On Zhuque Avenue, the most bustling street in Suzhou and Hangzhou, crowds thronged. Shen Wensong chatted and laughed with two close friends, walking briskly. As they reached a corner, they suddenly heard a commotion and a woman's tearful scream from ahead.

"You scoundrel! Let me go! Give me back my purse!" A clear but panicked female voice rang out.

"Hehe, young lady, you knocked over my 'ancestral jade pendant,' and you think you can just leave without paying? Either pay up, or... come with me to the yamen and have a word with me?" A sleazy voice pestered her with ill intent.

Shen Wensong looked in the direction of the sound and saw a ruffian dressed in coarse cloth tug at a young woman's sleeve. The woman had her back to them; she was slender and wore a seemingly ordinary but actually very fine pale yellow cotton dress. Her long, black hair was simply tied in a bun with a plain silver hairpin. Her profile was beautiful, and her eyes were red with distress as she desperately tried to break free from the ruffian's grasp, but the difference in strength was too great. Several newly bought oil paper packages lay scattered at her feet, clearly knocked over in the collision.

"Robbery of a young woman in broad daylight? Is there no law?!" Shen Wensong's blood boiled; his youthful spirit wouldn't allow him to stand idly by. He strode forward, shoved the thug aside, and shielded the terrified girl behind him, calling out loudly, "Young lady, don't be afraid!"

The ruffian was shoved and stumbled. Seeing that it was a well-dressed young scholar with two others behind him, he suddenly felt a little breathless, but still stubbornly shouted, "Boy! Mind your own business! She broke my jade pendant..."

"Broken?" Shen Wensong sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping over the ruffian's empty hands. "Where's your jade pendant? Take it out and let me see. If it's truly an ancestral treasure, you should report it to the authorities and have them verify its value and handle it fairly! What kind of logic is it to harass a weak woman like this?" His voice was clear and logical, attracting passersby to stop and watch.

The scoundrel was rendered speechless by the questioning, and seeing the onlookers pointing and whispering, he lost face. He muttered a few words, "Mind your own business, just you wait," before slinking away into the crowd.

"Miss, are you alright?" Shen Wensong turned around and asked the girl he was protecting behind him with concern.

The girl, still shaken, raised her face, which was streaked with tears. She appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with skin as white as snow, exquisite features, and almond-shaped eyes that shimmered with a clear, lively light. Though dressed simply, the noble air and innocent naiveté that emanated from her were far beyond that of an ordinary girl from a modest family. Looking at the handsome, upright, and righteous young man before her, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her voice trembled with relief, "Thank you so much for your righteous rescue, young master... I'm alright." She quickly knelt down to pick up her scattered belongings.

"It was nothing, please don't be so polite, young lady." Shen Wensong also squatted down to help her tidy up, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the words "Li Ji Osmanthus Cake" printed on the oil paper package she picked up—that was the most famous pastry shop in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Just then, a rapid sound of hooves and the clanging of armor came from outside the crowd!

"Make way! Make way now!" Several men dressed in black, with long swords at their waists and exuding a fierce aura, rode up on horseback. The leader's eyes were like lightning, instantly locking onto the yellow-clad girl crouching on the ground. His face showed a mixture of ecstasy and lingering fear.

"Second...Miss!" The head guard dismounted and rushed forward, kneeling on one knee. His voice was filled with excitement and fear. "I failed in my duty as a guard and caused you to be frightened! Please punish me!" Several guards behind him also knelt down in unison, their movements precise and their presence imposing.

The onlookers were all astonished and began to speculate about the girl's identity.

The girl in yellow—Princess Xiao Mingyu—saw her guards finally arrive, and while relieved, she also felt somewhat embarrassed. She stood up, waved to the head guard, and tried to remain calm: "Get up, I'm fine. It's all thanks to this young master's help." She looked at Shen Wensong, her eyes filled with gratitude and curiosity.

The head guard then noticed Shen Wensong standing to the side. Seeing his extraordinary bearing, he clasped his hands in a deep voice and said, "Thank you for your help, young master! May I ask your esteemed name and address? I will surely repay you handsomely another day!"

Shen Wensong was also taken aback by the commotion, but quickly recovered and returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute: "I am Shen Wensong. This is nothing but a trivial matter. It is only right to do what is right when one sees injustice. There is no need for a generous reward." Seeing that the other party was heavily guarded and clearly of high status, he did not wish to linger, so he said, "Since Miss's family has arrived, I will take my leave." After saying this, he nodded slightly to Xiao Mingyu and turned to leave with his equally bewildered classmate.

As Xiao Mingyu watched the boy's tall and handsome figure disappear into the crowd, a strange light flashed in her almond-shaped eyes. She looked down at the intact "Li Ji Osmanthus Cake" in her hand, and then recalled the boy's broad shoulders and clear voice when he stood in front of her, and her cheeks inexplicably felt hot again.

“Miss, this is not a place to stay any longer. Please come back with us,” the head guard said in a low voice.

Xiao Mingyu nodded and, escorted by her guards, mounted her horse. Before leaving, she couldn't help but glance back at the direction where Shen Wensong had disappeared. Her trip to Jiangnan seemed to be far more interesting than she had imagined.

***

In the pavilion in the back garden of the Shen Mansion, the moonlight was as clear as water.

The baby's first birthday celebration had ended, and the twins, tired from playing, were taken to sleep by their wet nurse. Mr. and Mrs. Shen also retired for the night. Mr. and Mrs. Shen Wenbai (the eldest brother) took Shen Rui back to the guest courtyard. Shen Yuewei, Xiao Chengjing, Shen Wenbai (the second brother), Lin Qingwan, and the newly returned Shen Wensong sat around the stone table in the pavilion, eating mooncakes and fruits, enjoying the moon and chatting.

Shen Wensong was excitedly recounting his "heroic deeds" of "speaking out against injustice," scaring away hooligans, and rescuing a girl in distress.

"...That girl looks frail, but she has quite a bit of courage. It's just that her guards, tsk tsk, their aura, they're clearly not from ordinary families," Shen Wensong remarked.

Shen Yuewei was peeling a pomelo when she heard this, and her heart stirred slightly. She looked at Xiao Chengjing. Xiao Chengjing was slowly picking pomegranate seeds from An'an's pomegranate. When he felt his wife's gaze, he looked up, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said indifferently, "Jiangnan is a wealthy place, so it's common for the guards of some wealthy merchants to have a grand procession."

Lin Qingwan then pulled Shen Wensong aside and asked, "Young man, what does that girl look like? Have you asked about her name and family background?"

Shen Wensong blushed: "Second sister-in-law! I was saving someone, not... how could I possibly ask the girl's name! But... she is extremely beautiful." His voice lowered.

Shen Wenbai (the second elder brother) joked with a smile: "Oh, is our little scholar falling for someone after playing the hero and saving a damsel in distress?"

"Second Brother!" Shen Wensong was extremely embarrassed.

The crowd erupted in another round of good-natured laughter.

An'an nestled in her father's arms, nibbling on the pomegranate seeds he fed her, her eyes sparkling as she listened to her uncle's story. Suddenly, she pointed to the round, bright moon in the sky and said in her childish voice, "Daddy, Mommy, the moon is so big and round, it looks like the big rouge box that Yu-meimei is holding!"

Children's innocent remarks amused everyone even more.

Shen Yuewei nestled beside Xiao Chengjing, looking at the smiling faces of her loved ones, listening to her husband's steady heartbeat and her daughter's innocent words, feeling that the moment was perfect and peaceful.