The Eastern Palace Study.

Lu Zheng slammed down a cup of tea in frustration: "...So she just casually said 'Goodbye, Your Highness,' and turned and left! Chengjing, do you think she did this on purpose to annoy me?!"

Xiao Chengjing put down his vermilion brush, rubbed his temples, and was already used to his friend's "complaints": "Lu Zheng, Miss Luo's talent is unparalleled in the capital, and she's incredibly shrewd. Instead of guessing here whether she's deliberately trying to annoy you, why don't you think about why you can always accurately pique her interest every time you 'accidentally' meet her? Isn't it because you have 'other' thoughts on you?"

"What do you mean?!" Lu Zheng immediately retorted, "It's clearly her who's always picking on me!" The dignified Prince Lu was acting like a doormat at this moment.

"Oh?" Xiao Chengjing raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't she go and 'pick' at Minister Wang's son? Why didn't she go and 'pick' at General Li's son? Why did it have to be you, Lu Zheng, the young master?" He paused deliberately, looking at Lu Zheng's face, which flushed instantly. "*However, I remember that when the Empress Dowager intended to match me with Miss Luo, you volunteered, going to Prime Minister Luo's residence every few days, either 'asking for advice' on politics or 'accidentally' meeting Miss Luo, deliberately picking topics that interested her and were prone to controversy to argue with her... under the guise of 'taking the blame' for me. Now that the blame has been averted, you've brought trouble upon yourself, and now I have to help you put it out?"

Lu Zheng was speechless for a long time before finally managing to say, with a stiff neck, "Then... then what do you suggest we do?!"

"The one who tied the knot must untie it." Xiao Chengjing picked up his teacup, his tone calm but profound. "Why did you provoke her in the first place? That's why you should untie it. Find an opportunity, put down your princely airs, sincerely apologize, and explain why you 'sheltered me in the first place.'"

"Apologize?! Explain yourself?!" Lu Zheng almost jumped up. "Wouldn't that make me... I was stupid back then?! And, if we talk it out, how... how will I..." How will he "justifiably" go to see her again?

“If you don’t speak up,” Xiao Chengjing interrupted him, his gaze sharp, “you’ll only ever be seen by her as a simple-minded, troublemaking playboy. As for what happens after you speak up…” A barely perceptible smile played on his lips, “That’ll depend on your own abilities, Lu Zheng, the young master Lu.”

Lu Zheng froze, staring at Xiao Chengjing's unfathomable expression. It seemed as if a thread had been untied from the tangled mess in his heart, but what followed was even greater panic and... a hint of expectation that he himself did not realize?

Seeing that Lu Zheng still hadn't realized his feelings for Miss Luo, Xiao Chengjing couldn't help but laugh out loud, fearing that the young master Lu would be in a "wife-chasing-in-the-cremation" situation later.

Xiao Chengjing gazed out the window, wondering if Wei'er had received the things he sent, and whether she would...

The bidding process concluded successfully, and Shen Yuewei secured her expected share. In the carriage, Chun Tao, holding the sleeping An'an, couldn't contain her excitement: "Madam, today was truly exhilarating! Those Boss Xu and Boss Li initially tried to act high and mighty, but the moment Boss Zhao mentioned 'distinguished guest,' their expressions changed completely!"

Shen Yuewei looked at the Jiangnan street scene flashing past the car window, the lights were dim, and softly hummed in agreement, her face showing little joy.

Chuntao noticed her mood and asked cautiously, "Madam, are you... unhappy?"

Shen Yuewei withdrew her gaze and fell on her daughter's peaceful sleeping face. Her fingertips gently stroked An'an's eyebrows and eyes. Her voice was very soft, with a hint of imperceptible weariness: "Happy. The business is done, of course I'm happy. But... Chun Tao, do you know who gave you this 'face'?"

Chun Tao was taken aback, then lowered her head: "This servant... knows. It's... that noble person from the capital."

“Yes.” Shen Yuewei sighed softly, as if speaking to Chun Tao, or perhaps to herself, “Relying on the ‘face’ he gave us to establish ourselves… is ultimately not a long-term solution. An’an…” She looked at her daughter’s face, which resembled that man’s, and ultimately did not say the rest of her words, but simply hugged An’an tighter in her arms.

This "respectability" was like a magnificent brocade robe, glamorous to wear, but concealing unsettling threads within, known only to herself. What she desired was never to depend on anyone's glory, but to stand proudly before her daughter and show her the confidence to be herself.

The carriage entered the familiar alleyway, and the driver's call, "Madam, we're home," pulled her from her thoughts. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and, holding An'an, straightened her back as she stepped down from the carriage. Whatever the future held, at this moment, she was simply Chen Ji's employer, An'an's mother.