On the other side of the rockery, two servant girls were walking and whispering.
"The Elder Madam Song is so good to Miss Qi, treating her just like her own daughter. She personally sent over a basket of fruit yesterday, and today she's sending Sister to deliver some preserved fruits..."
The speaker was Yin Ling, Yin Chuan's younger sister. Both sisters were born into the Song household and currently worked in Qingxi Courtyard.
However, Yin Chuan was Elder Madam Song's personal maid, while Yin Ling was only a third-class servant for now.
Yin Chuan wanted to give her sister a hint. After cautiously looking around, she deliberately lowered her voice.
"Little sister, you don't know, but Elder Madam Song is partly grateful for Miss Qi's help with the two young masters and the third miss, and partly because of the marriage proposal Old Lady Song brought up."
"Previously, the Second Young Master Song was seriously ill, which delayed his marriage. He's almost twenty now and still unmarried, without even a personal maid. Now that he's recovered, it's time to put marriage on the agenda..."
"The Second Young Master Song is exceptionally handsome, and due to his illness, he's had a lot of contact with Miss Qi. Old Lady Song sees them as a well-matched pair of cousins and intends to strengthen family ties."
"She called Elder Madam Song over last night to discuss it, and Elder Madam Song was naturally a hundred percent willing..."
"This marriage is very likely to happen."
Yin Chuan concluded, "So Elder Madam Song is increasingly attentive to Miss Qi, and we servants must be observant. When you go to Qinghuan Court in the future, you must be extremely careful, say nice things, and do things well. Do you understand?"
Yin Ling nodded with a grin, "I understand, sister. Don't worry."
The sisters' voices were as faint as mosquito buzzes, but Yan Qinghe had excellent hearing, and their conversation fell into his ears word for word.
Completely unaware, Elder Master Song was still enthusiastically introducing him to the scenery in the courtyard.
Yan Qinghe responded with a few distracted "mm-hmms," his expression serious as he looked in the direction where the maids had disappeared.
On the way back, he eagerly shared this news with Li Shuchen.
"Shu, I need to solemnly tell you, you must guard your territory!"
With a crack, Li Shuchen crushed the edge of the wooden seat in the carriage.
Recalling Old Master Song's overt and covert inquiries, he cast a deep gaze, exuding intense pressure: "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure!"
"...But why are you looking at me like that?" Yan Qinghe asked, confused and looking adorably bewildered.
Li Shuchen's lips curled into a cold smile: "I can let you have your way in everything else, but not when it comes to Huan."
"What?"
Yan Qinghe's mouth fell open.
It took him a long while to understand that Shu had mistakenly thought he was the one trying to steal Huan away.
"Shu, let me explain!"
He did like Huan, but not in a romantic way.
At first, he simply liked Huan's cooking.
Later, his feelings weren't so simple anymore. He liked both the person and the food, just as he had liked the previous cook at Weiyuan Marquis Manor!
But Huan was ultimately much more important than the cook.
He had originally planned to acknowledge Huan as his sworn sister after he achieved success and fame, to be her lifelong support.
"Shu, you have to believe me!"
"Although Huan is great, when I'm with her, I always feel like a glutton..."
"I never thought about marriage before, until recently when Brother Yan Wu said I was almost twenty and should understand some things. After his long lecture, I started to seriously consider this issue."
Yan Qinghe scratched his head and said sheepishly, "I like soft, gentle, and adorable girls. Obviously, Huan isn't my type."
Li Shuchen: ?
Huan wasn't soft enough? Not gentle enough? Not adorable enough?
After pondering for a moment, his brows relaxed pleasantly.
Perhaps it was because Huan was only soft, gentle, and adorable in front of him, so this simpleton Yan Qinghe didn't know.
He didn't want him to know either.
Li Shuchen let out a breath, the tight line of his lips relaxing slightly: "Oh."
From his brief response, Yan Qinghe sensed that his mood seemed to have improved, so he dared to tell him another thing: "The one who really wants to steal your girl is someone else. The Song family intends to match Huan with Second Young Master Song."
Li Shuchen's brows, which had just relaxed, instantly furrowed again.
He pressed his temples, his long, thick eyelashes naturally closing, casting a shadow over his eyes, hiding his dark and unclear gaze.
Old Master Song and Elder Master Song favored Yan Qinghe.
Old Lady Song and Elder Madam Song favored "Song Jingche".
In short, none of the Song family elders favored him...
*
That night, an argument erupted in Qingsong Court.
Old Lady Song fumed, "What's wrong with Jingche?"
"After Huan marries Jingche, she can stay in our family forever. Our family is small, everyone likes Huan, she won't have any mother-in-law conflicts, and she can marry a gentle and handsome young man. How is that not good?"
Seeing her agitation, Old Master Song patiently coaxed, "Jingche is good, but young Yan is better!"
"I always feel that Jingche's eyes are too deep and unfathomable, it's hard to tell what he's thinking."
"In contrast, young Yan has an honest face, with a pure heart."
"Moreover, everyone in the Weiyuan Marquis Manor has passed away. If Huan marries there, she still won't have any mother-in-law conflicts..."
"I see that young Yan is no ordinary person, he might even earn Huan an imperial title someday."
"In any case, I favor young Yan!"
Old Lady Song wouldn't give in: "Jingche!"
"Young Yan!"
"Jingche!"
...
Meanwhile, in Qinghuan Court.
Li Shuchen sat in the rosewood chair by the window, holding Qi Huan tightly in his arms. His voice feigned dejection, "Huan, it seems I'm not very likable..."
Hearing the melancholy in his tone, Qi Huan's heart felt as if it was being squeezed. She immediately turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and earnestly comforted him, "How could that be? Shu is the most likable, I like you very much."
Hearing this, a smile suddenly rippled in Li Shuchen's eyes, like ice melting, like spring breeze passing.
His thin lips parted, continuing to play pitiful, "Today when I came to the manor, grandfather favored Qinghe, grandmother favored your cousin..."
"But I like you!"
"...Huan is so good." Li Shuchen stroked her hair, feeling utterly content.
If it weren't for the fact that getting engaged during the mourning period would harm Huan's reputation, he would immediately seek an imperial decree, eliminating any possibility for others.
Suppressing the corners of his lips, he coaxed Huan into saying she liked him again and again, until midnight.
When he walked out of Qinghuan Court with a pleased expression, suddenly a cold glint flashed towards him.
Yan Wu quickly engaged in combat with Ximen Ye.
The sound of fighting disturbed Qi Huan. She hurriedly dressed and went out, only to find that all the other maids were sleeping unusually soundly.
Ximen Ye swung his knife towards Yan Wu's throat, but Yan Wu barely dodged it, only getting his chin scratched.
"I promised my cousin I wouldn't kill Li Shuchen, but I never promised not to kill you lot. If you're smart, get out of my way."
He was determined to stab Li Shuchen ninety-nine times, each stab avoiding vital points.
Not letting him die, yet venting his anger!
How dare this lecher sneak into a lady's chamber at night, did he think he couldn't lift a knife anymore?!
"Stop!"
At Qi Huan's shout, Ximen Ye's arrogant smile instantly wilted.
His voice revealed a hint of grievance: "Didn't you say men and women shouldn't be in close contact, and wouldn't let me visit you at night? Why is he allowed?"
Qi Huan didn't answer immediately. She gestured for them to enter the main room of Qinghuan Court to avoid alarming the Song manor's guards.
It wasn't until the two men sat at opposite ends, their eyes locked in a fierce battle, that she spoke with resolute determination.
