【I already can’t survive past the ending the book wrote for me — I’d just be dying ahead of schedule.】

Fafa: 【Good that you understand.】

【Forget it. I’m going to buy the pastries Elder Sister Bai loves most, and then go find her.】 Yan Yunning smiled, her eyes crinkling.

Fafa: 【My Lady……】

【What? Is there something else?】

Fafa: 【Never mind.】

Yan Yunning: 【……】

……

The Inn.

“Yanyu brother, what were you and Ningning so busy with today?” Yan Shiyao walked over and settled into a wooden chair.

Xuan Yanyu poured a cup of tea and handed it to her, his tone gentle. “What could she and I possibly be busy with?”

“You went out together — weren’t you going to the same place?” Yan Shiyao held the teacup in both hands and tilted her head slightly.

Xuan Yanyu leaned back lazily in the wooden chair, a faint smile on his lips. “Where do you plan to go tomorrow?”

Yan Shiyao took a small sip of tea and smiled softly. “Elder Brother Qi said we’re going to Taoyuan Manor tomorrow. Yanyu brother, do you think Taoyuan Manor will have many peach trees? Just the name makes me look forward to it.”

“A’Yao, must you really follow him?” Xuan Yanyu’s voice carried a faint roughness.

“Yanyu brother, if you’d rather not go, you can return to the Prime Minister’s Manor.” Yan Shiyao lowered her head.

Xuan Yanyu’s expression turned slightly darker.

With a loud bang, the door of the inn was kicked open.

Xuan Yanyu looked toward the doorway with irritation. The young woman’s eyes were still faintly red, and she had a pitiable look about her that tugged at the heart.

“Ningning, what happened? Did someone bully you?” Yan Shiyao was startled.

Yan Yunning threw her arms around Yan Shiyao and buried her face in her shoulder, not saying a word.

“Ningning, don’t be afraid — your elder sister is here.” Yan Shiyao patted her on the back, offering comfort.

The more Yan Yunning thought about it, the sadder she felt. The second friend she had made since coming into this world was gone now…

That day, Elder Sister Bai had asked her to get a single word from Qi Qingchen, but no matter how she asked, she couldn’t get it out of him. She had only told her: three days from now, come to the County Magistrate’s residence and find Xiao Yu.

Today, Xiao Yu conveyed Elder Sister Bai’s exact words: ‘Ali thinks of her mother day and night, and it is no longer fitting for her to remain in the County Magistrate’s residence where everything reminds her of her loss. Please have His Third Highness speak with Chen Kai and arrange for Ali to be sent to live with her maternal uncle and aunt.’

But now, none of that was needed. Elder Sister Bai had feared Liu Sisi might harm Ali — that was why she had wanted to arrange for Ali to be sent away.

Now that Liu Sisi was gone, Ali no longer wished to leave. She said the County Magistrate’s residence still carried her mother’s presence, and she would not go.

Xuan Yanyu had said Elder Sister Bai was using her, but she didn’t see it that way. What she saw was the helplessness of a mother.

If only Elder Sister Bai had been a little more selfish — would things have turned out differently…

Fafa: 【My Lady, there are no ‘if only’s. Had Bai Yue refused to do what Liu Sisi demanded, given how completely Chen Kai doted on Liu Sisi, something would have happened to Ali.】

Xuan Yanyu’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned and stepped back out of the inn.

The side chamber.

“Wasn’t I told to stay close to her? What happened?” Xuan Yanyu’s long lashes swept downward.

“Your Highness, by the time Yan Yunning arrived at the County Magistrate’s residence, Bai Yue had already passed. Liu Sisi was nowhere to be found, and Chen Kai had fainted from rage.”

“After Yan Yunning paid her respects to Bai Yue, she had me take the clothing and jade pendant to find Liu Sisi. When Liu Sisi saw the clothing, she was overcome with emotion. She asked me to convey her gratitude to Yan Yunning and herself. I believe that now Liu Sisi knows her sister is still alive, she will no longer think of…”

“Get to the point.” Xuan Yanyu’s expression was impatient. He waved a dismissive hand and cut him off coldly.

“Your Highness, the point… the point — what is the point?” Ye Chen scratched his head in confusion.

Wasn’t everything he said the point? Liu Sisi had found her sister, and for her sister’s sake she would no longer take reckless risks in pursuit of revenge.

Xuan Yanyu gritted his teeth. “What happened on the way back? Did someone mistreat her?”

Ye Chen froze, a flicker of grievance crossing his face. “Your Highness, do you still have no faith in my skills?”

Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes. So she was grieving this deeply over someone she had known for a mere two or three days?

“Your Highness, Yan Yunning is Elder Miss Yan’s sister — that is why you concern yourself with her. But Your Highness, we have already lingered in Qi Lan for a year now. Perhaps it is time to set your focus back on Elder Miss Yan and bring her home to Xuanzhao sooner.” Ye Chen raised his gaze and spoke with careful caution.

“Since when did you dare to involve yourself in my affairs?” Xuan Yanyu laughed coldly, his low, drawn-out tone laced with danger.

“Your Highness, how would I dare involve myself in your affairs? You can’t accuse me unjustly — and besides, you don’t even listen to me.” Ye Chen knelt on one knee, his expression respectful.

Even Prince Xuan and the Princess Consort of Xuanzhao were sometimes ignored by His Highness. He was nothing but a lowly guard — how could he dare involve himself in His Highness’s affairs? That really was giving him far too much credit.

Xuan Yanyu half-reclined on the couch, the corner of his lips curved in an expression of layered meaning as he looked at him. “Getting bolder, aren’t you? Daring to speak so sarcastically.”

Ye Chen’s heart gave a lurch. “Your Highness, I know I was wrong. I spoke out of turn.”

“Next time you prattle on like this, there’s no need for you to remain at my side. I’ll have Ye Jian take your place.” Xuan Yanyu gave him an indifferent glance.

“Your Highness, there will be no next time.” Ye Chen promised.

In any case, His Highness always said things like that without following through. He simply had to go along with it.

“This time I mean it.” A trace of a wicked smile played at the corner of the man’s lips.

Ye Chen: “……”

“Xuan Yanyu, are you in there? I’m coming in.” Yan Yunning’s voice came from outside the door.

The man, who had been lounging lazily on the couch, heard the voice and sat up, casually straightening his robe.

“Your Highness… where do I hide?” Ye Chen stood rooted to the spot, at a loss for what to do.

“Hide? Why would you hide? It’s not as though she hasn’t seen you before. Go open the door.” Xuan Yanyu’s mouth twitched, a look of pure exasperation crossing his handsome face.

Ye Chen smacked himself on the forehead. “I forgot she’s already seen me.”

Muttering to himself, he walked toward the door and pulled it open.

“What matter do you have with our Young Master? I’ll pass the message along on your behalf.” Ye Chen blocked the doorway.

The vein at Xuan Yanyu’s temple pulsed. How had he ended up with such a dim-witted subordinate.

Yan Yunning tried to push him aside, but he stood firm and didn’t budge an inch. “Give this to Xuan Yanyu.” She pressed the food box in her hands toward him.

She had originally intended to personally make an impression on him.

“Yan Yunning! You dare to address him directly by—” Ye Chen hadn’t even finished his sentence before Xuan Yanyu grabbed him by the back of the neck and hauled him to one side.

Ye Chen stumbled, catching the round table behind him to barely steady himself. He gaped in stunned disbelief.

“Something on your mind?” Xuan Yanyu took her in fully with his gaze.

The corners of her eyes were still a little red. The man raised an eyebrow slightly. What a nuisance — why was she so prone to crying?

He had always despised weeping women. They gave him a headache.

In the palace before, it had been one Noble Consort after another — hardly two words from the Emperor and their eyes would already be brimming with tears. It was insufferable.

Eventually, his father the Emperor had issued a decree forbidding anyone in the palace from weeping and wailing.

That was precisely why he had asked her that day to go and comfort A’Yao. It didn’t matter who it was — any woman who cried irritated him.

“Here — this is a token of thanks. Thank you for accompanying me today to find Liu Sisi’s sister, and for tracking down where she was.” Yan Yunning smiled warmly and held the food box out toward him.

Even though Elder Sister Bai could not be brought back, at least Ali would no longer be worn down by Liu Sisi. Fafa had told her that after Elder Sister Bai’s death, as written in the book, Liu Sisi left the County Magistrate’s residence.

Once she returned to the manor, Ali’s hard days would have begun. She hadn’t been able to change Elder Sister Bai’s fate, but she had changed Ali’s — Liu Sisi had promised her that for Zhuzhu’s sake, she would not lay a hand on Ali.

If not for Xuan Yanyu’s help, she never would have found Zhuzhu. And without finding Zhuzhu, Liu Sisi’s resentment would never have dissolved.

She didn’t know why Xuan Yanyu had helped her, but regardless, she owed him her thanks.