Everyone present was stunned.
Even though Jiang Bairou quickly let go of Song Wenling, it was useless—everyone had already seen them embracing, once again confirming their illicit affair.
Jiang Yunniang hadn’t originally planned to bring Lu Jianfeng along. But remembering that Grandmother intended to match Jiang Bairou with him, and knowing her foolish cousin always believed Jiang Bairou to be a pure white lotus, she deliberately called him too.
Peeking through her fingers to observe the crowd, Jiang Yunniang saw Jiang Bairou’s face pale as death, while Song Wenling pulled her protectively behind him. Jiang Yunniang knew it was time for her to act.
“Bairou, why… why are you secretly meeting Second Young Master again?”
She bit down hard on the word *again*.
Madam Zhao immediately caught the implication. “Yunniang, what do you mean by *again*?”
“Cousin‑in‑law doesn’t know. On my wedding night, Second Young Master refused to come to my room, saying he needed to study. I thought, since it was our wedding night, I should go check. I never imagined…” She covered her face, sobbing before continuing, “I never imagined I would find Jiang Bairou and Second Master sleeping under the same quilt.”
“Shut up!” Song Wenling barked, seeing the others’ expressions change. He forgot this was the Jiang household. Lu Jianye and Madam Zhao’s faces darkened further. “Brother, Sister‑in‑law, listen to me…”
“Second Young Master, even now you still scold me?” Jiang Yunniang cut him off, looking at him with grief. “I had promised Father and Mother to handle this matter privately. But you’ve gone too far—meeting my sister in secret here in the Jiang household. Have you ever considered my feelings?”
Seeing Madam Zhao approach, Jiang Yunniang threw herself into her arms, crying even louder.
Madam Zhao had never liked Jiang Bairou, though she had kept it to herself. Hearing Jiang Yunniang’s words now, she found them outrageous and grew even more disgusted with Jiang Bairou. She patted Jiang Yunniang’s back to comfort her. “Don’t be afraid, Yunniang. This isn’t the Song household. Your uncle and aunt will stand up for you. Come, let’s go to them now, and let them see what kind of ungrateful creature they’ve raised all these years!”
Madam Zhao pulled Jiang Yunniang away. Lu Jianye’s face was grim. Seeing his younger brother still staring at Jiang Bairou, he said sternly, “What are you looking at? Didn’t you see their tender affection?”
Lu Jianfeng’s heart shattered. He had thought he had a chance, but now he saw Jiang Bairou exchanging secret intimacy with Song Wenling. If he hadn’t witnessed it himself, he would never have believed Jiang Bairou capable of meeting Song Wenling at night, no matter what Jiang Yunniang said.
Dragged by his brother, Lu Jianfeng felt like a fool. He shook off his brother’s hand, slammed his fist against the rockery, blood instantly welling on his knuckles, and ran off without looking back.
Song Wenling and Jiang Bairou exchanged a glance.
Jiang Bairou felt a sinking dread. “Wenling, what do we do now?” she asked anxiously.
“Don’t… don’t be afraid. I’m here.” But in truth, Song Wenling had no confidence. How had the Lu family seen them? Where were his servant and Jiang Bairou’s maid?
They didn’t know that the lookouts they had arranged had all been sent away by Jiang Yunniang’s people. That was why they had been caught in their tryst.
But now explanations were useless. The others had already gone to find Jiang Tingzhou and the Old Madam. They had to hurry over, or else Jiang Yunniang would control the narrative alone.
At that moment, the Old Madam was in the warm pavilion drinking tea. At her age, she feared the cold, so the doors and windows were tightly shut.
When she saw her daughter‑in‑law enter, the Old Madam finally set down her teacup, her expression displeased. “You come from a noble family, yet how can your heart be so small?”
Madam Lu knew what her mother‑in‑law meant, but she couldn’t understand. Even if Jiang Bairou had been raised under the Old Madam’s care, Jiang Yunniang was the true Jiang bloodline. Why did the Old Madam always find fault with Jiang Yunniang and favor Jiang Bairou instead? Shouldn’t Jiang Yunniang, the legitimate granddaughter, be more important?
Thinking of Jiang Bairou’s deeds, if not for Jiang Yunniang’s warning, Madam Lu would have already exposed her true face.
“Ah, you won’t even speak.” The Old Madam disliked seeing her daughter‑in‑law lower her head. Back then, it had been the late master’s idea to marry Lu into the family—he thought the Lu clan, though military, had good family conduct, and the brothers were capable. But once Lu entered the household, she proved too simple‑minded, unsuited for the intrigues of Shengjing’s noble mansions.
“I am listening, Mother,” Madam Lu said.
“Bairou’s background is pitiful. She cannot be blamed for what happened back then. After all, you raised her. How can you be so heartless? To say you won’t see her—doesn’t that wound her too deeply?” The Old Madam had already seen Bairou secretly wiping tears several times. “That child is filial and considerate. She even climbed a thousand steps to Yongquan Temple to pray for your health. Such devotion—how can you not see it?”
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Madam Lu was too stubborn—once she said she would not acknowledge Jiang Bairou, she refused to relent. Yet Jiang Bairou was already seventeen. Girls of ordinary families would have married by now, but Jiang Bairou’s marriage prospects remained unsettled.
The Old Madam had her eye on the youngest Lu son, but Madam Lu refused to help arrange it, so the Old Madam herself had to speak.
Shengjing was not large. For now, few knew of their family’s situation. But if word spread, Jiang Bairou would be scorned for life if she married within the city.
The Old Madam thought it over. Only the Lu family was suitable. They knew the truth, and being far away in the northern frontier, they rarely came to Shengjing. Though she hated to see her granddaughter marry far away, Lu Jianfeng was honest and simple, and he cared for Jiang Bairou. He would not inherit the Lu title, but he would still receive a share of the family estate.
“Enough. You are too cruel, and I cannot persuade you.” The Old Madam sighed. “But appearances must be kept. Jiang Bairou is still your daughter in name. Don’t let outsiders laugh at us.”
Madam Lu opened her mouth several times, wanting to argue, but reason held her back.
Jiang Yunniang had been right: slight impatience ruins great plans. In the past, Madam Lu hadn’t realized how shrewd her daughter was. Now it was clear—Jiang Yunniang must have suffered greatly in the Song household to become so cautious and calculating.
Just then, a maid came to announce that the Lu family had arrived, along with the Eldest Miss.
Hearing this, Madam Lu’s heart tightened. When she saw Jiang Yunniang enter with reddened eyes, she instinctively rose. “Yunniang, what has happened?”
“Mother!” Jiang Yunniang threw herself into her mother’s arms, sobbing with grievance.
They had agreed beforehand that Madam Lu would pretend not to know about Song Wenling and Jiang Bairou. Otherwise, the Old Madam would surely blame her for not reporting it earlier.
Madam Lu’s health was poor, and she had to live under the Jiang’s roof. The Old Madam already disliked her. If she were accused of concealment as well, her days in the Jiang household would become unbearable.
Jiang Yunniang wept, and Madam Zhao spoke up to help. “Old Madam, you have always been steady and principled. Our whole family respects you. Surely you don’t yet know of this matter. But since we witnessed it ourselves, we cannot ignore it. After all, it concerns Yunniang’s reputation.”
“What matters?” The Old Madam frowned, puzzled.
Madam Zhao explained what she had seen at the rockery—Song Wenling and Jiang Bairou embracing. “And not only that. On Yunniang’s wedding night, Jiang Bairou even climbed the wall to meet Song Wenling. How shameless! A young woman, with no regard for propriety, is secretly consorting with her brother‑in‑law. Yunniang hadn’t wanted to speak of it, but Jiang Bairou had gone too far. She seduced Song Wenling again, and only then did we learn the truth.”
After hearing this long account, the Old Madam was stunned. When Jiang Bairou and Song Wenling hurried in, she raised a trembling hand. “Bai… Bairou, is what they say true?”
Jiang Bairou didn’t know exactly what had been said, but Madam Zhao and the others had seen it with their own eyes, and Jiang Yunniang held her undergarment as evidence. She only hoped Jiang Yunniang hadn’t brought it here. If it were just a household matter, perhaps the Old Madam would forgive her.
Glancing at Song Wenling beside her, Jiang Bairou was about to speak, but he cut in first: “Grandmother, Bairou and I truly love each other.”
At those words, the Old Madam’s vision went dark, and she fainted on the spot.
Jiang Bairou froze as well. Wasn’t this an outright admission that they had long been involved? There had still been a chance to cover up the scandal of their wedding‑night affair. Now, there was no room left for denial.