Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Regardless of everything else, Yun Wenfang was giving her a warning, so she nodded: “Thank you.”

Yun Wenfang’s expression didn’t soften because of her thanks. He wasn’t looking at Ren Yaoqi either, but rather slightly lowering his gaze, lost in thought. For a moment, the entire tearoom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Fortunately, this awkward situation didn’t last long. The female proprietor soon returned with people carrying many headdresses and jewelry. Women always had little resistance to such things. Even Yun Qiuping and Yun Qiufang, who never lacked for these items, were the same. So when they were selecting and arranging the headdresses, the atmosphere in the room became normal again.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Yun Wenfang sitting there with a cold expression, saying nothing, wondering about his purpose for coming here. Could it be to accompany his two sisters in selecting jewelry? Ren Yaoqi naturally didn’t believe this.

However, if he had come for her, given Yun Wenfang’s previous temperament, how could he be so quiet? When Ren Yaoqi went out, aside from the Leshan and Leshui sisters who always stayed by her side, there were certainly many hidden guards protecting her. At this moment, if Yun Wenfang made even the slightest inappropriate move, the guards in the shadows might take action. But Yun Wenfang was currently sitting there like an ordinary customer, so no one could touch him.

Ren Yaoqi felt somewhat relieved.

Before long, Xiao Jinglin and Yelu Sage arrived. When Xiao Jinglin entered and saw Yun Wenfang, she couldn’t help but frown. Yelu Sage’s gaze also lingered on Yun Wenfang for a moment.

With the Princess’s arrival, everyone present naturally had to stand and pay respects. Xiao Jinglin was always cold toward people. Even with the Yun sisters, who had some connection to her, she merely nodded in acknowledgment.

“Shall we go back?” Xiao Jinglin walked to Ren Yaoqi’s side, adopting a protective stance and imperceptibly blocking Yun Wenfang’s line of sight, though Yun Wenfang wasn’t looking this way.

Ren Yaoqi also didn’t want to stay here any longer. Although Yun Wenfang hadn’t said anything today or made any improper moves, Ren Yaoqi still wasn’t comfortable being under the same roof as him. She always felt somewhat awkward. So when Xiao Jinglin inquired, she nodded: “We’ve been out for quite a while. It’s time to go back.”

Yun Qiufang, hearing this, smiled and said: “Why is the Princess leaving just after arriving? Although Duobao Pavilion’s jewelry materials aren’t the finest, the styles are exceptionally beautiful. Since the Princess is here, why not select a few pieces?” She then looked at Yelu Sage, who was examining a golden hairpin: “If the Princess likes these jewelry pieces, please select some to take back.”

Yun Qiufang wasn’t Yun Qiuchen. This girl seemed to have thorns all over her and was never known for being warm and hospitable. Yet now she was putting on a smiling face and trying to keep people from leaving.

Unfortunately, Xiao Jinglin didn’t buy into her act. Seeing Yelu Sage holding a golden hairpin and looking at it, she casually pointed to the tray of jewelry closest to her and said to the female proprietor: “We’ll take all of these.”

Yelu Sage looked at Xiao Jinglin with some surprise, as if she hadn’t expected her to like these fancy trinkets. But Xiao Jinglin said indifferently, “If you like them, I’ll give them to you. It’s getting late today. Let’s return to the manor first. We can browse again next time.”

Yelu Sage was quite delighted and thanked her. The proprietor immediately had people bring some fine gift boxes to pack up the jewelry.

Yelu Sage followed the female proprietor to the front shop first. Xiao Jinglin pulled Ren Yaoqi along to leave as well.

“Wait.” Yun Wenfang suddenly spoke.

Yun Qiufang, who had been talking with Yun Qiuping, suddenly paused mid-sentence, then seemed to want to cover something up by suddenly raising her voice to continue talking with Yun Qiuping, as if trying to draw everyone else’s attention to her side.

From the moment Yun Wenfang spoke, Xiao Jinglin’s gaze was coldly fixed on him, and she moved Ren Yaoqi to her side, blocking Yun Wenfang.

But Yun Wenfang acted as if he hadn’t seen this and stood up, walking toward them step by step.

Xiao Jinglin snorted coldly and was about to take action when Yun Wenfang stopped about three steps away from them.

Away from others’ sight, Yun Wenfang looked at Ren Yaoqi.

Xiao Jinglin had originally been somewhat impatient with Yun Wenfang’s persistent pestering, thinking whether she should beat down this blind fool first. But when her gaze met Yun Wenfang’s eyes, she couldn’t help but frown and didn’t move.

In Xiao Jinglin’s eyes, Yun Wenfang had always been flamboyant, proud, and insufferably arrogant, perhaps with some ability and a fearless spirit. Although not very likable, he was a capable subordinate who could get things done in the Yanbei army.

But at this moment, although Yun Wenfang hadn’t said a word and his expression still carried that annoying flamboyance, pride, and arrogance, one could still catch a trace of sadness in his eyes. Like a severely wounded, dying small beast.

However, Xiao Jinglin wasn’t the type to overflow with sympathy, so she remained blocking Ren Yaoqi without moving an inch.

Ren Yaoqi looked at Yun Wenfang and could only sigh repeatedly.

In her heart, the grudges between her and Yun Wenfang from the previous life had long since dissipated with her rebirth. In this life, the relationship between them was barely better than strangers. She didn’t understand where Yun Wenfang’s obsession came from.

Ren Yaoqi didn’t harbor any resentment toward Yun Wenfang now. She was very satisfied and content with her current life, so she hoped Yun Wenfang could let go of that obsession and live his own life properly.

Yun Wenfang had also changed considerably. At least his previous reckless, flamboyant nature would always restrain itself when facing Ren Yaoqi. In the past, he wouldn’t care who was blocking his path – if someone obstructed him, he would simply use force. But now, with Xiao Jinglin standing before him, he still maintained that cold expression, neither losing his temper nor taking action. He simply treated Xiao Jinglin as if she didn’t exist.

Yun Wenfang looked at Ren Yaoqi for a while, then suddenly said softly without any context: “Ren Yaoqi, whether you believe it or not, I never had any intention of harming you, and I never truly harmed you.”

After saying this, Yun Wenfang took another deep look at Ren Yaoqi, then walked around both Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin, turning and leaving the tearoom without looking back.

Xiao Jinglin looked suspiciously at Yun Wenfang’s retreating figure, finding his sudden words rather baffling.

But Ren Yaoqi stood there, somewhat stunned.

What did Yun Wenfang’s words mean? If Ren Yaoqi didn’t have memories of her previous life, she might have found Yun Wenfang’s words as baffling as Xiao Jinglin did. But combining them with her previous life’s memories, Ren Yaoqi heard something more in Yun Wenfang’s words.

Thinking of that time when Yun Wenfang mentioned the dreams he’d been having since childhood… could it be that he remembered something again?

In her previous life, she had fallen into Eunuch Lu’s hands because of him and suffered endless humiliation. At that time, she had hated Yun Wenfang to the bone. But now Yun Wenfang was saying he never had any intention of harming her and never truly harmed her.

Ren Yaoqi was someone who didn’t easily show her emotions, so although she was puzzled by Yun Wenfang’s words, she didn’t display it on her face, preventing Yun Qiufang, who was secretly observing from the side, from noticing anything amiss.

Xiao Jinglin looked at Ren Yaoqi inquiringly.

Ren Yaoqi shook her head and said softly: “Let’s go.”

Xiao Jinglin nodded and didn’t ask further questions, leaving the tearoom with Ren Yaoqi. Yun Wenfang was nowhere to be seen outside, presumably having already left. Yelu Sage was holding several exquisite boxes, waiting for them. Seeing them come out, her face broke into a brilliant smile.

“By the way, was that man just now a young master from the Yun family?” After getting into the carriage, Yelu Sage suddenly asked with a smile.

Xiao Jinglin glanced at Yelu Sage and said indifferently: “He’s Second Young Master Yun.”

Yelu Sage frowned and thought for a moment, then smiled and shook her head: “He looked somewhat familiar to me. I must have mistaken him for someone else.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinglin’s eyes flashed, then she turned away and spoke with Ren Yaoqi.

Ren Yaoqi spent the entire journey thinking about Yun Wenfang’s words, though only for this short stretch of road. Once the carriage entered Yanbei Prince’s Manor, Ren Yaoqi stopped thinking about it.

Regardless of what Yun Wenfang meant by those words, whether he had remembered events from the previous life, it was all irrelevant now. Whether he had harmed her or not, she no longer took it to heart. What good would come from figuring it out?

However, it might be good if Yun Wenfang remembered. Perhaps then he could break free from his obsession.

But what Ren Yaoqi hadn’t anticipated was that, since it was an obsession, how could it be so easily overcome?

The next day was the day for the Yun family to marry into the Meng family, but the groom, Second Young Master Yun, didn’t appear. The entire Yun household was thrown into panic, searching everywhere for Yun Wenfang’s whereabouts, but Yun Wenfang had seemingly vanished from Yunyang City without a trace.