Yu Qingwu trembled, as if fearing something. When she looked up and saw it was Xie Jin Yan, her expression calmed down a lot.

Xie Jin Yan keenly noticed the change in her. He reached out and pulled her up, asking suspiciously, "Yu Qingwu, what's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing." Yu Qingwu shook her head, wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and asked him, "Xie Jin Yan, do you have another residence?"

"What? Shijie (senior martial sister) wants to be my mistress?"

"..."

"Are you sick?" Yu Qingwu's face darkened, and she pushed him away forcefully, lowering her voice. "Shimei (junior martial sisters) are staying in the Crown Prince's residence. I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain if I run into them later."

"Shimei?"

Xie Jin Yan smiled faintly, his tone sarcastic. "Shijie is afraid of running into Shixiong (senior martial brother) Xiao, and finding it hard to explain, isn't she?"

"Freeze to death here or come inside with me, it's your choice."

His expression turned cold, and the man turned and left.

*Hiss*, there was a rustling sound in the darkness.

Yu Qingwu's body trembled slightly, and she hurriedly followed Xie Jin Yan's footsteps.

She didn't know if it was because she had been squatting for too long or because she was too cold, but her feet were terribly numb.

She followed Xie Jin Yan back to the warm pavilion and sat for a long time before she slowly recovered.

As soon as Xie Jin Yan entered, he took off his outer robe and lay down on the bed.

Yu Qingwu looked around the room for a long time, but couldn't find a second bed or couch.

After struggling for a moment, she called out to him in a low voice, "Xie Jin Yan, where do I sleep?"

"Wherever." Xie Jin Yan turned over, his back to her.

His voice was as cold as ice...

That's right, except on the bed, he was always indifferent to her...

Yu Qingwu didn't care much. She glanced around, turned sideways, and lay down on the rug in front of the bed.

"You really know how to pick a spot." Xie Jin Yan snorted and casually grabbed a slightly thicker fur robe and threw it at her feet.

Yu Qingwu ignored him, got up, picked up the ink-colored wool robe, and wrapped it around herself.

*Knock, knock, knock,* just as she was about to lie back down, there was a soft knock on the door from outside.

Immediately after, a gentle and familiar male voice came through the door panel into the warm pavilion.

"Seventh Shidi (junior martial brother), are you asleep?"

Why did Shixiong Xiao come here suddenly?

Yu Qingwu's heart tightened instantly, and she looked anxiously at Xie Jin Yan on the bed.

Xie Jin Yan rubbed his sleepy eyes and put on his outer clothes.

"Xie Jin Yan, don't open the door." Yu Qingwu grabbed his outstretched leg, knelt on the ground, and begged, "Your Highness, I beg you, don't open the door, don't let Shixiong Xiao in."

Xie Jin Yan's footsteps suddenly stopped. His eyes, which had been drowsy a moment ago, suddenly turned dark.

He turned around, gently raised the woman's chin, looked down at her, and chuckled, "Don't want Shixiong to come in? Then call out..."

"Call... call what?" Yu Qingwu was at a loss.

But soon, she realized.

She gritted her teeth, lowered her head, and reluctantly whispered, "Yan gege (older brother Yan)..."

"So soft, are you sure Shixiong can hear you?" Xie Jin Yan sat back on the bed, kicked his feet in black silk socks in front of her, his handsome face full of mischief, and said coldly, "Louder."

A strong sense of humiliation surged up, and Yu Qingwu couldn't help but shed tears. She didn't want to taint Shixiong Xiao's ears.

But if Shixiong Xiao saw her like this now, it would probably be even more embarrassing.

At this moment, she wished she had frozen to death outside just now.

She closed her eyes, looked at the man with tears in her eyes, and her voice suddenly became high-pitched, "Yan gege!"

"Husband!"

"Good brother!"

"This slave loves you so much!"

The woman's charming and affectionate voice came from the warm pavilion, and Xiao Fengyun's handsome face couldn't help but turn red. Embarrassed, he stepped out of the Zhuque Courtyard.

Inside the room, Xie Jin Yan quietly admired Yu Qingwu's pitiful appearance like a pear blossom in the rain.

Hearing that Xiao Fengyun had gone far away, he signaled her to stop.

Then, he stood up, quickly untied his belt, and called out to her in a hoarse voice, "A Wu, come here."

Having experienced the previous three times, Yu Qingwu knew Xie Jin Yan's intentions just by looking at his eyes.

She took a breath, endured her resentment, and walked barefoot in front of the man...

It had been a month since he had tasted meat, and Xie Jin Yan was extremely ferocious that night.

The next day, Yu Qingwu didn't wake up until noon. Her whole body was covered in bruises, which looked ambiguous and tragic.

After putting on the rouge-colored dress that Xie Jin Yan had prepared for her and washing up simply, Yu Qingwu stepped out of the warm pavilion, supporting the wall.

As soon as she lifted one foot out, she saw Zhou Shuangshuang, Su Qing, Shixiong Xiao, and Xie Jin Yan walking towards her.

Yu Qingwu's heart panicked, and she subconsciously wanted to hide, but it was too late.

Zhou Shuangshuang saw her with sharp eyes and came up to her without any tact, asking with a surprised face, "Second Shijie, why are you coming out of Seventh Shige's (older brother) room?"

Hearing this, Su Qing and Xiao Fengyun also looked at her.

A hint of gossip appeared in Su Qing's eyes, while Xiao Fengyun unconsciously thought of the shameful noises last night, and his face was a little ugly. "A Wu, didn't you go home? Why did you run to Seventh Shidi's house?"

"You... have something to ask him?"

Floating with some suspicion, his gaze slowly fell on the red marks on Yu Qingwu's neck, and his eyes darkened.

Yu Qingwu felt guilty when he looked at her, avoided his eyes, and secretly looked at Xie Jin Yan.

Xie Jin Yan played with the jade tablet in his hand, his stunningly handsome face smiling noncommittally, mocking her.

"I... I was looking for Seventh Shidi to borrow some books. I didn't see him, so I went in to find them myself." Yu Qingwu found a reason that sounded reliable.

"Oh, so that's how it is." Zhou Shuangshuang was thick-skinned and immediately believed it.

But Su Qing had always been intelligent and perceptive, and obviously didn't believe it much.

She curled her lips, glanced at Xie Jin Yan, who was not speaking, stepped forward, grabbed Yu Qingwu's arm, and changed the subject, saying, "Second Shijie, I heard the servants of the Crown Prince's residence say that Seventh Shidi's beautiful concubine is hidden in the Qingning Courtyard. They say that the girl is very beautiful. You haven't seen her either, so let's go take a look now!"