“Yan Sanhe, can you sleep?”

In the darkness, Li Buyan looked toward the window once more.

By the window, a bit of firelight, white smoke silent.

Damn it, amid the terror there was even a hint of peaceful tranquility.

Yan Sanhe closed her eyes and instead of answering, asked, “What did he say to you at the dock?”

At a time like this, she still had the presence of mind to ask about such things.

Li Buyan: “I clearly and explicitly rejected him.”

As expected.

Yan Sanhe made a sound of acknowledgment. “Then go to sleep.”

Sleep what sleep?

Li Buyan simply sat up. “Yan Sanhe, don’t you feel this heart demon doesn’t follow any normal patterns at all? Everything about it is strange.”

“Strange means difficult to resolve. There are too many exhausting matters ahead.”

Yan Sanhe turned over, putting her back to her. “Your body has only just recovered. Sleep well.”

Li Buyan: “…”

This girl was also strange.

Since returning from Muli Mountain, she spoke even less than before, often standing alone in the courtyard—who knew what she was thinking?

She always felt there was something on her mind!

Li Buyan leaned back. Fine, fine, fine—sleep!

As the breathing of the person beside her gradually steadied, Yan Sanhe opened her eyes. She didn’t know why, but the first moment she saw that burning incense, a sense of dangerous intuition surged in her heart.

Zhao Yishi had clearly agreed to protect them from harm.

So then…

Where did this danger come from?

……

Another courtyard.

Xie Zhifei pillowed his head on his arm. “Mingting, should we tell Huairen about the incense?”

“Whatever.”

“Tell him or don’t tell him—what does ‘whatever’ mean?”

“It means you decide.”

Young Master Pei on the bamboo couch turned over, using his back to warn Xie Zhifei: Shut up!

Xie Zhifei thought perhaps they shouldn’t tell him for now. Telling him would be useless anyway and would only increase his pressure.

At least they had Yan Sanhe!

Thinking this, his heart gradually relaxed, and Xie Zhifei drifted into sleep.

He didn’t know how long he’d slept when he felt a pair of greenish eyes staring at him.

Opening his eyes, Pei Xiao sat by his bedside with the expression of a lonely ghost.

“Xie Wu Shi, tell me the truth—do I still have any hope?”

“…”

“Can I struggle a bit more on my deathbed?”

“…”

“Why doesn’t she like me?”

“…”

“Where do I fall short?”

“…”

“This young master’s battle hasn’t even begun yet, and I’ve already lost.”

Pei Xiao shouted into Xie Zhifei’s ear, “I’m unwilling, unwilling, unwilling!”

Will this ever end?

Xie Zhifei grabbed Pei Xiao’s lapel, furious. “Battle, battle, battle—is liking Li Buyan a battle? Don’t forget, you can’t even beat her in a fight!”

Pei Xiao was stunned by the scolding.

“Still asking me if you have hope…”

Xie Zhifei poked Pei Xiao’s heart. “You first ask yourself—do you truly like her? Do you truly want to treat her well? Is it truly her or no one?”

Pei Xiao: “…”

“Rather than bothering me with this energy, you’d be better off carefully considering why she should like you. Just because of your status as the Pei family’s eldest young master?”

Xie Zhifei continued poking, poking hard. “Damn it, she doesn’t even give a damn about Huairen’s status—what the hell are you?”

Pei Xiao: “…”

“Still unwilling? Unwilling about what!”

Xie Zhifei’s body fell back as he roared, “Get lost—”

The heart demon matter, the incense matter—he didn’t even have time to worry about those, yet he still had to worry about this ancestor!

Not only did the ancestor not leave, he curled up at his feet, aggrieved and wronged, like a little wife.

“Ancestor!”

Xie Zhifei had shouted away all his strength, leaving only helplessness.

“Why don’t you understand yet? For someone like the troublemaker, besides offering your whole heart, what other methods do you have?”

“Whole heart—I have one!”

“How many parts of it?”

Xie Zhifei sneered coldly. “Can you withstand your parents? Do you dare remain childless? Do you have the ability to give up your status as the Pei family’s eldest young master and fly far away with the troublemaker…”

Pei Xiao: “…”

“When you’ve figured out these things, then come talk to Third Master about your whole heart.”

Xie Zhifei pulled the blanket over his head. “Sleep!”

Pei Xiao sat motionless with legs crossed.

Every word of Xie Zhifei’s struck his heart, nearly making his mind chaotic as tangled hemp.

Yes, I have a whole heart—how many parts?

How many parts did I give to her?

How many parts did I keep for myself?

Is my whole heart like when I liked Yan Sanhe—coming with one gust of wind, leaving with another?

Can I defy my parents for her? Can I completely disregard her status as a servant?

Or is it that—

My whole heart exists only because she rejected me?

……

Chonghua Palace.

Shen Chong looked at the figure in the courtyard that had merged with the night, a trace of worry showing in his usually emotionless eyes.

His Highness had been standing there for a full half shichen. Without guessing, he knew it was because of Li Buyan.

His Highness, from childhood caught between the Late Emperor and the New Emperor, had his temperament ground down to be very mild and reserved.

Mild people had mild feelings too.

Over these years, besides the new courtesan Zhuxiang from the Jiaofang Bureau, no one else could make His Highness look twice.

But then he encountered Li Buyan.

The people in Chonghua Palace couldn’t discern His Highness’s thoughts—he hid them too well. But Shen Chong was very clear in his heart that this time, His Highness had genuine feelings.

A lantern shone from outside the courtyard, dazzling Zhao Yishi’s eyes.

He looked up and saw it was Crown Princess Wu.

Lady Wu walked forward gracefully, her voice extremely soft and sweet. “Your Highness, it’s late at night.”

Zhao Yishi glanced at her sidelong, too lazy even to speak.

Shen Chong quickly said, “Crown Princess, His Highness still needs to go out to the Ministry of Justice shortly.”

Disappointment flashed in Lady Wu’s eyes. She hurriedly maintained her smile. “His Highness’s affairs are numerous. You must also take care of your health.”

Hearing this, Zhao Yishi suddenly curved his lips. “Rest assured, the first child of Chonghua Palace will only come from your belly.”

Lady Wu’s face immediately flushed red with embarrassment as she hastily took her leave.

On their wedding day, His Highness had been ambushed and the ceremony had almost not been completed.

On their wedding night, she had guarded the bridal chamber alone.

Then came the sealing of Prince Han’s residence, the Late Emperor’s death, the great mourning in the palace… She was still a virgin to this day.

Although during the mourning period one couldn’t indulge in pleasures, the Crown Prince wouldn’t even touch the corner of her garment. Lady Wu’s heart was anxious!

Her father had told her that after marrying into the Crown Prince’s residence, the first priority was to quickly become pregnant and bear a male child.

This way, as the child would be both legitimate and eldest, in the future he would be the first heir to the throne. She would have support for the latter half of her life, and the Wu family could also rise with the tide.

“Shen Chong.”

Zhao Yishi’s pitch-black eyes carried coldness. “Is there anyone who seeks nothing, only seeks me as a person?”

Shen Chong was speechless.

Compared to His Highness as a person, His Highness’s status was the key to making countless women infatuated.

When a feeling was tainted with calculation, who could distinguish whether there was more feeling or more calculation?

“Your Highness?”

“Let’s go to the Ministry of Justice.”

Zhao Yishi straightened his garments, saying unhurriedly, “Better to seek something after all. At least I can provide it!”