Qin Wan froze when she saw Yan Chi standing beside the bed… No wonder the usually reticent Bai Ying suddenly pulled Fuling aside to discuss medicine names.

“You…” Qin Wan paused mid-sentence, instinctively glancing at the window and door. Meanwhile, Yan Chi, who had already heard her return, fixed his deep gaze upon her.

“Why have you come to stay here?” Yan Chi’s tone was heavy.

Qin Wan looked outside several times before finally feeling at ease. She walked in and lowered the door curtain. “How did you get in here in broad daylight? If someone were to see you…”

Yan Chi maintained a casual expression. “Would you prefer I come at night?”

Qin Wan was stunned by his words, inexplicably feeling her face heat up. She looked him up and down, seemingly thinking of something.

Yan Chi felt puzzled by her gaze and looked down at himself. “What is it?”

He was still wearing a black robe today, though different from yesterday’s attire. Qin Wan’s eyes flickered. “Where is His Highness the Crown Prince who was with you?”

Yan Chi raised an eyebrow. “He naturally can’t always be with me.”

Qin Wan nodded. “Third Brother said the Zhongyong Marquis Manor and the Pang family have old ties. Also, the Ten Directions Inn where we stayed that day belongs to their family. When they learned Third Brother had arrived, they invited us to stay at Qinghui Garden.”

Upon hearing Qin Wan’s explanation, Yan Chi understood. “When will you depart?”

Qin Wan’s eyes darkened slightly at his question, clearly things weren’t as she had expected. “We may need to stay another four or five days.”

Though Yan Chi’s expression remained neutral, he showed some surprise. “Why?”

Qin Wan hesitated slightly before saying, “Master Pang said he wanted to arrange for Third Brother to meet someone.”

“Meet whom?” Yan Chi looked at her, asking quite naturally.

Qin Wan was about to blurt it out but remembered the complex political situation at court. She hesitated. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Yan Chi, but currently, he and the Qin family weren’t aligned. Despite their mutual affection, she wasn’t someone who would comply with all his requests. Moreover, Master Pang’s arrangement seemed to carry some deeper meaning. Though she didn’t understand exactly what it entailed, she thought it best to remain silent.

Seeing Qin Wan’s hesitation, Yan Chi raised his eyebrows higher. “You’re keeping secrets even from me?”

Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi frankly. “I’ve already told Your Highness that Third Brother is meeting someone. If Your Highness wishes to know more, you’ll naturally investigate. This alone shows I’m not keeping secrets. However, I don’t know exactly what connections are involved, so I’ll leave it at that.”

“Well said, ‘leaving it at that.'” Yan Chi’s eyes narrowed as he observed Qin Wan’s composed demeanor. She maintained excellent boundaries in everything she did, but this feeling displeased him. It was as if she kept him at arm’s length too.

“Young Master Qin wouldn’t delay his journey for mere merchants. The person he’s meeting must be a court official. While many officials have private connections with the Pang family, those who would be interested in Young Master Qin must be someone who can influence court politics. Since Young Master Qin has been in the capital for many years, if they were a capital official, they would have met in the capital already. This time, it must be someone returning from outside to report their duties, correct?”

Yan Chi spoke with a mix of amusement and detachment in his voice.

Qin Wan listened and replied, “See? Your Highness only needed to deduce a bit to know. There was no need for me to say anything.”

Yan Chi nodded. “Is it Salt Transportation Commissioner Liu Renli, who’s returning from the south?”

Qin Wan’s eyes widened slightly. She had thought Yan Chi would need to investigate after deducing the general direction, but she hadn’t expected him to name the person directly. She was truly amazed.

Qin Wan’s expression was enough to confirm his deduction. Seeing her incredulous look, Yan Chi explained, “The Shuoxi army’s provisions pass through Yuzhou every year, sometimes directly using tax revenue from the West. The Pang family is a major taxpayer in the Western region, so I’m naturally well-informed about their family. They not only run inns and restaurants but are also involved in salt transportation. This Liu Renli has long had some connection with them, and he hasn’t returned to the capital for three years. His position as Salt Transportation Commissioner of the Two Lakes is exactly what the Crown Prince urgently needs to win over right now.”

Qin Wan closed her slightly parted mouth. Yan Chi had indeed surprised her.

Yan Chi looked at her for another moment, suddenly stepping closer. Seeing Qin Wan still watching him with clear eyes, he pulled her into his embrace by the waist. “You still harbor reservations about me?”

Qin Wan blinked. “Hmm… I wouldn’t call it reservations…”

Yan Chi’s lips curved slightly, though his smile was cold and profound. “Then you think I would oppose the Qin family?”

Qin Wan blinked again. “Hmm… it’s not exactly that either…”

Yan Chi raised his hand to brush her cheek, finding it quite cool. He stroked it a few more times. “Now that you’re returning to the Qin Manor, I naturally won’t want to put the Qin family in a difficult position. My ability to investigate is one thing, but you telling me is another matter entirely. By telling half and concealing half, aren’t you being guarded against me?”

Qin Wan pondered for a moment. “Even if I didn’t say a word, Your Highness would still be able to investigate.”

“‘Your Highness?'” Yan Chi pinched her waist. “How can that be the same?”

Qin Wan sighed when she met Yan Chi’s slightly reproachful gaze. “These are all court matters, and I haven’t yet grasped the situation. How can I know what should and shouldn’t be said? Moreover, I don’t want to affect you or the Qin Manor by saying something uncertain or unclear. Or rather, I don’t want to get involved…”

Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan deeply for a moment. “But the Marquis Manor is already involved.”

“Court matters are still quite distant from me. The Marquis Manor is the Marquis Manor, and I haven’t even returned to the capital yet.”

Yan Chi fixed his gaze on her. “You don’t like the schemes and calculations of court politics?”

Qin Wan tilted her head in thought for a moment. “It’s not that I don’t like them. When I return to the capital and truly see the Marquis Manor’s stance and the capital’s political climate, I naturally won’t be able to avoid it. However, right now I truly don’t know what Third Brother intends to discuss with Official Liu.”

Yan Chi brushed her black hair on her shoulder. “That’s good—”

As he spoke, he embraced her completely, cloak and all. “Yesterday I had people watching, and later learned you went to the Ten Directions Inn. But when I went to the Ten Directions Inn today and didn’t see anyone, only after inquiring did I learn you had come here.”

Qin Wan’s heart stirred slightly. “Even if you hadn’t come, you would still see me at tomorrow’s birthday banquet.”

Yan Chi tightened his arms. “How could that be the same?”

Qin Wan felt in her heart that it wasn’t the same, but she didn’t say so. A hint of severity appeared in Yan Chi’s eyes. While Qin Wan responded to his feelings without shame or anger, her attitude truly didn’t meet his expectations.

“If someone were to see—”

Qin Wan spoke softly, and Yan Chi replied, “It would only be your servant…”

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of footsteps and voices arose.

“Sister Fuling! Don’t go yet—”

Bai Ying’s voice was extremely loud, almost like a deliberate announcement. In all this time, Qin Wan had never heard her speak so loudly. Soon, Fuling’s footsteps and voice drew closer. “The Young Miss has been quiet for so long, I should check on her.”

As the door curtain lifted, Fuling looked up to see Qin Wan sitting on the bed’s edge, still wearing her cloak. At the same time, the back window had somehow been opened. Fuling said, “Young Miss, what are you daydreaming about? Why did you open the window?”

Fuling walked to the back with a few steps. With a “click,” she firmly locked the window from the inside.

Turning back, she saw Qin Wan staring at the window with unspoken words. Fuling looked back. “Young Miss, you shouldn’t let in the cold wind. This room isn’t warm enough as it is. I was thinking of adding another charcoal brazier tonight.”

Currently, this room and the warm chamber each had one charcoal brazier, but because the window had been opened, the room didn’t feel very warm.

Qin Wan shook her head at these words and seemed to come back to her senses, rising to remove her cloak.

“It’s nothing, I’m just a bit tired from walking, and I was thinking about that young master’s situation.”

Fuling chuckled upon hearing this. “That young master is just a bit mischievous, it’s fine. He’s probably gone back by now. Young Miss shouldn’t overthink it. Bai Ying is studying those medicine names now – would you like to go help explain them?”

Fuling found Qin Wan’s state somewhat strange and felt uneasy leaving her alone. Hearing this suggestion, Qin Wan instinctively glanced at the back window before standing up. “Alright, let’s go.”

After the mistress and servant left, there seemed to be the sound of clothes rustling in the wind outside the back window. However, it lasted only a moment before being replaced by the whisper of falling snow.

By the time they arrived at Qinghui Garden, it was already late. Pang Fuliang had kept Qin Yan talking for quite some time. When Qin Yan returned, it was already You Hour. Seeing how dark it had become, Qin Yan declined the Pang family’s arrangement for another evening feast, only having dinner sent over. After finishing their meal, the siblings each returned to their rooms.

Qin Xiang was left at the manor the next day, which made her extremely dissatisfied. She threw another tantrum before finally going to sleep. Qin Wan and Qin Shuang retired early. Although they didn’t need to arrive too early for the birthday banquet, it wouldn’t be proper to sleep in while staying at someone else’s home.

At night, Qin Wan stayed in the north wing, while Fuling slept together with Bai Ying. As soon as Qin Wan lay down, she thought about Yan Chi’s hasty visit today. She hadn’t had the chance to ask then, or rather, she felt that asking would imply claiming some sort of authority over him and didn’t want to ask. But now her heart was unsettled. Qin Wan naturally trusted Yan Chi’s character – he was loyal, responsible, and handled matters thoroughly and steadily. These qualities were certainly excellent, but Qin Wan didn’t know other things about him, such as his views on love and women.

That Prince Gong’s heir was known for his romantic exploits in the capital, and would likely be even less restrained in Yuzhou. When he was with Yan Chi, was Yan Chi dragging him to practice military drills, or was he taking Yan Chi to places of pleasure?

Qin Wan knew without thinking that it must be the latter. In this world, how many men could truly be faithful? Even if they had only one wife at home, they could still enjoy everything their status and position brought them – power, wealth, territory, and naturally, women. Even taking a step back, even if one’s will was firm, they might still play along socially, and even if they were too lazy to deal with it, satisfying needs seemed to be an excuse.

The more Qin Wan thought about it, the more unsettled her heart became. She didn’t know much about Yan Chi.

While she was tossing and turning here, Yan Chi was likely embracing some beauty. Qin Wan’s brows furrowed tightly – how vexing, truly vexing!

Qin Wan internally huffed, taking several deep breaths to expel the frustration in her chest. She knew she had lost some of her usual composure, but to calm down again only took a few deep breaths.

Qin Wan took several long, deep breaths, and indeed the anxiety in her heart lessened considerably. However, just as she decided to put aside these troublesome thoughts and sleep, a distant singing voice suddenly rang out.

The wind and snow outside seemed to have lessened somewhat. A woman’s distant singing voice was slowly carried over by the night wind. If it had been during the day it would have been fine, but now it was almost past Zi Hour (11 PM-1 AM). As Qin Wan listened to this singing, she inexplicably felt it was somewhat eerie. Moreover, who would be singing in this courtyard in the middle of the night?!

Thinking this, Qin Wan suddenly frowned – no, there could be someone.

The Shuangqing Troupe was staying in this courtyard!

This seemed quite reasonable then. Qin Wan held her breath and listened for a while, but couldn’t make out which opera the humming was from. Just as she was concentrating on trying to distinguish it more carefully, the woman’s humming suddenly changed tune. The earlier melodious tune suddenly became somewhat low and gloomy, and the tune became increasingly unstable as if the person humming had started convulsing. Qin Wan’s scalp tingled for a moment… On this cold, snowy night, was someone deliberately trying to frighten people?

Qin Wan had already been unable to sleep, and hearing this voice made her even more awake. After listening for a few more moments, she heard the tune becoming increasingly deep and low, sounding like a woman crying softly. Just as Qin Wan was feeling surprised and wanted to get up, the wind suddenly began to howl, covering the woman’s crying. She could hear less and less, only occasionally catching a few sorrowful sobs. Qin Wan felt somewhat horrified, and by now she was certain it wasn’t someone from the Shuangqing Troupe practicing their repertoire, but she couldn’t understand who in this elegant courtyard would be going mad in the middle of the night…

Qin Wan felt somewhat uneasy, but the wind outside grew stronger and stronger, finally completely covering the woman’s sobbing. Qin Wan clutched her blanket and covered herself more tightly. Having moved into a completely new and strange place, even someone of Qin Wan’s strong will felt somewhat confused and tense at the moment. However, on such a night, she would never get up to investigate, so she could only take deep breaths again to calm herself down. With this incident, Qin Wan naturally tossed and turned for quite a while before finally falling asleep.

Early the next morning, Qin Wan was awakened by Fuling’s footsteps. Lifting the bed curtain to look outside, she saw Fuling preparing the dress she would wear today. Qin Wan immediately sat up, supporting herself on the bed.

Fuling turned to look at her, “Young Miss is awake? Is this outfit suitable for today?”

Qin Wan glanced at it casually and made an “mm” sound. She sat there somewhat dazed as if she hadn’t fully awakened yet.

However, Qin Wan was just recalling the woman’s singing she had heard last night…

“Did you hear someone singing in the back last night?”

Fuling turned around, “Singing? Didn’t we go to sleep early?”

“It was after we went to sleep, a woman, who started crying while singing.”

Fuling rubbed her arms, “Young Miss isn’t trying to scare me, is she? I was asleep and didn’t hear anything.”

Qin Wan frowned slightly, got out of bed, and changed clothes. After washing up, Qin Wan went to see Bai Ying and asked the same questions she had asked Fuling. Bai Ying knew martial arts, so her hearing should be even better than hers. If she could hear it, Bai Ying should have been able to as well.

However, after she asked, Bai Ying looked at her with confusion and said, “Crying? This servant didn’t hear anything. This servant went to sleep very early last night. What’s wrong? Does Young Miss feel something is amiss?”

Qin Wan hesitated slightly and shook her head. Even though Bai Ying had good hearing, she had been asleep, and she was staying in the south wing with a room between them, while that crying had come from the north. Qin Wan even thought about asking Qin Xiang, but after consideration, decided against it.

After an hour and a half, Qin Yan came to call them to depart. Since Qin Xiang had been left behind, she didn’t even come out of her room.

Qin Yan didn’t ask much, only leading Qin Shuang and Qin Wan toward the outside. After walking a few steps, Qin Yan looked back at Qin Shuang, then his gaze fell on Qin Wan, and after a moment he nodded, “Not bad.”

Qin Shuang looked at Qin Wan and let out a light snort, muttering quietly, “Why dress up so beautifully…”

Both Qin Wan and Fuling heard this and smiled without saying anything. Qin Shuang still had some childish temperament, but compared to before, it was already vastly different. Neither Fuling nor Qin Wan would argue with her about it.

Following the manor’s corridor to the entrance of Qinghui Garden, they looked up to see Pang Fuliang standing at the manor gate with his three sons.

Pang Fuliang and the brothers Pang Yiwen and Pang Yiwu each had an attendant, while Qing Niang stood beside Pang Jiayan. Just as Qin Wan turned the corner, several gazes swept over her, and naturally, two of those gazes lingered a bit longer.

“Master Pang has been waiting long, let’s depart now.”

The person beside Pang Fuliang was Pang Youde, the steward of Qinghui Garden whom Qin Wan had met earlier. Pang Youde stepped forward with a smile and said, “Young Master need not hurry, it’s just across the street. Walk out from here, turn a corner, then go straight and we’ll arrive.”

Qin Yan nodded, and Pang Fuliang took Pang Jiayan’s hand and walked toward the carriage.

Qin Wan glanced over and saw that Pang Jiayan was still holding that exquisite little toy carriage. The wheels of the carriage were made very delicately, and as Pang Jiayan walked, they wobbled and turned. Perhaps this was what attracted Pang Jiayan.

The Qin family only used two carriages today, and naturally, Qin Wan shared one with Qin Shuang.

After getting into the carriage, Qin Shuang arranged her dress and said, “I’ll keep my distance from you later.”

Fuling laughed, “Sixth Young Miss must do as she says…”

When Qin Shuang heard these words, her eyes widened. Since leaving Jinzhou, she had indeed been following behind Qin Wan, especially after arriving in an unfamiliar place. And the Yu Prince Manor they were about to visit – she had never been there before and felt somewhat stage fright. Though she said such things, in her heart she planned to follow Qin Wan and do whatever she saw Qin Wan doing.

“Hmph, you mistress and servant just love to bully me.”

“Sixth Sister is my elder sister, how could your younger sister dare to bully her elder sister? When we arrive at the Prince’s Manor, I hope sister will look after me,” Qin Wan said pleasantly, and Qin Shuang merely snorted again.

The carriage slowly moved in the direction Pang Youde had indicated earlier. Just after leaving the street where Qinghui Garden was located, the atmosphere outside changed immediately. This area usually had few noisy sounds from residential homes, but at this moment, Qin Wan heard numerous sounds of carriages and horses.

Qin Shuang couldn’t resist lifting the carriage curtain to look. She saw carriage after carriage, all heading to the Yu Prince Manor.

“What a grand scene, even grander than Young Master An Yang’s wedding.”

While Yue Jia’s wedding had already opened Qin Shuang’s eyes, she hadn’t expected even more people this time…

“After all, a Marquis Manor is just a Marquis Manor. This Prince Yu is His Majesty’s brother, and it’s his fiftieth birthday celebration – naturally, it’s different,” Qin Wan explained softly. Qin Shuang kept peeking through the gap while nodding repeatedly.

Due to the crowds, the carriage moved more slowly, but since the distance wasn’t far, they still arrived at the Yu Prince Manor after about two cups of tea worth of time. As soon as the carriage stopped, Qin Yan’s voice rang out, “Sixth Sister, Ninth Sister, let’s get down, we’ve arrived.”

Hearing the bustling sounds outside, Qin Shuang pushed Qin Wan’s arm. “You go down first.”

Qin Wan smiled, smoothed her skirt, and bent down to walk out. Fuling jumped down from the carriage first and lifted the curtain. As soon as the curtain was raised, the bustling sounds became even clearer to Qin Wan’s ears. Qin Wan’s gaze swept around, seeing the carriage stopped outside the grand gates of the Yu Prince Manor. Currently, numerous carriages were already parked outside, and more than ten servants and family members stood at the entrance to welcome the noble guests. Some guests who were familiar with the host family stayed at the entrance exchanging pleasantries. As such, dozens of people had just alighted from carriages, talking and exchanging greetings outside the Yu Prince Manor. Qin Wan took in the scene before her in one glance, then gracefully walked out.

“Oh, whose young lady is that—”

From within the crowd, someone spoke in a moderate voice – not too loud or soft. It wasn’t abrupt, yet it was just loud enough for everyone to hear. Thus, everyone followed that person’s gaze, all looking toward Qin Wan who had just alighted from the carriage. For a moment, the busy and noisy entrance to the Prince’s Manor fell silent.

Today, both wind and snow had ceased. Though there was no sun in the sky, it was a vast expanse of azure blue. Qin Wan wore a smoke-blue pleated jacket and skirt embroidered with intertwining lily patterns. Her black hair was styled in a modest moon-shaped bun, adorned with only a single white jade hairpin. Over this, she wore a lake-blue cloak embroidered with subtle lotus patterns, its collar lined with white fox fur, which perfectly framed her unpowdered face, making her features appear particularly picturesque.

Her skin was like condensed cream, with ink-black eyebrows and star-bright eyes. Beyond her exquisite features, what captivated people more was her composed and elegant temperament. From getting down from the carriage to walking to Qin Yan’s side was only five or six steps, yet her noble bearing surpassed that of any other noble lady present. The gentle breeze caused her skirts to flutter slightly, making her appear ethereal and fairy-like, the epitome of refined nobility and otherworldly grace.

Qin Shuang suddenly regretted letting Qin Wan get down first. If she had been the first to alight, she might have attracted at least some attention. But now, as the second descended, those gazes remained fixed on Qin Wan without moving, and even those that did move only briefly glanced away before returning to Qin Wan. Qin Shuang huffed twice and reluctantly stood beside Qin Wan.

Qin Yan also noticed the reactions of those around them. He took a couple of steps forward to shield Qin Wan and said quietly, “When we go in, stay close to me and don’t wander off. There are many people here today, it wouldn’t be good to get separated.”

Both Qin Wan and Qin Shuang agreed. At this point, Pang Yiwen also came over and said, “Yes, both young ladies should stay close to us. There are so many people here, and they’re all watching you two.”

Though he said these words, his eyes were fixed only on Qin Wan. Qin Shuang internally snorted again, directing all her frustration at this Pang Yiwen, though she dared not show it outwardly, only making a mental note against him.

Qin Wan nodded slightly, avoiding eye contact with Pang Yiwen. Meanwhile, Pang Fuliang came over holding Pang Jiayan’s hand. “Let’s go in together. The Prince must be receiving guests now, we should go pay our respects.”

Qin Yan responded affirmatively, letting Pang Fuliang lead the way before following with Qin Wan and Qin Shuang. Pang Yiwen and Pang Yiwu walked at the rear. Just as they reached the manor gates, two people came forward to greet them. A steady-looking young man in his twenties walked at the front and immediately said, “Master Pang—”

Since Pang Fuliang resided in Yuzhou, he naturally had connections with the Yu Prince Manor. Pang Fuliang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, “Greetings, Young Prince…” Then turning to Qin Yan, he said, “This is Young Master Qin Yan of the Zhongyong Marquis Manor.”

Yan Zhi appeared to be twenty-seven or twenty-eight, several years older than Qin Yan. Because Prince Yu had been sent away from the capital early, Yan Zhi had essentially grown up in Yuzhou and thus wasn’t familiar with the young nobles from the capital. However, upon hearing he was from the Zhongyong Marquis Manor, Yan Zhi warmly exchanged greetings with Qin Yan. After they paid their respects, Qin Yan introduced Qin Wan and Qin Shuang. Yan Zhi looked at Qin Wan a couple of times before having servants escort them inside.

Upon entering the manor gates, they encountered another display of grandeur unique to a prince’s manor.

While Qinghui Garden had also once been a prince’s manor, it excelled in its exquisite scenery. The Yu Prince Manor, like the great residences in the capital, was even more magnificent and imposing. Not only were its pavilions quite tall, but the rooms were also extremely spacious. At a glance, beyond the royal family’s nobility, there was also a distinct air of the northwest’s boldness.

The servant leading the Pang and Qin parties took them directly to the front courtyard. After walking just a few steps, Qin Wan saw a gathering of luxuriously dressed people. Since the Great Zhou Dynasty wasn’t strict about gender separation, among the men exchanging greetings in the front courtyard, one could see some elegantly dressed ladies, and occasionally young ladies like Qin Wan.

Though Qin Wan’s gaze took in everything around her, others only saw her as graceful and exceptionally well-mannered. Seeing Qin Wan like this, Qin Shuang also straightened her back as she walked. Although this walking posture was very uncomfortable, she could only grit her teeth and endure it.

“Master Pang, Young Master Qin, the Prince is inside.”

As the servant spoke, they stopped walking. Since new guests had arrived, the groups of guests standing in the courtyard all looked over. This look created the same scene as before – Qin Shuang felt countless admiring gazes directed at her… beside her. Qin Shuang turned to look at Qin Wan, only to find that her composed and serene demeanor was so impressive that even she couldn’t help but admire it.

“Your Highness, Master Pang and the Young Master of Zhongyong Marquis Manor have arrived, along with two young ladies from the Qin family.”

The steward-like person at the door announced loudly. Though the words were simple, they carried some subtlety – Prince Yu inside would understand that the two Qin ladies weren’t from the Marquis Manor…

Prince Yu Yan Wan was over fifty, and his black hair already turned white. He seemed unwell, his steps somewhat unsteady when walking. Though dressed in fine clothes, he had lost his former dignity. If not for a servant supporting him, he looked as if he might collapse at any moment. Qin Wan, entering the hall, only needed one glance to know that Prince Yu also suffered from the malignant wind illness.

“How can we trouble Your Highness to welcome us personally… Greetings to Your Highness.”

As Prince Yu held princely rank, he naturally deserved everyone’s kneeling salute. Qin Wan performed the courtesy alongside Qin Yan, then heard Qin Yan say loudly, “Your junior Qin Yan, following my father’s instructions, has come to congratulate Your Highness on your birthday. May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity match the Southern Mountains.”

Yan Wan’s eyesight seemed poor. He squinted at Qin Yan for a moment before nodding, “Good, good, good, please rise. I used to hold you when you were little. The last time I saw you, you were only this tall…”

He gestured to his waist height, then smiled and said, “In the blink of an eye, you’re ready to establish your own family and career.”

Then he asked, “Are you married?”

Qin Yan lowered his eyes, “Not yet married.”

Prince Yu held Qin Yan’s hand and said, “It’s better to marry early. Look at Zhi’er, his son is already as old as the Pang family’s third young master.”

Pang Fuliang, listening beside them, playfully agreed, and Qin Yan smiled wryly while nodding repeatedly.

Turning his gaze, Prince Yu looked at Qin Wan and Qin Shuang, “These two young ladies aren’t betrothed yet, are they?”

Qin Yan felt somewhat embarrassed, “Not yet…”

Prince Yu then spoke earnestly, “Must find good families. These two nieces appear to have good looks and good character, must search carefully…”

Qin Yan kept agreeing. Only when new guests arrived did Prince Yu release Qin Yan, who heaved a great sigh of relief. As they left, he said to Pang Fuliang, “The old Prince has such a good temperament.”

Pang Fuliang smiled and said, “He’s used to being a leisurely prince.”

Though these words seemed ordinary, the way Pang Fuliang said them made Qin Wan feel somewhat uncomfortable. Beyond a merchant’s natural shrewdness, there seemed to be some calculation. Qin Wan suddenly wondered if Pang Fuliang wanted his son to enter official service. Thinking this, she suddenly glanced at Pang Fuliang and noticed that his seemingly proper walking posture showed a slight limp, while in her memory, Pang Fuliang had always walked slowly but steadily.

Qin Wan shook her head, temporarily pushing aside these thoughts.

“Well, the birthday feast won’t begin for another hour or so. Let’s find a place to sit, and I’ll introduce you to some local Yuzhou officials. You probably already know the Yuzhou Prefect…”

Pang Fuliang spoke as they walked. For Qin Yan, such arrangements were naturally excellent. Since he had come, he couldn’t leave empty-handed, and Yuzhou wasn’t too far from the capital – knowing more people would always be useful.

But after just two steps, Qin Yan paused. If he went, what about Qin Wan and Qin Shuang?

Moreover, those Pang Fuliang was taking him to meet would certainly all be men. Not only would Qin Wan and Qin Shuang be uncomfortable following along, but it would also be awkward for others, including himself, to speak freely. Pang Fuliang seemed to notice his concern and said, “Yiwu, take your Third Brother and the two young ladies to sit in the flower hall to the west. The ladies should all be arranged there.”

It seemed today Pang Fuliang wanted Pang Yiwen to meet people, so he directed Pang Yiwu instead.

Hearing this, Pang Yiwu immediately agreed, though unlike Pang Yiwen, he seemed almost afraid to look at Qin Wan and Qin Shuang.

“Young Ladies, this way. Qing Niang, bring Third Brother along.”

…

…

On the third floor of the Moon-Gaining Tower on the west side of the Prince’s Manor, Yan Chi stood by the window looking down.

In the flower hall across the lake from the Moon-Gaining Tower, there was now a sea of people. The multicolored fine clothes and various ornate decorations irritated Yan Chi, yet the person he was waiting for hadn’t arrived.

Behind him, Yan Li still wore his eye-catching red robe. He walked to the window and pushed open the half-closed shutters. Soon, Yan Li called out dramatically, “My Seventh Brother! I never knew you had such interests… I hadn’t thought of this place, yet you did… Seventh Brother, oh Seventh Brother, could it be you’re looking to choose a Seventh Sister-in-law today?”

Before Yan Chi could speak, Yan Li flipped his black hair and shook his head, “No, no, these people’s appearances are far too ordinary. Even ten layers of powder couldn’t save their ugliness and those petty mannerisms – what’s with all those ornaments? And gold ones at that – vulgar, utterly vulgar… Look, some are even glancing this way…”

Yan Li wore a look of disdain, then suddenly his expression changed, “They can’t compare to my Huatong.”

Mentioning Huatong, Yan Li lifted his chin to look at Yan Chi, “Seventh Brother really, I wanted you to see Huatong’s skills, but you just want to stay in this manor. Could you bear being questioned by Uncle Prince Yu for an hour last night?”

Remembering something, Yan Li turned to sit on the windowsill and laughingly imitated Yan Wan, “Old Seven, you’ve finally returned from the battlefield, don’t go back again. Take a wife properly, have some children properly, and don’t let your children go to war in the future. Your father has a stubborn personality, but I see you’re obedient. Old Seven, when do you plan to have your wedding? Have you found any girl you like? You probably haven’t seen many good girls in the West, shall Uncle help you plan?”

Yan Li’s imitation was vivid, but Yan Chi didn’t even blink, making his enthusiastic performance instantly meaningless. Suddenly, though, he saw Yan Chi’s eyes brighten…

“Old Seven—”

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Yan Chi push the window open wider. Yan Li was already facing away from the outside, and while having a window partially closed was fine when it was pushed open, Yan Li felt a cold wind at his back as if he might fall, so he immediately jumped down. As his feet touched the ground, he followed Yan Chi’s gaze, and upon looking, Yan Li let out a soft “Ah.”

“Isn’t… isn’t this the Qin family’s young lady?”

Yan Li’s gaze fell on Qin Wan. Though they were far away, it wasn’t much of a distance for him and Yan Chi.

“Her attire is different today, her grace seems even more captivating than that day. In this whole room, she’s the most eye-catching despite being squeezed into the corner. Qin Yan went to fetch his uncle’s daughter this time, right? Jinzhou – how could such a place raise such a daughter?” Yan Li spoke slowly, his upturned eyes showing interest.

“Interesting, if this young lady returns to the capital, that would be impressed—”

Before he could finish saying “impressive”, Yan Li turned his head and saw Yan Chi’s expression. He paused slightly, looked at Yan Chi, looked at Qin Wan, looked at Qin Wan again, then back at Yan Chi. After a while, “Seventh Brother, tell me honestly, did you delay so long in Jinzhou, delay so long on the road, because of her…”

Yan Chi’s lips were pressed together, and though there was no smile on his face, Yan Li could tell he was in a good mood.

Yan Li’s mouth opened slightly for a moment, feeling he knew the answer without Yan Chi needing to respond…

And Yan Li seemed shocked, his gaze moving between Yan Chi and Qin Wan, unable to make any teasing remarks for a while. But soon, Yan Li saw Yan Chi’s eyes darken. He quickly focused his gaze on Qin Wan and saw that a man wearing a lake-green long robe had appeared beside her…

Yan Li’s eyebrows shot up, “Who’s that turtle-green-wearing man!”