Returning to the room from the garden, Yan Furen began to sigh.

Nie San Guniang poured her a cup of tea and asked, “We’ve always known that Didi who only cares about practising martial arts and idling with friends, has now come to understand the tender emotions of youth. Their family background is comparable to ours. Why is Mom more worried than pleased?”

Yan Furen replied, “Our family comes from a lineage of military officers, so we naturally have no reason to look down on the daughters of military families. But your brother’s temperament is already rash and unruly. I had planned to find him a quiet and gentle wife to calm him down. But… marrying a wife with a personality similar to his? Two wild horses without reins, won’t that be maddening?”

Nie San Guniang said, “A young lady is still a young lady. According to what Didi said, that Xuan Guniang would even hide and cry secretly when she missed home. How could her temperament be the same as him? She’s simply a straightforward girl from a military family who also knows martial arts. With Didi’s personality, how could a quiet and shy wife ever rein him in? If they quarrel, wouldn’t she just walk away? But this Xuan Guniang is different. If they really have a falling out, she might end up beating him into submission instead.”

Yan Furen was both amused and exasperated as she said, “What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

Nie San Guniang sat down beside her and said, “No matter what I say, the important thing is that Didi already has someone in his heart. If you dare to go against his wishes, what if his temper flares and he really runs off to the north to join the army? He’s mentioned it more than once or twice already. With no attachments in his heart, wouldn’t he just leave without hesitation?”

Reminded of this by her daughter, Yan Furen suddenly remembered that possibility and immediately said, “You’re right. Then… tomorrow, I’ll visit Jing Guogong Residence, meet this Xuan Guniang, and also hear Yin Furen’s thoughts.”

In the afternoon, after finishing the last class, the students whose homes were in the capital began walking in small groups toward the academy gate, preparing to return home.

Xu Moxiu, Lu Feng, and Zhao Huanxi walked together.

Lu Feng asked Zhao Huanxi, “Is someone from your family coming to pick you up?”

Zhao Huanxi replied, “Yes, Wenlin’ sister is coming to pick me up.”

Hearing this, Xu Moxiu said to Lu Feng, “Then I’ll catch a ride with my Jiefu later.”

Before Lu Feng could respond, Zhao Huanxi hurriedly said, “No way.”

Both Xu Moxiu and Lu Feng looked at him.

Zhao Huanxi’s cheeks slowly turned red as he racked his brains and said, “Today, the teacher just told the story of ‘worrying not about scarcity but inequality’ in class. If Wenlin rides in my carriage, then the horse pulling my family’s carriage will have to carry three people, while the horse from Lu Xiong’s family would only need to carry one person. That would be inequality.”

“And then?”

“And then, and then…”

Just as Zhao Huanxi was scratching his head, trying to come up with the next part, Lu Feng chuckled and continued, “And then his horse might overthink, get distracted, and affect the safety of the journey. To ensure everyone gets back to the city safely and smoothly, you’d better ride in my carriage instead.”

Xu Moxiu: “……”

The three of them reached the foot of the mountain, where the carriages from the Jing Guogong Residence and the Lu Family were waiting.

Xu Nian’an saw the three of them coming down from the window and got off the carriage to say to Xu Moxiu, “Ride with us today, there’s no need to trouble Lu Gongzi.”

Xu Moxiu replied, “Jiefu won’t let me ride with him, so I’ll just take Lu Xiong’s carriage.”

Xu Nian’an glanced at Zhao Huanxi, whose face turned red as he pretended to look elsewhere.

The awkwardness lingered as they stood by the carriages, but once on board, Zhao Huanxi felt at ease. With a mischievous grin, he hugged Xu Nian’an and said, “Dong Jiejie, I missed you so much.”

Xu Nian’an poked him on the forehead and glared at him, saying, “And yet you wouldn’t let Ah Xiu ride with us? Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?”

“I don’t care. Let them laugh if they want,” Zhao Huanxi said, attempting to ask for a kiss again.

Xu Nian’an covered his mouth, her cheeks turning red. “No. Last time, San Jie noticed when we got back, and she laughed so much I wished I could crawl into a hole.”

Feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, Zhao Huanxi said, “How could she be like that? When she gets married, you should laugh at her too.”

Xu Nian’an said, “It won’t be long now. Today, Zufu sent word for Mother to stay home tomorrow. He said the Lu Family will be coming over to propose marriage.”

“Propose marriage? To whom? My San Jie? Which Lu Family?” Zhao Huanxi, completely unaware of the matter, blurted out a string of questions.

“It’s Lu Feng family, coming to propose to San Jie,” Xu Nian’an explained.

Zhao Huanxi was completely stunned. “Lu Feng, marrying my San Jie? Does that mean he’ll become my San Jiefu?”

“What’s with that expression? Don’t you think it’s a good thing?” Xu Nian’an asked.

“But didn’t he just break off the engagement with Fifth Branh’s Shuxian *Tang Mei last year? Now he’s here again to propose to my **San Jie… Isn’t this…”

“Isn’t this slapping the Fifth Branch’s face too hard? I think so too. But Zufu approved of it,” Xu Nian’an said with a smile.

Zhao Huanxi: “……”

After a moment of speechlessness, he asked Xu Nian’an, “Does my San Jie like Lu Feng?”

Xu Nian’an smiled with her bright eyes, “When we get back, you can ask San Jie yourself.”

Zhao Huanxi, now a little more clever, didn’t ask Zhao Jiazhen when they got home. Instead, he secretly asked his mother.

Yin Furen had a look of delight on her face and said, “If she doesn’t like such a good husband candidate like Lu Feng, who else would she like?”

The next morning, Zhao Jiazhen hurriedly left with Xuan Jie’er, almost as if fleeing.

When Yin Furen went to find her and couldn’t locate her, she quickly sent someone to Xiangfeng Tower (the jewellery shop) to call her back.

At the end of the Chen hour (around 7-9 a.m.), in front of Jing Guogong Residence, Lu Feng stood by the carriage, helping Lu Lao Taitai down. The two of them, along with the matchmaker, had just entered the corner gate when Zhao Shuxian, arriving in a carriage, also reached the entrance.

She had just had a big argument with He Xuning, who had returned from his ten-day break the night before. Today, she planned to find her Er Ge and complain to Wu Taitai, but she never expected to see the Lu Family with a matchmaker coming to their door. What was going on?

For the moment, she forgot about complaining and hurried after the Lu Family into the residence. Upon reaching the Fifth Branch, she saw Wu Taitai and immediately asked, “Mom, do you know why the Lu Family brought a matchmaker to our residence?”

Wu Taitai looked at her, hesitating as if she wanted to speak but didn’t.

Zhao Shuxian, anxious, pushed her arm and said, “Please, tell me.”

Wu Taitai sighed, both resentful and unwilling, and said, “They’ve come to propose marriage to First Brancj‘s Jiazhen.”

Zhao Shuxian widened her eyes in disbelief. “The one who divorced less than half a year ago? Lu Feng… is the Lu Family out of their minds? How could they do this? Aren’t they slapping my face, slapping the Fifth Branch’s face?”

Wu Taitai held her anger in check and said, “Your Zufu agreed to it.”

Zhao Shuxian couldn’t hold back her tears and cried out, “How could this happen? Have all the young ladies in the capital already died? Why must he marry her? How am I supposed to go out and face people after this? I might as well be an old maiden who’s been divorced.”

Wu Taitai also felt deeply wronged but was at a loss for what to do. She could only hold her daughter and sigh in helpless frustration.

In the main room of Jiaxiang House, Yin Furen was talking to Lu Lao Furen. She was originally an upright and kind-hearted person, and had always held a good opinion of Lu Feng, so her words and actions naturally aligned with Lu Lao Furen’s sentiments.

After conversing with her for a while, the little bit of lingering discomfort Lu Lao Furen had about Zhao Jiazhen’s divorce and remarriage gradually disappeared. She now thought that a daughter raised by a mother like Yin Furen would surely have good character and abilities, and would win Lu Feng’s favor, making it a harmonious and beautiful marriage.

Yin Furen finally waited for the maid she had sent to call Zhao Jiazhen to return, but Zhao Jiazhen was nowhere to be seen.

“Taitai, San Guniang says there is something going on in the jewellery shop, and she will return once it’s settled,” the maid reported to Yin Furen.

Yin Furen’s face immediately turned awkward. As she was wondering how to smooth things over, Lu Feng spoke up: “Since there’s something going on in the shop, why don’t I go take a look? I might be able to help.”

Yin Furen was overjoyed to hear this and quickly responded, “That would be excellent. We will have trouble Lu Gongzi.”

Lu Feng stood up, courteously bowed to both Lu Lao Furen and Yin Furen, and then left the room with grace and elegance.

Yin Furen watched him leave, feeling both pleased and troubled. Such a fine young man had come to ask for her daughter’s hand, yet she couldn’t understand why Jiazhen was being so difficult. They had talked until late into the night, but the next morning, she still ran off.

She inwardly grumbled for a moment before putting on a smile and saying to Lu Lao Furen, “Lu Lao Furen, the weather is warm and pleasant today. Why don’t we take a stroll in the garden and admire the flowers?”

Knowing that Lu Feng wouldn’t return for at least half an hour, Lu Lao Furen nodded and said, “That sounds good.”

Yin Furen personally went over to assist her and instructed a maidservant, “Go call San Nainai to come and keep Lu Lao Furen company.”

Since Lu Lao Furen was not in the best of health and might tire easily, they decided not going to Zhilan Garden and instead headed to the small garden next to Shenhui Courtyard.

On the first floor of Xiangfeng Tower, Zhao Jiazhen was patiently helping Xuan Jie’er try on earrings in front of the earring rack. Suddenly, a woman’s mocking voice reached her ears: “Oh, I didn’t expect that even though the manager was divorced, there are still so many people coming to her shop. Aren’t they afraid of bad luck?”

Zhao Jiazhen turned her head and saw her old rival, Wen Lixin, the owner of the nearby Jinyu Liangyuan, walking in with two maidservants.

The customers who had been selecting jewelry in the shop were startled by her words and began to whisper among themselves.

Zhao Jiazhen found it strange. This person was usually fond of using underhanded tactics to annoy her, but she would rarely make an appearance herself. What was going on today? Did she think that, without the support of Ding Guogong Residence after her divorce from Li Ziliang, she could be bullied? That was truly laughable.

She glared at Wen Lixin, lazily stretched out her hand, pointed toward the door, and said indifferently, “If you’re smart, leave on your own. Don’t make me call someone to drag you out. It’s quite unseemly.”

Wen Lixin walked up to her arrogantly and stood face to face with her, saying, “What’s wrong? You can do whatever you want, but others can’t say anything about it? Now, who in the entire capital doesn’t know that you’re nothing but a discarded shoe thrown out by your husband’s family?”

Xuan Jie’er, standing beside her, was furious. She reached out and shoved Wen Lixin back, shouting loudly, “Get out! If you keep speaking like that, I’ll have no mercy on you!”

One of the maidservants behind Wen Lixin hurriedly supported her, while the other, eager to show her loyalty, stepped forward and scolded, “Where did this wild girl come from, daring to push my family’s Furen? If anything happens, can you afford to compensate?”

“Chunhu.” Zhao Jiazhen’s face turned cold.

Chunhu stepped forward and slapped the maid who had insulted Xuan Jie’er across the face, berating her, “How dare you insult my family’s Guniang? You clueless wretch!”

“Zhao Jiazhen, I only came to your shop to look at some jewellery, and you actually had someone push me—ah, my stomach… it hurts so much…” Wen Lixin clutched her lower abdomen, speaking as she slowly collapsed onto the floor.

Zhao Jiazhen was just about to mock her for putting on an act when Xuan Jie’er, standing nearby, twitched her nose and suddenly pointed at Wen Lixin’s shoe and said, “Blood!”

Zhao Jiazhen looked closely and, sure enough, red blood mixed with dark purple had already trickled down Wen Lixin’s trouser leg and was dripping onto the floor.

Seeing Wen Lixin’s complexion, which now looked sickly yellow despite the layers of rouge, Zhao Jiazhen was shocked. It dawned on her that she was truly about to be framed this time.

She immediately ordered someone to fetch a doctor.

Wen Lixin’s maidservants shouted all the way from Xiangfeng Tower to Jinyu Liangyuan, instructing the people there to report to the authorities. This commotion drew a crowd of onlookers to the front of Xiangfeng Tower, and even the two gatekeepers couldn’t disperse the curious crowd.

Wen Lixin sat on the floor of Xiangfeng Tower’s main hall, repeatedly crying out in pain, sweat pouring down her forehead like a stream.

Seeing this, Xuan Jie’er was somewhat frightened. She looked at Zhao Jiazhen helplessly and said, “Yimu, I really didn’t push her that hard…”

Zhao Jiazhen reached out and patted the back of her head, saying, “Yimu knows. This has nothing to do with you. Go upstairs for now.”

Xuan Jie’er stubbornly replied, “No, I won’t! I want to see what exactly they’re trying to pull!”

Zhao Jiazhen looked at Wen Lixin on the floor, her mind racing. She turned and beckoned the clever shop assistants and maids over, quietly giving them a few instructions before sending them out.

After dismissing the staff, Zhao Jiazhen turned to the guests in the shop, apologised to each of them, and handed out small gifts as compensation. She explained that due to unforeseen circumstances, the shop would close for the day and asked them to return another time. Seeing the situation, the guests were understanding and left without complaint.

Once the customers were gone, Zhao Jiazhen returned to Wen Lixin, her gaze falling on the bloodstain beneath her. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she said coldly, “I hear your husband holds a position as an officer in the Ministry of Justice. He’s an official, after all. Yet you resort to such tricks to frame me? Have you no shame?”

Wen Lixin, gritting her teeth through the pain, hissed hatefully, “You with the surnamed Zhao, you clearly ordered someone to push me, causing me to lose my child. You’ll have to pay with your life for this!”

Zhao Jiazhen felt no sympathy for her and simply walked aside with Xuan Jie’er, waiting for the doctor to arrive.

Before the doctor came, however, officials from Shuntian Prefecture arrived first.

“Guan Yé, it’s her! Manager Zhao of Xiangfeng Tower. She had someone push my Furen, causing her to miscarry!” Wen Lixin’s maidservant pointed accusingly at Zhao Jiazhen as she spoke to the officers.

The officials turned to look at Zhao Jiazhen.

Zhao Jiazhen said calmly, “I don’t know what happened to her. I only lightly touched her, and she ended up like this. I’ve already sent for a doctor.”

“Since a matter involving loss of life has occurred here, we’ll have to ask the manager to come with us. Men, take everyone in the building away, and seal the shop,” the middle-aged official ordered.

Zhao Jiazhen was startled. She had assumed they would wait for the doctor to examine Wen Lixin and confirm the situation before making any decisions. Who would have expected the official to immediately move to arrest people? Something suspicious was clearly afoot. Just as she was about to question the official, a voice rang out from the doorway—young, yet undeniably authoritative:

“A matter involving loss of life? Where? I don’t see anything of the sort.”

Zhao Jiazhen turned her head and saw Lu Feng stepping in from outside the building, his demeanor refined and unhurried, followed closely by a trusted attendant.

The official frowned. “Who are you? How dare you barge into a crime scene?”

Lu Feng walked straight to Zhao Jiazhen’s side before stopping, turning to face the official. Calmly, he said, “I am Lu Feng, the betrothed of Manager Zhao. You claim this is a crime scene—on what grounds?”

On the floor, Wen Lixin, drenched in cold sweat, stared at Lu Feng in shock. She had never heard that Zhao Jiazhen was engaged to anyone after her divorce!

The official’s brow furrowed slightly, though his tone remained polite. “So, it is Lu Gongzi. The lady on the ground accuses Manager Zhao of pushing her, causing her to miscarry. By law, Ben Guan must take all involved back to the government office for investigation.”

“By law? Which law?” Lu Feng’s voice remained calm and measured. “Lu Mou has also studied our dynasty’s legal code extensively. There are 113 articles concerning matters of life and death, but not one of them pertains to an unborn child. Furthermore,” Lu Feng’s gaze lowered to the woman still sitting on the ground, “she claims she’s miscarried. Where’s the proof? Words alone are unreliable. Has Daren forgotten the principle of ‘you cannot always trust what you hear, but seeing is believing’?”

“This…” The official’s face flushed red with embarrassment. “Lu Gongzi, your father is a third-rank official, and you are renowned across the capital as a scholar. How could you say such a thing?”

Zhao Jiazhen’s eyes, too, held a hint of surprise as she looked at Lu Feng.

To confirm a miscarriage, one would need to examine the fetus, but this would require removing the woman’s clothing and extracting the fetus on the spot. Would Wen Shi still have the face to be seen in public if that were to happen? Furthermore, Wen Shi did not appear pregnant when she entered, and now claiming to have miscarried, it would be hard to discern any sign of a fetus—likely just a mass of flesh and blood.

“My father is a third-rank official, and I am a scholar. Does that mean I must preserve appearances and let you collude with others to frame my fiancée? Do you take me, Lu Feng, for a man made of paper?” Lu Feng’s tone was calm yet sharp, with no words of direct threat, but every word carried an implicit threat.

The official refused to back down, retorting, “Lu Gongzi, you are someone preparing for officialdom. Do you not understand the principle that one must speak with evidence?”

“Let’s see who truly lacks understanding. We’ll discuss this in the Shuntian Prefecture courtroom,” Lu Feng responded, then turned to Zhao Jiazhen and calmly said, “Could I borrow some paper and a pen?”

Xuan Jie’er quickly sprang up and ran upstairs. “I’ll go get it!”

Zhao Jiazhen: “…..”

Xuan Jie’er soon returned with paper and a pen, rushing down the stairs and placing them on the counter where the gold hairpins and other items were arranged. Lu Feng went over, took the pen in hand, and with a bold, flowing stroke, wrote the words “lawsuit” in large characters. He then turned to Wen Lixin, his voice loud as he asked, “Who is your husband? What is his name?”

Wen Lixin’s face turned ashen, her lips clenched in silence. Her maid spoke up, “It’s clearly Manager Zhao who pushed our Furen. Why are you asking about our master’s name?”

“I don’t have time for your nonsense! Right or wrong, let the authorities decide!” Lu Feng’s clear eyes coldly regarded the pair of master and servant. “If you have a clear conscience, what’s there to hide?”

With the help of her maid, Wen Lixin struggled to stand, hunched over, and slowly made her way toward the exit.

“Do you think leaving will make this disappear? Yunli, go find out whose woman this is,” Lu Feng ordered his attendant.

Yunli responded and promptly left.

The official, seeing the situation, spoke up, “Lu Gongzi, show some mercy. This lady has already suffered misfortune.”

“Unfortunate? Are we not the ones who are unfortunate? The ground was dirtied by her, and now we’re being extorted. And you, what is your name? State it, so I can write it in the lawsuit,” Lu Feng said, turning to take up the pen. After waiting for a while and not hearing the official’s name, he turned back and coldly glanced at him.

The official quickly switched sides, offering a nervous smile. “I am willing to testify that this woman is trying to extort.”

“You—” Wen Lixin, already physically weakened from her miscarriage, was further shocked by this turn of events and immediately fainted.

Seeing this, Lu Feng simply said to the official, “Please have her carried away. She’s disturbing our business.”

After sending Wen Lixin and her maid away, Yunli returned with the information about the woman’s identity. Lu Feng finished writing the lawsuit, and Zhao Jiazhen, who had been out looking for the doctor who had previously examined Wen Lixin, returned as well.

The doctor, who was connected to Wen Lixin’s family, had been tricked into coming by Wen Lixin’s maid, who pretended to be from her husband’s side of the family, claiming that Wen Lixin was in bad condition. This just so happened to fall into Lu Feng’s hands.

As a practicing physician, he had no courage to oppose the son of a third-rank official. He honestly told everything about Wen Lixin’s pregnancy complications, from the poor fetal condition to recent signs of a miscarriage, and wrote a statement confirming it. Zhao Jiazhen then had someone accompany him to retrieve the prescription and medical records.

Finally, Lu Feng instructed Yunli to send the lawsuit, along with the testimonies, to the Shuntian Prefecture.

After everyone had been sent off, the attendants and maids in the building began mopping and cleaning the floor tiles. Lu Feng then followed Zhao Jiazhen up to the second floor.

“Thank you so much for today, Lu Gongzi,” Zhao Jiazhen said as she personally poured him a cup of tea in the guest room on the second floor.

“There’s no need for such formality between us. However, since today’s complaint was submitted under my name, if you refuse my family’s marriage proposal, I might end up in a lawsuit,” Lu Feng said.

Zhao Jiazhen lowered her head.

She knew that the Lu Family would visit her mother at Jing Guogong Residence today to propose. Her grandfather had agreed, and her mother was overjoyed. Even if she wanted to oppose it, she couldn’t find a reason to.

Her mother disliked hearing her say they weren’t a good match.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, shining directly on her hands resting on her lap.

She lowered her eyes, gazing at the slightly faded red polish on her pointed nails, and said, “Lu Gongzi, you had a smooth path ahead of you. Why insist on taking a divergent one?”

“I’ve told you before, you’re the first woman I’ve truly wanted to marry. Do you mean to say that in your eyes, me falling for someone is straying onto a wrong path? Do I have the words ‘free of worldly desires, severed from love and affection’ written across my face?” Lu Feng asked her.

The phrase ‘六根清净断情绝爱’ embodies Buddhist ideals of detachment and liberation from desires and emotional entanglements. In Buddhist philosophy, achieving 六根清净 (purity of the six roots) means freeing oneself from sensory temptations and distractions to attain enlightenment. 断情绝爱, on the other hand, signifies letting go of worldly emotions, particularly romantic or personal love, as they are seen as sources of attachment that hinder spiritual progress.

“You’re clearly twisting my words and dodging the point on purpose,” Zhao Jiazhen turned her face to look at him and said, “And you claim that your feelings for me are nothing more than being captivated by my looks, serving someone based on their appearance. When beauty fades, love wanes. That kind of affection, I don’t want.”

“When your beauty fades, at the very least, it’ll be fifty years from now. By then, we’d probably already have great-grandchildren, and you’d be holding all the power in the household. It’s me who should be worrying about your love fading for me when my looks are gone,” Lu Feng said with a laugh.

Zhao Jiazhen couldn’t help but blush. She turned her head away and said, “I didn’t fall for your looks. Why are you talking about beauty fading and love waning?”

“Oh? Really? If not, then why on the night of the Lantern Festival when we first met, you look up at me for so long? So long that even your clever Dimei noticed your unusual behaviour and introduced my identity to you, right?” Lu Feng tilted his head, glancing at her rosy earlobe.

Zhao Jiazhen, deeply embarrassed, turned back and retorted, “When did I ever look at you for so long? Don’t flatter yourself.”

Lu Feng extended three slender, fair fingers. “Three blinks. You looked at me for a full three blinks. Zhao Guniang, would you stare at any random man on the street for that long?”

“I’m going downstairs to see if it’s been cleaned properly,” Zhao Jiazheng said, feeling utterly outmatched by Lu Feng’s shamelessness. She could only flee in defeat.

Lu Feng stood up and swiftly grabbed her sleeve.

Zhao Jiazhen tugged at it but couldn’t free herself. With her back to him, she whispered, “Let go of me.”

“Agree to my proposal, and I’ll let go,” Lu Feng said with a faint smile in his tone.

Zhao Jiazhen didn’t turn around. “Marriage is a matter of parental orders—”

“Both of us have already experienced the so-called parental orders and matchmaker’s words, and neither of us was satisfied. This time, it’s my choice, and I hope for a direct answer from you. I understand your concerns, so I swear here and now: if I, Lu Feng, ever fail you, Zhao Jiazhen, may I fail the imperial examinations, be demoted from court, and spend my life in obscurity.”

“You—” Zhao Jiazhen was stunned to hear a scholar making such a grave oath and couldn’t help turning back to glare at him.

Lu Feng looked at her intently.

Zhao Jiazhen averted her gaze and said, “If you fail the imperial examinations and are demoted from court, what good would that do me?” With that, she pulled her sleeve free, her cheeks slightly flushed, and turned to go downstairs.

Lu Feng was momentarily stunned, then a smile appeared in his eyes as he followed her downstairs.

After such an ominous incident occurred in the shop today, Zhao Jiazhen decided not to continue business for the day. Once the maidservants and staff had scrubbed the floors clean, she ordered the doors closed for a rest. She then took Xuan Jie’er back to Jing Guogong Residence.

Lu Feng followed behind her.

Upon arriving at the Jing Guogong Rsidence, Xuan Jie’er excitedly ran to Jiaxiang Pavilion, eager to describe to her Wai Zumu how her future San Yifu had effortlessly taken command of the situation. However, she nearly bumped into Nie Guocheng.

Xuan Jie’er exclaimed in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

Nie Guocheng’s eyes lit up like two small suns when he saw her and said, “You promised to come find me. Since you didn’t, I had no choice but to come to you.”

At that moment, Zhao Jiazhen arrived from behind. Nie Guocheng straightened up and greeted her with a proper bow.

“Nie Gongzi, are you here to find Huanxi?” Zhao Jiazhen asked with a smile, feeling rather favourable towards this young man from a military family.

Nie Guocheng’s wheat-colored cheeks flushed slightly as he replied, “No, I’m here to find Xuan Jie’er.”

Zhao Jiazhen was momentarily surprised but then smiled even more brightly. She turned to Xuan Jie’er and said, “Since he’s your friend, you should entertain him well.” She then instructed the little maidservant who had been guiding Nie Guocheng, “Come with me.”

After Zhao Jiazhen left with the maidservant, Xuan Jie’er didn’t take Nie Guocheng anywhere else. Instead, she stood by the covered corridor near her room in Jiaxiang House to talk.

“What have you been up to lately?” Nie Guocheng asked the young girl beside him.

Xuan Jie’er idly kicked at the column with the tip of her shoe, looking bored as she replied, “What else is there to do? Just passing time with my Yimu and Jiumu.”

“Then why didn’t you come find me? I could take you out to have some fun. I know plenty of great places,” Nie Guocheng said.

At the mention of this, Xuan Jie’er became even more disheartened. She sighed and said, “I did want to come find you, but the rules in the capital are strict. I was worried it would bring gossip to my family, so I didn’t.”

“Why don’t you just get engaged to me, then? That way, you can come find me whenever you want, and there won’t be any gossip,” Nie Guocheng said enthusiastically.