A large horse-drawn carriage was parked not far from Taoyuanju.

With the help of two maids, Wei Yin'er slowly boarded the carriage.

"Fourth Sister, have you made up your mind? What did Miss Ye say? Are you and Chengshuo destined for each other?" Wei Shuyu asked, taking her niece's hand as she approached.

"She said that my cousin and I were not meant to be," Wei Yin'er said softly, biting her lip gently.

“Since you are not destined to be together, there is no need to be persistent. Your aunt and your mother will help you find someone. There are many good men in this world, not just your cousin. For example, He Qingyue, who just returned from the south a few days ago, is also unmarried. He is the only son of the Marquis of Zhennan.” Wei Shuyu said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Wei Yin'er shook her head: "Thank you, Auntie, but they might not even be interested in me. Let's talk about it later."

“Okay, we’ll talk about it later.” Wei Shuyu nodded quickly.

She told her niece that her son had someone else in his heart, and that she shouldn't waste her time on Chengshuo. She also told her sister-in-law to help Yin'er find someone else, but the girl was a bit stubborn and refused to give up no matter what.

She brought Yin'er here today to have her marriage fortune told, hoping to make her give up on the idea.

Everyone in the capital knows how accurate Ye Xianya's predictions are.

If Yin'er continues to be as stubborn as before and keeps fixated on Cheng Shuo, she'll only be asking for trouble.

"Aunt, didn't you say that my cousin likes this Miss Ye?" Wei Yin'er bit her lip and whispered, "What if Miss Ye also takes a liking to my cousin and deliberately tries to steal my marriage? Then what she just said will not be believable."

Wei Shuyu never expected her to say that.

If she had known her niece was such a stubborn person, she wouldn't have brought her along today.

“Yin’er, that’s not how it works. You can’t force a relationship. I don’t need to say much about your cousin’s personality. You know he’s been very opinionated since he was a child. If he doesn’t want to do something, no one can force him. The old prince always indulges him. Who would dare to force him to marry someone he doesn’t like?”

As Wei Shuyu spoke, she gently patted her niece's hand: "You are my niece. You spend at least two or three months of each year living with me. You and Chengshuo grew up together as childhood sweethearts. If he truly likes you, even if ten more Ye girls came along, it wouldn't change his mind. I've asked him, and he has always treated you like a younger sister and has never had any improper thoughts."

After hearing her aunt's words, Wei Yin'er's face turned pale.

"Your aunt watched you grow up and loves you like her own daughter. If you could marry Chengshuo, it would be the best thing, as it would strengthen family ties. However, marriage is a major event, and it's not just about parental consent and matchmakers; mutual affection is also very important. Chengshuo is my only son, and I don't want to see him have an unhappy marriage and spend the rest of his life in sorrow. You are my niece, and I also hope that you can receive your husband's love, instead of marrying someone who doesn't love you and suffering bitterness..."

Wei Shuyu had said everything she needed to say, but she had no idea how much the child had taken in.

"It's getting late, let me take you back to your residence." Seeing her niece looking so sad, Wei Shuyu couldn't bear it and decided to personally escort her back to the Wei family.

"Auntie, I want to go back to the Prince's Mansion with you," Wei Yin'er said coquettishly, clinging to her arm.

“Let’s go another day. You’ve come of age and are a young lady now. It’s not appropriate for you to stay at your aunt’s place all the time. If outsiders gossip, it will delay your marriage. Your aunt will take you back,” Wei Shuyu said gently.

In the past, her niece often came to their house, and Wei Shuyu certainly understood what she meant.

She, her brother, and her sister-in-law were all happy to see it happen.

But now that she knows her son doesn't like Yin'er, she can't let her niece stay at their house all the time.

Firstly, her son would be unhappy; secondly, Yin'er would definitely not give up, and if she did something inappropriate, then it would be all over.

"Auntie, you've changed. You don't like me anymore!" Wei Yin'er pretended to be sad.

Hearing her niece say this, Wei Shuyu felt quite uncomfortable.

She only has one son, Qi Chengshuo, and no daughters.

Over the years, Wei Yin'er often stayed at the Prince's Mansion to keep her company, and Wei Shuyu truly loved her like her own daughter.

But these two children are simply not meant to be. It's best to break things off now, otherwise it will only cause trouble.

"Besides Chengshuo, you are my favorite person, and that will never change. When you get married in the future, I will give you a dowry. Our Yin'er will definitely have a grand wedding with a magnificent procession of red bridal procession." Wei Shuyu said with a smile.

Wei Yin'er felt somewhat disappointed upon hearing this, but she didn't say anything more.

...

Inside Taoyuan Residence, Ye Xianya is telling fortunes.

A haggard-looking middle-aged man, who appeared to be around forty years old, took out ten copper coins from his purse and placed them in front of Ye Xianya, lowering his voice to say, "Miss Ye... could you please help me calculate whether my father is still alive?"

As soon as the man said this, the people sitting behind him waiting for their fortunes to be told immediately perked up their ears to listen.

What does it mean if someone isn't completely dead?

Everyone was a little confused!

Upon hearing this, Ye Xianya calculated for a moment before saying, "Uncle, you live in the west of the city. Your father passed away from illness four days ago. You set up a mourning hall in the courtyard and kept vigil. But from the first day, as soon as it got dark, you heard a piercing sound coming from the coffin, as if someone was scratching the coffin board with their fingernails, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The uncle nodded hurriedly: "Miss, you are truly a fortune teller. To be honest, when we heard that sound the first night, the three of us brothers were terrified. My father hadn't been buried yet, and the coffin wasn't sealed. After dawn, we mustered our courage and opened the coffin lid, only to find my father lying there perfectly fine. His fingernails weren't long at all, and... he was indeed dead."

The uncle said with a mournful face, "But on the second night, we heard the sound of fingernails scratching the coffin lid again. My two brothers and I, along with our wives, mustered up our courage and lifted the coffin lid to take a look. There was nothing unusual, but not long after the coffin lid was closed, the sound came again."

"Four days, it's been a full four days. It's like this every night, it's terrifying. We really can't take it anymore. Miss Ye, my father is to be buried tomorrow. Before that, I want to confirm whether he is really dead? Or... has he turned into a ghost? Please help us find the answer."

Before Ye Xianya could reply, an old woman sitting in the back said excitedly, "That goes without saying, your father must have become a ghost. There's a legend in my hometown that if a person has unfulfilled wishes and deep obsessions before they die, their soul cannot enter the underworld and will continue to stay in the human world, disturbing the peace of the whole family."

The uncle trembled after hearing the old woman's words: "Then... what should we do?"

The old woman glared at him upon hearing this: "Why are you asking me? You should be asking Miss Ye!"

After hearing her words, the middle-aged man turned to look at Ye Xianya: "Miss Ye, what... what should we do now?"