“Get up.” Xuan Yanyu tossed the dagger onto Afu.

Afu’s face was twisted with pain. He gritted his back teeth and looked toward Yan Shiyao. “E— Eldest Young Miss…”

Yan Shiyao felt a pang of pity. “Yanyu, find a physician for Afu. Afu was only passing on my mother’s instructions.”

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow, a trace of careless swagger in his smile. “A’Yao, that won’t do — if we delay the Chancellor’s Madam’s orders, whatever would we do?”

Yan Shiyao gave a small, frustrated purse of her lips. She bent down and helped Afu up from the ground. “Afu, Yanyu is right. We mustn’t delay my mother’s instructions.”

Afu said through gritted teeth, “As the eldest young miss says.”

“Then let’s get moving.” Xuan Yanyu slanted a glance at Afu.

At this moment, the coachman came forward leading the carriage. He set down the mounting step and smiled. “Young Master Xuan, Eldest Young Miss, Second Young Miss — please.”

Yan Yunning gathered her skirt and pulled back the cotton curtain, stepping into the carriage. It was spacious inside, with an array of fine pastries and refreshments laid out.

Yan Yunning had barely settled onto the brocade cushion when Xuan Yanyu followed her in and sat down right beside her.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together and shifted toward the inner side.

Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes slightly, then suddenly curved his lips in a smile.

“Afu, easy now.” Yan Shiyao climbed into the carriage and reached out her hand to help Afu up inside.

Xuan Yanyu looked up abruptly. His voice held no warmth at all. “He walks back.”

Afu stared up at that handsome, darkly forbidding face and felt the wound on his foot throb more sharply than ever.

A complete madman.

“Yanyu, you’ve gone too far.” Yan Shiyao’s little face flushed red with anger.

Xuan Yanyu leaned back against the carriage wall with languid ease, the ghost of a smile on his lips. “Then you’re welcome to walk back with him.”

Yan Yunning, who had been in the middle of biting into a mung bean cake, heard this, froze on the spot, and nearly choked.

Him? He meant— he was telling her A’Jie to walk back?

He was telling her A’Jie?

To walk back?

“Then I shall walk.” Yan Shiyao bit her lip, her eyes going red in an instant.

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her and gave a single nod.

Yan Yunning: ???

Yan Shiyao felt an unbearable rush of grievance. She choked back her sobs, her lashes trembling, thick with gathering tears.

Yan Yunning’s mind was still slightly muddled. She grabbed Yan Shiyao by the arm, her lips pressed lightly together. “A’Jie, why walk back? If anyone’s walking back, it should be him.”

Xuan Yanyu, upon hearing this, gave a low, quiet snort of laughter.

Yan Shiyao clutched the handkerchief in her hand, tears catching in her throat. “Ningning, this is not the Chancellor’s Manor carriage — it’s the one Yanyu hired. He says the Chancellor’s carriage isn’t comfortable for him.”

Every time they went out or came back, it was Yanyu who hired the carriage. She couldn’t understand what made him so particular — she herself was far less demanding than he was.

Yan Yunning blinked slowly. “…Pretend I said nothing.”

She had no wish to walk back. She had no money to hire a carriage either. And on top of it all, she still owed Xuan Yanyu money.

Xuan Yanyu picked up a mung bean cake, turning it idly between his fingers. “Second Young Miss Yan, you just said ‘let him go’ — him? Who did you mean?”

Yan Yunning raised her hand and pointed toward Afu. “I meant him.”

The corner of Afu’s eye twitched.

Yan Yunning stole a glance at Xuan Yanyu. He was slouched lazily against the side of the carriage, half-lidded eyes fixed on her.

Yan Yunning looked away. She pulled Yan Shiyao to sit across from Xuan Yanyu.

Xuan Yanyu’s lips pressed into a thin line. He set the mung bean cake down.

The carriage jolted and rumbled along the road, and at last they reached the capital. Outside the gates of the Chancellor’s Manor, Chu Wantang stood waiting with her maids, having come out long in advance.

Yan Yunning carefully helped Yan Shiyao down from the carriage.

The long journey had jostled her wounds. Yan Shiyao’s face was very pale.

Chu Wantang caught sight of Yan Shiyao and hurried forward, cupping her cheek in her hands, her eyes brimming with tender concern. “Yaoyao, you’ve only been away a few days — how have you gotten so thin?”

The wound beneath her clothes ached dully. Yan Shiyao endured the discomfort and managed to squeeze out a faint smile. “Mother, I’m so tired.”

Chu Wantang took her by the hand, her eyes overflowing with concern. “You must be worn out from sitting in the carriage so long. Come inside with Mother and have a good rest.”

Yan Shiyao nodded.

The maids followed behind Chu Wantang and Yan Shiyao into the Chancellor’s Manor, as though they had quite forgotten that a second young miss also existed — or rather, simply did not care.

Xuan Yanyu’s brow creased heavily. His deep eyes filled with a cold glint. “What is so good about the Chancellor’s Manor? I don’t think you need to come back here at all.”

Yan Yunning’s long lashes gave a faint flutter. She hadn’t quite grasped his meaning.

The man walked slowly toward her. He leaned down, his dark eyes fixed steadily on her face, his voice low and melodious. “Yan Yunning, you don’t need to put the Chancellor’s Madam in your heart.”

Yan Yunning looked up at him, her voice very soft. “Oh.”

She had never put the Chancellor’s Madam in her heart to begin with.

“Nor do you need to feel sad.” Xuan Yanyu added another line.

When he returned to Xuanzhao, he would bring her with him. In Xuanzhao, with him there, no one would dare overlook her. There would be no need to stay here and suffer undeserved slights for nothing.

“Xuan Yanyu.” Yan Yunning caught hold of his sleeve.

She wanted to ask him — had he deliberately refused to save A’Chen?

“Mm? What is it?” The man’s voice carried a hint of a smile at the tail end.

“I—” Yan Yunning had barely begun to speak when Qiuci came rushing out, her skirt gathered in her hands.

She stopped in front of them, dipped in a smile, and said, “Young Master Xuan, good day. Second Young Miss — the Madam invites you to the main hall for a meal.”

Qiuci’s eyes curved with warmth. Since the second young miss had returned to the manor, she had never once dined in the main hall. This would be the very first time. It seemed the Madam was intending to treat the second young miss properly at last.

“Understood.” Yan Yunning released the sleeve she had been clutching and followed Qiuci into the manor.

The main hall.

Guided by the maids, Yan Yunning took her seat — one on either side of Chu Wantang, she to the left and Yan Shiyao to the right.

Chu Wantang’s expression was full of warmth and tenderness. She casually picked up a pair of chopsticks, lifted a dish, and placed it in Yan Yunning’s bowl. “Ningning, Mother has been neglecting you. Can you forgive her?”

Yan Shiyao watched Yan Yunning with an expectant look.

Yan Yunning smiled pleasantly. “Mother, how could I hold it against you?”

After all these years, she was calling it neglect again? Did she not find that far too late?

If it were sincere, how could it only be said now?

Yan Shiyao’s lips curved into a soft smile. “It would be wonderful if Father were here too.”

Chu Wantang picked up Yan Shiyao’s favorite dish and placed it in her bowl. She looked at her with deep maternal tenderness. “Yaoyao, eat more. Mother will worry if you get any thinner.”

Yan Shiyao ducked her head with a shy smile. “Yes, Mother.”

“Ningning, when you are in your husband’s household in the future, be sure to honor your in-laws and serve your husband well. Do not be remiss in your propriety.” Chu Wantang’s tone was gentle. She then turned to Yan Shiyao, the tenderness in her eyes growing even deeper. “Yaoyao, the same for you. If you are ever wronged, you must tell Mother. Mother will stand up for you.”

Yan Shiyao lowered her head with a bashful pout. “Mother~”

Chu Wantang took Yan Shiyao’s hand in hers and gave a soft sigh. “Your nature is too gentle. Mother only fears you will be made to suffer.”

Yan Yunning gripped the wooden chopsticks tightly in her hand. She watched as Chu Wantang murmured careful instructions to Yan Shiyao, and Chu Wantang’s words drifted back to her: When you are in your husband’s household in the future, be sure to honor your in-laws and serve your husband well.

A single thought flashed through her mind, and all at once she had a very bad feeling.