Yun Xi was taken aback. “Doesn’t the Third Young Master want it?”

She could tell he was fond of it.

“I do,” Cheng Chang said. “But my household has too many hands about, careless ones at that. I worry it wouldn’t be raised well.”

This was the truth.

Though he’d come today to see the dogs, he hadn’t actually planned to take one home right away.

The attendants at the princely residence lacked proper discipline—with a pup this small, who knew what trouble might arise the moment he wasn’t around to watch over it.

Yun Xi hesitated a moment, then carefully accepted the pup.

The little thing was quick to bond with people—having spent barely half a day with Yun Xi, it had already grown attached to her, and now, settled back into her arms, it let out two contented little whimpers.

Cheng Chang, genuinely fond of it, said, “Give it a name.”

Cheng Ye, standing nearby, chimed in. “This pup is frail—its two brothers both died. Perhaps it’s best not to give it too fine a name, lest it shorten its lifespan further. Miss Yun Xi, why not give it a humble name instead? Easier to raise that way.”

Hearing this, Yun Xi lifted the pup and examined it for a moment.

It had somehow gotten mud smeared all over itself, filthy from head to toe.

A humble name…

Yun Xi said, “Let’s call it Filthy, then.”

Cheng Ye was startled for a moment, then laughed. “That’s a fine name.” As though remembering something, he added, “I’ll have the household prepare a wooden crate. Once the banquet ends, Miss Yun Xi can take Filthy home with her.”

As dusk fell and the hour of xu approached, the banquet began. Yun Xi and Cheng Chang entrusted Filthy to the Nan’an household’s servants and went together to the main hall for the feast.

Along the way, Yun Xi thought of the matter of the informant within the Marquis’s household. Though she suspected Luo Shu, she had no proof, and so told Cheng Chang the investigation was still ongoing.

Cheng Chang told her there was no need to rush.

Their seats at the banquet weren’t together. Once inside the hall, the two parted ways—Cheng Chang and the Princess Consort of Prince Cong’s household, being honored guests of Prince Nan’an, took seats at the head table.

However, since Luo Shu’s father, Luo Fuyou, had been promoted a month earlier to Fourth-Rank Academician of the Privy Council, her seat today happened to be next to Yun Xi’s.

Yun Xi, eager to glean any clues about the true culprit behind Cheng Chang’s attack from Luo Shu, spent a good while probing indirectly, but Luo Shu only gave evasive, circular answers.

It had been Luo Shu who accompanied Fang Fulan to the pharmacy that day. While Fang Fulan received her acupuncture treatment, Luo Shu had indeed left for nearly an hour.

When Yun Xi asked why, Luo Shu simply smiled and said, “The medicine smell in that shop was too pungent for me. I couldn’t stand it, so I went out for a walk.”

Confused by how easily and lightly Luo Shu deflected the question, Yun Xi found herself doubting whether Luo Shu had truly been the one to leak information to the culprit on both occasions.

She wasn’t sure if she’d underestimated her cousin, but at least her careful questioning hadn’t given away any hint of her suspicions.

The two moved on to other topics, and Luo Shu, hesitating, said, “A’Ting, there’s something I need to tell you. Please don’t be angry with me.”

Yun Xi had actually already heard the first part of this story.

At the start of the sixth month, bandits had been causing repeated trouble in the outskirts of the capital. With the Autumn Festival approaching, His Majesty had ordered the Privy Council to suppress the unrest before the holiday.

It should have been a minor matter, but the trouble was that His Majesty assigned Yao Hangshan to handle the suppression, and Yao Hangshan, finding it bothersome, had privately delegated it to Luo Fuyou.

Luo Fuyou had once served as a commander under the Marquis of Zhongyong, but since returning to the capital, he had mostly handled paperwork and administrative affairs, having long since ceased directing troops in the field. By mid-June, not only had the unrest in the capital’s outskirts failed to subside, it had grown even worse.

His Majesty had erupted in fury over this, and had shown his displeasure toward Yao Hangshan directly.

Yao Hangshan, resentful, felt Luo Fuyou had dragged him down.

What’s more, Luo Fuyou had been rising quickly in rank these past years, now holding the position of Academician of the Privy Council.

Rumors had begun circulating that Luo Fuyou had, in fact, deliberately mishandled the matter, hoping to erode His Majesty’s trust in Yao Hangshan so that he might eventually replace him.

Hearing such rumors repeatedly, even the most reasonable person would begin to feel a knot of suspicion.

Yao Hangshan was no paragon of magnanimity, and before long, he began treating Luo Fuyou with open coldness.

The relationship between the Yao and Luo families had grown distant as a result.

Luo Shu continued, “By rights, this is a matter between my father and hers—it shouldn’t affect me and Susu. But five days ago, the two of us went together to visit the Dowager Matriarch at the Pei residence. The Dowager Matriarch… perhaps still resentful toward Brother Pei and Susu over your broken engagement, only invited me in, leaving Susu waiting alone in the outer hall.”

“I assumed, knowing Susu’s temperament, she wouldn’t wait for me and would have left on her own already. But she actually waited there for nearly an hour, until she happened to see Brother Pei walking me out—only then did she stamp her foot and leave.”

“And these past few days…” Luo Shu paused, glancing at Yun Xi’s expression, “for some reason, Brother Pei has grown distant from Susu. We’ve run into each other at gatherings at other households a few times, and he only ever speaks with me.”

“It’s only natural, really—the three of us, you, me, and Brother Pei, lived together at the frontier as children, so we’re closer than most, and it’s not unusual for us to talk a bit more. But somehow it’s given Susu the wrong idea, and combined with the trouble between our fathers, she’s stopped speaking to me altogether.”

Luo Shu tugged at Yun Xi’s arm as she spoke. “A’Ting, look, I’ve told you everything honestly. Please don’t be angry with me the way Susu is, or I’ll have no one left to talk to at all.”

Yun Xi, having listened to all this in some confusion, finally asked, bewildered, “Why would I be angry?”

Luo Shu said, “I worried you might think, like Susu does, that… that Brother Pei and I…”

Yun Xi understood then.

She had only just broken off her engagement with Pei Lan, and now Luo Shu had grown closer to him—Luo Shu likely feared this might create a rift between them.

Thinking further, the Dowager Matriarch’s word carried enormous weight in the Pei household. With Yun Xi’s engagement broken and the Dowager Matriarch furious over Pei Lan’s secret involvement with Yao Susu, she would certainly never allow Yao Susu to marry into the family now.

But Luo Shu was different. Though the Dowager Matriarch didn’t favor her quite as much as she had Yun Xi, she still approved of her.

Pei Lan had long since reached marriageable age, and now that his childhood betrothal was dissolved, he couldn’t remain unmarried forever.

Perhaps Yao Susu’s resentment toward Luo Shu wasn’t entirely unfounded—perhaps the Pei and Luo families had already quietly begun discussing a match between Pei Lan and Luo Shu.

This whole conversation, Yun Xi realized, was Luo Shu’s way of testing her reaction.

Yun Xi said, “Don’t worry. I won’t think anything of it.” After a pause, she added, “Even if you and Pei Lan truly are meant to be, and become in-laws, I would only wish you both well.”

Hearing this, Luo Shu’s face flushed instantly. She gave Yun Xi a light push and said with mock indignation, “What nonsense are you saying? Keep talking like that and I really will stop speaking to you.”

The banquet soon ended, and the guests took their leave of Prince Nan’an, filing out of the residence in twos and threes.

Cheng Chang, as an honored guest, walked at the front alongside the Princess Consort of Prince Cong’s household.

The household attendants had already prepared the carriage. Having bid farewell to Prince Nan’an and his consort, the Princess Consort could no longer contain her displeasure the moment they reached the carriage, scolding Cheng Chang in a low voice, “What exactly is wrong with you today?”

Cheng Chang was taken aback. “What did I do?”

“Still pretending you don’t know? The people at the Nan’an household already told me everything. You clearly came here today with Wan’er, yet you ignored her completely. And this afternoon in the bamboo grove, you went and sided with that Zhongyong girl over a dog, without any regard for Wan’er’s feelings or dignity. Didn’t you see her eyes were red when she arrived at the banquet?”

Cheng Chang asked, “Lin Ruonan was in the bamboo grove too?”

He genuinely hadn’t noticed her.

He thought for a moment, then asked, “When did she come with me? Wasn’t she riding in your carriage, Mother?”

Since they were aunt and niece, Cheng Chang had simply assumed it natural for them to share a carriage.

Cheng Chang continued, “I actually thought you’d invited her to ride with you, Mother, so she could return the earring she’d left in the food box. I deliberately kept my distance to avoid any impropriety.”

The Princess Consort felt as though they were speaking entirely different languages, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

After a long pause, she asked, “Chang’er, do you… genuinely not like her?”

“I genuinely don’t.”

The Princess Consort said gently, persuading him, “Haven’t I already told you? Wan’er would truly make a fitting primary wife for you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel particularly drawn to her now—later you can take concubines, secondary wives, whoever you happen to fancy…”

Cheng Chang’s expression turned cold. “I only wish to marry someone I genuinely love. I haven’t considered anything else.”

He added, “Mother, please return her earring to her as soon as possible, and make things clear. I’m not close with the young lady from the Lin family at all—if I have to handle this myself, it will only look worse.”

“You—” The Princess Consort was left speechless.

Seeing Cheng Chang’s stern expression, brooking no argument, she conceded defeat. “Fine, then.” Saying no more to him, she took the maidservant’s hand and climbed into the carriage.

Cheng Chang turned to head toward his own carriage, then glanced up to see Yun Xi emerging from the Nan’an residence as well, carrying Filthy.

The pup, curled up in its wooden crate, seemed thoroughly curious about the outside world, craning its neck to look around.

Something stirred in Cheng Chang, and he thought to go over for another look at it.

But he’d barely taken two steps when a voice called out, “Miss Yun Xi, please wait.” It was Cheng Ye, hurrying out from the Nan’an residence after her.

He held out a small food box to Yun Xi. “Filthy is still too young and frail—I doubt it can eat rice porridge yet. I’ve had some goat’s milk prepared; simply feed it to the pup once you’re home.”

Yun Xi accepted it, saying, “My sincere thanks, young heir.”

Cheng Ye looked at her. In the evening light, her eyes seemed dusted with scattered stars, quieter than in daylight, yet still bright.

He couldn’t help adding, “There’s no need to thank me, Miss Yun Xi. I too was raised in a martial tradition, and I’ve always admired the reputation of the Marquis of Zhongyong and General Yun Luo, though I never had the fortune to witness their skill firsthand. Seeing your swordsmanship today in the bamboo grove left me truly impressed. Helping care for Filthy is the least I can do—hardly worth any credit.”

Hearing this, Yun Xi recalled something.

The Nan’an household had a long martial tradition—the previous two generations of Prince Nan’an had both commanded troops, guarding the northern and southern borders alongside the House of Zhongyong.

Unfortunately, the current Prince Nan’an had been recalled to the capital, and though his sons had also trained in martial arts, none held any significant office. Even Cheng Ye himself, the young heir, had only been appointed to a lowly seventh-rank command position at the Privy Council’s capital bureau after formally receiving his title.

Yun Xi replied politely, “The young heir flatters me. The Nan’an household has produced heroes without number—truly a model for the rest of us.”

With that, she took her leave of Cheng Ye and boarded her own carriage.

The guests at the Nan’an residence had mostly dispersed by now.

Under the moonlight, Yun Xi’s carriage rattled away into the distance. Cheng Ye stood watching until it disappeared from sight before finally turning back into the residence.

Cheng Chang still stood where he was.

Beside him, Sun Haiping asked, “Young lord, what’s the matter? Are you jealous of that down-and-out young lady’s pup, thinking of asking this destitute young heir’s family for one of your own?”

Sun Haiping was the attendant who accompanied Cheng Chang most often, the one with the notoriously loose tongue.

“If you ask me, none of those seven or eight dogs at the stables look half as fine as the one that down-and-out young lady snatched up. Why don’t we go after her and make her hand it over? If she won’t, we’ll just smash the crate—she probably can’t raise it properly anyway.”

Cheng Chang gave Sun Haiping a wordless look, then silently climbed into his carriage, lowered the curtain, and said, “Back to the residence.”

Sun Haiping replied, “Right away!” and hopped up onto the driver’s seat.

After the carriage had rattled along for a while, Cheng Chang lifted the curtain again and instructed Sun Haiping, “Tomorrow morning, first thing, have someone prepare a bowl of goat’s milk.”

“What’s this, young lord? Tired of cow’s milk, switching to goat’s milk now?”

Cheng Chang continued, “Have it delivered to the House of Zhongyong.”

“It’s too hot these days—goat’s milk won’t keep. From now on, prepare a fresh bowl every day and have it delivered first thing at dawn.”