Ye Jian and Ye Chen remained hidden in the shadows, watching the scene not far away with fixed attention.

“So this is the candidate the Qi Emperor has his eye on for Crown Prince?” Ye Chen raised the corner of his brow, his words thick with contempt. “He couldn’t even withstand a single move from our Highness. Disgraceful.”

Ye Jian rested a hand on Ye Chen’s shoulder and said in a low voice, an acerbic smirk at the corner of his mouth, “The way I see it, Qilan would do better to simply submit to our Xuanzhao. With Qi Qingchen at its helm, Qilan’s future looks bleak indeed.”

Nothing about him could compare to their Highness — so how was he fit to govern Qilan? He couldn’t understand why their future Crown Princess was still hovering around him of all people.

In his view, Yan Shiyao wasn’t worthy of their Highness either, yet the King of Xuan was insisting that His Highness marry her.

“Elder Brother Qi, are you all right?” Yan Shiyao looked at the wound on Qi Qingchen’s body, unable to keep her eyes from reddening.

“Yaoyao, I’m fine.” Qi Qingchen turned his head and looked at her, his gaze soft and tender.

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow. He swept his longsword in a sharp motion, knocking away the sword Qi Qingchen had been pointing at him.

“Xuan Yanyu.” Qi Qingchen’s jaw tightened.

Yan Yunning looked up at the sky. If Luo Xuan found out that Qi Qingchen was injured, she would probably go mad all over again!

She couldn’t count on Xuan Yanyu either — Luo Xuan might very well come looking for trouble with him tonight.

“Hmph. Utterly useless.” Xuan Yanyu let out a scornful laugh.

Qi Qingchen’s expression darkened. He clenched his fingers tight. No one had ever dared humiliate him like this.

In the past, the masters the Emperor Father had engaged to train him always came out the loser when they sparred with him, falling before him one after another. So why today was he unable to withstand even a single move from Xuan Yanyu?

Could it be that those masters had simply been flattering him all along? Deliberately letting themselves lose to him?

Yan Shiyao bent down to pick up the sword from the ground, then raised her eyes to look at Xuan Yanyu. “Apologize to Elder Brother Qi.”

Xuan Yanyu gave a light laugh. Apologize? That was truly the funniest thing he had heard in all his twenty-two years.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. She felt she should never have listened to Fafa and come out to watch. The atmosphere here was all wrong — she was nothing but a minor side character, and she had no desire to get caught up in the crossfire.

“Yanyu, you’re the one who injured Miss Luo. Elder Brother Qi is asking you to apologize — isn’t that only right? You shouldn’t have come to blows with Elder Brother Qi over this.” Yan Shiyao tightened her grip on the sword hilt.

Xuan Yanyu’s lips curved in a faint smile, but his eyes were cold and still. “I hurt her because she brought it on herself. She deserved it.”

“I already said the wound on my hand was something I caused myself — it had nothing to do with Miss Luo. So why did you still hurt her?” Yan Shiyao’s chest rose and fell with her agitation, her voice trembling.

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her.

Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow. [Hmm? Did Xuan Yanyu go after Luo Xuan because of my A’Jie?]

Fafa: [Most likely. In the book, Xuan Yanyu cares a great deal about Yan Shiyao’s life. Mistress, making Xuan Yanyu fall for you is going to be very difficult.]

[Who said I wanted Xuan Yanyu to fall for me?!] Yan Yunning pressed a hand to her forehead.

She didn’t belong here. Sooner or later she would go home. She would not fall in love with anyone in this world, and she had no desire to let anyone fall in love with her either.

“Love” — that word was such a torment. She didn’t want to suffer after she returned home, and she didn’t want others to suffer because of her.

She was clear-headed about this. She was going home. She would not stay in this unfamiliar world for anyone — least of all for a man.

Fafa: [Then Mistress, why do you keep hanging around Xuan Yanyu?]

[I just think — people are like that, aren’t they? The longer you spend together, the harder it becomes for him to actually bring himself to kill me. It’s like raising a little pet. A few months in, and even the owner gets attached.]

She wasn’t sure when she’d be able to go back, but as long as she stayed alive, she’d have a chance eventually.

Fafa: [But Mistress, what if he falls for you?]

Yan Yunning rolled her eyes. [You said it yourself — in the book, he only cares about my A’Jie!]

Fafa: [That’s true~]

“Qingchen.” Luo Xuan came over with the support of a maid, looking wan and haggard, visibly frail.

Qi Qingchen stepped forward to steady her, his voice helpless. “A’Xuan, didn’t I tell you to rest properly? Why have you come out?”

Luo Xuan’s eyes were shot through with red. “Qingchen, you were hurt. How could I possibly lie still?”

“I’m fine. It’s you who’s in a weakened state and needs to rest.” Qi Qingchen sighed.

Luo Xuan gazed at him with a doting, unwavering look. “Then will Qingchen come back with me? Is that all right?”

Qi Qingchen put his arm around Luo Xuan’s shoulder. Her willowy frame went soft, and she leaned against his chest. The two of them left together.

Yan Shiyao stared at their retreating figures, a deep bitterness stinging her eyes.

The corner of Xuan Yanyu’s mouth curved upward. He tapped the sword hilt with his long, slender fingers, sheathed the sword, and turned to leave.

He looked up — and met Yan Yunning’s beautiful eyes.

His footsteps paused.

Yan Yunning walked over to him, looked him up and down, then stepped past him toward Yan Shiyao. [Fa, Qi Qingchen is no good! He’s not worthy of my A’Jie. And neither is Xuan Yanyu — doesn’t even know how to comfort my A’Jie, just turns around and walks away!]

Fafa: [Mistress, in the book Yan Shiyao doesn’t blame Qi Qingchen over Luo Xuan at all. She still loves him deeply.]

Fafa: [As for Xuan Yanyu — he’s rather complicated. The book isn’t clear on whether he truly has feelings for Yan Shiyao or not.]

Yan Yunning felt speechless. Her A’Jie really was…

If it were her, and Qi Qingchen helped some other girl away right in front of her eyes, she would take back her feelings that very instant and never spare him another glance. It wasn’t as though there were no maids around — why did he have to be the one to help her? She absolutely despised men who couldn’t see clearly where their loyalties lay!

“A’Jie, I heard from the maids that the town near Taoyuan Manor is very lively. Come and walk around with me, won’t you?” Yan Yunning tugged at Yan Shiyao’s sleeve and made her appeal in a coaxing tone.

Going out for a walk — better than moping inside the room.

A flicker of pain crossed Yan Shiyao’s eyes. She refused gently. “Ningning, I’m not really in the mood.”

“A’Jie, please, come on.” Yan Yunning tilted her head and blinked playfully.

Xuan Yanyu raised the corner of his brow. He was in no hurry to leave now.

Yan Shiyao gave in with a helpless nod.

Yan Yunning’s clear eyes brimmed with a smile.

They arrived in town, where lively, bustling villagers filled every corner, the air full of warmth and life.

Stalls lined both sides of the long street, piled high with plump, glistening peach blossoms, clustered together in full, tender bloom.

Other stalls were laid out with an array of peach blossom hairpins — absolutely gorgeous. Yan Yunning couldn’t hold back a delighted cry.

“Xuan Yanyu, I want to eat that.” The girl pointed to the peach blossom cakes on a stall.

She had come to find her A’Jie and hadn’t brought any money with her when she left the residence — and there was no money to be brought. She had just asked her A’Jie, who had also come out in a hurry and wasn’t carrying any money either. There was nothing for it — she’d just have to get Xuan Yanyu to buy them for her.

Xuan Yanyu cast her a languid glance, his voice low. “What’s worth tasting about those?”

Could you even put street food in your mouth without upsetting your stomach?

Yan Yunning stared at the peach blossom cakes — golden-skinned, with delicate petal fragments nestled in them — and swallowed.

“Xuan Yanyu, just buy one. Please.” The girl held up a single finger, her voice extraordinarily gentle.

“Hmm?” The man’s throat moved slowly.

“Xuan Yanyu, you’re the best.”

“Xuan Yanyu, please~ just buy me one~” The girl blinked her wide eyes, putting on a pitiful little expression.

Yan Shiyao had just opened her mouth to say something, when she saw Xuan Yanyu walk up to the stall, pay with a few pieces of loose silver, and hand the peach blossom cake to Yan Yunning.

Yan Yunning’s eyes curved into crescent moons. She showered Xuan Yanyu with compliments, her mouth running as sweet as if it had been dipped in honey.

Whether it was the praise or something else entirely, Xuan Yanyu found himself weaving from stall to stall. In no time at all, Yan Yunning had both hands full of fragrant, sweet little snacks.