Meeting the man’s perceptive gaze, Yan Shiyao bit her lip and pressed on regardless. “Brother Yu, am I not allowed even a little temper?”

She had forgotten — in the past she would never have deliberately acted coy and pouty with him.

He was sharper than Qi Qingchen. He had most likely noticed something.

Xuan Yanyu regarded her with a smile that was not quite a smile. “Of course you may.”

What did it matter to him what she had become?

Yan Shiyao let out a quiet breath of relief. “Brother Yu, I’m a little tired. I’ll go rest in my room first.”

If she stayed any longer, she was certain he would see right through her. She needed to step away and compose herself.

Xuan Yanyu gave a nod.

Yan Shiyao moved to Yan Yunning’s side and said gently, “Ningning, come back to the room with A’Jie.”

Yan Yunning swallowed the bite of pastry in her mouth and smiled faintly. “A’Jie, I’ll come find you once I’ve finished eating.”

Yan Shiyao’s brow furrowed for a moment, then she said, “Alright. Eat quickly — A’Jie will wait for you in the room.”

“Mm.”

“First Miss, Second Miss, Young Master Xuan — the Third Prince has arrived.” Chunyi lifted the bamboo curtain and walked in.

Yan Shiyao’s eye twitched. Had he not just escorted her back before leaving?

Why had he come again?

“Yan Shiyao!” Qi Qingchen strode in looking furious, his voice laced with shock and indignation. “You deceived this Prince — the bill was one hundred taels of silver, and you told this Prince three hundred!”

Had Wu’an not brought it up, he still wouldn’t have known. That day’s outing had only cost one hundred taels, yet Yan Shiyao had doubled it!

Yan Shiyao felt a pang of guilt.

“Yan Shiyao, how bold of you.”

“Brother Qi, I… I must have misremembered.” Yan Shiyao’s voice wavered slightly.

The reproach Qi Qingchen had been about to unleash, along with his fury, all got swallowed back down. Why had she called him Brother Qi again?

“Brother Qi, please don’t be angry.” Yan Shiyao’s eyes misted, and she wept silently.

“Forget it — this Prince won’t hold it against you.” Qi Qingchen raised his hand and wiped her tears.

His mind was probably genuinely not functioning properly — going back and forth like this.

The issue with Jiang Jin was partly his responsibility as well.

Yan Yunning clicked her tongue inwardly. Was Qi Qingchen reverting to the original storyline again?

Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes and watched them with amused interest. So Yan Shiyao’s mind wasn’t dull after all — she was playing Qi Qingchen. Impressively done. She and Yan Yunning truly deserved to be sisters.

“Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao put on a look of remorseful contrition. “Let me see you out of the residence.”

Qi Qingchen hooked the corner of his mouth, his voice dropping low. “Yan Shiyao, this Prince was swindled out of two hundred taels by you, and you’re showing me the door?”

Qi Qingchen gave her shoulder a pat, walked past her, and sat himself down in a wooden chair with practiced ease.

“Is someone going to bring this Prince a set of bowls and chopsticks?” The man leaned back in the chair and rapped the table with the back of his hand.

Yan Shiyao glanced at Chunyi.

Chunyi gave a nod and brought Qi Qingchen a set of bowls and chopsticks.

Qi Qingchen licked his lips lightly. “Yan Shiyao, come and serve this Prince’s plate.”

Yan Shiyao balled her fists and, with displeasure, walked over to him. Had he not just eaten?

“Serve me.” Qi Qingchen smiled and raised an eyebrow.

Yan Shiyao forced a smile, swept the table with her gaze, then picked up the dish in front of Yan Yunning — the one with the least appealing presentation — and tipped it wholesale into Qi Qingchen’s bowl.

Yan Yunning moved her lips. That was the dish she had been absent-mindedly stirring with her chopsticks while listening to A’Jie teach Xuan Xizi to tie on the jade pendant. She had been thinking it would be poor form to serve it to Qi Qingchen when she herself hadn’t finished it properly.

“Yan Shiyao!” Qi Qingchen stared at the food in his bowl with distaste. “Do you take this Prince for a stray pup?”

Yan Shiyao kept her eyes lowered. “Brother Qi, I didn’t.”

“You didn’t, and yet you give this Prince this?” Qi Qingchen’s face was full of disdain.

“Is the Third Prince here to pick a fight?” Xuan Yanyu’s handsome face curved into a wicked smile. “Yan Yunning just ate from it too, which means the Third Prince is implying that Yan Yunning is a……”

“Xuan Yanyu!” Yan Yunning’s complexion shifted. “What are you saying? Who is a stray pup?”

The moment he brought it up, she remembered the time he had bought meat cakes to feed a puppy, and she had eaten them instead, and he had stood there smiling as he told her to eat as much as she liked.

“Call me older brother.” The man patted her on the head, his expression wickedly amused as he leaned close and murmured, “Or call this Prince ‘brother-in-law.'”

Yan Yunning blinked, momentarily stunned.

Xuan Yanyu pressed close to her ear, his voice low and husky and tender. “Didn’t you say you wanted a brother-in-law who was a Prince of Xuanzhao? How is it? Are you so happy you’ve been struck dumb?”

Yan Shiyao watched the two whispering together and frowned deeply.

Xuan Yanyu regarded Yan Yunning with lively interest, raised an eyebrow, and let out a mocking snort. “Why have you stopped calling? Wasn’t it what you were hoping for?”

“Brother-in-law.” Yan Yunning leaned close to him, her voice softer than the sound of a turning page.

Xuan Yanyu’s expression instantly darkened.

The moment their eyes met, Yan Yunning mouthed it again without making a sound.

Xuan Yanyu drew in a long, deep breath and curled his lips into a cold smile.

Well done!!

Qi Qingchen watched the two of them with puzzlement. What were they muttering to each other about?

……

Early the next morning, Mu Cheng summoned Yan Shiyao to the Minister’s residence.

“Yaoyao, what am I to do? A’Jie refuses to dissolve her engagement with Murong.” Mu Cheng looked wretchedly worried. “Think of something. The betrothal gifts are coming soon — once they’re accepted, calling off the engagement becomes far more difficult.”

Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together. It was for helping Mu Cheng that she had been hired thugs by Mu Xi to beat her, and now she was being asked for help again!

“Yaoyao.” Mu Cheng shook her arm, her voice coaxing and sweet. “Please come up with something.”

“Didn’t you try to attract Murong? Couldn’t you get Murong to abandon Mu Xi?” Yan Shiyao frowned.

“No.” Mu Cheng deflated. “Murong appears to genuinely love my A’Jie.”

In reality he had a child with one of his maidservants!

And he was even planning — once her A’Jie was married to him — to ensure her A’Jie never became pregnant, and to have her wholeheartedly raise the child of him and his deceased maidservant.

She and her A’Jie had gone to the Prefect’s office to find Murong, and she had gone wandering about and overheard Murong saying as much in the ancestral hall with her own ears.

That maidservant had even been secretly moved by Murong into the ancestral hall of the Prefect’s residence!

Yet her A’Jie simply refused to believe her, and she could find no trace of Murong’s child’s whereabouts. Because of this matter, her A’Jie had nearly come to despise her.

She had originally thought that if she went to attract Murong, fell in love with her, she would then have him abandon her A’Jie, and afterward she would cast Murong aside herself. But Murong didn’t spare her a second glance, and because of it, her A’Jie despised her even more.

Her A’Jie said she had deliberately made up the story about Murong’s child just to drive her away from Murong and take him for herself.

She simply had no way to explain herself clearly.

“Try again.” Yan Shiyao’s frown deepened. “I haven’t any good ideas. Murong puts up quite a convincing front. Were it me, I wouldn’t believe it either — after all, he and your A’Jie have been childhood companions.”

Mu Cheng’s eyes drooped. “Mm.”

“Miss, Young Master Mu has come to the residence to see the First Miss. Are you going to the First Miss’s courtyard?” A maidservant pushed open the wooden door, and before her words had fully landed, Mu Cheng had already dashed out at a run.

Yan Shiyao: “……”

On the other side, Murong had just taken his seat when he caught a glimpse of Mu Cheng lifting her skirts and scurrying in. Against his will, his temple gave an involuntary twitch.

“Brother Murong.” Mu Cheng blinked and gazed at him shyly. “Brother Murong, my hand has healed — you didn’t have to go out of your way to come and check on me.”