He had just spoken of telling Imperial Physician Wen to stop formulating the aromatic incense, and already he’d taken it back.

Ye Jian tilted his chin upward, the corner of his lips curving slightly. “Ye Chen, Prince Xuan’s palace will never be short of excitement in the days ahead.”

Ye Chen raised his eyebrows in a not-quite-proper way. “Aren’t you just stating the obvious? The Prince Xuan’s palace is already plenty lively right now — everyone scrambling to compete for His Majesty Prince Xuan’s attention.”

Competing to bear the next prince.

He had even heard the Princess Consort of Xuanzhao mention it once — when His Highness was small, all those ladies of the inner court had, in hopes of conceiving a son, vied to hold the young prince, but none of them could ever wrest him away from His Majesty Prince Xuan.

Even the Princess Consort of Xuanzhao herself — Prince Xuan wouldn’t let even her hold the child. He handled court affairs with the young prince kept directly in his line of sight at all times, and when the prince was a little bigger, he simply took him along to morning court, cradling him in his arms throughout.

Wasn’t that lively enough?

When had the Prince Xuan’s palace ever lacked for excitement?

Ye Jian: “……”

Was that what he had meant?

What he meant was — after His Highness and Second Miss Yan were wed, if they quarreled and went sleeping in each other’s rooms in the palace, that would be something worth watching.

“His Highness… His Highness is back.” Ye Chen’s brow gave a slight jump. “His complexion doesn’t look too good — what if he sends Second Miss Yan packing?”

Ye Jian touched his tongue to the corner of his mouth. “He’ll send you packing.”

Ye Chen: “……”

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been sent packing before.

Xuan Yanyu pushed open the wooden door. His gaze fell upon the bed, and the light in his eyes visibly softened.

The man walked slowly to the bedside and gently lifted the edge of the thin blanket.

“Why did you come back?” Yan Yunning lay with her eyes closed. After a pause of several seconds, she continued, “Xuan Yanyu, if you go silent on me one more time, I’ll stop speaking to you too, forever.”

Xuan Yanyu lay down on his side beside her, his thumb tracing gently along her cheek.

Yan Yunning opened her eyes and looked directly into the man’s dark gaze. His eyes were very dim — it was clear he had not yet let go of his anger.

Growing up, he had always had whatever he wanted. The one person who dared to defy him time and again — of course he was furious.

Yan Yunning leaned slightly closer and pressed her fingertip to his cheek. “Xuan Yanyu, I really dislike it when you go silent on me the moment you’re angry.”

“If you keep doing this in the future……”

Hearing the man’s breath grow steadily warmer, Yan Yunning swallowed the words she’d been about to say and quietly inched back.

The young woman was so close, carrying a faint sweetness. Xuan Yanyu’s heartbeat began to quicken. Unable to resist, he pulled her into his arms, pressed his hand to the back of her head, tilted his face slightly, and kissed her.

Yan Yunning startled. Hadn’t he just been refusing to speak to her? The man took her hand and guided it up to wrap around his neck.

In the moment she was still dazed, a tender kiss fell on the tip of her nose.

“Xuan… Xuan Yanyu.” Yan Yunning pushed him away, pulled the thin blanket up to shield her face, leaving only a pair of eyes peering out through a light haze.

Xuan Yanyu’s throat moved twice. His voice came out low and slightly breathless. “Why won’t you marry me?”

“Marry you, marry you.” Yan Yunning went along with what he wanted.

The air paused for an instant. Xuan Yanyu, who had been waiting for her to say something of her own accord, watched in plain sight as the young woman closed her eyes.

The man silently clenched his jaw. Little deceiver — she’s just humoring him.

……

The following day. Third Prince’s Estate.

The banquet, held by imperial decree of Emperor Qi, drew not only young ladies from every household but a considerable number of male guests as well.

From the gate to the main hall, dark red carpet stretched the length of the path. Jiang Jin sat in a rosewood chair, surrounded by a ring of noble young ladies from distinguished families.

“Brother, go — go ask Qi Qingchen why he walked off without paying yesterday.” Yan Yunning smiled mischievously.

Yan Zhiyi flicked his finger against her forehead, though a smile played at the corners of his lips. “Why don’t you go? With this many people present, if I go and demand money from the Third Highness, it would be putting him to shame publicly. Do you want your brother dead?”

“Not at all.” Yan Yunning drew her lips into a slight pout. “Brother, you really are terribly stingy!”

Yan Zhiyi curved his lips in a smile. “What’s this? Did you ask me for money yesterday?”

Yan Yunning clicked her tongue. “I was asking for money to hire a carriage to send you home, and you were that tight-fisted about it.”

Yan Zhiyi gave a light cough and, with a glance at Yan Shiyao standing to his side, said in a drawn-out tone, “For that, you’d have to ask your A’Jie.”

Yan Shiyao dropped her head guiltily.

Yan Yunning leaned around Yan Zhiyi to peer at Yan Shiyao, genuinely curious about how her A’Jie had managed to turn their brother into someone who hoarded his money the moment he had a drop to drink.

Feeling the gaze on her, Yan Shiyao slowly turned her face away toward somewhere else.

Yan Yunning: “……?”

“Yaoyao, you and Ningning go find your seats. This brother will go exchange a few words of courtesy with the Third Prince.” Yan Zhiyi gave them a careful reminder as he turned to leave. “Yaoyao, once you’re seated, don’t wander about — do you understand?”

Yan Shiyao nodded.

No sooner had Yan Zhiyi gone than Yan Shiyao shook Yan Yunning’s arm. “Ningning, let’s go over and pay our respects to Side Consort Jin.”

She wanted to see what Brother Qi’s side consort looked like.

“Don’t.” Yan Yunning pulled her arm free and said earnestly, “A’Jie, Brother told you to stay seated and not wander. Why not wait here quietly for the banquet to begin? Wouldn’t that be better?”

Yan Shiyao’s gaze drifted involuntarily toward Jiang Jin, who sat surrounded in the center of the hall. Her lashes gave a light flutter. “Ningning, look — everyone else is going over. If we don’t, people will say the Chancellor’s estate has no manners.”

Yan Yunning’s brow creased.

“Forget it — you stay here. A’Jie will go on her own.” Yan Shiyao pressed down the sadness welling in her chest and turned to walk in Jiang Jin’s direction.

Yan Yunning opened her mouth.

Yan Shiyao arrived before Jiang Jin, let out a slow breath, pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile, and dipped into a curtsy.

“Your servant girl pays her respects to Side Consort Jin.”

Jiang Jin seemed not to hear her at all and was already laughing as she took hold of the Minister of Revenue’s legitimate daughter Mu Xi’s arm. “First Miss Mu, the banquet is about to begin — shall we go take our seats?”

“Of course.” Mu Xi helped Jiang Jin up and cast a dismissive sidelong glance at Yan Shiyao.

This troublesome woman. No wonder she was friends with Mu Cheng, who was a concubine-born daughter — birds of a feather. Both equally foolish, both equally witless.

Yan Yunning had barely settled into her seat when she noticed a girl in a pink gown — strikingly pretty — sit down beside her.

Mu Xi tilted her head and studied Yan Yunning. A pale blue dress, a face of radiant beauty, a graceful figure, and drifting from her a faint, pleasant sweetness — this troublesome woman’s younger sister was quite good-looking.

Though who knew if she was the same as the troublesome one. Probably so, given that they were both the Chancellor’s wife’s daughters.

Yan Yunning met the girl’s appraising gaze and gave her a cheerful blink.

Mu Xi’s fair, soft cheeks flushed pink.

She’d been caught — it was rather rude to stare so openly at someone.

Yan Yunning looked away and lifted her teacup, sipping it idly.

Mu Xi pouted and, without drawing attention to herself, shifted her seat slightly closer to Yan Yunning.

Yan Yunning slowly dragged her wooden chair away, creating distance.

[Fafa, who is this person???]

Being stared at was one thing, but now she was sneaking closer as well.

Fafa: [Master, do you remember when you first arrived at the Chancellor’s estate, and Yan Shiyao said she’d made plans with Mu Cheng to go out and asked you along, and you said you wanted to go and happen upon the male lead?]

[I do.] Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow.

She’d even ended up hugging the wrong person — nearly throwing herself at Xuan Yanyu.

Fafa: [This is Mu Cheng’s elder sister, the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Mu Xi. She once hired people to beat Yan Shiyao — the whole thing started because Yan Shiyao, incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, took Mu Cheng’s side. Yan Shiyao was beaten half to death, and if Xuan Yanyu hadn’t rescued her, your A’Jie would have…tsk tsk…]

Yan Yunning: [……]

Someone who had a grievance with her A’Jie — she needed to keep her distance.