The corners of Qi Shuo’s lips couldn’t help but curve upward.

Miss Lin Second was quite amiable.

“I heard some matters occurred at your residence. Do you need any help?” the young man asked warmly.

“It’s already been resolved, but thank you for your concern, Heir.” Lin Hao’s face remained impassive, though she was somewhat surprised inwardly.

She hadn’t noticed before, but the Heir of Prince Jing was quite an enthusiastic person.

“That’s good. In the future, if there’s anything that needs help, Miss Lin Second, please feel free to ask.”

As if fearing a misunderstanding, the young man explained with a natural expression, “A close neighbor is better than a distant relative. Father and Mother often teach us siblings to get along well with our neighbors and help each other.”

Changshun fell into deep thought: Have the Prince and Princess Consort ever said such things?

Upon hearing these words, Lin Hao found them perfectly suited to her wishes.

Neighbors should get along well and help each other—so in the future when she exerted some effort to help Prince Jing’s Manor avoid their previous life’s fate, the Heir of Prince Jing wouldn’t think too much of it.

“The Heir is right—a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. By the way, Heir, is your health better?”

Lin Hao’s agreement and concern deepened the smile at Qi Shuo’s lips. “Much better—”

“Miss, it’s hot outside.” Baozhu’s stiff voice cut in.

Lin Hao smiled at Qi Shuo. “I’ll go in first.”

“Miss Lin Second, take care.”

Watching Lin Hao enter the General’s Manor, Qi Shuo lifted his foot toward Prince Jing’s Manor and in the blink of an eye was inside the mansion.

No help for it—the two households were really too close.

“Miss Lin Second’s maid was really funny, constantly staring at the Heir as if you would do something to Miss Lin Second.” Even after returning to the courtyard, Changshun was still defending his master’s honor.

Qi Shuo took the soft cloth Changning handed him and wiped his hands, saying lightly, “Changning, you and Changshun should hand over the duties.”

Changning froze, then loudly responded, “Yes!”

Who would want to stay home gathering dust when they could accompany the Heir out to eat, drink, and be merry?

Changshun, meanwhile, was thunderstruck, watching Qi Shuo walk into the inner chamber with pitiful eyes, then grabbing Changning’s wrist.

“Tell me, what sweet words did you secretly pour into the Heir’s ear?”

Changning batted Changshun’s hand away. “You’d be better off thinking about what you did to upset the Heir.”

Upset the Heir? He hadn’t—

Seeing Changshun fall into confusion, Changning secretly smiled.

Better he couldn’t figure it out—saved him from competing.

Changning happily entered the inner chamber to serve Qi Shuo tea and water.

Qi Shuo picked up the teacup, took a sip, and instructed Changning, “Summon Xuanyi.”

Shortly after, a young man with a cold, austere bearing walked in.

“Greetings, Heir.”

“The young man performing with a blade on the street today—did you notice him?”

When Qi Shuo went out, he usually appeared to only have a young servant following him, but in fact guards followed to protect him. Xuanyi was one of them.

“This subordinate noticed him.”

“Send someone to keep an eye on him. Report to me immediately if anything unusual occurs.”

“Yes.”

After Xuanyi left, Changning was also dismissed by Qi Shuo.

Changshun couldn’t help asking, “What did the Heir summon Xuanyi for?”

“To have him send someone to watch a young street performer.”

Changshun was even more puzzled. “What’s worth watching about some boy making a living performing?”

Changning looked at him with bewilderment. “Didn’t you accompany the Heir out today? Don’t you know what that performing boy did to catch the Heir’s attention?”

“Nothing at all. He was just a street performer, except he was slightly better-looking, and it attracted Miss Lin Second—” Changshun suddenly stopped, as if someone had cast a paralysis spell on him.

“Attracted Miss Lin Second to what—”

Before Changning could finish asking, Changshun jumped up with a look of sudden realization. “I know—the Heir is jealous!”

Ah ah ah ah, he was too stupid! How did he only think of it now? The Heir actually has feelings for Miss Lin Second!

Wait, the Heir has feelings for Miss Lin Second?

Changshun completely couldn’t handle this blow and plopped down into a chair.

Changning listened in complete confusion. “The Heir is jealous of a street performer?”

What kind of nonsense was this?

“The Heir has feelings for Miss Lin Second, and Miss Lin Second gave that performer reward money…”

After hearing Changshun’s explanation, Changning shook his head.

“You don’t believe it?”

Changning looked at his companion with disdain. “Would the Heir send someone to spy on a rival just because he’s jealous? Your speculation is too unreliable. The Heir ordered Xuanyi to surveil him—there must be a reason.”

What decent person would spy on a rival? That time would be better spent pleasing the object of one’s affection.

“Really…” Changning’s certainty made Changshun waver.

It seemed he had guessed wrong.

He knew it—the Heir couldn’t possibly have feelings for Miss Lin Second!

The next day, the much-anticipated first session of the spring examinations began, but no one at the General’s Manor paid it any attention. As the Old Madam put it, she would never again find some poor scholar for the family’s daughters.

“Wanqing, since you’ve come to your senses, you should also cheer up and pay more attention to Chan’er’s marriage prospects.”

Lin Chan was already eighteen years old, and with her marriage still not settled, it was indeed getting rather late.

“What does Mother think of Shu’er?”

“Shu’er?” The Old Madam was startled.

Cheng Shu’s father was Old General Lin’s sworn son, and there was a difference between a sworn son and an adopted son. A sworn son need not change surnames—strictly speaking, they were still two separate families. Lin Chan entering the Lin family genealogy wouldn’t affect the two discussing marriage.

“How did you think of Shu’er?” The Old Madam’s tone was somewhat complex.

Lin Shi smiled. “Shu’er takes after my sworn brother—generous and warm-hearted. He definitely won’t mistreat Chan’er.”

The Old Madam looked deeply at her daughter and muttered quietly, “If only you had thought this way back then.”

“What did Mother say?”

“I said Shu’er is indeed excellent, but a forced melon isn’t sweet. We must ask the two children’s opinions.”

“That’s natural. I’ll first sound out Chan’er’s thoughts.”

The Old Madam shook her head. “No, ask Shu’er first.”

Lin Shi was puzzled.

The Old Madam explained impatiently, “If you ask Chan’er first, then ask Shu’er, what if Chan’er is willing but Shu’er has no such intention? Not only would it dampen Chan’er’s spirits, it might even plant a thorn in her heart.”

Sometimes it might not be love, just wounded pride.

“Mother makes sense. But what if we ask Shu’er first, and Shu’er is willing but Chan’er isn’t?”

The Old Madam smiled with unabashed confidence. “If Chan’er isn’t willing, then she isn’t. Men are thick-skinned—what’s a little blow like that?”

If he truly liked her, he could work hard to win Chan’er’s heart. As elders, they wouldn’t obstruct him.

The reverse wouldn’t do—Wanqing was a cautionary tale.

The Old Madam’s bottom line was clear: any young man wanting to marry her two granddaughters must genuinely like them, with preference given to those who would marry no one else.

It could be considered once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for ten years.

“I’ll ask Shu’er.” Not trusting her daughter, when Cheng Shu returned from duty, the Old Madam called him to her side.

Seeing the Old Madam dismiss all the servants in the room, leaving only Nanny Cui, Cheng Shu’s heart couldn’t help but tighten.

Could it be that Wen Rugui had caused trouble, or that something had happened to his aunt?

“Shu’er, sit.”

Cheng Shu pulled over a small stool and sat down.

Looking at him, the Old Madam couldn’t help but laugh. “Child, what are you so nervous about in front of your grandmother?”

The Old Madam’s laugh made Cheng Shu relax. “I thought something had happened at home.”

“Nothing’s wrong at home, but there is something I need to ask your opinion on.”