She blinked, her smile clearly visible.

Xu Yunci chuckled. He didn't know when his little cousin, who used to always look down at him, could now show such a sly smile like a little fox.

Compared to her previous cautiousness, Xu Yunci felt that this appearance was more in line with her current age.

"I hope my cousin doesn't think I'm a scheming person."

Li Shiyue naturally did not miss Xu Yunci's gaze. It wasn't that her eyesight was bad, and besides, Xu Yunci didn't try to hide it at all. She clearly saw the change in Xu Yunci's gaze and thought he would misunderstand her.

Xu Yunci didn't answer her question, but instead posed the question to her: "Why do you think that way?"

Li Shiyue looked thoughtful as her gaze fell on the scene in the courtyard below, where a young couple was chopping wood and hanging clothes to dry with a smile.

The young couple weren't dressed extravagantly, just plainly, but they didn't let that spoil their good mood or their harmonious relationship.

"I'm afraid my cousin will misunderstand what kind of person I am."

“I took the initiative to take her over not just because she is the heir of the Marquis of Guangping. There are plenty of good men in the world, and my cousin doesn’t have to be with his family.”

“But I don’t like the Fan family. The second young lady of the Fan family spoke rudely to me and attacked the tenth young lady first. Her half-sister, the third young lady of the Fan family, even dared to be intimate with a young man in the back courtyard of the Duke’s mansion. If people saw this, wouldn’t they say something about the Xu family?”

"Could it be that Vice Minister Fan's two daughters are here to bring disaster to the Xu family?"

As Li Shiyue spoke, her face showed a hint of anger. However, if Lady Guangping Marquis dared to provoke her cousin first, she would definitely not let the Guangping Marquis's mansion live in peace.

No matter who he is, he can't harm her family.

When the fourth cup of tea was served, the gate of the mansion finally opened, and the heir of the Marquis of Guangping walked out first, beaming, got into his carriage, and drove away.

The woman, wearing a veil, came out after him, took the hand of her maid, looked around cautiously, and quickly slipped into the carriage she had come in.

Xu Yunci looked disdainful. Not long after, Chang An, disguised as a young page, was completely out of sight.

He knocked twice and entered, kneeling down with his eyes fixed on the floor beneath his feet. Chang An could only see the hem of their clothes and the tops of their shoes. His tone, like the man himself, revealed his determination: "This servant saw the Marquis of Guangping's heir and Miss Fan entering the courtyard from the shadows."

"The gatekeeper seemed unfazed, and even fawned over Miss Fan. I tried to sneak in, but the mansion seemed heavily guarded, and I was afraid of alerting them, so I just looked around."

"I pretended to want to check out the villa for my master, and inquired around, but I didn't know the name of the family or the property. Sometimes people would come, but I couldn't even see their faces. I could only guess that some respectable family was coming to stay for a while."

Chang An seemed to remember something: "The house next to the heir of the Marquis of Guangping's residence seems to be empty. It belongs to an old woman in her seventies who lives alone and wants to sell the house."

Xu Yunci did not speak immediately. He tapped his index finger lightly on the window frame beside him, making a soft sound that seemed to tap on one's heart.

Chang An wouldn't move an inch until he heard his master's orders, remaining kneeling on the ground.

After a long pause, Xu Yunci finally seemed to come to his senses: "It's not very useful. Never mind, let someone buy it, but it must not have any connection with the Duke's Mansion."

Having seen everything that needed to be seen, Xu Yunci turned his head and said, "It's still early. Let me take you for a stroll around the streets. After all, it's not easy for you to leave the manor."

Li Shiyue hesitated for a moment. After all, this trip out of the manor was done secretly, and she was alone with Xu Yunci. Before she could say the words of refusal, she met Xu Yunci's sincere gaze and suddenly felt reluctant. By the time she realized what was happening, she had already nodded.

The streets were bustling and lively, especially on such a fine day, with many young men and women out and about in pairs. Li Shiyue, wearing a veil, followed beside Xu Yunci. Through the white veil of her veil, she watched the passersby and, in a moment of panic, almost stepped on her own skirt.

As a pedestrian approached, Li Shiyue was about to turn her head to avoid him when suddenly a hand grabbed her. Through the white veil over his hat, Li Shiyue looked at Xu Yunci's cool profile, which was not very clear, but her heart was pounding, seemingly unusually strong.

Li Shiyue withdrew her gaze, but then heard the vendors on both sides calling out: "Young master, buy your wife a peach wood comb."

Wearing a veil, Li Shiyue had no idea who the vendor was calling to. Just as she was about to walk over, Xu Yunci stopped beside her, forcing her to stop as well. Only then did she realize that the vendor was speaking to Xu Yunci.

Xu Yunci lifted his veil, his gaze sweeping over the items displayed by the vendors, finally settling on a wooden hairpin. It was cool to the touch, a typical brownish-red hairpin, its end carved with a floral pattern.

"Uncle, how much is this?"

The old vendor, seeing that the two were dressed in fine clothes, only tried to speak up, but to his surprise, the two noblemen actually stopped and stood there.

The wooden hairpin wasn't expensive, costing only a few coins. For Xu Yunci, those few coins were perhaps less valuable than a jade tassel in his purse.

He took out ten coins from his purse and placed them in the old man's palm. With his free hand, he pulled Li Shiyue along and started to walk forward. He tucked the wooden hairpin into his chest, reached out and lifted the veil Li Shiyue was wearing, revealing her beautiful face.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat? Grandmother isn't here today, so she won't restrict you."

Xu Yunci's gaze was as gentle as the bright moon. He didn't seem to be joking as he placed the wooden hairpin he had put away in Li Shiyue's palm.

The jade hairpin did make my little cousin's skin look fairer, but a wooden hairpin is good for the skin and is also a great choice for wearing in private when styling your hair.

Li Shiyue stared at the wooden hairpin in her hand, unsure how to react. Her beloved had given her this hairpin; the meaning behind it was not something she could accept lightly. Her lips moved, but looking into Xu Yunci's eyes, she suddenly found herself speechless.

He lowered his eyes, lost in thought.

If so, indulging oneself this once, disregarding rules, perhaps it's just a cousin's affection for his younger sister.

Li Shiyue raised her head and pointed in a direction: "I want to eat a sugar figurine. My cousin ate my rabbit last time, so I want a rabbit today."

Xu Yunci nodded, smiled, and pulled her sleeve, leading her towards the sugar figurine vendor ahead.

The sugar painting was exquisite, and the old man's skillful handwork added a touch of mystery. Li Shiyue took it, and Xu Yunci paid for it without hesitation.

One bite, and the sugar figurine was indeed incredibly sweet.

Li Shiyue's veil was lifted, revealing her beautiful face. The sugar stains at the corners of her lips curled upwards, and her almond-shaped eyes shone brightly, as if they held the entire starry sky within them.