After all, when Yan Shiyao married Crown Prince Brother in the future, she intended to keep well away from her. She’d had Sixth Brother Zi knock her out and haul her off — and she still hadn’t gotten over her anger about that.

She wasn’t stupid. She had just made her leave in a rage, and the very next moment she had been knocked senseless.

It was hard not to suspect it was Yan Shiyao’s doing.

In the palace, nobody used such crude methods. If Yan Shiyao were to marry Crown Prince Brother in the future and Crown Prince Brother didn’t protect her, could she truly survive in the palace?

“Princess, then who should I fall for?” A’Chen leaned in close to her.

At such a near distance, the man’s eyes reflected her own image back at her. Xuan Zhaoran’s ears burned and her heart was thrown into chaos. “You… do as you like, you can fall for whoever…”

No — that wouldn’t do. He couldn’t just fall for whoever he liked.

A’Chen raised an eyebrow.

“A’Chen, how about falling for this Princess?” Xuan Zhaoran tilted her chin up lightly. “You’re looking for the eldest young lady of the Yan family — but you can’t compete with Crown Prince Brother. I’m saying this for your own good: if you fight Crown Prince Brother over someone, he might just have you killed.”

“And if I were to fall for the Princess — what if the Crown Prince grew angry?” A’Chen said in an unhurried tone.

“He wouldn’t. Our Xuanzhao doesn’t require princesses to form political alliances through marriage. As long as you are truly good to this Princess, Crown Prince Brother would not be angry with you.” Xuan Zhaoran’s mouth curved upward, her face flushing red with shyness as she spoke.

“Mm, I’ll think about it.” The end of A’Chen’s voice carried a trace of a smile.

Xuan Zhaoran drew a deep breath and seized his ear with her small hand. “You need to think it over — falling for this Princess?”

“Princess, with you acting like this, it’s very hard for me to fall for you.” A’Chen’s voice was loose and lazy.

“Then this Princess will have you tied up and brought back to Ranle Palace. When you’ve fallen for this Princess, she will set you free.” Xuan Zhaoran leaned close to his ear and said each word deliberately.

The girl’s warm breath puffed against his ear. A’Chen swallowed, his voice going hoarse. “Then if I lied to you — told you I’d fallen for you — would you let me go?”

Xuan Zhaoran’s eyes blinked lightly. “A’Chen, you make a good point. Whether you’ve fallen for this Princess or not, she can’t let you go — what if you were lying?”

A’Chen’s mouth gave a twitch.

“A… A’Chen, Zhaoran… you two…” Yan Shiyao had just stepped out of the house with a bamboo basket on her arm when she saw Zhaoran with one hand on her hip and the other gripping A’Chen’s ear.

Almost as if afraid Zhaoran couldn’t reach him, A’Chen was bending his head very slightly downward.

A’Chen, he wasn’t…

How had he ended up together with Zhaoran?

“Miss Yan.” A’Chen could see the astonishment in her eyes and gave a brief smile. “I’m fine.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Yan Shiyao’s pupils contracted slightly. “That day… it was you who took me to the inn, wasn’t it?”

A’Chen nodded.

Xuan Zhaoran pursed her lips. So he’d sneaked off with her palace token to go find Yan Shiyao!

“A’Chen… you’ve fully recovered?” Yan Shiyao’s eyes welled with tears.

A’Chen wasn’t muddled anymore — how wonderful.

“Mm.”

What a strange twist of fate, that he had managed to recover after all.

Xuan Zhaoran glanced at Yan Shiyao. She had a bamboo basket over her arm and looked as though she was headed out to buy things.

“Zhaoran… I…” Yan Shiyao bit her lip, looking a little guilty.

Xuan Zhaoran rolled her eyes and said bluntly, “You, what? Are you trying to explain why you had someone knock me out and haul me away, and why I’ve turned up in front of you again?”

A’Chen’s brow furrowed deeper.

Yan Shiyao clutched the bamboo basket on her arm tightly, tears streaming steadily.

“……” Xuan Zhaoran held back the urge to punch her twice.

She didn’t know why, but seeing her standing there saying nothing and just drip-drip-dripping tears reminded her of Noble Consort Lin.

Every day, hiding behind her pregnancy, Noble Consort Lin acted as though she were above everyone else. If the other consorts said something she didn’t want to hear, she’d run crying to the Emperor. Drip, drip, drip.

And the Emperor indulged her all the same. The Emperor only had Crown Prince Brother as a son, so he placed exceptional importance on this pregnancy.

Everyone in the palace feared crossing her.

She had better give birth to an imperial younger brother — otherwise she’d have a rough time of it in the days ahead.

“Miss Eldest Young Lady of the Yan family, are you planning to stand here and cry indefinitely?” Xuan Zhaoran said with impatience.

She must have caught it from Crown Prince Brother — now the sight of Yan Shiyao crying made her feel thoroughly annoyed.

“Zhaoran, I… I’m sorry.” Yan Shiyao’s shoulders trembled gently.

She hadn’t meant to hurt her. She had only not wanted Zhaoran staying at Elder Brother Qi’s side. When Zhaoran disappeared, Elder Brother Qi had even snapped at her.

Elder Brother Qi hadn’t been like this before. He had changed ever since Zhaoran appeared.

She had no idea where Crown Prince Brother Yanyu had gone…

And Ningning still hadn’t come back…

A’Chen’s brow knitted even tighter. Was Prince Xuan truly certain he hadn’t found the wrong person?

Never mind the fact that she bore no resemblance to the young master — she didn’t even share his temperament.

“I understand.” Xuan Zhaoran swallowed her discomfort.

She would go and speak to the Emperor — perhaps it was possible not to have Yan Shiyao marry Crown Prince Brother. She was beginning to dislike her.

Yan Shiyao wiped her tears. “Have you both eaten? If not, I’ll go buy some vegetables — we can all have a meal together at Brother Nan Hua’s.”

“You’re going to buy vegetables?” Xuan Zhaoran grew more and more irritated. “Are you their maid?”

Know your place — that was basic decorum. Did she not understand that?

Yan Shiyao looked up at her, somewhat puzzled.

It was only helping to buy a few vegetables. How did that make her their maid?

Xuan Zhaoran’s heart was seething with frustration. “Do you still remember you’re the young lady of the Chancellor’s estate?”

“What does this have to do with being the young lady of the Chancellor’s estate? Can’t a Chancellor’s young lady buy vegetables?” Yan Shiyao looked at her uncomprehendingly.

Xuan Zhaoran: “……”

“Mother Nan is a little downcast because of the news about Anachū. I want to keep her company for a couple of days.” Yan Shiyao explained quietly.

No matter how one looked at it, she had been the one to provide the medicine Anachū had taken. Anachū had believed the second chief of the stronghold had passed away and wanted to go be with him — so keeping Mother Nan company for a few days was the least she could do.

Xuan Zhaoran: “……”

A’Chen’s heart sank by half. He had heard about this matter too — it seemed that Anachū had left her parents of her own accord for a man, and then died for that same man. Why was she taking it upon herself to look after Anachū’s parents?

Didn’t she seem even more foolish than the original person was?

Was this truly the young master’s little sister?

The young master wasn’t foolish either.

“Zhaoran, A’Chen — where is Ningning right now?” Yan Shiyao asked in a soft voice.

A’Chen curved his lip gently. “Little Lemon is with Young Master Xuan.”

Yan Shiyao bit down on her lower lip and gave a soft sniffle. “The two of them are together? Why haven’t they come to find me?”

Crown Prince Brother Yanyu had stayed at her side for over a year. This was the first time he had been away from her, and she was finding it somewhat hard to adjust.

And Ningning as well — she didn’t even know to send word that she was safe. She was so worried about her.

“If they’re not coming to find you, they must have things to take care of.” Xuan Zhaoran raised her beautiful eyes lightly.

Crown Prince Brother had just returned to Xuanzhao — of course there was a mountain of official business to see to. How could those two possibly come to her so soon?

“What could Crown Prince Brother Yanyu and Ningning possibly be busy with?” Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together lightly.

She genuinely couldn’t imagine what the two of them could be occupied with, being together.