Fafa: [Master, I don’t know how to get you back.]

“Let go.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice dropped, turning soft.

Yan Yunning looked up at him. Both her hands balled into fists.

The man crouched down and used the cuff of his robe, embroidered with golden cloud patterns, to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.

Yan Yunning shoved him away sharply. Her voice trembled as she shouted, “Stay away from me.”

Xuan Yanyu was visibly stunned. Something seemed to lodge itself in his chest.

“Ningning.” Yan Shiyao patted her gently on the back to soothe her.

If only she had listened to Ningning and left together, none of this would have happened.

And she had still promised A’Chen she would buy him so many pastries.

“A’Jie, I’m bringing A’Chen home.” Yan Yunning smiled as she wiped away her tears.

A’Chen was the first friend she had made in this world. Sister Bai had been the second. And now neither of them was here anymore…

Xuan Yanyu had no heart for anyone except A’Jie. Fafa had been right. In the end it would all come to nothing — better to simply let things take their course.

“Ningning, Yanyu and I will go with you.” Yan Shiyao pressed a hand to her chest. Her lips were very pale, and her voice came out thin and faint.

“No need. I’ll bring A’Chen home myself.” Yan Yunning refused.

Xuan Yanyu looked down at her. “How do you plan to bring him back on your own?”

“It’s none of your concern.” The girl’s hands tightened inside her sleeves, her fingernails pressing into her palms.

Xuan Yanyu let out a cold laugh. “You’re right — it’s none of my concern.”

With that, the man turned and walked away.

The corner of Yan Yunning’s eye gave the faintest tremble, and a tear slipped down from her lash line.

Luo Xuan raised a brow. Her crimson lips curved upward. “Qingchen, my dear, shall we go as well?”

Qi Qingchen’s gaze stirred faintly. He and Luo Xuan withdrew from the room.

“A’Jie, Luo Xuan said A’Chen waited for me a long time — why did no one come to find me?” Yan Yunning stared at A’Chen on the bed in a daze, still unable to bring herself to believe that he was truly gone.

She pulled a brocade quilt over him and tucked it around his body. His hands were so cold. He must be freezing. With the quilt on, he wouldn’t be cold anymore.

Yan Shiyao’s lips trembled. She choked on her words. “Someone went to find you. They simply couldn’t locate you.”

Yan Yunning could no longer hold back. She broke into open sobs, cursing her own greed — she had wandered into a shop to eat, and in a town that size, of course no one could find her quickly.

“Ningning, I’m sorry. If only I had listened to you, if we had left together…” Yan Shiyao slowly closed her eyes.

“A’Jie, you were also poisoned by Manzhu Xiang. Was it Xuan Yanyu who gave you the antidote?”

“No — it was the physician, Doctor Wen. He said he only had one antidote pill.” Every word Yan Shiyao spoke seemed to tremble.

[Fafa, who is Doctor Wen? Why does he have an antidote?] Yan Yunning bit her lip. Could it be that Xuan Yanyu hadn’t lied — that he truly had no antidote on hand?

Fafa: [Doctor Wen? The one she means should be Imperial Physician Wen — the head of the Xuanzhao Imperial Medical Academy. The novel mentioned that Xuan Yanyu brought Imperial Physician Wen with him when he came to Qilan.]

Yan Yunning’s whole body shook. Xuan Yanyu was nothing but a liar.

Back in his room, Xuan Yanyu caught sight of Yan Yunning’s quilt on the bed, and all the gloom in his heart was written plainly on his face.

“Was this matter my fault? And she has the nerve to give me a cold look?” A flash of irritation crossed Xuan Yanyu’s handsome face.

What was he supposed to have done?

Abandon A’Yao and save A’Chen instead?

“Your Highness could never be at fault.” Ye Chen interjected.

Xuan Yanyu pressed his lips tightly together and grabbed Yan Yunning’s quilt, tucking it behind his head.

A long silence followed.

The man on the bed sat upright. His voice came out heavy. “No — wait. Why is she angry at me? She doesn’t even know that I chose A’Yao.”

“Your Highness, I think it may be that Second Young Miss Yan has guessed that the eldest young miss’s poison was treated, and concludes that it must have been you who arranged for the physician — so she blames you for only caring for the eldest young miss while paying no mind to A’Chen.”

“Prince Qi Qingchen spent all his time at Luo Xuan’s side. He had no opportunity to arrange a physician for the eldest young miss. Looking at it that way, the second young miss has no one to blame but you.”

Xuan Yanyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had the nagging sense that Ye Chen was talking nonsense — it sounded utterly absurd to his ears.

“Your Highness, Second Young Miss Yan actually dares to give you a cold look. In my opinion, you might as well simply ignore her entirely.” Ye Chen followed up smoothly.

The man reclined sideways on the bed, his slender fingers toying with the jade pendant at his waist.

“Your Highness, don’t you despise women who weep and wail? The second young miss was crying the whole time today.” Ye Chen stole a covert glance at Xuan Yanyu’s expression from beneath his lashes.

Xuan Yanyu leaned back against the headboard, half-closing his eyes. His voice came out low and languid. “Why would I bother taking that up with her?”

Ye Chen drew a sharp, deep breath inward. The sky was falling.

Whatever happened to you being incapable of enduring women who wept and wailed?!

At the late Empress’s birthday banquet, the Seventh Princess had hurt herself in a fall — but the moment she caught sight of His Highness, she hadn’t even dared to cry, for fear that Prince Xuan would have her driven from the banquet.

The following morning.

Luo Xuan sat before the bronze mirror. Her fingertips picked up a lip stain and pressed it gently between her lips.

Her lips were painted a vivid red, like ripened cherries — vibrant and bewitching.

Nuonuo pushed the door open. Seeing Luo Xuan dressed in a full set of bridal red, a wave of unease rose in her chest.

“Clan Leader, you are…” Nuonuo stepped forward and took the wooden comb from Luo Xuan’s hands, beginning to comb out the ends of her hair.

Her movements were extraordinarily gentle, as though she were afraid of disturbing even a single strand.

“Nuonuo, from this moment on, you are the tenth Clan Leader of Taoyuan Manor.” Luo Xuan smiled tenderly.

She fastened the Clan Leader’s token at Nuonuo’s waist.

The hand holding the comb trembled without stopping.

“Nuonuo, I trust that you will manage Taoyuan Manor well.” Luo Xuan smiled softly.

Nuonuo shook her head. Her hands trembled harder. “I can’t — Clan Leader, you are Taoyuan Manor’s Clan Leader. Nuonuo cannot do this.”

“Nuonuo, you can.” Luo Xuan’s voice was tender. She rose slowly to her feet.

The bridal red set off her skin like white jade. Nuonuo gazed at the figure before her through a blur of tears. Today, the Clan Leader was truly beautiful. So very beautiful.

Nuonuo watched as Luo Xuan drew the door open and walked out alongside Qi Qingchen, who had been waiting outside.

“Qingchen, my dear, do I look beautiful today?” Luo Xuan touched the ornament in her hair and smiled brightly.

Qi Qingchen pressed his lips together. “Mm.”

Luo Xuan’s footsteps suddenly halted. She caught Qi Qingchen by the arm, rose on her toes, and pressed her crimson lips against his.

Qi Qingchen’s throat shifted. He looked at her with deep, dark eyes.

Seeing that he did not pull away, color bloomed across Luo Xuan’s cheeks. Her hands rose slowly to cup his face…

Yan Yunning, who had been hiding behind a tree planning to settle her score with Luo Xuan, stood there with her lips parted and her eyes wide open.

[Fafa, Qi Qingchen — he… the two of them…] She stared at the intimate embrace in front of her.

Fafa: [What about them?]

Yan Yunning bit her lower lip. [I always said Qi Qingchen was not worthy of my A’Jie!]

Fafa: [Master, this is ancient times. Qi Qingchen is a prince. Did you think he would have only your A’Jie? Is that realistic?]

Yan Yunning lowered her eyes. That was true. Qi Qingchen was a prince — he would one day be Emperor of Qilan. How could he possibly have only A’Jie?

Fafa: [Qi Qingchen has a secondary consort. After Qi Qingchen retrieves the antidote and returns to the palace, he will find that Consort Jin has been attending at Noble Consort Li’s bedside — and will be intimate with her. By the time you all return to the capital, which is when the feelings between the male and female leads deepen, and Qi Qingchen wishes to take Yan Shiyao as his principal consort —]

Fafa: [— Consort Jin will have been diagnosed by the imperial physicians as carrying his child. Though in the end, that child was placed under Yan Shiyao’s name.]

Yan Yunning’s eyes flickered. [What about Xuan Yanyu? He’s a Crown Prince — doesn’t he have a secondary consort too?]

Fafa: [Xuan Yanyu? The novel mentioned that Prince Xuan, ever since Xuan Yanyu was young, arranged a Crown Princess for him. Prince Xuan’s single-minded wish was for him to marry this Crown Princess, and he feared Xuan Yanyu would develop feelings for other noble ladies and cause trouble. With the Crown Princess not yet formally entered into the household, how could Prince Xuan possibly allow any other woman near Xuan Yanyu?]

Yan Yunning curled her lip. [And yet here he is, having set his eyes on my A’Jie.]

Fafa’s mechanical voice suddenly rose sharply. [Master — is there any possibility that Yan Shiyao is the very Crown Princess Prince Xuan arranged for Xuan Yanyu?!]