As Ren Yaoqi stepped down from the carriage, she saw Pei Zhiyan crouched by the roadside in some grass, apparently doing something. She couldn’t help but pause in surprise.

“Master Pei?” Ren Yaoqi called out softly.

Hearing this, Pei Zhiyan looked up. Seeing Ren Yaoqi, he also seemed somewhat surprised, then stood up and took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, smiling as he said, “Is Miss Ren here to see your teacher?”

Ren Yaoqi nodded and glanced at the patch of grass where Pei Zhiyan had been crouching.

Noticing her gaze, Pei Zhiyan smiled and pointed into the grass, saying, “I just saw what looked like an orchid in the grass. Take a look and see if my eyes deceived me.”

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi walked over and bent down to look at the plant Pei Zhiyan was pointing to. It appeared to be a Cymbidium ensifolium that wasn’t flowering, growing inconspicuously among the weeds. She wondered how Pei Zhiyan had discovered it.

Ren Yaoqi carefully examined the Cymbidium ensifolium for a long while, then frowned and said, “It does look very much like Cymbidium ensifolium, but this place faces the sun and the soil is quite dry, which isn’t suitable for orchid growth. Yet this plant is growing quite well… It probably isn’t an orchid, is it?”

Pei Zhiyan raised an eyebrow and looked at her with a smile. “If it’s not an orchid, then what kind of flower is it?”

Ren Yaoqi was about to say she didn’t know either, but when she noticed an inconspicuous thin young stem growing from the center of the plant, she exclaimed “Oh!” and reached out to touch that stem, then said joyfully, “This plant probably isn’t an orchid, but rather hawk’s brocade, a type of Lycoris. I once saw it in a book called ‘Herbal Supplements.'”

Pei Zhiyan said thoughtfully, “Herbal Supplements?”

Hearing Pei Zhiyan speak, Ren Yaoqi suddenly remembered that she had seen the book “Herbal Supplements” in Pei Zhiyan’s study. Since Pei Zhiyan had read all the books in his study, he knew this plant wasn’t an orchid.

Was this a test? Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but look at Pei Zhiyan with surprise.

However, Pei Zhiyan just smiled slightly and praised, “That’s correct, it is indeed hawk’s brocade. Miss Ren truly is well-read.”

Being praised by her teacher for being “well-read,” Ren Yaoqi felt a bit embarrassed… She had only read those books under Pei Zhiyan’s supervision. In front of Pei Zhiyan, she really didn’t qualify to claim she was “well-read.”

Seeming to notice Ren Yaoqi’s discomfort, Pei Zhiyan smiled and turned to instruct his attendant to dig up the hawk’s brocade from the grass.

Seeing this, Ren Yaoqi somewhat helplessly tried to dissuade him, “Master, Master Xu also likes flowers and plants. If he knew, he probably wouldn’t be willing to let you dig up this hawk’s brocade.”

Scholars all loved flowers and plants. Pei Zhiyan liked them too, but he didn’t like raising orchids, chrysanthemums, and such because he was too lazy and unwilling to entrust care to others. So no matter how precious the variety, he would kill one after another without exception. Others might not know this, but Ren Yaoqi understood it very clearly. The reason Pei Zhiyan was interested in this hawk’s brocade wasn’t just because it was rare, but also because the book said hawk’s brocade was easy to care for – watering it once every ten days or half a month would suffice, without needing to tend it like an orchid.

However, Xu Wanli, also being a scholar, liked flowers and plants too, and might not agree to let Pei Zhiyan dig up flowers from his garden.

Hearing this, Pei Zhiyan considered it seriously for a moment. “What you say makes sense.”

Ren Yaoqi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Pei Zhiyan had given up on digging up the Xu family’s flower. Unexpectedly, Pei Zhiyan then said leisurely with a smile, “I should go play chess with Xu Wanli first. After I win, then I’ll come dig up his flower, and he’ll have nothing to say about it.”

Ren Yaoqi: “…”

Master, do you think it’s appropriate to always use this trick?

But Pei Zhiyan didn’t hear Ren Yaoqi’s internal complaint. He cheerfully headed toward the second gate, and seeing Ren Yaoqi standing still, he turned back and called out, “Weren’t you going to see your teacher?”

So Ren Yaoqi followed behind him into the Xu family’s second gate.

Pei Zhiyan suddenly said, “Miss Ren is very much like an old friend of mine.”

Hearing this, Ren Yaoqi’s heart jumped. She paused before forcing a smile and saying, “I wonder which old friend Master Pei is referring to?”

Pei Zhiyan looked at her and smiled, saying gently, “Has anyone ever told you that you look very much like your great-grandmother?”

Ren Yaoqi’s originally tense mood suddenly relaxed. So Pei Zhiyan was talking about Noble Consort Wan. She had thought…

“Master Pei has met my great-grandmother?”

Pei Zhiyan tilted his head in thought. “I saw her once when I was young.”

Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but be curious. In her previous life, she had only seen Noble Consort Wan’s portrait at Pei Zhiyan’s place, but didn’t know that Pei Zhiyan had met Noble Consort Wan in person. When Pei Zhiyan was in his teens, Noble Consort Wan should have been around forty. It was hard to imagine what kind of intersection these two people could have had.

However, Pei Zhiyan had no intention of satisfying Ren Yaoqi’s curiosity. He didn’t mention Noble Consort Wan again afterward.

But Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help thinking – when they first met on the boat, had Pei Zhiyan looked surprised upon seeing her because of her resemblance to Noble Consort Wan? Then, in her previous life, had Pei Zhiyan rescued her from Eunuch Lu also because of Noble Consort Wan?

Throughout the journey, Ren Yaoqi kept pondering this matter, so she didn’t speak. Pei Zhiyan was also thinking about something unknown and didn’t speak either. The two walked in silence to the Xu family’s main courtyard.

Whether they noticed or not, despite their silence throughout the journey, the atmosphere between them wasn’t awkward at all, but rather had an indescribable harmony and tranquility. It was the kind of closeness and understanding that came from long years of interaction, something that existed only between family members and close friends.

Before entering the main courtyard, Pei Zhiyan suddenly stopped and looked at Ren Yaoqi, smiling as he said, “Though it may be presumptuous to say this, Miss Ren always gives me a sense of familiarity.” He paused, and perhaps fearing others might misunderstand, he smiled and added, “If I had a daughter, I imagine she would be like you.”

After saying this, Pei Zhiyan nodded and went ahead to the study to find Xu Wanli.

Ren Yaoqi stood there watching him leave, then went to see Madam Xu.

Later, Ren Yaoqi learned from Madam Xu that Pei Zhiyan had indeed played a game of chess with Xu Wanli, and after winning, had dug up the hawk’s brocade from outside the Xu family’s second gate.

May passed peacefully like this, and at the beginning of June, before the Thousand Gold Banquet, Noble Consort Yun of Yanbei Prince’s Manor returned.

Noble Consort Yun was Yanbei Prince’s birth mother, but she rarely stayed at Yanbei Prince’s Manor. In her early years, she had requested to guard the tomb of the old Yanbei Prince, living year-round in a villa not far from the Xiao family mausoleum, not concerning herself with external affairs.

Unlike the Old Princess Consort’s high-profile manner, Noble Consort Yun didn’t like ostentation. When she returned, there were merely three carriages and several Prince’s Manor guards dressed as ordinary attendants. If the city gate commander Mu Hu hadn’t recognized Noble Consort Yun’s guards, their party probably wouldn’t have attracted any attention entering the city.

Seeing Noble Consort Yun’s carriage enter the city, Mu Hu immediately sent someone to report to Yanbei Prince’s Manor. When Noble Consort Yun’s carriage arrived at the main gate of Yanbei Prince’s Manor, the Princess Consort had already come out to greet her.

Noble Consort Yun was one or two years older than the Old Princess Consort, in her early fifties. She wore a dark blue jacket and skirt without any embroidery, her temples already showing some gray, with only a pair of white jade hairpins in her hair bun and no other jewelry anywhere on her body. Although her face already bore traces left by the years, from her features, one could vaguely see that this Noble Consort Yun must have been a rare beauty in her youth.

Although compared to the Old Princess Consort, Noble Consort Yun’s dress and appearance could only be described as shabby – even some respectable servants dressed more expensively than her – no one would mistake her for a servant. Some people in this world don’t look like princes even when wearing dragon robes, while naturally others have an extraordinary bearing even in plain clothes and simple hairpins. Noble Consort Yun was such a person.

Noble Consort Yun supported the Princess Consort, who was about to bow to her, saying quietly, “There’s no such rule. Don’t let people see and laugh. Let’s go inside.”

Her expression was cold, and her voice light. Toward her daughter-in-law, who was also her niece, she didn’t show much warmth, appearing somewhat unapproachable, though she also didn’t seem to be putting on airs or deliberately trying to intimidate her daughter-in-law.

The Princess Consort seemed to understand her mother-in-law’s temperament very well. She didn’t insist and rose smoothly when Noble Consort Yun helped her up, following Noble Consort Yun inside. The two spoke very little along the way, mostly the Princess Consort asking questions, with Noble Consort Yun occasionally responding with an “mm.”

The Princess Consort personally escorted Noble Consort Yun to her Lanxi Hall, bringing people to help her change clothes and offering tea.

“Where is the Prince?” Noble Consort Yun asked after taking her seat.

“The Prince left after the Dragon Boat Festival.”

The Princess Consort didn’t specify where he had gone, and Noble Consort Yun didn’t ask, only nodding. “Jingxi isn’t in the manor either?”

The Princess Consort glanced at Noble Consort Yun. Noble Consort Yun wasn’t particularly close to either Xiao Jingxi or Xiao Jinglin and rarely inquired about them actively.

“Jingxi has been recuperating at the villa recently.”

Hearing this, Noble Consort Yun looked at the Princess Consort, then said nothing and lowered her head to drink tea.

The Princess Consort sat with Noble Consort Yun for a while when someone came in to report that Miss Yun had arrived.

Noble Consort Yun nodded. “Let her in.”

The Princess Consort frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed, sitting there without speaking.

Noble Consort Yun said to the Princess Consort, “I told her beforehand that I would return today.”

The Princess Consort wanted to ask: Even I, your daughter-in-law, didn’t receive advance notice of your exact return date today, yet your grand-niece was informed by you? The Princess Consort didn’t know what Noble Consort Yun was up to.

In fact, because of Noble Consort Yun’s cold temperament, the Princess Consort couldn’t be said to be close to her. However, since marrying Yanbei Prince and becoming the Princess Consort, Noble Consort Yun had never interfered with manor affairs over the years, and the two mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had never had any conflicts.

The Princess Consort knew that Noble Consort Yun held Yun Qiuchen in special regard. She had previously thought this was nothing – after all, Yun Qiuchen was both Noble Consort Yun’s grand-niece and her niece. But now the Princess Consort felt somewhat worried.