Yan Yunning pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to retort. “Stay there and don’t move. I’m jumping down — give me a hand.”

Ye Chen twitched the corner of his mouth and reluctantly extended one arm. “Go ahead then.”

It wasn’t as if His Highness could be the one to steady her.

Yan Yunning had just moved to jump down from the wall when her arm was grabbed. Losing her balance, she instinctively threw her arms around him.

Xuan Yanyu pulled her down, his gaze drifting over her in an unhurried way. The two of them were very close.

The young woman’s cheeks were soft and rosy, her eyes blinking in a quick flutter, her cherry-pink lips parted slightly — for a moment, it was impossible to look away.

A faint, delicate fragrance drifted into his nostrils. Xuan Yanyu’s throat tightened, his throat bobbing up and down.

“What did you grab me for?” Yan Yunning pushed him away.

Xuan Yanyu cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you here to find Liu Sisi’s sister? Why all the dawdling?”

With that, he strode forward and pushed open the gate to the small courtyard.

Yan Yunning stamped her foot, her delicate face a picture of exasperation. “He grabs me, and when I ask about it, I’m the one dawdling?!”

Ye Chen rubbed his chin, looking her over. “So why would my Young Master grab you?”

“Why do you talk so much?” Yan Yunning rose onto her tiptoes, hands on her hips, glaring at him with indignation.

Ye Chen was momentarily speechless, quietly grinding his back teeth.

“Are you coming in or not.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice came low and steady.

“Big brother, who are you looking for?” The young girl appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen, her clothes still patched in places, though clean enough.

Yan Yunning tugged at Xuan Yanyu’s sleeve and lowered her voice. “Is this Liu Sisi’s sister?”

The man glanced at her and said nothing.

Yan Yunning let go of his sleeve. If Fafa hadn’t told her this part had fallen outside the scope of the plot — that the book hadn’t described it in such detail — she wouldn’t have needed to ask him at all!

“Zhuzhu, who is it?” A woman stepped out from inside the house, carrying a wooden basin in both hands.

“Mother, let me take that — you go and rest.” Zhuzhu took the basin, a sweet smile on her face.

Meng Jiang ruffled her hair and smiled. “Alright.”

Zhuzhu carried the basin and walked past them out of the courtyard.

Meng Jiang studied the three visitors before her — all of exceptional bearing — and asked gently, “You are…?”

Xuan Yanyu looked at Meng Jiang, his tone resolute. “Zhuzhu is not your biological child, is she.”

Yan Yunning stared at him in shock. She isn’t? He’s that direct? Couldn’t he be a little more tactful?

Fafa: 【He simply doesn’t want to waste time on trivial matters.】

Yan Yunning: 【……】

“Young Master must be joking. Zhuzhu is my own flesh and blood. If there is nothing else, I will have to ask you to please leave.” Meng Jiang kept her smile in place, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes carrying a gentle warmth.

“Meng Jiang — eight years ago, you suddenly brought home a child. Despite your husband’s objections, you insisted on raising her, and as a result your husband divorced you. Am I wrong?”

Meng Jiang stared at Xuan Yanyu. He wore deep black-violet robes, his long hair bound behind him, his features strikingly handsome. The jade pendant at his waist was of exceptional quality — a single glance told her it was worth a considerable sum.

Judging by his attire, those black-violet robes were made of superior fabric, the dark pattern understated yet exquisite, the craftsmanship refined. If a man of such distinguished status had come to take Zhuzhu from her, what could she do?

A wave of panic swept through Meng Jiang.

“Young Master, Zhuzhu is my daughter. You have the wrong person.” Meng Jiang’s eyes held a guarded wariness.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips into a gentle smile. “Madam, we have not come to take Zhuzhu away. We only wish to confirm something — please don’t worry.”

If Liu Sisi learned that her younger sister was still alive, perhaps she would spare Elder Sister Bai and Ali.

The tension in Meng Jiang’s expression eased slightly. After a long silence, she let out a quiet sigh. “Zhuzhu is indeed not my biological daughter. When I found her back then, she had fainted by the roadside. She looked so pitiful that I couldn’t harden my heart — I brought her home.”

“Madam, when you found her, was there anything on her person — her clothing — did she have…”

“Yes. Please wait a moment.” Meng Jiang turned and went back inside. Before long, she emerged with a neatly folded yet worn garment in one hand and a jade pendant in the other.

Yan Yunning took the jade pendant, her fingertips lightly touching its surface. Her voice was filled with barely contained excitement. “Zhuzhu.”

【Fafa, this really is Liu Sisi’s sister. I’ve seen a jade pendant of the same material on Liu Sisi — hers was engraved with the characters for ‘Sisi’.】

Fafa: 【My Lady……】

【Fafa, Elder Sister Bai has suffered so much. She lost her parents one after another, then married the wrong man. For years she was tormented by Liu Sisi in order to atone for her father’s wrongs. Her life should never have been spent living for her father’s sake.】 Yan Yunning tightened her grip around the jade pendant.

Fafa: 【My Lady, but Liu Sisi was not wrong either.】

【Liu Sisi is innocent. And Elder Sister Bai is also innocent.】 Yan Yunning sniffled.

Fafa: 【That is why I said, My Lady — this matter has no solution. From Liu Sisi’s perspective, taking revenge against the daughter of the man who caused the destruction of her entire family is justified. From Bai Yue’s perspective, she did nothing wrong, and yet Liu Sisi…】

Yan Yunning felt an inexplicable sadness wash over her. 【Fafa, I also wanted to see — whether I could change the ending the book had written for Elder Sister Bai. If her ending changed, then maybe mine could change too.】

Fafa: 【My Lady.】

It truly didn’t want to crush her hopes. But Bai Yue was already gone…

“Um, thank you — you should head back to the inn first. I’ll go find Elder Sister Bai on my own.” Yan Yunning clutched the clothing tightly to her chest.

Ye Chen’s mouth twitched sharply, and he said with unconcealed irritation, “‘Um, thank you’? You mean my Young Master.”

His Highness had arranged for the antidote on her behalf, and then investigated the whereabouts of Liu Sisi’s sister for her — all of that, and in return he gets an ‘um, thank you’?

At the very least she could call him ‘brother-in-law.’

Xuan Yanyu leaned against a tree trunk, slowly lifting his eyelids. His deep, dark eyes drifted over to her in an unhurried gaze.

Yan Yunning muttered under her breath, “Your Young Master was the one who said I’m not allowed to call him by name — so if I can’t call him ‘that guy,’ what am I supposed to call him?”

“You certainly can’t address my High— my Young Master by his given name.” Ye Chen gave a cold huff.

“Xuan Yanyu has already walked ahead — aren’t you going to follow?” Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow.

“You… how dare you be so bold.” Ye Chen stared at her, thoroughly vexed.

He was the future crown prince of the Kingdom of Xuanzhao — how dare she violate the taboo against calling His Highness by his given name?

Yan Yunning rolled her eyes and couldn’t be bothered to argue with him any further. Clutching the clothes to her chest, she turned and walked away.

Ye Chen drew in a sharp breath, fighting down the urge to reprimand her.

【Fafa, I just remembered — Xuan Yanyu’s surname is Xuan. My sister didn’t suspect anything. Isn’t he supposed to be from the Kingdom of Qi Lan?】 Yan Yunning swung the jade pendant idly in her hand.

Fafa: 【My Lady, the two kingdoms are on friendly terms right now. Citizens of Xuanzhao come to settle in Qi Lan, and citizens of Qi Lan go to settle in Xuanzhao. Who would ever think that Xuan Yanyu is the Crown Prince of Xuanzhao?】

Fafa: 【Though I must say, My Lady — the Qi Emperor is a touch too naive. He rolls out the warmest welcome for Xuanzhao’s citizens, yet when Qi Lan’s people go to Xuanzhao, Prince Xuan vets every single one of them before allowing them entry.】

【Is the Qi Emperor an idiot?】

Fafa: 【That is how the book set things up. Xuanzhao is the stronger kingdom — of course the Qi Emperor has to be warm and welcoming toward Xuanzhao’s citizens. He lives in fear of Prince Xuan finding an excuse to start a war.】

Yan Yunning’s eyes curved with amusement. 【Fafa, what if I told the Qi Emperor that Xuan Yanyu is Xuanzhao’s Crown Prince? The Qi Emperor arrests him, and then…】

Fafa cut her off: 【There is no ‘and then.’ Right now, Qi Lan’s military strength and grain reserves are far behind Xuanzhao’s. If the Qi Emperor arrests Xuan Yanyu, he would only be provoking Prince Xuan’s fury. Do you really think the Qi Emperor is foolish enough to do that?】

Fafa: 【At most he would use Xuan Yanyu as leverage to extort some concessions from Prince Xuan. He would never dare kill him — he would house and feed him like an honored guest. Now then, if Xuan Yanyu discovered that you were the one who exposed him, what do you think would become of you?】