Mu Wanyao was excited as she led Yan Shang to view the residence opposite the Princess’s manor. Initially, Yan Shang held some hope that there might be ordinary houses in the same district as the Princess’s residence. However, as Mu Wanyao showed him around, he realized his hopes were in vain.

This was a standard three-courtyard compound, with an exceptionally complete layout.

Upon entering, there was a porter’s lodge, gatehouse, and side rooms, followed by a spacious main hall with an open southern face. This comprised the outer residence.

Past the “second gate” lay the inner residence. The courtyard’s scenery immediately became more abundant, no longer maintaining the stern dignity of the front court. The back garden featured a lake, artificial mountains, and waterside pavilions. As Yan Shang and Mu Wanyao walked along the lakeside, they could see fish still happily blowing bubbles in the water.

The inner residence began with a two-story building called the sleeping hall, which was the domain where the lady of the house handled domestic affairs. Further back were rows of wing rooms…

Yan Shang’s brow twitched slightly. Since coming to Chang’an, he had only seen such a complete compound layout with a porter’s lodge once. He said quietly, “When I previously visited Minister Zhang, I noticed his home had a porter’s lodge. I didn’t expect this residence to have one as well.”

Mu Wanyao turned to look at him, approval in her eyes.

She explained, “Indeed, porter’s lodges are generally found only in the homes of Prime Ministers. Because Prime Ministers receive many visitors daily, their residences usually have porter’s lodges set up outside the main hall. Visiting guests first register at the porter’s lodge, then wait in the gatehouse side rooms.

“When the Prime Minister has time, he will summon them to the main hall.”

Yan Shang nodded: “I see.”

He paused, “So this mansion originally belonged to a Prime Minister?”

Mu Wanyao smiled brightly: “Correct. Opposite my Princess’s manor lived a Minister and his family for over a decade. However, he recently made some mistakes, and the Crown Prince demoted him to an official position in the provinces. This residence has been empty since then, with no buyers yet.”

In the eyes of Great Wei officials, only capital positions offered good prospects. Many officials became dejected at the mere mention of provincial assignments, some even directly refusing to take up such posts.

It was quite an interesting matter.

Naturally, Prime Minister Mu Wanyao did end up taking the provincial position.

Originally, Mu Wanyao didn’t care whether the residence opposite her home was empty or not – what did it matter to her? She had lived next to an old man for many years without developing any deep feelings.

But hadn’t Yan Shang asked her to help find a house?

She immediately thought of the recently vacated residence across from her.

Moreover… Mu Wanyao recalled seeing Yan Shang’s “Prime Minister’s tablet” at Yongshou Temple that day. When she was half-skeptical, she had connected this residence with Yan Shang.

Mu Wanyao was extremely excited, feeling she had handled this matter beautifully. While this compound wasn’t as luxurious as her Princess’s manor, it was already of extremely high standard for an official.

She counted off the points on her fingers for Yan Shang: “You complained your previous residence was too small – this place isn’t small at all, the courtyard is very spacious.

“You said you wanted convenience, not too far from Hongwen Academy. This compound isn’t just close to Hongwen Academy, it’s also near the Three Departments and Six Ministries in the imperial city.

“You mentioned wanting more privacy, to be further from common people. The residences in this district are all quite far from commoners, who can’t even enter the district. It completely meets your requirements.

“How about it, isn’t it excellent?”

Mu Wanyao turned to look at Yan Shang and saw him in a daze. Noticing her gaze, he gave her a slight smile.

Mu Wanyao’s heart instantly went cold.

Like a splash of cold water.

She hadn’t known Yan Shang for just a day or two; she knew well that he was habitually courteous, treating everyone with politeness. And his slight smile now was exactly that kind of very courteous, polite, shallow smile.

The smile hadn’t reached his heart.

Mu Wanyao’s face suddenly darkened, and without a word, she turned and left the compound. While Yan Shang was still fretting with difficulty, he saw Mu Wanyao, who had just been laughing and extremely happy, turn and leave. He noticed her small face had grown cold, her lips tightly pressed together.

Mu Wanyao turned and left the compound, walked a few steps, and entered her own Princess’s manor.

She went straight to the inner residence, her chest tight with anger, pacing several steps along a waterside corridor, so angry she almost wanted to curse. From the corner of her eye, she saw the maids timidly avoiding her, and Yan Shang, after asking directions, followed her over and saw her.

Mu Wanyao sat down expressionlessly.

Her heart felt extremely wronged.

She rarely helped others, rarely considered others’ needs, and yet Yan Shang didn’t appreciate it, even smiling so falsely? Why didn’t he appreciate it? Was the place she found not good enough? Was she bullying him?

Yan Shang came before Mu Wanyao crouched down, and looked at her for a long while.

She turned her face away, ignoring him.

Yan Shang sighed: “What’s wrong, Your Highness?”

This time Mu Wanyao even turned her shoulders away, completely refusing to look at him.

Yan Shang could only stand up and crouch in front of her again: “Forgive my slowness, but I truly don’t know why Your Highness is angry. Your Highness must tell me so we can solve the problem. We’re both very busy, why waste time on such small matters?”

Mu Wanyao had originally intended to remain angry and ignore him.

But what he said… made sense.

Why should she waste time on him?

So Mu Wanyao looked at him, her tone sharp: “You don’t know why I’m unhappy? You asked me to help find you a residence, I helped you, but you don’t appreciate it and think that house isn’t good enough. And I know why you think that house isn’t good enough!”

Yan Shang looked at her.

He smiled slightly.

Speaking gently: “Is that so? But I feel you don’t know.”

Mu Wanyao’s eyebrows shot up, feeling he was looking down on her intelligence!

She fumed: “What else could it be? You just don’t want to be my neighbor! You find me troublesome and want to keep your distance. You think meeting once or twice a month is enough, but if you lived here, you might have to see me every day, you’d have to greet me every day… it gives you a headache.

“In your heart, you’re thinking, this Princess is so domineering and willful, before there was distance as a barrier, occasionally appeasing her was enough, but in the future, you might have to appease her every day, how could you bear that?”

Her expression was vivid as she mimicked his tone, still carrying three parts anger.

However, she was beautiful and young, and this angry manner, in Yan Shang’s eyes… held quite a bit of charm.

Making him smile despite himself.

Mu Wanyao grew even angrier, suddenly standing up, almost brought to tears by his attitude: “This time your smile is genuine! You’re laughing at me, I can tell!”

Yan Shang hurriedly stood up, wiping the expression from his face, and reached out through his sleeve to grab her wrist.

Yan Shang said: “How could I look down on Your Highness? I’ve reached where I am today entirely thanks to Your Highness’s support. Your Highness has been so good to me, how could I not appreciate it? I am indeed dissatisfied with this house, but it has nothing to do with Your Highness. If fate allowed me to be Your Highness’s neighbor, it would be a blessing earned from a thousand years of cultivation – how could I be dissatisfied?”

Mu Wanyao hesitated, turning her head to look at him.

Because this person always chose pleasant words to say, she couldn’t immediately judge whether these were his true thoughts or mere lip service.

Mu Wanyao’s anger diminished somewhat, but she still held her chin high: “Well if you’re not opposed to being my neighbor, then why are you dissatisfied with this house? Such a good house, what could you be dissatisfied with?”

Yan Shang: “It’s precisely because it’s too good that I’m dissatisfied.”

Mu Wanyao was stunned.

Yan Shang pulled her to sit down and explained: “Your Highness stands high above, never having worried about money. Your Highness doesn’t understand – this compound you’ve chosen, I also think it’s excellent, whether in terms of feng shui or layout, it’s all superb, but I truly cannot afford it. I’m just a farmer from the countryside in Lingnan, how could I afford a Prime Minister’s residence?”

Mu Wanyao was dumbfounded.

Clearly in her understanding, this was the first time she’d heard someone give such an excuse.

She stammered: “C-c-can’t afford it?”

Yan Shang: “Mm.”

Mu Wanyao grew somewhat anxious: “But this compound has an excellent layout and feng shui, many people want it. If you don’t buy it, someone else might buy it tomorrow. You won’t find another like it.”

Yan Shang said: “There’s nothing to be done about that.”

Mu Wanyao pressed her lips together, somewhat unhappy.

Because she had originally picked this house thinking of Yan Shang as a neighbor. Now that Yan Shang wouldn’t be her neighbor, it would surely be some old man becoming her neighbor instead. Princess Danyang was very displeased. After all, the difference between an old codger and a beautiful youth was quite large.

Originally she hadn’t minded, but now… well, there was Yan Shang for comparison.

Mu Wanyao wanted to buy this house for Yan Shang but also knew he wouldn’t take advantage of her.

So as a compromise, Mu Wanyao said: “Then I’ll put up the money to buy it for you, and you can pay me back slowly.”

Yan Shang said: “I’m still waiting for my appointment at Hongwen Academy, and the Erudite Scholar examination isn’t until the tenth month – and I don’t even know if I’ll pass. Even if I pass, the official position the court assigns me will be ninth rank at worst and eighth rank at best. As an eighth-rank official, how long would it take me to repay Your Highness?”

Mu Wanyao: “But you won’t be a minor eighth-rank official forever. I think you can be promoted very quickly. Capital officials are very wealthy, they don’t lack money at all.”

Yan Shang smiled: “Thank you for Your Highness’s confidence in this subject. But I cannot be blindly confident, can I? If I clearly cannot afford such a fine compound, why should I live there prematurely?”

He stated practically: “Moreover, such a large compound, how could I clean it alone? Wouldn’t I need to buy servants? I had originally planned to add servants after obtaining an official position. Now with nothing certain, buying both a house and servants… I really cannot afford it.”

Mu Wanyao fell silent.

She lowered her eyes, her long dark lashes covering the expression in them.

Yan Shang said gently: “So, thank you for Your Highness’s kind intentions, but I should look for other accommodation.”

He stood up, bowed to Mu Wanyao, and prepared to take his leave.

He heard Mu Wanyao’s voice behind him: “Then what if I temporarily rent this house to you?”

Yan Shang turned back to look at her.

Having made up her mind, Mu Wanyao smiled as she persuaded him: “Since you don’t want this house, and I don’t wish to have others as neighbors, I might as well buy this house myself. I’ll not only buy the house but also add servants to clean the compound.

“I’ll rent the house to you, and whenever you have money and want to buy it from me, I can sell it to you then. How about that?”

Mu Wanyao stood up, grabbed his hand, and pulled him back. She placed her hand on his shoulder, making him sit beneath the corridor railing.

Standing before him, she leaned down to tempt him: “After all, this compound is truly excellent. From here to the imperial city, it’s only half a quarter-hour by horse. You’re going to be an official in the future – when you look for other suitable houses then, are you certain you’ll find one?

“And are you so lacking in ambition that you think you’ll never attend morning court? When the time comes for you to attend court, think about how far it would be from other districts to the imperial city, and how close it would be from here. You need to study daily and do many things – shouldn’t you save time on such minor matters?

“It’s not so easy to keep changing houses in Chang’an?”

Pushed down to sit by her, her hand on his shoulder, her fingers lightly brushing his neck, Yan Shang uncomfortably turned his face away, his back stiff and straight against the corridor pillar, somewhat startled.

Then silence.

He was somewhat surprised at how eager Mu Wanyao was to have him as a neighbor.

Yan Shang said softly: “But even if Your Highness rents the house to me, I probably can’t afford such a large compound.”

A ripple of triumph flashed in Mu Wanyao’s eyes.

She knew he was yielding.

She pressed on: “In these matters, it’s about what you have, not what you give. Do I look like someone who lacks money? Would I rely on your bit of rent to get by? Let’s do this – just pay what you think is appropriate. After all, this compound is truly excellent; if you miss it, it’s gone.”

She remembered something else: “Moreover, since a former Prime Minister lived here, he probably left many books he couldn’t take with him. Wouldn’t those all be given to you?”

Yan Shang pondered, truly somewhat swayed.

Only one thing still made him hesitate…

Yan Shang didn’t look at Mu Wanyao, but with his eyes lowered, he could still see her slender waist and trailing skirts as she stood before him. Her fragrance enveloped him.

Yan Shang smiled bitterly.

He asked: “Why does Your Highness insist on having me live here?”

Mu Wanyao said: “Because neighborly relations are important, we can look after each other. Given a choice, I prefer having someone like you as my neighbor.”

Yan Shang remained silent.

After another long moment, he slowly said: “Then how about I give Your Highness all my current monthly salary as rent?”

Before Mu Wanyao could answer, he coughed once and said shamefully: “Of course, this salary is quite small, if in the tenth month…”

Mu Wanyao smiled sweetly: “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

She leaned down.

Yan Shang instinctively leaned back, away from her approaching face.

Her hand still rested on his shoulder, her little finger’s pad brushing his neck just so: “Now, how about having tea with me?”

Yan Shang still kept his eyes lowered, not looking at her, his body completely rigid: “…Mm.”

After that, Yan Shang began considering the matter of moving.

Speaking of which, it was rather melancholic – since he passed the examination, his relationship with Wei Shu remained decent, but Liu Wenji spent his days drinking, depressed; and a few days ago when their group met Feng Xianyu, they learned Feng Xianyu had also moved out of his original residence.

Feng Xianyu moved directly into Princess Luling’s manor, causing people to gossip behind his back. Liu Wenji especially refused to associate with him anymore. As for Wei Shu, he was always aloof anyway and didn’t care what Feng Xianyu did.

Thus on the day Feng Xianyu moved, only Yan Shang and a few others went to help. Seeing that Yan Shang’s attitude remained unchanged and that the matter of substituting for the Third Scholar position remained unknown to others, Feng Xianyu felt complicated emotions. He hadn’t expected that after treating Yan Shang that way, Yan Shang hadn’t mentioned it to anyone behind his back.

While serving the Princess, his reputation was already poor, and if people learned he had substituted for Yan Shang… his reputation in Chang’an’s scholarly circles would be completely ruined.

For scholars, reputation was of utmost importance.

Yan Shang helped Feng Xianyu pack his belongings, and the two silently shared a meal and wine. At parting, Yan Shang wished Feng Xianyu good prospects in his future, and Feng Xianyu forced a smile and cupped his hands in return. Though their positions were now as different as clouds from mud, Yan Shang still saw him off.

After draining his wine, Feng Xianyu called out: “Yan Suchen.”

Yan Shang responded courteously: “Does Brother Feng have something to teach me?”

After struggling for a moment, Feng Xianyu said: “Be careful of Princess Luling.”

Yan Shang was surprised, not understanding where this warning came from. This one reminder was already Feng Xianyu’s limit. He feared saying more would incur the Princess’s displeasure.

After Feng Xianyu left, Yan Shang still didn’t understand his words. He wondered if it was because of the Third Scholar substitution matter that had caused Princess Luling to become dissatisfied with him.

But he had handled that matter through Feng Xianyu, using such a gentle approach – why would the Princess be dissatisfied?

Unable to make sense of it no matter how much he thought, Yan Shang could only set the matter aside for now. Despite his keen mind, he couldn’t guess Princess Luling’s intentions toward him.

Setting that aside, Yan Shang was relieved to discover that Zhao Wu’niang hadn’t come to Yongshou Temple to bother him for several days. Could it be that Zhao Wu’niang had finally realized he wasn’t a suitable match and was going to give up on him?

This was good news.

Yan Shang hurriedly went to the temple to burn two sticks of incense, praying that Zhao Wu’niang would soon find her destined marriage and stop pursuing the wrong match.

Of course, the reason Imperial Consort Zhao hadn’t come to find Yan Shang for several days wasn’t because she had suddenly transferred her affections elsewhere, but because she had been confined by her father.

The reason was that Yang Sanlang Yang Si had come to the Zhao family, speaking presumptuously about how his cousin had set her sights on Third Scholar Yan Shang.

When the Director of the Imperial Academy, Lord Zhao, inquired about Yan Shang’s background, he became opposed to this marriage. Lord Zhao naturally wanted to marry off his little daughter who spent all day playing with weapons, which was why he had been urging her to attend various banquets.

But for a noble family like the Zhaos, they sought to climb even higher. Lord Zhao had worried himself sick trying to curry favor with the powerful, lamenting that his family’s greatest connection was only to families like the Yangs. How could he allow his daughter to willingly lower herself now?

So Imperial Consort Zhao was confined.

Father and daughter argued through a closed door.

Lord Zhao bristled with anger: “If you want to marry, it must be to someone of equal status. Yan Suchen is impossible!”

Zhao Lingfei jumped up and down inside the room: “You haven’t even met him, how do you know he’s not good? Father, people say don’t look down on poor youth – how can you not understand this principle?”

Lord Zhao sneered: “Yang San has already told me! That Young Master Yan is just a wild fellow who spends all day in pleasure houses, becoming Third Scholar purely by luck! Had I known you’d set your sights on him, I would never have let you go to Xing Garden.”

Zhao Lingfei crossed her arms and spat: “You unreasonable old man, telling me to marry on one hand but not letting me marry whom I like on the other. You’ve gone mad thinking about glory and riches all day! Father, our family doesn’t lack money – why must you be so fixated on joining great noble houses? Look at my sisters – is any one of them living happily?”

Lord Zhao said: “This is simply your fate as a daughter. Lingfei, you must listen. I’ll find you a good young man another day…”

No matter what else he said, Zhao Lingfei inside the room no longer responded. Lord Zhao left with a sigh, while Zhao Lingfei paced back and forth in her room, thinking of how to deceive her father and get out soon. Her ideals differed too much from her father’s; there was no point in further discussion.

She was truly anxious!

After staying away from Yongshou Temple for so long, would Second Young Master Yan forget about her?

Mu Wanyao sat in the three-story pavilion in her manor’s inner courtyard, fanning herself while gazing at the distant scenery.

This three-story pavilion in the Princess’s manor practically dominated the surroundings, offering a clear view of the surrounding terrain. This naturally included the compound across the alley.

Today, Mu Wanyao saw servants coming and going in that opposite compound, moving things.

Mu Wanyao pressed her fan against her chin, her mind wandering as she gazed at the scene across the way.

She had already bought servants for the opposite compound, had the deed in her possession, and had written up the rental agreement with Yan Shang. She was just waiting for him to move in.

Seeing the activity over there today, was he moving in?

Mu Wanyao narrowed her eyes, thinking how it seemed… somehow… vaguely… she hadn’t seen Yan Shang.

Chunhua brought over a plate of fruit, seeing the Princess had been sitting there for an hour already. Chunhua followed the Princess’s gaze into the distance: “Can Your Highness see clearly?”

Mu Wanyao: “…No, I can’t.”

She glared at Chunhua.

Then realized: “I was just lost in thought – who told you I was looking at anything?”

Chunhua suppressed a smile: “Yes. Your Highness has recently taken quite a liking to this three-story pavilion in our manor. This servant has already had people clean it well. Summer is approaching, and when the weather gets hot, Your Highness will find it more comfortable sitting up here in the breeze than down below.”

Mu Wanyao glared at her again.

Another maid entered and announced: “Your Highness, the Jin Prince’s Consort has arrived.”

Mu Wanyao: “…Why has she come again?”

The Jin Prince’s Consort, in her desperate quest for a son for the Jin Prince’s household, had probably gone mad with trying.

This time she came to find Mu Wanyao because she wanted to worship at Yongshou Temple again. Feeling embarrassed to go alone, she wanted to drag Mu Wanyao along.

Being bored that afternoon, and with the maids’ encouragement, Mu Wanyao reluctantly allowed the Jin Prince’s Consort to drag her out to Yongshou Temple.

At Yongshou Temple, Mu Wanyao only perfunctorily paid her respects to Buddha before leaving the main hall. She walked aimlessly around the temple grounds when Chunhua called from behind: “Your Highness, Second Young Master Yan’s quarters are to the south, not the west – Your Highness is going the wrong way.”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

Embarrassed and angry, feeling the maids had all misunderstood her: “Who says I’m going to see him? Can’t I just walk around the temple as I please?”

The maids were stunned, watching as Mu Wanyao decisively walked in the opposite direction from them. The Princess didn’t know where she was going, but wherever it was, it wasn’t to see Second Young Master Yan.

Mu Wanyao was indeed walking aimlessly, just wandering. She saw a courtyard in the temple and curiously went over.

The major temples in Chang’an, besides providing lodging for travelers, also maintained healing wards specifically to care for homeless orphans. During times of disaster relief, these temple healing wards were often used directly for aid distribution.

Mu Wanyao inadvertently entered Yongshou Temple’s healing ward, and as soon as she pushed open the door, a young novice monk came to pay his respects.

Upon realizing this was a healing ward, Mu Wanyao prepared to leave. As she turned, a familiar male voice came from behind: “Your Highness?”

Mu Wanyao turned back, her eyes widening slightly as she saw Yan Shang.

Yan Shang wore a cyan robe and held a bowl of porridge, crouching among a group of children. Some child’s dirty hands had left a black mark on his snow-white collar, making Mu Wanyao’s brows furrow at the sight.

Not only was Yan Shang here, but also other scholars whom Mu Wanyao didn’t recognize, all caring for the group of children.

After Yan Shang’s greeting, the scholars all stood to bow to the Princess. Seeing the bewildered eyes of the children looking at her, Mu Wanyao hurriedly waved her hand, indicating they needn’t stand on ceremony.

Yan Shang set down his bowl, said a few words to his friends, and came over to speak with the Princess.

Mu Wanyao stood at the entrance of the healing ward as he looked at her with gentle eyes: “Your Highness is truly kind-hearted, coming to the healing ward to care for these homeless children. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Mu Wanyao blushed.

She had just been walking around.

She had no intention of helping in the healing ward.

But since Yan Shang put it that way… she coughed once and said: “I do help occasionally.”

Chunhua and the other maids silently watched the Princess, who shot them a threatening look in return.

Fighting her burning cheeks, Mu Wanyao quickly changed the subject: “Aren’t you moving house today? Why are you here?”

Yan Shang was surprised: “How does Your Highness know I’m moving today?”

Mu Wanyao said: “I saw carriages in the alley when I left.”

Yan Shang understood and explained that his friends had sent servants to help him move. Since he was moving out of the temple, there were some old possessions he didn’t plan to keep and intended to donate to the temple. While making the donations, Yan Shang saw these pitiful children and decided to give them all his rice and flour.

So a group of scholars joined Yan Shang in cooking porridge and rice and teaching the children to read.

Just as Mu Wanyao had seen when she opened the door.

Mu Wanyao nodded.

If she wasn’t mistaken, among these scholars, while some might be genuinely helping, many were probably here to build their reputation. Seeking fame and praise was something scholars liked to do. She just wondered which type Yan Shang was.

Yan Shang said: “Since Your Highness is here, would you like to stay a while?”

Mu Wanyao’s heart stirred, thinking that occasionally building a good reputation would benefit her political position. So she smiled and accepted Yan Shang’s invitation, entering the healing ward.

After watching for a while, Mu Wanyao simply entered a shelter, picked up a book, and began teaching the children to read.

She was completely confident, thinking if she couldn’t cook porridge or rice, surely she could at least teach people to read characters.

Half an hour passed.

Sitting among the children with a black face, Mu Wanyao puffed her cheeks and looked at them with displeasure: she couldn’t teach them!

These children were too stupid!

She couldn’t teach such stupid children to read!

With such a dark expression and the imposing air of a princess, when she sat there stern-faced and silent, even her servants would tremble – let alone these children who were only a few years old?

Mu Wanyao had only sat there for a moment before crying broke out across the room, one child after another.

Mu Wanyao became even angrier, suddenly slamming the book on the table: “Cry, cry, cry! I hate it most when people cry! It’s just learning a few characters, how hard can it be? Cry again and I’ll have someone beat you!”

At these words, the children cried even harder.

And the more the children cried, the more Mu Wanyao’s head hurt, making her angrier.

Just as her anger was reaching its peak, Yan Shang came in, asking: “What’s wrong?”

As soon as they saw him, the children wailed loudly and ran toward him: “Brother, that sister is so fierce!”

“Brother, we don’t want to learn characters anymore, can you make her leave?”

“She said she would beat us!”

The children pulled at his sash and hugged his legs as Yan Shang gently soothed them, then raised his eyes to look at Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao immediately felt guilty.

She said: “I didn’t hit anyone… I just slammed the table. I didn’t lay a finger on them!”

The children sobbed: “She scolded us…”

Mu Wanyao felt very wronged: “I don’t even know how to scold people!”

At once, both sides felt equally wronged.

The children thought Mu Wanyao was too fierce and wanted to beat them; while Mu Wanyao felt she had been so gentle, it was truly too difficult.

As both sides were feeling utterly wronged, Yan Shang sighed and had to come in, sitting down beside Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao sat behind him huffing angrily, watching as he picked up the book she had slammed on the table and said gently: “This sister just has a bit of a quick temper, she wasn’t going to hit or scold you. She came with good intentions to teach you to read… her learning is far better than mine, you should learn from her. How can you ask someone to leave?”

The children sniffled as Yan Shang made them apologize to Mu Wanyao.

Mu Wanyao’s expression softened, but she didn’t know what to do with these children. So she hid behind Yan Shang, watching how he taught such stupid children to read.

She really… couldn’t stand seeing people be this stupid.

Just a bunch of idiots.

Yan Shang comforted everyone, getting them all to calm down and obediently follow his reading. While Mu Wanyao had spent half an hour getting them to learn just one character, Yan Shang had them read whole sentences smoothly.

And clearly, the children liked Yan Shang.

Earlier when Mu Wanyao was there, they wanted to stay ten paces away from her. But now with Yan Shang here, even with that terrifying young princess next to him, the children pushed and pulled, gathering around them in rows, eagerly watching Yan Shang read to them.

Finally, Yan Shang said softly: “…Alright, you won’t remember more than this, just remember these few characters for today, and when I have time another day I’ll test you.”

The children looked up: “But Brother Yan, aren’t you moving away?”

Yan Shang was stunned, then his eyes filled with pity, knowing that once he left, there probably wouldn’t be anyone to teach these children to read. He could only say: “I’ll come back to see you when I can.”

Hearing that he was indeed leaving, the children held back their tears one by one, reluctant to let him go, begging him not to leave.

Watching from behind, Mu Wanyao found it quite remarkable, and realized that Yan Shang probably was genuinely good to these children.

A person could maintain a pretense among peers for a long time because they had something to gain; but if someone could be this good even to children who had no connection to their interests, then… perhaps he was just that good.

A little girl cried until her eyes were red and asked loudly: “Brother, are you married?”

Yan Shang: “…”

His expression turned strange, feeling he’d been asked this question quite frequently lately.

He said: “Not yet.”

The little girl said delightedly: “Then when I grow up, can I marry you?”

Yan Shang: “Uh…”

Mu Wanyao immediately grabbed his wrist.

Before the little girl could get Yan Shang’s answer, she grew even bolder. She came over and hugged Yan Shang’s neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek: “Brother, I like you so much!”

Mu Wanyao: “Dream on!”

The little girl burst into loud tears, frightened by her until she fell sitting on the ground.

Seeing Mu Wanyao about to stand up and continue her outburst, Yan Shang quickly grasped her hand, preventing her from losing her temper and frightening the children.

A quarter-hour later, Yan Shang finally managed to send the children away.

Mu Wanyao sat beside Yan Shang with an ugly expression.

Yan Shang looked at her wordlessly.

He said gently: “Why are you angry with a group of children?”

Mu Wanyao said: “She kissed you!”

Yan Shang: “…They’re just children.”

Mu Wanyao: “She said she wanted to marry you!”

Yan Shang: “…They’re just children.”

Seeing him so unconcerned, Mu Wanyao became even more vexed. She blurted out: “But I haven’t even kissed you yet!”

With these words, the room instantly fell silent.

Yan Shang turned his face away, avoiding her gaze.

His lips moved as if to speak, but his throat bobbed as he swallowed the words back.

After two attempts, he still couldn’t speak.

Mu Wanyao felt the air grow hot, making her heart race.

She became even more unable to bear his silence.

She said unhappily: “What do you want to say?”

After a long while, she finally heard Second Young Master Yan say softly with his back to her: “…Have you never kissed anyone?”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

They sat together in mutual silence.