“Hmm? Why avoid me?” The man narrowed his eyes slightly.

Yan Yunning met his gaze. “Why do you even care if I avoid you?”

“Because no one dares avoid me — and you least of all.” A dark glint flashed through Xuan Yanyu’s eyes.

Yan Yunning: “…”

Now she understood. Just like that day when she had said she found him troublesome — having been pampered all his life, he simply couldn’t tolerate even the slightest slight from another person.

“Don’t avoid me again.” The man’s voice was low and muffled.

“Understood.” Yan Yunning gave a perfunctory reply.

“Then tell me — why are you in such a bad mood?” Xuan Yanyu reached out and straightened the hairpin that had slipped to one side.

“Because you weren’t paying attention to me.” The girl twirled a strand of hair around her finger.

She had had a feeling — if she didn’t come to dinner, Xuan Yanyu would definitely come to check on her.

The man swallowed hard. The girl’s voice had softened to a murmur, her exhaled breath carrying a sweet fragrance. The memory of that day surfaced, and Xuan Yanyu’s throat shifted — it had been sweet.

The two were sitting very close together. Yan Yunning pressed her lips tightly together and scooted back slightly. Why did he keep staring at her?

“Avoiding me again?” Xuan Yanyu’s eyes darkened.

“…” Yan Yunning was at a loss for words. “No.”

She was starting to regret this a little. If she had known, she wouldn’t have been secretly eating in her room — she would have gone down to eat properly with everyone else. If Xuan Yanyu chose to ignore her, so be it.

“Come on. Go eat.” The man’s voice was deep and low.

“I don’t want to.” Yan Yunning rubbed her eyes and muttered, “Can’t you see, I can barely keep my eyelids up. I need to rest.”

She was already full — what was the point of eating again?

Xuan Yanyu picked up the cloud-tipped shoes she had kicked off beside the bed, and said in a coaxing tone, “Rest after you’ve eaten.”

It seemed she truly had no choice but to eat this evening meal. She should have eaten less earlier.

Yan Yunning threw back the brocade blanket. Xuan Yanyu’s large hand wrapped around her ankle — soft and warm to the touch. The man’s fingertips gave the faintest tremble as he fumbled to put her shoes on for her.

Yan Yunning looked down at the man putting her shoes on for her. Her heart gave a sudden lurch, and the tips of her ears flushed faintly red. What had she done to deserve this? The Crown Prince was actually putting on her shoes himself.

No one would ever believe this if she said it out loud.

On the other side, Xuan Zhaorang had just been about to tease Qi Qingchen when she heard Xuan Yanyu and Yan Yunning’s voices approaching. She instantly straightened her spine and sat up with impeccable posture.

A subtle flash crossed Qi Qingchen’s eyes. Why was she so frightened of Xuan Yanyu?

“Where is my older sister?” Yan Yunning sat down and asked.

Xuan Zhaorang lowered her head.

Xuan Yanyu picked up the soup ladle, scooped a spoonful of soup, and held it out to Yan Yunning.

“Eat quickly and then go rest.”

Yan Yunning took the soup Xuan Yanyu had offered and took a small sip.

Xuan Zhaorang looked at Xuan Yanyu in astonishment. Crown Prince Brother had actually served Ningning soup with his own hands.

“Did my older sister not eat?” Yan Yunning stirred her soup and asked again.

Qi Qingchen glanced up and replied, “Yaoyao ran out a moment ago.”

Yan Yunning swept her gaze to Qi Qingchen, then let it settle on Xuan Zhaorang. She was probably driven away by the two of them, wasn’t she.

“I’ll go find her.” Yan Yunning started to stand, but Xuan Yanyu pressed down on her hand. “Sit. Eat your meal.”

Meeting the man’s jet-black eyes, her face warmed inexplicably.

After they finished eating, the group sat in the inn’s back courtyard, exchanging idle conversation. When the hour grew late and Yan Shiyao still had not returned, a flutter of unease beat in Yan Yunning’s chest. She had a feeling something was about to happen.

“Xuan Yanyu, why isn’t my older sister back yet?”

Xuan Yanyu peeled a tangerine and held it out to Yan Yunning’s lips, his voice remarkably gentle. “Perhaps she’ll be back soon.”

“I don’t want any more.”

She had genuinely eaten far too much tonight.

Xuan Yanyu raised an eyebrow slightly and, without hurrying, placed the tangerine segment in his own mouth.

Xuan Zhaorang sat cradling her teacup in both hands, staring unblinkingly at Xuan Yanyu. More than once tonight she had wondered whether the man before her was truly her Crown Prince Brother, or whether staying in Qilan had somehow gotten him switched out for someone else.

She looked up at the sky above — a dark expanse scattered with glittering stars, the breeze against her skin soft and pleasant. Everything was perfectly normal; the only thing that wasn’t normal was Crown Prince Brother.

Qi Qingchen’s expression was not entirely pleasant. He couldn’t fathom what was so worth looking at about Xuan Yanyu — was he really worth staring at like that?

“Do you want some?” Xuan Yanyu held out the remaining tangerine to Xuan Zhaorang.

She had been staring at him this whole time, so he couldn’t very well pretend not to notice. Since Yan Yunning wasn’t eating anyway, giving it to Zhaorang would do no harm.

Xuan Zhaorang blanked out for a few seconds before registering. “No, thank you.”

“I can’t wait any longer. It’s so late — what if my older sister has met with some accident?” The more Yan Yunning thought about it, the more possible it seemed.

Was her older sister hiding somewhere to avoid watching Qi Qingchen and Ranran together — or had something actually happened to her?

“I’ll go look for her.” Xuan Yanyu set down the tangerine in his hand and curved his lips slightly. “You go rest in your room.”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips into a thin line, her unease evident. “Whether or not you find her, you must come tell me either way.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll come with you.” Qi Qingchen suddenly spoke up.

Xuan Yanyu glanced at him sidelong, his tone unhurried. “As you like.”

Watching Xuan Yanyu and Qi Qingchen walk out together side by side, the unease in Yan Yunning’s heart grew even stronger.【Fafa, how was this written in the book? Will something happen to my older sister?】

Fafa: 【Master, there’s no scene in the book where your older sister goes missing!】

Yan Yunning’s ears began to buzz.【How did the plot fall apart like this…】

Before she could finish the thought, a sharp pain exploded at the back of her skull and she instantly lost consciousness.

…

In a ramshackle wooden hut filled with scattered straw, muffled voices drifted to her ears. Yan Yunning struggled to force her eyes open.

“Big brother, which one of them is Zhaorang?” A beggar dressed in tattered hemp cloth spoke slowly.

“To be safe, send them both away — there’s plenty of room in the hired carriage.” Another beggar replied.

“Big brother, we were only paid twenty taels of silver for that woman. But judging just by the clothes these two are wearing, they’re no ordinary people. Won’t this bring trouble down on us?” Liuzi shot a glance at Yan Yunning and Xuan Zhaorang, and lowered his voice.

Panghu swallowed nervously, forcing a calm he did not feel. “What’s there to be afraid of? Just… just don’t be afraid.”

Liuzi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. “Big brother, you’re not afraid? Then why are your legs shaking?”

Panghu brought his palm down on Liuzi’s head and forced himself to maintain composure. “Nonsense.”

Liuzi: “…”

Yan Yunning cracked one eye open a sliver and peeked at Xuan Zhaorang beside her. The latter blinked at her.

Yan Yunning closed her eyes again to think. “That woman” — could it possibly be referring to her older sister?

Her older sister had deliberately not returned to the inn, knowing full well that Xuan Yanyu and Qi Qingchen would go looking for her. While they were occupied, she had arranged for someone to take Ranran away.

Only these two beggars couldn’t tell which of them was Ranran, and had swept her along with them by mistake.

Where did her older sister intend to send Ranran?

“Alright, don’t waste any more time — send them off quickly.” Panghu urged in a low voice.

Liuzi nodded. The moment his hand reached toward Yan Yunning’s arm, Yan Yunning’s eyes flew open. She smiled mildly. “I can walk myself.”

Liuzi stumbled back several steps, his forehead drenched in sweat.

She was awake?

Should he knock her out again?