He hadn’t even done anything yet, and she had already smoothed his temper away.

“Is that right, Crown Prince Brother~”

Yan Yunning laughed sweetly. It was a good thing she had appeased him first.

She always said she’d have him in the palm of her hand sooner or later!

“Yes.” The man’s voice was low and slightly rough.

Yan Yunning changed the subject. “Xuan Xixi, it’s late. I need to rest. You should head back soon.”

She had no desire to hear what punishment he had in mind.

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her, walked to the edge of the bed, shrugged off his outer robe, and spoke in his low, melodious voice, “This prince has no plans to leave tonight.”

“?” Yan Yunning watched the man lie down on the bed. His slender hand patted the space beside him, and her lashes gave a flutter.

“Come here.”

“……” Yan Yunning shuffled slowly over to the bedside. “I…”

“Be quiet.” The man lifted the brocade quilt, grabbed her arm, wrapped one large hand around her ankle, bent down to remove her shoes, and with practiced ease pulled the quilt over the two of them.

Yan Yunning: “……”

After lying there for a while, Yan Yunning rolled onto her side, propped up on the bed, and watched the man with his eyes closed. She was a little curious — it was barely dark; how could he fall asleep this quickly?

“Xuan Yanyu, stop sleeping. Get up and talk with me.” The young woman pinched his cheek.

Xuan Yanyu heard the familiar words and let out a silent sigh.

“Xuan Yanyu?” Yan Yunning squeezed his nose. “I’m a little thirsty. I’d like some water.”

The man opened his eyes and looked at her blankly. “Then go drink some.”

“You pour it.”

“……” Xuan Yanyu admitted defeat and climbed out of bed to pour her a cup of water, asking ahead of time, “Yan Yunning, are you hungry?”

“Not hungry. Didn’t we just finish dinner?”

“Fine.” The man took the cup from her hand with a half-smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, set it on the round table, and lay back down on the bed.

“Xuan Xixi.” Yan Yunning turned to nestle into his arms and asked with bright curiosity, “How many Imperial Sisters do you have?”

“Mm?” Xuan Yanyu curved his lips. “You won’t need to deal with them yourself. Don’t worry — if you meet them, they’ll pay their respects to you.”

Pay respects? Yan Yunning was startled. Weren’t princesses and the Crown Princess of equal standing?

Xuan Xixi’s standing in Xuanzhao truly was extraordinary.

“This prince also has an Imperial Elder Sister — you needn’t worry about her either. With this prince here, no one will give you trouble. The Emperor and Empress are also easy to get along with.”

Xuan Yanyu clasped her hand as it toyed with the jade thumb ring, and let out a soft laugh. “If the Emperor and Empress give you any trouble, this prince will go and speak to them.”

Yan Yunning squeezed his hand back and asked quietly, “You go speak to them? Won’t that just make them harder on me?”

A son who no longer does as he’s told — wouldn’t that become her responsibility?

The man leaned close to her ear, stretching out his words. “Give them a little imperial grandson, and the Emperor will put you on a pedestal. Yan Yunning — how about we, right now…”

“I’m sleepy.” The young woman shut her eyes in a panic.

“Foolish.” Xuan Yanyu knocked her lightly on the forehead with an amused laugh.

If he truly wanted to, what good would it do her to pretend to sleep?

She lay still with her eyes closed for a while, but couldn’t hold back and opened her mouth again. “Xuan Xixi, I’m a little hungry.”

“Yan Yunning?” The laughter in the man’s eyes froze for a split second. “This prince just asked you, and you said you weren’t hungry.”

“Oh, never mind then.” The young woman closed her eyes again.

Xuan Yanyu: “……”

“Xuan Xixi, talk with me a little longer — I can’t fall asleep.”

Xuan Yanyu turned over, his mind running endlessly over what he was supposed to do with her in the future.

“Hey??” Yan Yunning stretched out a finger and poked him in the back. “Xuan Xixi?”

“Be quiet.”

Yan Yunning: “……”

Fine. Tomorrow she would give him the cold shoulder even if he begged her!!

……

Mu Shiqing arrived very quickly — just two days later, he was at Yuanjing Manor. While he and Jiang Zhijing exchanged pleasantries, Yan Shiyao slipped away in a hurry to find A’Shi.

Troubled by guilt over what had happened to Xie Yan, Yan Shiyao was especially warm and attentive. When she spotted A’Shi crouching by the riverbank pulling up grass, she felt an even greater tenderness for her.

“A’Shi, get up quickly — Yaoyao Sister is taking you to find your brother.” Yan Shiyao’s smile was gentle and warm.

“Brother?” The girl’s eyes lit up with a brilliance that was startling. “Yaoyao Sister, you’re not lying to me?”

“I’m not.” Yan Shiyao took her hand and said softly, “A’Shi, your brother is Mu Shiqing, the Chief of Qingyu Village. You also have a sister-in-law. From now on, A’Shi will have family.”

A’Shi, overcome with excitement, grabbed Yan Shiyao’s hands and spun her around in circles. “Brother, Brother came for A’Shi!”

The girl’s lips turned upward, and tears brimmed in her eyes.

Yan Shiyao felt a pang at the sight.

As they spun, perhaps from a wave of dizziness, A’Shi’s body swayed backward — her grip on Yan Shiyao’s arm slipped loose, and she tumbled into the water.

Yan Shiyao’s head swam. She stood there stunned and frozen.

“Yan Shiyao, what have you done now?” Mu Shiqing glanced at the young manservant behind him. “Hurry and go save her.”

The manservant, hearing the order, rushed to the riverbank and plunged into the water to rescue her.

“I…” Yan Shiyao hung her head, not knowing how to explain herself.

“Big Brother Mu, I really don’t think it was my sister who…”

“Ningning, ever since what happened with the second one, she almost cost him his life. If it weren’t for Xuan Yanyu protecting her and injuring the brothers of Qingyu Village in the process, I would not have let her off.” Mu Shiqing grew angry just thinking about it.

“I’m sorry, Big Brother Mu.” Yan Shiyao bowed in apology.

Mu Shiqing shot her a cold look.

“Bro… Brother.” Xiao Shi, pulled from the water by the manservant, couldn’t stop coughing. With her eyes closed, she murmured the word “Brother” between bouts.

Mu Shiqing’s gaze settled on the unconscious Xiao Shi, and a thought briefly stilled him. Ningning had said it was because Xiao Shi described the clothes he usually wore that she had thought of him.

And yet he vaguely recalled that when his sister had left, she had been very, very small. She couldn’t possibly remember him — she might not even have known she had a brother at all.

Then what was going on with A’Shi? Looking carefully, A’Shi did bear a resemblance to him.

With A’Shi unconscious, any recognition would have to wait. Mu Shiqing seized the moment to press his case, intent on having Yan Shiyao sent to the county magistrate’s office.

In the main hall of Yuanjing Manor, the atmosphere was taut and heavy.

“Chief Mu, this prince has already said — this has nothing to do with Yan Shiyao.” Qi Qingchen said in irritation.

“Third Highness, this one witnessed it with his own eyes. If you obstruct me, I will go before His Majesty Emperor Qi himself and demand an answer.” Mu Shiqing showed not a trace of willingness to compromise.

Yan Shiyao clenched her handkerchief, feeling utterly aggrieved.

Qi Qingchen tightened his fist. Qingyu Village rendered service to the court and submitted silver each year — his father would not dismiss Mu Shiqing’s account out of hand, especially since Mu Shiqing had personally witnessed Yan Shiyao apparently “fling” A’Shi into the water.

“Big Brother Mu, I don’t think my sister…”

“Quiet.” Mu Shiqing’s voice rose.

Yan Yunning lowered her eyes. Sigh — from the day before yesterday until now, people kept telling her to be quiet…

“That’s not what I meant.” Mu Shiqing, seeing Yan Yunning’s low spirits, became flustered. “Ningning, I just don’t want to hear you plead her case. I’ll be quiet — your brother will be quiet. Don’t be upset.”

Yan Shiyao’s expression soured. She was standing right there — how could he say outright that he disliked her?

Instead of going to comfort his own sister-in-law, he was making his apologies to Ningning?

“Ningning?” Mu Shiqing closed his eyes briefly in frustration. With Ningning ignoring him, he felt inexplicably smothered and unsettled.