In the bedroom.

“Buyan, I don’t like that Old Ancestor.”

“Who does!”

Li Buyan curled her lip. “A wily old woman—her face smiles with kindness, but her thoughts twist more than the intestines in her belly. More formidable than that Lady Wu.”

“Lady Wu?” Yan Sanhe repeated in a low voice.

“Lady Wu is also a strange case.”

Li Buyan snorted: “How could Third Master Xie have such a mother? Stupid and unaware of it. Yet the sons and daughters she gave birth to all turned out decent—a complete genetic mutation.”

“Genetic?”

“My mother says it means hereditary.”

Li Buyan yawned. “That move you just pulled was brilliant. Better to disgust others than disgust ourselves. Third Master has no way to deal with you either.”

Yan Sanhe exhaled a faint breath and said nothing.

“I’ll never forget that Hongmen Banquet Lady Wu set up that time, singing and harmonizing with that Du Yiyun to humiliate you, then falsely accusing you of pushing Du Yiyun. I was so angry I nearly flipped the table. What kind of people are they?”

Li Buyan’s voice grew softer and softer, the last sounds catching in her throat.

“Sanhe, let’s visit the Xie family less. Every time we go, we have bad luck. Always feel that place is inauspicious…”

Shallow breathing sounds came. Yan Sanhe slowly opened her eyes, something indescribable in their depths.

…

Everyone slept through this rest in complete oblivion.

Upon waking, it was already the next morning.

Today they’d agreed to go to the Imperial Academy to meet Doctor Liang Pangde. No one dared delay—breakfast was eaten with particular efficiency.

Only Young Master Pei drank half a bowl of congee for ages, still with more than half left.

Xie Zhifei knew what he was worried about and jerked his chin at Yan Sanhe: “Mingting has business at the office today. Don’t make him go.”

“Right, right, right—business.”

Pei Xiao gratefully squeezed his eyes at his good brother. “You all go.”

Yan Sanhe mercilessly exposed the two’s charade.

“It’s just the Imperial Academy—not some dragon’s den or tiger’s lair. Is it really necessary?”

What?

My thoughts are written all over my face?

Even the spirit medium can see right through me?

From the corner of his eye, Pei Xiao glanced at Li Buyan, gritted his teeth: “I’ll go then.”

Yan Sanhe set down her chopsticks and suddenly placed her hand on Pei Xiao’s heart.

“You, you…”

Pei Xiao was so frightened his body leaned straight back. “What are you doing? Men and women shouldn’t touch!”

“Pei Mingting, there’s a type of girl who doesn’t play with two boats, doesn’t entangle ambiguously with people. When she says she likes you, she likes you. When she says she doesn’t like you, she cuts it off cleaner than anyone.”

Her voice was as light as a breeze, yet every word had power.

“If you can handle her, her eyes will be full of you. This type of person can compromise on everything except their own heart.”

Yan Sanhe patted Pei Xiao’s heart.

“It’s fine. Ask your own heart more often where it is. If you don’t even dare enter the Imperial Academy, are you afraid of meeting your future father-in-law, or afraid of this marriage itself? Buyan, let’s go!”

“Let’s go.”

Li Buyan stood up and, when no one was paying attention, glared fiercely at Yan Sanhe.

Help him?

In this way?

How did you even think of this!

Yan Sanhe pressed her lips together.

One last time.

Treating a dead horse as if it were alive.

If this still doesn’t cure him, this person deserves to be eliminated.

“I’m afraid of my parents being hurt.”

Pei Xiao slammed down his chopsticks and shot to his feet, chest heaving.

“Especially my mother. She’s had it hard at the Pei family for over twenty years. I need to earn some honor for her.”

Yan Sanhe had already pulled Li Buyan and was nearly out of the courtyard, but this statement rooted her to the spot.

She laughed coldly, turned around, her tone colder than frost by three degrees.

“When all is said and done, isn’t it just that Li Buyan’s status embarrasses you? You think she’s not worthy of your Pei family?”

Under her gaze, Pei Xiao’s breathing grew heavier and heavier.

The other people in the room didn’t dare even breathe loudly.

Xie Zhifei stood up, his hand falling on Pei Xiao’s shoulder, patting lightly several times. “Say one less word each. The main business is important.”

Pei Xiao shoved Xie Zhifei’s hand away with one motion.

“Xie Wushi, let’s see what you do if the Xie family selects a woman for you tomorrow. How will you continue with her?”

Turned into a mad dog, even biting me?

Xie Zhifei’s face darkened, brows pressing down.

In the past, this darkening and pressing would have made Pei Xiao shut up at minimum.

But these past days, the pain of unfulfilled longing, the oppression of being forced to agree to a marriage match, and the unwillingness in his heart… all these emotions had pressed Pei Xiao to a critical point.

He finally exploded completely.

“Yan Sanhe, did I say she’s not worthy? These past days my heart has been blocked every day. I can’t eat, can’t sleep—just worrying about this!

They all say the Pei family’s eldest young master can’t diagnose pulses, can’t identify medicines—he’s naturally worthless. Forget inheriting the family business—he’s not even worthy of being born into the Pei family.”

His voice trembled with agitation.

“I’ve lived this long smooth and easy, haven’t suffered a bit of grievance—all because my parents have supported me from behind. I eat Mother’s rice, spend Father’s silver. If I do something to anger them to death, am I still even human?”

“Look how wronged our Young Master Pei is.”

Li Buyan looked at him and said coolly: “Still remember what I said? Nothing is difficult in the world if you’re willing to give up.”

Pei Xiao pointed at his heart and said angrily: “I want to, but it won’t agree!”

If it would agree to compromise, agree to give up, why would his heart burn day and night?

“But every time I want to follow my heart and take a step forward, the Pei family’s people and matters pull at me like a spider’s web.”

Li Buyan glanced at Yan Sanhe beside her and laughed coldly: “See that? Men always want this AND that AND that too—weighing pros and cons endlessly over one matter.”

“…”

Yan Sanhe didn’t know what to say. She reached out to tug Li Buyan’s arm and said dejectedly: “Let’s go.”

The two figures’ backs disappeared, leaving four men.

Ding Yi and Huang Qi were so frightened they didn’t dare breathe, wishing they could find a hole to crawl into.

Xie Zhifei still had to clean up the mess.

He reached out to rub Pei Xiao’s neck: “I’ll follow them. You go to the office. I’ll find you later for drinks, keep you company till you’re drunk.”

Pei Xiao’s head drooped onto Xie Zhifei’s shoulder, his voice shaking even worse.

“Xie Wushi, am I useless? Now she looks down on me even more.”

Xie Zhifei said nothing—there was nothing to say.

Each person has their own tribulation.

Mingting’s tribulation was Li Buyan.

This matter did remind him though—on Old Ancestor’s birthday, no matter what, he had to make his relationship with Yan Sanhe clear.

Pei Xiao straightened up, took several steadying breaths. “Xie Wushi, your family won’t agree either.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Xie Zhifei shrugged. “I’ve made up my mind to be an unfilial son.”

Pei Xiao was shocked speechless: “You…”

“I think the shit-stirrer had one thing right—a person can’t want this AND that AND that too. Pick one thing and be done with it.”

“But aren’t you afraid your mother will…”

Xie Zhifei shook his head, his expression very calm. “I’m only afraid of Yan Sanhe… abandoning me.”