Xuan Yanyu: “……?”

Yan Yunning turned over, her back to Qiuci.

Qiuci looked as though she might burst into tears. “Second Miss.”

“Leave.” The man took Yan Yunning’s clothes from Qiuci’s hands.

Qiuci opened and closed her mouth, then pounded her cramped, numb legs, and made her way out of the chamber one reluctant step at a time, glancing back with every step.

Not far away, Ye Chen was leaning against a tree trunk. Spotting Qiuci’s expression of total collapse, he nudged Ye Jian beside him. “What’s wrong with her? Did His Highness give her a hard time?”

“Get lost.” Ye Jian replied irritably.

His Highness would never make things difficult for a little maidservant.

Ye Chen curled his lip.

Qiuci walked up to Ye Chen and Ye Jian, her eyes red-rimmed, glaring at them with undisguised resentment.

Ye Chen: “……?”

Ye Jian: “……??”

He hadn’t done anything to offend this little maidservant. She was probably glaring at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen took the straw he’d been chewing out of his mouth, brow furrowing. “What do you mean by that look?”

“When is Young Master Xuan going to marry our Miss?” Qiuci tightened her grip on the kerchief in her hand.

The way things stood, Miss was already together with Young Master Xuan. If things weren’t settled soon, if Young Master Xuan didn’t want her Miss in the end, Miss would never find a decent husband afterwards.

Noble families would all look down on her. Humbler households wouldn’t match Miss’s standing.

If things were settled early, she’d feel at ease.

Ye Chen scratched his head and looked at Ye Jian. “Can our master marry Second Miss Yan?”

Even if His Highness the Crown Prince was willing, with First Miss Yan in the picture — would the Xuan King agree?

Qiuci’s mind gave a loud thud. She trembled as she said, “You mean… Young Master Xuan never intends to… marry our Miss, does he?”

“It’s complicated. We don’t know what our master intends either.” Ye Chen said honestly.

“Then what do you… take our Miss for?” Qiuci’s legs went weak beneath her, and she nearly fainted on the spot.

Ye Jian rubbed his forehead. “Qiuci, don’t overthink it. Our master won’t wrong Second Miss Yan.”

Qiuci had just opened her mouth to speak when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Yan Shiyao lifting her skirts and rushing toward Xuan Yanyu’s chamber.

Ye Chen and Ye Jian’s expressions tightened. Before they could stop her, they watched helplessly as Yan Shiyao knocked on the door — and went in.

Inside the chamber, hearing the knock on the door accompanied by a cry of “Brother Yanyu,” Yan Yunning pulled the quilt up over her head.

“Brother Yanyu… you…” Yan Shiyao stared at the bed. There was very clearly someone underneath the quilt.

“Brother Yanyu, who is she? How could you… how could you do something like this?” Fury surged from the pit of Yan Shiyao’s stomach straight to her head.

Yan Yunning bit her lip. Under the quilt, the man’s hand found her face and pinched her cheek — she quietly twisted his hand back.

“Hiss……”

Yan Yunning swallowed, too frightened to move a muscle. He did that on purpose!!

Yan Shiyao’s heart gave a faint tremor. Her fingertip quivered as she pointed at the quilt. “Come out — tell her to come out.”

She simply would not allow it. She would not allow him, here in her Chancellor’s estate, to share a bed with another woman.

For no reason she could name, she simply felt wretched.

How could he share a bed with another woman?

As Ningning’s elder sister, she had every right to say something on her behalf. That was entirely appropriate.

“Tell her to come out.” Yan Shiyao bit down on her lip.

The man glanced at her. “Did you need something?”

“I… I… Brother Yanyu, I came because I wanted to tell you — A’Fu has been carried out of Mother’s courtyard looking deathly pale. I asked Mother about it, and she said she was tired and needed to rest. I just wanted to tell you.” Yan Shiyao’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“Mm. Noted. You can go now.”

Yan Shiyao’s body stiffened. “Brother Yanyu, you didn’t used to be like this.”

He never used to brush her off like this.

He used to sit with her at meals, walk with her through the streets outside the estate, and protect her life — so how had he changed?

Had she disappointed him by setting her heart on Elder Brother Qi and following after him?

Under the quilt, Yan Yunning’s ears perked up. She also wanted to know how Xuan Xixi used to treat her elder sister.

Outside the window, Ye Chen and Ye Jian exchanged a glance and quietly stepped back several paces.

“Is the First Miss jealous?” Ye Chen stroked his chin. “She doesn’t like our Highness — she just needs someone to make her feel something.”

His Highness, whether in looks, build, or ability, was far superior to Qi Qingchen. How did the First Miss ever end up taken with Qi Qingchen?

Ye Jian raised an eyebrow. “Not necessarily. She may simply be unable to bear His Highness suddenly growing distant from her — it doesn’t sit well with her.”

Though in that case, if Qi Qingchen broke her heart a few more times, there was a fair chance she’d truly come to like His Highness — and then they’d be able to return to Xuanzhao.

The trouble was, His Highness might not be willing to marry her anymore. If she had come to her senses earlier, she might well have been their Crown Princess of Xuanzhao by now. At this point, even if His Highness married her, it could only be as a secondary consort.

Letting His Highness slip through her fingers like that — she’d surely regret it someday.

……

After enduring until Yan Shiyao finally left the chamber in tears, Yan Yunning went back to her own room to wash and freshen up, then slipped over to A’Ci’s chamber with a plate of pastries, sneaking quietly along the way.

“A’Ci.” Yan Yunning had a pastry in her mouth as she pushed open the wooden door.

A’Ci sat with his head lowered, saying nothing.

“A’Ci. A’Ci. A’Ci.” Yan Yunning tilted her head and grinned, leaning in until she was right in front of his face.

A’Ci reached out and tucked the loose strand of hair that had slid down beside the girl’s face behind her ear. His voice was heavy. “You were with Xuan Yanyu last night, weren’t you?”

Last night he had been worried she might be frightened after what had happened during the day, and went to her chamber to check on her — he’d knocked for a long while with no answer. He went to find Xuan Yanyu, but Ye Jian blocked his path and told him she was with Xuan Yanyu.

Yan Yunning took another bite of pastry and nodded.

“You……” A’Ci snatched the pastry from her hand, jaw clenching. “You… you can’t be with him.”

“Why not?” Yan Yunning pressed her lips together.

A’Ci spun a lie. “Because… because you’ll die if you’re with him.”

How was he supposed to know the reason?

Anyway, the Young Master didn’t permit it.

Yan Yunning’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she grabbed his hands in both of hers. “A’Ci, can you read fortunes?”

It was spot on!

In the story, she really did get killed by Xuan Yanyu!

A’Ci nodded with a perfectly straight face. “I can.”

Yan Yunning seized the moment when he wasn’t paying attention and took the pastry back from his hand, popping it into her mouth, mumbling through her chewing. “A’Ci, you’re amazing — help me divine when I……”

When am I going to go home!!!

“Divine what else?” A’Ci used his sleeve to wipe the pastry crumbs from her face.

“Divine when you’ll have your wedding.” Yan Yunning raised her eyebrows and grinned.

A’Ci’s pupils froze. A flash of memory cut through his mind — Xuan Zhao Ran’s voice: ‘A’Ci, stop deliberating. You like this Princess.’

“A’Ci, you’ve spent quite a few days in the Xuan Wang Palace — have you ever……”

“No.” A’Ci cut her off abruptly.

Yan Yunning: “?”

A’Ci cleared his throat. “Now that you know you’ll die, keep your distance from Xuan Yanyu from now on.”

Yan Yunning picked up the teapot, poured herself a cup, and took a sip. “A’Ci, I came to find you because there’s something important I need to tell you.”

“Little Lemon, you? What important thing could you possibly have?” A’Ci smiled and added a little more tea to her cup.