Naturally, Yan Shian didn’t actually go rummaging through her study. He simply looked carefully at each sheet of xuan paper, and based on the current situation, he more or less understood some of her thinking.

But there were still things he couldn’t grasp—like why she suddenly became suspicious of certain people.

For instance, Zhu Ling.

Looking at Zhu Ling’s name on the sheet placed most prominently, Yan Shian turned to the person entering the room and asked, “What has he done this time?”

“I’m still waiting,” Shi Buyu hiccupped. “If I were Prime Minister Zhang, I definitely wouldn’t keep Zhu Ling around. Even if I didn’t kill him, I’d get rid of him. But he hasn’t made a move yet.”

As she spoke, Shi Buyu hiccupped again and patted her chest. She continued, “Zhu Ling gives me the impression of someone who’s acting fearless because he has something to rely on. I even suspect he’s holding some kind of leverage over Prime Minister Zhang, something that makes Zhang afraid to touch him. But with Zhang’s power, Zhu Ling threatening him would be like dragging the entire Zhu family into the grave. Hic—there must be something between them we haven’t uncovered yet.”

“I’ll have someone keep a close watch,” Yan Shian said, frowning at her persistent hiccups. “Did you eat too fast?”

“I ate and then caught a chill from the wind, that’s all,” Shi Buyu waved it off, unconcerned, and began recounting recent events.

“We need to lie low for a while. Prime Minister Zhang has suffered several setbacks—he’s bound to grow suspicious. Hic. My Seventh Brother says this time before the exam results come out is when all the gatherings are at their peak. You should attend more of them and build your reputation. The more famous you are, the better. Hic. If your identity is exposed one day, your fame will be your shield. Even if he wishes you dead, he won’t be able to snuff you out like an ant without anyone noticing. If he wants to kill you while keeping the public quiet, he’ll have to play a game of wits with me—and that’s your chance to survive. Hic.”

“I understand what you mean,” Yan Shian turned. “I’ll go call A-Gugu to help with your hiccups.”

Shi Buyu figured she had said everything important—what hadn’t been said wasn’t crucial—so she focused entirely on hiccupping.

Wanxia arrived quickly, letting the young lady lean against her while she massaged her zan zhu pressure point.

Watching A-Gugu’s practiced movements, Yan Shian asked, “Has this happened before?”

“She suffered a lot from this when she was little. Later she learned to eat slower and not to go out in the cold after meals.” Seeing the girl begin to settle down, Wanxia was visibly relieved. “It’s gotten much colder today—Miss was careless.”

Shi Buyu closed her eyes and pretended to be dead. She was not going to admit any fault.

Wanxia didn’t scold her either. After this episode, the girl would remember on her own.

“I came too early,” Yan Shian said, a little guilty, making a mental note that Miss Shi shouldn’t be exposed to cold air after eating.

“It’s nothing—I forgot myself,” Shi Buyu patted her chest. “Okay, A-Gugu.”

Wanxia pinched her cheek and reminded her, “Stay inside today. Don’t let it happen again.”

“I know, I know. I don’t go looking for trouble.”

Wanxia believed her. Most of the time, her lady just did whatever made her most comfortable and never gave herself a hard time.

As soon as A-Gugu left, the now hiccup-free Shi Buyu sprang back to life and finally asked what she’d been holding in since yesterday: “Did your mother tell you to drive me away?”

Having learned from Ze-shu that Madam Yan had personally told Shi Buyu to leave, Yan Shian didn’t try to hide it and nodded. “No one has ever ignored her words like you have.”

“And I’ve never met anyone so self-important about their own words,” Shi Buyu propped her chin on her hands atop the desk. “What shocks me the most is that she thinks whatever she says is right. That we all must obey her. That not doing so is inherently wrong.”

As she spoke, Shi Buyu cast a glance toward the doorway.

Yan Shian looked back. “What?”

“I’m afraid A-Gugu will hear me badmouthing people behind their backs and make me drink bitter tea.”

That was clearly from experience. Yan Shian laughed. “This isn’t badmouthing—it’s just the truth. That’s exactly the kind of person she is.”

“So what did you say to her when she told you that?”

“I told her I needed your help and couldn’t let you leave.”

Shi Buyu stifled a giggle. “She must’ve been even angrier.”

“It wasn’t too bad. She might be slowly getting used to my disobedience,” Yan Shian gently toyed with the edge of his robe. “I stopped doing everything she said two years ago. She’s not completely unaware. But she convinced herself she was letting go, that she was stepping back. She fooled even herself. But when something actually happened, she snapped right back to her old ways. She doesn’t see it that way though. She just thinks I’ve let her down.”

Shi Buyu thought for a moment. “She thinks she taught you what she should, let go when she should—and that she’s done her part well?”

“Seems so.”

Shi Buyu silently clicked her tongue in amazement. To deceive oneself that thoroughly—that was a real skill.

“Don’t worry about what she says. I won’t let her bother you again.”

“Even if she does, I’m not afraid. She’s not my match,” Shi Buyu grinned. After all, she was the one who always had the upper hand.

Yan Shian smiled too. He recalled what Ze-shu had told him. Every word Miss Shi spoke was moving, making him feel like she was defending him, feeling for him.

Even if it was all just an illusion, he wanted to fool himself into believing it.

No wonder they were mother and son, Yan Shian thought—they were both very good at deceiving themselves.

Before leaving, Yan Shian walked under the eaves with his umbrella and easily spotted the part of the garden Miss Shi had failed to tend properly. A-Gugu had tried to hide it, but the bare patch of missing flowers stood out clearly against the rest.

After that day, Yan Shian was clearly home much less often. First, he built a name for himself by attending various gatherings. Then, he became a regular at the Floating Life Salon.

Though the Floating Life Salon was his own domain, the theme for the day—whether the competition was poetry or prose—was decided on the spot by the attendees. How well he performed depended entirely on himself.

Fortunately, his childhood reputation as a prodigy hadn’t been undeserved. Mister Qixin had accepted him as a disciple precisely because of his exceptional academic talent.

He didn’t win every time, but he was always among the final three or four. In a place like Floating Life Salon, teeming with talent, that was impressive. By the time the exam results were to be posted in October, his name had already spread beyond the capital and become known to many.

Shi Buyu had secretly gone to watch a few of the events. She saw his arrogance, his wildness, his flamboyance when he triumphed over his opponents. She also saw Princess Qinghuan in disguise, and the admiration in her eyes as she watched Yan Shian—but Shi Buyu never stepped forward to interrupt.

That was what she respected most about Qinghuan: she didn’t demean others.

But what Shi Buyu witnessed most often was the Yan Shian who came to sit with her every day. Sometimes they talked; sometimes he just sat quietly. He was entirely different from how he was at the salon.

And he was getting thinner.

According to Yan Ze, his young master stayed up reading deep into the night. The poems and essays he wrote at home had piled up into a thick stack.

Shi Buyu painted a picture and asked Yan Ze to deliver it to Madam Yan.