Though Jiang Xuening had been reborn, the only two advantages she possessed were a mind considerably more mature than her body and foreknowledge of some events that would occur in the future. But if one truly examined her circumstances, they were actually even worse than in her previous life.

She seriously considered it.

Actually, in this life, if she could attach herself to Grand Princess Leyang, it would undoubtedly add another layer of protection to her safety beyond Yan Lin.

However, she truly wasn’t a man. If she first dressed as a man to make Shen Zhiyi fall for her, and then the truth was later revealed, the ending would probably be about the same as her previous life.

Heaven knows how much effort she had expended in her previous life to snatch the opportunity to be a palace study companion from Jiang Xuehui—

Only to encounter Shen Zhiyi on the very first day entering the palace.

Only then did she learn that the young lady Shen Jie had brought to the Double Ninth lantern festival was actually the younger sister of the current Emperor Shen Lang—Grand Princess Leyang, Shen Zhiyi.

And this round of palace study companions had all been selected for her.

Thus Jiang Xuening had suffered terrible misfortune.

After Shen Zhiyi discovered she was female, her face immediately darkened. Presumably feeling that her devoted affection had been wrongly placed and unable to accept it, with her pride also wounded, she subsequently made things difficult for her at every turn.

Yan Lin had grown up playing with Shen Zhiyi since childhood, so he quarreled with Shen Zhiyi several times over this.

Shen Zhiyi then resented her even more, feeling she had used words to sow discord and caused Yan Lin to develop friction with her, making things even harder for her with increasing severity.

Though this Grand Princess actually didn’t know any truly tormenting methods, at the time they had all been very difficult for Jiang Xuening to accept, so much so that even now recalling those days, she felt the memories were tinged with darkness.

The bright pink cotton rose was cradled in both her hands. Memories related to Shen Zhiyi from her previous life flashed through her mind. Jiang Xuening looked up at Yan Lin and suddenly felt that his youthful temperament was truly expressed thoroughly in his words.

He was domineering and didn’t know how to conceal it.

As soon as he arrived, he said to her, “I want to take you to see it,” rather than “Do you want to go see it together?”

Jiang Xuening smiled slightly, suddenly feeling somewhat mischievous, and asked him, “The Double Ninth lantern festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month, but today is only the seventh day of the ninth month. You came to find me already?”

Yan Lin had originally been sitting quite dashingly on the wall.

At her words, his gaze immediately became somewhat evasive, and even the fingers resting on his sword tightened. But after a moment’s thought, he felt there was really no need to feel guilty, so he immediately became righteously indignant again, “None of your business, I want to! I just wanted to come see you, so what?”

Lian’er, standing beside Jiang Xuening, was dumbstruck. She quickly lowered her head, not daring to raise it and look another glance.

Jiang Xuening hadn’t expected his words to be so bold and direct. Thinking of those matters from her previous life, she couldn’t help but fall somewhat silent.

Yan Lin asked impatiently, “Are you going or not?”

Jiang Xuening produced a slightly apologetic smile, “I won’t go this time. But if you want to see another lantern festival next time, come find me, and I’ll go with you.”

She could actually go out in women’s clothing.

This way she could avoid being noticed by Grand Princess Leyang.

But going out in women’s clothing would inevitably attract attention and be very inconvenient. It would be better not to go at all, and besides, she had no interest in any lantern festival.

Yan Lin frowned, “Your words are strange. What do you mean by ‘not this time’? How is this time different from next time? It’s just that the lanterns are different each time. Or do you have other matters on the Double Ninth day and can’t go?”

Jiang Xuening thought about it and simply found herself an excuse, “I felt a bit dizzy when I returned this morning. I want to rest at home for a couple of days.”

Yan Lin examined her complexion.

Indeed, it wasn’t very good.

His Ningning was much paler than others. When standing in the light, her skin was extremely translucent like jade, making one unable to resist wanting to reach out and gently caress it. After returning to the manor, she had also changed into a different dress, no longer the male attire he usually saw her in. The young lady who had passed eighteen years already had a graceful and exquisite figure. At this moment, standing beneath the flowering trees, holding in both hands the cotton rose he had just tossed down, her slender fingers like peeled scallion roots resting on those bright pink petals bathed in crimson clouds, her palm-sized face lifted up, looking at him with a slight upward tilt, her gaze gentle and clear—it was a moving scene of brightness and tender affection.

He hadn’t noticed when he first arrived, but this observation stirred the young man’s heart.

He only hoped the day of his capping ceremony would come sooner.

So he could marry this beautiful girl home and dote on her.

Meeting her gaze, Yan Lin coughed again and avoided it slightly before saying, “It’s all my fault for not knowing restraint last night and not looking after you properly, letting you secretly drink several cups and get drunk like a lazy cat. Fine then, rest well at home these few days. I’ll inquire when the next lantern festival is and make it up to you later.”

Jiang Xuening was about to respond to him.

Unexpectedly, a shout suddenly came from the other direction in the distance, “Excellent, I’ve caught you climbing the wall again! Believe it or not, I’ll report this to the Marquis and have him judge this matter! What kind of heir behaves like this?”

It was actually Jiang Boyou, who happened to pass by and saw the situation here.

Yan Lin immediately felt a headache coming on.

Without another word, Jiang Boyou came over waving his sleeves, wishing he could find a long bamboo pole to poke Yan Lin down, “Young Marquis, isn’t this behavior of yours too excessive? My manor doesn’t have just Girl Ning as its only young lady!”

Yan Lin didn’t understand, “But I only look at her.”

Jiang Boyou was so angry his beard bristled, “In any case, you’re not permitted to climb this wall anymore. You’re the dignified heir of a marquis manor—if you have business, come through the front gate or have your subordinates pass a message. I won’t say anything. But like this, what kind of propriety is it!”

Yan Lin was already familiar with Jiang Boyou. With a turn of his wrist, he flipped that long sword, completely unafraid, and made a joke, “Lord Jiang needn’t be angry. Isn’t this wall built precisely for people to climb? If you find it disagreeable, just build this courtyard wall higher later—it’ll be perfect for this junior to practice his skills.”

Jiang Boyou was momentarily speechless with frustration.

But Yan Lin saw that it was already getting late. Though he still wanted to look at Jiang Xuening a while longer, he did indeed need to return home to pay respects to his parents. So he looked back at her and said, “I’ll leave first today. I’ll come see you another day.”

Jiang Xuening nodded.

Yan Lin then braced his hand, leaped from atop the wall blooming with cotton roses, and in the blink of an eye was on the other side of the wall, vanishing without a trace.

Only Jiang Boyou was left behind, glaring angrily.

Seeing this, Jiang Xuening smiled. For some reason, she felt her mood had improved considerably. She simply bowed to Jiang Boyou, then turned to return to her quarters.

She could only hear Jiang Boyou muttering behind her, “What kind of situation is this!”

When Jiang Xuening returned to her quarters, Tang’er had already been waiting for quite a while. Seeing her, she said, “Following Miss’s instructions earlier, I went to find Lord Zhou. When Lord Zhou heard it was you looking for him, he waited outside. But you were summoned by Madam, and when you didn’t return for a while, Lord Zhou had some matter come up and couldn’t wait, so he left. However, he left a message for you, saying that if Miss has matters and it’s inconvenient at the manor, if you don’t mind condescending to visit, you could also seek him at the alley on the diagonal street. He definitely wouldn’t dare neglect Miss.”

It was already this late when she returned—Jiang Xuening hadn’t expected to be able to see Zhou Yinzhi anyway.

But at least the other party had left a message.

Looking at events from her previous life, during this period Zhou Yinzhi was desperately trying to attach himself to Yan Lin by every means possible, so he probably very much wanted to see her as well.

She simply said “I know” and planned to find a convenient time to go out without drawing attention, then go find Zhou Yinzhi for a talk. She then sat down on the kang by the window.

As she reached out to pick up her tea, she suddenly noticed there was an invitation on the table.

Jiang Xuening raised her brows slightly and picked it up, “What’s this?”

Earlier, when Tang’er had been pulled into the quarters by the startled and flustered Lian’er, she had actually been holding this invitation in her hand. But with the subsequent tasks of attending to Jiang Xuening’s bath, tea, and other matters, she had nearly forgotten it. Seeing this now, she quickly remembered and said, “It’s an invitation sent by several young ladies from the Qingyuan Earl’s Manor, inviting Miss to view chrysanthemums at their manor on the Double Ninth day. The invitation only arrived at the manor this morning. This servant wanted to tell you earlier, but got delayed and nearly forgot.”

“Qingyuan Earl’s Manor?”

Jiang Xuening’s eyelids suddenly jumped.

“The Qingyuan Earl You Manor?”

Seeing her reaction, Tang’er felt somewhat surprised, but didn’t know why she was reacting this way, so she said, “It is the You Manor. The Qingyuan Earl’s Manor can’t be considered any prestigious family in the capital. The inherited title has declined with each successive generation. Though the two young ladies in the manor are skilled with flowers and plants, this invitation coincides with the Chengguo Duke’s Manor’s invitation to view chrysanthemums. Those in the capital who receive invitations from the Chengguo Duke’s Manor probably won’t go to the Qingyuan Earl’s Manor. The person who came just now said the Chengguo Duke’s Manor’s invitation was also delivered to Madam’s side. Presumably she wants to take you and the First Miss together. This Earl’s Manor invitation—Miss truly needn’t pay it any mind.”

Needn’t pay it any mind?

How could she not pay it mind!

The Qingyuan Earl You Manor.

The You Fangyin she had known in her previous life was the concubine-born young miss of the Earl’s Manor. In others’ mouths, she was someone whose “temperament changed drastically after falling into water.” She eventually went into commerce and became the wealthiest person in Jiangning, the most prosperous place in the Great Qian.

But this falling into water had happened precisely on the day of viewing chrysanthemums at the Qingyuan Earl’s Manor on the Double Ninth Festival!

In other words, the You Fangyin who would later have merchant businesses throughout the realm and be extremely wealthy had not yet fallen into water, nor had she truly come into this world!

The current You Fangyin at the Qingyuan Earl’s Manor was not the same person as the You Fangyin she had befriended in her previous life or wanted to befriend again in this life.

You Fangyin had said she had “transmigrated.”

At that time, Jiang Xuening hadn’t understood these words. She only understood her saying that she came from a distant place she could never return to, and wasn’t originally from here.

But after her rebirth, she could vaguely understand what You Fangyin meant.

You Fangyin was ultimately lonely. Others only knew her actions were different from those around her and considered her unconventional and audaciously reckless, but only she herself knew that she was different from the people around her.

Perhaps not even from the same “world.”

In Jiang Xuening’s understanding, the word “world” was one Buddhism liked to use, but You Fangyin always seemed to prefer using it instead of the words “all under heaven.”

At this moment, looking at this invitation in her hands with its extremely refined floral patterns, the faint smile that had been on Jiang Xuening’s face gradually disappeared bit by bit.

Yet another choice was placed before her.

If You Fangyin came to this realm in this life as she had in the previous life, she might be one of the few people who could understand her. After all, in her previous life during those days of confinement, they had become confidantes who talked about everything, proving she truly was compatible with You Fangyin. With You Fangyin’s capabilities, combined with her advantage of foreknowledge from being reborn, if the two cooperated—as long as they were careful and cautious in the early stages and managed things well—they might not be unable to contend with Xie Wei.

To use You Fangyin’s words—

She would become Jiang Xuening’s “golden benefactor.”

But unfortunately, Jiang Xuening also knew that in her bones, You Fangyin detested this world.

That night, lying beneath the gauze bed curtains, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Memories from her previous life surged through her mind.

The moment she closed her eyes, in her hazy dreams, she was back in those days when she had been trapped in Kunning Palace, playing chess with You Fangyin, drinking wine, playing leaf cards, and speaking truthfully.

One moment it was when she wore plain cloth garments and threw the shelves full of classics and histories into the brazier with exhilarating satisfaction.

One moment it was when she walked barefoot on the ground, humming those songs she had never heard before in the cool of night with casual freedom.

Then again it was when she was drunk, holding a wine flask, sitting on the window sill, gazing forlornly at the full moon beyond the palace walls with lonely desolation…

You Fangyin reclined on the couch saying, “Your Majesty, I come from afar, from an era much better than this one. I am outside the game, you are within it. I never thought there was anything wrong with a woman having ambition. If you wanted to be Empress, so what? You didn’t do anything unconscionable. What’s wrong is not you—it’s this world!”

You Fangyin raised her wine cup with a light sneer, “Pitiful, laughable!”

You Fangyin also pointed at the round moon on the horizon saying, “Others see me as extremely wealthy, with nothing in the world my money can’t buy. But when I look at myself, I’m just a pitiful creature. A free heart, yet trapped in a prison, unable to escape from suffering. Your Majesty, do you know—in that world, there are also friends who miss me, also parents waiting for my filial devotion…”

Those words, one by one, gradually became choked with emotion in Jiang Xuening’s dreams, completely saturated with tears.

The whole night passed without sleep.

When Jiang Xuening rose early the next morning, her eyes were crawling with faint bloodshot threads, revealing a kind of confusion that even she found difficult to grasp.

She desperately needed You Fangyin.

But at the same time, rebirth had given her the opportunity to change this confidante’s fate.

Tang’er saw her appearance and was extremely worried.

But Jiang Xuening only asked, “Is the invitation from the Qingyuan Earl’s Manor still here?”

Tang’er said carefully, “It’s still here. Do you want to go?”

Jiang Xuening blinked. After a long while, she said, “Go.”

She must go.

But after going, what should she do?

She didn’t know.