Zhou Tingchuan was about to cry.

Usually, when he came to villages to distribute items, he only needed to keep some accounts, which was quite relaxed. Who would have thought that on this trip, not only were his legs nearly walked off, but his arms were also so tired he couldn’t lift them.

On the way back, he lay beside Ruyi groaning continuously: “I can’t go on living, oh dear, I can’t go on living.”

Ruyi was amused by him and laughed: “Young lord, Heye is still watching you.”

Heye was using her fingertip to dip water while learning to write characters with Shen Qiyuan, and her gaze at him held some incredulity – such a grown man, yet he could still roll around acting spoiled?

Zhou Tingchuan glared in anger: “Little girl, the steamed buns you ate earlier were bought by me.”

Shrinking her head back, Heye looked toward Shen Qiyuan.

Shen Qiyuan sat to the side, speaking to her with a serious expression: “When you grow up, if you seek a husband, you must never seek this kind who’s frail as a willow in the wind. If anything happens, he’ll only hide behind you.”

Heye didn’t understand but still nodded.

Zhou Tingchuan sat up with a jolt, drooping his eyebrows and tugging at Ruyi’s sleeve: “Miss Liu, am I truly that pathetic?”

Ruyi turned her face over, hooking her lips and propping her cheek, speaking with slight wickedness: “How could that be? I particularly like the way the young lord hides behind me.”

Timid and yielding, he looked soft and delectable.

Shen Qiyuan’s eyelid twitched.

Zhou Tingchuan thought she was just speaking casually, but he knew this person was serious – she truly liked people to act spoiled and submissive with her, preferably someone innocent and adorable for her to tease and toy with.

At this moment, the way this person looked at Zhou Tingchuan carried the excitement of a hunting hawk catching a rabbit.

Zhou Tingchuan remained completely unaware, still smiling and saying: “Miss Liu is the best.”

Shen Qiyuan remained silent for a long while, then suddenly let out a muffled groan.

Ruyi looked up at him: “Does my lord’s shoulder still hurt? Didn’t we apply some wild medicinal herbs earlier?”

“My lord is injured?” Zhou Tingchuan also looked over, finding it quite curious. “In the past, when you were hurt, didn’t you recover quite quickly?”

Shen Qiyuan didn’t respond, but his lips were visibly pale. His head lightly rested against the windowsill, his jaw’s arc sharp as if carved. Autumn sunlight shone in from outside the window, making his entire person appear transparent as if he were about to ascend and transform.

Ruyi instinctively reached out and grasped his wrist.

He looked at her sideways, his eyes shimmering with light, containing some resentment yet also a trace of ethereal attachment.

This gaze, paired with this face – who could see it without their cheeks flushing and heart pounding? Even Ruyi couldn’t maintain her composure.

Although the young lord was also fresh and delectable, Shen Qiyuan was truly incomparably handsome with no equal in the world. Before such absolute beauty’s overwhelming presence, whether someone was soft or not seemed less important.

However, a moment later, she still calmed down.

If Shen Qiyuan were an ordinary person, she would have snatched him back without a second word. But this person was a celestial deity of the mortal realm – ageless, deathless, unhurtable, indestructible – yet here he was pretending to be fragile and using beauty tricks on her?

There was a conspiracy.

Increasing the force in her hand, she narrowed her eyes: “Yanning’s medical skills are quite good. When we return to the inn later, my lord must have a thorough examination.”

He lowered his eyes, appearing somewhat dejected as he struggled free from her grip: “I understand.”

Now he was acting aggrieved?

Ruyi observed his demeanor, snorted with laughter, and simply had Heye carry the small table to sit with Zhou Tingchuan while she switched to his side, then pulled him into her embrace in one motion.

Little Heye and Zhou Tingchuan both drew in sharp breaths.

Hair strands flew up in the air and then fell. Shen Qiyuan came to his senses in bewilderment, discovering his head was already resting on her shoulder. She had one leg bent, wrist lightly resting on her knee, one hand half-embracing him while lightly pinching his chin like a mountain bandit leader.

His face darkened considerably as Shen Qiyuan pushed her away and sat up.

Ruyi raised an eyebrow: “Now it doesn’t hurt anymore?”

He said through gritted teeth: “You’re simply corrupting the younger generation.”

What proper lady behaved like her? What if Heye learned this behavior?

She didn’t feel embarrassed in the slightest, only looking at him with a smile: “Other things are all delicate and touching, but my lord’s stubborn appearance is much more interesting.”

“Liu Ruyi.”

“Ai, don’t be angry. I was just speaking casually – they won’t go out gossiping anyway.” Ruyi blinked innocently. “I obediently listened to my lord’s words and walked through more than ten villages distributing items. My lord surely can’t give me any benefit at all.”

So the benefit was teasing him?

Shen Qiyuan was furious and frustrated, yet didn’t want her to go sit with Zhou Tingchuan again, so he simply shut his mouth and stopped talking.

Zhou Tingchuan had never seen my lord in such a state! The young ladies of Lin’an City who saw him were all proper and bashful with contained shyness – only Miss Liu could make him angry and embarrassed in reverse.

Did my lord like Miss Liu? He thought about it and felt it impossible – my lord simply wasn’t someone who liked feminine beauty.

Did Miss Liu like my lord? He thought about it and also felt it unlikely – Miss Liu was more gentle with him than with my lord.

So these two were probably just playing around for fun.

Lightly punching his palm with his fist, Zhou Tingchuan felt he had achieved enlightenment.

The horse carriage returned to the city with several empty carriages following behind. When they were about to reach the city gate, Shen Qiyuan stopped by the roadside and waited for a moment.

“My lord.” A Purple Hat arrived as arranged. “These past two days, this subordinate has been near the Grand Preceptor’s manor, making records of the comings and goings of people in the household. Please review them, my lord.”

Shen Qiyuan nodded and took those two sheets of paper. After a glance, he shook his head: “Truly overly suspicious.”

When Liu Ruyi ran away from the manor, he could have sent people to search for a few more days. Lin’an City was only so big – within ten days to half a month, they would surely find some trace. But Grand Preceptor Liu instinctively felt that Ningyuan Marquis was opposing him, so he only sent people to search for one day. When they couldn’t find her, he restrained his actions and prepared follow-up moves.

He hadn’t even sent people to keep watch near Liu Ruyi’s shop.

Seeing his expression of disappointment that iron couldn’t become steel, Ruyi knew her plan had mostly succeeded and couldn’t help but smile: “Does my lord think everyone in this world is as deviously cunning as you?”

“?” He turned to look at her.

“I mean, resourceful and strategic.” She cupped her hands in correction.

Grand Preceptor Liu had a stubborn, self-willed yet very cautious nature. With preconceived impressions, he wouldn’t be willing to do useless work. Now he was probably starting to trouble Ningyuan Marquis, wanting to force him to come forward first and state his own conditions.

And the completely unknowing Ningyuan Marquis would only feel that Grand Preceptor Liu was targeting him for no reason. With the assassination incident beforehand, he would not take the initiative to go to the Grand Preceptor’s manor now.

The two were like needle points meeting wheat awns – both would surely suffer losses. But this degree wasn’t quite enough yet.

Ruyi half-closed her eyes and touched her chin.

Little Heye was settled at the Immortal Meeting Inn, and Zhou Tingchuan returned to the Ministry of Justice to report.

Shen Qiyuan stood at the alley entrance and suddenly said, “You and I can now be considered acquainted. If there are any matters in the future, you might as well tell me first.”

Ruyi stood shoulder to shoulder with him, looking at the evening glow on the horizon, responding carelessly: “Alright.”