Although Shen Qingwan cared about them, she knew that today was not the right occasion to call them over. “Grandmother, don’t worry. When I have time, I will take Jiaojiao out for a walk to relax. I won’t call them today.”

Perhaps because of her affection for the people Shen Qingwan cared about, Old Madam Gu always showed extra concern.

Despite knowing about her granddaughter’s divorce, she was generally aware of the situation regarding the Lu family and Shen Qingwan’s divorce, so she didn’t blame Old Madam Lu.

Instead, she felt some sympathy for their predicament.

The death of Lu Wenzhao had spread throughout the entire capital, so Old Madam Lu naturally heard about it.

Shen Qingwan didn’t intentionally hide the news from her, and after hearing the news, Old Madam Lu cried for a long time.

She wasn’t crying for her dead son, but for how she could have given birth to such a son.

When Gu Tingyi and his wife arrived, they had already been eating for a while.

Perhaps due to the delay, they both felt a little awkward, especially Ye Minglan, who was shy.

When she came out, her face was flushed with a rosy glow, looking enchanting.

Anyone with common sense could tell that the two had been hiding in the room and hadn’t been doing anything proper.

The first meal after their reunion was filled with warmth and happiness, and no one mentioned anything unpleasant.

After Gu Tingyi returned, it seemed like there was always something to do, as he was out early and back late every day.

However, no matter how late he returned, he would always go to check on his precious daughter.

As for her father’s clingy nature, she was used to it from her past life, so it didn’t bother her.

But her brother was also constantly coming to visit her, which made her a little overwhelmed by the attention.

Shen Qingwan wouldn’t stay long in the capital, so before leaving, she made sure to help her mother resolve the matters regarding the General’s residence.

With the help of the old madam’s maids, Shen Qingwan quickly completed a major overhaul of the household staff.

All the people Ye Minghui had painstakingly cultivated over the years were expelled, and the older staff from the General’s house were either brought back or replaced with new servants.

Gu Tingyi selected over a hundred of his personal guards to stay at the General’s residence to ensure its safety.

With Shen Qingwan’s adjustments, the residence was thoroughly revamped.

Not only were there changes in the staff, but the entire house had also undergone a transformation.

Everything that Ye Minghui and her daughter had used was sold off as trash, and the yard was thoroughly cleaned.

Even the flowers and plants Ye Minghui had personally planted were uprooted by Shen Qingwan.

Ye Minghui had been imprisoned by Shen Qingwan for nearly ten days, but Ye Lingxue showed no intention of rescuing her.

Shen Qingwan truly wanted to deal with her directly, but her mother’s soft heart made it difficult for her, as they were from the same mother.

In the end, Shen Qingwan agreed to Ye Minglan’s request and sent Ye Minghui back to the Ye family, where her maternal grandmother would handle her.

As for Ye Lingxue, Shen Qingwan had no intention of letting her go.

However, this woman was quite elusive, and for now, Shen Qingwan didn’t know where she had run off to.

But she would show up eventually, and Shen Qingwan wasn’t in a rush.

That night, Shen Qingwan’s carefully arranged courtyard welcomed its first guest.

Seeing the visitor, Shen Qingwan was quite surprised, but a thought flashed through her mind: Was this person here to hold her accountable?

“I didn’t expect the War King had a habit of climbing walls,” Shen Qingwan said as she put down her wine glass, reclining on the stone table’s rocking chair.

She had no intention of getting up to greet him.

It was rare for her to relax and stargaze, but to her surprise, Beichen Yuan had come.

Beichen Yuan was dressed in a purple-gold long robe today, with a jade belt around his waist, making him appear even more handsome and extraordinary.

“I wonder, should I call you Shen Gongzi now? Or Miss Gu?” Beichen Yuan’s voice was pleasant to the ears, especially when he called her name during moments of emotion.

It was particularly captivating. Unfortunately, this man was too powerful for her to control.

Otherwise, she would certainly keep him by her side as a warm companion.

“I thought… the War King would call me Qingqing.”

When the name Qingqing was spoken, Beichen Yuan’s body instantly stiffened.

He had only intended to tease her, but didn’t expect her to be so sharp and bring up that night’s events.

Qingqing—this was the name he had called her all night long when he was in the heat of passion.

Even now, when he thought about it, he still felt a surge of heat in his body.

“When you need it, call me Qingqing. Now, if you don’t need it, you can call me Miss Gu,” Shen Qingwan teased him, enjoying seeing Beichen Yuan’s serious demeanor being exposed.

“If you like, calling me Qingqing isn’t bad,” Beichen Yuan replied unexpectedly, causing Shen Qingwan to feel a shiver down her spine and her skin crawl.

“War King, it’s better if you just call me Miss Gu. After all, we’re not that familiar. You didn’t come here so late just to argue with me, did you?”

Shen Qingwan said, taking a sip of her wine, casually swinging her crossed legs back and forth.

She looked extremely relaxed.

Beichen Yuan stepped closer, standing with his hand in his sleeve. “Did you set the fire in the Lu family?” Although it sounded like a question, his tone was certain.

Shen Qingwan knew she couldn’t hide this from Beichen Yuan, so she calmly admitted it.

“He deserved it. War King, are you planning to accuse me?” she said with a smirk, as if she didn’t care about the matter at all.

“This matter isn’t within my jurisdiction. I just happened to pass by the General’s residence tonight and came to remind you. Prime Minister Su has already investigated it, and although there’s no evidence to prove your guilt, Su Bingsheng is vengeful and probably won’t let you off.

Su Ruoyun’s sister is the late emperor’s concubine, and she’s deeply connected to Su Ruoyun. She probably won’t let you go either. But if I protect you, they won’t dare touch you.”

In fact, Beichen Yuan didn’t believe these people could harm Shen Qingwan.

The only reason he came tonight was that he was feeling impulsive.

He really couldn’t understand why, even though they had already shared a marital bond, this woman had no intention of holding him accountable.

Could it be that she didn’t want to become the War King’s consort?

Was his charm not enough? Or was it the title of War King’s consort that wasn’t enough? Her reactions made him lose confidence.

Shen Qingwan hadn’t expected Beichen Yuan to come personally to warn her or say that he would protect her.

She didn’t want to owe him any favors, so she decisively rejected him. “This little matter doesn’t need to trouble the War King.”

Beichen Yuan…

He felt a sense of defeat, as if he had volunteered and was then rejected.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingwan continued drinking her wine, showing no intention of continuing the conversation.

“Would the Prince like a drink?” Shen Qingwan raised her wine glass. Beichen Yuan, looking at the quilt she had used, said in a deep voice, “No need,” and turned to leave.

It must be said, Beichen Yuan’s lightness skills were impressive.

Shen Qingwan stared at him in awe, wishing she could also learn lightness skills.

If only she could, how wonderful that would be.

Unfortunately, internal energy couldn’t be cultivated in just a day or two, so her envy was useless.

After Beichen Yuan left, Shen Qingwan, slightly tipsy, returned to her room to rest.