Pressure at the Manor Gate
Quentin Lin clung to Lily Evans' arm with a wide grin. "Sis, you’re a genius!"
"You little rascal, out with it!" Lily laughed, sitting side by side with Quentin on the double swing as they gently rocked back and forth.
Quentin leaned against Lily’s arm and said, "Sis, I heard that every day someone from Weiyuan Manor comes to invite you and Brother-in-law to dinner. They even say Madam Lou is sick and misses you both."
"That’s right." Lily didn’t hide it from Quentin. After all, the Lin family already knew about those two old schemers who tried to hurt Madam Wang.
"Ugh, that Madam Lou is such a hypocrite! She just wants to use her son to climb the social ladder, and then pretends she misses you two. It’s so nauseating!" Quentin stuck out his tongue, grabbing his own neck and miming a gag. "Sis, you don’t want to go, do you?"
"Nope, I definitely don’t want to go make peace with someone who nearly ruined my mother’s life." Lily nodded. "I’m the type who holds a grudge, you know."
Quentin chuckled. "Then how about I go in your place, Sis?"
"You?" Lily burst out laughing. "If you show up, Madam Lou will be so scared she’ll jump onto the roof!"
"She says she’s sick, right? Well, I’ll go give her a check-up!" Quentin puffed out his chest proudly. "Quentin Lin—specialist in curing all sorts of stubbornness!"
Lily couldn’t help but laugh aloud. "That’s actually a great idea. Alright, if someone from Weiyuan Manor comes again tomorrow saying Madam Lou is sick, you go with them and give her a proper diagnosis. Let’s see just how ill she really is."
"Leave it to Quentin!" Quentin Lin puffed out his chest with pride.
===
The next day, Madam Lou really did send someone again.
This time, following Madam Lou’s orders, the messenger didn’t enter Prince Alexander’s estate. Instead, he stood at the gate and wailed loudly: "Your Highness! Princess Consort! Please come back and see Madam Lou! She’s been ill for so long and just wants to see her son and daughter-in-law! No matter what misunderstandings there were between our families, blood is thicker than water! Madam Lou is so sick she can’t get out of bed—won’t you go and see her!?"
The servant’s cries echoed down the street, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers.
The servant was secretly delighted, thinking that putting this kind of pressure on Their Highnesses would force them to care about appearances. Otherwise, they’d be branded unfilial—how shameful would that be?
Just as the servant was getting into the performance, the gates of Prince Alexander’s estate swung open. He stopped mid-cry and looked up, only to see a five or six-year-old boy step out, adorable as a porcelain doll.
"I’ll go with you to Weiyuan Manor," Quentin Lin declared, hands behind his back, radiating confidence.
"You? Where did this little guy come from? Don’t cause trouble!" The servant didn’t recognize Quentin, assuming he was just a servant’s child making mischief.
"Didn’t you say Madam Lou is sick? Well, my sister is so ill she can’t get out of bed either. But she cares about Madam Lou, so she sent me to check on her." Quentin crossed his arms.
The servant finally realized—this was the Lin family’s young master, Lily’s stepbrother. He quickly straightened up. "Ah, so it’s Young Master Lin. But our Madam Lou wishes to see His Highness and Princess Consort."
"I said, my sister is too sick to get out of bed, so I’m going in her place. As for my brother-in-law, you’ll have to invite him yourself." Quentin strode forward. "If Madam Lou is ill, she should see a doctor—and I am one! If you stop me from going, it means you’re hiding something. Maybe Madam Lou is just pretending to be sick!"