It was because both had lost their mothers early – one orphaned in childhood, the other never even seeing her mother, and being so frail she could pass away at any moment.

Shen Yun’an was old enough to understand then. If Shen Yueshan had shown even the slightest bit of compassion towards Shen Yingruo, Shen Yun’an likely would have never been able to come to terms with it.

“By blood, Father has three children. By kinship, Father has two children.” Shen Yueshan’s thick, calloused hand patted Shen Xihe’s head. “Father doesn’t want to have no children at all.”

Having only Youyou as a daughter – these words came from his heart. He had said this not just to Shen Xihe, but also to Shen Yun’an. Shen Yun’an, who lost his mother at a young age, had grown to hate even him. Suppose it weren’t for Youyou taking up much of Shen Yun’an’s attention back then, making him realize that his sister needed his protection. In that case, Shen Yun’an might have risked his life sneaking into the capital to kill Madam Xiao and Shen Yingruo.

His repeated assurances and over a decade of actions finally dissolved Shen Yun’an’s estrangement.

After losing his wife, all court summons were handled by Shen Yun’an. Only once, when specifically requested, did he come to the capital. When he rushed back, he found his son with reddened eyes, ready to disown him as a father at any moment.

His son strictly forbade him from coming to the capital, guarding against any possibility that he might develop sympathy for Shen Yingruo. His son’s resolute stance only softened this time.

It must have been something Shen Xihe said to Shen Yun’an that allowed him to let go of this grudge, or perhaps it was because Madam Xiao had passed away. Otherwise, his son would never have allowed him to attend his daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony.

“My brother and I caused Father much trouble when we were young,” Shen Xihe gently rested her head on Shen Yueshan’s broad shoulder.

In their youth, they didn’t understand things, didn’t comprehend the bigger picture, and didn’t know Shen Yueshan’s hardships. Over these years, he had been both father and mother to them, raising the siblings to adulthood, never taking another woman as a companion, focusing all his attention on the Northwest and his children.

Shen Xihe turned her head, looking at his still-black hair, thinking about how he had lost his wife in his youth and remained alone into middle age: “Father, Brother is of marriageable age now, and I’m to be married too. Why don’t you find someone to keep you company and care for you?”

Looking down at his daughter’s clear, concerned gaze, Shen Yueshan smiled: “Women are delicate and troublesome…”

Noticing his daughter’s gaze growing cold, Shen Yueshan quickly corrected himself: “Other women are delicate and troublesome. I wouldn’t make a good husband, better not to ruin some good family’s daughter.”

Speaking of this, Shen Yueshan thought of his son’s situation: “In previous years when I urged your brother to marry, he was stubborn as an ox and never agreed. This time after returning from the capital, when I mentioned it again, he seemed to have softened. Did he perhaps take a fancy to some lady in the capital?”

Shen Xihe was slightly startled, with Xue Jinqiao’s image flashing through her mind, and found it somewhat amusing: “It won’t work out.”

“Oh?” Shen Yueshan immediately caught the underlying meaning. “Why not? Tell Father about it.”

Shen Xihe then detailed the matter of Xue Jinqiao to Shen Yueshan, concluding: “Brother barely exchanged words with Qiaoqiao in the capital. Qiaoqiao just wanted to stick close to me and only developed feelings for Brother after seeing him. How can we form a marriage alliance so casually?”

After listening, Shen Yueshan’s first reaction was: “Could this Miss Xue Seven be a man in disguise?”

Shen Xihe: …

“Father, how could you think that? Qiaoqiao has legitimate brothers, why would a noble family’s daughter need to disguise herself as a man?”

Shen Yueshan: “Then why does she cling to you?”

“She seems to like the fragrance on my body.” Shen Xihe had investigated this herself, as she never believed someone would persistently pursue another person without purpose after just one meeting. “She’s usually just somewhat coquettish, no different from others, but she can’t handle stimulation. Once stimulated, she becomes difficult to control. The fragrance I blend helps her stay clear-headed.

To verify my theory, I specially blended a fragrance for her using the same mind-clearing herbs as in my fragrance, just changing some of the floral notes. Though the scent is completely different, the effect is similar, and after using it, she indeed gained more self-control.”

Just like when Princess Changling tried to harm her, Xue Jinqiao was nearby. If she couldn’t control herself, Xue Jinqiao wouldn’t have just whipped the Princess’s horse but would have whipped the Princess herself. One could tell her ruthlessness from how she dealt with Miss Yuan.

Shen Yueshan pondered: “Another day, invite Miss Xue Seven to the mansion. Let Father meet her.”

Shen Xihe looked at Shen Yueshan wordlessly – Brother was being silly, and now Father was joining in the excitement.

“When your brother was just a few years old, he would hold you, this little ball of flesh, in his palm. Every morning, he had to see you safe and sound before he could focus on practicing martial arts.” Shen Yueshan said gently. “He’s delayed marriage because he feared his wife might not treat you well, or wouldn’t allow him to care for you as he always has. The fault lies with him. Now that he’s changed, he has no right to demand that another family’s cherished daughter marry into our family and accommodate you. That’s why he’s been putting it off.

If this Miss Xue Seven can move his heart, it’s partly because she likes you and would treat you even better in the future; more importantly, he truly finds Miss Xue Seven worthy of special regard. Though he considers you when taking a wife, he won’t marry solely for your sake.”

Only then did Shen Xihe realize she had been shortsighted. So Brother did have some thoughts about this, and she smiled: “No need for me to invite her, she’ll come on her own.”

Would Xue Jinqiao come? Of course, she would. She just loved being with Shen Xihe, and although she heard Shen Yueshan had arrived and felt somewhat timid, after holding back for two days she still couldn’t resist secretly coming to the Princess’s mansion.

“Sister, Great-granduncle says you’re to marry into the Eastern Palace, is it true?” Xue Jinqiao asked softly.

“Yes.” Shen Xihe nodded.

Xue Jinqiao pouted, somewhat unhappy: “I’ll become a palace lady!”

Shen Xihe: …

A palace lady was still a servant – was she trying to anger the Xue family to death?

“That won’t do, you’re a lady of the Xue family, how could you become a palace lady?” Shen Xihe earnestly advised, “Don’t be foolish.”

“They say once you enter the Eastern Palace, I won’t be able to visit you daily. I want to be with you every day, but I can’t marry into the Eastern Palace too. I don’t want to steal your husband anyway.” Though Xue Jinqiao was extremely persistent in some aspects, she wasn’t stupid.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to marry my brother?” Shen Xihe suddenly asked.

“I don’t want to anymore. Your brother is in the Northwest, if I marry him I’d have to go to the Northwest.” Xue Jinqiao hadn’t thought of this before, but now that Shen Yun’an had left, she suddenly realized she didn’t want to go to the Northwest.

“But if you marry my brother, we’d be family.” Shen Xihe felt somewhat contemptuous of herself, feeling like she was using Xue Jinqiao’s attachment to her to trick her into becoming her sister-in-law, like a human trafficker. “Then you could help me take care of my brother, and I wouldn’t worry about him. After a few years, you could return to the capital, and we could see each other often.”