Planting trees is hard work. By the time this girl finished planting all the trees, how could she possibly have such fair and tender skin now?

As she spoke, Su Yan realized that someone was watching her.

She looked in the direction of that gaze.

Just then, he saw Ji Yu's gaze fall upon him.

Su Yan blinked

"You have something to say to me?"

After a long pause, Ji Yu spoke.

"I'm afraid this young lady wants to stay by the young marquis's side."

After a long silence, Su Yan nodded and spoke.

"Okay, we'll bring them back after she finishes planting all the trees."

After saying that, he walked back to Ji Yu's side.

She took his hand and continued walking forward.

Even after walking quite a distance, the woman's sobbing could still be heard.

After a long while, Ji Yu spoke.

"Did the Marquis do this on purpose?"

"kindness?"

"The Marquis knows that the woman was lying. Compared to crying out of sadness, she was really concerned about being pretty."

Perhaps the dead man was not the woman's father.

The woman deliberately raised the price to twenty taels, indicating her intention to marry into a wealthier family.

"Is Your Excellency acting on behalf of Heaven?"

Su Yan shook her head

“If she doesn’t stop me, I won’t buy her. If she stops me, it means she likes me and wants me to buy her.”

It's inherently a fair transaction.

Ji Yu looked at Su Yan, and a rare change in his expression revealed a different kind of emotion.

The two continued walking forward.

Su Yan suddenly spoke up

"I won't let you plant trees."

Ji Yu was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"I will remember what you said, Lord Marquis."

This young marquis may seem arrogant, but he is actually quite clever.

It's rare that I don't get tired of being with him.

As I was thinking, I looked down at the spot where the two of them were holding hands.

This has been going on for the past two weeks.

Without realizing it, I've gotten used to it.

As he was thinking, he looked away and gazed elsewhere, without breaking free.

As we strolled around, it got dark.

The group then headed back home.

Entering Ji Yu's courtyard.

Because Lanzhi went to deal with the matter of that little zither girl, she did not come along.

There were only the two of them.

Su Yan closed the gate to the courtyard.

He grabbed Ji Yu's arm.

Ji Yu turned around,

"Lord Marquis?"

Su Yan didn't say anything, but just grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her.

They kissed.

Ji Yu was taken aback.

He lowered his eyes.

He did not resist and let Su Yan kiss him.

This is how it looks from a distance.

It was more like a spoiled young nobleman bullying a refined and gentle scholar, insisting on getting a kiss from him.

The scholar, bullied, could only bow his head and resist in silence.

Su Yan kissed him once and then let go.

Then, the two fell into a rather strange and awkward silence.

Back in Ji Yu's room, they each sat down in a chair.

No one spoke.

Finally, Lanzhi appeared and busied herself with preparing dinner.

When dinner was served, it was in the courtyard, under the starry sky.

The awkwardness between the two of them finally subsided.

Lanzhi, the thoughtful maid, noticed that her young master was eating very little.

They thoughtfully brought over the fruit wine that the young marquis really liked.

"Young Master, this fruit wine is newly brewed. Would you like to try some?"

Su Yan hesitated for a moment.

She knew her own alcohol tolerance.

I wish I could get drunk after just one sip.

Lanzhi saw that her master was silent and assumed that he agreed to drink it, since this fruit wine was the young marquis's favorite wine.

Opening the fruit wine, a fragrant aroma of fruit wafted out.

It smells very sweet.

There was not a trace of alcohol in the smell.

Su Yan lowered her head, finally reached out, and picked up the glass of wine.