Yu Qingwu's eyes flickered slightly, her expression unnatural as she brushed it off, "Fourth Sister, isn't that... a little impolite?"

"I heard that the girl Seventh Brother brought back is very shy, and might not want to see us..."

Shy?

Hearing this, Xie Jin Yan couldn't help but laugh.

"Seventh Brother, what are you laughing at?" Zhou Shuangshuang scratched the back of her head, asking with a blank look.

Xie Jin Yan's phoenix eyes curved into crescent moons, his gaze intense as he glanced at Yu Qingwu intentionally or unintentionally, "It's nothing, Second Sister is right, she... is indeed quite shy."

The smile on his lips deepened as his gaze lingered on Yu Qingwu's slender waist, as if savoring something.

Yu Qingwu's cheeks flushed under his gaze, and she reached out to smooth her hair, turning her head to avoid his eyes.

Xie Jin Yan raised his eyebrows and withdrew his naked gaze.

He then smiled and looked at Su Qing, teasing, "Alright, Fourth Sister, don't force it. My concubine is just an ordinary maiden. Your unrestrained nature might frighten her."

Hearing this, Su Qing immediately became angry, glaring at him and saying, "Xie Jin Yan, what are you saying? Don't think that just because you're the Crown Prince I wouldn't dare to hit you?"

"Isn't she just a concubine? Look at how you treasure her. You'll still have to choose a proper wife in the future, so what are you pretending for?"

Su Qing's words caused Yu Qingwu's heart to sink.

Yes, what would become of her if Xie Jin Yan established a crown princess?

She lowered her head, her sharp nails unconsciously digging into her palm.

"Second Sister, we're going to Jiyue Tower today, do you want to go?" While Yu Qingwu was lost in thought, the others had already changed the subject. Su Qing stepped forward, took her arm, and winked, "I heard that the girls in Jiyue Tower are all gentle and charming, with slender waists and big bottoms!"

"..."

The air suddenly froze...

Xiao Fengyun and Zhou Shuangshuang showed speechless expressions...

The blush that had just faded from Yu Qingwu's face instantly returned, and she awkwardly reprimanded Su Qing, "Fourth Sister, don't always say such dirty words, especially as a girl..."

"That's right, Fourth Sister, don't say such things in front of Second Sister." Xie Jin Yan also spoke, walking to Yu Qingwu's side imperceptibly. He surreptitiously pressed his large hand on a bruise on her waist, looked at Su Qing with a smile, and said meaningfully, "She's very shy and can't bear to hear it."

As he spoke, he leaned his head closer to her, his thin lips less than half a foot away, his hot breath spraying on her face along with the winter mist.

Yu Qingwu felt pain, nervousness, and resentment.

She pushed his head away fiercely, feigning seriousness, "Seventh Brother, don't always be so frivolous. You are the Crown Prince, you should be dignified and steady."

"Alright, go do what you need to do. I have something to attend to, so I won't talk to you any further." Yu Qingwu quietly moved the man's hand away from her waist and staggered out of Zhuque Courtyard.

After taking two steps, she suddenly remembered that she didn't have a single tael of silver on her, so she returned and walked up to Xie Jin Yan, reaching out and saying, "Do you have any silver? Lend me five thousand taels."

!!!

Before Xie Jin Yan could answer, Zhou Shuangshuang and Su Qing were both stunned, "Senior Sister, what do you need so much money for?"

Hearing this, Xiao Fengyun took out a silver note from his pocket and handed it to Yu Qingwu, "Junior Sister, I have two hundred taels here, you can take it for emergencies..."

"There's no need, Seventh Brother can give it to me." Yu Qingwu pushed his hand back, gazing at Xie Jin Yan, who was also looking shocked, and repeated, "Seventh Brother's private property is nearly fifty billion taels of silver, five thousand taels shouldn't be anything to you, right?"

Her red lips curved upward, her voice amiable and friendly, even with a hint of flattery, but her eyes were full of sarcasm and provocation.

She wasn't borrowing at all, she was clearly taking the opportunity to squeeze him dry.

Xie Jin Yan gritted his teeth, turned around, and entered the warm pavilion.

A moment later, he took out a few silver notes and handed them to Yu Qingwu.

Yu Qingwu lowered her eyes, carefully checked them over, stuffed them into her sleeve, and stepped out of Zhuque Courtyard with satisfaction.

Everyone was stunned in place, looking at Yu Qingwu's back, then at Xie Jin Yan.

"Seventh Brother, when did your relationship with Second Senior Sister become so good?" Zhou Shuangshuang blinked her big eyes, asking with great confusion.

Xie Jin Yan was expressionless, a trace of heartache showing in his eyes, "My relationship with Second Senior Sister has always been very good, extremely good..."

A cold wind blew gently, Xie Jin Yan stared at the empty courtyard gate for a moment, then turned to Su Qing and said, "Fourth Senior Sister, weren't you going to Jiyue Tower? Let's go..."

"You're treating?" Su Qing raised her eyebrows, smiling knowingly, as if she had seen through something, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is willing to give Second Senior Sister even five thousand taels of silver, so treating us shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

She smiled meaningfully and stepped forward to pull Xie Jin Yan...

On the other side, after leaving the mansion, Yu Qingwu immediately purchased a carriage, hired a coachman and bodyguards, and then bought some pastries to go to the Rongguo Duke's mansion.

Xie Jin Yan helped her get her dowry back, but there was one thing she had to ask Shen Ke for herself.

As soon as she arrived at the entrance, Yu Qingwu saw Shen Rou and Qin Yiliu.

Both of them were radiant with happiness, without a trace of the desolation of losing money, as if they had encountered something joyous.

Strange? Having lost so much money, Shen Rou should have been cursing and complaining.

"Oh, isn't this Cousin?" Just as Yu Qingwu was wondering, Qin Yiliu and Shen Rou had already walked towards her.

Shen Rou held a hand warmer in her hands, still maintaining her superior attitude.

Qin Yiliu, on the other hand, seemed very kind, gently bowing to her in greeting, "Sister A-Wu, how have you been lately?"

"I'm fine, the Crown Prince treats me like a treasure." Yu Qingwu replied indifferently, seemingly nonchalant, but with a hint of showing off.

Hearing this, Qin Yiliu felt somewhat displeased.

But soon, the displeasure in her eyes turned into mockery, and she smiled, "That's good, so Grandmother doesn't have to worry."

"By the way, I wonder if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has told you about something." Qin Yiliu raised the corners of her lips and slowly walked closer to Yu Qingwu.

Her red lips moved closer to her ear, and with a sneer, she said, word by word, "Sister A-Wu, in a few days, His Majesty will bestow a marriage upon His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Third Sister, did you know?"