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

Clearly, she had figured out the key to what was happening while trapped in the swamp.

"Is your cousin... Cui Yutang, the young master Cui?" Xie Yige asked softly, trying to keep her tone calm.

Cui Yuran looked up at her, somewhat surprised: "Sister Yige, do you know my cousin? It is Cui Yutang. He is about to participate in the imperial examination, so he spends most of his time either at the Imperial Academy or studying in his own villa, and rarely returns home. That's why someone got anxious and had malicious intentions."

Xie Yige's heart stirred slightly, but she lowered her eyelashes and did not reply.

Li Zhiwei seemed to sense her unusual behavior. Although she didn't understand why, she still naturally took over the conversation: "Young Master Cui came to my residence yesterday to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. Yige and I were fortunate enough to see the charisma of the Prime Minister's eldest son."

"So Sister Zhiwei is from the General's Mansion. No wonder her name sounds familiar." Cui Yuran's eyes lit up, and her liking for Li Zhiwei increased even more.

As they spoke, the boat slowly approached the shore. The group disembarked and were about to say goodbye when they suddenly heard a sweet, delicate female voice:

"Cousin, I'm sorry I'm late. Something came up and I was held up."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

A woman dressed in a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) with a semi-transparent red gauze draped over it walked briskly. The gauze was thin, and her slender arms were faintly visible underneath, her skin appearing and disappearing in the sunlight. Although the spring chill had not yet dissipated, she was dressed so lightly, as if she were completely unaware of the cold.

"Something's holding you up?" Cui Yuran sneered, her voice low but clear, "What, did you not find your cousin? Or was he sent back?"

The woman in the red veil froze, her eyes immediately reddening, her voice becoming even more delicate and pitiful: "Cousin, how could you say such things about me in front of outsiders..."

As she spoke, her gaze swept sadly over Xie Yige and Li Zhiwei, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"If it weren't for these outsiders, I'd probably still be trapped in the swamp," Cui Yuran said coldly. "I'll remember my cousin's kindness."

After she finished speaking, she stopped looking at the woman and turned to Xie Yige and Li Zhiwei, her expression softening: "Sisters, I'll invite you again another day. Please do me the honor of joining me then. I'll head back now."

She gave a solemn curtsy. Li Zhiwei and Xie Yige quickly returned the greeting. The three then parted ways.

Cui Yuran turned and left with her maid, her steps calm and her back straight, paying no further attention to her cousin.

The woman in red stood there, watching the three figures disappear into the distance. No one paid her any attention, and her face grew increasingly grim. The thought that she hadn't even seen her cousin that day, being stopped by the two gatekeepers at the villa, filled her chest with a burning, stifling rage.

Once she marries into the Cui family, she'll definitely teach those people a lesson.

On the carriage back to the manor, Xie Yige leaned against the side of the carriage, her face looking rather pale.

She knew she shouldn't care. But the thought of someone coveting him, finding excuses to get close to him, looking at him with those tearful eyes—brought a strange, bittersweet, almost unsettling restlessness to her heart.

She wanted to see him.

Once the thought entered her mind, she couldn't suppress it anymore. She wanted to see him immediately, to feel the warmth of his body as he held her tightly, to hear him speak in her ear…

But the imperial examinations are approaching, with less than a month left. If she were to send a message rashly, would it disturb his studies? Would it distract him?

She bit her lower lip, her fingertips unconsciously twisting her sleeve; she suddenly felt timid.

"Miss?" Bichun cautiously observed her expression. "It's still early, how about... this servant accompanies you for another stroll?"

Xie Yige was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, let's go to the Persian Pavilion in the West Market."

When I'm in a bad mood, if I can't hit someone, I need to buy something to vent. That's a method my mother taught me. I can't bottle up my anger.

Persian Pavilion was the largest jewelry and jade shop in Chang'an. It was owned by Persians, but the owner behind it was said to be a powerful man from the Central Plains.

As Xie Yige and Bichun stepped into the store, they were dazzled by the dazzling array of jewels. Various jewelry, hair ornaments, bracelets, and jade pieces were displayed on counters with brocade backing, shimmering with a warm or brilliant light under the lamps, so beautiful that they couldn't bear to look away.

"Miss..." Bichun leaned close to her ear, her voice extremely low, "Do we have enough silver?"

Xie Yige glanced at the priceless treasures, swallowed hard, and lowered her voice, "How about... we leave quietly?"

The two exchanged a glance and were about to turn around when a gentle male voice came from behind them: "Ladies, please feel free to browse. It's alright if you don't buy anything."

A man dressed in a gold-embroidered Persian brocade robe walked slowly closer. He had a deep-set face, a neatly trimmed beard, and spoke fluent Mandarin, with almost no accent.

Xie Yige stopped in her tracks, looked into the Persian's honest and peaceful eyes, hesitated for a moment, but finally could not resist the temptation and turned back.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the "Twelve Trees Flower Hairpin Crown" displayed separately under a glass cover in the center of the shop. Layers of golden flowers and jade trees intertwined, intricate and exquisite, shimmering with light and color, breathtakingly beautiful.

"These are tribute items that will soon be sent to the palace; they are for display only," the Persian man said at the opportune moment, stepping back a few paces to maintain a proper distance, clearly well-versed in Central Plains etiquette. "My lady, you may look at other items."

Xie Yige nodded, her gaze lingering on the shop. Bichun, standing beside her, softly exclaimed, "Miss, these floral and delicate hair ornaments are so beautiful..."

Xie Yige's gaze swept over rows of exquisite jewelry, finally settling on a hairpin.

It was a pear blossom hair ornament. The jade petals were like snow, layer upon layer, and the center of the flower was adorned with tiny rice beads from the East China Sea, which shimmered softly in the light, like stars surrounding the moon. The tassels of the hair ornament were also made of rice beads, delicate and light, as if they would tremble gently in the wind.

She picked up the hairpin; it felt warm and smooth to the touch, and its craftsmanship was exquisite. Next to it stood a small wooden plaque with three characters written on it—"Ya Haitang".

"A pear tree in full bloom overshadows a crabapple blossom." The Persian man smiled and explained when he saw her staring at him, "This hair ornament is called 'Overshadowing Crabapple.' When you walk, the shadows of the blossoms tremble gently, like pear blossoms reflecting the sun. It is one of our shop's prized creations."

Xie Yige held the hairpin, her fingertips gently stroking the warm, smooth jade petals, a feeling of indescribable fondness welling up in her heart.

"Excuse me... how much is this hair ornament?" she asked, her voice lacking confidence.

"The warm jade is of the highest quality, and the eighty-eight identical East Sea rice pearls are also one in a million, with the carving crafted by a top artisan." The Persian man's tone remained gentle. "The price is one thousand taels of silver."

Xie Yige's expression immediately wilted.

One thousand taels.

She silently put the hairpin back, her movements gentle yet tinged with reluctance.

This capital city is truly a den of iniquity; even selling her wouldn't be worth this much money!