Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes and regarded her with a look full of layered meaning.

Even now she was still thinking about Ye Chen?

“So you won’t agree.” The girl’s voice fell with a note of disappointment.

“I agree. Now tell me — who has been bullying you?” Xuan Yanyu let out a helpless sigh.

If he didn’t agree, she likely wouldn’t tell him.

Yan Yunning broke into a laugh, and seizing the moment while his attention was diverted, she wrenched herself free of his hold with all her strength and darted to the chamber doorway. “Xuan Xixi, no one has been bullying me — you’ve been deceived. But it’s settled: let Ye Chen come back.”

With that, Yan Yunning pulled open the door, flashed him a smile, and walked out in quick steps.

She’d been slow to flee, and she was afraid Xuan Yanyu might haul her back in.

The man’s smile softened into something faintly rueful. Fine — let her deceive him. As long as she hadn’t actually been mistreated, that was all that mattered.

An inn on the eastern side of Pingshi Town.

Yan Shiyao smoothed out her disheveled hair. Nanhua pressed a hairpin against her cheek. “Idiot.”

The hairpin against her face — Yan Shiyao’s eyes reddened with humiliation.

Nanhua’s lips curved into a faint, contemptuous smirk. “Mind your own business next time.”

Yan Shiyao’s tears fell in aggrieved streams. The more she thought about it, the more furious she became.

She should have listened to Ningning and looked into Wenjing more carefully — then none of this would have happened.

Nanhua lifted her chin with the hairpin, his gaze turning vicious. “Not a word of today’s events leaves this room. Otherwise, you’ll have me to answer to.”

Yan Shiyao nodded, trembling.

Nanhua spat at her, gathered the silver and jewelry, and walked out of the chamber.

The taut tension in Yan Shiyao’s nerves finally unraveled. She buried her face in the sleeping couch and wept without restraint.

“Yaoyao.” Qi Qingchen pushed open the chamber door. On the couch, Yan Shiyao’s hair was in disarray. She raised her reddened eyes, looking pitifully at Qi Qingchen.

“Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao’s tears fell one by one onto the thin bedding.

“Yaoyao, what happened?” Qi Qingchen frowned.

He had just seen a man walk out of her chamber.

And now seeing her like this — surely not…

Yan Shiyao wiped the tears from her face and threw herself at Qi Qingchen.

“Elder Brother Qi, I… I’m fine.” Yan Shiyao’s voice was thick with a sobbing, aggrieved catch.

The moment Nanhua had entered the chamber, he’d stripped away all of her silver and the jewelry from her hair, saying it was her punishment for meddling in matters that weren’t her concern. She hadn’t imagined her good intentions could lead to this.

Because of this incident alone, she had suffered so much. She would never meddle in other people’s affairs again.

Qi Qingchen’s eyes flickered faintly. Yaoyao was no longer worthy of him.

The imperial family would not tolerate such a stain. If he wanted the Prime Minister’s household’s support, he could only marry Ningning.

“Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao held back the tears in her eyes. Why wasn’t Elder Brother Qi comforting her?

Qi Qingchen lowered his eyes to the woman clinging to him, his gaze growing cold and complicated.

“Yaoyao, I can see you’re tired. Rest well.” Qi Qingchen pushed her away, his voice gone a little cold.

Yan Shiyao’s expression froze for several seconds. Watching Qi Qingchen turn to leave, she summoned her courage and mimicked Zhaozan’s voice in calling out, “Qi Qingchen, don’t go.”

“Qi Qingchen, don’t go.” Yan Shiyao grabbed his sleeve with a trembling hand.

Stay with her a little while, just a little while.

Qi Qingchen stilled. After a long moment he finally spoke slowly. “Yaoyao, let go.”

Yan Shiyao’s nose stung and she released her grip.

She wasn’t shameless enough to cling to him after he’d spoken.

“Stop following me around. Go back to the Prime Minister’s household.” Qi Qingchen’s voice softened slightly.

Yan Shiyao lowered her head, and tears traced down her cheeks onto the backs of her hands. She had no silver — how was she supposed to go back?

And besides, Ningning still hadn’t returned. How could she go back on her own?

Early the following morning, at the market.

Yan Yunning obediently followed at Xuan Yanyu’s side. After Ye Chen returned, Xuan Yanyu had ordered him to escort Ranran back to Xuanzhao. Ye Jian and A’Chen followed behind the two of them, and throughout the whole journey, she hadn’t dared to say much to A’Chen.

She was afraid that if she said too much, Xuan Yanyu would act up again!

Fafa: 【Master, didn’t you say Xuan Yanyu won’t do away with you anymore? Then why are you still staying by his side?】

【He won’t do away with me, but that doesn’t mean he’ll let me go either.】Yan Yunning sighed.

He wouldn’t let her leave his side, so if she didn’t stay with him, would she have to defy him at every turn and spend every day scheming to escape?

And then infuriate him?

She wasn’t out of her mind!

Fafa quipped: 【Master, I thought you just couldn’t bear to leave him.】

Yan Yunning pursed her lips slightly. 【Can’t bear to leave him? I’ve never tried, so I’d only know after I actually left.】

Fafa: 【…】

That was not a line it could work with.

It felt that its master’s way of thinking was not quite like a normal person’s. When a normal person discovers that someone intends to do away with them, shouldn’t they naturally try to win that person over and change the outcome before it happens?

Its master had instead gone and provoked the male lead. If it hadn’t been for Yan Shiyao, it doubted its master would have changed her mind at all.

“Ningning.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Yan Yunning turned around. “Elder Brother Qi.”

“Ningning, where have you been all these days?” Qi Qingchen walked toward her with a smile. “Do you know how worried your elder sister has been about you?”

Yan Yunning said nothing.

Xuan Yanyu had kept her from leaving — she’d had no way to tell her sister how she was doing.

“Ningning.” After a brief pause, Qi Qingchen added, “You’re an unmarried young woman. It’s somewhat inconvenient for you to be traveling with Young Master Xuan.”

“You talk too much.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice carried open impatience.

What was inconvenient about her being with him?

Qi Qingchen gave a cold laugh. “Young Master Xuan, do you know what the punishment would be under the laws of Qilan for speaking to me in such a manner?”

He was making his identity known.

Xuan Yanyu curved his lips lazily. “No idea. No interest.”

Ye Jian curled his lip inwardly. What punishment? Even if the Emperor himself were here, he’d have to be perfectly respectful to their Highness — who was Qilan compared to Xuanzhao?

A’Chen raised an eyebrow. Qi Qingchen really was foolish. Had he never once suspected Xuan Yanyu’s identity? Going by his clothing alone, the jade pendant at his waist, and that air of innate nobility — nothing about him resembled a man without status who’d been taken in by Yan Shiyao.

“Young Master Xuan: removal from office, confiscation of property.” Qi Qingchen’s tone was sardonic. “Ah, but I forgot — Young Master Xuan has no office to hold, and no property to confiscate.”

Having already decided that Ningning would be his Third Prince’s Consort, even if he didn’t love her, he would not permit her to remain in the company of another man. Xuan Yanyu was a genuine thorn in his eye.

If he had any sense, he’d take the initiative and distance himself from Ningning. Otherwise, Qi Qingchen wouldn’t mind using his imperial prince’s identity to put him firmly in his place.

Yan Yunning frowned. Why was Qi Qingchen targeting Xuan Xixi?

Could it be that the male lead and the second male lead were simply destined to be at odds with each other?

So Qi Qingchen was deliberately stirring up trouble?

Xuan Yanyu cast Qi Qingchen a dismissive glance.

Qi Qingchen pressed his tongue against his back teeth. That attitude of his was truly infuriating.

Noticing that Qi Qingchen’s expression had darkened considerably, and afraid that the two men would come to blows, Yan Yunning grabbed Xuan Yanyu’s hand and half-dragged him forward.

Ye Jian and A’Chen hurried after them.

Qi Qingchen stared at Yan Yunning and Xuan Yanyu’s clasped hands, his expression growing darker still.