Chapter 28

Lu Qi Huai quickly knelt upon hearing these words. The room was brightly lit by candlelight, and he knelt on the woolen mat on the ground, his back straight, chin tightened.

At this time, the night was deep, and perhaps due to a window that had not been tightly closed, a draft blew in, causing the candlelight to flicker gently. The once bright room grew dimmer. Lu Qi Huai did not try to explain or evade. He simply knelt straight on the ground and spoke, “This incident is indeed inseparable from me.”

Shen Wei did not respond immediately.

She remained seated in her chair, holding a warm tea cup in her hands. Her almond-shaped eyes were fixed on Lu Qi Huai, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing her expression, Lu Qi Huai did not try to hide anything. He opened his mouth and carefully explained the events of the day: “When I was in the outer courtyard today, I noticed my second brother was acting very closely with a maid from the Huo family. That maid…” He paused, subtly raising his eyes to glance at Shen Wei before continuing, “She is the same maid who drowned today, Qing Liu.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei remained silent.

He saw that Shen Wei did not speak and continued, “At first, I planned to leave quietly, but the path was narrow, and I feared it might cause misunderstandings. I decided to wait for them to leave before I left. Later, I saw my second brother give that maid a silver ingot and a packet of medicine…”

“At the time, I found it strange but didn’t think much of it. However…” Lu Qi Huai paused for a moment, then continued, “When I returned to the outer courtyard, I realized that the maid who served me wine was the same maid, Qing Liu, who had spoken to my second brother earlier. I found it strange, so I didn’t drink the wine she handed me. But unexpectedly, she deliberately spilled some of the wine on my clothes and tried to take me to change them. With no choice, I went with her.”

Shen Wei frowned as she listened to Lu Qi Huai’s words.

She had suspected for a while, ever since her time at the Huo family, that today’s incident was somehow linked to Lu Qi Xuan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have admitted Lu Qi Yan’s wrongdoing in front of Zhao Wan and the others without even investigating. It seemed that Lu Qi Xuan was worried that a thorough investigation might involve him as well.

Although the book had mentioned several times that despite his youth, Lu Qi Xuan was a difficult character to deal with, Shen Wei still felt uneasy thinking about how, at just fourteen years old, he could act so ruthlessly. He was already willing to sell out his own younger brother for his future, which made her uncomfortable.

Lu Qi Huai noticed the change in her expression and gently asked, “Mother, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Shen Wei replied with a single “It’s nothing,” placing the teacup on the side table. She looked at Lu Qi Huai, still kneeling on the ground, and spoke, “Get up first… Since you have doubts, what happened to the maid, and what about Lu Qi Yan?”

Lu Qi Huai thanked her before rising. After sitting back down, he replied softly, “Although I only drank a little, I noticed that after following that maid outside, I began to feel dizzy and feverish…”

He spoke cautiously, but his fair face still flushed slightly.

Lu Qi Huai lifted his gaze to look at Shen Wei, and seeing the slight frown on her face, he realized she understood the purpose of the medicine. So, he lowered his head again and continued, “These are despicable methods that I’ve heard of in the markets before, but I never imagined I would…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, then added, “I knew today was Princess Changping’s birthday banquet, and I was afraid something irreparable would happen and embarrass you and the Lu family, so I knocked the maid unconscious. Then, I found a secluded place and used cold water to sober up. After that, I pretended it was due to drunkenness and had someone help me change into new clothes.”

“I’m fortunate that I didn’t use too much of the medicine, and its effect wasn’t strong. As for the third brother…”

Lu Qi Huai’s face darkened as he said this.

He frowned in thought and then cautiously added, “When I was drinking earlier, the third brother was beside me. Perhaps during the later drinking, he mistakenly drank the drugged wine.”

After saying this, Lu Qi Huai looked up again, seeing Shen Wei’s inquisitive expression. His face changed, and he quickly kneeled again, bowing deeply and continuing, “Mother, every word I’ve said is the truth. There’s not a word of falsehood.”

His face was pale, and even his lips were a little white. Fearing that she wouldn’t believe him, he added quickly, “I truly don’t know why the third brother fainted, and I don’t know how Qing Liu died. If I had known, I would never have allowed this to happen.”

Shen Wei listened to Lu Qi Huai’s words, but she remained silent.

She kept her eyes lowered, her expression calm as she watched him… His words seemed truthful, but whether that was the case, only he truly knew.

From what she knew of Lu Qi Huai, it seemed that he was more likely pretending, perhaps the maid wasn’t killed by him, but how could Lu Qi Yan, as Lu Qi Xuan’s younger brother, not know about today’s actions?

If that was the case, how could he have mistakenly drunk the poisoned wine?

All that talk about toasts and drinking… Lu Qi Huai might have deliberately switched the wine.

Shen Wei thought about how this young man, only fifteen, already had such deep plans, and she couldn’t help but curl her fingers slightly in her sleeve. But if Lu Qi Huai truly were as innocent as he appeared, he wouldn’t be the main character in the book and wouldn’t have his future position.

The wind outside had blown in, and the candlelight inside flickered a few times, growing dimmer.

After an unknown amount of time…

Shen Wei finally withdrew her gaze from Lu Qi Huai and picked up the teacup she had placed on the side earlier. When she lifted the lid, steam rose from the cup, and she held it, drinking a sip of hot tea. Once her throat was soothed, she calmly said, “Get up, when did I ever say I didn’t believe you?”

Her voice was very indifferent…

Lu Qi Huai stood up, but his face still showed hesitation and anxiety. He stood in the room, not daring to sit down, and his sharp eyes lifted slightly to look at Shen Wei. He carefully asked, “Mother, are you angry with me?”

Shen Wei didn’t respond. She simply lifted her apricot-shaped eyes, calmly looking at him. After a long pause, she spoke, “In the end, they are still your brothers, and they share the same surname—Lu.” With such an incident now, Lu Qi Yan probably won’t have a future in officialdom.

However, she didn’t say more.

If it weren’t for Lu Qi Huai’s quick thinking today, the one in trouble would have been him. In the end, both brothers failed, and they had only themselves to blame.

Shen Wei sighed internally as she continued, “Whether or not you are truly guilty, the second branch will likely place the blame on you for this. You… should be careful in the future.”

Lu Qi Huai listened to this, and the hesitation on his face completely disappeared. A smile returned to his face, and even his voice sounded calmer. He gave her a respectful bow and said, “Thank you for your concern, Mother. I will be more careful in the future and will not make you worry.”

Seeing this, Shen Wei didn’t say more. She simply waved her hand and said, “Alright, it’s late. You should go back now. You caught a chill today, so have someone prepare some ginger soup for you when you return. Don’t catch a cold.”

Lu Qihuai naturally agreed to everything.

After the person finished speaking, he bowed again before turning to leave. However, just as he was about to step out, Lu Qihuai paused and glanced back.

He looked at the young woman under the candlelight, her face even softer and more delicate than usual. Though the face remained much the same as before, it seemed to him that he could almost see a different soul beneath the outward appearance. He stood there, fixed on her, and without waiting for Shen Wei to speak, he spoke first: “Today, Mother spoke highly of my character in front of the Huo family, firmly believing I would never do such a thing…”

“Mother, do you truly trust me so much?”

Shen Wei was slightly stunned upon hearing this, but in the next moment, she spoke: “You carry your father’s blood. His life was one of integrity, respected by all. Since you are his son, how could you possibly do such a thing?”

In truth, Shen Wei’s trust in Lu Qihuai was not merely because of Lu Buwei’s reputation, but rather it stemmed from a woman’s sixth sense.

She didn’t know why, but she simply believed in Lu Qihuai, confident that he wouldn’t commit such an act. There was no specific reason, just an instinctual feeling from the heart.

At that moment, the candlelight in the room flickered. Lu Qihuai stood by the curtain, half of his body hidden in the shadows. He looked at Shen Wei, his expression obscured by the darkness, yet his eyes shone brightly. His voice was still clear and unclouded: “If something like this happens again in the future, will you still stand by my side as you do today?”

Shen Wei furrowed her brows at the question. She lifted her gaze to look at Lu Qihuai but found it impossible to make out his expression.

She felt that the Lu Qihuai before her seemed a bit different from the past, though the change was subtle and difficult to explain. After a moment of thought, she replied calmly, “You are my son, so of course, I will stand by you.”

Regardless of what she truly thought in her heart—

Lu Qihuai, as the protagonist of this story, was she supposed to go against him? Did she want to get herself killed?

But Lu Qihuai couldn’t know what she was thinking. He merely smiled lightly at Shen Wei, his smile carefree and different from his usual demeanor. Before Shen Wei could dwell on it, he had already pushed open the curtain and left.

Shen Wei watched his retreating figure and the shifting curtain, thinking about the words Lu Qihuai had spoken earlier. In the end, she could only mutter to herself with furrowed brows, “Strange person.

—-

In the West Courtyard.

All the maids in the room had been dismissed.

Wang Shi and Lu Buwei sat at the main seats, while Lu Qixuan was seated below. It was late into the night, and it had been some time since Lu Qiyan was sent out of the house.

The vast room had been silent for a long time, with only Wang Shi still wiping away her tears with a handkerchief. Earlier, she could cry out loud, but now, after so much weeping, she could barely make a sound. Every time she thought about how Qiyan had held her hand upon waking up and said, “Mother, I don’t want to go to the manor, please don’t send me,” her heart ached as if it had been shattered. Her tears only flowed more freely.

Although the old madam had said that Qiyan was just being sent away for a time, as long as Qiyan was alive, how could this stain on his reputation be easily removed? Moreover, having offended the Huo family and the Princess Dowager, Qiyan’s future prospects in the government were ruined. Was her son supposed to become a merchant?

In the four professions of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were always at the bottom…

With Qiyan’s temperament, how could he ever do such a thing? The more Wang Shi thought about it, the more uncontrollably her tears flowed.

Lu Buwei sat calmly, holding his tea cup, though his expression was anything but calm.

When he had returned home earlier, Lu Qiyan had already been sent out. Wang Shi had been crying all night, and later, Lu Qixuan had explained the events to him… He felt both heartbroken and angry. He was heartbroken for his youngest son’s ruined future, but also angry that he had so easily fallen into someone else’s trap, leading to this outcome.

Moreover, with so many witnesses today, the news would likely spread throughout the city by tomorrow. When that happened, not only would the Lu family’s reputation be at stake, but even his position in the court would be implicated.

He had worked diligently for many years to reach this position. The emperor valued the Lu family, and with the eldest son gone, there was no one else in the family to take his place. As long as he didn’t make any major mistakes, in a few years, the position of Minister of Rites would be his. But with this scandal, he might not even be able to keep his current position as Left Vice Minister.

The more Lu Buwei thought about it, the more furious he became. And hearing Wang Shi continue to cry beside him only added to his frustration.

His grip on the tea cup tightened, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He slammed the cup onto the table, spilling tea everywhere. His voice was cold as he scolded, “Do you still have the face to cry? It’s because you’ve spoiled Qiyan all these years that he dares to do such things!”

The tea splashed, some of it landing on Wang Shi.

The tea was freshly brewed and still scalding hot. Even though she was dressed warmly, the tea stung as it splashed onto her. Wang Shi gasped in pain and stood up, but when she saw Lu Buwei’s expression, she immediately swallowed her cry and sat back down.

Over the years, though Lu Buwei had grown increasingly indifferent toward her, he had never been this angry. She knew that today’s events would implicate him, so she dared not cry any longer. But she couldn’t help but speak up: “Qiyan may have been spoiled, but if no one had set him up, how could he have done such a thing?”

The more she spoke, the angrier she became, and her voice grew sharp: “This must have something to do with that little bastard from the First Branch. Husband, you must help Qiyan!”

Lu Buwei, listening to this, didn’t respond. He merely closed his eyes tightly, his face twitching from the suppressed anger. But in a short while, he calmed himself and spoke coldly, “He is your elder brother’s son and the eldest son of the Lu family. How can you accuse him without any evidence?”

“Since Mother has already spoken, let’s put this matter to rest.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Bu Yang did not pay any more attention to Wang Shi. He stood up and walked out, but as he passed by Lu Qi Xuan, he said, “Come with me.”

Lu Qi Xuan quickly responded and, after bowing to Wang Shi, followed in Lu Bu Yang’s footsteps.

In the long corridor—

Lu Bu Yang stood with his hands behind his back. His face, serious and composed, was no different from usual, but the hands clasped behind him were tightly gripping each other. He could hear Lu Qi Xuan’s voice behind him as he gave his greetings.

He furrowed his brows, then suddenly raised his hand and slapped Lu Qi Xuan across the face.

The slap was delivered with full force, and because Lu Qi Xuan hadn’t been paying attention, it landed squarely on his face. Within moments, half of his face swelled up.

Lu Qi Xuan was momentarily stunned by the slap. He staggered backward a few steps, his body leaning against a pillar, before raising his face to look at Lu Bu Yang. He muttered in a daze, “Father, you…” His hand was pressed against his face, his usually gentle and kind expression now filled with confusion and disbelief. He couldn’t understand why Lu Bu Yang had acted this way.

Lu Bu Yang did not answer immediately. He simply stood half-turned, staring at him.

The large red lantern hanging in the corridor swayed in the wind, and Lu Bu Yang looked at Lu Qi Xuan with indifferent eyes. After Lu Qi Xuan became uncomfortable and lowered his head, Lu Bu Yang spoke coldly, “Was today’s incident your doing?”

Lu Qi Xuan’s body trembled upon hearing these words.

He withdrew his hand from his face, but instead of speaking, he kneeled before Lu Bu Yang, his voice deep and devoid of any defense. “Yes, it was indeed my doing, but I did not expect that Lu Qi Huai would have already seen through my plan and turned the tables on me.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke, and his voice grew even darker. “It was my fault that Yan Di has suffered such a great misfortune.”

Lu Bu Yang remained silent and lowered his gaze, observing Lu Qi Xuan. His eyes were devoid of emotion, and after a long while, he finally asked, “Do you know why I slapped you?”

Lu Qi Xuan looked up at him, and before he could speak, Lu Bu Yang continued, “I am not angry because of the things you did. I am disappointed. You have always been clever and cautious, but this time you were careless… You underestimated Lu Qi Huai, and it led to the current situation.”

After finishing these words, Lu Bu Yang placed his hand on Lu Qi Xuan’s shoulder and spoke with a weighty tone, “Qi Xuan, you were too eager this time.”

Lu Qi Xuan, hearing this, showed signs of shame on his face. He allowed Lu Bu Yang to help him up and, in a hoarse voice, asked, “Father, what should we do now?”

Lu Bu Yang did not immediately respond. He simply patted Lu Qi Xuan on the shoulder and said, “Perhaps we have underestimated him too much…” After a brief pause, he added, “Right now, you should focus on your studies and your future. I have already lost one son, and I cannot lose you as well.”

After speaking, he withdrew his hand and began walking toward the other side of the corridor.

Lu Qi Xuan watched him walk away, standing still for a long time before turning his head to look at the dark night. The candlelight was dim, and the moonlight was clear. His hand, which hung by his side, clenched into a fist, and even his usually calm face grew dark. He said nothing but stood for a long while before walking out.

—-

Outer Courtyard.

Before Lu Qi Huai reached the Wen Yuan Pavilion, he saw a figure standing not far ahead. The sky was dark, and the lanterns hanging from the trees weren’t very bright, but with his sharp vision, Lu Qi Huai easily recognized the person waiting there was Lu Qi Xuan. He did not stop but continued walking toward him. When he reached Lu Qi Xuan’s side, he did not halt his steps.

Seeing Lu Qi Huai’s demeanor, Lu Qi Xuan knew he no longer bothered to hide his intentions, so he tore off any pretense, lowered his voice, and said, “Lu Qi Huai, I truly underestimated you.”

Hearing this, Lu Qi Huai stopped.

He turned his head and looked at Lu Qi Xuan, his gaze cold and his expression stern. It was even colder than the moon above.

Lu Qi Xuan froze when he met those eyes. The words he was about to say were caught in his throat. The deep gaze before him seemed darker than the night itself, like an ancient well without ripples. It felt as though a single glance would pull him into the endless darkness, never to return to the light… He didn’t know why, but sweat started to form on his forehead and back, and instinctively, he began to step back.

All of these actions were unconscious.

But it was this very unconsciousness that made him feel deeply humiliated. When he came to his senses and still hadn’t spoken, he saw a mocking smile on Lu Qi Huai’s face.

“You…”

Lu Qi Xuan opened his mouth with difficulty, but before he could finish, Lu Qi Huai had already turned to leave.

Lu Qi Huai’s face showed no emotion, and he didn’t say a word. He merely glanced coldly at the swollen half of Lu Qi Xuan’s face before continuing to walk forward. The night was silent, and the only sound was Lu Qi Huai’s faint laughter echoing through the air.

The sound of his laughter felt like a slap to Lu Qi Xuan’s face, humiliating him even further.

Lu Qi Xuan gritted his teeth. He wanted to chase after him but stopped after a few steps.

His hand pressed against the old tree trunk beside him as he watched Lu Qi Huai’s retreating figure. His hatred was no longer concealed.

—-

Wen Yuan Pavilion.

Lu Qi Huai stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out of the window.

The moon hung high outside, but there wasn’t a single candle lit inside. A soft voice from the darkness spoke, “The two young masters of the Lu family are truly ungrateful, daring to use such vile methods against you…” After a pause, the voice continued, “You were indeed very merciful this time.”

“Just some young children, it’s not a big deal…” As he spoke, Lu Qihuai was looking out into the night. His fingers were still tracing the pattern on the jade pendant in his hand, and he casually said, “Moreover, the Lu family has some affection towards me, so this small punishment serves as a warning.”

The shadow, upon hearing this, didn’t continue the topic but shifted to another matter, asking in a soft voice, “Do the people from the Huo family suspect you? You were very close with them when you were young, and I fear…”

Lu Qihuai paused when he heard this. He didn’t speak but instead thought of the moment when Huo Longting had patted his shoulder and looked at him as he left earlier today. He raised his hand and touched the back of his ear, his gaze still fixed on the night outside. After a moment, he lightly said, “There’s no need to worry. Some marks have long since disappeared from this world.”

The shadow looked at his actions and listened to his neutral words, opening their mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

The night was quiet—

Inside the Wen Yuan Hall, everything was still. Lu Qihuai let the cold wind from outside brush across his face. His expression was cold, but when thinking of Shen Wei, his hand that was touching the jade pendant paused again.

He thought back to Shen Wei’s words and actions today. There was a subtle current of unrest in his eyes. Perhaps even Shen Wei herself hadn’t noticed it, but recently, whenever she mentioned Lu Buwei, her tone was unnervingly calm—calm as if speaking of a stranger. Yet, as far as he knew, Shen Wei and Lu Buwei had shared a very close relationship.

When she first heard about Lu Buwei’s death, she had fainted on the spot from the shock.

How could someone like her be so calm when speaking of Lu Buwei?

Perhaps…

He really should investigate this matter thoroughly.

—-

The days passed, and it was now February, and the weather was gradually warming. The Lu family had all received new clothes. Whether it was the masters or the servants, everyone had changed into newly made spring garments. The sight was lively, and it seemed more vibrant than usual.

At the Lu family’s shadow wall.

Mo Qi carefully helped Shen Wei into the carriage.

In a few days, it would be Lu Mizhi’s birthday, and today, Shen Wei planned to go out herself to pick out a gift for him. When the original body married, Shen Xifeng had given her a lot of dowry, and naturally, there were many shops… One of them sold rare and interesting items, mostly sourced from other places, and was quite popular among the people in the city.

Today, she planned to visit the shop.

Mo Qi knelt in the carriage and handed Shen Wei a fresh cup of tea, gently speaking, “Even if you’re picking a gift for Miss Qi, you only need to have the shopkeeper show you the catalog. There’s no need for you to go out yourself.”

Shen Wei smiled lightly upon hearing this.

She took the tea from Mo Qi, but didn’t drink it. Her gaze was instead directed outside the carriage. It was now spring, so the carriage curtains had been changed to a lighter material. She could now faintly glimpse the outside scenery. She hadn’t had many opportunities to go out since arriving in this time.

Today, apart from choosing a gift for Lu Mizhi, she also wanted to see what the city of Bianliang looked like.

The carriage continued onward and eventually stopped in front of a shop called “Qibaozhai.”

Mo Qi lifted the curtain and peeked outside, then turned to Shen Wei and asked, “Would you like me to go ahead and speak with the shopkeeper to clear the place up?” As the mistress was of noble status, although the people coming to Qibaozhai weren’t of low rank, Mo Qi still worried about potential disruptions.

Shen Wei waved her hand, signaling that it wasn’t necessary. She also looked outside through the curtain and, after seeing the sign of “Qibaozhai,” spoke, “Let’s go.”

Mo Qi didn’t say anything further. She softly agreed and got out of the carriage. After carefully helping Shen Wei down, she instructed the carriage driver to park at the side and then escorted Shen Wei inside.

Since it was still early, the shop wasn’t crowded.

Shen Wei wandered around the shop. Qibaozhai catered to wealthy clientele. The first floor displayed various items for viewing, and the second floor had rooms for people to rest or for the wealthy to better appreciate the items. Although the original body didn’t know much about business, the shopkeepers below were skilled.

Now, seeing the shop clean and tidy, and the shopkeeper and maids all smiling and polite, she silently nodded in approval.

The shopkeeper had been showing some items to a customer, but when he saw Shen Wei’s face, he paused for a moment. After a brief hesitation, he quickly put down what he was holding and hurried to greet her. He bowed and said, “Madam, why have you come in person?”

After a moment, he added, “You didn’t tell me you were coming, I could have cleaned up the shop beforehand.”

Shen Wei replied, “Stand up. I was just passing by and thought I would come in to have a look.” After saying this, she turned to a woman in plain clothes and continued, “There are still other customers; you should go attend to them, I’ll just browse.”

The shopkeeper didn’t dare delay and quickly responded, bowing again before heading back to the woman in plain clothes.

Shen Wei continued looking around…

Lu Mizhi was young, so precious jewelry and ornaments wouldn’t be suitable. Besides, such items were too common and wouldn’t attract the interest of a child. She thought for a moment and examined the items on the counter again. Before she could choose anything, she suddenly heard a clear female voice from behind, “Are you… Madam Rongguo?”

When Shen Wei heard this voice, she turned around to look behind her. The speaker was the woman in plain clothes who had been standing there earlier. The woman appeared to be about fifteen, with a graceful and gentle demeanor. Although her attire was simple, it was elegant and refined, and she carried herself with a rare gentleness for someone her age.

There was no memory of this person in the original body’s mind, so Shen Wei naturally didn’t recognize her.

Mo Qi, who was about to speak, was interrupted as the woman in plain clothes already bent her knee and greeted Shen Wei with a curtsy. Her manners were dignified, and the movement of the curtsy was as graceful as flowing clouds, making it very pleasing to watch. After the curtsy, she gently spoke: “I apologize for my presumptuousness.”

Then she added, “I am Miss Yang from the Yang family of Zuo’an Lane. We met before in the palace, but due to the distance, I didn’t have a chance to greet you properly. Please forgive me.”

Zuo’an Lane, Yang family?

Shen Wei thought for a moment. The Yang family from Zuo’an Lane was the family of Yang Ji, the prime minister of the current dynasty, and it was also the place where Lu Qihuai studied.

From what she knew, the Yang family had only one daughter, Yang Shuangyan, and had no other heirs. So, this woman in front of her must be the one described in the book—Yang Shuangyan.

The book described Yang Shuangyan as having “a delicate and graceful temperament, like a fairy,” and as a well-known talented woman in Bianliang City. She was not only admired by the sons of scholarly families but also imitated by the noble ladies in the city for her demeanor and attire.

Shen Wei thought of this and looked at the woman again. Yang Shuangyan’s smile and gentle expression remained unchanged even under Shen Wei’s scrutiny. No wonder Lu Qihuai took a liking to her in the book.

Such beauty and grace were indeed rare.

Shen Wei looked away and asked, “So it’s Miss Yang. Do you need something?”

Yang Shuangyan replied, “It’s nothing serious. I just noticed that you’ve been looking for a while and seemed unsatisfied. If you don’t mind, may I accompany you and help you choose?”

Shen Wei looked at her again.

Whether it was the original body or herself, there had never been any past interactions with Miss Yang. But now, seeing her intimate actions, could it be because of Lu Qihuai? According to the storyline, the two of them should have met by now. Although Shen Wei wasn’t sure why Yang Shuangyan was interested in Lu Qihuai, since they were the main characters, there must be some mutual attraction.

Shen Wei remained silent for a long time, continuing to observe Yang Shuangyan, which was rather impolite.

Yang Shuangyan had never experienced such treatment, and despite her usual composure, there was an awkward look on her face. However, before she could speak, Shen Wei smiled and said, “If that’s the case, then I’ll trouble you, Miss Yang.”

Hearing this, Yang Shuangyan let out a sigh of relief.

Her smile returned, and her voice softened as she replied, “It’s no trouble.”

With Yang Shuangyan’s help, Shen Wei quickly selected a satisfactory gift. When the shopkeeper went to wrap it, Shen Wei turned to Yang Shuangyan and said, “Thank you very much today, Miss Yang. If it weren’t for you, I would have been looking for much longer.”

Yang Shuangyan smiled at the words. She shook her head and replied softly, “I just gave you a few options. The final decision was still yours…” After she spoke, her face flushed slightly, and she continued, “I feel a sense of familiarity with you. I wonder if there will be an opportunity for me to visit your home in the future?”

Before Shen Wei could respond, Yang Shuangyan quickly added, “If you mind, then never mind. It’s just that my home only has my father and uncle. One has to go to court, and the other teaches. I have no one to talk to at home.”

As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered.

Shen Wei naturally understood her intentions. Since she and Lu Qihuai were destined to be together, why should she act as the meddlesome person who would ruin the match? Though she didn’t particularly like people like Yang Shuangyan.

When someone was perfect to an extreme, it was hard not to find them a bit frightening.

But since it didn’t concern her, there was no need to act.

Shen Wei smiled and replied, “I don’t mind, but my family is still in mourning, and others avoid us. How can Miss Yang not mind?”

Yang Shuangyan smiled lightly and said, “The Duke of Rong Guo sacrificed his life for the country. I admire him deeply. How could I mind this?” After speaking, she bent her knee and curtsied again, adding gently, “In that case, I will take your word for it.”

After a brief pause, she asked, “I wonder where you are heading now. Do you need my company? There are several new shops in the city, and if you don’t mind, I can accompany you to see them.”

Shen Wei was somewhat interested, but by now, the sky outside had turned overcast.

It was spring, and rain was frequent. It was getting late, so Shen Wei decided not to visit any more shops. The shopkeeper had finished packaging the gift, and Mo Qi took it in hand. Shen Wei turned to Yang Shuangyan and said, “It’s getting late, and I should head back. Miss Yang should return home as well.”

Yang Shuangyan smiled and agreed and then accompanied Mo Qi to see Shen Wei off into the carriage.

As the carriage made its way to the Lu residence, Mo Qi, while replacing Shen Wei’s teacup with a new one, asked curiously, “Miss Yang and you have never had much contact before. What’s going on today?”

Shen Wei smiled faintly at this question.

She sipped her tea slowly, then replied calmly, “Oh, she’s just a little distracted by something else.”

Mo Qi paused in surprise but was interrupted by Shen Wei closing her eyes after setting the teacup down, signaling that she didn’t wish to discuss the matter further.

A few days later, Yang Shuangyan truly came to visit.

When Mo Qi came to report, Shen Wei was sitting with Lu Mi Zhi, doing some embroidery. Recently, her embroidery skills had improved quite a bit, though the designs were still a bit crooked and off, they were at least recognizable. Without looking up at Mo Qi’s words, she calmly said, “Since she’s here, go ahead and bring Miss Yang here.”

As soon as she finished speaking—

Shen Wei’s hand holding the needle paused for a moment. Then, she asked, “Is the eldest young master at home today?”

Mo Qi was slightly stunned upon hearing this. It was rare for the madam to ask about the eldest young master, but she didn’t think much of it. She simply replied, “Due to the Third Young Master’s matter, the Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master have not been to the Yang family these past few days. I have not seen the Eldest Young Master leave today.”

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Shen Wei again, then added, “Speaking of which, the Eldest Young Master has not come to greet you today. I estimate the time is nearing… Should I go and tell the Eldest Young Master that he doesn’t need to come today?”

“No need—”

Shen Wei took a sip from the teacup at her side and then said, “Let it be as it has been before; today will be no different.”