Xiao Jinglin looked at Xiao Jingxi for a long while, pressed her lips together, then averted her gaze.

The smile on Xiao Jingxi’s face deepened somewhat.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jingxi, then at Xiao Jinglin. Though she felt it was somewhat strange, she still followed Xiao Jingxi’s lead and said, “So that means we won’t see each other again until the Thousand Gold Banquet?”

Xiao Jinglin sighed, thought for a moment, then raised her head and said, “No, brother will help me. I was able to come out today because he helped me, too.”

Then Princess Xiao looked seriously at her brother and said earnestly and trustingly, “Isn’t that right, brother?”

Xiao Jingxi couldn’t help but smile, “Of course. Lin’er has always been obedient and well-behaved. I naturally wouldn’t refuse such a small request.”

The siblings smiled at each other, the meaning in their smiles only comprehensible to the two of them.

Ren Yaoqi, however, sensitively felt that the atmosphere had suddenly become somewhat tense, like drawn swords and nocked arrows.

She looked back and forth between the siblings several times, then very rationally decided to act as if she hadn’t noticed anything, because she felt that this so-called tension carried a somewhat speechless childishness.

Fortunately, this atmosphere didn’t last too long. Under Ren Yaoqi’s deliberate mediation, the three sat together drinking tea and chatting.

However, it was basically either Ren Yaoqi talking with Xiao Jingxi or Ren Yaoqi talking with Xiao Jinglin.

Ren Yaoqi discussed chess and calligraphy with Xiao Jingxi, while with Xiao Jinglin, she talked about famous dishes and pastries from the Capital. Through such conversation, the atmosphere became quite harmonious.

“How did you think to practice left-hand writing?” Xiao Jingxi asked.

Ren Yaoqi thought about it. Her initial impulse to practice left-hand writing was purely for fun. Her father had collected a piece of calligraphy by the master Gao Fengxiang, who habitually used his left hand, and praised it endlessly to her, so she got the idea to practice it. But she began practicing after arriving in the Capital, when she accidentally injured her right hand once and could only write with her left hand. After it healed, she would practice a few strokes whenever she had time.

“My father likes Gao Fengxiang’s calligraphy,” Ren Yaoqi replied vaguely.

Xiao Jingxi nodded and didn’t pursue the matter further.

Dongsheng returned to report after nearly an hour.

“This subordinate has already delivered the letter to the head of the Lei family.”

Xiao Jingxi’s gaze swept over him, then asked, “He noticed?”

“Lei Ting was very alert this time. When this subordinate threw the letter to him, he immediately gave chase. This subordinate led him around several circles through the city’s alleys before finally shaking him off. Please rest assured, Master, he didn’t see this subordinate.”

Dongsheng spoke with great confidence. Though his martial arts weren’t particularly exceptional and might even be inferior to Lei Ting’s, when it came to the skill of escaping, few people could catch up to him.

Xiao Jingxi nodded and dismissed him.

With the matter concluded, Ren Yaoqi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After sitting for a while longer, Ren Yaoqi prepared to take her leave.

Xiao Jinglin suddenly said, “Yaoqi, can you play the qin?”

Ren Yaoqi was stunned, “A little.”

“You know all four arts—qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting?”

After thinking, Ren Yaoqi nodded. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be modest, but she truly did know all these things. Moreover, she was quite proficient in them, worthy of saying she “knew” them.

Xiao Jinglin immediately said, “That’s perfect. From now on, you can come to the Prince’s mansion to teach me.”

After a pause, she continued, “The qin master my mother hired for me—I can understand every word she says individually, but unfortunately, when they’re put together, I don’t quite understand.”

When Xiao Jinglin spoke of these things, she inevitably felt somewhat agitated. Her hands were very flexible when gripping knives or spears, but she truly wasn’t skilled at those elegant pursuits.

Seeing her dejection, Xiao Jingxi, who had brought up this matter earlier, also consoled her, “You just haven’t spent much time on this. Last time I heard you play a piece, it was still… ahem… not entirely without talent.”

Xiao Jinglin frowned, “How can I have so much time to waste on these women’s affairs?”

Xiao Jingxi: “…”

Young Master Xiao happened to be quite proficient in these “women’s affairs.” Moreover, these were also necessary skills for sons of noble families, not something only women needed to learn.

But then Xiao Jinglin added expressionlessly, “I also heard Mother complaining to Nanny Xin that it would be so much better if sons and daughters could swap places!”

“Cough, cough,” Ren Yaoqi suddenly choked on her water. She put down her teacup and took out her handkerchief.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t dare lift her head, afraid she might laugh and be seen by Xiao Jingxi. For some reason, she felt that Xiao Jinglin was doing this on purpose.

She wasn’t the only one with this feeling. Xiao Jingxi looked at Xiao Jinglin leisurely, then very rationally acted as if he hadn’t heard anything and lowered his head to drink tea.

However, his noncommittal attitude made Xiao Jinglin pause, then very quickly follow her instincts and add expressionlessly, “I also think that Xiao Jingkang, as the heir of our Yanbei Prince’s mansion, spends all day immersed in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, even neglecting his riding and archery—it’s quite inappropriate!”

Ren Yaoqi: “…”

Xiao Jingxi looked at Xiao Jinglin with a half-smile.

Xiao Jinglin turned to continue talking with Ren Yaoqi, “Can you spare time to teach me?” Xiao Jinglin felt she got along well with Ren Yaoqi. If she could learn from her, perhaps studying these things she disliked wouldn’t be so tedious.

Ren Yaoqi had nothing particular to do in Yunyang City, but she didn’t immediately agree. Anyone hired by the Yanbei Prince’s mansion to teach the Princess must be no ordinary person. If Xiao Jinglin dismissed someone else to replace them with her, it would inevitably leave an impression of frivolity.

Xiao Jingxi spoke at the right moment, “In my opinion, that Qin master should still be kept. Miss Ren can’t be available every day after all. When she is free to go, she might as well learn together with you from the qin master. That master may be somewhat rigid in personality, but she has her unique insights into Qin artistry. In literature, there’s no first place, in martial arts, no second—actually, skills are the same as literature. Appropriate exchange can make one’s skills more refined.”

Ren Yaoqi also agreed with this point and couldn’t help nodding, “Young Master Xiao speaks correctly.”

So it was decided. When Ren Yaoqi had free time, Xiao Jinglin would send someone to fetch her. However, Ren Yaoqi stated frankly that she needed to visit her maternal grandmother tomorrow and couldn’t go.

Seeing it was getting late, Ren Yaoqi finally rose to return to the mansion.

Lei Ting stood in a small alley, carefully surveying all around, but finally had to admit he had lost track of the person.

When he had chased out, he was still wearing mourning clothes, inevitably drawing a glance or two from passing pedestrians. Fortunately, that person had kept to narrow alleys the whole way, not encountering too many people along the route.

Lei Ting took out what that person had thrown to him, his expression shifting unpredictably. It was a folded piece of paper that had appeared before him in the same manner as last time. Similarly, he didn’t know who had delivered the message to him twice, or what their purpose was.

After a moment of silence, Lei Ting steadily unfolded the letter in his hands. It was indeed the same handwriting as last time.

But as he read, Lei Ting’s expression changed. After finishing, he still stood in place without moving.

The young head of the Lei family’s mood at this moment was very complex—surprised, confused, and even somewhat wary.

After a long while, he finally put away the letter in his hands, folded it, tucked it into his sleeve, then walked back without looking back.

He hadn’t gone far when Liu Gui found him with several guards.

Lei Ting stopped Liu Gui’s inquiries and dismissed the guards.

On the way back, Lei Ting didn’t speak the entire time, until they were almost at the family gate when he suddenly stopped.

“Pass down the order—prepare for the funeral procession tomorrow morning.” Though Lei Ting remained calm when saying this, Liu Gui felt as if the words were squeezed out through his teeth.

But Liu Gui was more shocked than anything, “Master, if we bury tomorrow, wouldn’t that be only three days of lying in state? This isn’t proper… Moreover, the Liu family should arrive tomorrow afternoon. If we hold the burial in the morning, I’m afraid it will cause even more gossip.”

What Liu Gui didn’t say aloud was that there was already an uproar outside, with some saying the Old Madam Lei had committed suicide due to some guilty conscience, while others claimed she had been murdered. Someone was fanning the flames behind the scenes.

So even though Lei Ting deeply despised the Liu family members who had interfered and forced Old Madam Lei to commit suicide, he had still planned to wait until the Liu family arrived before the burial, as Old Madam Lei had instructed.

If the Lei family rushed to bury Old Madam Lei before the Liu family arrived, the rumors outside would be even harder to suppress. The Lei family could lose anything except face, because if they lost face too, they would have nothing left.

Lei Ting narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, “I know. Do as I say!”

Though he didn’t know what purpose the person who delivered the letter had, he had no other choice.

He remembered his grandmother’s stubborn, mad eyes before her death. That old woman who had been stubborn and unyielding her entire life had gripped his hand tightly and said word by word, “The Lei family cannot be destroyed in our hands! Cannot—not even in death.”

Seeing Lei Ting’s insistence, Liu Gui still bowed his head and agreed, but asked, “What if someone interferes?”

The more they wanted to settle things peacefully, the more certain people wouldn’t let them have their way.

A cold smile curved Lei Ting’s lips. “I’m just afraid they won’t come.”

“Master?” No matter how steady Liu Gui was, he was still somewhat shocked.

Lei Ting closed his eyes, the exhaustion on his face no longer concealable, “It’s not really holding the funeral tomorrow, just making them believe we’re moving up the funeral to cover up the so-called truth. It’s just that due to my incompetence, I must make grandmother suffer again—she can’t find peace even in death.”

Liu Gui shook his head, “Master, you should understand Old Madam. As long as the Lei family can be preserved, Old Madam wouldn’t care about these things.”

“Yes, she doesn’t care. But as descendants, how can we not care? In the end, it’s my incompetence.” Lei Ting’s voice was hoarse and dark.

He could agree to the plan in the letter partly because he understood his grandmother. In her heart, nothing was more important than their branch being able to restore its ancestral glory. She believed that for this goal, anything could be sacrificed.

The next day, the sudden burial of Old Madam Lei caused quite a stir in Yunyang City.

Despite the Lei family’s deliberate low profile, it still attracted considerable attention.

The head of the Lei family explained that his grandmother had appeared in a dream the previous night, so he had consulted an enlightened monk who cast divination, concluding that lying in state for three days was better than seven days.