Yue Qinchun did not know what Feng Yinan was thinking; not knowing how to face him, she had simply chosen to avoid him.

And so the two of them, who had once laughed and joked and could talk about anything, had suddenly become like strangers.

Seeing that Yue Qinchun still did not want anything to do with him, Feng Yinan felt rather hurt inside, but he did not let it show.

“I’ll go out for a walk. Keep going without me.”

He dropped the remark, stood up, and left.

Whatever Feng Yinan could do, he had already done; there was no point in him staying any longer.

Only once Jiu’er returned and everyone discussed things together would there be any need for him to stay.

Staying would let him hear everyone’s views, and it would also let him test his own guesses.

Once Feng Yinan had left, only then did Yue Qinchun lift her eyes to glance over.

Her movement happened to be seen by Xiao Yingtao, who had just finished her work.

Xiao Yingtao picked up a cloth, wiped her hands, and stood up.

“Qinchun, come on, let’s go out for a walk — we’ve all been busy all day.”

“Mm.” Yue Qinchun nodded and closed her notebook.

Everyone else was still busy, so she carefully set the notebook down, pulled in her chair, and left.

As Yue Qinchun and Xiao Yingtao went out, Feng Yinan had not gone far.

He was in a courtyard not far away, feeding hay to several horses.

The moment Yue Qinchun saw him, she stopped in her tracks.

When Xiao Yingtao turned around and saw Yue Qinchun standing there in a daze, she stepped back toward her.

She came up beside Yue Qinchun, her gaze also landing on Feng Yinan in the distance.

“Little Qinchun, what’s actually going on between you and Yinan? Weren’t things fine before? Why is it that now you two won’t even say a word to each other?”

Xiao Yingtao felt sorry for Feng Yinan too — she knew his background better than anyone.

This fellow only got along well with Jiu’er. Unlike Jian Yi, Yinan was the type who rarely spoke, and even with Jiu’er he didn’t have much to say.

Qinchun was the exception.

“Qinchun, has no one ever told you about Yinan’s background?” Before Yue Qinchun could say anything, Xiao Yingtao went on.

She stared unblinkingly at Xiao Yingtao and shook her head.

“Brother Feng, he—”

Xiao Yingtao sighed softly and turned to look toward Feng Yinan.

“We’re from the Beimu Kingdom. He’s of the Ruohe people. He watched his own parents die before his eyes — it was pitiful.”

“Afterward, he followed us back to the Beimu Kingdom.”

“Jiu’er kept giving him tasks, and bit by bit, after completing one after another, he gradually came out of his grief.”

“Yinan does have us as family, but he never had a single close friend. He doesn’t like to talk — if he does talk to anyone, it’s usually just small animals.”

“Until you came along.” Xiao Yingtao turned back and looked at Yue Qinchun.

“After you showed up, Yinan started talking so much more. Everyone could see it — he genuinely cared about you, genuinely wanted to be your friend.”

“While you and Brother Yue were away these past days, he went quiet again. Aside from missions, it’s been nothing but missions — he never lets himself rest.”

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding there is between you two, but I really hope you’ll be the one to talk it through with him.”

“This fellow is rather foolish, and clumsy with words too.” Xiao Yingtao smiled faintly and shook her head.

“I think, whenever he does take a wife, she’s bound to be the type who’s fairly forward and easygoing.”

“I can say for certain she won’t be like Brother Yue, or Little Jiang of the Qiaomu family, or Xing Zizhou — none of that sweet talk.”

“Qinchun, do you understand what I mean?”

Yue Qinchun looked again at Feng Yinan, nodded, then shook her head.

“Actually, it’s not that there’s a misunderstanding between us.”

“I—” Yue Qinchun pressed her lips together, lowering her gaze, “I like Brother Feng, but he said he only thinks of me as a little sister.”

“That day, I really didn’t want to leave, but in the end I left because of those very words.”

“Xiao Yingtao.” Yue Qinchun grew anxious and took hold of Xiao Yingtao’s hand. “I didn’t know how to face him, so I kept my distance.”

“My mother said I’m still young, that I shouldn’t get carried away over one person, and that I’m not steady — that I like whoever I happen to fall for.”

“That’s fair, too. The reason I followed all of you away in the first place was because of Brother Jian Yi.” Yue Qinchun sighed softly and let go of Xiao Yingtao’s hand.

“But after I met Brother Feng, I felt like my feelings had become steadier. What I feel for Brother Jian Yi is admiration; what I feel for Brother Feng is love.”

“These past days, all I’ve thought about, every single day, is Brother Feng. Even when Brother Jian Yi went missing for several days, I didn’t think of him at all.”

“Xiao Yingtao, tell me — am I being too careless, falling for anyone who happens to look good?”

“Of course not.” Xiao Yingtao patted Yue Qinchun gently on the shoulder. “Do you like Jiu’er’s man?”

“No.” Yue Qinchun met Xiao Yingtao’s eyes and shook her head.

“Do you like Little Jiang of the Qiaomu family?” Xiao Yingtao went on.

“No.” Yue Qinchun shook her head again.

“So there you have it.” Xiao Yingtao shrugged. “You don’t fall for every good-looking man, do you?”

Yue Qinchun pressed her lips together, and after a good while, nodded.

“Your real problem right now is that you don’t know whether Yinan likes you.” Xiao Yingtao patted Yue Qinchun’s shoulder once more.

“This is the first time Yinan has ever cared this much about anyone besides Jiu’er. He must like you.”

“As for him calling you a little sister, that’s just a way of putting it.”

“Little sister, little sister — say it as many times as you like, you’re still never going to actually be his blood sister. If you’re not really his sister, then why call you one at all?”

“He likes you, he just doesn’t know how to express it.”

“Besides, Qinchun, you haven’t even turned sixteen yet — any man with a shred of decency wouldn’t dare think too much about you.”

“I can tell that Sister Hua doesn’t have any prejudice against Yinan either.”

“And besides, everyone knows Sister Hua’s temperament — she’s quite open-minded. As long as you’re happy, she won’t fuss over it too much.”

“Xiao Yingtao, is what you’re saying really true?” Yue Qinchun met Xiao Yingtao’s eyes, growing tense.

Xiao Yingtao scratched her head and gave a light cough. “I’ve said so much — which part are you asking about?”

“It’s just—” Yue Qinchun pressed her lips together hard, “what you said about Brother Feng liking me.”

Xiao Yingtao thought to herself: Just as I suspected — Sister Hua really is just for show!

Little Qinchun’s worry was that Yinan didn’t like her; she wasn’t worried about her own mother objecting at all.

“You said you’ve grown steadier — have you actually felt it?” Xiao Yingtao reached out and pressed a hand against Yue Qinchun’s chest, over her heart.

“Doesn’t this already tell you the answer you’re looking for?”

Yue Qinchun’s face turned red in an instant.

She lowered her head, not daring to look at Xiao Yingtao.

“I… I have felt it, but Brother Feng, he… he said he only thinks of me as a little sister.”

“Him saying that left me with no confidence at all. I’m scared!”

“When Yinan said that, was Sister Hua there too?” Xiao Yingtao asked.

“Mm.” Yue Qinchun nodded.

“So.” Xiao Yingtao sighed. “Would you rather he’d said, ‘I have improper intentions toward Qinchun’?”