Li Shiyue remained silent, and even after Xu Lingzi finished speaking, she lowered her eyes, appearing as if she wanted to avoid the conversation.

Xu Lingzi sighed. It wasn't that she didn't see what her cousin Xie was thinking, but she wasn't Li Shiyue and couldn't influence any decisions for her. All she could do was support her from the side.

"I heard it from my second brother today: Cousin Xie went to the capital because the Xie family intends to support the Prince of Yan, and my second brother also accidentally discovered some things about the Prince of Zhao."

"He was worried that the situation in the capital would become complicated, and that his cousin Xie might do something to harm the Xu family. It seems that his actions have been exposed, and his cousin Xie feels ashamed and will be leaving the mansion tomorrow."

"My second brother specifically told me not to tell Grandmother these things, for fear that it would upset her. But Yan Yan, you wouldn't be tempted, would you?"

Li Shiyue looked up and denied it without hesitation: "No."

Xu Lingzi breathed a sigh of relief, but then she thought of something and looked at Li Shiyue's expression: "I met my second brother when he came out of Mother's place. I heard him asking Mother to arrange a marriage for him."

Meeting Li Shiyue's gaze, Xu Lingzi relaxed: "Do you want to marry my second brother? The position of the wife of the Duke of Rongguo's heir is not much easier than that of my mother."

"Yan Yan, to be fair, I actually have a bit of a personal bias towards you agreeing. I know my second brother very well. At least with him around, let alone the Xu family, even the officials wouldn't dare to bully you."

“But I don’t want to impose these ideas on you. Just like Grandma, I think Grandma must have thought about these things, but she didn’t do them directly because she wanted you to be more at ease.”

"The thought of spending my life with someone I don't love is unbelievable. No matter how outstanding my second brother is, or how suitable he may be in our eyes, I think it's your heart. If you're not willing, I can help you with my second brother."

Li Shiyue gave a faint smile, but in Xu Lingzi's eyes, it carried a hint of bitterness.

"I don't know what my feelings are for my cousin. We're all in the same boat, but I know I feel very safe and secure when I'm with him."

She seemed to have made up her mind, and grasped Xu Lingzi's hand in return. The warmth between their palms gradually eased her tense mood.

“My grandmother said that life is only a few decades long, so don’t easily give up what you should hold onto, and don’t stubbornly insist on what you should give up. I’ve thought about it for a long time, and if it’s for the sake of temporary peace of mind, I should be willing to do it.”

“But I am different from my cousin.” Li Shiyue spoke calmly, expressing her concerns once again, and looked up at the bright moon until her eyes became sore.

“Since you have concerns, let your second brother handle these matters. Since he is willing to marry you, shouldn’t he, a dignified young man, handle these things? Do you expect me to solve them all by myself?”

"Time will give you the answer, won't it? Even my most respected brother, in front of Yan Yan, I'm always on your side."

Xu Lingzi gripped her hands tightly, winked playfully, and subtly glanced past Li Shiyue towards the courtyard gate.

Watching the dark figure that had appeared out of nowhere disappear after she finished speaking, Xu Lingzi looked at Li Shiyue's profile and said, "Instead of overthinking, you should think about this: don't cry on the day I get married."

If she had any selfish motives, she would certainly like Yan Yan to be her sister-in-law. Since they started learning how to manage the household together, Li Shiyue in her eyes was no longer the naive girl she was when she first entered the mansion. She had a good temperament and managing the inner quarters would not be difficult for her.

Tonight she will show some mercy and help her good brother. Whether it will work or not depends on her brother's own attitude.

The two slept in the same bed today. Li Shiyue slept on the inside as usual, and Xu Lingzi leaned over to her side.

Her soft breathing and beautiful face were enough to stir even Li Shiyue, a young woman, to feel a pang of attraction. Li Shiyue reached out to tuck her in, but still couldn't sleep, her mind racing with thoughts of the day.

When she opened her eyes, they were sore and tired, perhaps from a restless sleep the night before. It was still dark. Li Shiyue buried her face in the blankets and snuggled against Xu Lingzi beside her.

After lingering for a while, Li Shiyue thought for a moment and decided not to go to the front yard, but instead went to Shousong Hall.

Granny Chang wasn't surprised at all to see her: "Miss, you've arrived."

"Yes, it rained yesterday. The rain sounded quite heavy. I hope Grandma rested well."

Perhaps because it had rained yesterday, the air was filled with the damp smell of soil. After the sun came up, the surroundings returned to calm, and there were still some puddles under the eaves.

As Granny Chang walked inside, she said, "Last night, the old lady slept soundly, thanks to the newly prescribed calming soup. Otherwise, if she hadn't slept well, her headaches would have flared up again."

After bypassing the screen, Li Shiyue skillfully sat down next to Old Madam Xu, deliberately ignoring the gazes coming from both sides.

She hadn't expected Xie Yizhi and Xu Yunci to be at Shousong Hall, arriving so early.

“My cousin was coming too, but my aunt kept her here to check on her wedding dress and dowry.” Li Shiyue let Old Madam Xu take her hand. She smiled, but the slight weariness between her brows betrayed her feelings.

"It rained quite heavily last night, but I didn't sleep well because of the noise." Old Madam Xu sighed softly, taking the teacup that Lianchun handed her first, and personally accepting it with a concerned expression.

Li Shiyue nodded: "It's nothing serious. I'll go back and rest later. It's just that it feels a bit chilly after the rain started this morning."

Madam Xu didn't say anything more until Xu Yunci and the others got up and told Xie Yizhi to be careful on the way. Li Shiyue didn't raise her eyes even once.

Xie Yizhi walked out of Shousong Hall, his steps not as light as when he came. He understood Li Shiyue's attitude. Although he was unwilling, he could not act recklessly in the current situation.

The Xie family wrote that we cannot act rashly now. If we make a big fuss and the emperor finds out that the Xie family is involved in the struggle for the crown prince position, all the hard work the Xie family has put into preserving the family's reputation over the past decades will be in vain.

Xie Yizhi's departure from the Xu family did not cause any disturbance. Instead, the marriage between the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and the Guo family followed one after another, with even the Crown Prince and Crown Princess personally making an appearance, making the place quite lively.

Li Shiyue was wearing a set of pure gold headdress today, a rare sight. She watched as Xu Lingzi had her hair styled by the matchmaker and was dressed in a magnificent wedding gown.

She stepped forward carrying the wooden tray in her hand, and met Xu Lingzi's gaze. Both of them were delighted as they watched Xu Lingzi pick up a round fan and shield her eyes from it.

The pomegranate brocade and tortoiseshell on it symbolize the pomegranate's wish for many children and abundant blessings.

Li Shiyue then picked up the gold lock from the other wooden tray. It was the size of a palm and was specially made by the Guo family. Li Shiyue bent down and fastened the gold lock to the shawl in front of Xu Lingzi.