He pushed Xiao Yu away with a look of disgust: "What kind of behavior is this, two grown men pulling and tugging at each other! It doesn't matter if you're not married, but I'm a married man!"

Xiao Yu: "..."

He was furious and embarrassed. How could this be? Just because they're married, does that make them superior?

Chi Yan's eyelids drooped slightly, showing some patience but not much: "Also, when did I offend you?"

Xiao Yu finally remembered his purpose, gritted his teeth and lowered his voice: "You little brat, you've been hiding your true abilities all along? Was that act of being ignorant and incompetent just an act for me?"

"Pretending for you?" Chi Yan looked at him with a puzzled expression, her tone confused. "How dare you?"

Xiao Yu: "..."

That being said, wasn't he being a bit too direct?

“Young Master Xiao, I’m not trying to be mean, but you think too much of others!” Chi Yan exclaimed in amazement, then said in a high-sounding tone, “The doctor said I’m just a little less clever than others, and I’m just a late bloomer.”

Xiao Yu actually started to think seriously: "There's such a disease?"

"I think you're out of your mind." A faint voice rang out, and Shen Ci appeared out of nowhere.

Xiao Yu was startled: "Why are you everywhere!"

Shen Ci said matter-of-factly, "I've been wanting to ask that too. How come you two always manage to get together? Are you two that close?"

The two fell silent.

...

In the blink of an eye, Shen Tangning could no longer see Chi Yan. Instead, she saw Wen Yao walking towards her eagerly, smiling at her.

"Ningning, Sister Gu."

Gu Qingxu nodded with a smile, somewhat curious: "Why haven't I seen Miss Jiang?"

The two are usually inseparable.

Shen Tangning's eyes flickered slightly, and she saw Wen Yao pout in confusion: "I just saw her go out, I guess she went to get some fresh air. It's strange..."

She tilted her head. "I always felt that she was restless lately. When I asked her what was on her mind, she wouldn't tell me."

Shen Tangning was not a talkative person, so she did not say that Jiang Qingyue was troubled by the marriage. She just smiled and said, "She is probably unwilling to tell you because she does not want you to worry."

...

Jiang Qingyue arrived at a secluded spot, looked around, and caught sight of a figure in green. She narrowed her eyes slightly and stepped forward with a slight smile.

The girl was wiping away tears when she heard the noise. She looked up in surprise, her expression flustered and uneasy: "Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Qingyue nodded in surprise: "Miss Wei, I'm sorry, I didn't know there were people here."

Wei Yun wiped away her tears and was about to leave when she shook her head, pursing her lips: "It's okay, I just came here to get some fresh air."

"Miss Wei," Jiang Qingyue called out to her, her tone gentle and tentative, "Is something on your mind?"

In fact, before entering the palace, Wei Yun had already figured out the whole story from her conversation with others.

Wei Yun's stepmother was trying to arrange a marriage for her. As a concubine's daughter, she was naturally not eligible for a good marriage. Her stepmother was harsh and wanted to marry her off to an official as a second wife. The official was the same age as her father.

Perhaps because she had so much grievance to keep bottled up with and no one to confide in, Wei Yun gradually let down her guard.

Jiang Qingyue listened patiently, a look of regret in her eyes: "What a pity! With Miss Wei's character and appearance, even the eldest son of a respectable family could marry her!"

Wei Yun pouted: "Miss Jiang, are you making fun of me? How could a concubine's daughter like me marry a legitimate son of a noble family?"

Jiang Qingyue smiled and said, "It's all up to people. Tang Ning was born into a noble family, but she still married a concubine's son of the Second Young Master Chi."

Wei Yun's heart skipped a beat, and she thought to herself, "How is that the same? Shen Tangning's situation was just a coincidence."

But then the other person seemed to realize something, "Speaking of which, Young Master Shen is indeed a handsome young man. At such a young age, he already has achieved academic success. I imagine he will shine brightly in next year's imperial examination. What a promising future he has!"

Wei Yun was stunned: Young Master Shen? That is... Shen Ci?