Just as he was forced to kneel, he fell into the water again.

Meng Qingyue turned her face away, all her sorrow buried deep within her eyes. When she looked up again, a trace of self-mockery appeared on her expression. “Rest assured, the heir only glanced at me from afar and didn’t even step down the stairs.”

“So the heir is not interested in me, and I would never dare to steal Meng Changle’s betrothal. You can all put your worries to rest!”

Madam Hou wept uncontrollably, feeling her daughter had been wronged. She was overwhelmed with both anger and regret, unsure of what to do.

Meng Xingzhou pressed his lips together, finally at a loss for words. Only when he saw Madam Hou’s tears did he frown and glance at Meng Qingyue with a faint displeasure. “You should have said so earlier. We never meant to accuse you deliberately.”

Indeed, they had no intention of wronging her.

Yet after she had endured the raging blizzard and overwhelming fury, barely clinging to life, the very first words she heard were:

“Kneel.”

At that moment, Meng Qingyue was utterly disappointed in the so-called family.

Meng Changle bit her lip nearby, hesitating before reaching out to tug at Meng Qingyue’s sleeve. “Sister, I’m sorry. If I hadn’t hurt the heir’s parrot, none of this would have happened…”

Meng Qingyue abruptly shook her off, her disgust no longer hidden.

“If you truly feel sorry for me, then go kneel outside for three hours! Otherwise, don’t pretend here as if I’m the one bullying you!”

Seeing Meng Qingyue so aggressive, Meng Xingzhou’s fleeting guilt gave way to concern for Meng Changle. “Why are you so harsh with Changle? Meng Qingyue, do you think I’m being lenient with you?”

“Enough, enough! Why all the quarrelling!” the Marquis of Huainan said sternly. “This matter ends here. Xingzhou, Qingyue is your sister, and your words were indeed excessive. Qingyue, the heir is your sister’s fiancé. Be cautious from now on, and avoid stirring gossip.”

The Marquis of Huainan struck a balance, clearly unwilling to pursue the issue further.

Meng Qingyue no longer cared; when the heart is dead, nothing else matters.

She forced a bitter smile and stood up, dragging her limping legs, but was called back by the Marquis.

“Qingyue.”

He looked at her meaningfully, then tapped her lightly but firmly. “Qingyue, your marriage is planned by your father. The Duke’s household is not a family you can aspire to join. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” Meng Qingyue nodded silently and turned away.

Perhaps from the long exposure to the snow and the sudden chill of night, Meng Qingyue soon developed a high fever.

Drowsy and miserable, she whimpered softly. Cui’er, with reddened eyes, changed her water and pressed a cloth to her forehead, heart aching for her young mistress.

Biting her lip, she instructed a young maid, “Go and inform the Marquis, Madam Hou, and young Master—notify every one of them!”

She could not believe these so-called close relatives would truly ignore the girl’s illness.

Fifteen minutes... an incense stick’s time... an hour passed...

More than an hour later, Meng Xingzhou finally arrived, pushing through the door curtain with a flurry of cold wind. “What’s wrong with Qingyue?”

Cui’er stepped forward, voice trembling with tears. “Young Master, since our lady returned from kneeling as punishment for the eldest miss, she has been bedridden, even starting to speak nonsense...”

Meng Xingzhou frowned and approached the bed. Meng Qingyue’s pale, weak face lay peacefully, almost obedient.

She had always been quiet before him, but at some point her temperament grew more withdrawn and defiant.

If she were still as sensible as before, how could he have heartlessly left her in the snow without care?

Sighing, Meng Xingzhou took the medicine bowl and fed her carefully.

Seeing the young master’s attentiveness, Cui’er summoned courage to speak, “Actually, Madam wanted to come too, but the eldest miss suddenly caught a cold, so she had to rush to care for her over there...”

Cui’er emphasized “suddenly caught a cold” with pointed bitterness.

She looked at Meng Xingzhou with indignation, the unspoken meaning clear.

Meng Xingzhou glanced at her coldly. “Don’t gossip about the master’s affairs.”

Cui’er fell silent.

Meng Qingyue was unsure how long she had slept. When she opened her eyes, she met Meng Xingzhou’s bloodshot gaze.

She was stunned, then disbelieving—had her brother been here caring for her all these days?

Seeing the faint emotion in her eyes, Meng Xingzhou pursed his lips and said, “Tonight the Duke’s household will dine here. I came early to inform you. When you see the heir, keep your distance. Don’t harbor any intentions.”

Meng Qingyue paused, then forced a bitter smile and agreed softly, “Alright.”

Her voice was faint, not spiteful, but for some reason, Meng Xingzhou felt she did not truly take his words to heart.

He even doubted whether she had fully listened.

His tone unconsciously grew sterner. “Qingyue, I say this for your own good. If you insist on aspiring to the Duke’s household, you will only earn the heir’s disdain and disappoint our parents. How would that benefit you?”

Meng Qingyue kept her head lowered, voice hoarse. “Brother, I have already agreed. You don’t need to say more.”

Meng Xingzhou suddenly fell silent.

Though they had been close siblings since childhood, they had come to a point where they could no longer face each other.

As dusk deepened, the main hall of the Marquis’s residence glowed warmly with charcoal braziers. A large group gathered happily around a table.

In recent days, the Duke had proudly told everyone that his daughter would soon return home, and today was no exception.

After speaking, he sighed with feeling, “Seeing your two daughters in the past made me so envious. Now I finally have a daughter of my own.”

“What a joyous occasion!”

The Marquis of Huainan, knowing propriety well, happily congratulated the Duke as if he were his own father.

Then he shifted the topic, “Since that’s the case, why not double the joy and arrange a marriage between the younger generation soon?”

The Duke frowned slightly, about to respond, but Qiao Xian interrupted, “Uncle, my sister’s return is our family’s foremost concern. We must wait for her before I marry.”

His words embarrassed the Huainan household. If his sister’s return was the top priority, did that mean marrying Changle was not?

As night fell, Meng Qingyue slowly changed her clothes and applied some rouge, ensuring her face did not look pale. She then held Cui’er’s hand and left the room.

The night was growing colder; her body was not yet fully recovered, and she shivered involuntarily.

Ahead on the path, a footman approached respectfully. “Second Miss, the Marquis fears you might go to the wrong place. He sent me to inform you that tonight’s banquet is in the Ninghui Hall.”

Meng Qingyue nodded, then changed direction toward Ninghui Hall.

The path grew more remote and darker. Upon reaching the empty Ninghui Hall, her expression changed as she sensed something was wrong.

She immediately turned to leave swiftly.

The next moment, she suddenly felt a heavy shove from behind.

With a splash, Meng Qingyue fell into the icy lotus pond.