Princess Ye Ziyun's spoiled and overbearing nature meant that Ye Tinglan had always kept a certain distance from his full sister.
"Why are you out of the palace instead of accompanying Mother Consort?"
Seeing his cold greeting, Ye Ziyun's expression changed, and she immediately voiced her displeasure.
"Brother!"
How could he speak to her like this in front of that slut!
Ye Tinglan's brow furrowed, a hint of coldness creeping onto his handsome face.
Seeing this, Ye Ziyun instantly fell silent.
Biting her lip, she glared at Feng Yinwan with anger in her eyes.
"Brother, this slut was merely lucky enough to conceive. How can you allow her to bully Sister Rulian! Sister Rulian is..."
"Princess!"
Before she could finish, Qin Rulian had already grabbed her, her eyes reddening as she shook her head slightly.
"Don't say any more."
Thinking she was merely afraid of Feng Yinwan, Ye Ziyun frowned and pulled her hand away.
"How can I not say it! You are too kind-hearted. This slut is going too far, why do you tolerate her!"
"Princess..."
Qin Rulian bit her lip and lowered her head, somewhat afraid to meet Ye Tinglan's gaze.
Ye Ziyun remained oblivious.
"What's so good about this slut? Brother, Sister Rulian has been kind to you, you can't treat her like this!"
Ye Tinglan's lips pressed together tightly, his expression radiating extreme coldness.
Before he could utter a single "Presumptuous!", a cold sneer came from his side.
Feng Yinwan's fair fingers loosened their grip, and the spoon clattered back into the bowl.
"Princess Qingyun, from the moment you arrived until now, you've called me 'slut' repeatedly. I'd like to ask."
"If you call me 'slut' every other word, then what would you call the prince's flesh and blood in my belly? Would you call it a 'little slut'?"
Her beautiful eyes narrowed, a coldness in their depths.
Hearing this, Ye Ziyun's face turned pale, and she instinctively looked towards Ye Tinglan.
"You... what nonsense are you spouting? I didn't!"
How dare she!
Ye Tinglan was far more lenient with Qin Rulian than he was with her!
"Ziyun."
This glance already revealed displeasure.
Afraid of angering Ye Tinglan, Ye Ziyun gritted her teeth and stopped speaking.
Seeing her thwarted, Feng Yinwan felt a sense of satisfaction and continued to eat half a bowl of sweet soup with a good mood.
Ye Ziyun was furious, her eyes darting around. She immediately spoke again.
"Brother, you've finally returned from the border, and Father Emperor has ordered you to Qingpu Temple to escort Empress Dowager back to the palace, which shows his great regard for you."
"Now that Sister Rulian has come of age, when do you plan to ask Father Emperor to take her as a side consort?"
Feng Yinwan, who had just taken a sip of tea, spat it out.
She probably didn't know about the Little White Lotus's past scandals. To be a side consort, she'd be lucky to even be a concubine!
Ye Ziyun, however, mistook this for her successfully provoking Feng Yinwan. A flash of smugness crossed her eyes, and she immediately pulled Qin Rulian forward.
"In my opinion, the upcoming palace banquet would be a good occasion."
"Father Emperor is holding it specifically for Empress Dowager's return. Brother, with your recent merits, it's the perfect time to bring this matter up."
She said this as if it were a foregone conclusion.
Qin Rulian blushed shyly at this, and lightly chided.
"Princess!"
Ye Ziyun was unfazed. "What are you shy about? You'll marry my brother sooner or later. Do you plan to be this thin-skinned forever!"
The two exchanged pleasantries, as if the matter were already settled.
Unexpectedly, Ye Tinglan's gaze shifted, directly landing on Feng Yinwan.
"Empress Dowager is quite concerned about you and Tingyun. You will also attend the palace banquet in a couple of days."
Feng Yinwan choked again. The words of refusal were on her lips, but she heard him continue.
"The imperial family is adding new blood, this is a joyous occasion."
This tone was clearly a threat!
Feng Yinwan's lips pursed. "As the Prince commands."
Ye Ziyun and Qin Rulian's faces stiffened.
Just as they were about to speak again, Ye Tinglan had already risen.
"Go and check on Tingyun's condition."
This was clearly directed at Feng Yinwan.
Not wanting to see these two annoying pests any longer, Feng Yinwan was eager to leave and immediately followed.
The two left the dining hall one after the other. Ye Ziyun and Qin Rulian were left behind, their faces looking extremely unpleasant!
Qin Rulian pursed her lips, her voice tinged with a hint of tears. "Princess, you just saw..."
Ye Ziyun gritted her teeth angrily. "This slut, how dare she use her seductive tricks to bewitch Brother!"
After leaving the dining hall, the two parted ways. Ye Tinglan went straight to the study. With no one watching her, Feng Yinwan finally felt comfortably relaxed.
Just as she was about to head to the Star-Gazing Pavilion, Yuping quietly approached.
"Miss, did the Prince perhaps intend to help you out just now?"
Feng Yinwan paused, then frowned suspiciously. "Could he be so kind?"
He should be the one hoping to see her make a fool of herself!
The lingering soreness returned, and she nodded with certainty.
That scoundrel was despicable and shameless, he definitely wouldn't be so kind!
When they arrived at the Star-Gazing Pavilion, Ye Tingyun was... still copying scriptures!
Upon seeing her, he acted as if he had seen a savior, immediately dropping his brush and rushing forward.
"Where is Third Brother? Has Third Brother arrived?"
He ran over excitedly, but his first question was this. Feng Yinwan rolled her eyes and directly pulled out a chair to sit down.
Seeing that she was ignoring him, Ye Tingyun frowned. He peered outside for a long time but didn't see Ye Tinglan's shadow, and slumped back down dejectedly.
His expression was utterly like that of a resentful wife.
Feng Yinwan raised her delicate brows slightly. "What's wrong with Prince Yun? Suffering from unrequited love?"
Ye Tingyun glared back.
"What are you doing here?"
"What else can I do besides take your pulse? What, are you not treating your heart condition anymore?"
This woman, her every word was like gunpowder.
Ye Tingyun was furious. Just as he was about to unleash a three-hundred-word tirade, he suddenly remembered something and stopped.
Seeing his expression, Feng Yinwan knew nothing good was about to happen and cut the conversation short.
"Extend your hand."
Ye Tingyun obediently offered his wrist. Seeing her carefully probing his pulse, he slyly asked.
"I heard that Third Brother carried you back yesterday?"
Feng Yinwan's hand, which was taking his pulse, paused. She immediately looked at him guardedly. "Who told you that?"
Ye Tingyun raised an eyebrow. "I heard that you were also drunk and stayed in Third Brother's room?"
This fellow stared at her unblinkingly, his eyes brighter than a 200-watt light bulb.
Feng Yinwan's face flushed with embarrassment. She immediately pinched his wrist fiercely.
"Your heart condition can't be cured anymore. Just wait for death!"
For the first time, Ye Tingyun didn't even flinch. He almost chuckled.
"I was right, wasn't I?!"
Seeing his smug expression, looking as if he had just unearthed some juicy gossip, Feng Yinwan narrowed her beautiful eyes and promptly jabbed a needle into a pressure point on his thigh.
Ye Tingyun yelped. Before his lips could stop curving into a smile, he had already fallen to the ground in disarray.
"You venomous woman, do you have to be so ruthless!"
Feng Yinwan gently flicked her fingers holding the silver needle and glanced at him with a faint smile.
"Prince Yun, have you ever heard of 'curiosity killed the cat'?"
Ye Tingyun shivered at her chilling tone.
Fearing she would give him another needle, he quickly hugged his arms, protecting his other leg.
Feng Yinwan glanced at him, her gaze drawn to the half-finished scripture on the desk. She reached out and picked it up.
"Copying scriptures? Your handwriting is quite good."
Old General Feng's birthday was approaching. Coincidentally, this was a prayer scripture.