Her eyes filled with unmistakable disdain, unimpressed by his flirtatious antics. “I am genuinely concerned about what other inappropriate actions you might take in the future. Men and women should maintain proper boundaries. Let us not meet again.”

Yang Xiuzhu clutched his wrist, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, too pained to utter a single word.

All he could do was watch helplessly as Jiang Rao helped the disabled young boy walk away.

Though the boy stood nearly a head taller than her, it seemed as though most of his weight was leaning on her.

Men and women should maintain proper boundaries, but he guess that only applies to some people, doesn’t it?

Yang Xiuzhu reminded himself not to think that way. She hadn’t yet come of age and was at the stage where she needed to learn to adhere to proper etiquette. Besides, that crippled boy was indeed pitiful—so much so that even he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy.

As Yang Xiuzhu was lost in these thoughts, he glanced up and saw the boy look back at him.

The boy’s brow arched slightly, and the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smirk—that same reckless, defiant expression he had worn earlier.

It was the same provocative look he had given him at the beginning, but this time, it was laced with a strong warning and a hint of triumph.

—Don’t touch what’s mine.

—Even if you want to, you can’t.

Yang Xiuzhu clenched his trembling hand, trying to steady it.

He couldn’t shake the image of the boy’s expression, nor the sight of the two of them walking away together, leaning on each other.

When the two of them stood together, it was as if they created an invisible barrier that automatically excluded everyone else.

Finally, he began to understand something.

Yang Xiuzhu almost felt the urge to curse!

This guy!

He had never met a man like this before.

He was even better at playing the victim than those cunning women!

…

As he approached Yang Qi’an, she eagerly asked him, “Big brother, did she accept your apology?”

She was practically beaming, speaking with uncontainable excitement. “I just realized today that I’ve found someone who truly matches you, don’t you think so too?”

“Her family’s estate is so beautiful, and it’s only a temporary residence. Who knows how many properties they have across the country? Brother, marrying a wife from such a prestigious family would surely smooth your path to higher ranks and titles, wouldn’t it?”

The more Yang Qi’an spoke, the more she lost herself in her delusional fantasies, completely oblivious to the impossibility of her dreams.

The more Yang Qi’an spoke, the more she felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow and despair.

As she rambled on, Yang Xiuzhu finally snapped, his voice cold and sharp. “It’s impossible.”

Yang Qi’an was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

Yang Xiuzhu replied, “A marriage proposal. Not just that, even visiting their home is out of the question now.”

Yang Qi’an frowned deeply. “Why? If it weren’t for her family’s wealth, I’d say she isn’t even worthy of you…”

“It’s all because of you!” Yang Xiuzhu finally exploded, shouting angrily. “It’s all your fault, you’re utterly clueless!”

“Stop bothering me!” he hissed through clenched teeth, his tone fierce.

He took a few steps away but then turned back, glaring at Yang Qi’an, who stood frozen in place. “And stop bothering her too!”

With that, he turned and walked away.

Before coming to her home, he had only heard that her family appeared to be well-off, but in reality, her father held no official position and had been leisurely traveling for over a decade. He had thought to himself that no matter how impressive her family background was, it couldn’t compare to his uncle, who held a high-ranking position in the court.

But after visiting her home and seeing the lavish furnishings and lifestyle, he realized that even ten more uncles like his wouldn’t be enough to match her family’s wealth.

He had thought it would be a perfect marriage, one where he could lower his pride, patiently pursue her, and eventually see the clouds part to reveal the moon.

But who could have guessed that he was the one reaching beyond his station?

Yang Xiuzhu felt a bitter taste in his heart. He had always been the one with the best family background and the most talent—when had he ever been the one overreaching?

Today, she had made it clear that it would be best not to see each other again. If he shamelessly pursued her now, he would only end up looking like a fool, unable to attain what he sought.

Just give up, he thought.

But deep down, he couldn’t let go. Instead, a surge of frustration and resentment welled up within him.

Behind him, the sound of quick, light footsteps approached.

Yang Xiuzhu assumed it was Yang Qi’an catching up to him and was about to snap at her to leave him alone. But then he heard a childish voice call out, “Brother Yang.”

Jiang Jinxing, wearing a pair of tiger-head shoes, ran up to him and stretched out his hand. “Candy, please.”

Yang Xiuzhu frowned.

Earlier, he had promised the child candy in exchange for calling his sister out.

He had forgotten about it.

But now that he had given up, what was the point of trying to please him?

Yang Xiuzhu wasn’t particularly interested in the candy. He tossed it into the child’s arms and turned to leave, but Jiang Jinxing, in his little tiger-head shoes, pattered after him with quick, eager steps. With a natural familiarity, the boy divided the candy in half and placed a portion into Yang Xiuzhu’s palm. “Here, half for Brother Yang.”

Yang Xiuzhu frowned, but Jiang Jinxing, having accomplished what he wanted, happily scampered away.

Jiang Jinxing had always wanted an older brother.

His sister was wonderful, but she couldn’t fight.

A brother, on the other hand, would be tall and strong. When standing beside him, others would fear and respect him.

That way, he wouldn’t even need to fight—other kids would just know he was the most impressive.

Brother Yang was already well-known and respected among the children here. Everyone knew his name.

If they got along well, he wouldn’t have to worry about losing fights in the future.

Little tyrant Jiang, feeling triumphant, strutted confidently in his tiger-head shoes, his steps full of vigor.

…

After passing through the moon gate and the winding corridors, Jiang Rao finally brought Rong Ting to the outer room of her courtyard. By then, beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.

It wasn’t that she was tired.

She had thought dragging someone taller than her would be exhausting, but supporting him as they walked had been surprisingly easy.

It must be because he was so light, almost weightless.

For someone so tall to be so thin, it was likely due to the toll of constant medication, which had worn him down.

How pitiful.

She carefully helped him sit down on the couch, but noticed his breathing was tense and his face was flushed red.

Although Jiang Rao had done her best to shift most of his weight onto herself, she knew that even with her support, walking those few hundred steps couldn’t have been easy for him. Worried, she asked, “Is your leg starting to hurt?”

Rong Ting pressed his lips together tightly and shook his head.

“Then I’ll step out for a moment to see if the maid who went to fetch the physician has returned.”

“Mm,” Rong Ting’s voice sounded muffled, as if submerged underwater, vague and tinged with an unnatural restraint.

Only after Jiang Rao turned away did he slowly lift his gaze, watching her retreating figure, his eyes dark and unreadable.

When they had been close earlier, he had noticed a faint fragrance emanating from her.

In the palace, the concubines vied for attention, each trying to outshine the others in front of the emperor, using all sorts of perfumes and incense. Having spent so much time among them, he had grown weary of the heavy, artificial scents women often wore.

No amount of perfume could mask the greed and scheming in their hearts.

But the scent on her was different—light and fresh, like the lingering aroma after a bath.

Rong Ting covered his eyes, overwhelmed by a sense of shame.

It was such a faint scent, almost imperceptible, something you could only notice if you were close enough. Yet, it was enough to stir his thoughts.

The entire way, his mind had been restless.

Just then, Jiang Rao returned.

Rong Ting immediately straightened his posture.

Jiang Rao said to him, “The physician will be here in a little while. Sit and rest for now. If anything hurts, let me know.”

Rong Ting nodded obediently.

Suddenly, he looked up and asked her, “What about your brother?”

Jiang Rao sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.

She was utterly exasperated.

Earlier, when she had stepped out, she had even asked the maid where her brother had gone.

But she found out that after helping Yang Xiuzhu call her out, her brother had chased after Yang Xiuzhu as he left, following him.

What was going on?

Since when did her brother start helping outsiders?

Ah, this kind of brother…

What could she expect from him, other than him devouring several bowls of rice from their family’s pantry every day?

Might as well throw him away.

She said to Rong Ting, “He went out to find a friend.”

Rong Ting’s eyes narrowed slightly. “The one who was talking to you earlier?”

Jiang Rao nodded.

At this point, she was at a loss. All she could do was wait for Jiang Jinxing to return so she could have a proper talk with him.

Her brother was still young, naive, and easily fooled.

He needed to be taught.

Otherwise, as he grew up, he might end up helping others too readily, and who knows, he might even be taken advantage of.

Jiang Rao couldn’t help but feel anxious, knowing the dream where the Jiang family would be raided and fall into ruin.

Rong Ting’s expression darkened slightly.

From the subtle changes in her demeanor, he deduced one thing.

Her brother was someone very important to her.

Someone who weighed heavily on her mind.

But that little chubby kid didn’t like him.

And he didn’t like him either.

Rong Ting clenched his fingers.

If only those who weighed on her mind could disappear completely…

He gritted his teeth, and this secret thought began to swirl wildly in his mind.

But at the same time, a dull ache started throbbing in his head, so intense that he couldn’t continue the thought. The urge to destroy something receded like a tide, fading away.

Rong Ting’s expression returned to normal, and he said calmly, “Last time, I think I upset him.”

Jiang Rao knew he was referring to the incident where he refused to give the dried plums to her brother. She smiled and said, “You did the right thing.”

“My brother is teething right now. He hasn’t had any candy for almost half a month. He’s practically addicted to sugar—one of his front teeth rotted and fell out. Now that he’s growing new teeth, I can’t let him eat so much sugar anymore.”

“I came today because of this.” Rong Ting pushed a square paper bag forward. “I asked the physician, and this almond pastry doesn’t have much sugar. It’s fine for children who are teething to eat.”

This… this… this…

Jiang Rao was both surprised and touched.

If he had only brought gifts for her, it would have felt like repayment for a favor.

But bringing something for Jiang Jinxing seemed like… he was trying to make up for upsetting her brother by not giving him candy last time.

In the future, he was supposed to become someone aloof and arrogant, someone who saw the world as his alone, ruling with absolute authority, indifferent to what others thought.

Yet here she was, steering a child who might have gone astray back onto the right path.

It felt… kind of impressive.

^_^