As Li Qingchen entered Jingchen Pavilion, Wei Shuwan's nose was the first to catch a faint, refreshing scent. After a brief sip, she recognized it as Su Dongpo's "Spring Tidings in the Snow".

Looking around, the entire room was decorated in a simple and elegant style. Above, there was a flat board painted with a four-leaf clover pattern of honeysuckle. The combination of mauve and tea-red tones was not bright, but rather gave people a peaceful atmosphere. It was very much like the brocade worn by the elderly officials' wives and noblewomen in Shengjing City.

Looking down, there was a whole ochre-colored velvet blanket. Stepping on it felt as soft as walking on clouds, making this cold winter day feel exceptionally warm.

Against the east wall is a row of bookshelves containing classic texts. Other items, such as a long sandalwood table, a rose chair with ice-bloom patterns, and a flower stand with interlocking cross patterns, all exude an elegant and simple charm, each with its own unique and interesting history.

After scanning the area, Wei Shuwan's gaze fell on the sandalwood desk. Besides the neatly stacked books and bamboo slips, there was also an open folded book with writing glistening with moisture, clearly written just now and not yet dry; it looked like it had only just begun.

"Is the young prince writing a memorial?" Wei Shuwan asked, feeling slightly apologetic.

Li Qingchen subconsciously glanced at the desk following Wei Shuwan's gaze, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "It's alright, there's no rush."

"Then I'll make it short," Wei Shuwan said after gathering her thoughts.

"Actually, the reason I came to visit you today is because of what happened to my fourth sister, Wei Shuyao, yesterday. Although she refused to say a word, I had a guess in my heart after the young prince ordered someone to send her back to the Wei family. I guessed that she must have sneaked into the palace with the boxes containing the betrothal gifts and said something that the young prince should not have said, which angered him."

Although Wei Shuwan was certain that her guess was almost certainly correct, she still looked at Li Qingchen with a questioning gaze. However, what she cared about was not the process of the matter, but whether Li Qingchen was angry about it.

Li Qingchen's smile widened slightly, but it was sharp and cold: "She did say some things she shouldn't have. If it weren't for the fact that she's also a member of your Wei family, she probably wouldn't have been able to return unscathed."

"What did she say?" Wei Shuwan couldn't help but ask. She had guessed that Wei Shuyao was there to speak ill of her, which might have angered Li Qingchen. It seemed that she had offended him as well.

"She said you're not proper in private, and that she mistook the back of the person she saw that day for yours..." Li Qingchen paused, put his hands behind his back, and those two words seemed a little too hot to say.

"male concubine".

Wei Shuwan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly put her second task of the day on the agenda. She knelt down and said, "I have come here today to sincerely apologize to the young prince for raising such an outspoken son and grandson in the Wei family."

"An apology?"

Wei Shuwan nodded sincerely, her clear, bright eyes revealing innocence and sincerity.

Li Qingchen stretched out his palm towards her, as if he wanted something.

Wei Shuwan couldn't help but wonder, "What does the young prince mean by this?"

“Since ancient times, apologies have been linked together. Could it be that your so-called apology is just empty talk?”

Wei Shuwan blushed. "I...I wasn't prepared."

Li Qingchen smiled, then placed his outstretched hand on her right arm, gently lifting her up, and said, "That's alright, there's still time to prepare."

After saying that, he turned and walked west. After a few steps, seeing that Wei Shuwan had not followed, he turned back to her and said, "Come with me."

Wei Shuwan took a deep breath, thinking to herself, "Is he really serious? He's already come to propose marriage. How can he be so petty when he's going to live with someone in the same household?"

Despite her inward disapproval, she still frowned and followed.

Wei Shuwan followed Li Qingchen to the west wall of the quiet room and stood facing the wall, just like two people who had done something wrong and were reflecting on their mistakes. Wei Shuwan stared at the snow-white wall and could not see anything wrong. She turned her head to look at Li Qingchen, her eyes implying an urging.

Li Qingchen reached out and pushed against the wall, which slid to the side like a cage door being pushed open. As Wei Shuwan stared in astonishment, another space appeared before her.

It's like an extension of this quiet room; the inner room has neither a separate door nor a separate window, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a secret room.

Wei Shuwan recalled that when she entered Shenyuan before, the gatekeeper specifically reminded her that ordinary people could not enter on ordinary days. Even Yuan Que and Gu Zhuang, Li Qingchen's confidants, could only enter when summoned or when there was an urgent report.

But now, not only has he entered, but Li Qingchen has also shown him the secret room...

Wei Shuwan turned to Li Qingchen with great unease: "Young...Young Prince, why did you bring me here? I...I'm afraid it's inappropriate for me to know too much..."

Li Qingchen smiled, "You already know about the more secretive and deadly matters of my Li family, so what are you afraid of?"

Wei Shuwan pursed her lips, unable to say anything for a moment, so she simply skipped the topic and asked, "What does the young prince want to show me?"

"Come in," Li Qingchen said, stepping into the secret room.

Wei Shuwan had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow. She had only taken a few steps inside when several mixed fragrances wafted to her nose. Unlike the combined fragrance outside, these fragrances were all separate and independent.

Wei Shuwan quickly spotted the wall on her left, where a whole wall of shelves was arranged, and on those shelves were neatly arranged bottles and jars, the complex fragrance emanating from this wall.

"These are... spices?"

"yes."

A few flashes of surprise crossed Wei Shuwan's eyes: "So the young prince is also knowledgeable in perfumery?"

However, Li Qingchen answered with absolute certainty, "No."

"Then these incense..."

“This was prepared especially for you.” Li Qingchen walked to the shelf, casually picked up a jar, opened the lid, and sniffed it.

She said unhurriedly, "Since you'll be marrying into this family sooner or later anyway, I've ordered people to prepare these things in advance, so that you won't be caught off guard and feel uncomfortable living here."

For a moment, Wei Shuwan felt a warm current rise in her heart, which gradually flowed through her body, making her feel warm all over. Although this marriage was a helpless move due to the circumstances, and she had long planned to retire gracefully once he achieved his great ambitions, he still thought of these thoughtful details and considered her needs.

Wei Shuwan dared not think any further. A bittersweet feeling welled up from the bridge of her nose to her eyes, and she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Li Qingchen. So she casually picked up a jar, opened it, smelled it, and turned her head away, forcibly suppressing the emotion she felt.

As she smelled each bottle of incense, Wei Shuwan gradually distanced herself from Li Qingchen. She also noticed that some of the incense displayed there were ones she had never seen before. Some of the spices she had only seen in incense manuals, but never in person; these were rare items that money couldn't buy.

The gratitude in her heart grew stronger and stronger. Just as she turned around to sincerely thank Li Qingchen, Li Qingchen spoke first:

"I have found all the spices in the world for you. Can you finally fulfill your promise now?"