The thought “I need to maintain proper boundaries” had occurred to Yan Sanhe as soon as she got in the carriage.

Young Master Pei was, for her, far above her station.

Xie Zhifei even more so.

She wasn’t insecure about her background. People might have distinctions of noble and humble, high and low, but hearts don’t. As long as one’s heart was upright and open, there was no question of anyone being inferior to another.

Why did she always faint after lighting incense and resolving heart demons?

Because she was too exhausted!

With each heart demon resolved, she experienced a journey from life to death.

Joy and sorrow, suffering and torment, separation and reunion… she would relive it all exactly as it was, so that at her mere seventeen years, she already had the mental state of someone seventy.

And this mental state told her that life would always leave some regrets. The man before her whose smile revealed dimples was destined to be her regret.

Since it was destined, then there was no need to begin, no need to let it become a knot in her heart she could never overcome in this lifetime.

Yan Sanhe—you must control your own heart!

“Third Master is responsible for finding people.”

“Right, I need to find people. One Young Master Zhu, one Master Tang—both will take me some effort.” Xie Zhifei looked at Yan Sanhe and also slowly closed his eyes.

“Xie Zhifei, you must control your own heart!” he also said to himself inwardly.

She’s Zheng Huaiyou—she’s your sister.

Even if you’re now wearing the skin of Xie Manor’s Third Master, in essence you’re still siblings. You need to watch your every word and action. Don’t be like some scumbag who flirts and runs.

Also, you have a face that both young ladies and young wives love—it’s not meant for harming your own people. Look at yourself—your feet are already at the cliff’s edge. Don’t you know to pull them back?

You need to maintain a sense of propriety!

Nearby, Young Master Pei was puzzled. Just now when they were talking, I couldn’t get a word in. Now they’re both not talking, and I still can’t get a word in?

What’s going on?

Young Master Pei’s gaze made a circuit between the two, finally settling on Xie Zhifei. When Yan Sanhe spoke, this fellow spoke. When Yan Sanhe closed her eyes, this fellow also closed his eyes.

How are they so in sync?

“Mingting, shall we send you home first when we enter the city?” Xie Zhifei didn’t open his eyes.

“It’s so late—what’s there to send? I’ll squeeze into your room.”

Young Master Pei’s pupils revealed deep menace as he thought: Once we’re in the room, I’ll have to interrogate you properly!

Xie Zhifei quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as well!

With this fellow there to lighten the mood, at least the atmosphere in the carriage wouldn’t be so awkward.

He sneakily lifted his eyelid a bit.

Perhaps because they were too close, Yan Sanhe’s scent kept drilling into his nose.

She had the smell of freshly washed clothes, that soap fragrance, mixed with a bit of a young woman’s unique body scent, inexplicably bringing to mind the words “gentle” and “clean.”

—

By the time they returned to the Xie Manor, it was already the second quarter of the Chou hour.

Xie Zhifei didn’t wait for the carriage to stop fully before jumping down and running up the steps in a few quick strides. Then he turned around, his upper lip barely touching his lower lip. “Mingting, help Yan Sanhe down.”

Why make me help her?

Pei Mingting’s forehead wrinkled with bewilderment. Don’t you know I need to maintain proper boundaries with her?

Also, why are you running so fast, like a rabbit?

“No need to help.”

Yan Sanhe lifted the curtain, her right foot landing steadily on the ground first, then her left foot slowly following.

Xie Zhifei watched her movements, his heart feeling quite uncomfortable. But before he could carefully examine why he felt uncomfortable, a figure rushed out from inside the gate.

“Third Master, Third Master…”

Third Master’s gaze suddenly turned severe, frightening Steward Xie into quickly shutting his mouth. His eyes rolled around as he cursed himself inwardly: “Damn it.”

He scurried forward and performed a proper bow to Yan Sanhe. “Miss Yan has returned. Miss Yan has worked hard.”

“For Steward Xie to still be crying out to heaven and earth so late—that’s truly hard work!”

Steward Xie: “…” These words are suffocating!

Yan Sanhe tossed out this sentence without even a glance toward Xie Zhifei, but instead gave a slight nod to Young Master Pei behind her before striding away.

The night scene was desolate, her retreating figure even more so.

Xie Zhifei’s mood immediately became extremely subtle.

Why didn’t she even nod at me?

Could it be I was too obvious just now?

Or should I have been more gradual?

Should I chase after her and escort her back to her courtyard first?

“Third Master, Third Master…”

“What are you howling like a ghost for?”

Third Master’s train of thought was disrupted, and his demeanor became quite aggressive. “Are you bullying my deaf ears, or showing off your loud voice? If you can make that much noise in bed, I’ll be impressed.”

Steward Xie froze.

I’m howling like a ghost?

My lord, why don’t you mention that you’ve been staring at that young lady’s back for ages?

Also!

What man makes noise in bed?

Wuuuuuu…

Being a loyal servant is so difficult!

When Xie Zhifei saw Steward Xie’s aggrieved face, he maintained his lordly dignity on his face and said coolly, “Speak in my study.”

—

Being a loyal servant was difficult, but Steward Xie performed his duties most competently, recounting the entire matter from beginning to end without any confusion.

After listening, before Xie Zhifei could say anything, Young Master Pei exploded.

“Damn! Did the Du family’s ancestral graves start smoking with auspicious energy to produce a creature like Du Yiyun?”

Young Master Pei put one hand on his hip and pointed at Xie Zhifei with the other.

“No wonder every time I talked to her, I felt like I was bringing shame to my ancestors. Once someone becomes addicted to being cheap, they can’t change. Only you, you fool, still treated her like a good person. Good my grandma’s legs!”

Ever since Young Master Pei got to know Yan Sanhe, his bad habit of cursing had reformed like a prostitute returning to respectability.

Now returning to his old trade, thank heavens his skills were still intact.

“And your mother—does she have a chamber pot balanced on her neck? Chamber pots are so heavy, how is she not tired from balancing it all these years?”

Xie Zhifei was having his nose pointed at while his mother was being cursed, yet he didn’t get angry at all. Instead, he leaned back, crossed one leg, and gave a light laugh.

He can still laugh!

Young Master Pei was going mad. “Xie Wushi, do you see clearly or not? Du Yiyun is trying to stir up chaos until your Xie family has no peace!”

“I’m not stupid.”

Xie Zhifei pointed to a small round stool nearby, indicating that Steward Xie should sit.

As Third Master’s confidant, Steward Xie sat down without ceremony, leaning his head forward. “My lord, what’s the plan? Just say the word!”

Third Master sneered coldly. “Without evidence or proof, what plan could there be?”

A basin of cold water poured ruthlessly over him, and Steward Xie’s blood ran cold.

That Du Manor steward clearly said to have Li Zhengjia’s wife continue dripping poison in the Madam’s ear, clearly said to find an opportunity to make the Madam and Concubine Liu have another fight…

Steward Xie looked up at Third Master and saw the smile at the corner of his mouth, though his black eyes were as cold as knives. His handsome face was half in candlelight, half shrouded in shadow, like a ghost or demon. His heart couldn’t help but thump.

Of course!

Li Zhengjia’s wife was the Madam’s chambermaid. A dignified wife of a cabinet minister, played like a puppet by a slave—if word got out, it would be Xie Daozhi’s face that was lost, the First Branch’s face.

That was reason one.

Reason two: this old cheap wretch ate from within while helping outsiders, sowing discord and creating chaos. Who gave her such dog’s courage? The Madam did.

All roads led back to the Madam. When Third Master laughed just now, it was really laughter born of extreme rage.