Silence descended on the warm pavilion.

Xie Zhifei closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the various emotions in his heart.

“Someone!”

The maids outside entered trembling. “Third Master?”

“Help Miss Du wash her face. Prepare the carriage—I’ll personally escort Miss Du home shortly.”

“Third Brother?” Du Yiyun choked, unable to speak.

Xie Zhifei’s voice was very gentle. “It’s late, Yiyun. Your parents are waiting at home. Go back first!”

“I’ll listen to Third Brother.”

Du Yiyun sniffled pitifully and, supporting herself on Ni’er’s hand, entered the washing room.

Xie Zhifei smiled at Lady Wu. “Mother, we’ve eaten, we’ve quarreled—let’s disperse.”

“Third Son!”

Lady Wu’s expression was somewhat uneasy.

She felt Du Yiyun’s lesson was entirely correct, yet worried whether Yan Sanhe would go complain to the old matriarch.

Xie Zhifei sighed quietly in his heart.

People are divided into ranks. The difference between them could be seen just from how they spoke and acted.

With Mother’s temperament, if not for the old matriarch’s protection and him, Elder Brother, and Sister-in-law secretly helping, how could she compete with that one from the second household?

“She’s not that kind of person!”

After saying this, Xie Zhifei left without looking back.

Lady Wu stood frozen in place.

What kind of person was Yan Sanhe?

Why did Third Son know so clearly?

…

Blue stone path.

Li Buyan caught up to Yan Sanhe, saying in a low voice, “You were right. This great household has too many twists and turns. Once the case shows some progress, let’s leave. This Lady Wu is too foolish.”

Yan Sanhe raised her eyes. “What exactly is a white lotus flower?”

“Never mind what it is—Du Yiyun definitely is one.”

Li Buyan smiled. “From now on, stay far away from her. With your character, you really can’t compete. It’s not that you’re incapable—it’s that men will all feel sorry for her type.”

“Doesn’t include me, Li Buyan.”

Pei Xiao caught up, looking down at Yan Sanhe’s expression. “I would never feel sorry for her.”

“Master Pei is actually not bewitched by the white lotus flower.”

Li Buyan nudged Pei Xiao with her elbow. “Tell us why?”

Cut it out—who am I telling?

Master Pei is telling my divine woman.

“Du Yiyun and I have known each other since childhood. She’s wanted to be Third Madam Xie since childhood. She and I have never gotten along.”

Yan Sanhe gave a bland “oh” with no follow-up.

“Not curious, Yan Sanhe?”

Pei Xiao smiled roguishly and shamelessly.

“Didn’t eat enough, watched quite a show. If you treat me to a meal, I’ll tell you one by one why she can’t become Third Madam. How about it?”

Can’t become?

Yan Sanhe was greatly shocked.

Judging by Lady Wu’s enthusiasm toward Du Yiyun, she clearly already considered her a daughter-in-law!

What exactly was the situation?

“Fine!”

Yan Sanhe agreed extremely readily.

So readily that Master Pei almost couldn’t believe his ears.

…

Returning to Jingsi Residence, Yan Sanhe instructed Tang Yuan to reheat the meal.

Other dishes could be reheated, but roast duck couldn’t. Eating it reheated, the taste was completely different. Pei Xiao felt so distressed!

Not distressed about the silver—he was distressed that his sincere heart toward Yan Sanhe had been ruined by this farce.

“Tang Yuan, go cool off in the courtyard for a bit.”

“Yes!”

The door closed. Pei Xiao set down his teacup with a crisp sound.

“Du Yiyun’s father, Du Jianxue, can be considered a great scholar. He’s now the Minister of Rites. When Xie Daozhi first entered official circles, he became his disciple.

You could say that apart from his own abilities, Minister Du’s support was very important to Xie Daozhi achieving his current position.

Du Yiyun is Du Jianxue’s youngest daughter. They say the youngest child is favored—for Du Jianxue, it became the youngest daughter being favored. Yan Sanhe, do you know why?”

“Speak!”

Look!

My beloved has such personality!

Brief and to the point!

“Because Du Yiyun is clever! At three she could read, at five she entered school, at eight she could compose poetry. A famous talented woman of the capital. Du Jianxue raised her as a son.”

Li Buyan thought to herself: Those who can be white lotus flowers are mostly talented women.

“Xie Fifty when young was so delicate, so good-looking. Plus, being weak from birth and constantly ill—how to describe it? Basically a sickly beauty.”

At this point, Pei Xiao couldn’t help laughing himself.

“Once at a Xie manor banquet, some brat tricked the sickly beauty to a secluded place to bully him. Du Yiyun saw it and directly picked up a brick and smashed it down.”

Li Buyan said, “Never expected the white lotus Du to be quite likable when young!”

“Indeed!”

Pei Xiao glared at her. “When young, it was the sickly beauty following Du Yiyun around, ‘Sister Yun this, Sister Yun that.'”

For some reason, Yan Sanhe felt somewhat uncomfortable hearing this and asked coldly, “And then?”

“Then our Third Master escaped death…”

“Escaped death?”

“Yan Sanhe, I told you at the official courier station by the fire—when he almost died from illness but I cried him back to life.”

“I remember now. Continue.”

“After that he began striving for improvement, exercising every day, hiring this teacher and that teacher.

Later his body became strong, he grew tall, and became stronger than me.”

Pei Xiao said, “Then later it became Du Yiyun following him around, ‘Third Brother this, Third Brother that.'”

Li Buyan tilted her head, making a vomiting expression.

Yan Sanhe suppressed a smile. “Childhood sweethearts, innocent affection, he has feelings, she’s willing—how can this marriage not work?”

“Good question!”

Pei Xiao decided to add some drama for himself. “Isn’t it because of me?”

“You secretly love Sister Yun or Third Brother?”

Pei Xiao’s eyes blazed with fury. “Li Buyan, shut your damn mouth!”

Li Buyan’s curiosity was piqued. “Then hurry up and tell us!”

Pei Xiao dipped his finger in tea and wrote a character on the table: Han.

“Du Jianxue has been very close to this person these recent years.”

The words were quite euphemistic and obscure, but Yan Sanhe already understood.

Pei Xiao and Third Master were Crown Prince faction. Du Jianxue was Prince of Han faction. Truly incompatible paths.

For Xie Daozhi, Du Jianxue once showed grace. For Third Master, Du Yiyun always held affection.

This grace and affection stood before them, making the marriage between Xie Zhifei and Du Yiyun unable to advance or retreat—just deadlocked.

Yan Sanhe asked casually, “What about Xie Daozhi? What’s his opinion?”

“Uncle Xie, he…”

Pei Xiao’s voice drew out extremely long but wouldn’t continue.

Yan Sanhe’s gaze turned toward Pei Xiao, not knowing Pei Xiao’s eyes had been on her all along.

Eyes met.

Yan Sanhe’s heart stirred as she sighed inwardly: Xie Daozhi is truly an old fox!

Pei Xiao, seeing her eyes brighten, felt gratified: Personality and everything else is secondary—the key is being clever, beneficial for my descendants.

Yan Sanhe understood, but Li Buyan was still confused. “What about Xie Daozhi?”