bao and Er Bao were sleeping so peacefully for once, and she couldn't bear to disturb them further, making them travel in the dead of night.
It was better to set off tomorrow morning. If Ling Mohan blamed her for this, she would simply take all the blame upon herself.
Ling Mohan wouldn't do anything to her over this matter.
Having made her decision, Feng Jin was also utterly exhausted. The moment she lay down, her eyelids felt heavy, and within moments, she was fast asleep, embracing the two children.
When she woke up the next day, she rushed into the carriage and headed back to the capital.
Fortunately, the Black Armored Army escorted them along the way, and no accidents occurred. They safely arrived in the capital.
Looking at the capital after such a long absence, Feng Jin suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity. It had only been a month, and returning now felt quite different.
The carriage did not linger, heading directly back to the Ling Manor.
As soon as they arrived at the Ling Manor, Ling Wan hurried to the entrance to welcome Feng Jin.
"Sister-in-law, you're finally back! We received word days ago that you would be arriving in the capital soon, and only saw Elder Brother return yesterday. Today, I've finally waited for you, Sister-in-law, to return."
Ling Wan held Feng Jin's hand and said intimately, "I haven't seen you, Sister-in-law, in almost a month. I've missed you dearly. I'll hold your hand tightly as we go to the East Courtyard, and I have so much to tell you along the way."
She wished she could pour out all the words she had saved for a month to Feng Jin at once...
"Sister-in-law, I knew you were returning a few days ago, so I instructed the servants to clean the East Courtyard thoroughly, inside and out. These roses were planted when you left. Perhaps they know you're back and have bloomed early. I picked some and put them in vases so you can see them as soon as you return."
"And this canopy, it's Moon Shadow Gauze supplied by Nanyue this year. I just had it replaced. I wonder if you'll like it..."
Feng Jin surveyed the room. It was as spotless as when she had last been there. The room was also perfumed, showing that Ling Wan had put in a lot of effort.
"You are thoughtful, and what you prepare is naturally the best. I trust you."
Ling Wan had always been dependable, so Feng Jin had nothing to worry about. Even the tea was hot, indicating it had just been prepared.
"As long as Sister-in-law is satisfied, then my efforts these past few days haven't been in vain."
At first, she had worried that Sister-in-law might not be satisfied with her preparations, but now she was relieved.
Ling Wan looked around the room but didn't see Cai Qing. Instead, she saw a strange young woman.
"Sister-in-law, where is Cai Qing? Why isn't she attending to you? Has this girl gone to slack off somewhere again? And who is this young lady?"
Ling Wan's gaze was filled with confusion as she looked at Chu Qing. Only Cai Qing served by Sister-in-law's side. How had another young woman appeared?
"This is Chu Qing, a new maid I took in on the road. Chu Qing, this is the Second Miss. Hurry and pay your respects to the Second Miss."
Without revealing Chu Qing's true identity, Feng Jin simply found a casual reason to say so.
"Your servant, Chu Qing, has seen the Second Miss."
"You may rise," Ling Wan said, reaching out to help Chu Qing up. She took a hairpin from her own hair and placed it on Chu Qing's head. "This is for you as a token of our first meeting."
This was something Sister-in-law had taught her. One should always be polite when meeting someone for the first time.
"This... Second Miss, this is too precious. I cannot accept it."
Saying this, Chu Qing was about to remove the hairpin and return it to Ling Wan.
"I've already given it to you, so wear it well. You are not allowed to take it off."
Ling Wan held Chu Qing's hand as she tried to remove the hairpin. Once something was given, it couldn't be taken back.
"Then... alright. Your servant accepts it."
"That's more like it," Ling Wan said with a satisfied smile. She then turned her attention to Feng Jin. "By the way, Sister-in-law, why didn't Cai Qing return with you this time? Did something happen?"
Cai Qing always followed Sister-in-law closely, never leaving her side. Ling Wan was filled with questions as to why she wasn't with Sister-in-law now.
"It's nothing much. It's just that when we were nearing the capital, Lu Shi was injured. It was inconvenient for him to travel, so Cai Qing stayed to look after him. They will return once Lu Shi has recovered."
Ling Wan's face was filled with astonishment upon hearing this, her mouth agape as if she could swallow an egg.
"Cai Qing stayed to look after Lu Shi..."
Feng Jin nodded in response. "Yes."
"Sister-in-law, how could you agree to this? If this gets out, Cai Qing, being an unmarried young lady, will have her reputation completely ruined! How will she ever get married?"