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

Good heavens, what kind of outrageous words are these!

Xie Yige swallowed hard, her ears already turning slightly red. She asked in a trembling voice, "Who...who are they?"

"The most popular are, of course, the handsome and elegant Sixth Prince Li Xianhong, the eldest son of the Grand Tutor's family, the refined and elegant Liu Yunren, and the number one ranked Cui Yutang, the eldest son of the Cui family of Qinghe, who is refined, noble, and incomparably handsome."

Upon hearing the name Cui Yutang, Xie Yige's heart pounded like a ton of bricks. It was him after all! Her gaze swept over Xie Zhen, and, unable to contain her excitement, she lowered her voice and said, "I'll come find you again next time."

The sunlight was perfect on the way back, casting a warm glow on the bluestone pavement. Xie Yige's blush lingered; it was as if a forbidden door had been opened in her mind.

"Miss, why is your face so red?" Bichun asked her with concern. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"N-nothing," Xie Yige coughed lightly, then said seriously, "It's just... a little hot."

Bichun: ...The spring chill hasn't dissipated yet.

"Master, are you thinking about something inappropriate for children?" Dudu's voice suddenly rang in my mind, with a hint of schadenfreude.

"Shut up!" Xie Yige was furious and embarrassed. It took her a while to finally calm down.

"Dudu, don't you have the gossip-eating ability? Can you help me find out who this Seventeenth Sister is?"

"Master, this is the first time you've asked me for a favor!" Dudu was even more excited. "Let me see... Seventeenth Sister is an orphan who fled famine. She was rescued by your mother when she was five years old and has been with her ever since. She's the person most influenced by your mother. Tsk tsk, no wonder she's so open-minded!"

It paused, then suddenly let out an exaggerated shriek: "Wow! Big news! She's actually the Sixth Prince Li Xianhong's mistress!"

"Pfft—" Xie Yige really spat out a mouthful of tea this time.

Her eyes widened, and she was speechless for a long time. That charming and alluring woman was actually... the Sixth Prince's lover?!

"Pretty sister is so capable, she went all out right from the start!" Dudu exclaimed in amazement. "Her taste is just as good as yours, Master! But definitely your darling Cui Langjun is more handsome. I'm on Cui Langjun's side this time, I've decided to be his fan!"

Amidst Dudu's nagging, Xie Yige finally managed to process the news. She put down her teacup, her respect for her mother growing even stronger. Indeed, none of the people around her mother were simple.

The next day, it was time for the Imperial College to close.

Zhou Xuan'an walked out of Class C's dormitory with his schoolbag on his back. As soon as he reached the door, he saw a familiar figure leaning against the door, waving a folding fan in his hand. It was Zhang Zhiyi.

"Brother Xuan'an!" Upon seeing him, Zhang Zhiyi immediately closed his folding fan and opened his arms to greet him. "We are truly destined to meet!"

Zhou Xuan'an smiled and hugged him. This guy, through some method his father used, had somehow managed to get into the Imperial Academy. Although he was in Class D, they were still classmates. The Imperial Academy had a heavy workload, and they rarely had a chance to meet, but today they bumped into each other at the gate.

Zhou Xuan'an suddenly remembered his appointment with Cui Yutang at Wangjiang Tower, and a thought flashed through his mind: "Brother Zhiyi, I'm hosting today and have invited Brother Yutang to Wangjiang Tower. Why don't you come along? We both came from Donglin Academy, so we're old acquaintances. It would be nice to have some fun."

Zhang Zhiyi readily agreed. He had long wanted to get to know the renowned patriarch of the Qinghe Cui clan, who was famous throughout the capital. In Dongli, Cui Yutang had been far too low-key; although he had heard of him, he had never had the opportunity to cultivate a deeper relationship. Besides—being able to dine at Wangjiang Tower was something to look forward to in itself.

At 3:45 PM, in a private room on the third floor of Wangjiang Tower.

The north side features a row of floor-to-ceiling windows, extending out to a waterfront balcony with glazed glass railings, offering a seamless view of the sky and water. Looking down, one can see illuminated flower boats slowly passing by, their lanterns reflected in the water, swaying gently with the ripples, creating a scene like a flowing painting.

Zhou Xuan'an and Zhang Zhiyi had arrived earlier and were enjoying tea and chatting on the outer balcony. Outside the window, the waters of Qujiang Pool shimmered, and the twilight painted the horizon a gentle orange-red.

"Brother Xuan'an, this Wangjiang Tower truly lives up to its reputation." Zhang Zhiyi looked around the private room and praised, "The view from this balcony alone is worth the cost of the wine."

Zhou Xuan'an smiled and poured him tea: "This is my first time here too. I'm only doing this because of Yi Ge's recommendation."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a gentle knock on the door of the private room.

The waiter pushed open the door, and a tall figure stood outside. Cui Yutang was dressed in a sky-blue robe, his hair tied up with a jade crown, his features cool and noble, like an immortal from a painting. He nodded slightly as a greeting, then stepped inside.

"Brother Yutang has arrived!" Zhou Xuan'an stood up to greet him. "Please sit down, please sit down. We've been waiting for you."

In the adjacent private room, Xie Yige stared intently at the figure in sky blue through the special glass. Her hand unconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

he came.

She couldn't help but take two steps forward, gazing intently at him. Before, in Dongli, she always stole glances at him, but never dared to look at him so openly. Now, separated by this glass partition, she could finally be unrestrained.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

Cui Yutang's gaze swept across the entire private room, lingering for a moment on Zhang Zhiyi's face. He nodded slightly in greeting before taking his seat opposite Zhou Xuan'an.

"This is Zhang Zhiyi, also a classmate of Donglin Academy. You should have met him before," Zhou Xuan'an introduced. "Brother Zhiyi is also on his way to the capital for the imperial examination. He came along the same route as me and is now at the Imperial Academy."

"I have long admired Brother Cui," Zhang Zhiyi said with a cupped hand and a smile. "Back in the academy, I often heard the teachers praise Brother Cui's writings. It is truly a pleasure to meet you today."

"Brother Zhang, you're too kind," Cui Yutang said calmly, his voice as cool as his personality.

His gaze suddenly swept across the entire glass partition wall, and his eyes seemed to pause for a moment at a certain spot.

Xie Yige's heart nearly stopped when he stared at her. She froze on the spot, afraid to even breathe. She instinctively shrank back, her mind blank—had he discovered her?!

But Cui Yutang's gaze lingered for only a moment before shifting away, as if it had only been glanced at unintentionally.

Xie Yige dared to breathe again, only to find that her back was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Zhou Xuan'an instructed the waiters to serve the dishes and personally poured wine for the two of them, creating a harmonious atmosphere. During the meal, Zhang Zhiyi reminisced about the old days in Donglin City, his words filled with nostalgia.

"Speaking of which, it's a pity that Brother Cui wasn't there on Brother Xuan'an's wedding day, so we couldn't drink together," Zhang Zhiyi said with a smile.

Cui Yutang paused slightly in the hand holding the cup.