I got sleepy while kneeling on the Chongyang platform. Bizhu had prepared some snacks, including a very delicate tea snack called Pear Blossom Falling. It had a nice name and looked beautiful.

I was just taking a short nap when I woke up to find the carriage had stopped. Xie Yuancheng said we had arrived at the Marquis's mansion. Just as I was about to lift the curtain and get out, he leaned down and pressed me down.

"We're already at home, let's go back and talk about it." I told him to get up, but Xie Yuancheng shook his head. Just as I was about to push him away, I heard Li Ruowei's voice.

"We don't need girls here, you should go somewhere else."

"Madam Meng, please, I am truly a daughter of a good family. It's just that my family thinks I'm too old, even though I'm only fifteen. They want to send me to marry their close friend's son. But I really don't like him, and I can't disobey my parents, so I came to the manor to find something to do."

“You’ve already said that, but you didn’t listen to what I said. The Marquis’s mansion is not a place you can just come and go as you please. Since you say you’ve studied poetry and literature, you should know about propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame.”

Who is Li Ruowei talking to? I wanted to lift the carriage curtain to see, but Xie Yuancheng slapped my hand away and told me to keep listening.

"Madam Meng!" I could hear crying. That girl was probably kowtowing; the sound was coming from the ground.

"Stop watching the show and take them home. If they find out the place they reported was fake, you know what to do."

"Madam, please have pity on me!" The voice grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely before the carriage continued on its way.

"Who is it?" Couldn't we hear that voice too clearly? I thought it was coming from the main gate, but it turns out it's coming from the street behind.

"They've come to the manor looking for an opportunity, Ying'er, you must keep a close eye on me~"

"Yes, you won't change your mind. If I had a chain, I would lock you up and hide you in a room where no one can see you."

Xie Yuancheng tapped my nose: "You just love to make me happy."

"I wasn't just trying to make you happy; I was telling the truth. Oh, it's really pitiful that Xiao Chengcheng doesn't like hearing me tell the truth. Next time, I'll tease you."

Xie Yuancheng smiled at me. As soon as the carriage curtain was lifted and we got out, Li Ruowei stared at us with wide, almond-shaped eyes. Xie Yuancheng pulled me forward, his smiling face making me want to punch him.

"Sister, you're getting more and more shrewd with your methods these days." Xie Yuancheng smiled broadly, but I was worried that the two siblings might start fighting at the gate.

"So you finally decided to come back? You've been wandering around the city for ages. Did you know someone would be kneeling at the door begging to be your maid, which is why you came back so late?"

"Of course, with your sister in the manor, we have to give you a chance. You can't be as foolish as before, or you'll be taken advantage of."

"You don't need to remind me, but this person is quite capable. She knew when you would be back and arrived right on time. It's just that she didn't expect that none of you like to be punctual, so she ended up kneeling for an hour for nothing."

"Sister, is she wearing dark blue clothes?" I was worried they would start arguing, so I decided to step in and smooth things over.

"I really don't know if you guys foresaw this, or if you just want to give me something to do." Li Ruowei's eyes were so cool as she walked away without looking back.

I pulled Xie Yuancheng inside, and we had only reached the door when we heard noises behind us. It was the same commotion from before. The girl behind us was crying and making a scene, calling out for the Marquis.

I had originally planned to turn around and see which girl was so careless with herself, but Xie Yuancheng put his arm around my waist and walked forward, not giving me a chance to look. Anyway, he was right; even if it's an insignificant person, if the Marquis's mansion gives them face, many others will follow suit.

There was no sound as soon as I entered the mansion. I was wondering, "Don't these girls know you're married? Why are they all rushing over like moths to a flame?"

“Ying’er, when I turned twenty, many people knew about my marriage. Anyone who has heard of the Marquis of Anle will remember the grand occasion of marrying you. They are just pretending to be deaf. Many men have three wives and four concubines and just want to join in the fun, but they are all wrong.”

"Sigh, it's a good thing I come from a good family. If I were from a poor family, I wouldn't even be able to see your face clearly."

"Ying'er~" Xie Yuancheng picked me up and leaned his face against mine affectionately: "Our fate is destined. You didn't let me hug you the first time we met, but I will carry you every day from now on."

"Hmph~ My mother was really good at protecting me back then."

"Nonsense, you can't even talk yet. I've only been three years old and I've already experienced so many things. I'm so happy to see you, and when I'm in a slightly good mood, you won't even give me a hug."

I propped myself up a little and wrapped my arms around him: "Go ahead and hug me if you want, I don't mind."

Xie Yuancheng is easily satisfied. I'm not the type to dwell on things. We're focused on the present, so why should I think about past possibilities? Even if we went back to the past, we would still be together.

Once we entered the courtyard, there really was a swing that could seat two people. I happily got off and went to check on the prepared wine. I just opened it and took a sniff; it smelled better than last time.

"Ying'er, do you want to go see Xizhi and Suling? Just go to Ying'er's residence and see if our wedding clothes are the same as yours."

"You knew all along!" I turned to look at him, wondering how this guy knew what I was thinking.

"This wine was just taken out of the ice cellar. It's autumn now, so it shouldn't be drunk cold. Let it sit for a while."

Xie Yuancheng explained to me that he felt he had put something in my head, otherwise how could he understand my thoughts so clearly? I miss Xizhi and the others very much; as soon as I arrived at the courtyard, they surrounded me.

"Aunt, please hug Yan'er~" Yan'er reached out to me first, wanting me to hug her. Once I hugged one, the other two also wanted to be hugged, so I hugged them one by one.

These clothes aren't suitable for holding children; their skin is too delicate, and it would be a big loss if they got scratched. I could only talk to them for a while before going to Ying'er Residence to look at paintings.

When I got back to the courtyard, I realized that Xie Yuancheng had tricked me again. He had deliberately made me wear this outfit because the children were too young to be hurt.

"Xie Yuancheng! You've set me up again!" I saw him as soon as I entered the courtyard, smiling with satisfaction. I went over and pinched his cheek.

"Ying'er~ I've done so much for you, visiting the children in the courtyard, taking you to Ying'er Residence, and even opening a bottle of wine for you, just waiting for you to come and have a drink, and you're still bullying me~"

Xie Yuancheng pointed to his slightly flushed face and accused me. I looked at my hands and smiled sheepishly. After drinking a few pots of liquor, the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt. It really was him who set me up; I fell into his trap, only to realize something was wrong and I'd been fooled!