Zhou Qingchun and Princess Longyu brought Zhou Yanran to the manor. They were only allowed in after the guards had secretly checked them. Now, no one can guarantee that anyone is safe.

Xu Zhi and Zhou Yanran were about the same age. After meeting, they hit it off immediately. Xu Zhi had actually met Zhou Yanran a few times when she went out with Ning Shi. However, Zhou Yanran was a well-known young lady in the capital, and Xu Zhi, as the daughter of a sixth-rank official in Ganzhou, couldn't really enter the circle of children from such elite families. Xu Zhi wasn't a vain person; she made friends with people based on fate. If they got along well and the other person was willing to befriend her, then she would befriend them. Some people looked down on Xu Zhi's family background. Although Xu Zhi's father, Xu Raojian, was favored by the emperor, he was an illegitimate son of a marquis and looked down on Xu Zhi's status, so their relationship wasn't very good.

Xu Zhi didn't care much about the people she met when she went out. She wasn't a real twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, so how could she be so insensitive? Xu Zhi felt that she already had someone in her heart, and as for other people, she really didn't want to go to them anymore. So, when Zhou Yanran came and genuinely wanted to befriend Xu Zhi, Xu Zhi was quite happy.

While the adults were talking in the old lady's room, Xu Zhi took Zhou Yanran to her own courtyard to talk. Xu Bai, impatient with the adults' conversation, followed behind Xu Zhi. Zhou Yanran looked at the chubby and fair-skinned Xu Bai and said, "Your seventh young master is really handsome and obedient. He's much more obedient than the little boy in my eldest brother's family."

Xu Zhi said with a smile, "My younger brother has always been obedient since he was little. Don't let his young age fool you, he's quite capable in his speech and actions."

Xu Bai was unhappy to hear his sister say that about him. He said, "I'm clearly the most sensible child. Why are you saying that I'm efficient? Aren't you my sister? What's wrong with praising me in front of others?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanran smiled and looked at Xu Bai, whose face was all scrunched up like a bun. Xu Zhi quickly said, "Oh dear, it's my fault, it's my fault. I won't say that to you again, okay? Good little brother, come on, let me get you some snacks. I just made them this morning."

Xu Bai nodded and said, "That's more like it. Last time when my brother went horseback riding, he didn't take me with him, but he took Yu Yuan and the others. What does that mean? Sister, when my brother comes later, you have to say a few words to him for me."

Xu Zhi said, "You don't want to go to practice with me in the morning. Look at your cousins, they all practice every day without complaining about the hardship or fatigue."

Xu Bai said, "But I don't want to practice martial arts. I want to take the imperial examination like my father."

Xu Zhi said, "Do you think taking the imperial examination is just about studying? No, it's not. The imperial examination lasts for several days. If you don't have a strong physique, you won't be able to persevere. Little brother, you should listen to your older brother. Don't be afraid of hardship. Practice your kung fu properly. It will do you good."

Xu Bai said, "I'm only four years old. Let's wait a bit longer and talk about it after I've thought it through."

Xu Zhi took Zhou Yanran and Xu Bai, who spoke like a string of popping beans, back to her courtyard.

Living on the estate is not like living in a marquis's mansion. The houses on the estate are actually quite simple, with a front yard and a back yard. The front yard is usually where the marquis stays, and it is connected to the back yard by a gate. The back yard has a large area of ​​houses, except for the main yard where the old lady lives, and a side yard. They are all quite close to each other. Because the place is not big, the courtyards are all built in a small and exquisite way.

Xu Zhi's courtyard was very close to the main courtyard where the old lady lived; it was just a few steps away. There were not many flowers and trees in the courtyard, only a thick sycamore tree. It was already autumn, and the sycamore leaves were turning yellow, with some already falling to the ground. The whole courtyard looked somewhat desolate in autumn.

In the small courtyard, there are east and west wing rooms. There is no back wall at the south wall, but a few broad beans are planted there. The broad beans are past their ripening season, and the vines that climbed up the trellis are turning yellow. In a while, these vines will have to be cleared away.

The little courtyard had a touch of wild charm, and Zhou Yanran looked at it with great curiosity until she sat down in Xu Zhi's room before saying, "Your courtyard is really well-maintained."

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Sister Zhou, you flatter me. This estate belongs to my grandmother. We don't come here often. It's mostly my grandmother's people who take care of it. In this courtyard, we usually grow vegetables rather than flowers. We think that growing vegetables is nice because it's lush and green, and we can also pick ripe fruits to eat."

Zhou Yanran said, "That makes sense, little sister. We should visit each other more often in the future."

Xu Zhi smiled and agreed, then prepared snacks and tea for Zhou Yanran. The two of them huddled together and talked for a while about clothes and jewelry.

Zhou Yanran thought of Xu Di, who had saved her, and asked Xu Zhi, "Sister, Young Master Xu passed the imperial examination at such a young age and became a Juren. Why doesn't he continue to take the exams?"

Xu Zhi said, "My brother said he still has a lot of books to study, and even if he takes the exam, he won't pass. It's better to wait a few more years, preferably after we get married, and then he might pass the exam on his first try."

When Zhou Yanran heard Xu Zhi mention that Xu Di was getting married, her heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Has Young Master Xu already gotten engaged?"

Xu Zhi smiled and said, "It was arranged a long time ago, several years ago. My mother personally arranged it, and we're just waiting for my sister-in-law to come of age so we can marry her."

Zhou Yanran felt as if her heart had been thrown into ice water. In the past few days, Zhou Yanran had been recuperating at home. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Xu Di holding her. Her heart, which had not been moved for more than ten years, suddenly came back to life.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!