He had been waiting in the manor all day, and Su Wanyan still hadn't returned. He had heard so many things he wanted to share with Su Wanyan, but she still hadn't come back.

The more Yu Nanqing thought about it, the more gloomy he became.

He suddenly frowned. Could it be that Yan'er isn't coming back today?

Are we to stay overnight at the Duke's mansion?

But... Yan'er didn't send anyone to tell him.

Yu Nanqing pursed her lips, suppressing the restlessness in her heart, and buried herself in arranging the dishes in her hands. No, no, Yan'er will definitely return to the manor. Let's wait a little longer.

"Yu Nanqing!" Just as she was lost in thought, Su Wanyan's head suddenly popped out from the kitchen doorway.

A clear, cheerful call instantly dispelled the gloom between Yu Nanqing's brows, and even his eyes shone with a bright light: "Yan'er!"

He looked up in surprise, his face showing a sense of relief, as if he had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

Su Wanyan had no idea what was going on in his mind. She walked into the kitchen step by step with her hands behind her back and glanced over: "What are you doing?"

"Crystal Meat." This Crystal Meat is a simplified version of Crystal Phoenix: "At yesterday's welcoming banquet, I saw that Yan'er ate quite a lot, so I tried making it today."

Yu Nanqing was arranging the food on the plate when Su Wanyan's mouth watered: "Can we eat now?"

"Mmm." Yu Nanqing picked up a piece and put it into Su Wanyan's mouth.

Su Wanyan's eyes lit up slightly: "Mmm! Delicious!"

She couldn't help but praise, "How can you cook everything? I've only had it once, how did you manage to make it again?"

She gave Yu Nanqing a thumbs up: "Great!"

Yu Nanqing's ears turned slightly red. Actually... it wasn't something she learned after just one taste. She had consulted the imperial chef after court today, and the meat was also selected from the palace.

However, he did not intend to explain this to Su Wanyan. He wanted to establish a towering image in Su Wanyan's mind, so towering that no one could surpass him.

Suddenly, Yu Nanqing noticed the hairpin in her hair. The pearl was made of white jade, and the hairpin was decorated with red jade. It was made of gold and the hairpin was decorated with a golden lotus and jade. At a glance, he knew that the hairpin was very valuable and the style was very novel.

"A newly bought hairpin?" Yu Nanqing's eyes were full of affection: "Yan'er looks really good in it."

Su Wanyan asked in surprise, "You noticed?"

Of course, he would notice; even the slightest change in Su Wanyan would not escape Yu Nanqing's eyes.

Su Wanyan proudly touched the white jade bead under the hairpin: "I bought this with Yixuan and Zhiwan. Each of us will have one. This will be our token from now on."

After saying that, Su Wanyan mysteriously lowered her voice and said, "Our names are engraved on it, so no one can forge it."

Upon hearing this, Yu Nanqing frowned slightly.

What?

What are the tokens of love between Su Wanyan and them?

They didn't have any such tokens!

Yu Nanqing immediately exclaimed, "I want one too!"

"Huh?" Su Wanyan didn't react for a moment: "What?"

"I want the keepsake between you and Yan'er too!"

"..." Su Wanyan thought for a moment: "Between us, isn't there anything?"

She felt that she and Yu Nanqing shared so much.

"Where?" Yu Nanqing frowned, emphasizing her words as she repeated, "Where?"

Su Wanyan thought about it carefully: "The lanterns I bought for you! And...the things I brought back for you from the street before, aren't they all like that? The ceramic doll, the vase, aren't they?"

"No." How could those be considered? Yu Nanqing's desires were even greater: "I want Yan'er to have something exactly like theirs, with her name engraved on it, a unique token between us!"

Seeing Yu Nanqing's serious yet eager expression, Su Wanyan opened her mouth, then closed it again. After a long while, she smiled and said with a grin, "Now that you mention it, I want one too, a token to be a pair with you."

The gloom between Yu Nanqing's brows dissipated once more: "Really?"

"Nonsense." Su Wanyan glanced at him.

"Then...tomorrow?"

"Aren't you going to court tomorrow?"

"One or two days is fine. I'm at the peak of my career right now, so I can just ask for leave."

Thinking about it, Su Wanyan nodded, "Then let's go to the street and take a look tomorrow."

Su Wanyan and Yu Nanqing carried the meal to the main room and chatted about the Empress Dowager ruling from behind the curtain.

The Empress Dowager held power over all matters, large and small, in the court. When Yu Nanqing went to the Imperial Study to discuss matters, the Empress Dowager also intervened.

Today, the Empress Dowager summoned Yu Nanqing to the Imperial Study to discuss matters concerning the conferment of titles within the military.

"According to you, the young emperor is now just a figurehead."

"The young emperor is still young, and it is likely that he will be unable to escape the control of the Empress Dowager for a long time to come."

"When the young emperor grows up and wants to seize power, the Empress Dowager's foundation will be solid. She will probably not give in to the young emperor's wishes. So either the Empress Dowager will continue to hold power, forming a puppet government, or the young emperor will fight to the death, triggering another civil war in the court."

Yu Nanqing smiled and served Su Wanyan a dish: "Yan'er is smart, what you said is very true."

With something clenched in her mouth, Su Wanyan said, "I'm sure the Empress Dowager and the Xia family won't just stand by and do nothing."

The Empress Dowager that Su Wanyan mentioned was Xia Yunshang, the birth mother of the young emperor.

Now that Yu Jing'an has ascended the throne, Xia Yunshang is naturally the Empress Dowager.

"Hmm," Yu Nanqing replied casually.

Su Wanyan asked curiously, "What are you thinking?"

Yu Nanqing didn't think too much about what he was thinking. As long as the affairs of the court didn't affect him, he would just let things slide.

Su Wanyan could tell what he was thinking just by looking at his expression, and said, "But once the Empress Dowager's power is stable, she will definitely be wary of you."

Otherwise, why would she deliberately make things difficult for her at the welcome-home banquet?

Although the difficulties ultimately did not have any impact.

Yu Nanqing was aware of this as well. He raised his hand and tapped Su Wanyan's forehead: "Yan'er, don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

"Then... I can rest easy now," Su Wanyan smiled.

"Um."

Then Yu Nanqing remembered something else and asked, "The Marquis of Yuanning's residence has sent a visiting card. Does Yan'er wish to see them or not?"

Su Wanyan glanced at Yu Nanqing and said with a smile, "You don't need to ask me about this kind of thing. If you feel the need, then go see him. There's no need to refuse. You don't need to worry about me too much."

“…” Yu Nanqing pursed his thin lips slightly.

I wasn't asking for her opinion; I just wanted to talk to her more.

Usually, Su Wanyan does all the talking, while he listens silently on the side.

Just as he was lost in thought, Su Wanyan suddenly grabbed his wrist and leaned closer to say, "But I really want to know who is in charge of the Yuan Ning Marquis's mansion now. I'm telling you, don't tell anyone. It's a little painful to see the Yuan Ning Marquis's mansion rising. Staying in the same place is better than making progress."