【Ancient Storyline — First Meeting Extra】

On the very first day Yan Yunning was brought back to the Chancellor’s residence, she knew not a single soul aside from Qiuci, whom she had only just met, and she sat there sighing with a troubled frown.

This wouldn’t do. She needed to think of something — think of a way to keep herself safe.

“Second Young Miss, if you are bored, you may go find the First Young Miss,” Qiuci said, pouring Yan Yunning a cup of tea.

Yan Yunning lounged lazily on the reclining chair and asked with gossipy curiosity, “Does your First Young Miss have someone around her who’s completely devoted to — well, not exactly, I mean, a man who is never more than a step away?”

“Not quite never a step away, but most of the time, Young Master Xuan is present near the First Young Miss.”

Yan Yunning tapped her teacup and grinned slyly. “Does he have anything he’s especially afraid of?”

Fafa immediately tried to stop her: 【Master, don’t — I’m afraid you’ll get a kick from Xuan Yanyu…】

【Shut up.】

Fafa: 【…】

“Second Young Miss, this servant does not know. You may ask the First Young Miss, or you may ask Young Master Xuan directly,” Qiuci replied honestly.

Yan Yunning: “…”

“Shall this servant go ask Chunyi, who attends the First Young Miss?” Fearing that Yan Yunning, having only just returned, might feel awkward asking, Qiuci ventured cautiously.

“No need. I’ll go myself.” Yan Yunning casually picked up a plate of pastries and strolled out of the guest room without a care.

The Chancellor’s residence was very large. After a full quarter of an hour of wandering, she had eaten all but two pieces of pastry from the plate, and still had not found the Young Miss’s Yaozhi Courtyard.

Rounding the corner past the pavilion, Yan Yunning caught sight of a man leaning indolently against a round pillar, his features strikingly handsome. She swallowed hard and thought inwardly: 【Fafa, this older brother is so handsome!!!】

Fafa, puzzled: 【Older brother??】

Yan Yunning ignored it, strode quickly to the man’s side, and said with a bright smile, “Hello, Elder Brother. My name is Yan Yunning. I am the Second Young Miss you’ve just brought home.”

Up in the treetop, Ye Chen nearly fell off his branch. Did their Highness look like Yan Zhiyi??

Xuan Yanyu glanced sidelong at Yan Yunning’s fair and pretty face, his gaze stalling for a moment before he lazily withdrew it without a word.

The man said nothing. Yan Yunning’s smile faded. “Is Elder Brother mute?”

She feared only Xuan Yanyu, who would eventually be the death of her. She had no intention of putting up with anyone else’s attitude here.

They shared the same mother. Their Elder Sister was the noble female lead; being a side character herself was already bad enough — but now even this supposed elder brother refused to give her any regard?

Fafa tried to speak up: 【Master, you’ve gotten the wrong—】

【Shut up!!】 Yan Yunning fumed and bit fiercely into a pastry.

Fafa: 【…】

With a sharp crack, Yan Yunning looked down at the half-eaten piece of fruit that had fallen to the ground, then tilted her head up toward the large tree in the courtyard with a slight frown.

Up in the treetop, Ye Chen was so frightened he did not dare move a single muscle.

She drew her gaze back and let it fall once more upon Xuan Yanyu. Yan Yunning curved her lips coolly. “Young Master Yan…”

Xuan Yanyu cut her off with an irritated edge to his voice. “Second Young Miss, stay away from me.”

He was frowning, clearly in a very poor mood.

Yan Yunning pursed her lips. “Compared to my own brother, you fall far short! A person like you has no business calling himself anyone’s elder brother!!”

“Ha.” The man fixed his gaze on Yan Yunning. The dagger had appeared at his fingertips without her knowing when. He gave a low, amused laugh as he twirled it slowly. “I have no business being an elder brother?”

Yan Yunning took a step back. “That’s right…”

【Master, stop talking — he IS Xuan Yanyu, not Yan Zhiyi — he’s not your brother! You’ve mistaken him for someone else!!】 Fafa called out urgently.

Yan Yunning gasped, watching the man draw closer with each step, and shrank back slightly. 【Why didn’t you say so sooner?】

Fafa said aggrievedly: 【Master, you told me to shut up.】

Yan Yunning: 【…】

Yan Yunning decided to brazen it out to the end. She softened her voice. “Elder Brother, I only said that because I see other people’s elder brothers being so gentle toward their sisters, while you told me to stay away from you. I was upset, so I spoke out of turn. Elder Brother, I know I was wrong — because I’ve just realized that an elder brother like yours is truly the very best kind.”

“Really. One look at you and I can tell you are a wonderful elder brother.” Yan Yunning quietly reached out and closed her hand over the man’s fist that held the dagger, feeling him stiffen visibly.

“Elder Brother, I mean it.” The girl blinked and smiled brilliantly at Xuan Yanyu.

At such close distance, the man’s gaze fell upon the girl’s beautiful and striking face, and for a brief moment he was stunned.

Yan Yunning caught the movement of Xuan Yanyu’s throat as he swallowed, and she said sweetly, “Elder Brother, I’ve only just come back. You wouldn’t hold it against me, would you?”

Xuan Yanyu returned to his senses and retreated two steps. As he loosened his grip, the dagger was taken right into Yan Yunning’s hand.

Yan Yunning wanted to fling the dagger as far away as possible, but then recalled that it belonged to this unhinged Crown Prince, and after a moment’s thought, she did not quite dare.

She looked up to find someone very carefully wiping his slender, distinct fingers with a square handkerchief, thoroughly disgusted by the hand she had touched.

Suppressing her fury, Yan Yunning also pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her own hand with great force.

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyelid to look at her. Yan Yunning, with complete shamelessness, said, “My hand… my hand got dirty.”

“Is that so? Second Young Miss.” The man lowered his lashes and stared at her pale, delicate hand, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slight smile. “How is it that Elder Brother didn’t see any dirt?”

“Naturally because I wiped it off already.” Yan Yunning held up the handkerchief in her hand.

“Yuner Brother, Ningning, you two…” Yan Shiyao caught sight of the dagger in Yan Yunning’s hand and cried out in alarm: “Ningning, you cannot hurt people.”

Yan Yunning opened her mouth. “???”

“A’Yao, if you had come a little later, the Second Young Miss might have…” The man’s voice trailed off and he said no more.

Yan Shiyao took the dagger from Yan Yunning’s hand, her beautiful eyes sharpening with anger. “Ningning, Yuner Brother is my friend…”

Before Yan Shiyao could finish, Yan Yunning’s eyes grew gradually red. “Elder Sister, that’s not it — I thought he was my Elder Brother. He wouldn’t speak to me, so I said one cross word, and he pulled out a dagger to frighten me. This dagger isn’t mine. Elder Sister has misunderstood… I… I… he…”

Unable to keep the act going, Yan Yunning took the opportunity to cry herself “unconscious” in Yan Shiyao’s arms.

“Ningning? Ningning??” Yan Shiyao was frightened out of her wits. She looked tearfully at Xuan Yanyu. “Yuner Brother, please take Ningning to see a physician quickly.”

Under her breath, Yan Yunning clenched her teeth. There’s no need — truly no need. Just help her back to her room.

Up in the treetop, Ye Chen pursed his lips. Even he could tell that this Second Young Miss of the Yan family was faking. His Highness could not possibly have failed to see through it — and besides, even if Second Young Miss had not been faking, His Highness would still not have taken her to see a physician.

After all, the First Young Miss had genuinely fainted or been injured any number of times, and His Highness had never once taken her to see a physician. He had, at most, offered a steadying hand — and most of the time he had not even done that much.

When he himself had been away relieving himself and was not on hand, His Highness had simply stood to one side waiting for him to return and carry the First Young Miss to the physician.

Getting his Highness to carry a woman to a physician? Extremely unlikely. His Highness would at most give a supporting hand, and even that, most of the time, he would not offer to the First Young Miss.

“Yuner Brother.” Yan Shiyao pleaded. “Please help me take Ningning to see a physician.”

Ye Chen shook his head helplessly and leapt down from the treetop. He was just about to step forward and carry Yan Yunning when, in the very next instant, he stared in utter disbelief as his Highness bent down and scooped Yan Yunning up into his arms.

He carried her? He carried Yan Yunning??

His Highness carried? Yan Yunning???