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

Although Chaoyi Villa exudes the style of "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" in every aspect, it is actually quite large in scale.

It is the premier villa in the capital, covering an area of ​​several dozen hectares. It boasts not only a vast pear orchard, but also peach groves, plum groves, bamboo forests, lakes, and hot springs, each offering a distinct scene in spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Scattered throughout are numerous farmlands, woodlands, livestock farms, and villages inhabited by farmers, artisans, and servants.

The main residence alone could accommodate over a hundred people, including the master and his servants. Cui Yutang disliked crowds, so he only kept a few dozen servants to maintain the villa. These servants had all undergone very strict training and dared not appear before him unless absolutely necessary.

So when he stepped into the villa, all around was quiet.

He went straight to his usual study. This study was more than twice the size of the one in the Prime Minister's residence, with rows of bookshelves and a rich collection of books. Through the connecting moon gate, there was a spacious soft couch for resting.

It doesn't look like anything special.

But Cui Yutang didn't stop. He looked around and suddenly asked, "Where are all the things?"

Baoyu followed behind him, and upon hearing this, she showed a helpless expression: "Master, you should know where you would put your precious things."

He dared not know where it was.

Cui Yutang's heart skipped a beat.

"You can go down now."

"Yes, Master."

Bao Yu felt as if he had been granted a pardon, bowed and withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Only Cui Yutang remained in the study. He stood silently for a moment, his gaze slowly shifting towards the bed. He walked over and stomped his foot on the floor with a peculiar gait.

A dull "crack" sound rang out, and the ground slowly cracked open, revealing an entrance from within, through which a faint, cold light shone.

Cui Yutang walked down the stairs. In the recesses in the walls on both sides of the passage were embedded moon pearls, which emitted a soft and cool light, illuminating the entire dark passage as if it were daytime.

He went deeper and deeper, and his heart beat faster and faster.

Soon after, he stopped in front of the door of a secret room. He reached out and pushed open the stone door, then went inside.

Then, his face instantly turned red.

He retreated almost instinctively.

The scene inside was truly... enough to make him question the meaning of life.

He stood outside the door, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. After repeating this three times, he finally lifted his foot and stepped into the secret room.

The walls of the entire secret room were covered with portraits of Xie Yige.

One after another, densely packed, there were nearly a hundred paintings. He could recognize the style and brushstrokes at a glance—they were painted by his own hand. With just a few strokes, he outlined the graceful figure of the young girl and her bright, lively peach blossom eyes.

In the paintings, she is either standing or sitting, smiling or pouting. Each one is so lifelike that it's as if nearly a hundred Xie Yiges are watching him at the same time.

Standing in the center of the secret room, surrounded by her, Cui Yutang felt a sense of nervous helplessness.

There's also a kind of...secret excitement.

Good heavens. He's actually that kind of person.

She will definitely dislike him.

The thought was like a bucket of cold water poured over him, making him panic. He anxiously wanted to put all the paintings away, but couldn't bear to part with them; he reached out to touch them, then pulled his hand back.

He's gone mad. He must be mad.

He forced himself to calm down and began to examine the dates on the paintings one by one. The earliest one was dated six months ago?

In the painting, a young girl sits by a pond, her skirt slightly lifted, her delicate pink feet gently raised, her toes touching the water's surface, creating ripples. Her expression is languid and carefree, her eyes carrying the unique innocence of a young girl.

Cui Yutang looked at the painting, his throat tightening.

He couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the outline of the jade feet painted on the canvas, caressing them back and forth.

Suddenly, he was startled, and his fingers trembled.

Feeling utterly disgusted with his own behavior, he abruptly took a few steps back, his back slamming into the island counter in the center of the room.

He steadied himself and looked down.

There seemed to be other things on the island platform.

He took a deep breath and opened the first layer.

Inside were a sachet, a jade pen, and two strands of hair tangled together. These things seemed normal enough. He even picked up the two strands of hair and gently sniffed them.

He then opened the second layer.

Inside was only one embroidered shoe with pear blossoms. He glanced at the painting "Jade Feet Playing in Water" on the wall, then at the embroidered shoe, and immediately understood.

He hesitated for a moment, but still opened the third layer.

Inside is—

A pink bellyband.

There was also a pair of... semi-transparent foot coverings.

Cui Yutang's soul seemed to have been struck by something unprecedented. He slammed the lid shut, his face flushing bright red, the heat spreading from his ears all the way to his neck.

He practically escaped from that secret room.

After rushing out of the study, he leaned against a pillar in the corridor, panting heavily, his heart pounding like a drum.

Cui Yutang, you're a real pervert.

This realization struck him like a hammer blow. He closed his eyes, but his mind was filled with those paintings and those things.

This is it. She'll definitely leave him.

He sat blankly on the steps outside the study for a long, long time. The wind blew through the window, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers, but he was completely unaware.

My anxiety reached its peak.

"Baoyu!" he suddenly shouted.

Baoyu suddenly appeared from somewhere: "Master, what are your orders?"

"Let's go." Cui Yutang stood up, his steps somewhat hurried. "Let's hurry back to the manor."

All he wanted to do was get out of this place that was making him feel anxious and uneasy.

"Master, aren't you going to rest here today?" Baoyu asked, somewhat surprised. "We just arrived."

"I'm not resting anymore." Cui Yutang walked out without looking back.

Although Baoyu was full of doubts, she dared not ask any more questions and could only hurry to catch up.

The two spurred their horses out of the villa and galloped towards Chang'an. The sound of hooves was rapid, as if something was chasing them from behind.

By the time they returned to the bustling city of Chang'an, it was nearly dusk. The streets were crowded, so they had to dismount and walk, leading their horses.

The aroma of various foods wafted from all around.

There's a pastry shop up ahead with a long queue outside; it looks like it's doing very well.

Bao Yu, with her sharp eyes, suddenly pointed in the direction of the group and said, "Master, isn't that Miss Xie and her two maids?"

Cui Yutang panicked: "Where?"

"They're in the long line for pastries." Bao Yu clicked her tongue twice. "They're really greedy; they can stand in such a long line."

Following his gaze, Cui Yutang easily spotted Xie Yige in the crowd. She possessed a graceful figure and was exceptionally beautiful; even standing in the long queue, she was remarkably dazzling.

His heart skipped a beat.

He thought about going to find her, but the thought of what was in that secret room made him panic.

"Let's hurry back." He withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

"Cui Yutang, stop right there."