Young man, you mustn't become obsessed with women.

Sobbing, Yingchun recounted the events of the day after school in broken sentences: "My teacher... he was so kind to me. He praised my handwriting, and... he even asked me privately what stories I liked to hear, and he told me about martial arts masters, which was the kind of story I wanted to hear... I also really liked the soap he gave me..."

"Then why do you still look like this, young lady?" Siqi was confused.

"But...but..." Yingchun's tears fell even harder. "But Third Sister and Lin Sister...they...they ignored me because I received a few words of praise from the young teacher, and they even...they made sarcastic remarks, and deliberately walked away quickly, not waiting for me...Siqi, I feel so bad..."

After she finished speaking, she buried her face in her hands on the table and began to sob, like a child who had suffered a great injustice.

Siqi was stunned when she heard this. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

She had planned everything, only thinking about preventing outsiders from bullying the girl, but she never expected that the problem would come from her own sisters, especially in the way that girls often engage in jealousy, isolation, and exclusion.

This...this is completely beyond the scope of what a maid could handle. Could she possibly rush up to Tan Chun or Dai Yu and accuse them of neglecting their young mistresses?

She didn't have the guts, nor was she qualified.

After a brief moment of surprise, Siqi's stubbornness, refusing to admit her mistake, resurfaced.

She felt she had lost face in front of Yingchun—she had confidently sought help, only to have things turn out even worse. She couldn't admit it was due to her own lack of consideration, or that it was caused by the complicated and subtle relationships between the girls; that would make her seem utterly incompetent.

So, she steeled herself and transferred her anger onto Jia Yun.

Siqi muttered to herself, "Hmph! Even if... even if he didn't directly bully the girl, it's still his fault! Since he promised to take care of her, he should have thought things through! By so obviously praising only the girl and asking only about her, wasn't he putting her in the spotlight and making the other girls unhappy? As a man, doesn't he understand the intricacies of the inner quarters? I think he just wasn't paying attention, only caring about showing off his knowledge, and didn't consider the girl at all! He's so careless and impulsive, always looking before he acts, no wonder he caused this trouble! In the end, it's all his fault!"

Her sophistry left Yingchun completely bewildered.

The girl's crying gradually subsided. She felt that what Siqi said seemed to make some sense. If the young master had been kind to her quietly, without making it so obvious, perhaps her third sister and Lin sister wouldn't have been angry?

Seeing that Yingchun had stopped crying, Siqi felt she had salvaged some face, so she leaned closer to comfort her, saying, "Miss, please don't cry anymore. It's not worth getting upset over people who have nothing to do with you. From now on... from now on, we'll just be more careful ourselves. As for that young gentleman... humph, I'll talk to him about it later!"

She was also worried about how to resolve this situation. Did the girl really have to continue to be isolated like this?

Admittedly, Siqi was a protective mistress, but she must have considered her own reasons. If her mistress was disliked, how could her servant possibly fare well?

As for the "culprit," Jia Yun, in Siqi's mind, she couldn't get rid of the blame for the time being.

After Li Wan accidentally saw Jia Yun slipping out from behind Feng Jie's courtyard wearing Jia Lian's old clothes, a suspicion lingered in her mind.

She herself was widowed young, and though surrounded by such splendor, her heart was as withered and lifeless as ashes. She spent her days serving her parents and raising her children, accompanying her sisters-in-law in needlework and reading, and remained oblivious to all worldly affairs.

Although her father, Li Shouzhong, did not force her to commit suicide, he never mentioned remarriage and only demanded that she be treated as a chaste widow.

The Jia family treated her very well. In addition to her annual share of public funds, the old lady and the madam would privately give her three or four hundred taels of silver, allowing her and Jia Lan to live a decent and stable life.

She knew in her heart that when Jia Zhu passed away, Lady Wang and Grandmother Jia did not explicitly require her to remain chaste. It was because she had a deep affection for Jia Zhu and was deeply influenced by traditional ethics that she voluntarily chose this path.

She still has deep feelings for Jia Zhu to this day.

But precisely because of this, when she saw that Sister Feng—the second mistress of the Rongguo Mansion, who had a husband, a high status, and managed the vast Rongguo Mansion—could do something so awkward, and the object of her affections was none other than a young and handsome nephew of the clan, Jia Yun, her heart was filled with mixed emotions.

It contains both an instinctive moral judgment and a subtle, complex emotion stemming from long-term repression that the speaker is unaware of.

She subconsciously preferred to believe that it was Sister Feng who had behaved improperly and seduced Jia Yun.

After all, in her eyes, Jia Yun was still a half-grown child, and a very promising one at that—his father, Li Shouzhong, a strict and rigid man who was very selective in choosing his students, had actually promised to take Jia Yun as his student if he passed the imperial examination!

Even his own grandson, Jia Lan, was only to be taught by his father after he had established a foundation for officialdom.

The fact that his father treats Jia Yun with special regard is enough to prove that this boy is exceptionally talented and has a fine character. Wouldn't it be a pity if such a promising young man were to have his reputation tarnished and his future ruined by Feng Jie?

Thinking of this, Li Wan couldn't sit still any longer.

She summoned her trusted head maid, Suyun, and whispered, "Go and see if Yun-ge has finished teaching the girls today. If he has, be polite and ask him to come to me. Tell him I want to ask about his studies."

Su Yun responded and left.

Jia Yun had just finished teaching the girls and was packing his things to go back to his home in the west wing to study hard when Su Yun stopped him on the way.

Su Yun was usually gentle and never looked down on Jia Yun, a member of a collateral branch of the family. She spoke very politely: "Brother Yun, our mistress would like to invite you over for a chat."

Jia Yun always respected Li Wan, the mistress of the Zhu family, knowing that she was a virtuous and upright person who kept to herself. Moreover, he was even more grateful to Li Wan's father, Li Shouzhong, for his appreciation.

Moreover, Jia Yun still vividly remembered the kindness Li Wan had shown him by entrusting Su Yun to come and help him and his mother in their time of need. Therefore, although Jia Yun was somewhat surprised to hear this, he immediately followed Su Yun to the courtyard where Li Wan was staying.

Upon arrival, the courtyard was tidy and simple, with a few bamboo stalks and several old plum trees, giving it a rustic charm.

Li Wan was already waiting in the main room, dressed in a plain blue satin vest with pinned teeth. Her face was bare of makeup, and her expression was as gentle and aloof as ever.

"Greetings to my aunt." Jia Yun bowed respectfully.

"Get up and sit down," Li Wan said, gesturing for him to sit down. She then ordered Su Yun to pour some tea.

She started by asking a few casual questions: "How are your studies going lately? Are you having any difficulties? How is your mother's health? Is there enough charcoal for the winter?"

Jia Yun answered each question carefully.

His words were sincere and his attitude was respectful.

"Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Everything is fine. I haven't slacked off in my studies, and my mother is in good health. Thank you for taking care of me, Aunt and the household."

Seeing that he responded appropriately, Li Wan's impression of him as a "good boy" deepened, and she became even more determined to guide him back to the right path.

However, these words should not be said directly, lest it embarrass them.

She carefully chose her words, slowly steer the conversation deeper, her tone becoming increasingly earnest: "Yun-ge'er, you are a smart and ambitious child... My father also has high hopes for you. Studying and taking the imperial examinations is the right path, but it is also a difficult one. The most important thing is to be single-minded and upright."

Jia Yun nodded in agreement: "Auntie's teachings are correct, I will remember them."

Observing his expression, Li Wan continued metaphorically, "When people are young, they inevitably encounter some... well, some external interference, especially in this household... with many people and much gossip. Some things seem glamorous, but are actually traps; some people seem close, but may not be good teachers or helpful friends."

At this point, Li Wan couldn't help but picture Wang Xifeng—the Second Mistress Lian, who was "slender, charming, with a face full of spring and an air of authority, whose laughter could be heard before her lips even parted."

Even Lin Daiyu, upon her first arrival, secretly marveled at her, saying, "This person's attire is different from the other young ladies; her colorful embroidery is dazzling, as if she were a goddess or fairy."

That bright and flamboyant style certainly has the potential to bewitch young men.

Jia Yun was somewhat confused by what she heard.

He asked himself if he had been involved in any "external affairs" lately, except for studying hard, dealing with clan school affairs, and teaching a few girls, let alone being "addicted" to anything else.

Jia Yun took it as Li Wan's routine encouragement as an elder and didn't think about Wang Xifeng's matter at all. He respectfully replied, "Yes, nephew understands. I will definitely keep myself pure and focus on my studies."

Seeing that he didn't seem to fully understand and even looked somewhat bewildered, Li Wan felt even more frustrated.

A bitter and resentful feeling welled up inside her: "Am I... not pretty enough? We're both young and chaste, but in his eyes, my dignified and composed demeanor is inferior to... to that fiery and vibrant woman? So he only listens to her, ignoring my wise advice?"

The thought flashed through Li Wan's mind, and she felt even more frustrated. Her tone became increasingly serious: "You must control yourself. You must not let momentary confusion lead you to indulge in useless things, ruining your foundation and jeopardizing your future. Those seemingly glamorous paths may lie hidden thorns and traps. One wrong step, and you'll be doomed!"

She was convinced that Jia Yun was bewitched by Feng Jie and wouldn't listen to her advice!

Young people are attracted to beauty, especially to someone as glamorous and cunning as Sister Feng. Once they fall for her, it's not something that can be pulled back with a few words.