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

The steward, who had already received the news, came out with servants to greet them, bowing respectfully: "Young masters and mistresses, you must be tired from your journey. Everything in the house has been tidied up."

The brother and sister stepped across the threshold. The front yard was spacious, with intricate and elaborate architectural carvings. Crabapple and magnolia trees were planted on both sides, and although they were not yet in bloom, their branches and leaves were neatly trimmed. Passing through the hanging flower gate, the central courtyard became even more open, with artificial hills and ponds, offering a different view at every turn, connected by covered walkways.

To the west of the third courtyard is a separate, elegant courtyard with a tall pear tree, named "Pear Garden," which Xie Wanqing specially prepared for her beloved daughter. Everything is in perfect order, showing meticulous care despite having been uninhabited for a long time.

Xie Yi pushed open the window, a gentle breeze swept in, filling the garden with the fragrance of flowers, but the doubts in her heart only grew stronger. Although her mother, Xie Wanqing, was usually carefree and unrestrained, this kind of extravagance… far exceeded her understanding of the “Zhou family.” And then there was Dudu, that unreliable “system” that spouted strange and bizarre phrases…

She suddenly wanted to know just how many secrets her mother was still hiding.

And then there are those "dowry shops" that her mother mentioned—she'll have to go and see them herself once she's settled in.

It was the third day since we had fully settled down in the capital.

Xie Yige was taking a nap under the pear tree.

"Yi Ge!"

A clear and cheerful voice came from outside the courtyard. Li Zhiwei walked in with her maid, her pale yellow shirt paired with a begonia-red shawl, like a fluttering butterfly.

"Your yard is so beautiful!" She stopped under the pear tree, looked up at the flowers, her eyes full of amazement. "These pear blossoms are so beautiful. I'll have someone plant one when I get home."

"The housekeeper told me that my mother planted this especially for me." Xie Yige stood up to greet her, her smile gentle. "I also have one at my home in Donglin City."

"Your mother really dotes on you." Li Zhiwei's tone was tinged with envy, yet also with a hint of melancholy. She quickly smiled again and took out an exquisite mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquer box from her sleeve.

"Here, this is for you. It's a limited edition Lancôme blush, the kind you can't buy even if you have the money. But let me make this clear, this isn't a thank-you gift—how can such a small thing repay a life-saving debt?"

She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "How about we consider it... a gift to mark our sisterhood?"

Xie Yige took the lacquer box; its surface was warm to the touch. Looking into Li Zhiwei's bright, expectant eyes, her heart warmed.

"Then wait a moment." She turned and went back into the inner room, taking out a hairpin from the bottom of her makeup box—a double-ringed white jade hairpin with tiny pear blossoms inlaid in the center, the stamens of which were dotted with gold thread. She had specially commissioned a craftsman to make it for her before leaving Donglin, based on a design she had drawn herself.

"This is a design I drew myself, and I had it made." She gently placed the hairpin in Li Zhiwei's palm. "Since we're now confidantes, we'll be best friends from now on."

Li Zhiwei held the hairpin, her eyes curving into crescents: "It's so beautiful! I love it!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, and the awkwardness caused by their different family backgrounds quietly disappeared at that moment.

"Come on," Li Zhiwei said, taking Xie Yige's hand with great enthusiasm. "I'll take you around Chang'an. I know exactly where to eat, where to have fun, and where to avoid pitfalls! I guarantee you'll have a great time."

"I was just thinking of going out today, and here you are." Xie Yige smiled mischievously as she was pulled outside. "We're so in sync."

"Of course!"

The carriage drove onto Suzaku Avenue.

Xie Yige lifted the carriage curtain and was completely stunned by the scene before her.

This was the north-south central axis of Chang'an City, a hundred paces wide enough for ten carriages to pass side by side. The streets were teeming with people: scholars on horseback, noblewomen in carriages, merchants carrying loads, and foreign traders leading camels—a constant flow of all sorts of people. Shop flags fluttered on both sides, and the sounds of hawkers' cries, laughter, and camel bells mingled together. The aroma of crispy flatbread mingled with the smoky scent of roasted meat, filling the air with a vibrant and intense fragrance.

This is the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

All nations paid tribute, and all industries prospered. Gazing at this magnificent panorama before her, she felt an indescribable sense of awe and pride welling up within her.

The carriage stopped in front of Wangjiang Tower.

The six-story pavilion, built over the water, with its upturned eaves and corners, was magnificent. Upon seeing that it was the carriage of the Duke of Zhenguo, the waiter hurried over, his attitude respectful and attentive.

"Madam Li has arrived! Please come to the private room on the second floor!"

The two were led to a private room on the second floor facing the street. Pushing open the carved door, they found the interior elegantly furnished, with a superb view of the shimmering Qujiang Pool right outside the window.

"Yige, look," Li Zhiwei pulled her to the window, pointing to the huge painting hanging in the center of the lobby downstairs, her tone filled with admiration, "That's the original work of the painting master Zhou Kaizhi, 'Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.' At the end of last year, I was fortunate enough to see the painting master here, and he was truly... unparalleled in his talent."

Zhou Kaizhi. The Sage of Painting?

How come her name is the same as her father's?

Xie Yige stared at the painting, her mind a jumbled mess. The brushstrokes and style were indeed consistent with the landscape sketches her father usually painted casually. But wasn't her father... the scholar who loved traveling, was afraid of his wife, and always acted submissive when he came home?

How did he become the world-renowned "Painting Sage"?

"I heard that Wangjianglou recently received a bottle of 626 vintage wine," Li Zhiwei said enthusiastically to the waiter, already seated at the table. "Bring it up quickly, and let's see if it goes well with a few of our signature dishes!"

"Alright! Madam Li, please wait a moment!"

Not long after the waiter left, a dispute suddenly broke out outside.

"What did you say? The 626 vintage wine is gone? Isn't that the bottle he's holding?"

"Madam Lin, that was ordered first by the guest in private room number 8..."

"Then give it to me first! I am the young lady of the Minister's mansion!"

"This... is against the rules..."

"Who's in private room number 8? I'll talk to her myself!"

"You can't..."

"Bang!"

The door to the private room was kicked open suddenly.

A young girl dressed in a crimson Hu-style robe and adorned with a gold hairpin swayed in, followed by two maids, her expression arrogant. Her gaze swept across the room, landing on Li Zhiwei's face, and she sneered:

"Who do we have here? It's Miss Li."

Li Zhiwei put down her teacup, her face turning cold: "Lin Zhiyin, I'm entertaining friends today, I don't have time to argue with you. Get out."

"I insist on having this bottle of wine today." Lin Zhiyin raised her chin, refusing to budge an inch.

The atmosphere suddenly became stagnant.

Just then, a gentle, calm male voice rang out from outside the door: "What's all this commotion?"

A middle-aged man with a refined appearance, dressed in an indigo long gown, walked in. His gaze swept across the room, and he visibly paused when he saw Xie Yige.

Xie Yige was also stunned.

"Butler Xie?"

The visitor was Xie Zhen, Xie Wanqing's trusted steward, who spent most of his time away managing Xie Wanqing's businesses and rarely returned to Donglin. Xie Yige had only seen him a few times when she was young and didn't have a deep impression of him.

"Young Master," Xie Zhen quickly regained his composure, took two steps forward, and bowed respectfully, "What brings you here?"

The word "Young Master" stunned both Li Zhiwei and Lin Zhiyin.