“Chief Mu, Yaoyao has been kind-hearted since she was a child. Xiao Shi falling into the water had nothing whatsoever to do with Yaoyao.” An’nian’s tone was sincere. She poured a cup of tea and set it in front of Mu Shiqing.

Mu Shiqing looked at her impatiently, his voice low and heavy. “She’s kind-hearted? Naively kind, you mean?”

Ever since the second one had come down from the mountain, he hadn’t returned to Qingyu Village a single time.

He always sent things through others.

He had originally planned to wait until A’Yu gave birth, then free up his hands to step into the matter between the second one and Nan Chu. The village had been busy these past years, and Nan Chu couldn’t come down the mountain either — nothing would go wrong.

But then things had ended up like this, all because of Yan Shiyao.

If Yan Shiyao had even a little bit of sense, shouldn’t she have stopped to wonder whether the medicine Wenjing gave her had a problem?

If Ningning hadn’t found a physician in time, the second one would be gone by now…

“Chief Mu.” An’nian pulled her hand back, her expression growing slightly cool. “Xiao Shi was someone I found and brought home. If it weren’t for me, who knows what might have become of her. Must you truly make things difficult for Yaoyao?”

“Third Highness, Manor Master, Madam — A’Shi has woken up.” A maidservant came in at a quick pace, curtsied, and reported.

Mu Shiqing let out a low hum, took Yan Yunning by the hand, and went to the guest room first.

An’nian took Yan Shiyao’s hand and followed.

……

Inside the guest room.

Xiao Shi was propped up against the headboard, looking at Mu Shiqing through tears and a smile. “You… are you my brother?”

Mu Shiqing’s eyes flickered. “Miss Xiao Shi, would you please extend your right hand and let this one take a look?”

Xiao Shi blinked and lifted her right hand for him to see.

Mu Shiqing saw the mole in the center of Xiao Shi’s right palm and was momentarily stunned. Was she truly his younger sister?

Yet he felt no particular sense of closeness toward her. That particular feeling he only had toward Ningning. But Xiao Shi did look somewhat like him, and the mole on the right palm matched as well — he had most likely mistaken Ningning for his sister all along.

Yan Yunning raised her own right hand and looked at it. What a coincidence.

The mole was in exactly the same place.

“It is your brother.” Mu Shiqing walked forward two steps.

“Brother.” Xiao Shi pouted and complained at once, aggrieved. “Brother, does Yaoyao Sister not like Xiao Shi anymore? She let go of Xiao Shi’s hand, and Xiao Shi fell into the water. It was so cold, so cold.”

Mu Shiqing wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “Brother will get you justice —”

“Xiao Shi, was it really me who let go of your hand?” Yan Shiyao cut in with a frown, cutting Mu Shiqing off. “Chief Mu, I did not let go of her.”

In that moment, it had clearly been Xiao Shi who let go of her.

“Miss Yan, your words carry absolutely no weight with me.” Mu Shiqing narrowed his eyes slightly. “I will certainly take this matter before His Majesty Emperor Qi for an answer.”

Yan Shiyao’s fury was pent up and smoldering in her chest.

“Big Brother Mu, my sister had no reason to harm Xiao Shi.” Yan Yunning looked at Xiao Shi on the bed — who wore a convincingly innocent expression — and curved her lips into a slight smile. “Xiao Shi, Yaoyao Sister wouldn’t possibly have let go of you. Was it just an accident — did you stumble and fall in on your own?”

A few days earlier, Xuan Yanyu had asked why Xiao Shi would suddenly bring up her brother out of nowhere. At the time, she had brushed it off, saying her mind was like a child’s — she just said whatever came to her. Looking at it now, it seemed she had done it deliberately.

“It… it was.” Xiao Shi shrank behind Mu Shiqing, trembling slightly with apparent fear.

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow slightly. “Big Brother Mu, she’s admitted it. It had nothing to do with my sister — there’s no need to go before His Majesty Emperor Qi for an answer.”

Mu Shiqing: “……”

“Brother.” Xiao Shi tugged at Mu Shiqing’s robe, trying to hold back tears. “No — it was Yaoyao Sister who let go of me and made me fall into the water.”

“It was Yaoyao Sister, Brother.” Xiao Shi’s small face flushed red with urgency.

Yan Shiyao shook with indignation; no matter how hard she tried, she could not understand why Xiao Shi would falsely accuse her like this.

Mu Shiqing, who already harbored ill will toward Yan Shiyao, now seized the moment to press his advantage. He patted Xiao Shi on the shoulder and said in a comforting tone, “Don’t worry. Your brother will get you an answer. You won’t have suffered this for nothing.”

“Brother.” Xiao Shi’s tears rolled down her cheeks in great drops. “Xiao Shi doesn’t have to be wronged anymore.”

The words had barely left her mouth when her body went limp and she fainted back onto the bed.

Yan Yunning was briefly speechless. She took Yan Shiyao’s hand and pulled her out of the guest room with her.

“Ningning.” Yan Shiyao’s lips trembled faintly, her eyes full of hurt. “Why? Why would she falsely accuse me?”

The girl bit her lip and quietly wiped away tears.

Yan Yunning looked down. She couldn’t figure it out either — why had A’Shi falsely accused her sister?

“A’Jie, go find Brother and see if he can…”

“Brother left this morning.” Yan Shiyao’s eyes reddened at the corners.

With Brother and Father here, nothing would come of it — at worst, His Majesty Emperor Qi would mete out a token punishment to appease Mu Shiqing. But she was innocent, and she did not want to be punished by His Majesty Emperor Qi for something she didn’t do.

……

Meanwhile, Qi Qingchen made his way to Xuan Yanyu’s guest room.

“Young Master Xuan, the best resolution to this matter is for you to take the blame.” Qi Qingchen urged.

Xuan Yanyu was Yan Shiyao’s guard — it was perfectly plausible that he, unable to stand the sight of Xiao Shi, had caused her to fall into the water. What could be more reasonable?

Mu Shiqing carried weight with his father. Even if Yan Shiyao was the Grand Counselor’s daughter, she couldn’t go around hurting people. If he went to intercede, his father might well turn it around on him and accuse him of lacking judgment. And if Yan Shiyao truly ended up punished by his father for harming Xiao Shi, it would damage her reputation.

Ye Chen looked at Qi Qingchen like he was looking at someone who had lost all sense. How could someone be this foolish?

What kind of solution was this?

Did he really think His Highness looked like the sort of person who would take the blame for Miss Yan?

And besides — if His Majesty Emperor Qi ever laid eyes on His Highness, wouldn’t he be falling over himself to treat him as an honored guest? And still dare to have His Highness confess to Miss Yan’s wrongdoing?

Xuan Yanyu picked up the teacup and turned it in his hand. He genuinely could not hold back and burst out laughing.

Confess to wrongdoing?

In all his life, he had only ever admitted fault once — just a few days ago, outside Yuanjing Manor, when he had coaxed Yan Yunning after she was upset that he had left.

Qi Qingchen smiled, tracing his fingertip slowly across the round table, spelling out the characters for eight hundred taels.

“What do you say, Young Master Xuan?”

Qi Qingchen curved his lips. Eight hundred taels — he should agree to that. And then, when the moment came, he would use the occasion to have his father execute him.

That way, the resentment Pei Qingyan had stirred up in his heart would finally be released.

“Third Highness, have it brought here first, and this one will be at ease.” Xuan Yanyu stretched out leisurely. Ye’an, who could read the room, stepped forward to knead his arm.

The man gave him a sideways glance.

Ye Chen frowned. So that was why Ye’an held such a higher place in His Highness’s esteem — being more attentive than him or Ye Jian!

“Very well.” Qi Qingchen agreed without hesitation.

Xuan Yanyu curved his lips. He hadn’t said anything about following through with Qi Qingchen’s plan — and he had agreed just like that?

“Xuan Yanyu.” Yan Yunning shoved the wooden door open and called out as she came in, “I’m so furious —”

“Ningning, what’s the matter?” Qi Qingchen smiled and picked up the thread of conversation.

Yan Yunning blinked. What?

Why was Qi Qingchen sitting in the same guest room as Xuan Yanyu?

Having a chat??

“Ningning?” Qi Qingchen called out again.

Yan Yunning: “That… Xiao Shi woke up and told Big Brother Mu it was my sister who let go of her hand and caused her to fall into the river.”

Qi Qingchen stood up with a thoughtful expression. “Ningning, you and Young Master Xuan surely have things to discuss — I’ll step outside first.”

Yan Yunning watched Qi Qingchen walk out, pulling the door to the guest room shut behind him, then turned and raised an eyebrow at Xuan Yanyu.