Er Dan came scampering over to Yan Qing’s side, with Jianguo quickly following behind.

The meat in Shi Ting’s hand went completely ignored.

He stood up and strode over with his long legs, studying Yan Qing’s expression. He curved his lips into a smile. “Is my lady jealous again?”

Yan Qing bent down to pet Er Dan’s head, took the beef from Shi Ting’s hand, and fed it to the dog, paying no attention to a certain someone.

“Did those women give you attitude?” Shi Ting thought for a moment. “Or did they say something that upset you?”

“Miss Yin wants to thank you in person.” Yan Qing shoved what she was holding into his arms. “Shouldn’t you spruce yourself up a bit? You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself.”

Seeing her heading inside, Shi Ting quickly grabbed her from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head and gently nuzzling it. His voice carried a hint of unmistakable delight. “When Qing Qing is jealous, she’s truly beautiful.”

Yan Qing pinched his waist, but ended up grabbing solid muscle instead. He barely even noticed.

She felt a wave of frustration. “Let me go.”

“No.” Shi Ting tightened his arms, his laughter drifting across the top of her head.

Yan Qing finally broke into a smile. “When did Director Shi become such a shameless pest?”

“I always have been. You just never noticed.”

“Let go. I want some water.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Yan Qing softened her tone. “Being around people I dislike kills my appetite for even tea.”

Shi Ting thought for a moment, then suddenly bent down and scooped her up into his arms. The motion drew a startled cry from Yan Qing, and she instinctively threw her arms around his neck, scolding him. “What are you doing?”

“I’m carrying you to get water.”

“I have legs. I can walk myself.”

“With me here, you don’t need to walk.” He carried her in long, quick strides into the room, completely ignoring the small fists she was drumming against his chest.

After setting Yan Qing down in a chair, Shi Ting gently pressed her shoulder and said softly, “I’ll pour you some tea.”

He picked up the freshly brewed teapot from the table, selected the teacup she always used, and poured with practiced ease.

Shi Ting slid the cup in front of Yan Qing and said with a perfectly straight face, “Your tea, my lady.”

Seeing his look of utter devotion, Yan Qing couldn’t help but laugh. “You haven’t done anything wrong, so why are you pouring tea and fawning over me?”

“Whenever Qing Qing is unhappy, it’s my fault.” Shi Ting said, “As long as you’re happy, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Yan Qing cradled the teacup, her eyes curving into a smile. “When did saving someone become a fault? I just don’t like the look of that Yin Minghui.”

“What did she say to you?”

Yan Qing recounted everything that had happened, then let out a quiet sigh. “This Yin Minghui must have stayed on purpose. You saved her, and now she’s fallen for you. Stories of heroes rescuing beauties usually end with the beauty falling for the hero — especially when the hero is you.”

Shi Ting reached across the table and closed his hand around her wrist as she held the teacup, his expression resolute. “You know that besides you, there is no one else in my eyes. I cannot see anyone else.”

“I know. But others may not know that. Yin Minghui has likely harbored feelings she shouldn’t.” Yan Qing pursed her lips. “And Madam Qian keeps fawning over the Old Madam — she has her own agenda too. Do you remember the family banquet some time ago, when the Old Madam suddenly brought up the matter of heirs?”

“Didn’t I already explain things to her at the time?”

Yan Qing shook her head. “The Old Madam is probably still half-convinced. She thinks the problem isn’t with you, but with me — that you were covering for me. She likely believes you’re deflecting to protect me.”

Shi Ting frowned. He had never liked the tangled undercurrents of the inner household. Most of the time, he let Yan Qing handle things freely, only stepping in when she needed him.

“If the Old Madam believes there’s nothing wrong with you and the problem lies with me, then for the sake of the Shi family’s heirs, she’ll likely try to bring in a concubine for you.”

Shi Ting’s expression turned cold. “If she wants to push someone into my quarters, she’ll have to ask whether I agree first.”

Yan Qing shook her head. “What if the Old Madam insists on giving you Yin Minghui? The connection between Yin Minghui and the Qian family goes without saying. Qian Lan would naturally welcome her niece marrying in. With both the Old Madam and Qian Lan working on the Marshal together, do you think he’d refuse? Yin Minghui isn’t like Yang Liu or Yang Zhi.”

“You think this is Qian Lan’s doing?”

“Qian Lan is meticulous — she leaves no trace. Everything I have against her right now is still just speculation. I don’t know what her true goal is, but San Yitai poses no real threat to her anymore. It was only a matter of time before she extended her reach toward us.”

Shi Ting furrowed his brow. “If it were only about competing for favor, her target should be San Yitai. Mother lost the Marshal’s affection years ago and long since stopped paying him any attention. So why would Qian Lan stir up this pond again?”

“What if she wants the Shi family in constant turmoil? Or rather, what if her ultimate target is you and me?”

Shi Ting thought for a moment. “She wants to bring in a concubine to drive a wedge between us, then separate us and take us down one by one.”

The two exchanged a glance, their thoughts arriving at the same conclusion.

Yan Qing slowly set down her teacup. “There may be someone working behind the scenes who wants to play a grand game of chess — and right now, both of us are pieces on that board.”

But they were not pieces that anyone could easily manipulate. Who would win and who would lose in this game of chess was still anyone’s guess.

Shi Ting’s knuckles tapped lightly against the tabletop, his eyes deep and bright. “There’s one thing I find strange. Qian Lan is a woman — how did she orchestrate all of this? If everything she’s done inside the Shi Mansion was achieved through her people, then how did she go from being Ling’er to becoming Qian Lan before she ever married in, erasing every trace of her past identity? If the Qian family was behind that, then it would be unnecessary — after all, this daughter wasn’t even acknowledged by them until twenty years later. There was no reason for them to wipe out her former history.”

“Someone other than the Qian family was stirring things along?”

Shi Ting nodded. “Qian Lan went after San Yitai, and then came after us. And yet there is one person she has never crossed paths with at all — not just no conflict, it almost seems as though she’s been deliberately keeping her distance.”

Yan Qing’s eyes lit up. “Shi Guang?”

Shi Ting said, “I’ve encountered Qian Lan a number of times, but aside from sharing a table with her at family banquets, I’ve almost never seen him appear alongside her at any occasion. Yes, due to the matter of propriety around age, we as sons should avoid excessive contact with this new wife of Father’s — but certain appearances still need to be maintained. To avoid her entirely and never be seen together at all — isn’t that the behavior of someone with a guilty conscience?”

“After the Meng family fell, Shi Guang didn’t just lose his greatest backing — he also lost the Marshal’s trust. Rebuilding that trust won’t happen overnight.” Shi Ting refilled Yan Qing’s cup and continued, “Shi Guang could certainly demonstrate results in the short term to show his loyalty to the Marshal, but that’s like trying to quench a nearby thirst with distant water — he can’t guarantee it will restore the Marshal’s trust, especially when time is running out. In his current situation, the only path is to find another way.”

“Your suspicion isn’t without reason. But there’s one thing I can’t figure out — if Qian Lan really is working with Shi Guang, what has Shi Guang promised her in exchange? Money and wealth, the Qian family lacks for nothing. Status and glory — as the Marshal’s wife, she already has those things at her fingertips.”

What Yan Qing couldn’t understand was the same thing Shi Ting had never been able to answer. To know Qian Lan’s true motive, they would have to unravel the mystery of her origins.

Yan Qing set down her teacup and propped her chin on one hand. “If both the Marshal and the Old Madam insist on you marrying Yin Minghui, what would you do?”

Defying the Marshal openly at this moment would clearly be unwise. The Marshal prized absolute obedience from his sons. If Shi Ting were to refuse to his face, and Qian Lan were to whisper in his ear afterward, the wall of trust Shi Ting had carefully built with his father could crumble in an instant.

“I actually have an idea.” Yan Qing blinked her beautiful eyes and leaned in close to Shi Ting’s ear, whispering for a while.

Shi Ting’s brow remained furrowed throughout. He clearly was not in favor of Yan Qing’s suggestion.

Yan Qing shook his arm. “Don’t you think it’s a good idea?”

“It would put you through too much.” Shi Ting looked at her delicate face. “You know I won’t let you suffer.”

Yan Qing smiled. “Life is a stage, and performance is everything. Whether I suffer or not, I know best in my own heart.”

Her palm rested gently over his heart. “What you carry in here, no one knows better than I do. And besides, this is just a temporary measure. As long as you and I know it’s all an act, how could I possibly feel wronged?”

Yan Qing continued, resting her head against his chest. “I know you would never marry Yin Minghui. But I care even more about not letting everything you’ve worked so hard for over all these years go up in flames. Right now, this plan — though a gamble — is the only option we have, isn’t it?”

“Let me think it over a bit more.” Shi Ting held her close and let out a quiet sigh. “Let me think.”

“Even you couldn’t come up with something better, could you?” Yan Qing tilted her head up and pressed a kiss to his chin. “Two birds with one stone — why wouldn’t we?”

Seeing that Shi Ting remained unmoved, she shook his arm again. “It’s just an act. It’s not real. We both know where the line is.”

“I’ll sleep on it and give you my answer when I wake up.”

Yan Qing let out a sound of exasperation. “The great and renowned Director Shi — when did he become so wishy-washy?”

Shi Ting walked straight toward the bed as if he hadn’t heard a word.

“You’re really going to sleep this early?”

Yan Qing hurried after him, and the moment she reached the bedside, a pair of long arms swept her up. She let out a yelp and found herself sprawled across his chest.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Yan Qing poked his face.

“Perhaps words aren’t enough to convince me.” Shi Ting winked at her. “Maybe this will work. Let’s see what my lady can do.”

Yan Qing was torn between laughter and helplessness. She hadn’t expected him to be waiting for her like this.

“Then dear husband had better not regret it.” Yan Qing murmured, and her soft lips gently found his…