Sheng Yong doted on Qingxin, and that very afternoon, he sent her another exquisite set of ruby headwear.
Qingxin gazed at the jewelry in the box, listening to the servants’ flattery, and felt immensely pleased with herself!
Her life these days was simply divine!
Her food, clothing, and daily necessities were all of the finest quality—several notches above what she’d had before.
If she had stuck with the matriarch or the eldest young master, would she ever have had such good days?
Thank goodness she’d made the right choice and chosen to follow the Old Master.
Even her family had been given important positions because of her. Last time her brother sneaked in to see her, he no longer dared to boss her around like he used to—he spoke to her with utmost respect…
Qingxin felt an immense sense of satisfaction.
If there was anything she was unhappy about, it was probably that her belly just wasn’t cooperating…
The Old Master put in so much effort every single night—how come she still couldn’t get pregnant?
Tomorrow, she’d have to go find another physician to take a look.
Whether she could continue living in luxury for the next few decades all depended on whether she could bear children who’d make something of themselves.
Tonight, she’d have to work even harder to please the Old Master—maybe then she’d conceive.
Her gaze swept around the room, taking in the servants.
Recently, the Old Master had bought her several new servants.
Some were skilled at dressing hair, some excelled at cooking, others knew how to brew tea, and a few were good at embroidery…
Each and every one of them treated her like their mistress, attentive and loyal.
Compared to them, Xiao Que, who had been with her from the very beginning, seemed rather useless now.
She shot a sidelong glance at Xiao Que in the corner and pursed her lips.
Then she instructed another person: “Nanny Lai, do my hair.”
Nanny Lai was a plump woman. Upon hearing the command, she immediately broke into a beaming smile.
“Today, this old servant will style your hair in a ‘Flying Immortal’ bun… You look just like a celestial maiden from heaven, so this bun was practically made for you…”
“Mhm.”
Qingxin responded indifferently, carrying herself with the full air of a proper madam.
Xiao Que, standing off to the side, lowered her gaze and tucked away the mockery in her eyes.
Madam?
Qingxin was truly delusional!
Xiao Que didn’t think Qingxin’s future was all that bright.
This little residence might look beautifully decorated, and the Old Master had bought her several servants and sent gifts over every single day.
On the surface, it seemed like the Old Master was putting Qingxin on a pedestal.
But all he sent were jewelry, fabric, and such…
If the Old Master ever wanted to take those things back, it would be as easy as saying the word.
If the Old Master truly wanted to spoil Qingxin, he’d get her deed of servitude back from the matriarch, return it to her, erase her slave status, and give her shops and farmland.
The way things were now… what difference was there between this and keeping a pet cat or dog?
If Qingxin’s belly cooperated, fine—but if not, she’d probably only have a year or two of good days left…
Besides, the matriarch had long known about Qingxin’s deliberate seduction of the Old Master.
She was only holding back because the Old Master was currently so taken with Qingxin. Once Qingxin fell out of favor, that’s when the reckoning would come…
Qingxin had once served under the matriarch—Xiao Que didn’t believe Qingxin didn’t understand all this.
She was probably just too caught up in believing a man’s sweet talk, and all those servants calling her “madam” had gone to her head.
Sometimes, when Xiao Que thought about it, she found it both terrifying and pitiful.
Desire makes people lose their way—makes them stupid…
Following a muddled and foolish mistress was a fast track to ruin.
So now that Qingxin didn’t trust her anymore, Xiao Que was more than happy!
No longer having to be Qingxin’s confidante meant that when the matriarch eventually settled accounts, perhaps she’d go easy on Xiao Que, considering she’d once “tattled”…
The full moon hung high in the sky, and the Sheng family had gathered in the garden to admire it.
By the time Sheng Minmin arrived, they had already filled two tables, with the whole family enjoying a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
Sheng Minmin knew—she was dreaming of her past life again.
In the dream, tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In her previous life, on her first Mid-Autumn Festival back at the manor, no one had informed her.
The servants said the manor’s steward personally went to each courtyard to notify the masters of the time, location, and to remind them to wear insect-repellent clothing, and so on.
But that steward had forgotten about her.
Or rather, the Sheng family had forgotten about her.
No one came to tell her, and the maids and old nannies in her courtyard mocked her relentlessly…
She had locked herself in her room and cried for a long time—her eyes were all swollen—until the manor began lighting its lanterns.
Then Sheng Mingzhu’s maid hypocritically sent her a pink outfit that was completely unsuited to her complexion, telling her to come to the banquet.
She’d hurriedly changed and come over, both excited and anxious.
Sheng Minmin wanted to wake herself up.
She didn’t want to go through that again—didn’t want to relive the humiliation of her past life!
She tried to open her eyes, but no matter what, she couldn’t wake up.
She felt trapped inside her past-life body, with no control over the situation.
She could only let her past self walk, step by step, toward that group of people.
“Little sister, you’re finally here…”
Sheng Mingzhu was the first to notice her, smiling as she looked at her.
In her past life, Sheng Minmin hadn’t dared to look at the expressions on the people at the table. But this time, in the dream, she observed them carefully.
She saw Sheng Yong, Huang Yaning, and the three legitimate brothers at the main table all freeze for a moment in surprise.
They had apparently forgotten she even existed—so her appearance gave them a little shock.
Huang Yaning looked a bit embarrassed beneath her surprise, her gaze darting away as if she didn’t dare meet Sheng Minmin’s eyes.
As for Sheng Yong and Sheng Mingjian, they frowned.
And Sheng Mingbo wore his annoyance plainly on his face.
Sheng Minmin felt extremely torn at that moment.
On one hand, she could feel how heartbroken her past self was.
Because the Mid-Autumn Festival was about family reunion, yet her “family” had… forgotten all about her…
Her insides ached dully, her throat felt tight, and her eyes burned…
On the other hand, her reborn self was itching to flip the table right then and there.
“An ill-mannered wild girl! Knowing full well today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, you still show up this late? Are you deliberately making everyone wait for you?”
Sheng Mingbo scolded her right off the bat.
“That’s not it… No one told me…”
Her past self was stunned by the reprimand, but still mustered the courage to explain.
Yet all she got in return was an even louder scolding!
“Stop playing the victim!
“I think you deliberately wanted Father, Mother, and your older brothers and sisters to come beg you in person!”
“Alright, Fifth Brother, say a little less. Little sister probably didn’t… do it on purpose…”
Sheng Mingzhu pouted, as if she mildly disapproved.
“Hmph—I think she’s holding a grudge in her heart and doesn’t see us as family at all!”
Sheng Mingbo snorted coldly.
“Fifth Brother, I won’t let you bully Little Sister—”
Sheng Mingzhu stood up and stomped her foot, seeming to defend Sheng Minmin.
Sheng Mingbo then turned to coax Sheng Mingzhu, praising her for being kind-hearted, while that group completely ignored Sheng Minmin’s past self.
Sheng Minmin could feel her past self on the verge of tears.
Her reborn self, on the other hand, was seething with rage—she really wanted to march up and slap Sheng Mingbo across the face a dozen times!
This group had clearly forgotten all about her, and yet Sheng Mingbo had the audacity to claim everyone was waiting for her?
They turned around and accused her of being rude and lacking manners—where did they get the nerve?
