Under the bright, hazy moonlight overhead, in this place shrouded in night, if it weren't for a bonfire burning, one would truly not be able to see the expression on the face of the person in front of them.

Li Shiyue didn't move, and Xu Yunci stopped in front of her without saying anything, and sat down next to her.

However, she hadn't expected that spring would bring away the cold, but the evening breeze still carried a chill, and Li Shiyue's mind was still not clear when she returned to her residence.

The atmosphere between Xu Yunci and Xie Yizhi always felt strange, especially today.

Not wanting to think about it anymore, Li Shiyue tossed and turned in bed. She regretted not agreeing to let Xu Lingzi come to the manor; instead of relaxing, she had to think about more things.

She didn't stay long, and life returned to normal after returning to the Duke's mansion. However, she encountered Xie Yizhi more often. Whether she was accompanying Old Madam Xu in Shousong Hall or learning some household management skills from Madam Yang, she would always run into Xie Yizhi unexpectedly.

Just like now, Li Shiyue looked a bit embarrassed as she looked at the figures in the corridor ahead, figures so familiar that she wanted to avoid them.

They weren't that close, and Xie Yizhi could wait for her every day, just to chat for a few minutes, and then she would find an opportunity to say goodbye.

Seeing the figure not far away, she decisively took a step forward. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a shout from behind: "Yan Yan?"

The woman seemed somewhat skeptical, her voice tinged with a hint of doubt. As she paused, Li Shiyue heard rapid footsteps behind her, followed by a joyful voice: "Yan Yan."

Li Shiyue closed her eyes, turned around and smiled at Xie Yizhi, her joy almost overflowing.

However, Xie Yizhi was not overjoyed. He stopped at an appropriate distance, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Li Shiyue. The expectation and joy in his eyes made Li Shiyue even more uneasy.

"Thank you, cousin."

Xie Yizhi's smile deepened as he held a folding fan in his hand, though it was now being tossed around between his two hands, looking quite agonizing.

"Where is Yan Yan going? Did you just finish learning about housekeeping from the Duchess? You must be tired."

Compared to Xie Yizhi's joy, Li Shiyue seemed a little uneasy.

She didn't look up, her hands hidden in her sleeves, staring at the stone steps beneath her feet: "I'm going back to Chengyu Pavilion. What a coincidence, I've run into Cousin Xie again."

Her voice was very soft, like willow catkins drifting on the spring breeze and gently landing on the tip of one's nose, making one feel a little itchy.

"It's quite a coincidence, which means I'm destined to meet Yan Yan."

Xie Yizhi had delicate features, and his eyes were always bright and sparkling, especially when he smiled, they were like stars in the night sky, dazzling and radiating their own charm.

He blinked, but Li Shiyue didn't answer him, still staring at her feet, as if afraid of getting too close to him. He wasn't unaware of the distance between them, that deliberate avoidance, that feeling like being jolted awake by a sudden blow when things were going well.

"A letter has arrived from home; I should be leaving the Duke's mansion soon."

Li Shiyue sensed the probing tone in his voice, nodded, and pretended not to notice: "Is that so? Cousin Xie has been away from home for quite some time now, it's only right that he goes back."

Another silence fell, and from the bushes or treetops, a few cicadas chirped merrily.

Xie Yizhi lost his composure. He gripped the folding fan tightly, his heart pounding with trepidation. His gaze toward Li Shiyue seemed to be filled with immense courage.

"My family intends to find me a wife before I leave the capital. After my brother and sister-in-law got married, I am the only one left. So the letter from my family also asked me if I had met any girls I liked in the capital."

"Although the Xie family is not as prosperous as it was when my grandfather and father were alive, it still has some foundation and has not fallen into poverty. My sister-in-law comes from a prominent family and is capable of fulfilling her role as the matriarch. Therefore, my brother hopes that I can marry the girl he loves."

"Yan Yan, I—"

"Thank you, cousin."

Li Shiyue raised her head, interrupting Xie Yizhi. When she met Xie Yizhi's gaze, her eyes held a cautious, tentative expectation, but she still chose to interrupt him.

“Cousin Xie, I know it’s against the rules to interrupt you. But what I want to say is that marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Since your brother cherishes you so much, it shows that you brothers have a deep bond, which I admire.”

"Since I've decided to go home, I should set a date. Although I'm not very close to Cousin Xie, we've spent some time together at the Duke's mansion. Later, I'll prepare some generous gifts and have Chunling deliver them to him, along with my wedding congratulations to Cousin Xie and his future sister-in-law."

"If my nephew or niece is born, be sure to write to me, and I will prepare some nice gifts."

What is visible to the naked eye is the gradually dimming eyes of the person in front of you, and the corners of his mouth, which were initially upturned, gradually fall down.

Xie Yizhi smiled wryly. As expected, he was rejected before he could even finish speaking.

"If I were to say that I wish to marry a bride, the woman I love is right before my eyes." Xie Yizhi's voice was soft, and he looked at Li Shiyue with a complicated expression, only to have Li Shiyue look away.

Although nothing was said, it was already very clear.

Xie Yizhi gritted his teeth. Almost half a month had passed since that day at the teahouse, and something had been lingering in his mind for a long time. Suddenly, he took two steps forward, grabbed Li Shiyue's wrist, and gradually tightened his grip.

"I know that the matriarchs of the Yunyang Marquis's Mansion and the Rongguo Duke's Mansion have arranged a marriage. Who do you want to marry, Xu Yunci?"

Upon hearing the name Xu Yunci, Li Shiyue raised her head, her beautiful brows furrowing, seemingly quite dissatisfied with Xie Yizhi's restrained anger.

She tried to move her wrist, but her husband was much stronger than her. She struggled, but Xie Yizhi's strength did not diminish. Even though she felt pain in her wrist, Li Shiyue still tried to break free.

Suddenly everything went black. When she looked up, a tall figure was blocking her view from behind. It was that familiar feeling.

Xu Yunci was wearing a long robe with wide sleeves. With one arm outstretched, the wide sleeves easily covered Li Shiyue's skirt completely.

Even with her back to him, Li Shiyue could feel the cold aura emanating from Xu Yunci, as well as the prominent veins on his exposed neck.

Xie Yizhi's expression wasn't very friendly either. He reached out and rubbed his shoulder. Should he thank Xu Yunci for not dislocating his arm?

Over the past two weeks, Li Shiyue was unaware of what had happened, but Xie Yizhi was very clear that Xu Yunci's hostility towards him had only increased, and he didn't even know where it came from.

"Shouldn't you first explain why you've established connections with the King of Yan and the King of Zhao?"