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

His heart tightened, and he quickly took off his cloak, wrapped her tightly inside it, then carried her horizontally to a sheltered spot behind a stone pillar on the wall, letting her feet step on his shoes, and held her in his arms.

Xie Yige was still in a daze when she was enveloped in the warm scent of sandalwood and fell into his arms again.

"It's so cold, why did you come out like this? You didn't even wear shoes?" He sighed softly, his voice filled with concern.

"Did you come here especially to see me?" Xie Yige's little head peeked out from his arms, looking up at him with bright, sparkling eyes, as if filled with starlight.

"Hmm." He gazed intently at her, his eyes burning. His long eyelashes cast a soft shadow in the silvery light, making him look somewhat docile and gentle.

She swallowed hard, suddenly wanting to kiss his eyelashes.

Just then, Bichun's voice came from the courtyard, tinged with panic: "Miss? Miss? Where are you?"

"I'm outside!" Xie Yige quickly replied.

Why did you go outside?

"I...can you secretly open the back door for me?"

"Okay..." Bichun's voice faded into the distance, and her footsteps hurried away.

After Xie Yige finished speaking, she turned around and saw Cui Yutang staring straight at her with a suppressed look in his eyes that she couldn't understand, as if he had something to say but didn't dare to say it.

Is she really going back like this? She finally managed to see him.

I suddenly felt a little sad, and I didn't know what to do to relieve this feeling.

With a creak, Bichun opened the back door, and it was clear she was trying to control the noise.

Xie Yige didn't have time to think, so she suddenly left his embrace and ran quickly to the back door, blocking Bichun's head from peeking out.

The door slammed shut with a creak.

Cui Yutang's hands remained in the same position as when he was holding her, as if he were holding an empty phantom.

Two tears suddenly fell onto the empty ground, shimmering faintly in the moonlight, before quickly seeping into the stone slab and disappearing.

Inside the door, Bichun saw the black cloak on her young mistress that clearly didn't belong to her. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.

"Miss, you scared me to death! Why did you suddenly run outside...?"

Xie Yige was still in a daze. Her sudden departure left her feeling inexplicably heartbroken. She didn't even know how she dealt with Bichun before she unknowingly went to bed.

Something seems off between him and her.

Her mind was hazy, and in the end, only this consciousness remained.

Unfortunately, Xie Yige caught a cold again. Fortunately, it wasn't serious this time, just a bit of a hassle. Under her sister-in-law's strict care and monitoring, she stayed at home for five days before slowly recovering.

With the imperial examinations approaching, Zhou Xuan'an had been staying at the Imperial Academy. Today, on his day off, he returned home and learned that Xie Yige had caught a cold again. Even after learning she was almost fully recovered, he couldn't help but start cursing.

"Xie Yige! Don't you know you're fragile? It's still cold, why are you running around everywhere without wearing more clothes?"

"If Mother finds out I haven't taken good care of you, she'll skin me alive!"

"You're my only sister, don't you know how precious you are...?"

"Brother, brother, I know I was wrong, please stop talking." Xie Yige quickly sent a distress signal to Xie Wanrou with her eyes.

"Yige has only been in the capital for a short time, so she may still be a little unaccustomed to the environment. She'll get used to it after a while," Xie Wanrou quickly stepped in to defuse the situation after receiving a look from her.

"Sister-in-law is right." Xie Yige quickly changed the subject.

"Yes, the first day of the lunar month is in a few days. Let's go to the Great Ci'en Temple to burn incense and make a wish for my brother, hoping that he will pass the imperial examination with flying colors."

"I don't need you to do that. Just take good care of your health." Zhou Xuan'an rolled his eyes at her.

"Your sister also needs to pray to the gods and Buddhas for protection, okay? Don't you want Buddha to bless me?"

Zhou Xuan'an's eyes lit up: "That's good, let's go then. Be careful, and bring a few more guards."

Xie Wanrou smiled wryly, saying helplessly, "Don't worry, my husband, we'll take good care of ourselves."

The next day, Li Zhiwei, who had come to visit Xie Yige, learned that they were going to the Great Ci'en Temple to offer incense and insisted on going with them. So the two of them became a trio, and with the addition of maids and guards, they became a large and impressive group.

One shouldn't dress too extravagantly when visiting a temple, so Xie Yige unusually wore a plain white ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her hair styled in a simple single bun, adorned with a white jade pear blossom hairpin. Having just recovered from an illness, her complexion was still somewhat pale, which only added to her delicate beauty; her large, watery eyes made her appear exceptionally pitiful.

She had just boarded the carriage with her sister-in-law when Li Zhiwei, dressed in a dashing Hu-style outfit and with her hair tied in a high ponytail, jumped down from her own carriage, lifted the curtain, and squeezed in.

"Yige, you look absolutely stunning today." Li Zhiwei looked her up and down, raising an eyebrow with a grin, striking a pose like a dashing young master. "Even I can't help but be captivated, let alone those young men!"

"Alright, you come here first thing in the morning and start bullying me. I'll tickle you!" Xie Yige unceremoniously stretched out her wicked hands and launched a sneak attack on her most ticklish spot, her waist.

Li Zhiwei cried out "Ah!" and laughed as she dodged, the two instantly turning into a playful brawl inside the carriage. Xie Wanrou, sitting in the middle, became their tool for dodging each other's attacks, shaking her head with a helpless yet amused smile.

A silvery laugh drifted through the carriage curtains and reached the ears of a figure riding a horse not far behind.

Li Zhige tightened the reins, his ear tips turning slightly red.

Located in the southeast corner of Chang'an, the Great Ci'en Temple features the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which stands like a solitary peak, its upturned eaves glowing golden in the morning light. Ancient trees reach for the sky, incense smoke curls, and the distant sound of bells echoes, instantly cleansing the mind of worldly cares upon entering the temple.

Li Zhiwei did not believe in Buddhism and did not seek anything, so she took her maid and went traveling around.

Xie Yige and Xie Wanrou solemnly lit three sticks of incense in front of the main hall, raised their hands above their heads, closed their eyes, and silently recited their wishes. Xie Yige knelt for a little longer, her lips moving slightly, as if she had many things to say to Buddha. Xie Wanrou opened her eyes first, and seeing her devout appearance, she couldn't help but smile knowingly.

The two then offered flowers and fruits to Manjushri Bodhisattva before finally heading to the divination hall.

"Sister-in-law, I heard that the first fortune stick is the most accurate," Xie Yige whispered. "Why don't we each draw one—you draw your brother's, and I'll draw..." Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she lowered her head, unable to continue.

"I know, silly girl." Xie Wanrou smiled and tapped her head. The action was clearly learned from Zhou Xuan'an's move. No wonder they are husband and wife, they are influenced by each other.