He slowly propped himself up and gently pulled her into his arms, "It's alright, I'm here."

Yu Qingwu looked up and met the man's gentle gaze.

For a moment, Qingwu wondered if she was still dreaming.

She raised her hand and pinched Xie Jin Yan's face hard.

The man frowned from the pinch, but gently took her hand, a slightly helpless expression on his face, and asked with a faint smile, "What did Senior Sister dream about last night that frightened you so?"

"It's nothing, just some not-so-good things from when I was a child."

"Presumably, seeing the Shen family yesterday triggered those memories."

Yu Qingwu rubbed her temples, slowly got up, casually picked up the clothes scattered all over the floor last night, dressed meticulously, and sat in front of the bronze mirror, simply coiling up her black hair.

As she was doing so, Xie Jin Yan walked over at some point, gently hugged her from behind with his large hands, and whispered in her ear, "Senior Sister, no matter what happened in the past, it's all over. From now on, I will be your support, and I will bear whatever happens for you."

Through the mirror, the man's handsome face came into view, his watery black eyes dyed with tenderness, making Qingwu's ears burn and inexplicably giving her a sense of security.

However, remembering last night's dream, she still felt some lingering fear.

Xie Jin Yan, will he really be her support?

Yu Qingwu put down the wooden comb, her fingers landed on the large hands around her waist, her fingertips gently stroking the back of his broad hand, and pondered, "Your Highness, can you really bear everything for me?"

"What if... it concerns A Yue?" She looked up, half-turning her head to look at Xie Jin Yan, and said sarcastically, "If I and A Yue are in danger at the same time, who will Your Highness save first?"

"..."

This question was simply fatal, and Xie Jin Yan's face darkened.

But... A Yue isn't here, what's there to be afraid of?

"Naturally, I would save Senior Sister first. Is there any need to hesitate?"

He smiled, his phoenix eyes deliberately and sincerely meeting the woman's gaze.

If she hadn't been abandoned so many times, Yu Qingwu might have almost believed him.

Fortunately, she didn't have any hope, and didn't intend to truly love this junior brother who had hurt and bullied her, so she wasn't angry.

Smiling noncommittally, Yu Qingwu changed the subject, "Your Highness is truly glib. You can deceive me with a few words, but I wonder, how do you plan to deal with the Rongguo Duke's mansion?"

"They dared to commit murder and arson to seize my Yu family's property. Now that you've taken my dowry and made me your concubine, and you clashed so fiercely for me yesterday, causing the Shen family to lose all face, aren't you afraid that Shen Zongyuan will complain to His Majesty, accusing you of favoring a concubine and destroying your wife?"

Favoring a concubine and destroying his wife?

Shen Rou hasn't even entered the door yet, so how could she be considered his wife?

Besides, even if the Shen family really complained to his father, he would never be the one to suffer.

Perhaps, Shen Zongyuan would even get a beating.

"You don't need to worry about that, Senior Sister. Since I dare to do it, I'm not afraid of him complaining."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes, Xie Jin Yan leaned closer, picked up an eyebrow pencil with one hand to draw Yu Qingwu's eyebrows, and draped his arm over her shoulder, replying in a disdainful tone, "I'm afraid he won't complain."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is... you should quickly give me a child..."

"Xie Jin Yan!"

Knock, knock, knock. While the two were playing around, a slight knock came from outside.

"Who is it?" Interrupted in his interest, Xie Jin Yan was immediately displeased.

Hearing his tone, the person outside was also a little apprehensive, and stammered, "Your Highness, it's me, Feng Yuan. The Rongguo Duke's mansion's Old Madam Shen sent someone to relay a message, saying that she's inviting Yu Liangdi to return to the Rongguo Duke's mansion for a meeting, as she has important matters to discuss."

Madam Qiu? Looking for her to discuss important matters?

She must have misheard.

Heh, she's probably just trying to call her back to vent her anger, since Shen Zongyuan and the others were humiliated at the Crown Prince's residence yesterday.

Yu Qingwu sneered inwardly, and immediately rejected the person outside without waiting for Xie Jin Yan to answer, "Please trouble Little Brother Feng Yuan to tell Old Madam Shen that I'm not feeling well these days. If she has something to discuss, she can wait until I'm better. If she's really in a hurry, then please invite her to come to the Crown Prince's residence to see me."

"Um... Yu Liangdi, Old Madam Shen also said that if you refuse to meet, she will have to personally visit and discuss it with His Highness the Crown Prince." Outside the door, Feng Yuan's voice came through the door panel, with a hint of embarrassment, and he stammered, "She also said that you might regret it then."

Threatening her?

Hearing this, Yu Qingwu's face immediately darkened, and Xie Jin Yan's eyes instantly became dark and cold.

Taking a deep look at the woman beside him who was about to get up, he held her hand.

Then, he got up and stepped out of the warm pavilion.

Yu Qingwu sat where she was, watching Xie Jin Yan's figure disappear at the door, and a bad feeling suddenly rose in her heart.

She wasn't stupid and naturally could see that Madam Qiu's intention wasn't to find her.

Madam Qiu could send someone to have Feng Yuan relay the message directly, which clearly meant that she wanted to convey it to Xie Jin Yan's ears. Judging from this meaning, she wanted to complain to Xie Jin Yan.

Madam Qiu wasn't as petty as Shen Rou. If she were to complain, it definitely wouldn't be about her, Yu Qingwu, being impure or something like that...

So, what was Madam Qiu going to accuse her of?

Yu Qingwu frowned, quickly got up, and followed her out.

Passing through the garden all the way, and then through the corridor, as before, she entered the hall through the small door.

At this time, behind the screen painted with ink paintings, Madam Qiu had already stepped into the front hall with Xie Jin Yan.

Madam Qiu had seen great storms after all, and wasn't as timid and fearful as Shen Zongyuan and Xu Shi.

Even when facing the current Crown Prince, she still maintained the demeanor of an elder, leaning slightly as she sat on the grandmaster's chair in the hall, smiling as she looked at Xie Jin Yan, inquiring in a tone of an elder caring for a younger generation, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, this old woman heard last night that you and my A Wu are senior and junior siblings. My A Wu went to Shu to study flower and grass cultivation. This old woman remembers that Your Highness was originally studying martial arts outside. How did you become senior and junior siblings with my A Wu?"

Xie Jin Yan sat opposite her, holding a bowl of tea in his hand, and replied casually, "When I entered the school, Senior Sister had already become a disciple of the master. Naturally, I was the junior brother."

"So that's how it is. Over the years, this old woman is grateful to Your Highness for taking care of my A Wu."

Madam Qiu's face was full of smiles, but her eyes were full of resentment and unwillingness.

That day, she sent that girl to the Yang family's manor, wanting that little slut's life. She was still wondering why that slut was still living so well after several years. She didn't expect that this little hussy would unexpectedly hook up with the Crown Prince.

The withered hand, full of wrinkles hidden under her sleeve, slowly tightened.

Looking up at Xie Jin Yan, seeing that he wasn't speaking, Madam Qiu smiled and continued, "However, Your Highness the Crown Prince, although A Wu is this old woman's granddaughter, there's one thing that this old woman thinks should be said to Your Highness."

"What does Old Madam want to say?" Xie Jin Yan raised his eyebrows, looking at her with cold eyes, as if he had seen through something, and sneered, "Old Madam doesn't want to say that my senior sister is impure again, does she?"

"That's not it. It's just that this old woman learned of a shocking thing last night. My granddaughter A Wu's former master at the farm died nine years ago, murdered..."