Poor Qingjiang County Master and Song Yixiao didn't know that Nie Wuyan suddenly changed his temper, was it the punishment of being afraid to leave home and run away?!

  That afternoon, Zhuo Ping'an made a fuss again. The Qingjiang County Master had to coax her son. Song Yi smiled alone in front of Nie Wu Xiang's door for more than an hour, but couldn't soften the little girl's heart. In the end, she had no choice but to leave with her tail between her legs——after leaving, she didn't return to her own room, but instead went to report to Qingjiang County Master, who had just returned from Qie Liu Lou.

  "What's going on with Fifth Sister? She used to be so nice, but now she's changed!" Qingjiang Junzhu felt both sad and puzzled. "In the past, even though not all three brothers would attend her birthday, someone would always come - what's behind this?!"

  Song Yi thought to herself that this little girl must be a meticulous and sentimental person, who knows if she has been holding back her grievances for many years and is now taking the opportunity to vent them out.

  But it's not good to say this to Qingjiang County Master, so he just said: "Maybe today we asked too abruptly and made her unhappy. Let's see if she's calmed down tomorrow, and I'll go call her again."

  "You've been wronged!" Qingjiang Junzhu said with a guilty conscience, "Once this child comes to her senses, I'll make sure she apologizes to you properly!"

  Song Yixiao knew that this remark was more to comfort herself, rather than fearing that she would resent Nie Wuyan, so she spoke seriously: "The cause of this matter is that we neglected the fifth sister earlier. Now making amends with the fifth sister is what should be done, how can it be called compensation?"

  As expected, Qingjiang Jun's master said: "This can't be blamed on you all - the day before yesterday didn't arrive, and second brother and third brother also had a share?"

  After discussing with each other how to coax An Wu Xing well, Song Yi Xiao finally bid farewell and returned to her room.

  After entering the house, Yuè Dēng handed her a hot towel to wipe her face: "Madam, why did you have to stand for so long just now? According to what I said, as your sister-in-law, standing for half a cup of tea is enough, and even if Miss Niè didn't pay attention, there's reason to leave - You're frozen, your hands are cold!"

  "Alas, I didn't expect her to blow up so badly this time." Song Yi smiled and applied a hot towel to her face for a moment before taking it off and throwing it into the water basin. She then stretched out her wrist to let Li Yu help her wash her hands, sighing, "I originally thought that if I stood there for a while, she would have let me in!"

  The two maidservants were somewhat indignant: "Even if you're angry, it's not right to treat your sister-in-law like this! Your heart is too cruel!"

  "She's still young, how could she have thought of so much?" Song Yi smiled and shook her head, "Besides, what's the big deal about standing here for an hour today? On her birthday, she ran out in a huff and didn't know how long she walked in the icy snow before meeting the Su sisters!"

  She heard that she didn't want to blame An Wu Yan, Yue Deng and Li Yu looked at each other, but didn't say anything, only feeling in her heart that this Fifth Miss had a big temper.

  The day passed like this, and the next day, Song Yixiao got up and went to the flower hall with Qingjiang Junzhu for breakfast. After discussing again how to coax Nie Wuyan, they went to Nie Wuyan's house together.

  "The young lady, madam, and miss says she wants to be alone for two days." It seems that Song Yi's smile yesterday had an effect, this time Nie Wuyan still refused to show her face, nor did she invite Eldest Sister and Sister-in-law in to talk, but finally sent Wanxiang out, "Please grant us permission!"

  Song Yi Xiao exchanged a glance with Qing Jiang Jun Zhu, their eyes filled with bitterness. Afraid of pressuring her, she pulled Wan Xiang aside and asked in detail about the situation with her master over the past two days while he was in his room.

  Who dares to tell the truth in Wanxiang?

  Only vaguely mentioning that the young lady at home has been very distressed these two days, so she's afraid to see people. The Qingjiang County Master weighed it again and again, and could only say: "Then let's wait for a couple of days and see!"

  This decision made things convenient for Song Yixiao: that afternoon, Yuan's siblings arrived.

  The mistress of Qingjiang County received them in Bu Yue Xiao Zhu and after a few words of courtesy, she invited them to the nearby "Cai Xia Xuan" to wait for guests.

  Song Yixiao had nothing to do and was familiar with Yuan's siblings, so she told her elder sister and went to help.

  "How did you end up here?" She said she was helping out, but in fact, she just let the two maids take care of things while she and Yuan Xueying sat in the already cleaned side hall drinking tea and chatting - as soon as they sat down, Yuan Xueying asked in surprise, "Your family's...now busy like crazy, how did you manage to get out and have some fun?"

  Song Yi laughed and hit her, then looked around before saying: "I'm here to keep the guest company, but the host is locked in his room and refuses to come out. I was just thinking of ways to coax him! Otherwise, I wouldn't have had time to chat with you!"

  "It's said that she ran out for a whole day on her birthday!" Yuan Xueying knew who she was talking about, took a sip of tea and unexpectedly said, "The anger still hasn't dissipated yet?"

  "It seemed fine at first, but yesterday the young lady got anxious and it seems like she was offended again!" Song Yi sighed, "Now I don't know when she'll calm down."

  Yuan Xue asked a few questions and was surprised: "How did you end up consoling the princess? What about everyone else?"

  "Two sisters-in-law are either busy with their own affairs or have other things to attend to." Song Yi smiled and stroked her temples, "As for Mother - Elder Sister Pei's father has passed away! After hearing the bad news, Mother was greatly shocked, so now we all just hope she can be safe and sound, who dares to trouble her again?"

  Yuan Xueyu was shocked: "Pei University Scholar is gone?! How could that be?!"

  "I'm not sure about the specifics, but it seems like Pei's situation isn't great right now." Song Yi sighed and said, "Her mother-in-law sent someone to mourn in Youzhou and plans to bring her back. I don't know if she'll agree or not - if she doesn't come, according to what the person from the Pei family reported, her brother and sister-in-law aren't easy to get along with; if she does come, think about it, Jian Yi and his wife are her own son and daughter-in-law, how awkward would it be for them to meet each other in front of their mother? They're a perfect match, what kind of mood do you think Pei's sister will be in when she sees that?"

  "Pei University Scholar was always in good health before, but as soon as he returned to Youzhou, he passed away. I'm afraid it's not unrelated to Pei sister's experience!" Yuan Xueying pursed her lips and said, "In this situation, without considering the awkwardness of coming to the Long Princess's mansion afterwards, for Pei University Scholar alone, she probably wouldn't come either."

  Song Yi thought: "But her brother and sister-in-law were not virtuous, yet Pei University Scholar left a will, wanting to give half of the family property as her dowry..."

  "I only hope that the Princess of Jin State will have a perfect plan!" Yuan Xueyu rubbed her forehead in distress, saying, "This year's bad news is really too much!"

  Song Yixiao knew she must be thinking of Yuan Xuepei's injury, and quickly changed the subject: "I heard that the hot springs here are very good, I haven't been yet, after you're done with your work on this side, let's go soak in them together?"

  "I haven't had a chance to soak in it either!" Yuan Xueying nodded and said, "Shall we go tomorrow?"

  The two of them chatted about some trivial matters and when they saw that it was getting late, Song Yi Xiao bid farewell.

  She returned to Bu Yue Xiao Zhu, Qing Jiang Jun Zhu was sitting in the hall, saw her sister-in-law come in and asked: "Is everything settled on the side of Cai Xia Xuan?"

  "Yuan sister has settled down, I didn't go to see Yuan Houye." Song Yi smiled and sat down at the lower seat, took over the tea handed by the maid, took a sip, and then asked, "Will fifth sister change her mind now?"

  "I just went there, and she still won't come out." Qingjiang Junzhu sighed, somewhat self-mockingly, "I previously said I was looking forward to her making some trouble, now isn't it just as I wished?"

  Song Yi comforted with a smile: "Fifth sister said she wanted to be alone for two days, now it's only the first day, maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow she'll come around?"

  The two of them comforted each other for a while, and when it was time to eat, the county master had someone send in food. After they finished eating, they went to see Nie Wu Xian again before parting ways and returning to their rooms to rest.

  The next morning, as usual, he went to coax the little girl - still in vain. Song Yi laughed and greeted Qingjiang Junzhu, called the maid to bring things, and went to Cai Xiaxuan to find Yuan Xueyao.

  "We just listened to the servant's recommendation and came here for a soak, but I thought we were ladies, how could we undress in an open area?" The two of them soaked in the chest-deep hot spring, sighing contentedly. Yuan Xueying picked up a dried plum from the silver plate handed over by her maid on the shore, ate it, and then handed one to Song Yixiao, saying comfortably, "I almost forgot that this place is always shrouded in mist, you can't see anyone just two or three steps away!"

  They are now in a place near the west mountain of Zhāng Chūn Guǎn, where the snow-covered mountains occasionally reveal the dark green pine branches and the black rocks. The misty clouds of hot spring water vapor that never melt all year round seem to be shrouded in fog, and from a distance, it looks like a mythical fairyland.

  The four sides of the pool are each provided with a single screen of bluestone, without roof or door.

  Occasionally, mountain breeze seeps into the gap of the screen, blowing away the misty water vapor, only to have more water vapor rush in, surging like waves and churning like a torrent, quite a sight to behold.

  Yuan Xue said with a smile as she scooped up another handful of water vapor, "Your little wife hasn't been placated yet?"

  "If you've already coaxed them, then no one will accompany you!" Song Yi smiled and asked Yuè Dēng to pass the silver plate, spat out the plum pit, and said with a smile, "You really don't know how to pick food, what kind of plum are you eating? Tell them to make ice-crusted horse's hoof drink, and also genuine milk sugar snow is authentic!"

  "Now this body is as cold as ice and snow, with a slender skeleton!" Yuan Xue'e heard this and suddenly reached out to pinch her, laughing wickedly, "What's the need for real frost and snow?"

  Song Yi laughed suddenly and was caught off guard, shouting out loud, then immediately counterattacked: "As if you don't have one either!"

  The two of them played and laughed together, splashing the maids who were waiting on them until their clothes were wet. The maids fled behind a screen as the two continued to frolic until it was almost evening before they reluctantly got up and dressed.

  As soon as they reached the shore, both of them stumbled and almost fell back into the pool if it weren't for the maid's quick support: "Just soaking for half a day, and even eating something in between, didn't expect to lose so much energy?"

  "Hurry up and get them to bring the food boxes over, or I won't even have the energy to walk back!" Yuan Xueying was helped onto a nearby soft couch, panting weakly, "I'm so tired!"

  It was already dusk when they returned to their respective homes.

  Song Yi smiled as she stepped into the Moonlit Pavilion, asking: "How's Big Sister doing today? And what about Fifth Little Sister?"

  The servant said: "The young lady just went to Miss Five's place again, but Miss Five still didn't pay attention."

  Song Yi smiled and nodded, then went to find Qingjiang Junzhu. She saw her reclining on the couch with her eyes slightly closed, two little maids kneeling beside her massaging her legs. Her eyebrows were furrowed in distress. As soon as she heard Song Yi's footsteps, Qingjiang Junzhu immediately opened her eyes and sat up straight, waving her hand to dismiss the two little maids. She spoke warmly: "You're back? Did you have a comfortable soak?"

  "It's very comfortable." Song Yi smiled and made a polite gesture, sitting down at the lower seat, saying "It was my first time taking a bath, I didn't have any experience, after getting up I felt like I was going to faint!"

  Qingjiang Junzhu smiled and said, "I've had this loss before, but today I was worried about my fifth sister and forgot to remind you!" She then asked if she was okay and whether they should call a doctor.

  "But I'm just tired and hungry, had something to eat by the pool, isn't that enough?" Song Yi smiled nonchalantly and waved her hand, just about to ask Nie Wu Xiang when Qing Jiang Jun Zhu said: "Looks like both of us have some trouble today: you went with the Yuan family girl to soak in the hot springs and got a bit taken advantage of; I've been here all day and also ran into some trouble! Now that you're back, it's just right for you to help me figure things out!"

  Song Yi smiled unexpectedly and said: "May I ask, elder sister, what's going on?"