Something he said had displeased her, as the person before him suddenly darkened his expression, his eyes colder than the knife-like wind on this snowy night.

“Hmm…” Jiang Zhiyi hugged herself tightly, shivering as she pondered, then looked at him tentatively, “So that might be a problem?”

Yuance tilted his head, and before he could say “What do you think?”—

“You’re right, it’s so rare for us to have the opportunity to be in the same room, better not to have anyone disturb us… Then I don’t need anyone else to attend to me either, having Brother Astrategy to take care of me is enough!”

“…”

Yuance’s expression moved beyond mere displeasure to complete indifference as he turned away without a word and walked inside.

Qing Song glanced at his young master who had abandoned his responsibility, then at the Princess who wasn’t embarrassed, but made others feel extremely uncomfortable: “What does the Young Master mean by this…”

Jiang Zhiyi gave a sidelong glance at this tactless servant, stepped across the threshold directly into the manor, and casually tossed the bundle from her shoulder.

Qing Song barely caught the bundle and hurriedly followed with the umbrella.

He chased after the Princess, who chased after his master. As they went, she looked around in all directions, seemingly finding everything novel and interesting. Whenever she wanted to look more closely at something, she would notice that his master had left her far behind, forcing her to lift her skirt and run in small steps to catch up.

After hurrying into the courtyard and to the study door, Jiang Zhiyi was about to follow him in. Just as she lifted her boot tip eagerly, with a bang, she was met with the door slamming in her face.

Jiang Zhiyi stumbled back two steps, raised her sleeve to block the wind, blinked at the closed door, and slowly turned her gaze to the half-open window nearby.

Just as she was about to walk around to the window to speak—

With a click, the window was shut as well.

Jiang Zhiyi’s face fell, her eyebrows and eyes drooping.

What exactly does he mean?

Half an incense stick’s time later, in the west wing room of the east courtyard, Jiang Zhiyi looked at the several Shen Manor maids standing before her, unhappily pursing her lips as she sat on a stool without saying a word.

The lights in the study were still on, and he hadn’t retired for the night, yet he had abandoned her in this shabby wing room, sending a group of maids to deal with her.

And this wing room—it was practically bare, with nothing but a bed frame, a round table, and a few round stools. There wasn’t even a comfortable place with a backrest to lean against…

Didn’t he realize that if she truly just needed a place to stay, she had dedicated sleeping quarters in the palace? What wouldn’t she have there? She had only come here for the person!

After being exposed to the cold wind all evening, with stiff hands and feet, and now sitting on an uncomfortable, hard stool in this room, Jiang Zhiyi felt physically and mentally unwell. The more she thought about it, the worse she felt, until she suddenly stood up.

The approaching maid encountered this wave of resentment head-on, startled into an immediate retreat.

Everyone knew that Princess Yongying and their young master didn’t get along, but in the past, regardless of how much they were at odds with each other, the Princess’s status meant she would never lower herself to come looking for trouble with the young master.

How was it that now, after three years, when the fires of war on the border had been extinguished, the fire between the Princess and their young master had only intensified? To think she would come to his door in the middle of a snowy night to argue!

And the young master—he had allowed her to stay the night. Was it because they had tired of arguing at night, making it convenient to continue once they woke in the morning?

The maids exchanged nervous glances, and after a long hesitation, the lead maid lowered her head and offered a tea bowl: “…Princess, it’s cold outside. Please drink some ginger soup to ward off the chill!”

Jiang Zhiyi, feeling bottled up inside, glanced down at the bowl: “This is ginger ‘soup’?”

The maid nodded timidly: “Yes, Princess.”

“The ginger has turned to paste. Why doesn’t he just order someone to make me porridge?” Jiang Zhiyi angrily stomped her foot toward the window. “Does he think I’m one of those rough men from his military camp?”

The maid’s heart trembled, and she quickly apologized as she withdrew, saying she would strain out the ginger paste immediately. Before leaving, she exchanged meaningful glances with the other maids.

Another maid took a light breath, preparing herself, then stepped forward: “Princess, please hold this hand warmer to warm yourself…”

Jiang Zhiyi turned her eyes back, and after a moment of surprise, became even more agitated with an incredulous laugh: “Warm myself? Without even a fleece cover for it? Doesn’t he know that we ladies have delicate skin? Is he trying to warm me or scald me?”

“No, no, it was this servant’s oversight…” The maid anxiously looked to the side for help.

Jiang Zhiyi followed her gaze, examining each item the maids were holding—

“This handkerchief is so coarse, aren’t you afraid it will hurt my face…”

“This comb has such sharp teeth, is it meant to pierce my scalp?”

“This wooden basin has such a strong wood smell, and this water too, with such a watery smell… He never used to be so perfunctory with me!”

“…”

He… wasn’t?

The maids trembled as they held their items, not daring to speak.

They had served in the east courtyard of Shen Manor for years but had never attended to a female master. They didn’t understand all the fine considerations, especially since after their young master returned from the border, he no longer required their service. Now they had no opportunity to attend to even the male master, let alone gain worldly experience. How could they know that water shouldn’t have a water smell, and wood shouldn’t have a wood smell…

But from the Princess’s words, did that mean their young master knew?

“For-forgive us, Princess… What kind of handkerchief, water, and comb would the Princess prefer? We will note it down and find them immediately…”

“What use is it if you note it down?” Jiang Zhiyi cast a resentful glance toward the window. “He still won’t take my preferences to heart!”

“Then… then shall we report your requirements to the young master first, and then find what you need?”

After making this trembling suggestion, the maid saw Jiang Zhiyi blink, her expression somewhat relieved, as if finally willing to grant their young master a chance. She reluctantly raised her chin: “I’ll only say this once, so listen carefully.”

“Reporting to the young master, the Princess is dissatisfied with our service. She says—” The maid withdrew from the wing room, afraid that she would forget if she delayed even a moment, and hurriedly entered the study to report, “She only uses water silk for face towels, only sandalwood combs, only ivory hair picks, no copper basins for washing hands and face, but Hetian jade basins that nourish the skin, and for bathing, not wooden tubs, but pools large enough for her to swim and play in freely…”

From his seat, Yuance held his book scroll, raising his head slowly in disbelief: “Is she planning to bathe or to swim like a duck?”

Seeing the heavy pressure in the young master’s eyes, the maid forced herself to continue: “Not only that, the Princess says her face-washing water must be spring water without any water smell—collecting snow water on snowy days, rain water on rainy days, and morning dew on sunny days…”

Yuance glanced sideways at the heavy snowflakes outside the window and laughed at the absurdity: “To wash her face requires preparation a day in advance?”

“Um… the Princess also said that when she bathes, flower essence must be added to the bath water, and the flowers used to make the essence must be fresh flowers picked on the third day of the third month during the Shangsi Festival…”

“For a bath, preparation must begin a year in advance?”

The maid shuddered and dared not continue.

In the deathly silence, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

Another maid rushed in, also seeming on the verge of forgetting her message, and began rattling off without proper ceremony at the doorway: “Young Master, the Princess has added several more items she requires. She says after washing her hands, she needs hand cream from Xiangxue Tower, after washing her face, facial cream from Liufang Pavilion, and after bathing her feet, nail moisturizer from Linglong Studio…”

Yuance slowly turned to look at her.

The maid shrank her neck under his gaze and was about to close the door when yet another maid called out, “Wait, wait, wait,” and squeezed forward, unable to catch her breath: “Young Master, the Princess says the room is too dry, making her face hurt. She wants a water wheel like the one in Yaoguang Pavilion. Also, there’s an old, musty smell in the wing room that needs to be addressed with an incense burner. The formula for the incense is…”

With a “bang,” Yuance slammed his book scroll onto the desk.

Even during the most urgent military situations on the front lines, there had never been such a dense barrage of urgent reports.

With this display, no wonder dowry maids needed to enter the manor early—without a year or half a year’s head start, they couldn’t possibly serve such a demanding person!

All the maids trembled together and lowered their heads: “Please don’t be angry, Young Master. The Princess did show some consideration. She said if these things truly cannot be prepared, she could still stay here, as long as—”

Yuance: “?”

“Young Master goes to her room… to keep her company…”

“…”

Yuance tugged at his collar and pointed toward the west wing room: “Tell her that Shen Manor is impoverished and cannot indulge her whims. Whether she stays or leaves is her choice.”

Deep in the night, the wind and snow ceased. The bedroom was silent, with only the occasional soft creaking sound from tree branches weighed down by heavy snow outside the window.

Yet in such tranquility, the buzzing female voices continued to linger in his ears, refusing to disperse—

Hand cream, facial cream, morning dew…

Bath pool, flower essence, ivory comb…

Incense burner, water wheel, go to her room…

After some time, the chattering finally drifted away to the back of his mind. Yuance lay still on his bed, just about to sink into sleep—

Suddenly, with a crack, as if a tree branch in the courtyard had broken in two under the weight of snow.

Yuance’s eyes snapped open, and he listened, hearing deliberately lightened footsteps approaching from afar, step by step toward his door.

Yuance flung aside his thin quilt, silently rolled off the bed, took the dagger from the edge of his bed, and flashed to the door.

On the door, there was a visible figure in a cloak, appearing somewhat robust in form.

The figure stealthily crept to the door, suddenly stopped, and looked around.

Yuance stood silently behind the door, narrowing his eyes.

Even coming to die, they were so hesitant.

With his patience already severely depleted by Jiang Zhiyi earlier in the day, Yuance’s tolerance was completely exhausted. He gently flexed his neck, put away the dagger, and grabbed the sword from the nearby rack.

It had been some time since this sword had tasted blood.

The person outside placed both hands on the door panel, trying to push it—

Yuance held his sword horizontally in one hand and pulled the door bolt with the other.

The person outside lost their balance and stumbled forward.

“Oh my!” A woman’s cry of surprise rang out. Yuance’s eyes narrowed, and the sword blade aimed at the intruder’s throat suddenly shifted aside as he pushed the sword back into its sheath.

At the same time, a fragrant breeze rushed toward him as the person tripped over the threshold into the room.

Yuance caught her, his temple throbbing with visible veins, and lowered his eyes.

The person in his arms had two quilts wrapped around her from head to toe like a rice dumpling, exposing only a pale face, and was muttering in fear: “That scared me to death, scared me to death…”

“…What are you doing in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?” Yuance gritted his teeth and released her.

Jiang Zhiyi looked up from her fright, saw the undisguised impatience in his eyes, tightened the quilts around her body, and pouted at him: “Well, I would sleep if I could…”

Yuance frowned in confusion: “What’s keeping you awake? Is it your conscience troubling you after turning my courtyard upside down?”

Jiang Zhiyi nodded and lowered her eyes: “Yes, Brother Astrategy, I must apologize to you for this.”

Yuance’s tightly knit brows loosened slightly.

“Saying that this and that in your manor are inadequate was me being overly critical. Making so many impossible demands that couldn’t be fulfilled in one night was excessive of me. Threatening that if you couldn’t fulfill them, you should come to my room to keep me company—that was inappropriate of me…”

Yuance held his sword and folded his arms, watching her casually: “The Princess understands, that’s good.”

“But…” Jiang Zhiyi bit her lower lip with difficulty, raising her face mournfully, “But your charcoal truly doesn’t provide any warmth at all—!”

“…”

“That charcoal not only smells like charcoal, but after burning for half the day, it produces only smoke with no heat. The room is as cold as an ice cellar, truly uninhabitable… I swear, this time I’m not nitpicking. Brother Astrategy, your—” Jiang Zhiyi raised three fingers and paused, realizing that distinguishing between ‘your house’ and ‘my house’ so clearly would again hurt his feelings, “Our manor’s charcoal servant must have been deceived by unscrupulous merchants!”

“……”

Yuance opened his mouth, then closed it, gritting his teeth as he stared at Jiang Zhiyi’s chattering lips.

Jiang Zhiyi looked back at him eagerly: “Since you won’t let my maids enter the manor, couldn’t you come take care of me? Perhaps if you came to my room to add some human warmth, I would feel warmer…”

Yuance suppressed his anger and slowly took a breath: “Qing… Song—”

From the back room, Qing Song hurriedly ran out with disheveled clothes: “What are your orders, Young Master?”

Yuance raised his hand and pointed at Jiang Zhiyi: “Go get me her two dowry maids…”

“Right away, I’ll go immediately…” Qing Song turned and ran two steps before coming to an abrupt halt, “Huh???”

“…”

Yuance closed his eyes briefly, then took another breath: “Go invite her two maids to come over!”