Han Yunqian looked at the young lady before him, who gazed at him in silent contemplation, carefully concealing his dejection.

Though Ren Yaoqi hadn’t seen him for quite some time, he had seen her.

Once, when he was going to Yunyang Academy and passing through Zhengyang Street, he saw her carriage stop ahead of him as she instructed her maid to buy pastries from Fuman Restaurant.

Another time, he saw her accompanying Third Miss Ren and following behind Third Madam Ren as they went out, waiting for Madam Xu outside the gates of Yunyang City.

And just recently, on the day she returned from Yunyang City, he had been standing on the bridge at the town entrance and happened to catch sight of her carriage passing beneath the bridge.

Han Yunqian felt that the reason he always seemed to notice her was because she was, so far, the only woman who could defeat him.

As for anything else, Han Yunqian was unwilling to think too deeply about it.

Regarding his current behavior, Han Yunqian was also confused. Though he believed in settling scores with the right person and didn’t entirely approve of his grandfather’s ruthless methods of complete extermination, he didn’t have much sympathy to spare for the Ren family either.

Yet somehow, whenever he saw her, he couldn’t help but want to warn her about a few things, even though he knew his warnings couldn’t make any substantial difference.

The noise gradually grew louder as they left the lakeside. Han You stopped ahead and looked back.

After thinking for a moment, Ren Yaoqi said, “If the Han family only wants to reclaim what belongs to them, I think that’s reasonable, and I won’t interfere in this matter. However, I don’t owe you anything, my father, mother, and sister don’t owe you anything, and my third brother doesn’t owe you anything either. If the Han family’s methods are used against us, then Young Master Han…”

Ren Yaoqi smiled as she looked toward Han Yunqian, “Since I was able to defeat you once, twice, I can also defeat you a third time, a fourth time. So please, conduct yourselves accordingly.”

Ren Yaoqi’s words left Han Yunqian stunned, but she simply nodded and walked away. When she reached Han You’s side, Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, “Miss Han, my third sister is still waiting for me, so I must go first. Next time you visit Yunyang City, you can come find us at Baoping Alley to play.”

Though Han You didn’t know what her brother and Ren Yaoqi had discussed, judging by Ren Yaoqi’s attitude, it didn’t seem like anything unpleasant had been said. She couldn’t help but feel relieved and smiled, saying, “Alright, I’ll come visit.”

Ren Yaoqi smiled and nodded before leaving.

Han Yunqian stood in place, silently watching her figure slowly disappear into the lamplight ahead.

Han You had somehow returned to his side. She observed her brother for a long while, seeming to want to say something but hesitating.

“Brother, do you perhaps have feelings for Fifth Miss Ren…”

Before Han You could finish her sentence, Han Yunqian interrupted her in a calm voice, “Let’s go. Grandmother is still waiting for you.”

Han You, remembering the flash of dejection she had just seen in her brother’s eyes, wanted to say more, but Han Yunqian’s expression clearly showed he didn’t want to discuss anything related to Ren Yaoqi. Feeling somewhat defeated, Han You’s expression grew somewhat gloomy as she thought of something.

After returning from the Sun family, Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua stayed another day in Baihe Town before returning to Yunyang City. However, Ren Yaoying had fallen ill and couldn’t return with them.

The physician the Ren family had summoned diagnosed Ren Yaoying with a cold after taking her pulse.

Ren Yaohua said to Ren Yaoqi, “How could it be such a coincidence that she falls ill at this exact time? Could she be pretending?”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head, “This physician has a good reputation. She couldn’t have bribed him, so the illness is real, but the timing is indeed rather suspicious.”

“Then what should we do? Should we tell Grandmother we want to take her back to be treated?” Ren Yaohua frowned.

Ren Yaoqi shook her head, “It’s just a minor illness now. If we insist on taking her back and her condition worsens, what then? Let her stay. We’ll just have someone watch her.”

Ren Yaohua nodded and sneered, “I’d like to see what exactly she’s planning. I’ll go arrange for someone to keep an eye on her.”

Thus, Ren Yaoying remained at the Ren family’s old residence in Baihe Town while Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua returned to Yunyang City.

After returning, Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua went to visit Ren Yaoyu.

Though Ren Yaoyu had regained consciousness, because the previous poisoning had damaged her constitution and she had then lain unconscious in bed for so long, when she awoke, she had become skin and bones. The baby fat that had troubled her and Fifth Madam Ren for years was completely gone. Moreover, because she hadn’t moved for so long, her bones and muscles seemed to have rusted, making it impossible for her to move freely – she couldn’t even walk or eat independently.

Seeing Ren Yaoyu, who had always been arrogant and domineering before them, reduced to this state, both Ren Yaoqi and Ren Yaohua felt somewhat melancholy.

Fortunately, Ren Yaoyu had awakened. The physician said that if she hadn’t regained consciousness, she never would have.

After some time, news indeed came from the Capital that the Ren family’s properties in the capital had encountered major problems.

For some unknown reason, Second Old Master Ren had mortgaged most of his coal mines and coal yards to a major money house in the Capital to obtain operating rights for coal yards in six southeastern states. However, when the deadline arrived, they couldn’t produce the silver to redeem their properties, and in the end, the Ren family’s assets inexplicably fell into others’ hands.

Ren Yaoqi learned this from Third Master Ren. Though he spoke simply, Ren Yaoqi understood clearly that Ren Yongxiang had likely fallen victim to someone’s chain of schemes.

Second Master Ren was now frantically trying to curry favor and pull strings with his son, hoping to file a lawsuit against the money house for fraud, and had written letters home asking Old Master Ren for help.

When Old Master Ren learned that Ren Yongxiang had secretly mortgaged the Ren family properties without his permission, deceived by others to pursue operating rights in the six southeastern states, he was so angry he nearly vomited blood again.

Old Master Ren was also anxious. Naturally, he didn’t want the Ren family’s properties to become someone else’s, but he was powerless from such a distance. Old Master Ren had Old Madam Ren send a letter to Old Madam Fang, requesting the Fang family’s help. Though Fang Yacun had fallen from favor, the Fang family hadn’t collapsed, and the marriage connection between the Fang and Ren families still existed.

Unfortunately, the Fang family was also powerless in this matter.

But this matter wasn’t over. Not long after, the remaining properties in Ren Yongxiang’s hands were also divided up by a succession of creditors who came calling.

It turned out that Ren Yongxiang and his son had secretly collaborated with some people behind Old Master Ren’s back, hoping to completely seize the market in the six southeastern states that were originally controlled by the Wan family coal yards. Wan Family Coal Yards was the premier coal business in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and replacing the Wan family had always been Old Master Ren’s dream. If they could swallow up the Wan family’s coal yards in the southeast, this wish might not be impossible to achieve. Ren Yongxiang had originally thought he could accomplish what his brother Ren Yonghe couldn’t, making the Ren family flourish under his leadership, but he never expected such an outcome.

After learning this news, Old Master Ren couldn’t withstand the blow and fainted again.

During this period, Ren Yaoqi heard that people from the Jiang family had come to Yunyang City, but Han You never came to find her. Ren Yaoqi wondered if Han You had learned from Han Yunqian that the Ren family was currently in troubled times and felt it inappropriate to disturb them.

As for Yun Wenfang, who had been expected to return two months ago, he still hadn’t come back.

Whether the Ren family was secretly working to resolve the Capital situation, Ren Yaoqi didn’t know, because Third Master Ren had been busy since August and had no leisure to inquire about the family’s “worldly affairs.”

Early August was when the Yanbei students would take the autumn imperial examinations, and Third Master Ren had been assigned by Yunyang Academy to supervise the exams.

The weather had been alternating between hot and cold recently, and the day before the autumn examinations began, it suddenly started raining. Though it was autumn, it felt like winter had arrived early.

Starting tomorrow, Third Master Ren would officially live at the examination grounds. Worried he might catch a cold, Li Shi prepared several thick sets of clothes for him to take along.

On this very evening, Ren Yaohua called Ren Yaoqi over and said to her, “Today, Ren Yaoying found an excuse to go to the Dragon King Temple. Do you know what she went there for?”

Ren Yaoqi knew someone watching Ren Yaoying must have just reported her whereabouts to Ren Yaohua: “Oh? To have her fortune told? To fulfill a vow? To donate?”

Since returning to Baihe Town, Ren Yaoying didn’t have many opportunities to go out, and there were only so many reasons Old Madam Ren would allow her to leave.

Ren Yaohua sneered, “Hmph! Do you remember that Young Master Zhou Wen from the Zhou family? Ren Yaoying went out to meet him!”

Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but frown, “Zhou Wen? Isn’t he supposed to take the autumn examinations tomorrow? How does he have time to go to Baihe Town?”

Ren Yaohua said, “I don’t know. I only know he waited for Ren Yaoying at the Dragon King Temple for an hour, then the two of them talked for half an hour about who knows what, and when Ren Yaoying returned, she was smiling.”

Ren Yaoqi thought that this Young Master Zhou was truly an infatuated fool, though the fact that he had the leisure to meet Ren Yaoying on the eve of the major examination showed he was extremely confident in himself.

Ren Yaoqi smiled, “Why did you just have them watched while they talked? Why not have them separated?”

Ren Yaohua said coldly, “As long as she’s not scheming against us, I don’t care if she dies! Let her create whatever trouble she wants.”

Ren Yaoqi shook her head with a laugh. Ren Yaoying’s bad reputation brought them no benefit, but Ren Yaohua didn’t want to deal with Ren Yaoying’s affairs and intended to let her fend for herself.

Ren Yaoying was indeed in very good spirits at the moment. That afternoon, Zhou Wen had specifically rushed to Baihe Town just to tell her that he would be taking the autumn examinations tomorrow. Zhou Wen was very confident he could pass the imperial examinations to become a Provincial Graduate. He told Ren Yaoying to keep the jade pendant he had given her safe, and once he passed the examinations, he would ask his mother to send a matchmaker to the Ren family to propose marriage.