“My lady doesn’t want to eat?” Lou Ao placed the food he had picked up into his own mouth, then selected another piece with his chopsticks. “My lady, try this one.”

Yan Shiyu kept a smile on her face and quietly pinched him on the thigh.

Couldn’t he see that both elder sisters were watching them?

“Hss…” Lou Ao let out a muffled sound and leaned toward Yan Shiyu. “My lady, what’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?”

Yan Shiyu bit her lip. “Just sit properly and eat your own meal. Don’t fuss over me.”

Lou Ao’s heart sank. “My lady… have you grown tired of me?”

If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have brought her back to the Chief Minister’s residence. At the Marquis’s residence, she had been completely reliant on him.

Yan Shiyu shifted uncomfortably. “No. Lift your head — look at Elder Sister and Second Sister. Their eyes haven’t left us.”

“My lady is shy?” Lou Ao reached up and touched her cheek gently.

He had given himself quite a fright. He had thought she had set her eyes on that brilliant, handsome young gentleman sitting across from them.

Yan Shiyu poutingly pulled his hand down, then lifted her foot and gave him a light kick.

Yan Shiyao watched with eyes full of curious admiration. Hadn’t people said Lou Ao had several concubines? How was it that he doted on Third Sister so completely? She wanted to ask Third Sister how she had won the Young Lord’s devotion — perhaps if she learned the trick, she could win Qi-gege’s devotion as well.

“First Miss Yan, Second Miss Yan — can’t you eat your own meal? What are you staring at us for?” Lou Ao gave them a slow, unhurried glance. “If you’re really that envious, you’d better have the Chief Minister find husbands for you quickly…”

Lou Ao had not yet finished speaking when Yan Shiyu stomped on his foot. She gave a soft, pointed sound. “Lou Ao — by proper convention, you ought to address them as elder sisters.”

Not that she was particularly keen on having him call them elder sisters — but if he addressed them that way, it would show that he respected her family out of love for her. That was what she wanted: to gradually refine him. Not only should he love and cherish her, he should also respect her family because of her, so that others could see how fortunate she was and how dearly she was treasured.

Whatever else could be said, the Chief Minister’s residence was her family home and her backing — treating them with respect was simply the right thing to do.

Who could say whether he would still pamper her this way in the future? So she could not afford to offend Yan Shiyao. She also needed to secure her position as quickly as she could while she was still in his favor — by giving birth to a legitimate heir of the Marquis’s household.

That way, regardless of whether he still cherished her later, it would no longer matter.

Lou Ao pressed his lips together. He was older than First Miss Yan, to say nothing of Second Miss Yan — calling them elder sisters simply would not come out of his mouth.

Yan Shiyu glanced at him without expression, then tilted her head up and smiled at him. “Young Lord, Shiyu only said it casually. If you’d rather not call them that, then don’t.”

Lou Ao had just been about to agree with a simple “alright.”

The young woman lowered her gaze and quietly picked up her bowl. Without reaching for a single dish, she ate her rice in silence, visibly crestfallen.

Lou Ao shut his eyes briefly. It was just a form of address — why make her sad over something so small?

“Elder Sister, Second Elder Sister.” Lou Ao gritted his teeth and forced it out, mimicking Yan Shiyu’s manner of address.

Yan Shiyu’s lips curved.

“Brother-in-law,” Yan Yunning replied in kind.

Lou Ao let out a flat “mm.”

“Young Lord, do you always treat Third Sister this way?” Yan Shiyao set down her wooden chopsticks and asked with a smile.

Lou Ao raised an eyebrow. “Why? Afraid I’ll mistreat Shiyu?”

Was this not just concern that Shiyu might be poorly treated in the Marquis’s residence? At first, he had truly resented the wife his parents had arranged for him — and a girl who had been hastily adopted into the Chief Minister’s wife’s name at that. Wasn’t that an insult to him?

Later — for some reason he couldn’t quite name — Lou Ao lowered his head and smiled quietly. His wife was rather good after all.

“No.” Yan Shiyao shook her head.

She wanted to ask Third Sister how she had won such devotion.

Yan Shiyu’s eyes curved slightly, and she said softly, “Elder Sister, the Young Lord has always treated me well. Now that I’m with child, he treats me even better.”

Lou Ao rested his hand on Yan Shiyu’s abdomen. He was not without children — but right now, he only had eyes for his legitimate heir.

Yan Shiyu smiled shyly and covered the man’s large hand with her own.

Yan Shiyao stared at their joined hands. Third Sister had the Young Lord. Ningning had Yu-gege. But after Qi-gege recovered, he had left with a dark expression on his face.

Without saying a word to her.

Yan Shiyao couldn’t help but sniff. She turned her gaze and caught sight of Xuan Yanyu lifting a small cloth to wipe Yan Yunning’s hands, while the latter muttered softly for him to let go — and the man only gripped her hand more firmly.

Why was it that Yu-gege had been by her side for over a year and had never once behaved that way toward her?

Sometimes when she asked him for help, he simply ignored her. And when she acted indifferent to get his attention, he would genuinely not speak to her for days on end — and in the end, she always had to be the one to go and start the conversation again.

Ningning had known him for such a short time, and yet he had carried her on his back through the mountain trail — this man who complained about even sitting in a carriage, willingly carried Ningning on his back.

Yan Shiyao’s heart ached with grievance. Was she simply not likeable enough?

And yet — before Ningning came back, Yu-gege had always kept her company.

“Elder Sister, what’s wrong?” The corners of Yan Yunning’s mouth curved slightly.

What had upset her this time?

Yan Yunning looked up at Yan Shiyao’s reddening eyes and held back the urge to say something cutting. No one had done anything to her — what was she crying about now?

Could it be that seeing Shiyu and the Young Lord together had made her think of Qi Qingchen?

Was she crying because Qi-gege was ignoring her??

“Nothing.” Yan Shiyao’s voice came out low and muffled.

“Xuan Yanyu, shall we step out?” Yan Yunning gave a small flex of her wrist — and still couldn’t pull her hand free from the man’s grip.

Xuan Yanyu let out a quiet “mm.” He had no desire to stay and watch Yan Shiyao cry either.

“Elder Sister, then the Young Lord and I will take our leave as well.” Yan Shiyu smiled as she rose.

Honestly, it was exhausting. Even a simple meal, and she had to break down crying. Mother had sheltered her far too well — she had no sense of propriety at all. They had been sitting there eating perfectly pleasantly, and she had to go and start weeping without warning.

Yan Shiyao watched as the pairs left one after another, and tightened her fists. She was going to go find Qi-gege. Her younger sisters could find their happiness — and so could she.

——

On the other side of the residence, A’Ci was dining with Lu Jin’an. The moment Yan Ruijing stepped out of the dining hall, A’Ci quickly asked, “A’Po, is Little Lemon the young miss?”

He hadn’t had the chance to ask last time before A’Po had left the letter and departed, and by the time he had accompanied the Crown Prince, the young miss had already been sent away. He had never seen her — only heard the Crown Prince speak of her every day.

Lu Jin’an’s chopstick-holding hand gave a small tremor. “What are you talking about?”

“She’s not?” A’Ci’s brow furrowed deeply. “A’Po, if it isn’t Little Lemon, then who is it?”

She had to be somewhere in the Chief Minister’s residence — otherwise A’Po wouldn’t have suddenly married the Chief Minister.

“It’s Yaoyao.” Lu Jin’an said.

A’Ci’s brow creased further. “It’s First Miss Yan? A’Po, are you certain you haven’t mistaken her?”

“A’Ci, how could I mistake her? I was the one who sent the young miss away. How could I be wrong?” Lu Jin’an regarded him quietly.

Xuan Yanyu was right here in the Chief Minister’s residence. The fewer people who knew, the better.

A’Ci narrowed his eyes. Something was off. That day, when A’Po had first seen Little Lemon, she had been visibly moved — and worried she might be mistreated by the Chief Minister’s wife. Which meant the Crown Prince’s younger sister was Little Lemon.

But why was A’Po hiding it from him?

Lu Jin’an said, “A’Ci, why don’t you just stay on at the residence?”