When coming to Yedu, Sui Jinyu had been repeatedly hinted at and reminded by the attendants around him. Thinking back on the past two hundred years, he knew in his heart that even if he truly found Nineteenth, this trip wouldn’t go so smoothly. Yet, facing this current situation, this single phrase, “please excuse me,” still came completely unexpectedly, catching him utterly off guard.

The attendant beside Sui Jinyu was someone who had experienced the marketplace and seen all kinds of worldly affairs. To put it nicely, he was extremely tactful.

At this moment, seeing Sui Jinyu tighten his grip on the tea cup, he immediately bowed and hurried to say: “Young Master, please don’t get angry.”

“I’m not angry.” Sui Jinyu interrupted him, sitting down on a chair to the side.

His gaze was fixed tightly on the direction of Yedu’s sun and moon wheel outside the window. After a long while, his shoulders on both sides seemed to release some burden that had been weighing on his mind, gradually sinking bit by bit. His entire person relaxed, all his weight settling into the soft silk cushions of the wide chair.

Not being angry was one thing, but to say he wasn’t disappointed at all would be a lie.

“He’s grown so big.” The elegant room still carried the unique aura of the Tian’ao clan. Sui Jinyu extended his fingertip to tap the edge of the teacup. After a muffled sound, he pressed his tongue against his teeth and said: “Standing up, he’s even a bit taller than me.”

The Sui family’s emotions were all quite distinctive. When they were truly speaking seriously, you couldn’t see anything on their faces, but these actions of looking here and there, tapping this and that, glancing left and right – they simply couldn’t stop.

The attendant had been by Sui Jinyu’s side for quite some time. At this moment, he looked carefully, combined with his unnaturally upturned mouth corners, and immediately understood. He said: “Young Master, think about it – the Young Master has been outside for so many years, always thinking he was abandoned by his parents, having no relatives. Later, he experienced many hardships and setbacks, was even framed and put on the Judgment Platform. That he could survive is already extremely fortunate. Suddenly knowing he has an elder brother, it’s perfectly reasonable that he can’t warm up immediately.”

“You’ve been saying this from the demon capital until now.” Sui Jinyu gave him a light glance. After a while, he picked up the tea cup in front of him, took a few sips, and said: “When Xue Yu of Yedu extended a helping hand to him in his desperate situation, and showed him the grace of recognition, it’s perfectly normal that she weighs more in his heart than I do.”

“Then what is Young Master worried about?”

Sui Jinyu’s movements paused: “I remembered what Jiu Feng said before coming.”

This younger brother might truly never come back.

But such thoughts only flashed for an instant, not staying long in his mind before being overwhelmed by the joy and excitement of brothers meeting.

Sui Jinyu drank the tea until only a layer of dregs remained at the bottom. After a while, he took out a stack of spirit talismans from his spirit ring, arranging them one by one. His demonic power flowed into them simultaneously, and more than ten talisman papers trembled in mid-air, lighting up with spiritual radiance one after another.

“Elder brother?”

“Where are you? Speak up.”

“Brother Jinyu, I’m visiting the Que family. What’s wrong?”

“…”

As the talisman papers lit up one by one, voices from the other side came through in a jumbled chorus. The next moment, they heard each other’s voices.

After a moment of silence, a lazy, hoarse voice said: “Sui Jinyu, you aren’t afraid of getting beaten.”

“Brother Jinyu, you’re doing this again!” A woman on the other side also reacted, quite dissatisfied as she complained: “Every time something happens, you’re too lazy to notify us one by one, so you pull this stunt. When everyone talks at once, you can’t hear anything.”

“Dragging us in is one thing, but you even dare to wake up Sixth Uncle.” A young man said gleefully, then called out across the distance: “Sixth Uncle, didn’t sleep well?”

“Stop talking nonsense.” The man called Sixth Uncle didn’t sound much older than them, so he could mix with Sui Jinyu and these brothers and sisters year-round. At this moment, he showed the impatience of being disturbed: “Sui Jinyu, gone mute, have you?”

Sui Jinyu looked at the eighteen spirit talismans arranged in a neat row, tapping behind them with his finger. Thinking that perhaps before long, these eighteen could become nineteen, his eyebrows couldn’t help but rise high as he said: “Is everyone here?”

“No, Sui Yao and the others went into seclusion, wanting to consolidate their cultivation before the Three Lands Grand Assembly, to make a push for the Three Lands Prodigy Ranking this time.” The one who called him Brother Jinyu was a girl with a sweet personality and voice: “Sixth Uncle, Brother Jinyu, I bought some calming sachets at the Que clan. When I return, I’ll put them in your rooms.”

During this period, because of Nineteenth’s matter, the entire family had been shrouded in a layer of gloom. Several who knew Nineteenth’s true identity had fallen into a state of both heartache and anxiety.

They had no energy for anything and couldn’t rest well at all.

Hearing this, Sui Jinyu turned the handle of the cooled tea cup and deliberately cleared his throat: “Thirteenth is thoughtful. I have something to tell you all.”

“Good news.”

“Please don’t.” The young man who had greeted Sixth Uncle earlier immediately responded: “I don’t know how many times I’ve heard your good news, and not once was it truly good. I don’t believe it.”

If it were any other time, when the eldest brother among the siblings was questioned like this, Sui Jinyu might dangerously narrow his eyes and threaten with a cold smile. But having just seen Su You, with that complex feeling churning and rolling up in his heart, he simply smiled off such harmless minor provocations: “Believe it or don’t.”

He calmly dropped an explosive bombshell on everyone: “Nineteenth has been found.”

“Alive, and living well.”

Instantly, those dozen or so spirit talismans seemed frozen. The bad-tempered Sixth Uncle was the first to speak, his voice no longer hoarse: “Oh. I’m still not fully awake.”

After saying this, he cut off the spirit talisman. This action seemed to influence many others, as spirit talismans were cut off one after another. Those that weren’t cut off were personally extinguished by Sui Jinyu one by one.

After doing all this, Sui Jinyu lay back in his chair with his eyes closed to rest. Before long, spirit talismans began jumping out one after another, competing with each other. Sui Jinyu looked on leisurely, ignoring them all. Only at the end did he move his finger and touch the one with the brightest glow.

“Sixth Uncle.” He called out.

“Where is he?” Sui Yu realized this time that he wasn’t dreaming. He was brief and to the point: “I’m coming to find you.”

“At the entrance of Yedu, Chenyu Pavilion branch, but you don’t know the way – go find Jiu Feng, come with Chen Longzhi.”

Sui Yu got the answer he wanted and said nothing more, snapping off the spirit talisman with a click.

Sui Jinyu ignored all the other spirit talismans. He lazily propped his head with his elbow, and after a while, beckoned to his attendant with his finger: “Take out that thing, let me look again.”

The attendant then took out that personal dossier he had looked at least ten times on the way to Yedu, placing it in front of Sui Jinyu.

As Sui Jinyu read, he came to a certain line and couldn’t help but curve his lips. The attendant cooperatively leaned his head over, only to see him lean close to the dossier, his finger pointing at a line of text as he clicked his tongue: “Ten years since starting patrol duty, barely a month in the Commander position before being promoted to Young Master.”

That tone.

In all his years serving by his side, the attendant had never heard him speak with such pride, satisfaction, and admiration.

The attendant immediately said: “Truly worthy of being the Young Master, naturally gifted with exceptional bearing.”

Having heard what he wanted to hear, Sui Jinyu finally stood up, satisfied: “Go, tell Chen Longzhi that the third floor is reserved by the Sui family from today. If they need to receive guests, send them elsewhere.”

“You go formally present a visiting card to Yedu, informing Xue Yu that Sui Jinyu of the Sui family requests an audience.”

From Chenyu Pavilion to Yedu’s inner palace, Su You walked with furrowed brows the entire way, causing Chao Nian’s heart to flutter with worry, unable to help glancing at him several times.

In the eyes of the Palace Guard Division, he had always been extremely demanding when working, ruthless toward both others and himself, but when he stepped out of that door in normal times, he would speak when he should speak and smile when he should smile – someone who could be called gentle.

Especially those eyes of his, which smiled more often than not, often giving people a lazy and casual impression. Not like now, with his eyes heavy and oppressive, his jaw tightly set, his emotions terrible at first glance.

Even someone like Chao Nian, whose nerves were abnormally thick and who was used to speaking without restraint, felt a moment of apprehension after looking a few more times.

To the entrance of the inner palace, the doors were wide open, and the female attendants guarding the door silently raised their sleeves in salute, as if specifically waiting for them to arrive.

Inside, Chao Hua and Chou Li and others had arrived earlier, their voices drifting out sentence by sentence, carried precisely to Su You’s ears by the wind.

He stepped across the threshold, his gaze sweeping over the standing figures. Inside the hall, besides people from the Palace Guard Division and the Imperial Guard Division, there were also three or four ministers with graying temples, wearing the robes of the Ministry of Rites, each standing with their necks stiff, quite the posture of preferring to break rather than bend, ready to offer immediate remonstrance unto death.

Xue Yu sat in the upper position, her eyes showing no particular emotion, only flickering imperceptibly the moment Su You entered.

As soon as he appeared, he stood at the forefront of all the ministers, his deep purple official robes commanding attention above all others. Looking up, he could directly face the imperial dignity.

Chao Hua stepped forward and bowed: “My minister’s meaning is that this trap set by the Human Emperor can be entered. The Human Emperor is seriously ill and his life hangs by a thread. Jiu Feng from the demon capital and other Sacred Lands that have heard the news have already sent people over. Since he has deep connections with Yedu and specifically named Your Highness to go, we might as well use this trap as a trap to get the answers we want from his mouth.”

She frowned, looking toward Xue Yu: “Qiu Tong’s health has never been good. How much longer he can hold on is unknown. If we miss this opportunity, uncovering the mysteries of the past won’t be easy.”

After hearing this, Xue Yu didn’t immediately agree, but asked: “What does Jiu Feng say?”

“Furious beyond measure.”

Forcing the Human Emperor to abdicate and his dying of illness on his own were completely different matters. With the dead settling all past grudges, this way, all of Jiu Feng’s previous arrangements were completely wasted – the injuries suffered, the money spent, including the borrowed Tiger Flood Pearl, all equivalent to throwing them in water without even seeing a splash.

Just thinking about it, one could imagine what chaos the demon capital must be in now.

Xue Yu indeed wanted to go. She knew that Qiu Tong wanted to see her one last time before dying, probably meant no good, but this person harbored too many mysteries. Without going to see for herself, she couldn’t put her mind at ease.

Another Deputy Commander of the Palace Guard Division who had recently been promoted stepped forward: “In this minister’s opinion, there must be a conspiracy in this. Perhaps the Human Emperor wants to pin his death on Your Highness or Jiu Feng, so that he can settle the score and write off past grievances.”

“Qiu Tong isn’t that stupid.” Xue Yu shook her head: “When death is imminent, doing this would serve no purpose.”

She also couldn’t possibly be foolish enough to jump into his trap.

She was more inclined to believe that Qiu Tong wanted to use the deal he had made with Xue Rong to exchange for a condition with her.

Perhaps this wasn’t even the real purpose. In Xue Yu’s imagination, he couldn’t possibly die so easily – there must be something else.

But what else could it be?

Xue Yu frowned. Seeing that Chou Li was also standing with Chao Hua and saying similar things, she said: “Make arrangements, I—”

As if knowing what she was about to say next, those three or four old ministers immediately became agitated as if stimulated, with the leader bowing and repeatedly interrupting her: “Your Highness, please reconsider!”

“Please reconsider, Your Highness.”

With one taking the lead, the rest followed like they had found their backbone, all speaking in unison. The first one glanced maliciously at Chao Hua and the others, then turned to Xue Yu with a stern face: “Your Highness, the investiture ceremony for Crown Princess is only ten days away. There are many things to be done during this time. The robes must be tried on repeatedly before tailoring. Besides this, the ceremonial crown, ornaments, and the entire ceremony process all require Your Highness to walk through personally.”

“The Crown Princess investiture ceremony – anyone of renown from the three lands will come bearing gifts. This is a matter of utmost importance that cannot fail. Ten days is too tight. If something goes wrong in the middle and Your Highness can’t return in time—”

The rest of his words were barely swallowed back by the old minister, but looking at that wrinkled face, Xue Yu could still accurately discern the unspoken line.

—If she couldn’t return in time, then Yedu’s reputation would be ruined.

Those old ministers couldn’t tolerate such a thing. Just thinking about it made them feel suffocated. Soon, their fire was directed at Chao Hua and Chou Li from the Palace Guard Division: “The Palace Guard Division is unmatched in sharing Your Highness’s burdens. In this matter, why don’t the two Commanders go themselves?”

This kind of talk was an essential part of court proceedings. They were used to saying it and felt nothing was wrong with it.

Chao Hua was immediately angered to laughter: “Baichong Mountain is stirring restlessly, and more demons and ghosts enter the private prison daily than the words you speak. How can you say such things? Why don’t you come help?”

This only told half the story. The matters at Baichong Mountain and the private prison were busy, but it wasn’t impossible to break away. It was just that the Human Emperor’s status was equivalent to the Yedu Ruler. It was acceptable for Xue Yu, as the future ruler, to make the trip. But if they went, it wouldn’t be negotiating – it would be receiving instructions.

One-sided instruction at that.

If they said the wrong thing, people might even spread rumors that they had angered the Human Emperor to death.

Without being someone like Jiu Feng or Xue Yu with proper status as principals, who would dare stick their neck out?

Those two old men stroked their beards and snorted coldly.

“Your Highness, this minister requests permission to go.” Su You, having listened for a long while, stepped forward when both sides were at an impasse.

His voice was light and shallow, yet it immediately silenced both unyielding sides.

Chao Hua frowned, while those from the Ministry of Rites breathed a sigh of relief.

Su You’s official rank in Yedu had reached the top, but when all was said and done, he mostly worked beside Xue Yu. The old ministers in court were all proud and arrogant. When truly provoked, they could stand in the Yedu Ruler’s study weeping and wailing. They had initially looked down on this young master who had surpassed everyone despite his young age.

Later, when Su You truly accomplished several perfect tasks, their attitudes changed somewhat, but because they normally kept to their own territories without much contact, they barely spoke to each other.

This was the first time they felt Su You’s voice was so pleasant and his appearance so agreeable.

Xue Yu looked toward Su You.

After a long moment, she moved her lips and said: “Let’s proceed this way for now.”

“Everyone withdraw. Su You remains.”

After everyone bowed and filed out, Xue Yu rose from the main seat. Today she wore a snow-white long dress, its color clean and pure. Only the hem had a circle of floral trim, with gold and silver threads weaving together to outline petal after petal and leaf after leaf. When she moved, it was like a gentle, airy breeze approaching, with a golden flower blooming at just the right moment in that breeze.

“I originally hadn’t planned to let you go for this matter.” She stopped in front of Su You and spoke directly: “Qiu Tong is full of schemes and involves too many complications. Without going to see for myself, I can’t put my mind at ease.”

“Minister Huai spoke reasonably – with the investiture ceremony imminent, you truly can’t spare the time.” In the hall, discussing official business, Su You said: “I have my measure, will be cautious and careful above all. Don’t worry.”

Xue Yu nodded, looking him up and down. After a pause, she asked: “You’ve met Sui Jinyu?”

“I have.”

In front of her, Su You kept that oppressive gloom hidden deep and secretly. When his peach blossom eyes met hers, they contained layers of smiling intent. His finely carved features bloomed with captivating beauty in that instant: “We didn’t chat about much. He forced me to acknowledge the relationship.”

Xue Yu couldn’t help frowning: “What are your thoughts?”

She had seen Su You’s memories and knew he harbored hope and longing for familial care – something no one else could provide or replace.

Whether in terms of status or inner feelings, the Sui family acknowledging him would benefit him.

“My thoughts?” Su You reached out to pull her into the alcove of the side hall, using considerable force but calculating the angle to the minutest detail. She happened to fall into his chest, while his elbow swept the tea set and water from the table edge, creating a cascade of sounds that rose and fell around their ears.

He lowered his head and kissed the side of her lips: “What else could I think?”

“Ah Yu.” He said: “I long ago lost my family.”

“I only have you.”

These words, no matter how you heard them, were heartbreaking.

Xue Yu’s eyes flickered slightly, her gaze falling on his lips. Su You couldn’t help but lift his lips, even cooperatively lowering his body toward her, that posture seeming to say: Bite, go ahead and bite, bite me.

Xue Yu didn’t know how others behaved when they had just established a relationship, but being intimate with Su You – that feeling wasn’t as repulsive as she had imagined. Even when kissing, he always had ways to stir her desire, her gaze lingering and flowing over that face of his.

At times like this, those memorials and documents seemed to become things that could be pushed back a little.

Xue Yu stood on her toes to reach up, her lips then landing on his Adam’s apple. Immediately after, she clearly felt that distinctly angular Adam’s apple trembling up and down against her lips almost uncontrollably.

Su You felt he was drinking poison to quench his thirst.

But he couldn’t stop.

He held Xue Yu’s fingertips, as if trying to warm that cool temperature. After a while, his breathing calmed, and he murmured softly: “Why are you always so cold—”

Due to their recent intimacy, this tone sounded like some kind of tender love talk.

Xue Yu rested her chin on his shoulder, her delicate face covered with a thin layer of rosy glow. Even the tender skin at her neck had turned pink. She slowly fluttered her eyelashes, hummed in response, then said: “It’s snow.”

“Sacred Lands are related to seasonal rules, corresponding to spring, summer, autumn, and winter, mountains, rivers, sun, and moon. The Xue family has partial snow bloodline.”

Hers was particularly severe.

So her skin was always cool, cold, especially in winter. But Su You’s body burned hot, as if what flowed beneath his skin wasn’t blood but scorching magma.

Every time they were intimate, toward the end, Xue Yu always felt both tormented and comfortable.

Like melting under a blazing sun.

She rarely spoke of these things, always maintaining a bit of wariness in her heart.

When Su You was intimate with her, he would push boundaries and make demands, coaxing her to take initiative. But in other matters – like the title of Yedu’s Royal Consort, or whether she planned to share her favors equally like previous Yedu Rulers – he didn’t ask.

Afraid she had never thought about it, and afraid of not getting a satisfactory answer.

When she spoke of these things, Su You couldn’t help but embrace her waist, lifting her up slightly.

“When do you plan to leave?” Xue Yu straightened the hairpin on her head and asked.

“Qiu Tong is seriously ill. Delays might bring complications. I’ll leave shortly.”

“Just now, Sui Jinyu’s visiting card reached my hands.” Xue Yu withdrew from his embrace: “Before you leave, come with me to hear what he has to say.”

Thus the situation evolved into this scene.

This wasn’t Sui Jinyu’s first time meeting Xue Yu and Su You, but the main body and secondary body were different after all. Added to the fact that he hadn’t thought in that direction at all back then, their meeting was neither pleasant nor harmonious.

This also led to his current passive situation.

Sui Jinyu had never smiled so brilliantly in his life. He used almost all his lifetime’s enthusiasm and words of praise and gratitude. But as Xue Yu sat there watching his face, she looked away.

Though they were blood brothers, when Sui Jinyu wasn’t smiling, he still had the fine appearance of a distinguished gentleman. But when he smiled, he was worlds apart from Su You.

He even looked a bit foolish.

Noticing Xue Yu’s gaze, Su You silently gestured to Chao Nian waiting outside the door to wait a moment longer, then walked to her side under Sui Jinyu’s ardent gaze, saying softly: “My lady, the time has come. This minister must depart.”

“How long will it take?”

“Two round trips, handling court matters, and I might need to visit the Xu family as well. About a month in total.”

A month later, he would return just in time for the Three Lands Grand Assembly.

Hearing such an answer, even though Xue Yu didn’t show her emotions, she almost instinctively raised her eyebrows.

Previously, she had no concept of time, but only recently had she come to feel that a month was indeed quite long.

She would probably miss him quite a bit.

Xue Yu stared at him for several moments before moving her fingers, her red lips parting slightly: “Go then, be careful in everything.”

Su You paused, then naturally bent down to whisper: “Don’t be unhappy.”

“After I finish my business, I’ll return early, alright?”

This atmosphere.

Something seemed off.

Witnessing this scene, Sui Jinyu hesitantly tilted his head, swallowing back all the lengthy speeches he had prepared in advance.