Pei Xiao looked up at the tea leaf remnants hanging on his forehead and exploded in fury. “Xie Fifty, are you three years old? Spraying tea water all over my face!”

Spray you? What about it?

This young master still wants to splash your face!

Xie Fifty threw down his teacup, took the damp cloth Ding Yi handed him, wiped his mouth and hands, then sneered, “Why would you even need a matchmaker? Just go straight to the wedding chamber!”

“Am I the kind of person without rules or propriety?”

Pei Xiao took the cloth Zhu Qing offered, wiping while shouting at Xie Fifty. “Be careful or the Divine Lady Yan will find out and beat lumps all over your head!”

It’s you she’ll beat!

Xie Zhifei was too lazy to waste words with this person. His gaze slanted to see Ding Yi still standing before him, and he barked angrily, “What are you standing there for? Where’s this young master’s fan? Tea? Fruit?”

Ding Yi: “…”

“Not a shred of insight. Did praising you a few times make you so proud you’ve forgotten how many pounds you weigh?”

Ding Yi: “…”

“Get lost, get lost, get lost!” Xie Zhifei waved his hand impatiently.

Ding Yi: “…”

Ding Yi departed feeling extremely aggrieved.

After a few steps, he suddenly turned back to cast a resentful glance at Xie Zhifei, coming to a conclusion in his heart.

This conclusion, Young Master Pei voiced for him.

“Xie Fifty, you really need to find a woman to vent your fire. Why is your temper so explosive? How about I recite a Diamond Sutra to clear your mind?”

Clear your sister!

For some reason, Xie Zhifei felt a wicked fire in his heart with nowhere to vent. Looking at Pei Xiao, nothing about him looked right—eyes weren’t eyes, nose wasn’t a nose. Unprecedentedly annoying.

“Xie Fifty, you still haven’t answered what I asked earlier.”

“Answer what?”

Xie Zhifei sneered. “In the Xie residence, no one can make decisions for the Divine Lady Yan.”

Pei Xiao frowned, muttering to himself, “Marriage is a major matter—parents’ orders, matchmaker’s words. She has neither father nor mother, and a matchmaker won’t work either. I really seem to have nowhere to start!”

Be confident—remove “the indeed it seems.”

Xie Zhifei didn’t believe the Pei family hurdle had already been crossed, so he deliberately asked, “Does your father know about this?”

Pei Xiao shook his head.

“What about your mother?”

Pei Xiao shook his head again.

“So where are your parents’ orders?”

Pei Xiao replied quite seriously, “I’ve communicated with the Buddha. The Buddha said the body moves from the heart, and the heart moves from emotion.”

Xie Zhifei: “…”

Deadly silence.

The atmosphere in the room was quiet to the point of suffocation.

To the side, Zhu Qing held his breath, trying to minimize his presence as much as possible. Lord Pei was handling this too frivolously.

“Xie Fifty, what’s with that expression?”

Pei Xiao pointed at his official robes. “I’m an official of the Bureau of Buddhist and Taoist Registry. The Buddha is my patron who provides food and clothing.”

“Ancestor!”

For some reason, Xie Zhifei’s wicked fire whooshed away, leaving only schadenfreude.

“Marriage is a major matter, not child’s play. You must first consult with your parents and obtain their consent. If they agree…”

“The daylilies will have wilted by then.”

Pei Xiao coldly interrupted him.

“Our Pei family has been physicians for generations. Our standing isn’t too high, but not low either. Me marrying a divine lady of unknown origins—do you think they’ll agree?”

“Good that you know.”

“So this is called acting first and reporting later—not leaving myself a way out, understand?”

The words sounded flippant, but his expression was completely serious.

Only then did Xie Zhifei clearly realize that the person before him wasn’t joking around—he truly wanted to marry Yan Sanhe.

Whoosh—the wicked fire flared up from his lower abdomen again.

“You’ve developed feelings for the Divine Lady Yan?”

A trace of bashfulness appeared on Pei Xiao’s face.

Xie Zhifei had been close friends with this person for nearly twenty years and had never seen anything called “bashfulness” on his face.

“Which part of her made you develop feelings?”

Pei Xiao tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Have you forgotten? She saved my life in the forest. A life-saving grace should be repaid with marriage.”

Xie Zhifei was so angry he wanted to curse.

“Hey!”

Pei Xiao’s mouth curved to one side. “What’s with that expression? This young master doesn’t repay just anyone with marriage—only her.”

Xie Zhifei: “She’s a divine lady?”

Pei Xiao: “Perfect! This young master is timid. With a divine lady guarding the house, from now on I won’t have to fear those supernatural things.”

Xie Zhifei: “With her temperament, she absolutely won’t let you take concubines.”

Pei Xiao: “Having married her, I haven’t thought about taking concubines.”

Xie Zhifei: “So devoted?”

Pei Xiao looked at him. “How should I put it? My life goal used to be helping him rise to power, then living and waiting for death with you. Now it’s changed.”

Xie Zhifei: “Changed to what?”

Pei Xiao’s brow gradually smoothed. “I want to live with her in mutual respect, have children with her, grow old together with her.”

Whoosh!

The wicked fire couldn’t be suppressed at all—it shot straight to his head, nearly shooting to the heavens.

Xie Zhifei said coldly, “Stop being so sentimental. I think you should first consider how to investigate the Zheng residence case!”

As his words fell, Ding Yi rushed in.

“Young Master, the Crown Prince has left the palace.”

Xie Zhifei stood up and asked, “How did he look?”

Ding Yi: “Expression as usual.”

Xie Zhifei: “Did he return to the Crown Prince’s residence or the separate estate?”

Ding Yi: “The Crown Prince’s residence carriages were waiting at the palace gate. As soon as the Crown Prince emerged, he was taken away.”

Xie Zhifei turned to look at Pei Xiao.

Pei Xiao suppressed the “sentimental” expression on his face. “Don’t worry. If something was really wrong, he’d notify us.”

Xie Zhifei took the opportunity to lecture, “So rein in your infatuation and emotional feelings. There’s a pile of serious business. We…”

“Lord Xie!” A guard’s voice rang out from the courtyard.

“What is it?”

“Someone from the residence sent a message—Lord Xie must return home tonight no matter what.”

Before Xie Zhifei could respond, he heard Pei Xiao say, “I also haven’t paid respects to the Old Madam and Madam in a long time. Xie Fifty, I’ll accompany you back!”

As he spoke, he crossed the threshold and instructed:

“Huangqi, go buy a roast duck. Last time I didn’t let her taste it properly. This time we’re not rushing, so let her savor it.”

Xie Zhifei’s vision momentarily lost balance.

What paying respects to the Old Madam and Madam—this bastard was going for Yan Sanhe!

…

Duanmu Palace was the Crown Prince’s palace, located in the eastern part of the capital.

As Zhao Yishi descended from the carriage, the palace attendant Gao Xing came forward, bowing his head respectfully. “Your Highness, the Crown Prince is waiting in the study.”

Zhao Yishi straightened his clothing, his expression blank. “Let’s go.”

Having not returned home for days, as Zhao Yishi walked, he suddenly felt Duanmu Palace seemed to have deteriorated further. The black lacquer on several palace gates had peeled so badly it was unsightly.

Father had been Crown Prince for seventeen years, and this palace hadn’t been renovated once. Every brick and tile remained as before.

Seventeen years—too long.

Soon they reached the Crown Prince’s sleeping quarters.

Lifting his foot, Zhao Yishi discovered someone sitting on the stone bench in the courtyard, holding a walking stick—it was his father.

He quickly straightened his clothing again and quickly stepped forward to kneel. “Father.”

Crown Prince Zhao Yanluo watched him for a moment, then raised his gaze and glanced coldly at Gao Xing. Gao Xing silently withdrew.

In the courtyard, father and son—one sitting, one kneeling—remained wordless for a long time.

Seeing his father didn’t call him to rise, Zhao Yishi knew things were bad. Just as he was about to speak, he heard his father snort and say:

“What a virtuous Crown Prince you are.”

“Father, forgive me!”

Zhao Yishi’s heart ached as he prostrated himself.