The news of the Crown Prince's awakening was brought to the Song family by Princess Duanhui. Standing under the veranda, Song Chuyi watched the talkative parrot. It flitted and hopped about restlessly, fpping its wings noisily, and in the process, managed to spsh water all over Baizhi.

  Frustrated, Baizhi grabbed a twig and gave the parrot a few firm swats, prompting it to finally settle down. The bird ruffled its feathers indignantly and squawked in retaliation, “Baizhi is mean! Mean-hearted Baizhi! Wicked witch!”

  Baizhi, both exasperated and amused by its outburst, reached into the cage, picked up the parrot, and poked its head. “You’re the mean one, you nasty little bird! Just watch me pluck all your feathers!”

  Meanwhile, Yun entered the room holding a few sprigs of bougainvillea to pce in a vase. Seeing the scene unfold, she couldn’t help but ugh. “Look at you—grown as you are, quarreling with a bird! Honestly, aren’t you ashamed? Hurry up, feed it, and take it out for a walk.”

  Even Qingying couldn’t suppress her ughter. She turned to Song Chuyi and remarked, “This Xiao Bai is getting more mischievous by the day. I fear that when we take it to Jinzhong, instead of spouting auspicious phrases, it’ll spout all kinds of curses!”

  As Song Chuyi passed by the bird, lifting her skirt slightly, the parrot called out in a shrill voice, “Little Six! Little Six!”

  Baizhi quickly grabbed the troublemaker and carried it outside, torn between anger and amusement at this small but insufferable creature.

  Even inside, First Lady Cui and Old Lady Song overheard the commotion. When Song Chuyi entered, they greeted her with smiles. “Were you squabbling with Xiao Bai again? Its loud screeching could be heard all the way in here!”

  “Indeed...” Song Chuyi replied with a helpless smile. “I don’t even know who taught Xiao Bai to be so sharp-tongued. It hurls insults effortlessly, yet only says auspicious phrases when it feels like it. If it keeps this up, I won’t dare bring it to visit Grandmother in Jinzhong. Just imagine—if it blurts out something inappropriate in front of all our retives, wouldn’t that be utterly humiliating?”

  First Lady Cui covered her mouth, ughing as she pulled Song Chuyi to sit beside her. She gently tapped Song Chuyi’s forehead with a finger and said, “You don’t need to worry about that. Your grandmother isn’t someone who’s inexperienced or narrow-minded—she appreciates both elegance and humor. Even if Xiao Bai doesn’t say auspicious phrases, it’s amusing and adorable enough not to embarrass you.”

  Old Lady Song chuckled as well. “Your aunt is right. Xiao Bai may be spoiled, but it has never acted out in front of outsiders. Perhaps...” She paused and smiled knowingly. “Perhaps it’s just afraid of truly being plucked and cooked into stew.”

  Since the day Song Jue had carried the parrot around a boiling pot of water, Xiao Bai had indeed refrained from misbehaving in front of strangers. Hearing this, Song Chuyi couldn’t help but ugh. After her ughter subsided, she turned to First Lady Cui and asked, “Aunt, you mentioned the Crown Prince has awakened?”

  “He woke up yesterday,” First Lady Cui replied, her smile fading as she leaned back slightly. “But no matter how much the Empress questioned him, he refused to expin what angered him to the point of illness. He only vaguely said it was because of Lady Fan’s insubordination...”

  Understanding the situation, Song Chuyi gave a knowing smile. This Crown Prince had once allowed Consort Fan to pressure Crown Princess Lu to such extremes, even sending the Heir Apparent, Zhou Weizhao, to Mount Longhu. His affection for Consort Fan was undoubtedly genuine.

  Even if Lady Fan risked her life to expose Consort Fan’s true colors, the Crown Prince wouldn’t believe it. It was human nature: once someone invests years of effort into something, they naturally don’t want to admit it was all in vain. Otherwise, wouldn’t all those years of dedication turn into a joke? The Crown Prince’s current defense of Consort Fan was therefore predictable.

  He had cherished Consort Fan for so many years, enduring countless controversies because of her. To now distance himself or expose her actions would make him look like a fool. The Crown Prince couldn’t afford such a loss of face. Moreover, his retionship with Consort Fan was no longer solely about emotions; it was entangled with countless interests and alliances. If Consort Fan were to retaliate recklessly, the repercussions would be unbearable for him.

  However, this didn’t mean Consort Fan could escape unscathed. On the surface, the Crown Prince wouldn’t act against her, and Consort Fan must have already prepared for this scenario. But the seed of doubt would remain—a thorn lodged in his heart. He would never again trust Consort Fan as wholeheartedly as he once did.

  Yuanhui had aligned himself with the Prince of Commandery and Consort Fan, hoping to remove the Song family as an obstacle. Old Lady Song, still wary of Consort Fan’s ruthlessness, felt that Song Chuyi’s conflict with Yuanhui was also rooted in Consort Fan. Hearing this, she sneered coldly. “The Crown Prince is holding back for now to save face, but it’s unlikely he’ll endure this forever. When his patience runs out, things will get interesting.”

  In a marriage, mutual distrust was the worst poison. Without trust, how could a retionship endure? With this incident, the Crown Prince would always suspect whether Consort Fan had betrayed him, while Consort Fan would live in constant fear. Both would harbor resentment, leading to a vicious cycle that would eventually erupt.

  As Song Chuyi listened to the conversation about gifts to bring to Jinzhong, Qingying’s voice came from outside the curtain, reporting that Old Master Song and Song Jue had summoned her to the study.

  Given the timing, it was likely about the attack she had encountered previously. After excusing herself from Old Lady Song and First Lady Cui, Song Chuyi made her way to the front yard study with Qingying.

  Inside, Old Master Song and Song Jue were discussing matters with Cui Yingshu. Upon her entrance, they all turned to her, and Old Master Song gestured for her to approach. “Yuanhui has sent people to investigate and has already traced the clues you left behind to the house where you were ambushed.”

  This was a trail Song Chuyi had deliberately left for Yuanhui, ensuring he would know she held the captives.

  Cui Yingshu patted her head gently, his expression filled with concern. “Now that Yuanhui knows you’ve uncovered him as the mastermind and retaliated by capturing his mother and sister, he won’t let this go easily.”

  Song Chuyi nodded slowly, unhurriedly. She had pnned for Yuanhui to discover the truth and was well-prepared.

  “Just wait, Grandfather and Uncle. In a few days, Yuanhui himself will come knocking at our door,” she said with a faint smirk. Her tone carried a sharp edge of sarcasm. “He’s been sitting comfortably as the fisherman for far too long—it’s time for him to experience what it’s like to be the fish.”