After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

When the old woman entered, Zhao Yuwan was pruning flower branches under the lamp.

She leaned close to Zhao Yuwan's ear and recounted what had happened at the restaurant, adding a couple more sentences: "When the second young lady went in, she was very secretive, and when she came out, her face was also off. I think she must have met someone she couldn't bear to see."

Click.

Zhao Yuwan raised her knife and cut off the most vibrant flower.

"Did you see clearly?"

The old woman said confidently, "There's absolutely no mistake. This old servant followed that carriage all the way back to the mansion."

Zhao Yuwan threw the cut flowers into the bamboo basket, a sarcastic smile appearing on her face.

"I knew she was restless."

The father, seemingly under some kind of spell cast by the mother and daughter, sent Shen Tingyun to Qishan Academy and arranged for a capable nanny to care for and raise her.

During this period, even she, the eldest daughter, was neglected.

The maid Qiuju hesitated and said, "Miss, Liu Mama suppressed the matter of the carrier pigeon last time. What if it happens again this time..."

Zhao Yuwan glanced at Qiu Ju, who then fell silent.

She stood up, straightened her skirt, and the anger that had been building up in her eyes for days finally found an outlet.

"She's just a burden, why should Father treat her differently?"

"Today I will make my father see her true colors."

Zhao Yuwan arrived at the study door, put on a worried look, and pushed the door open to go inside.

"Father."

She walked two steps to the desk and stopped, her eyes slightly red, the handkerchief in her hand twisted into a pretzel.

Her voice held just the right amount of hesitation: "My daughter has something to say, but I'm not sure if I should."

Zhao Heng was engrossed in reviewing official documents at his desk, not even raising his head, and only gave a faint "hmm".

Zhao Yuwan bit her lip and said softly, "This evening, my second sister went to the White Crane Tower alone and stayed inside for almost half an hour. I wonder... who she met."

She touched the corner of her eye with a handkerchief in a pretentious manner.

"I wouldn't dare to speak so presumptuously, but our Marquis's mansion has a reputation for integrity, and if any gossip were to spread..."

Zhao Heng's pen paused as he wrote the annotations.

A drop of thick ink fell on the official document, spreading into a black blot.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze devoid of anger, only a chilling calm that seemed to see through everything.

"Who told you to send people to keep an eye on her?"

Zhao Yuwan was taken aback when her father asked this question first, and then said, "I only overheard the servants mentioning it by chance, it wasn't intentional..."

"Unintentionally?"

Zhao Heng casually tossed the purple-tipped brush back onto the brush holder and leaned back in his chair.

"That old woman Wang in your courtyard has been following Tingyun for three whole days. Do you think I'm blind or deaf?"

The color drained from Zhao Yuwan's face instantly.

"Wan'er, you are the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yong'an's mansion, not a gossipy woman from the marketplace."

Zhao Heng's voice wasn't loud, but every word was piercing.

"Spying on your sisters' whereabouts and spreading rumors—is this the manners and upbringing you've been taught for over a decade?"

"Father! Your daughter is truly thinking of the reputation of the Marquis's mansion!" Zhao Yuwan was so anxious that she was about to cry.

"Reputation?" Zhao Heng interrupted her with a cold laugh.

"If you really care about the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, you should keep your mouth shut instead of coming here to play your ridiculous tricks."

He didn't even glance at his foolish daughter again, and called out loudly towards the door, "Someone come here."

The stewardess who was waiting under the eaves immediately pushed open the door and entered.

"Send the young lady to the Buddhist hall in the backyard and have her copy the 'Rules for Women' fifty times. She can only be released when she finishes copying it, and then she will be confined for another month."

Zhao Yuwan was struck dumb, her mouth agape as if she wanted to beg for mercy, but when she met Zhao Heng's cold eyes, she couldn't utter a single word.

The old woman stepped forward, grabbed her arms on either side, and half-dragged, half-pulled Zhao Yuwan, who was ashen-faced, out of the house.

The door closed again, and the study returned to its deathly silence.

Zhao Heng sat in the same spot, picked up the now-cold tea, and skimmed off the foam.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he gave instructions to the servant outside the door.

"Go and call Tingyun here."

Shen Tingyun arrived shortly afterward.

She had clearly just changed her clothes; she wore a simple, moon-white silk dress and only had an inconspicuous silver hairpin in her hair.

Upon entering, she bowed respectfully and stood three steps away from the desk with her hands at her sides, her demeanor extremely docile.

Zhao Heng held his teacup, his gaze slowly sweeping over Shen Tingyun.

The girl lowered her head, her thick eyelashes drooping down, perfectly concealing all the emotions in her eyes.

"Did you go to Baihelou after school today?" Zhao Heng finally spoke, his tone surprisingly gentle, like that of an elder.

Shen Tingyun's heart skipped a beat, and his back tensed instantly.

But her expression remained unchanged, and she answered very quickly: "Father, I went straight home after school today."

"Oh?" Zhao Heng chuckled briefly. "Then your elder sister has wronged you."

Shen Tingyun didn't reply, but simply lowered her head even further.

Seeing her impeccable demeanor, Zhao Heng slammed his teacup heavily on the edge of the table.

The crisp sound of porcelain clashing together was particularly jarring in the quiet study.

"Tingyun, tell Father." Zhao Heng's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying an irresistible pressure.

"What did the Third Prince instruct you to do today?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tingyun felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles, and even her fingertips tingled slightly.

Zhao Heng found out.

He knew exactly who he was meeting.

Shen Tingyun gripped the handkerchief in her sleeve tightly, desperately trying to steady her breathing, her mind racing as she considered countermeasures.

"Your Highness... Your Highness only asked a few questions about my daughter's daily life at the academy and inquired about some trivial matters among her classmates. Nothing else."

Zhao Heng remained silent.

His gaze was like an invisible file, scraping back and forth across her, trying to remove all her pretense.

"Don't think that just because you've gotten close to the Third Prince, you're all set in your own way."

Zhao Heng finally stood up, walked around the large desk, and went to Shen Tingyun.

He looked down at his stepdaughter, his words devoid of any warmth, revealing a cold undertone.

"You are able to stand in this Marquis's mansion today in fine clothes and delicious food because of the child in your mother's womb, and because of the dignity that my Yong'an Marquis's mansion has given you."

"Without the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, do you think someone like the Third Prince would even give you a second glance?"

"So, you mustn't lie to your father."

Shen Tingyun trembled, her knees buckled, and she knelt down uncontrollably.

"My daughter wouldn't dare!"

She was weak and filled with fear and anxiety.

"Everything I have now is given to me by my father, and I obey his every command. The Third Prince truly has not instructed me to do anything out of line!"

Shen Tingyun instinctively felt that if she really told Zhao Heng everything today, Xiao Jingchen would soon abandon her.

She can't please both sides.

If she had to choose, she would rather choose Xiao Jingchen.

Zhao Heng coldly scrutinized her thin, trembling back.

After a long while, he seemed satisfied with this posture of absolute submission, and then waved his hand impatiently.

"Go down. Remember your place and don't do anything foolish."

"Yes."

Shen Tingyun kowtowed, rose, and bowed as he left the study.

The early spring night wind blew in from under the eaves, chilling her clothes. Only then did she realize that her back was already soaked with cold sweat.

The chill that had settled in his chest did not dissipate; instead, it transformed into a bottomless gloom.

She will be of marriageable age in less than a year.

She will definitely make herself more valuable in this year.

The Marquis's mansion will become her stepping stone.

Shen Tingyun reached out and pressed the cool jade pendant of twin lotus blossoms in his sleeve pocket, as if trying to draw energy from it, and did not let go for a long time.

Until the heartbeat stabilizes.

She finally took a deep breath and walked towards her yard in the night breeze.