Zhou Weizhao still sat steadily in the hidden pavilion. The three-tiered lotus-leaf patterned fruit platter gleamed under the dusky yellow glow of the evening twilight, making even the cherries and strawberries arranged on it appear especially lovely and enticing.

Ye Jingchuan sat across from him, occasionally standing up to listen to the movements outside. When he turned back and saw Zhou Weizhao watching him with a half-smile, he felt irritation welling up from nowhere: “What are you looking at?! Have you never seen someone curious before? I’m just worried that Han Zhi might suddenly decide on a whim to come here, and then you’d have to fight with that fine younger brother of yours!”

By the end of his outburst, he was somewhat flustered and exasperated, as if he’d done something shameful and been caught red-handed by Zhou Weizhao. But the thing was, he hadn’t done anything shameful at all, nor had he done anything wrong for Zhou Weizhao to catch him at.

He just felt that Zhou Weizhao had probably discovered his hidden thoughts—that he was indeed unusually concerned about Song Chuyi. He himself hadn’t noticed anything strange about it unconsciously, but after his mother Qi Shi and his elder sister-in-law Princess Rongcheng had teased him about it a few days ago when he returned home, he began to feel vaguely uncomfortable about it in his heart.

They say that when a gentleman sees a fair maiden, he naturally seeks her. But when he first met Song Chuyi, she had clearly been just an eight or nine-year-old little girl. Although she was much cleverer than the average eight or nine-year-old girl, in his eyes she was no different from a radish or a cabbage. How could he have fallen for Song Chuyi? He shook his shoulders, feeling goosebumps falling all over the floor.

Before Zhou Weizhao could speak, sounds came from outside. Qing Zhuo entered first and bowed, then ushered Song Chuyi through the door.

Today Song Chuyi wore a white jacket with gold patterns all over it in a front-opening style. Below was a simple white silk skirt embroidered with orchids, with an orchid-colored silk cord at her waist, accompanied by a jade disc hanging down that swayed naturally with her movements even without wind.

Upon entering, she first saw Ye Jingchuan. Seeing him suddenly step back, she didn’t react for a moment. After a long pause, her face showed confusion as she looked toward Zhou Weizhao.

Zhou Weizhao coughed into his hand and had them all sit down, then asked her: “Have you arranged everything with everyone?”

Speaking of which, she really had to thank Zhou Weizhao for his thoroughness. Although Lai Chenglong’s men had helped rescue Ma Wangkun, they didn’t care about how to settle him afterward. Moreover, Ma Wangkun’s injuries were too severe to be moved, so they had no choice but to trouble Zhou Weizhao again.

The awkwardness dissipated somewhat, and Ye Jingchuan also eagerly spoke up: “That’s right, how is that person doing? When he was brought over, I took a glance and the situation seemed quite serious. It looks like Han Zhi really used lethal force.”

She’d heard that Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi had grown up together since childhood, and furthermore their mothers were blood sisters. Considering they were raised in the same environment, one could imagine what kind of person Zhou Weiqi was. Song Chuyi glanced at Zhou Weizhao and saw his expression was indifferent. Guessing he was used to it, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat dazed.

She could absolutely never stand on the same side as Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi. These people of high status somehow all had a peculiar problem—they were self-righteous and thought too highly of themselves. When they wanted to win people over, they never knew how to be conciliatory or humble. Instead, they thoroughly investigated people inside and out, enjoying holding people’s weaknesses over them while lecturing them condescendingly, making others cling to them and beg them to allow themselves to serve them.

But Song Chuyi particularly disliked being treated like a lapdog. At least Prince Duan had initially known to use some soft approaches to facilitate things, but Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi had immediately tried to take Song Chuning away, and through Song Chuning they had thoroughly investigated everything about her, even making a big fuss about matters from her previous life. They were determined to force her to kneel before them begging and crying for mercy.

In her previous life, confused and unlucky as she had been, she still wasn’t someone who accepted fate, let alone in this life when she had already been completely reborn.

And tearing apart relations with Han Zhi meant tearing apart relations with Zhou Weiqi. She certainly couldn’t possibly gain any benefits from Han Zhi and Zhou Weiqi anymore, so she could only take a different path.

She carefully examined Zhou Weizhao, this Crown Prince’s grandson who should have died long ago but was now still living well. Although at the Crown Prince’s court he had to share equal standing with Zhou Weiqi, before the Emperor he was truly a treasured grandson.

Now that things had come to this point, she really needed to think carefully about whether or not to place her hopes on someone whose future was uncertain.

She turned over ten thousand thoughts in her heart, but to Ye Jingchuan and Zhou Weizhao, it seemed only a brief moment.

Zhou Weizhao reached out and pushed the bamboo cup toward her: “Is something wrong with the person?”

Song Chuyi came back to her senses and sighed: “The physician says we must do our best and leave the rest to fate. The situation isn’t very good. He’ll need to recuperate here for a while.”

She didn’t ask the pointless question of whether this place was safe. If it wasn’t safe, Zhou Weizhao wouldn’t possibly be staying here. But she still couldn’t help being startled by Zhou Weizhao’s foresight—she remembered Zhou Weizhao had once mentioned that this household had been living here for a full ten-plus years. Did that mean this residence had been Zhou Weizhao’s since over ten years ago?

What was even more coincidental was that it just happened to be right next door to the residence she had her eye on?

Once or twice could be coincidence, three or four times could barely be called intentional, but five, six, or even more coincidences could absolutely not be coincidence.

She looked at Zhou Weizhao with a slightly scrutinizing gaze: “Last time was too rushed and I didn’t get to ask—Your Highness, you really know how to choose locations. How is it so coincidental that you were just able to save both me and Ma Wangkun?”

“Your memory isn’t very good.” Zhou Weizhao didn’t even raise an eyebrow: “You asked me this question last time, and I already told you—it’s natural that I would pay attention to Han Zhi. However, there’s one thing I’ll admit to you: when Qing Yīng came out to look at residences back then, I did put in a little effort, slightly guiding things so she would buy the residence next door.”

This explanation made Song Chuyi feel somewhat better. She smiled and nodded slightly: “If Your Highness is willing to say so, I feel much more at ease. I need to trouble Your Highness with one more matter.”

Zhou Weizhao seemed to already know what she wanted to ask of him. He looked at Song Chuyi and smiled slightly: “You certainly know how to strike while the iron is hot. Since I’ve already helped, how could I not help to the end? Go ahead and tell me.”

Ye Jingchuan hadn’t been able to get a word in edgewise and felt quite dejected as he lowered his head. He always felt that Zhou Weizhao was different from himself. Zhou Weizhao never seemed to need to guess Song Chuyi’s thoughts—it was always Song Chuyi who came to seek his help on her own.

Much of what they said and the many subtle points they made left him completely confused and lost.

This difference was really quite terrible. He thought of Princess Rongcheng and his mother’s teasing of him, and his heart trembled with a start.