“Second Miss Yan, will the Third Prince agree to see me?” Yu Xi asked anxiously.

In ordinary times, she and her husband had no way of getting near any of the princes. Perhaps this was her chance.

“He will.” Yan Shiyao sobbed softly. “I’ll go put in a word for you in a moment.”

Yan Yunning let out a quiet sigh. Her older sister was still the same older sister she’d always been.

Yan Shiyao stole a glance at Yan Yunning’s reaction and quietly exhaled with relief. She had nearly forgotten Ningning was there a moment ago — she had acted without thinking and struck Xiao Shi.

What she feared was that Ningning would ask her why she had changed.

· · ·

Having promised to help, Yan Shiyao could only brace herself and carry the food box to Qi Qingchen’s guest room.

Qi Qingchen was surprised to see her. Every other time, it had been him seeking her out — only to be told to get lost. So why had she come today, bearing a food box??

“Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao smiled and opened the food box. “You must be hungry — come, eat.”

Qi Qingchen stepped back almost imperceptibly. Could it be that, tired of him pestering her every day, she had decided to poison him??

“Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao’s voice was gentle.

She picked up a spoon, dipped it into the porridge, and gestured for him to come drink.

Qi Qingchen’s throat bobbed slightly. “What… what are you trying to do?”

“Elder Brother Qi, I’m bringing you food so you can eat — what else would I be doing?” Yan Shiyao laughed softly.

Qi Qingchen’s eyelid twitched. “This hall is not hungry. Take your food box and leave.”

“Qi Qingchen, hungry or not, you still have to eat.” Yan Shiyao lifted the bowl of porridge and stepped toward him one pace at a time. “Eat!”

Qi Qingchen looked at the spoon held out toward his mouth and turned his head away.

Yan Shiyao rolled her eyes and put the spoonful of porridge into her own mouth instead.

Qi Qingchen swallowed. She wasn’t trying to poison him??

“Your Fifth Imperial Brother, Qi Qingxian, harmed innocent citizens of Qilan for the sake of what he called Xuanzhao’s treasury. Can you or can you not make him pay for it?” Yan Shiyao scooped up another spoonful of porridge.

This porridge Yu Xi made was so delicious.

“Is that true?” Qi Qingchen stared at her cheeks, slightly puffed from chewing, and his gaze darkened a shade.

“It is. I’ll have Miss Yu and Young Master Duan tell you the details in a moment.” Yan Shiyao licked the corner of her mouth where a drop of porridge clung.

Qi Qingchen suddenly leaned close, his voice dropping low. “Give this hall a taste.”

“There’s none left.” Yan Shiyao said coldly.

Why hadn’t he eaten it when she offered it to him? One look at his face earlier and she had known — he was afraid she would poison him!!

Qi Qingchen snatched the bowl, which still held half a portion of porridge, and smiled lazily. “Yan Shiyao, are you blind?”

“Get lost!” Yan Shiyao kicked him.

“You want this hall to help you, and this is your attitude?” Qi Qingchen picked up the spoon Yan Shiyao had used and, with unhurried ease, scooped up a spoonful.

Watching Qi Qingchen swallow the porridge, Yan Shiyao once again suppressed the urge to slap him. “If you won’t help with this, the other princes are also willing to help, and my brother can help as well.”

Qi Qingchen smiled lightly. “Oh.”

He ate his porridge slowly and unhurriedly, saying nothing more.

Yan Shiyao drew a deep breath. She wasn’t really certain what kind of relationship the other princes had with the Fifth Prince — what if she went to someone who was close to him? That would be walking straight into a trap. They might even detain her.

Her brother was even less suited to help. Going before Emperor Qi to impeach one of his own sons — even if that son were in the wrong, the Emperor’s heart would surely be unsettled by it.

Qi Qingchen was the most fitting choice. Emperor Qi practically longed for him to take the throne. If he brought the matter forward, Emperor Qi would not fault him for it.

Watching the bowl empty to its last drop, Yan Shiyao, with practiced patience, took the empty bowl from the man’s hands, smiling pleasantly. “Still hungry? There’s also soup — would you like a little?”

The corner of Qi Qingchen’s mouth curved upward. “Mm.”

Yan Shiyao rolled her eyes the moment her back was turned to him, reluctantly brought out the soup, then turned around with a smile at her lips. “Elder Brother Qi, it smells wonderful just from the scent alone — drink it quickly.”

Qi Qingchen leaned back lazily against the wooden chair, looking as though he had no intention of lifting a hand.

Yan Shiyao gritted her back teeth, crouched in front of him, and fed it to him spoonful by spoonful.

“Having drunk Miss Yu’s cooking, it would be too much to still not help.” Yan Shiyao smiled faintly.

She regretted it bitterly. If she had known it would come to this, she would never have kept up the pretense!

It would have been better to let Ningning ask her why she had changed!!

“Someone else made this?” Qi Qingchen’s voice dipped slightly.

It wasn’t made by her? Wasn’t she supposed to be quite skilled at cooking??

“It’s not as though I’m the one asking a favor of you — I’m only passing a message, asking you to go meet with Miss Yu and Young Master Duan. Why would I need to cook for you?” Yan Shiyao shrugged.

If she was going to cook for anyone, she’d rather cook for her little puppy.

“Zhaoarn has arrived — do you know?” Yan Shiyao said suddenly.

Qi Qingchen’s brow furrowed. Xuanzhaoarn?

“Why do I never see you wearing the sachet she gave you?” Yan Shiyao’s gaze dropped to the brocade sash at his waist, her voice sweet. “Third Highness, didn’t you make a promise to her?”

Qi Qingchen said lightly, “This hall lost it. Ugly thing.”

“Qi Qingchen, you are truly fickle!” Yan Shiyao said with a cold laugh.

The man let out a soft, disdainful sound. “This hall is a prince. Do you really expect this hall to remain devoted to only one person?”

He had found Xuanzhaoarn charming at the time and had teased her a little. He had never been deeply attached to her, and as time passed, the feeling had simply faded.

Yan Shiyao couldn’t stop herself — she raised her hand and slapped him across the cheek.

Qi Qingchen hooked his hand around her neck, turned his head, and pressed a punishing kiss to her lips.

Yan Shiyao reached up and pinched his ear.

Outside the guest room, Yan Yunning and Yu Xi had been waiting for a long time without seeing Yan Shiyao come back out.

The afternoon sun was blazing. Yan Yunning drooped listlessly. “Miss Yu, there’s no need to keep waiting — let’s come back after the midday meal.”

“Second Miss Yan, you go on ahead,” Yu Xi said, sensing she had reached her limit. “I’ll wait a little longer.”

“All right.” Yan Yunning didn’t argue.

With that, she dashed off eagerly toward Xuan Yanyu’s guest room.

She pushed open the wooden door and immediately asked, “Xuan Xixi, do you know — somewhere near the border between Xuanzhao and Qilan, there’s a treasury?”

The man set down his writing brush, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. “You want it?”

“You knew about it?” Yan Yunning dragged a wooden chair over and sat down beside him.

“Second Miss Yan,” Ye’an said, pouring a cup of tea and smiling as he offered it to Yan Yunning, “the treasury you’re speaking of — His Highness had it moved to his private vault long ago.”

“Moved to your private vault?” Yan Yunning lifted the teacup and took a small sip.

“Mm. Imperial Father didn’t want it — he said it took up space in the national treasury — so this hall had no choice but to toss it into the private vault.”

Yan Yunning leaned over the writing desk and watched the man pick up his scroll to read, then let out a sigh. “Do you know that Qi Qingxian has set his sights on that treasury, and that he even harmed people over it?”

Xuan Yanyu let out a derisive laugh. “He’s set his sights on it? A treasury that sits inside Xuanzhao — does he have the means to take it out? Even his own father couldn’t take it, and yet he’s stupid enough to go around hurting people over it?”

“…Perhaps he has a way to take it out.” Yan Yunning picked up a writing brush and, imitating Xuan Yanyu, began twirling it between her fingers.

The brush, loaded with ink, spun — and with each rotation, the ink flew off and spattered across Yan Yunning’s face.

The girl froze in place. She glanced downward, and could dimly make out an ink droplet dangling from the tip of her nose.

Xuan Yanyu couldn’t hold back a low laugh. Black patches on white, dotting the girl’s face — paired with her pale blue dress, it was thoroughly amusing.

The ink droplet at the tip of her nose dripped down to her philtrum. Yan Yunning was on the verge of losing it. She yanked Xuan Yanyu’s sleeve and wiped the ink drops off her face with it.

The man’s expression darkened — the girl’s face was even blacker than his.