Seeing this, Wang Deshun hesitated and said, "The Princess's birthday is in five days, and this birthday banquet..."

Today is the tenth of the month, and the princess is going back to her parents' home for a short stay. She will most likely spend her birthday on the fifteenth at the Shen family's house.

He looked at his lord with some difficulty. This was the first time the lord had gone to the trouble of organizing a birthday banquet for someone, but who would have thought that the birthday celebrant would suddenly run away.

"Then we won't hold the ceremony. Just send the birthday gift I've prepared on the fifteenth. There's no need to say anything else."

Xue Shen glanced at him indifferently, his expression unreadable.

Wang Deshun could only say "Eh," wondering what kind of mess this was!

*

Shen Youying happily packed her luggage and went to the manor in the eastern suburbs that same day.

After the carriage left the city gate, it traveled for another hour on the official road before finally arriving.

When she left home, the sun was still high in the sky; by the time Shen Youying arrived, the sky was already ablaze with the colors of sunset.

It was a hot summer day, and Shen Youying had been sitting in the carriage for a long and bumpy ride, looking rather disheveled. But when she stood at the door and looked at her father practicing with a spear in the courtyard, she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

"Father!"

Shen Youying lifted her skirt and ran excitedly toward Shen Mingjiang.

Shen Mingjiang, who was practicing shooting, suddenly heard a familiar shout and almost doubted that he had heard correctly.

"Zhaozhao?"

When Shen Mingjiang saw that it was indeed his youngest daughter running towards him from the doorway, he was overjoyed. He threw his spear into the air onto the weapon rack, strode over, and caught Shen Youying as she ran towards him.

He looked his daughter up and down: "Why did Zhaozhao suddenly come back? She didn't even send someone to deliver a message first."

Shen Youying hadn't seen her father for a long time, and her eyes reddened as soon as she saw him. She cried and laughed at the same time: "I received a message from Father saying that he has moved to the manor in the eastern suburbs, and I couldn't wait to come and see him."

Shen Mingjiang laughed loudly and led her inside: "I was planning to pick you up later to come and see you, but we just moved in and haven't settled in yet."

Shen Youying followed him inside and saw that the courtyard was indeed still in a mess.

Because a number of servants had been dismissed, there were only four or five servants and maids scattered around, busy tidying up.

"Although this estate is a bit remote, it has a good location. It is backed by Shangyi Mountain and surrounded by rivers, so it is much cooler than Tokyo in the summer. It is said that there are hot springs on the mountain. When we have time, we can divert the hot spring water down to keep it warm in the winter."

Shen Youying followed beside him, looking around curiously. Pointing to the vacant lot overgrown with weeds, she said, "These places can also be cleared out and planted with flowers and grass. Or we could dig a pond, bring in fresh water, and plant some lotus flowers."

Shen Mingjiang laughed and said, "Zhaozhao and I have the same idea. You also have a piece of open space in your yard. Whether you plant flowers and grass or dig a pond, it's up to you."

As the father and daughter walked and talked, they arrived at the backyard, where they bumped into the Fang family, mother, and their two children who had come after receiving the news.

"Why did Your Highness come so suddenly? The house isn't ready yet. The estate is simple, I don't know if you'll be comfortable here," Madam Fang said with a smile.

Her words seemed to be for Shen Youying's sake, but they also revealed her dissatisfaction with Zhuangzi.

Shen Youying glanced at her father's slightly somber expression, shook her head, and said softly, "There's nothing I can't get used to. I think the scenery on this estate is quite nice. If we tidy it up properly, it won't be much worse than a house in Tokyo." She thought of her eldest brother, whose whereabouts were still unknown, and sighed, "As long as the family is together in peace, simple meals are a blessing."

Shen Muyu rolled her eyes upon hearing this and muttered under her breath, "It's not like you're the one living here. Anyone can say nice things."

She kept her voice low, and only Fang, who was nearby, heard it. She quietly pinched her as a warning before putting on a smile and welcoming Shen Youying inside.