These Jinding Xiehua crisp pears were originally tribute items. The batch being presented as tribute was still on the road—these in his hands were the very first portion in all of the capital.

“This is too precious. This humble woman cannot accept it.”

Song Wan shook her head slightly, her expression resolute.

“What’s precious about it? They’re just a few pears.”

“Miss Song has devoted effort and heart to strategizing for the Crown Prince. A few pears are well deserved.”

Shen Qianyu’s tone was lazy and unrestrained, as if these things were truly just ordinary items.

“Miss, please accept them. If you don’t, it would instead displease my master.”

Song Wan had no choice but to accept them.

After accepting, she had Heng Zhi bring over the six礼 gifts for becoming a disciple that Shen Qianyu had previously sent.

“I will accept these Jinding Xiehua crisp pears, but the Crown Prince’s disciple ceremony gifts and the formal petition to become a disciple—no matter what, this humble woman cannot accept them.”

Song Wan stood up and bowed to Shen Qianyu. “If the Crown Prince truly takes this humble woman as his teacher, in the future he will surely invite ridicule from all under heaven. And this humble woman will also find it difficult to escape the world’s verbal and written condemnation. I hope Eunuch will ask His Highness the Crown Prince to withdraw this petition.”

Seeing Song Wan speak so earnestly, Shen Qianyu stood up and agreed.

Shen Qianyu was much taller than Song Wan—Song Wan only came up to his chest. Now that the two stood close together, from his position looking down, he could just see her ear tips tinged with pink.

Wan Xiao’s words about meeting a sweetheart suddenly echoed in his ears. Shen Qianyu involuntarily took a step back.

“What the young lady has said, this humble one understands. I will definitely report it word for word to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Song Wan smiled softly, her eyes full of gentleness.

He didn’t know what had come over him today. Perhaps it was Wan Xiao’s nonsense that made him feel so uncomfortable interacting with Song Wan.

Slightly restraining his manner, Shen Qianyu sat back down.

“Actually, coming today, there’s also another matter I wish to request.”

Song Wan said softly, “Please speak, Eunuch.”

Her tone was gentle and calm. When speaking, she still carried a young lady’s unique tender softness. Shen Qianyu only felt that Song Wan’s tone today was especially gentle, making one feel drowsy and dizzy.

He coughed lightly and became even more proper in his demeanor. “The Crown Prince knows that the young lady and Consort Yun share affection like mother and daughter. I wonder if I might borrow an item from the young lady to use as an introduction?”

Song Wan nodded. “Of course.”

In the rear palace, the Crown Prince was ultimately not as convenient in his movements as the imperial consorts. Moreover, these years he should not have had the energy to plant people in the palace.

That he would now propose wanting to establish connections with her aunt was also within her expectations.

Song Wan got up and entered the house. Before long, she brought out a palm-sized box.

Placing it in front of Shen Qianyu, Song Wan said, “When Aunt sees this item, she will surely believe the Crown Prince’s people.”

Shen Qianyu opened it and saw that inside the box, on red velvet fabric, lay a flawlessly perfect pearl. This pearl faintly emitted a lustrous pink glow—one look was enough to know it was no ordinary item.

Pinching the pearl in his hand to examine it carefully, Shen Qianyu said, “This thing cannot be faked.”

Such perfect quality—there would be hard to find a second one like it in the world.

Song Wan nodded with a smile. “This is a relic from my mother. Wan’er has worn it close to her body since childhood. Aunt recognizes it—truly no one could fake it.”

Worn close to her body…

Shen Qianyu only felt that the two fingertips holding the pearl seemed to be burned, scalding him painfully.

His jaw tightened as he hurriedly and carefully placed the pearl back.

“This humble one… will definitely safeguard it properly.”

Song Wan nodded gently. “I trouble Eunuch with this.”

“The hour is already late. This humble one will take his leave first. This pearl will surely be returned intact in the future.”

“Eunuch can deliver it to Aunt.”

“Certainly, certainly.”

For some reason, Shen Qianyu suddenly became anxious to take his leave, his hurried appearance as if some great matter had occurred. Song Wan was somewhat puzzled and quickly arranged for Heng Zhi to see him off.

Seeing the guest leave, she returned to her room to take down her hair and remove her makeup, cleanse her face, and rest.

Shen Qianyu walked out of the residence still striding hurriedly. After returning to his own residence, his face was iron-blue as he looked at Wan Xiao.

“Master, what has… happened to you?”

Wan Xiao put down the wine bowl in his hand and stood up respectfully.

Although the two of them had escaped death together and supported each other for many years, Wan Xiao knew his own status and never overstepped boundaries.

Shen Qianyu glared at him and sat down.

“Pour wine.”

Wan Xiao smiled as he poured wine for him. Shen Qianyu drained it in one gulp, his expression solemn.

The pearl Song Wan had just given him still rested against his chest. Perhaps because of the strong liquor burning his throat, Shen Qianyu only felt a strange heat rising from his chest.

“What wine is this?”

“Bamboo Leaf Green.”

Shen Qianyu frowned without saying a word.

“Did His Highness encounter something at Miss Song’s residence?”

Shen Qianyu glanced at him but still didn’t speak.

Only after Wan Xiao had drunk all the wine in the pot alone did he slowly say, “Song Wan was very unusual today.”

Wan Xiao’s eyes instantly became sharp. “Has the Song family developed thoughts of betrayal?”

“No.”

Shen Qianyu’s brow furrowed tightly. “Today’s Song Wan…”

“How so?”

“Her expression and tone were both different from usual.”

The corners of Wan Xiao’s lips curved into a bloodthirsty smile. “Does she want to harm Master?”

“Not exactly.”

“Then what?”

Shen Qianyu’s expression was grave. “Between her eyes and brows today, there was nothing but gentle and gracious smiles.”

When he was a hostage in Nanqing, that Nanqing demoness would also occasionally reveal such seductive manner—mostly to lure him, to make him become a servant beneath her skirts.

Laughable that he had no regard for such ways. He would rather endure all that demoness’s tortures than draw closer to her by even a fraction.

Wan Xiao was startled upon hearing this. “Hasn’t the Song family’s legitimate daughter always been of such gentle and refined appearance?”

He had secretly seen her a few times and only felt that woman was soft and harmless. Most of the time her face carried a faint smile—very ordinary.

Shen Qianyu shook his head. “I didn’t pay attention to how she was in the past. I only feel today was very different.”

He lowered his eyes, his face expressionless. “I wonder if perhaps the Song family has developed thoughts of sending a daughter into the palace, so they’re using this method…”

“Master, this subordinate has something to say but doesn’t know if I should say it.”

“Speak.”

Wan Xiao narrowed his eyes and leaned back slightly, his gaze constantly sizing up Shen Qianyu.

After a moment, Wan Xiao said, “Doesn’t Miss Song still think you’re Ji Rong? As the Song family’s legitimate daughter, even if she’s fallen to become a cast-off wife of the Chengyang Marquis Manor, she wouldn’t set her sights on a palace eunuch, would she?”

Shen Qianyu’s expression paused. He suddenly stood up. “What do you understand?”

After saying this, he strode with a dark face toward his own courtyard.

Wan Xiao frowned, not knowing why the Crown Prince was so abnormal today.

While he was pondering, he saw Shen Qianyu return again with furrowed brow.

“Song Wan is not a cast-off wife of the Chengyang Marquis Manor. It was she who severed ties with Jiang Xingjian first.”

Wan Xiao was stunned. “Is there a difference?”

“What do you understand!”

Shen Qianyu said, “Although she didn’t accept my petition to become a disciple, I respect her learning.”

Wan Xiao only saw that after Shen Qianyu said this sentence, he hurriedly left without looking back.

“This person… wasn’t it you yourself who said Miss Song was abnormal today? How is it now that I’m the one who doesn’t understand?”

While the two of them bickered in the residence, they didn’t know that near Song Wan’s residence, a middle-aged woman had been secretly observing for quite some time. Seeing such a tall and imposing unfamiliar man arrive under cover of night and depart under cover of night, she nearly dropped her jaw in shock.

She pressed her lips in thought for a long time, then anxiously and hurriedly boarded a carriage and returned to the Chengyang Marquis Manor.