"Yue?"
"Are you home?"
Outside the courtyard, a noblewoman called softly.
The noblewoman had a full figure, a voluptuous build, and was slightly plump, with fleshy cheeks, yet her face was exceptionally kindly. Dignified and elegant, she looked even more amiable when she smiled.
Several maidservants accompanied her.
Hearing the noblewoman call, one maidservant lost patience and was about to barge straight inside, but she stopped her.
"Do not be rude."
She called again, "Yue? I've come to see you..."
Someone immediately opened the door. The General's Residence was immense, consisting of three sections, and the rear quarters where the family lived were further divided into more than a dozen courtyards. Sima Yue lived here.
When Sima Yue emerged, the noblewoman froze for a moment.
It had been so long since they last met, and Sima Yue had grown so thin that it truly pained her to see it.
There was no light in Sima Yue's eyes as she stared fixedly at the noblewoman outside.
The maidservant frowned, but the noblewoman smiled. "Do you no longer recognize me?"
"Mother..."
The noblewoman was none other than Sima Shi's current wife, Yang Huiyu.
Yang Huiyu stepped forward and gently took her hand. "How have you grown so thin? Where is Ping? Is he not home?"
"He just went to sleep."
Sima Yue remained cold.
Yang Huiyu paid no mind to her attitude. Taking her hand herself, she followed her into the courtyard.
"Why haven't you come to see me? Ping is my grandson too, yet days go by without my seeing him..."
Yang Huiyu took the initiative to chat about family matters, while Sima Yue merely answered numbly.
The two sat inside, and Yang Huiyu said a great deal more, but the atmosphere remained somewhat chilly.
"In a few days, you'll be