“What did I mean?” Qiao Mu furrowed her brows, her smile a little strained.

She lifted her eyes to glance at Feng Jiu’er, as if to say: I should have known better than to joke with him.

Feng Jiu’er, however, curved her lips and gave her a meaningful look.

Qiao Mu stared at her and couldn’t make anything of it. She pulled her gaze back to Zhao Zhuosheng. “There’s really nothing to it. Look at those three.”

“And it’s not just them — there’s also Xing Zizhou and Xiao Yingtao, flaunting their affection right in front of me every single day.”

“I’ve long grown used to it. So there’s no need for you to consider my feelings and ladle soup especially for me.”

“Flaunting their affection?” Zhao Zhuosheng raised the corners of his mouth slightly, his expression taking on a note of cheerfulness.

“Mm.” Qiao Mu spooned herself a bowl of rice and helped herself to a piece of meat. “Flaunting — meaning showing off. Jiu’er said so herself.”

With that remark tossed out, she placed the meat in her mouth and looked at Zhao Zhuosheng, giving a small wave of the chopsticks in her hand.

Zhao Zhuosheng smiled, brought his gaze back, and picked up a bowl of rice as well.

One does not speak while eating or while sleeping — and these were people who had gone hungry for several hours. Once they began eating, no one said another word.

After the midday meal, the maid cleared the table, and Zhao Yusheng spread out over the tabletop the various records and maps he had compiled during the night.

For the most part, it was he who spoke while the others listened. Feng Jiu’er occasionally asked a question or two; Zhao Zhuosheng offered a suggestion here and there.

Feng Jiu’er’s bird’s nest was quickly finished. Qiao Mu sat to one side, leisurely savoring her second serving.

As Zhao Yusheng was in the middle of doing calculations, the side chamber fell quiet.

Feng Jiu’er glanced across at Qiao Mu and raised an eyebrow. “Miss Qiao, aren’t you worried about putting on weight?”

Qiao Mu furrowed her brows and spooned a mouthful of bird’s nest into her mouth.

“Zhao Yusheng is treating us — of course I’m not going to hold back. Besides, we have money now, so naturally we ought to eat and drink well.”

She set down her spoon and reached up to feel her own cheek.

“I wonder — could it be that because I’m a few years older than the rest of you, I’m becoming less attractive? If that’s the case, I should be eating even more of this sort of thing.”

Qiao Mu shot Feng Jiu’er a glance and picked up her spoon again.

“You are very beautiful.” A male voice suddenly rang out.

It did not sound like flattery at all. It carried the tone of a heartfelt declaration.

Qiao Mu and Feng Jiu’er’s gazes instantly fell on the man who had spoken. The look in each woman’s eyes carried its own distinct quality.

Qiao Mu looked at Zhao Zhuosheng and gave a light cough. “My apologies! We’re used to being like this when we’re together — always joking around. Please don’t take it personally.”

“Miss Qiao and Miss Feng haven’t treated me as an outsider at all. Why should I mind?”

“Zhao Yusheng, surely your sworn brother hasn’t fallen for Qiao Mu? I’ve noticed he’s been rather attentive toward our Qiao Mu these past two days.”

Zhao Yusheng had just set down his brush when he was caught off guard by Feng Jiu’er’s words.

“This…” Zhao Yusheng looked from Feng Jiu’er to Zhao Zhuosheng, his thick brows drawing together slightly.

Before he could speak, Zhao Zhuosheng’s voice rose: “I do indeed greatly admire Miss Qiao.”

“From the very first moment I saw her by the mountain stream, my gaze was drawn to her and difficult to pull away.”

“However, we have not known each other for very long. Were I to rashly raise the matter of a proposal, I would worry that Miss Qiao might think me impetuous. So…”

“Ahem…” Qiao Mu set down her spoon and immediately raised the cloth napkin to cover her mouth.

What Zhao Zhuosheng meant by “admire” had already exceeded Qiao Mu’s expectations — who could have anticipated that this perfectly composed, serious man would come right out and mention a marriage proposal?

“Miss Qiao, are you alright?” Zhao Zhuosheng reached out a hand, intending to pat her on the back.

But the hand he had extended stopped midway between them and advanced no further.

“Don’t…” Qiao Mu looked at his outstretched hand and drew back slightly.

Feng Jiu’er watched the two people sitting across from her, momentarily unable to process what was happening.

She had only meant to tease them a little. If Zhao Zhuosheng truly turned out to be a decent and upright gentleman, she wouldn’t mind playing matchmaker.

But she had never imagined that the man would simply come straight out and say it.

Zhao Yusheng looked at the two beside him, and it took him quite a while to come to terms with what had just unfolded.

“Sworn brother, you’re… not joking, are you?”

Zhao Zhuosheng turned to look at Zhao Yusheng, his brow furrowing slightly.

He pulled his gaze from Zhao Yusheng, picked up the teapot, and stood, pouring tea for the people across the table.

“When have you ever seen me joke?”

“That’s true, I haven’t.” Zhao Yusheng shook his head. “But over all these years, Father has introduced more women to you than to me. There are more women in Zhao Family Village who favor you than favor me.”

“You always said you hadn’t given marriage any thought — yet now…”

Zhao Yusheng looked at Qiao Mu and found he could not finish the sentence.

Qiao Mu shot him a look, her brows drawing together. “Zhao Yusheng, what exactly do you mean by that? Are you saying I stand no chance at all compared to those other women?”

“No, that is absolutely not what I meant.” Zhao Yusheng shook his head vigorously, looking very much like a man afraid of being struck.

“As long as that’s not what you mean!” Qiao Mu gave him a withering look and turned her gaze away.

Zhao Zhuosheng topped up everyone’s cups, then sat back down.

He looked at Zhao Yusheng and said quietly, “The same could be said of you — why have you always refused to marry?”

“I haven’t met someone I like. What’s the point of marrying?” When Zhao Yusheng said this, his eyes drifted involuntarily to Feng Jiu’er for a brief moment, and the color in his face deepened noticeably.

Zhao Zhuosheng picked up his own cup, a poorly concealed delight spreading across his expression. “I too believe in such a thing as fate.”

He turned his head toward Qiao Mu, his smile still in place, but his eyes carrying an unusual certainty.

“From the day I first laid eyes on Miss Qiao, I knew — she is the woman destined to be my wife in this lifetime.”

Zhao Zhuosheng gave a quiet smile, raised his cup toward Qiao Mu in a small gesture of tribute, tilted his head, and drained it in one go.

Qiao Mu looked at him, gave another quiet cough, and turned her gaze away.

Feng Jiu’er stared at Zhao Zhuosheng for a moment, then looked back at Zhao Yusheng with a raised eyebrow. “Zhao Yusheng, are you sure your sworn brother isn’t someone who has been through countless women?”

“Of course not.” Zhao Yusheng shook his head. “Honestly, this side of him — I’m seeing it for the first time myself.”

Zhao Zhuosheng made no attempt to defend himself against Feng Jiu’er’s skepticism.

He picked up the teapot once more and refilled his own cup.

Zhao Zhuosheng held the cup in hand and glanced at Feng Jiu’er before letting his gaze settle on Qiao Mu.

“I know that saying something like this at a moment like this is rather forward. But since Miss Feng has asked, I won’t conceal it. I hope no one takes offense.”

“Miss Qiao, I use tea in place of wine to offer you an apology. I hope my words have not unsettled your mood.”

With those words, Zhao Zhuosheng raised his cup and once again drained it dry.

Qiao Mu gave Zhao Zhuosheng a look, hugged her precious bird’s nest close, turned sideways, and put her back to him.

“Your business is not going to affect this young lady’s mood in the slightest. You are thinking far too much!”