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

After washing and dressing, she ate breakfast without any appetite, and dared not think about that person at all.

Just thinking about those scenes in her dream made her ears burn so badly that she almost couldn't hold her chopsticks.

"Should I bring you some clothes to take back?" Bichun asked as she packed. "Young Master Cui has bought you many beautiful dresses and jewelry."

"Just take two sets of clothes and one set of jewelry back with you." Xie Yige put down her chopsticks. "We'll go find Ninth Sister and Thirteenth Sister tomorrow."

When Xie Yige arrived at the door with Bichun, Cui Yutang was already waiting there.

The morning light fell on him, bathing his tall and handsome figure in a golden glow from his white, belted robe. His long hair, tied up high, swayed in the wind, making him both elegant and dashing. He stood there, looking at her from afar, which made his deep, restrained phoenix eyes appear even more striking.

Thinking of the bastardly things he did in his dream, Xie Yige wanted nothing more than to bite him a few times—to see if he could still maintain this restrained demeanor.

"Yige, I'll take you home." His tone was very calm, but the tips of his ears, which were red, betrayed him.

He then reached out to help her into the carriage.

She placed her hand on his, and the moment she touched his warm palm, the memories of last night suddenly resurfaced within her, as if she had been electrocuted, and she jerked her hand back.

"No need, I can go up by myself."

Why did she suddenly get angry?

He became uneasy.

The journey was quiet, save for the creaking of the carriage over the road. They remained silent, the air in the carriage seemingly frozen, even their breathing became cautious.

Halfway through the journey, he finally spoke cautiously, "Yige, I want to hug you, is that okay?"

Xie Yige did not answer. She looked up at him, and he seemed to see the same longing in those beautiful, peach-blossom eyes.

He no longer hesitated.

He slipped his hands under her knees, lifted her up, placed her on his lap, and held her tightly in his arms.

The close contact and warmth of their bodies made their bodies and souls tremble.

Her back was pressed against his chest, and she could clearly feel the rise and fall of his breath and the steady, powerful heartbeat in his chest.

Cui Yutang sighed deeply in his heart—it was so good to have her in his arms.

Xie Yige nestled softly in his arms, unable to leave.

The carriage returned to the Zhou residence.

Xie Yige watched his departing figure on horseback, and for some reason, anxiety welled up in her heart. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable, as if something was stuck in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Miss, what's wrong?" Bichun asked worriedly.

Xie Yige shook her head without answering. She turned and went directly to Xie Wanrou's courtyard.

Xie Wanrou's belly was gradually growing bigger. She was sitting on the veranda, basking in the sun, holding a half-embroidered little garment in her hand. Sunlight fell on her serene profile, giving her a gentle glow.

Seeing Xie Yige come in, she smiled and put down her needlework.

Xie Yige walked to her side, threw herself into her arms and said coquettishly, "Sister-in-law—" in a lazy, nasal voice.

"What's wrong with our Yige today? She's so clingy." Xie Wanrou smiled and patted her head.

"I missed you." Xie Yige snuggled against her. "How are you today, sister-in-law? Where did brother go?"

"Your little nephew is very well-behaved and didn't bother me at all," Xie Wanrou said with a smile. "Your brother went out with General Li this morning."

Xie Yige tilted her head in confusion for a moment, but didn't think much of it.

Zhou Xuan'an didn't get home until evening.

To be precise, it should be said that Li Zhige carried it back.

He was drunk, his whole body limp like a lump of mud, his face flushed an unnatural red, and he was mumbling something incoherent.

After several people finally settled him in, Li Zhige couldn't help but call out to Xie Yige before leaving.

"Yige, there's something I want to tell you. Can you come out for a moment?" He said, glancing at Xie Wanrou.

Xie Yige was very puzzled, but she still agreed.

The two arrived at a pine tree in the front yard. Moonlight filtered through the pine branches, casting dappled shadows, and the night breeze carried the fragrance of pine resin, ruffling the stray hairs on her forehead.

After considering for a moment, Li Zhige finally spoke: "When we went out for drinks today, we ran into a woman who kept pestering your brother to talk to her."

Xie Yige suddenly remembered the woman in the pink dress on the island in the middle of the lake, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"You'd better ask him privately what happened," Li Zhige said.

"Okay, thank you for the reminder, young general, and thank you for bringing my brother back."

"Yige, don't be so polite with me, okay?" His voice was pleading, and his eyes looked particularly earnest in the moonlight.

"You are Zhiwei's elder brother, so naturally I won't stand on ceremony with you."

Xie Yige said with a smile, but her tone carried just the right amount of distance, "There is a difference between men and women, and we still need to observe proper etiquette. Excuse me, I must go and help my sister-in-law. Take care, young general."

Li Zhige watched her retreating figure, sighed softly, and then turned and disappeared at the entrance of the Zhou residence.

Xie Yige spent the night in a state of unease.

The next morning, she went to Xie Wanrou's courtyard to arrest the person.

"Zhou Xuan'an, are you sober yet?"

Zhou Xuan'an had just woken up and was sitting in the courtyard, covering his head. He looked quite drunk, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He looked up at Xie Yige, bewildered—when had he offended this girl? She hadn't called him by his full name in a long time.

"Yige, what's wrong? When did I offend you?"

Seeing that his sister-in-law wasn't there, Xie Yige didn't stand on ceremony and went straight to the point, asking, "Who was that woman yesterday?"

"Huh? What woman?" Zhou Xuan'an thought for a moment, "Oh—that crazy woman? Why are you asking about her?"

"A crazy woman?" Xie Yige was taken aback. "Why do you say she's a crazy woman? Is she the woman in the pink dress on the island in the middle of the lake last time? I forgot to interrogate you last time."

"It's her." Zhou Xuan'an rubbed his temples. "But how did you know I ran into her on the island in the middle of the lake?"

"Do you know how outrageous she is?" He recalled the incident that day, still speechless. "Last time on the island in the lake, she insisted that I might be her nephew. What else could she be but crazy? She looks about my age."

"Huh?" Xie Yige was dumbfounded.

Are people from Chang'an really this outrageous?

She couldn't help but look at Zhou Xuan'an with pity.