“Not planning to return for the time being.” Yan Shiyao smiled lightly.

“Where are you staying?” Qi Qingchen asked again.

“The Grand Tutor’s residence.” Yan Shiyao answered honestly.

“Would you like to come and stay at the inn with this Highness?” Qi Qingchen’s voice was very soft.

“No need, Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao smiled as she declined.

Qi Qingchen did not press further. He arranged a time for the two of them to meet the following day, and then departed the teahouse.

Yan Shiyao stared after Qi Qingchen’s retreating figure and gave a derisive laugh.

If she had guessed correctly, that dimwit Qi Qingchen must have offended Xuan Yanyu or His Majesty the Xuan Wang in some way — otherwise, why would two Xuanzhao guards be following behind him, keeping an eye on him?!

“Miss, the silver for the tea……” Seeing that Yan Shiyao was about to leave, the server smiled and stepped in front of her.

“Qi Qingchen!!” Yan Shiyao looked at the tea on the round table that Qi Qingchen had taken barely one sip from, and felt a surge of fury.

He could not even pay for this paltry amount of tea?!

In truth, whenever he went out, an attendant guard would always settle the bill — Qi Qingchen had never developed the habit of paying for things himself, so it simply had not occurred to him.

Yan Shiyao had no choice but to fish out loose silver from her coin pouch and, with great reluctance, hand it to the server on Qi Qingchen’s behalf.

Having paid, Yan Shiyao wandered down the long street in a sour mood.

The sky was growing steadily darker. The evening wind swept freely, tossing the tree branches about. Yan Shiyao paused, smoothed back the strands of hair the wind had blown loose, and let her gaze settle on a man not far ahead, dressed in a grey-blue robe.

The man was crouching on the ground, offering words of comfort while lifting a wailing child up from the ground and carrying him into the fabric shop opposite.

Just as Yan Shiyao stood there in a momentary daze, the man walked up before her with a brilliant smile. He tilted his head deliberately to one side, his lashes casting a soft shadow as his gaze met hers directly. “Why has this young lady been staring at me?”

The sky had dimmed somewhat. Strands of loose hair fell across his brow and eyes as he tilted his head. His throat moved in a light swallow. The smile at the corner of his lips was bewitching.

Yan Shiyao looked at his face and recognized him immediately — in the visions, he was Xuan Yanyu’s closest brother-in-arms: Mu Heng.

She knew of him because, in the end, he had died at Ah Chen’s hand while trying to stop Ah Chen from taking her out of the Xuan Wang Palace.

Until the very last moment, he had clung fast to Ah Chen’s leg and would not let go. She had been utterly terrified just seeing that scene in the vision — had it truly happened to her, she thought she would have died of fright.

Was this not the ideal candidate — the best possible person to help her break free from Qi Qingchen?

She would not even need to go and beg Ningning. Getting Mu Heng on her side would be enough.

Yan Shiyao averted her eyes from his, and said with a shy, delicate air, “Sir~”

Mu Heng: “……”

How was it that the moment he returned to the capital, he encountered such an insufferably coquettish woman?!

Seeing that Mu Heng made no reply, Yan Shiyao took a step closer, and in a soft, gentle voice asked, “Sir, how did that child come to be crying so terribly just now?”

“Oh.” Mu Heng scratched his head. “I did not see him and bumped into him by accident. He fell to the ground, so naturally he cried.”

Yan Shiyao pursed her lips. Momentarily at a loss for how to respond, she simply changed the subject. “Sir, it is growing late. Might I trouble you to see me back to my residence?”

Mu Heng glanced up at the sun sinking in the west and shook his head with a smile. “Young lady, this one still has urgent matters to attend to.”

He needed to go to the Crown Prince’s Residence to scrounge a meal — and if he was late, there would be no meal left to scrounge. Was that not an urgent matter?!

Yan Shiyao wound a strand of hair around her fingertip, her voice soft and honeyed. “Sir, my name is Yan Shiyao. I wonder if you might have time tomorrow — I would like to invite you to a restaurant for a meal.”

The girl blinked deliberately, her delicate face full of anticipation.

Mu Heng paid her no mind and, without a trace of courtesy, stepped around her and left.

This girl had something a little off about her — making such bizarre advances out of nowhere the first time they met!

Yan Shiyao’s cheeks puffed up. She would just go and beg Ningning after all!!

Xuan Yanyu’s good friend was cut from exactly the same cloth as Xuan Yanyu!!

——

Crown Prince’s Residence.

When Mu Heng rushed over to the Crown Prince’s Residence, he was blocked outside the bedchamber by Ye’an and Ye Chen.

“What is the meaning of this?” Mu Heng was a little ruffled.

“His Highness the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are occupied with something.” Ye’an explained.

“Occupied with what? Tell Yanyu to come out and see me.” Mu Heng wore an expression of total disbelief.

Ye’an estimated the hour. “Master Mu, please go to the Qishan Hall and wait a moment. His Highness and the Crown Princess should, most probably, be out for dinner very soon.”

“Should, most probably, be? Very soon?!” Mu Heng’s mouth twitched.

What kind of nonsense was that?!

What did “should, most probably, be” mean?!

“Yes.” Ye’an nodded, and together with Ye Chen, the two of them took Mu Heng by one arm each and steered him toward the Qishan Hall.

There was no “should, most probably” about it. No “very soon” either.

He waited all the way past the hour for the evening meal. It was not until late in the night that Xuan Yanyu came to the Qishan Hall, carrying Yan Yunning in his arms.

“I have been here this long, and you are only just coming out now?” Mu Heng slumped over the round rosewood table, his stomach growling with hunger. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, I have only been away from the capital for one year, and you already show me such disregard?!”

He should have sent that girl called Yan — Yan Shiyao — home earlier. At least that would have meant a meal.

“What brings you here?” Seeing Mu Heng sprawled shamelessly across the table, Xuan Yanyu was somewhat taken aback.

Mu Heng did not lift his head, and said wearily, “I arrived at dusk and have been waiting until now — that is several hours. Your Highness the Crown Prince, are you trying to starve me to death?”

“Why did you not have Ye Chen serve you food?” Xuan Yanyu, with Yan Yunning in his arms, settled into the sandalwood chair. The maidservants, seeing this, began bringing out dishes onto the rosewood table one by one.

“Ye’an said you would be here shortly. So I waited.” Mu Heng straightened up, rubbed the back of his neck, and his gaze fell on Yan Yunning in Xuan Yanyu’s arms. He blinked. “Yanyu, is the Crown Princess ill?”

She could not even get up for dinner?

She needed to be carried?!

“Put me down.” Yan Yunning, who had been too languid to move, had no choice but to speak up.

And then she wished she had not — her voice came out hoarse, barely intelligible.

“She is that ill?” Mu Heng shook his head.

What a burden for Yanyu, having to take care of her.

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

“……” Yan Yunning rolled her eyes with great effort.

The supremely oblivious, well-meaning fool!

“Have you seen an imperial physician? Your voice is this hoarse? If it drags on, you might not be able to speak at all.” Mu Heng said with concern.

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

Yan Yunning: “……”

What a pure, simple, oblivious good man!!

“Master Mu, please, come and eat.” Ye’an smiled pleasantly and offered him a pair of bamboo chopsticks.

Having said all of that without anyone acknowledging it, Mu Heng asked no more questions. He took the bamboo chopsticks from Ye’an and began shoveling food into his mouth in earnest.

Xuan Yanyu took the bowl of wolfberry and red date soup that Xiao Wan brought over. Yan Yunning held the soup spoon and sipped it in small mouthfuls, occasionally offering Xuan Yanyu a sip as well.

Mu Heng felt the flavor drain from everything in his mouth and a sudden profound unhappiness settle over him. He really should have sent that girl called Yan Yao home when he had the chance.

“How can the two of you have so little sense of propriety?!” Mu Heng muttered under his breath. “What kind of example does this set for others? The Crown Princess is this unwell — Yanyu, what if you were to catch it as well? What then?!”

Did the entire Crown Prince’s Residence have only one bowl of soup with wolfberries and red dates floating in it?

And only one soup spoon?!

He could not begin to imagine what would become of Xuanzhao if His Highness the Crown Prince of Xuanzhao lost his voice.

Xuan Yanyu turned to look at him sidelong, a glint of playful amusement in his ink-dark eyes. “You are not so young either. Why has the Minister of Justice still not arranged a betrothal for you? Shall this Highness go and urge him along?”

Mu Heng pursed his lips. “I am one year younger than Your Highness, and Your Highness was also unattached at my age. What is there to urge?”