He stretched his arms out in a lazy, unhurried yawn, and his long fingers “accidentally” knocked the hair pin from Yan Yunning’s hair.

With a soft clatter, the pin dropped to the ground and broke into several pieces.

“This… I’m sorry.” The man crouched down and gathered up the broken fragments, then said in an easy tone, “The pin fell because of me — I’ll replace it.”

Yan Zhiyi frowned slightly. “Young Master Xuan, what brings you here?”

Xuan Yanyu glanced at Yan Yunning from the corner of his eye, and smiled with perfect composure. “Is Young Master Yan saying I’m not allowed to come to this street?”

“Of course not — Young Master Xuan is reading too much into it.” Yan Zhiyi smiled.

From the very beginning, when Yaoyao had taken him in, Yan Zhiyi had sensed that Xuan Yanyu’s background was anything but simple — and yet Yaoyao had refused to heed his warnings.

“Ningning, let’s go. We’ll pick out some things children might enjoy — in a few days I’ll take you and Yaoyao to Yuanjing Manor to play.” Yan Zhiyi looked at Yan Yunning, his eyes brimming with fond indulgence.

“Brother, if we’re going to Yuanjing Manor, why would we need to buy things children like?” Yan Yunning blinked in puzzlement.

Yan Zhiyi let out a low laugh. “You silly girl — because there are children at the manor, of course.”

Between his two younger sisters, not one of them was sharp. It must be that when their mother gave birth to him, all the cleverness had been passed on to him.

“……” Yan Yunning rubbed her nose.

The man who had been ignored felt his expression grow subtly cold.

Yan Yunning felt a sudden chill down her back and retreated two steps, quietly reaching for his hand.

He closed his fingers around hers in return, their hands interlaced.

Yan Yunning: “……”

……

The Third Prince’s Residence.

Yan Shiyao held a dagger up before her, letting it sway back and forth.

Qi Qingchen said icily, “Yan Shiyao, what are you up to now?”

“Third Your Highness~” Yan Shiyao gave a giggling laugh. “This subject-girl has set aside all past grievances and come to make peace with the secondary consort. If I end up injured again inside the Third Prince’s Residence, however would that do?”

Qi Qingchen closed his eyes briefly, his hand slowly tightening into a fist. “What exactly do you want?”

Yan Shiyao curved her lips and spoke in a sweet, coquettish tone. “Third Your Highness, this subject-girl took care of you when you were out of your wits — surely I’m entitled to ask you for some silver?”

Wu’an drew a sharp breath. Out of his wits?

Had His Highness really been out of his wits at some point?

No wonder his temper had been so terrible when he returned during that time, and he’d wanted to deal with the eldest Young Miss Yan and the others.

“Everyone out,” Qi Qingchen shouted.

At the command, Wu’an scrambled in a panic toward the doors of the hall.

The maidservants, not even stopping to bow, stumbled out in terror, their faces drained of color.

The hall doors swung shut. Qi Qingchen stared at Yan Shiyao, his face flushed red. “Yan Shiyao — what is the crime for plotting against an imperial son? Don’t test me. I can go to Imperial Father right now and have your Chancellor’s Residence searched and seized.”

Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together in a smile. “Third Your Highness, you won’t be able to do that.”

Was Xuan Yanyu not still here? He hadn’t yet lured her to Xuanzhao — there was no way he would allow the Qi Emperor to have her Chancellor’s Residence seized.

“You’re provoking me?” Qi Qingchen’s eyes went bloodshot with fury.

Yan Shiyao looked at him with an expression of perfect innocence, her voice soft and gentle. “Third Your Highness, I wouldn’t dare. This subject-girl is only speaking the truth.”

Qi Qingchen grabbed her by the arm and stared at her up close, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes. “Yan Shiyao, you shouldn’t be foolish enough to provoke me again and again.”

Yan Shiyao swallowed, and flashed a charming smile. “Third Your Highness, truly, this subject-girl wouldn’t dare. I only came today for the silver — and not just for taking care of you. When you invited my brother and Ningning to dine with you, did you actually pay for it?”

Qi Qingchen said irritably, “This Crown Prince was the host — naturally I paid.”

He had said it was his treat — Wu’an surely would not have failed to settle the bill.

Yan Shiyao curled her lips, completely composed and without so much as a blush. “Third Your Highness, it was this subject-girl who paid — three hundred taels in full.”

Qi Qingchen pressed his lips into a tight line. Wu’an hadn’t paid?

Would that Attendant Yan ever agree to dine with him again?!

“Your Highness, how can you be so faithless? You nearly got Ningning and my brother beaten by the restaurant staff.” Yan Shiyao said with flawless calm. “If Ningning hadn’t been quick-witted and found a way to send one of the staff to fetch me, how would Your Highness have explained himself to my father?”

Qi Qingchen said, his conscience pricking at him, “Could Attendant Yan not pay himself? And could he really have been beaten by restaurant staff??”

Yan Shiyao tapped a finger against his chest and smiled sweetly. “Brother had drunk too much wine, and Ningning had no silver on her. Your Highness — do you think they could have been beaten by the staff? Well? Could they?”

The girl blinked her beautiful eyes at him, her smile beguiling. The hand that Qi Qingchen had gripped around her arm tightened.

“Third Your Highness — the silver.” Yan Shiyao’s voice rose with a lilting lilt.

She would not let him off without paying her back!

Qi Qingchen looked down at her smiling face, and his throat moved involuntarily. He leaned forward slightly, and as if compelled by some inexplicable force, pressed his lips to hers.

Yan Shiyao’s eyes turned icy cold in an instant. She shoved him away and, in her fury, struck him hard across the face.

“Yan Shiyao!” Qi Qingchen’s ears rang.

Yan Shiyao’s fingertips trembled as she wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.

Disgusting!

“Yan Shiyao, you——” Qi Qingchen’s gaze sharpened as he stepped forward, wrapping a large hand around her waist and sneering. “Yan Shiyao, what gives you the right to act as though you find me beneath you?”

“Wasn’t it you who used to follow me around every day, bringing your younger sister and that guard you took in?”

Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together and said nothing.

“And what a shame — Xuan Yanyu has taken a liking to your younger sister and stopped caring about you.” Qi Qingchen laughed in contempt.

Yan Shiyao looked up at him, her expression suddenly serious. “How can you tell that Xuan Yanyu has taken a liking to Ningning?!”

Qi Qingchen gave her a lazy, sidelong look, his tone dripping with schadenfreude. “Can’t you see it yourself? At Yuanjin Manor, how much did he resent you? And yet he followed Yan Yunning around day after day.”

“Haven’t you noticed that wherever Yan Yunning is, he is as well?”

At the time, he had asked Yan Yunning to peel lychees for him, and the moment she finished, Xuan Yanyu ate them — and then wouldn’t let Yan Yunning peel any for him. What was that, if not jealousy?

Yan Yunning was indeed more likable than Yan Shiyao — it was no surprise that Xuan Yanyu could come to fancy her.

Yan Shiyao stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

Xuan Yanyu had been pretending all along.

She was certain of it now. He had stopped trying to deceive her — he had started deceiving Ningning instead.

What was she to do?

Qi Qingchen leaned toward her with a smile. “Yan Shiyao — setting Xuan Yanyu aside, none of the others are worthy of Ningning either. Don’t you think?”

Yan Shiyao’s expression shifted slightly. “He’s not worthy — and you’re even less so.”

With anyone other than Xuan Yanyu, Prince Xuan would demand that Qilan pay the price to soothe his fury.

He wanted to marry Ningning — only because Xuan Yanyu had gotten in his way.

She had only just learned that he had gone to the Chancellor’s Residence to propose a betrothal. He actually dared to try to marry Ningning.

Qi Qingchen clenched his jaw. “This Crown Prince is an imperial son — it is Yan Yunning who is unworthy of this Crown Prince!”

“Get out.” Yan Shiyao removed the hand resting on her waist and raised her foot to kick him.

“Hiss……”

Qi Qingchen reined in his expression, his eyes narrowing. “Yan Shiyao — what did Jiang Jin do to you?!”

How did she become so utterly insufferable!

Yan Shiyao rolled her eyes. “Your Highness — the silver. I don’t want payment for nursing you through your stupor anymore, but those three hundred taels you owe for treating my brother and Ningning — you must give that back.”

Qi Qingchen suppressed the wave of fury rising within him and walked around her toward the hall doors. He feared that if he stayed, he would not be able to stop himself from killing her.

“Qi Qingchen?” Yan Shiyao, furious, pinched her own philtrum.