More than clever—absolutely perceptive.

Nothing could be hidden from her.

Third Master smiled faintly. “Scared to death, but Mingting said we couldn’t let Miss Yan fight alone—we had to help secretly at the very least.”

“Why bring me into this?”

Young Master Pei glanced at Yan Sanhe, his face reddening. “Don’t listen to Xie Fifty’s nonsense. That mouth of his…”

“Pei Mingting.”

“Hm?”

Yan Sanhe looked at him, a glimmer in her eyes. “People are fundamentally different from the root. Your roots are above, mine are below. Don’t just look at appearances and miss everything else.”

Am I really that shallow?

You wrong me.

Young Master Pei pursed his lips.

“I don’t have many friends—just Li Buyan. If Young Master Pei doesn’t mind, would you condescend?”

“You… what are you saying?”

Young Master Pei rolled his eyes. “What condescension? I…”

“Thank you!”

Yan Sanhe’s eyes were bright, conveying sincere emotion. “For Shuiyue Convent, for the Music Bureau, and for the Tang family matter.”

Young Master Pei’s face turned red as a monkey’s bottom, his hands and feet at a loss for what to do.

Who the hell could handle this?

A proud, aloof woman with eyes on top of her head suddenly speaking so pleasantly to him…

Wasn’t this stabbing Young Master Pei right in the heart?

Fine, fine, fine!

Young Master Pei bit his lip, thinking to himself that he had no chance anyway, so he’d stop struggling unto death. “What thanks? What’s our relationship?”

Young Master Pei slapped the table, full of spirit. “A life-and-death friendship!”

Yan Sanhe raised her teacup. “Tea instead of wine—I wish Young Master Pei a boundless future and prosperous fortune.”

“Bottoms up.”

Young Master Pei clinked cups and drained his in one gulp.

After drinking, he felt indescribably invigorated—days of depression, vexation, pain, and torment all swept away.

Yan Sanhe hadn’t said a single wrong word.

People were fundamentally different. Young Master Pei could mess around however he wanted, but the family business still had to be properly maintained.

The Pei family hadn’t fallen to chaos under his father’s management, and it couldn’t fall to chaos under his either. Otherwise, what face would he have to meet the Pei family ancestors?

A person lives for more than just romance. Hitting a wall and not turning back wasn’t devotion—it was stupidity.

“Mingting.”

Xie Zhifei patted his shoulder. “Tonight, you can sleep soundly.”

“Don’t mention what shouldn’t be mentioned.”

Young Master Pei waved away his hand with disgust, then leaned over to chat with his newly acknowledged Sister Yan.

Xie Zhifei wasn’t bothered either. He leaned back lazily, his gaze shifting to meet Li Buyan’s half-smiling look.

He had a feeling this troublemaker knew everything.

That’s right—this was Third Master Xie’s calculated move.

Step one: Remove the stumbling block that was Pei Mingting.

This removal required some skill and wisdom.

Mingting was his good brother. Two brothers both falling for the same girl—put nicely, they had aligned tastes; put bluntly, he was coveting his brother’s beloved.

Throughout history, how many men had turned against their brothers over women?

Coveting beauty and forgetting loyalty wasn’t Third Master Xie’s style. He wanted to embrace his beauty with one arm and his brother with the other.

So he concealed his own feelings, patiently waiting for Pei Mingting to crash and burn, waiting for them to have a face-to-face talk.

Only then would the stone truly be removed.

Step two was the Xie family.

He had a preliminary plan for how to handle the Xie family. The most crucial point was that Yan Sanhe must have feelings for him.

Mutual affection, plus Grandfather Yan’s debt of gratitude to the Xie family—only then might the old lady and father nod in agreement.

Can’t rush it, Third Master Xie told himself.

This was like the needle in an embroiderer’s hand—it required slow, meticulous work. Every stitch and thread had to fall in the right place. Then he needn’t fear failing to embroider a scene of marital bliss.

Thinking this, Third Master Xie proactively met Li Buyan’s eyes and smiled meaningfully.

Li Buyan returned his look with a cold stare, plus two streams of cold air from her nose.

Old fox!

I just won’t tell Sanhe. I’ll keep it bottled up in my stomach. Let’s see what you, Third Master Xie, do next!

…

In the following days, Third Master Xie did only one thing—

Every day, he and Hero Li scaled the wall to leave together, then each went to their respective teahouses. At night, they’d scale the wall to return together and sit briefly in Jingsi Residence.

Others didn’t understand Third Master’s purpose, but Hero Li understood perfectly: he was using actions to show Yan Sanhe that Third Master wasn’t just sweet-tongued—his heart was genuine too.

Very good!

Third Master Xie, please continue!

Unfortunately, for several consecutive days, they gathered no useful information.

Yan Ruxian’s case was still under investigation by the Three Judicial Offices. Whether the Emperor would protect or punish him, not a hint of his intentions leaked. People at court were watching and waiting, and sensing the wind’s direction, the scholars had all shut their mouths one by one.

In a blink, it was the thirteenth of the seventh month, the day before Third Master’s birthday.

That evening, Jingsi Residence received an unexpected visitor.

Yan Sanhe looked at Madam Wu before her, her expression bland.

If not for Third Master’s kindness, she’d be too lazy to sit face-to-face with Madam Wu in such bland silence.

Madam Wu quietly sipped her tea. After a long while, she spoke with difficulty. “I came today to speak some heartfelt words with Miss Yan.”

“Madam, please speak.”

“Miss has lived in the residence for some time and must have heard certain things.”

Madam Wu’s voice turned mournful. “If not for the old lady protecting me, and the eldest master and third master being accomplished, my position as madam would have long been given to someone else.”

Yan Sanhe frowned.

“I’m uneducated—blind and ignorant. My tongue is clumsy, I can’t speak well, I have no abilities. I can’t compare to those educated people who know how to talk and conduct themselves.”

“What does Madam wish to say?”

“Miss Yan, I bear no ill will.”

Madam Wu’s tears welled up. “I just want the old lady to be well, the master to be well, both sons to be well, and Miss Yan to be well in our household too.”

Yan Sanhe said nothing.

“If I’ve done anything wrong in the past, I hope Miss Yan, in her magnanimity, won’t hold it against me. I don’t go out much, and I don’t know what the outside world is like.”

Madam Wu carefully remembered Li Zhengjia’s words, desperately showing weakness and desperately trying to ingratiate herself with Yan Sanhe.

“In the future, Miss can do whatever she wants, say whatever she wants. I won’t say another word.”

Hearing this, Yan Sanhe finally understood—Madam Wu had made this trip specifically to apologize to her.

—

As the saying goes, pitiful people must have detestable qualities.

Actually, compared to Old Lady Ji, though Madam Wu’s origins were ordinary, her fortune was good—children by her side, mother-in-law openly and secretly protecting her.

But success came from good fortune, and failure from it too.

Madam Wu had been protected too well. She neither listened to others’ advice nor bothered to think through the causes and effects of many matters. Over time, she’d become what she was now.

To call her stupid—she certainly was. To call her bad—she wasn’t truly bad.

“Madam.”

Yan Sanhe spoke calmly. “I’m rather bold, quite ignorant of my own limitations. Between you and me, there’s no right or wrong—just different paths that don’t lead to the same destination.”

What did that mean?

Madam Wu’s head was full of confusion.

“Madam needn’t make a special trip over past matters.”

Yan Sanhe paused.

“To the Xie family, I’m merely a guest. There’s no reason for me to stay forever without leaving. In the future, if we keep our distance, we can coexist peacefully.”

These words—Madam Wu finally understood and nearly laughed aloud.

This person wouldn’t be staying long at the Xie residence.