In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

She quietly slipped her right hand into Cui Yutang's palm, whereupon he immediately grasped it tightly.

She reached out her left hand and took the note.

"How's your injury?"

"He won't die."

The Miao woman in red, named Sang Miao, is a rare genius in Gu magic among the Black Miao tribe. She should have been a high-ranking saintess, but her country was shattered, so she traveled to the Central Plains to seek a way to save her people.

Looking at Xie Yige, who was being tightly protected by Cui Yutang, she felt a deep sense of helplessness and envy.

She also longed to be protected like that, instead of facing the storms alone, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"If you need anything in the future, you can find me at Shufangzhai near the Imperial College," Xie Yige said with a serious expression. "But you can't go to him."

She looked down and rummaged through her purse, took out a small bottle of wound medicine, and handed it to the woman.

The Miao woman in red took the medicine bottle, nodded blankly at her, and then turned and disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

As soon as Cui Yutang sat in the carriage, he felt a murderous aura.

He was holding Xie Yige's hand when she grabbed it, pulled up his sleeve, and bit his hand hard.

The tips of the teeth sank into the flesh, leaving two rows of clear teeth marks.

Cui Yutang didn't say anything even though he was bitten. He reached out his other hand and gently stroked her head affectionately.

His eyes were filled with the reflection of her flushed face and huffing and puffing.

"Are you calm now?"

She immediately turned her back to him and lay down on the couch, leaving him with a stubborn back of her head.

Ignoring her anger, Cui Yutang sat down next to her, squeezed his hand into hers, and intertwined their fingers.

She never broke free again.

Upon returning to the Zhou residence, he escorted her to her residence in the Pear Garden.

The old pear tree gleamed softly in the warm light of the setting sun, with faint hints of greenish-blue young fruit peeking out from its branches.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Xie Yige suddenly called out to him.

"Cui Yutang, I want you to hug me."

He was slightly taken aback, and his heart clenched instantly.

It turns out she's just like me.

He immediately grabbed her waist with both hands, lifted her up, supported her buttocks with one hand, and wrapped his arms around her back with the other.

She wrapped her whole body around him, her legs tightly encircling his waist.

He buried his face deep in her neck and shoulders, his lips gently touching her skin, inhaling her unique fragrance.

"Cui Yutang, I'm not angry."

"Yeah, I know." His voice was muffled, carrying a sense of relief that he had finally managed to hold her again.

They stood there, embracing each other, under the pear tree for a very long time.

He stayed in her room until late at night, and only returned to the Prime Minister's residence after coaxing her to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the Xie residence, one person was so excited that he couldn't sleep all night.

That person was Xie Chengyu, the current head of the Xie family of Chenjun.

Two hours earlier at the banquet, Madam Liu dismissed all the servants and solemnly recounted what had happened at the Spring Festival banquet—their daughter, Xie Wanqing, had not died and now had a son and a daughter, both of whom had grown up.

Their granddaughter was Xie Yige, who had attended the Spring Festival Banquet last time.

Upon hearing this, Madam Du was also taken aback, almost dropping her teacup: "No wonder I felt that child looked familiar; it turns out she is Wanqing's daughter."

"Yes, sister-in-law." Madam Liu's eyes were slightly red. "I later took her to Wanqing's courtyard and showed her the token before I could finally confirm it."

After a long silence, Madam Du carefully spoke, "Chengyu, Liuniang, there's something I need to tell you."

She lowered her voice and said solemnly, "The jade bracelet that my old friend gave to that child that day was a family heirloom given to the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cui family."

Xie Chengyu's heart skipped a beat: "Sister-in-law, are you telling the truth?"

"Absolutely right." Madam Du nodded firmly. "A top-grade imperial green jade bracelet. I heard her mention it herself back then."

Xie Chengyu's heart instantly burned with passion.

This is an even better marriage than that of Prince Rong'an back then. The Cui family of Qinghe, the foremost family in the Tang Dynasty, enjoys unparalleled prestige.

Moreover, Cui Yutang is not only the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examination but also the eldest son of the Cui family, and his father is the current prime minister! If a marriage alliance can be formed with the Cui family, the family's prestige will surely rise to another level, which will undoubtedly be of great benefit to them in the future.

He suddenly stood up excitedly, rubbing his hands together, his white beard trembling slightly with his movements.

Such a good thing actually happened to him.

"Madam, please make the arrangements. We'll go and reunite with our granddaughter and grandson first thing tomorrow morning."

"Our granddaughter said she's still waiting for news from Qing'er." Madam Liu was speechless at his behavior, and her resentment was still palpable when she brought up what happened back then.

"It's alright, we'll acknowledge her while we wait." Xie Chengyu looked at Liu Shi with a fawning expression, his usually serious face and the ingratiating smile seeming quite incongruous. "She can wait her own time, we'll acknowledge ours."

So, early the next morning, Xie Chengyu, along with Madam Liu, Xie Wanzhou, Xie Wanning, and a large number of precious gifts, went to the Zhou residence in a grand procession.

Xie Wanzhou was the most bewildered of them all.

He sat in the carriage, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, his mind still processing the news he had just learned—his new friend was actually his nephew!

Is this a surprise or a shock?

Of course, Zhou Xuan'an wasn't much better off.

He had just finished breakfast with his wife early that morning and was about to go to his study to read for a while when the gatekeeper informed him that the Xie family had come to visit.

Before he could react, a large group of people had already poured into the front hall.

This is so sudden.

Xie Yige was even more so—because she had been entangled with someone until very late yesterday, she was still sound asleep in bed and had no idea what had happened in the front hall.

"Child, you must be Xuan An." Upon seeing Zhou Xuan An, Xie Chengyu strode forward, grasped his hand tightly, and exclaimed excitedly, "I am your maternal grandfather!"

Zhou Xuan'an was completely at a loss as to how to react since his mother had not yet replied.

He looked at Xie Wanzhou pleadingly, his eyes saying, "Brother, you need to do something about your dad."

Xie Wanzhou returned a helpless look, with a hint of schadenfreude lurking at the corners of her mouth.

Liu stood to the side, her eyes filled with tears, silently observing Zhou Xuan'an.

This child's features resemble Yige's Qing'er, and he clearly has a cheerful and outgoing personality.

"Please take a seat, gentlemen." Zhou Xuan'an snapped out of his daze and quickly and respectfully greeted the two excited old men, then immediately ordered someone to pour them the finest Yangxian tea.

The fragrant aroma of tea rose gently, finally easing the awkwardness of the situation somewhat.

"Where is my dear granddaughter Yige?" Xie Chengyu asked as soon as he sat down, his goal was very clear.

"I've already sent someone to invite her, please wait a moment." Zhou Xuan'an smiled ingratiatingly, secretly giving Bi Chun behind him a wink—go and wake that girl up!

Xie Yige barely wore any makeup or rouge. She simply changed into a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), styled her hair in a simple and elegant bun, and hurried to the front hall.

She was a little dazed when she entered the room. She was stunned for a moment when she saw the room full of people and the mountain of gifts before she realized what was happening.

Xie Chengyu's eyes lit up as soon as he saw Xie Yige.

The child was even more beautiful than her mother was back then, with bright and clear peach blossom eyes. Standing there gracefully, she was clearly a lovable child.

His usually serious face was now beaming with joy, his eyes crinkling as he smiled, the deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes unable to conceal his happiness.

"Yige, my dear granddaughter, I am your maternal grandfather."