The eldest son of the Right Censor saw Lu Yuanpeng’s drunken foolish manner and hurriedly tugged at his sleeve, nearly pulling the already swaying and unsteady Lu Yuanpeng to the ground. He could only bow deeply to apologize to Nanny Jiang: “Nanny Jiang, please forgive us. Yuanpeng has had too much to drink today. We hope for Nanny’s understanding.”

Xiao Rongyan stood wrapped in a gray squirrel fur cloak by a carriage not far away, his posture upright. Even standing in the shadows, his extraordinary and refined bearing was hard to conceal and quite eye-catching.

Seeing Nanny Jiang, who served beside the Grand Princess, come out personally, Xiao Rongyan’s lips curved in a smile, his profound eyes showing complete composure and calm.

Qin Lang carried some wine scent but wasn’t too heavily drunk. Knowing that Nanny Jiang represented the Grand Princess, he kowtowed heavily: “Qin Lang has come to plead guilty before the Grand Princess and mother-in-law!”

“Quickly help the young master up!” Nanny Jiang instructed the servants and attendants following behind her.

The servant hurriedly stepped forward from behind Nanny Jiang, respectfully helping Qin Lang to his feet.

After bowing to Qin Lang, Nanny Jiang said, “The heavy snow hasn’t stopped, and the young master has had too much to drink. This old servant has already sent someone to report to Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion. Young master, please enter the mansion to sit briefly and drink some sobering soup. The Marquis Mansion will send someone to fetch you shortly. Young master, please…”

Seeing the Duke mansion’s servants supporting the thorn-bearing Qin Lang as they walked inside.

Xiao Rongyan slowly turned around, about to board his carriage, when Lu Yuanpeng, who had squeezed out from the crowd, grabbed him: “Brother Xiao, this was your idea – you can’t slip away! We must see this through to the end…”

With that, the wine-reeking Lu Yuanpeng dragged Xiao Rongyan toward the Duke mansion’s steps: “Hey, hey, hey! Don’t close the door, don’t close the door! Nanny Jiang, Nanny Jiang… I’ve come all this way to call – I must at least pay my respects to the old ancestor!”

The sons of the Right Censor and other dissolute young men hurriedly called out to Lu Yuanpeng.

“Yuanpeng!”

“Yuanpeng, don’t drag Brother Xiao into your nonsense!”

“Lu Yuanpeng…”

Lu Yuanpeng turned a deaf ear, completely abandoning his noble bearing and acting like a rogue as he forcibly dragged Xiao Rongyan inside.

Who would have thought that just two steps inside the Duke’s mansion gates, they would see Fourth Miss Bai Jinzhi charging out from the brightly lit corridor in a rage, raising her whip to strike at Qin Lang.

Lu Yuanpeng was so startled that he immediately hiccupped.

“Fourth sister!”

Bai Jintong was extremely skilled – at the moment Bai Jinzhi raised her whip, she had already positioned herself in front of Qin Lang, steadily catching the vicious whip head with skillful force, gripping the long whip in her hand with a solemn expression: “Don’t be rude! Stand down!”

Nanny Jiang was also startled, her hand holding the handkerchief pressed against her rapidly beating heart. Only when she caught sight of Bai Qingyan did her heart settle.

“Third sister! Why are you stopping me!” Bai Jinzhi’s eyes were red as she pointed at Qin Lang. “Second sister lies on her bed with life and death uncertain, yet he went to a poetry gathering and drinking! Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion is a nest of black hearts and rotten guts, and he’s just as heartless!”

Qin Lang was overcome with shame, his fists clenching: “Third Miss needn’t stop her – I deserve this lashing from Fourth Miss.”

Xiao Rongyan glanced casually through the falling snow at the figure slowly approaching from the corridor, composed and silent.

Bai Qingyan stood wrapped in fox fur under the corridor, red lanterns reflecting the falling snow and outlining her elegant, refined features. Her eyes were deep black and calm, her entire being like something from a painting – tranquil. She was completely different from the Duke mansion’s legitimate eldest daughter, who had been so imposing and aggressive at Marquis Zhongyong’s gates today.

“Bai Jinzhi, stand down.”

Hearing the voice, Bai Jinzhi turned to see Bai Qingyan. With tears in her eyes, she glared at Qin Lang once more before reluctantly returning to Bai Qingyan’s side.

Bai Qingyan had seen how Bai Jinxiu lay on the bed and hated both Marquis Zhongyong’s mansion and Qin Lang, but ultimately could still sympathize with Qin Lang’s difficult position. Encountering a stepmother like Jiang Shi with filial duty weighing on him, he truly was in a difficult situation.

Borrowing courage from the wine, Qin Lang dared to look directly at Bai Qingyan. Whether it was due to the alcohol or not, Bai Qingyan’s stunning beauty after coming of age entered his sight properly. Qin Lang’s heart was filled with mixed emotions as he guiltily gripped the jade pendant at his waist, his palm becoming sticky with sweat. He hurriedly looked away and lowered his eyes, not daring to look at Bai Qingyan.

“Is… is that the Duke mansion’s legitimate eldest daughter?!” Lu Yuanpeng stared in amazement, completely unaware of the snow falling on his eyelashes.

Xiao Rongyan’s profound eyes remained completely calm. His hand, hidden beneath the gray squirrel fur cloak, leisurely caressed a jade cicada as he thoughtfully gave a lukewarm response: “Mm.”

As soon as Bai Qingyan stepped out of the corridor, she met Xiao Rongyan’s water-like tranquil gaze, causing her to pause.

Xiao Rongyan’s overly profound eyes contained a smile as he nodded slightly to her, displaying complete warmth and stability.

Bai Qingyan unconsciously tightened her grip on the hand warmer, her heart inexplicably beating heavily several times, her breathing becoming somewhat labored.

In her previous life, Bai Qingyan had privately confronted countless ruthless individuals on battlefields. Those she could remember in her lifetime were few, and those she feared were as rare as phoenix feathers. But no one had ever made her feel such intense dread as Xiao Rongyan did.

Beneath Xiao Rongyan’s composed, restrained scholarly elegance lay ambitious desires to devour other nations like a tiger or wolf. He could take lives while chatting and laughing, so profound that Bai Qingyan never saw through him even until her death.

Seeing Lu Yuanpeng, Bai Qingyan understood why Xiao Rongyan had come with Qin Lang.

She closed her eyes, forcibly suppressing her unease and excessive concern about Xiao Rongyan, then stepped out of the corridor…

Nanny Jiang quickly turned to take an umbrella from a servant’s hands, opening it as she stepped forward to support Bai Qingyan.

“Young Master Qin.” Bai Qingyan maintained a cautiously appropriate distance from Qin Lang and gave him a half-bow. “Young master wears thin clothes and bears thorns to plead guilty – do you already have a solution in mind?”

Qin Lang lowered his head shamefully: “Not… not yet.”

Bai Qingyan’s heart clenched, anger rising within her at his inability to meet expectations. No wonder Qin Lang couldn’t protect his wife in the previous life – what use was a mere apology?!

Unable to suppress her anger, her voice rose considerably: “Will Young Master Qin give the same answer when you see my grandmother and second aunt? If so, I must ask Young Master Qin – what crime are you pleading guilty to today? Are you pleading guilty for Marquis Zhongyong’s wife, for your mansion’s two young misses, or yourself?”

Cold wind swept the snow through the gaps.

Qin Lang’s eyes reddened, his lips trembling, but he ultimately said nothing, only cupping his fists and bowing deeply to Bai Qingyan: “Qin Lang is ashamed and has no words in response.”

That day, when Qin Lang came to the Duke mansion for the wedding ceremony, she had set up chess puzzles to block the door, observing Qin Lang’s chess style, he didn’t seem to be a cowardly, conservative person without vision.

Chess style reveals character… Bai Qingyan had thought Qin Lang should have had great ambitions along with strategic acumen.

After thinking for a moment, Bai Qingyan gripped the hand warmer in her arms tightly, forcibly suppressing her anger before speaking deliberately: “When Great Jin was founded, all those with great merit were ennobled as marquises and generals, with Marquis Dingguo receiving a hereditary title without reduction. The Marquis’ mansion had two legitimate sons. According to ritual law and birth order, the eldest son should inherit the title, but Marquis Dingguo favored his younger son. Wanting to elevate his younger son while unable to ignore ancestral ritual law, this caused household unrest and fraternal conflict. When Marquis Dingguo died and the eldest son inherited the title, the younger son harbored resentment and raised a blade to kill his mother and brother, creating a tragedy.”