After making the sour radish and old duck soup, Jiang Yanyi took advantage of her visit to the Feng residence to check on the chili peppers and brought a food box with a serving of the soup for Feng Shuo.

She also prepared some duck necks on a plate and took them along.

As she was about to leave, Chu Yangui called out, “Sister, are you going to the prince’s residence?”

“I’m going over to check on the peppers. Since that courtyard is rented to us by the prince’s residence, it’s proper to bring a gift,” Jiang Yanyi replied, though her heart was somewhat uneasy.

Chu Yangui smiled obediently, revealing two small dimples. “That’s the right thing to do. Sister, come back early. I’ll have Master Yao wait for you to dine with us.”

Jiang Yanyi said, “I still need to tend to the pepper field. If I’m late coming back, I wouldn’t want to delay Master Yao and the others. If the meal is ready, go ahead and eat.”

She lifted the bamboo curtain and stepped outside.

The snow was falling like cotton, and the curtain swayed gently.

Wrapped in a light green brocade cloak, her figure gradually disappeared from view. Yet, Chu Yangui did not withdraw his gaze.

As Chu Zhong came to add charcoal to the brazier, Chu Yangui said darkly, “Uncle Zhong, I’m afraid my sister will be bullied.”

Chu Zhong, over thirty years old, had been by Chu Changping’s side for a long time and had seen much of the world.

He knew the young master’s temperament had been unstable since losing his mother.

When the young lady was around, the young master was obedient, but when she wasn’t, he acted like a small wolf cub, baring his teeth at everyone.

Chu Zhong comforted him, “Young Master, the young lady is capable. No one can make things difficult for her. And if anything happens, the third master won’t stand by and watch.”

Chu Yangui insisted, “No matter how strong or capable my sister is, I still worry about her.”

The royal physician she invited to treat him, the carriage from the prince’s residence on the day it left the Chu household, the courtyard rented to them by the prince—all these things made him uneasy. What if the Prince of Liaonan used these as leverage to bully his sister, and she just endured it without saying anything?

The Chu family had only managed to escape to this remote area under the protection of the Prince of Liaonan. If anything happened, with the prince’s overwhelming power, how could he seek justice for his sister?

“Meow!”

The chubby orange cat by the brazier suddenly let out a loud cry and leaped away, its fur curling up in a scorched clump. The cat tried hard to lick the singed fur, its pitiful whimper sounding weak and sad.

Chu Yangui snapped out of his thoughts at the cat’s cry, concealing his anxiety. He bent down to pick up the chubby cat. “You fell asleep by the brazier again?”

The fat orange cat nestled in his arms, lifting its head to meow at him twice, as if feeling wronged, or perhaps blaming him for not taking care of it.

It had just taken a nap, and now a big clump of fur was burnt!

Chu Yangui stroked the cat’s head. “Next time, don’t sleep by the brazier.”

The cat, feeling upset, shook its head and refused to be petted.

Chu Yangui’s lips curled into a smile as he placed his palm back on the cat’s head.

The cat’s entire face was covered by his hand, and it could only meow in protest.

The bamboo curtain at the entrance was lifted again, and a group of young men, laughing and chatting, entered the shop.

They were all dressed in official uniforms, clearly from the government office.

Chu Yangui looked up and saw the refined young man at the end of the group, and his face suddenly turned cold.

“Brother Lu, every time we invite you to Jiang’s Antique Soup Shop, you always refuse. What’s the matter? Isn’t the atmosphere here just as good as those grand restaurants?” A young man walking beside Lu Linyuan laughed as he spoke. “The female shopkeeper here is so beautiful, like she just walked out of a lady’s portrait! You wouldn’t believe it, but even the young master from famous family came here every day for a month just to see her. Quite the romantic!”

“Brother Yang, be mindful of what you say. A young lady’s reputation should not be made into a joke,” Lu Linyuan said, frowning.

Among the group, he was the most distinguished in both appearance and bearing.

From a distance, he truly had the air of a noble gentleman.

Lu Linyuan had been dragged here by his colleagues despite his many refusals.

He was worried about encountering Jiang Yanyi, but when he glanced at the counter and saw Chu Yangui instead, and noticed the hatred in Chu’s eyes, Lu instinctively looked away.

He had heard about the Chu family’s relocation to Xizhou but hadn’t expected to meet Chu Yangui here.

In the past, he had always despised Jiang Yanyi and her brother.

The siblings were foolish and arrogant.

Jiang Yanyi shamelessly clung to him like a fly, always finding opportunities to bully Yan Xi.

Chu Yangui was her accomplice, complicit in all her wrongdoings.

His dislike for the siblings stemmed from his affection for Jiang Yanxi.

However, now that his mindset had changed, they had already received their punishment for hurting Yan Xi, and it was far more than they deserved.

His hatred for them had dissipated. It was as if he saw them as strangers now, though perhaps with a bit more complexity, given all the past entanglements.

Lu Linyuan had reflected on many things recently.

When he broke off the engagement, he was young and impulsive, thinking it was Jiang Yanyi who had forced the marriage.

He believed that by breaking the engagement for Yan Xi, Jiang Yanyi was simply facing the consequences of her actions.

But in the end, Chu Changping’s words had torn down his façade—if he had resisted his mother from the start, there wouldn’t have been any engagement.

In the end, his own cowardice had caused the engagement, and he wasn’t entirely blameless.

The debt the siblings owed Jiang Yanxi was settled: one was sent to a brothel, and the other had his leg broken.

Their debts were paid in full.

But the broken engagement with Jiang Yanyi—that debt had yet to be repaid.

His colleagues ordered a hotpot of lamb soup and a bottle of newly brewed plum wine.

They discussed everything from the chaos in the south to romantic escapades, laughing and drinking.

Throughout it all, Lu Linyuan remained silent.

The drinking game repeatedly ended with him, and after a few cups, his mood became more restless.

It took some effort to slip away.

These were all his colleagues, and he’d worked hard to secure his position at the yamen.

Naturally, he couldn’t offend them at the dinner table.

Before leaving, he went to the counter to settle the bill in advance.

Although Chu Yangu hated Lu Linyuan, for the sake of his sister’s business, he didn’t want to drive away a customer.

With a blank expression, he announced the total: “Four taels and seven coins.”

Lu Linyuan handed over five taels and said softly, “Keep the change.”

After saying this, he donned his cloak and left.

Chu Yangui retrieved three coins from the drawer and hurled them at Lu Linyuan’s back, sneering, “Sir, here’s your change. Don’t forget it!”

The coins hit Lu Linyuan’s cloak and fell into the snow.

Lu Linyuan stood still, saying nothing.

His servant, recently acquired in Xizhou and unaware of the history between the two families, was furious. “How dare you return change like that? I’ll report you to your boss!”

Lu Linyuan simply said, “Qingsong, let’s go.”

The servant shot a glare at Chu Yangui, picked up the coins from the ground, and hurried after Lu Linyuan.

As they left, the servant muttered, “Master, your temper is too kind…”

Chu Yangui snickered, “Of course your master is kind. He broke off the engagement at the final step, after all six wedding rites were completed, never caring about the humiliation the girl would suffer.”

In the Daxuan Dynasty, weddings followed six rites: proposal, inquiry of name, betrothal, presenting gifts, setting the wedding date, and fetching the bride.

Once the gifts were presented, it was nearly unheard of to cancel the marriage.

If a woman was rejected at this stage, she was seen as dishonorable and immoral.

The two families would likely become bitter enemies.

The servant’s heart skipped a beat, realizing there must be a grudge between his master and this young man’s family, so he dared not speak further.

---

At the Feng residence.

When Jiang Yanyi brought over the soup, it was still hot.

She served a small bowl to Feng Shuo and urged him to drink it while it was warm. “I bought a few ducks on my way back from the mill today and made soup with sour radish. It cools the body and purifies the blood. Give it a try.”

Instead of taking the bowl from her, Feng Shuo pulled her into his lap.

Startled, Jiang Yanyi cried out, “What are you doing?”

He buried his face in her hair, breathing in the fragrance, and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Just holding you.”

With those simple words, Jiang Yanyi’s heart softened.

Since the day they left the city, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

Leaning against him, Jiang Yanyi began to tell him about her recent activities. “I took over a noodle shop and plan to start selling noodles.”

She didn’t mention that she planned to provide her recipe to the army.

Chef Li, who managed the military kitchen, knew better than anyone what kind of food was suitable for the soldiers.

While the cost of making instant noodles was higher than barley cakes, she was waiting for Chef Li’s response to see if it would work.

If she told Feng Shuo, even if the army didn’t need her recipe, Feng Shuo would still instruct his subordinates to buy it at a high price.

Feng Shuo raised his eyebrows. “Do you have enough money?”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “Yes, the owner of the noodle shop passed away, and the young owner was a gambler who owed money, so he sold the shop to me at a discount.”

She turned her face to look at him. “What? Are you thinking of lending me money?”

Feng Shuo tightened his arms around her, holding her securely in his embrace. “I’ll lend it to you first. Then, before you pay me back, I’ll marry you so you won’t have to return the money.”

Jiang Yanyi burst out laughing. “You’ve thought it all through, haven’t you?”

It seemed that Feng Shuo wanted to see her smile, so he tilted his head slightly.

As his chin brushed against her neck, Jiang Yanyi let out a small yelp and shrank away as if electrified, quickly covering her neck with her hand.

The skin his chin touched was soft and smooth, making his heart skip a beat.

Feng Shuo’s throat moved, and his eyes darkened.

In a husky voice, he asked, “What’s wrong with your neck?”

Jiang Yanyi glanced at him, hesitating slightly, then said, “It’s nothing.”

But Feng Shuo pressed on, his voice low and seductive, “Then why are you covering your neck?”

After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Yanyi finally admitted, “Your stubble pricked me. It hurts a little.”

Feng Shuo: “…”