The sky had grown somewhat late. A crescent moon hung quietly in the air as dark clouds drifted past.

Qin Wenyuan leaned against the wall gazing up at the sky, his face more pallid than the moonlight.

Qingyan was terrified. “Young Master, what’s wrong with you?”

Today’s events had an eerie quality, and the young master seemed possessed.

“Get lost.”

“Young Master—”

“I told you to get lost!” Qin Wenyuan’s face contorted viciously.

Qingyan dared not speak further, but neither did he dare leave. He hunched his shoulders and kept watch beside Qin Wenyuan.

After a while, Qin Wenyuan reached out and yanked him closer, asking through gritted teeth, “Just how did you give those loafers their instructions?”

“I just told them to harass those two young ladies a bit. This servant was afraid they’d find the wrong people, so I specifically pointed them out.” By this point, Qingyan knew something had gone wrong, but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what the problem was.

Qin Wenyuan’s eyes nearly split with rage. “Then why didn’t they go make trouble for those two girls, but instead, instead—”

Qingyan’s eyes widened anxiously, wanting to know “instead what.”

“Instead came to make trouble for me!” Qin Wenyuan bit out.

Qingyan’s face went blank. After quite a while, he finally found his voice. “Y-Y-Young Master, when you say they made trouble for you—”

He followed Qin Wenyuan’s gaze downward and saw the half-missing sleeve. With a shudder, he understood.

The young master had been harassed by those loafers!

Qingyan dropped to his knees with a thud, clutching Qin Wenyuan’s legs and crying, “Young Master, this servant absolutely did not tell those loafers to treat you like that!”

Qin Wenyuan froze, nearly spraying the blood he’d been holding back onto Qingyan’s face.

This imbecile!

“Who’s there?” A stern voice rang out as lantern light swayed.

The gatekeeper had come with a lantern to check on the commotion.

“First Young Master?” Seeing it was Qin Wenyuan, the gatekeeper was startled.

Qin Wenyuan wiped his face and lifted his foot to walk into the estate, with Qingyan following closely behind.

The gatekeeper watched the master and servant’s retreating figures, growing more and more puzzled.

Why did the First Young Master’s face look even worse than a ghost’s?

Walking on the path back to his quarters, Qingyan asked in a small voice, “Young Master, what about those loafers?”

“They ran off before the officials arrived.” Qin Wenyuan said with a dark expression.

Qingyan fell silent. It was true he’d instructed those loafers that way, but he hadn’t told them to use it on the young master!

The master and servant walked to the courtyard gate in a gloomy atmosphere. Qin Wenyuan hesitated for a moment, then turned and left.

The Crown Prince’s Junior Preceptor Qin Yunchuan lived in the main courtyard.

When Qin Wenyuan arrived there, he paced about not knowing how to speak to his uncle, and ultimately slipped quietly back.

While today had indeed been humiliating, the official who recognized him would certainly not dare reveal his identity, and those onlookers would forget about it after enjoying the spectacle.

On the way back, Lin Hao traveled the same route as the young county princess Qi Qiong.

“Little sister.” Qi Huan rode his horse close to Qi Qiong’s carriage and gently tapped the carriage wall.

The window curtain lifted, revealing the young lady’s bright face.

Qi Qiong looked out. “Second Brother, isn’t Big Brother with you?”

“We separated later.” Qi Huan glanced backward as he spoke.

The carriage following behind belonged to the General’s household.

He lowered his voice mysteriously. “The one sitting in the carriage behind is Second Miss Lin, right?”

Qi Qiong’s face filled with wariness. “Second Brother, what are you planning?”

Second Miss Lin was very likely the person Big Brother liked!

With this thought, the young lady’s gaze toward her brother grew even more guarded.

It wasn’t that she was biased toward Big Brother, but everything had a first-come-first-served order. Besides, Second Brother was a flirt and didn’t value feelings like Big Brother did.

Qi Huan was displeased. “Little sister, what kind of look is that? As if I could eat people.”

Qi Qiong rolled her eyes and said in a low voice, “In any case, Second Brother cannot have designs on Second Miss Lin.”

Qi Huan laughed. “Why not?”

“You just can’t.”

“I see little sister has a good relationship with Second Miss Lin. Wouldn’t you want her as your sister-in-law?”

Qi Qiong guiltily poked her head back to check. Seeing the carriage behind was some distance away, she relaxed.

She stared at her brother, slightly frowning. “Does Second Brother know something?”

Qi Huan blinked. “Does little sister also know something?”

The siblings looked at each other, neither willing to be the first to voice that speculation.

What if they guessed wrong? How awkward.

A faint voice came: “What do you two know?”

Qi Qiong quickly dropped the window curtain.

Qi Huan’s body swayed, nearly falling off his horse.

“Big Brother—”

Qi Shuo smiled slightly. “What were you just chatting about with little sister?”

“Nothing.” Qi Huan shook his head vigorously.

He’d compare notes with little sister later.

“Where did Big Brother go afterward?”

“Walked by the riverside for a bit.”

Qi Huan immediately perked up. “Did Big Brother see the commotion?”

“I saw it.”

“I wonder who Qin Wenyuan offended to be pestered and harassed by several loafers like that.”

Those loafers clearly had been instructed by someone. Even if Qin Wenyuan really did like men, it couldn’t possibly be loafers like that.

“The person behind it wasn’t thorough enough. If it had been several refined and delicate young men, it would have been seamless.”

Qi Shuo smiled. “Perhaps it was done in haste.”

“Qin Wenyuan’s days ahead won’t be easy.” Qi Huan said with a laugh, without a trace of sympathy.

He had no particular grudge against Qin Wenyuan, but seeing how the other had made things difficult for several young ladies on the street, he felt the man’s character wasn’t very good.

As they spoke, they arrived at the Prince Jing’s estate, and also at the General’s estate.

Those on horses dismounted; those in carriages alighted.

Qi Qiong waited for Lin Hao to come over and extended an invitation. “If you’re free tomorrow, come to the prince’s estate with your elder sister to visit.”

“If the county princess doesn’t mind the intrusion, tomorrow my sister and I will come.”

“Then it’s settled.” Qi Qiong curved her lips in a smile and waved her hand. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.” After exchanging farewells with the young county princess, Lin Hao looked toward Qi Shuo.

The two had developed something of a friendship through their back-and-forth interactions, so she certainly couldn’t pretend not to see him.

Lin Hao nodded slightly to Qi Shuo as a farewell.

“See you tomorrow.” Qi Shuo said with a faint smile.

Qi Huan and Qi Qiong turned in unison to look at their brother, their eyes full of shock.

Qi Shuo’s expression remained composed—so composed that Lin Hao didn’t realize at all that there was anything to read into those words. She nodded and turned toward the General’s estate.

Qi Huan and Qi Qiong, one on each side, hooked onto Qi Shuo’s arms.

“Big Brother isn’t tired yet, right?”

“Big Brother, are you hungry? Let’s have a late-night snack together.”

The two pulled Qi Shuo to the pavilion in the garden and instructed the maids to bring tea and refreshments.

“What do you want to say?” Qi Shuo picked up a teacup and took a sip, asking with a composed manner.

Qi Huan shot Qi Qiong a look, indicating she should ask.

Qi Qiong returned a look, suggesting her brother had priority.

Qi Huan shook his head.

Qi Qiong also shook her head.

The siblings stared at each other, actually forgetting about Qi Shuo to the side.

Qi Shuo set down the teacup. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go rest.”

“Big Brother!” The two spoke in unison, simply asking together, “Do you have feelings for Second Miss Lin?”

Asking together meant that if they guessed wrong, neither could laugh at the other.

Bright moonlight spilled into the pavilion, softening the features of the person within.

The young man toyed with the celadon teacup, his smile gentle.

“Yes,” he said.