Chapter 1 Xie Jin Yan's Thoughts

Xie Jin Yan looked down at her, without answering.

His eyes held a mixture of annoyance and mockery.

After a long while, he spat out a few words, his face dark, "Shijie is so generous. It seems Xiao Fengyun is very important to you."

Xie Jin Yan's ambiguous reaction suddenly frightened Yu Qingwu.

Although he was quite kind to Senior Brother Xiao, it wasn't impossible that he would vent his anger on Senior Brother Xiao because of her.

Thinking of this, the tenderness in Yu Qingwu's eyes instantly faded. She forced a cold tone and said, "It's nothing. I'm just afraid that Senior Brother Xiao will spread it around. How will I have the face to see the other Shidis and Shimeis then?"

"Is that so?" Xie Jin Yan snorted coldly, his handsome face shadowed with gloom. He suddenly grabbed her chin with his large hand.

Caught off guard, he kissed her fiercely.

A lingering, entangled kiss, filled with scorching breath, spread wantonly.

She didn't know how long it had been before the large hand finally moved from her chin.

The skin on Yu Qingwu's chin was pinched red. She frowned and leaned into Xie Jin Yan's arms, as if in a gesture of submission.

Xie Jin Yan's expression softened slightly. He gently stroked her neck and said in a husky voice, "Shijie, look, these are all Gu's gifts to you." (Gu is a royal "I")

"Since you don't care what Senior Brother Xiao thinks, it wouldn't matter if he saw these marks, would it?"

What did he mean by that?

Yu Qingwu's heart clenched. She suddenly broke free from Xie Jin Yan's embrace and looked up at him. "Xie Jin Yan, what do you mean by that?"

"It means, tidy yourself up and come to the front hall."

"Today, besides Senior Brother Xiao, Third Shixiong, Fifth Shixiong, Fourth Shijie, and Ninth Shimei are all here. If you don't come, Gu will have Ninth Shimei invite you in a little while."

The corners of his lips lifted, a glint of triumphant cunning flashed in his eyes. He pointed to the white magnolia flower pendant on her ear and said, "Oh, right, as for the remaining ten percent, aside from this pair of pendants, Gu has had the rest taken away."

After saying that, he stood up and ordered the servants to carry all the boxes of jewelry out.

He picked up the stack of house deeds and land deeds, and strode out of Qingning Courtyard with composure and triumph.

Yu Qingwu stood frozen on the spot, watching Xie Jin Yan's retreating figure. A nameless fire surged within her.

How did she feel like she had been tricked out of both her money and her virtue by this scoundrel?

"Bastard!"

She cursed angrily, then walked to the bronze mirror to tidy her disheveled hair. She changed into a dark purple outer robe with a slightly higher collar, and then applied a layer of rich, vibrant rouge to her blood-tinted lips.

This makeup added a touch of sharpness to her already cold and beautiful features, making her even more enchanting and alluring.

In the front hall, Xie Jin Yan was listening to Xiao Fengyun talking about the mission his Shixiongs and Shimeis had taken on this time when they came down the mountain. He turned his head and caught sight of Yu Qingwu at the door, and his eyes darkened.

Who was this woman dressing up for?

"Second Shijie, come sit here." At that moment, Ninth Shimei Zhou Shuangshuang suddenly waved at Yu Qingwu.

The others also turned to look.

Perhaps because they hadn't seen Yu Qingwu wearing rouge before, they were all stunned.

Fourth Shimei Su Qing jokingly laughed, "Second Shijie, why are you wearing lipstick today? Are you trying to impress Da Shixiong?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Xiao Fengyun glared at her, his handsome face slightly flushed. He then shifted his body and pointed to the soft cushion beside him. "A-Wu, come sit here."

"How is it? How did things go? When will you be able to return to Shu?"

Yu Qingwu smiled, leaned down to sit beside Xiao Fengyun, and pretended to casually reply, "I can't go back for the time being. Shixiong, did Shifu send you on some mission when you came to the capital this time?"

"Sigh, it's nothing more than those things." Su Qing sighed and interjected, "You know what Shifu is like. He asked us to find some old ledger, it's all meaningless anyway…"

"Oh, right, Second Shijie, I heard that Seventh Shidi snatched a certain Duke's son's fiancée and is keeping her in his residence. Have you seen that girl?" Changing the subject, Su Qing suddenly asked this question.

In an instant, everyone turned to look at Yu Qingwu.

Xiao Fengyun and the other Shidis and Shimeis were curious, while Xie Jin Yan's gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over the small section of her neck that was exposed, his eyes playful and ambiguous.

Yu Qingwu felt her ears burning under his gaze. She paused, avoided his eyes, and stammered, "I… I don't know. I haven't seen her."

Hearing this, Su Qing revealed a disappointed expression.

"Alright, Fourth Shimei, let's eat."

Yu Qingwu's palms slightly relaxed. She picked up a piece of osmanthus sweet and sour fish and placed it in Su Qing's bowl, then lowered her head to eat. She occasionally glanced up at Xie Jin Yan across from her, afraid that he would cause some trouble.

Fortunately, Xie Jin Yan didn't have time to pay attention to her. Besides chatting with his Shixiongs about the situation in the capital, he was also teasing Ninth Shimei Zhou Shuangshuang, making Zhou Shuangshuang giggle. She didn't eat much during the meal, but she did seem to be a bit tipsy.

Xie Jin Yan instructed a maid to help Zhou Shuangshuang to rest in a guest room in the Crown Prince's residence. After the others finished eating, they also got up to leave. Having just arrived in the capital, they were naturally staying at the Crown Prince's residence.

As the group walked outside the front hall, Xiao Fengyun suddenly turned his head to look at Yu Qingwu and said gently, "A-Wu, where are you staying? Let me take you back, shall I?"

Yu Qingwu's face paled. She tried her best to hide the panic in her eyes. "There's no need, Shixiong. I can go back by myself…"

"Second Shijie, it's so dark out. You should let Shixiong accompany you." Su Qing stepped forward, smiling as she pushed her toward Xiao Fengyun.

"Fourth Shijie, don't interfere. Second Shijie's husband won't be happy."

As the Shixiongs and Shimeis pushed each other back and forth, Xie Jin Yan spoke coldly.

The others instantly froze. They looked at each other, extremely embarrassed.

Especially Xiao Fengyun, his face turned green, as if he was trying his best to suppress his emotions. He asked in surprise, "A-Wu, when… when did you get married?"

"Not yet, but soon." Yu Qingwu forced a smile on her face and explained in a low voice.

After saying that, she gave a forced smile, bid farewell to the Shixiongs and Shimeis, and then turned and walked towards the back door of the Crown Prince's residence.

Since there was no possibility, it was better to let him misunderstand…

The early winter night was dark and cold.

Yu Qingwu groped her way outside, and only realized after she got out that she didn't have a single tael of silver on her.

The cold wind howled. Yu Qingwu shivered, pulled her clothes tighter around her, took a deep breath, and squatted down against the wall.

The night grew deeper and the surroundings were eerily quiet. Looking at the dark night sky, Yu Qingwu suddenly remembered the night her mother passed away. She had also been squatting alone at the back door of the Ning Prince's residence, braving the cold wind and heavy snow, waiting for them to throw out her mother's body…

"Shijie, planning to freeze to death here?" In a daze, a hand landed on her shoulder.

Yu Qingwu trembled in shock and instinctively dodged away.

Xie Jin Yan frowned, used the lantern to illuminate her frostbitten face, and said in a deep voice, "Get up. Come sleep in Gu's room."