After climbing over the wall to escape from Autumn Swan Courtyard, Yun Wenfang didn’t leave the hot spring manor. He waited on the necessary path from the Embracing Moon Pavilion to the West Garden.

Wu Yiyu had said that Ren Yaoqi would be brought to the Autumn Swan Courtyard, so he waited there. Though he felt that Ren Yaoqi wouldn’t so easily fall for that madwoman Wu Yiyu’s trick.

Indeed, he waited until the You hour that Wu Yiyu had mentioned without seeing Ren Yaoqi. Instead, he saw two of Ren Yaoqi’s sisters hurrying toward the Embracing Moon Pavilion.

Standing in the shadows, Yun Wenfang thought about how Wu Yiyu had said she would have one of Ren Yaoqi’s sisters deceive her into coming. He couldn’t help but wonder which sister Wu Yiyu meant.

After that, Yun Wenfang waited for his elder brother Yun Wenting to arrive.

When Yun Wenfang saw Yun Wenting, he narrowed his eyes slightly. Though his body didn’t move, he secretly assumed a defensive posture. He knew that although his elder brother appeared gentle and scholarly, if they truly came to blows, he might not necessarily win.

Yun Wenting was probably very angry, but Yun Wenfang couldn’t detect any emotion from his expression. This was also why Yun Wenfang was never willing to be close to his brother, despite Yun Wenting’s exceptional care for his younger brother since childhood.

Whatever Yun Wenfang wanted, as long as he asked, Yun Wenting would never compete with him for it. When Yun Wenfang was mischievous and lawless, Yun Wenting would follow behind him, taking the blame and cleaning up messes. As an elder brother, Yun Wenting truly had nothing to be criticized for.

“How did you know I was here?” Yun Wenfang crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby tree trunk, looking sideways at Yun Wenting, though this was a defensive posture.

But Yun Wenting said, “Do you remember the dog you kept as a child?”

Yun Wenfang raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak.

Yun Wenting continued: “It was a mastiff. You heard someone say it was taken from a wolf den, so you spent a fortune to buy it back. You loved it very much—you wouldn’t give it away no matter who asked, and you even brought it when going to your teacher’s lessons. But once, when you were feeding it, it accidentally bit you. You were very angry at the time, but afterward you continued caring for it as if nothing had happened. When Old Madam learned about this, she had a steward secretly beat the mastiff to death. When you found out later, you didn’t say a word in front of Old Madam, but as soon as you left her courtyard, you broke both of that steward’s legs.”

Yun Wenfang frowned and thought about it—there seemed to be such an incident: “What are you trying to say? I thought you came to fight me.”

Yun Wenting shook his head: “If you could escape once, you could escape a second time, unless I had someone tie up both your hands and legs.”

Hearing this, Yun Wenfang looked at Yun Wenting with even more wariness. Though Yun Wenting spoke calmly, Yun Wenfang knew he was capable of such things.

Yun Wenting ignored Yun Wenfang’s defensiveness and simply asked: “Can you tell me why you’re so obsessed with Fifth Miss Ren?”

This was what Yun Wenting truly didn’t understand. Ren Yaoqi was certainly beautiful, and judging from today, she was quite talented. But there were others more outstanding than Ren Yaoqi. Yun Wenfang’s contact with Ren Yaoqi had only been during that period when he stayed at the Ren family to avoid trouble, and he had specifically inquired about it. Even during Yun Wenfang’s time at the Ren family, their interactions were only a few occasions. That Fifth Miss Ren had never deliberately approached Yun Wenfang, and often even avoided impropriety.

Upon hearing this, Yun Wenfang fell silent for a moment. Yun Wenting didn’t rush him, just stood there quietly watching him.

Finally, Yun Wenfang snorted with laughter, then looked at Yun Wenting with some roguish humor: “What if I told you that since I could remember, I’ve often dreamed of her—would you believe it?”

Yun Wenfang’s expression was mocking, but Yun Wenting saw unprecedented seriousness and confusion in his eyes.

Yun Wenting was stunned. He hadn’t expected such an answer. He frowned: “Have you seen her before?”

Yun Wenfang looked up at the sky, as if recalling something. Then he shook his head, pulling at the corner of his mouth: “No.”

Actually, before the first meeting with Ren Yaoqi, Yun Wenfang didn’t know who the woman he often dreamed about was, because he could never see her face. He only remembered the way she looked at him—sorrowful, pleading, and sometimes even fierce—but in the dreams, she never spoke to him. He only remembered the suffocating pain in his heart each time he woke up.

He thought he was just being plagued by nightmares.

Until that time when he and Qiu Yun went to the Ren family, and he watched her walking toward him from under the winding corridor—even before he could see her face, he knew it was her. His feelings at that moment were surprise mixed with inexplicable joy, a sensation like recovering something lost.

He thought that since she appeared in his dreams, she must have had similar experiences, but after several attempts to test this, he discovered she hadn’t. She even deliberately kept her distance from him, which made him very uncomfortable after learning this.

Moreover, since that encounter at the Ren family, she had never appeared in his dreams again.

Yun Wenting hadn’t expected to hear such a mystical answer from Yun Wenfang. He didn’t think Yun Wenfang would lie to him—Yun Wenfang was someone who could be wrong with complete righteousness and never look back. He never bothered to lie to deceive others.

Yun Wenting said, “Even so, you shouldn’t have used such methods against Miss Wu and Miss Jiang. For women, reputation is more important than life. Have you thought about how to resolve this? Marry them both?”

Yun Wenfang laughed heartlessly: “I was just letting that stupid woman Wu Yiyu reap what she sowed. What made her think she could touch my people? This isn’t Ningxia. Besides, I was doing this for your good, too—her purpose in targeting Ren Yaoqi was to get at Xiao Jinglin. Once this matter blows up, she’ll have to return to Ningxia and won’t have time to pester you. Speaking of which, big brother, you have patience. If I knew that even how many times I got up at night was being investigated clearly, I’d have to chop that person up and feed them to dogs.”

Yun Wenting frowned, then said calmly: “What about Miss Jiang? She never offended you.”

Yun Wenfang touched his chin: “Jiang Yuanniang? Who says she didn’t offend me? She offended me terribly!”

Yun Wenting was somewhat surprised: “You can remember her name?” Yun Wenfang was too lazy to even acknowledge people he didn’t care about. He hadn’t expected Yun Wenfang to remember Jiang Yuanniang’s name, and moreover…

As if thinking of something, Yun Wenting asked suspiciously: “How do you know the person the Yun family decided on is Jiang Yuanniang?” Old Madam Ren was guarding against Yun Wenfang knowing and causing trouble. Except for a very few people in the Yun family, no one knew that the family had finally decided on Miss Jiang Eight from the Jiang family. Even the maids and servants in Old Madam’s quarters weren’t clear about this.

“Naturally, someone tipped me off,” Yun Wenfang said lazily.

Yun Wenting thought Yun Wenfang meant someone in Old Madam Yun’s courtyard had guessed their master’s intentions and secretly told him. He decided to investigate thoroughly after returning: “Since you know the elders want you to marry Miss Jiang, you shouldn’t have acted against her. After your disruption, now you have no choice but to marry her.”

Upon hearing this, Yun Wenfang showed no concern and didn’t even seem anxious. He appeared to have anticipated this result: “You wouldn’t stop anyway without arranging someone for me. Since that’s the case, let it be her.”

He understood clearly that the Yun family was determined to have him get engaged now. If not Jiang Yuanniang, it would be someone else.

Since that was the case, it might as well be Jiang Yuanniang.

With others, he might find it difficult to act when the time came, but Jiang Yuanniang…

Yun Wenfang sneered coldly.

Yun Wenting felt Yun Wenfang’s attitude was strange. He didn’t think Yun Wenfang was someone who would so easily submit to his elders. Moreover, now knowing about the entanglement between Yun Wenfang and Fifth Miss Ren, he even less believed Yun Wenfang would give up.

Everyone saw Second Young Master Yun as arrogant and domineering, but they didn’t know that Second Young Master Yun also had one virtue: persistence. Whatever he set his mind on, even if it meant hitting his head until it bled, he would never turn back.

To put it harshly, he was stubborn.

This was also why Yun Wenting worried about his feelings for Ren Yaoqi.

Yun Wenfang suddenly said, “Is Wu Yiyu very angry? So angry she wants to kill me?”

Yun Wenting glanced at him: “What do you think?”

Yun Wenfang shrugged: “So I have to flee again this time? Otherwise, Old Princess Consort and her daughter definitely won’t let me go.”

Yun Wenting was amused by his anger and was about to say something when he heard Yun Wenfang suddenly look at him seriously: “I want to go to Jiajing Pass.”

Yun Wenting was stunned: “What?”

Yun Wenfang repeated it word by word, his expression determined and resolute: “I said I want to go to Jiajing Pass.”

Yun Wenting also became serious: “You should know what kind of place Jiajing Pass is. It’s not somewhere you can play around. When you cause trouble in Yunyang City, others will still give you some leeway for the Yun family’s sake, but at Jiajing Pass, you’ll only face military law.” Having spent several years at the frontier, Yun Wenting deeply understood how strict military discipline was at Jiajing Pass.

Yun Wenfang snorted, saying to Yun Wenting, “If you could return safely, why can’t I? Besides, I’ve caused such big trouble this time—is there anywhere else to go besides Jiajing Pass? The capital is also beyond the Wu family’s reach, but I do remember the family rule that Yun family descendants cannot go to the capital.”

Yun Wenting frowned: “Things aren’t as bad as you think. Old Princess Consort and Madam Wu don’t know yet, and as for Wu Yiyu’s side—”

Yun Wenting interrupted mockingly: “What? You want to sacrifice yourself to save me? Don’t… Wu Yiyu is such a venomous woman. You might be able to tolerate her, but I’m afraid she’d slaughter our entire family. Besides—”

At this point, Yun Wenting smiled wickedly: “Who said they don’t know? Maybe they already know by now.”

“What else have you done?” Yun Wenting couldn’t help but ask angrily.