The clingy concubine ran away, and the sickly prince lost control.

Luo Qingyan obediently straightened up and sat down.

A moment later, the carriage slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the Imperial College.

"Your Highness." A young male voice called out.

"Little Xingzi?" Luo Qingyan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a thin, dark-skinned boy dressed in a plain white school uniform running towards them.

"Sister Luo, hello." Xiao Xingzi stood up, panting.

"Xiao Xingzi is a promising student, and the teachers at the Imperial Academy greatly admire him."

Pei Shiyuan patted Xiaoxingzi on the shoulder and said, "I'm taking a break today to come and visit."

"Your Highness, I will definitely study hard and live up to your expectations," Xiao Xingzi promised, patting her chest.

Pei Shiyuan nodded solemnly. Xiao Xingzi was very much like him in the past. He could memorize a book in a short time and master each move of martial arts very quickly and accurately.

"Little Xingzi, these are some snacks that your older sister made, and some clothes that the young master prepared for you." Luo Qingyan handed the prepared package to Little Xingzi.

Little Xingzi smiled happily, as if she were seeing her own parents.

"Your Highness, Sister Luo, the Master is off today and has invited me to play chess."

Go!

Pei Shiyuan and Luo Qingyan watched Xiao Xingzi run away.

"Sister?" Luo Qingyan turned around and unintentionally saw Luo Haitang not far away, holding a scroll in her hand and looking inside.

A man walked out from inside.

It's Shen Nanxun.

Logically speaking, she didn't know Shen Nanxun. It was only because when she was a ghost that she saw Luo Haitang kneeling in front of Shen Nanxun, begging him to marry her.

Shen Nanxun turned and left.

It seems that matters of marriage cannot be forced, not even by a life-saving grace.

"younger sister."

Luo Qingyan lifted her skirt and was about to get into the carriage when she saw Luo Haitang walking over, and Shen Nanxun also arrived.

Shen Nanxun cupped his hands in greeting to Pei Shiyuan. Pei Shiyuan nodded slightly.

Luo Haitang had already seen Luo Qingyan and was just waiting for Shen Nan to come. She glanced at Pei Shiyuan's legs and showed a look of disgust.

Pei Shiyuan's excellence is a thing of the past; now he's just a useless person who won't live for more than a few days. How can he compare to Shen Nanxun?

Shen Nanxun's talent was known throughout the capital; he came from the prestigious Shen family of Jiangnan.

The Shen family has produced three top scholars in the imperial examinations, and countless other Jinshi and Juren graduates. Their profound cultural heritage is incomparable to that of the Pei family, which is of military origin.

"Sister, what a coincidence!" Luo Qingyan pretended not to know Shen Nanxun.

"Nanxun, this is my younger sister, Luo Qingyan, the concubine of Prince Pei." Luo Haitang looked at Shen Nanxun with a sweet smile.

Luo Qingyan noticed that Shen Nanxun's expression had clearly darkened: "Miss Luo, please call me by my full name, Shen Nanxun. Young Master, Miss Luo, my name is Shen Nanxun, and I study at the Imperial Academy."

Shen Nanxun cupped his hands in greeting.

"Young Master Shen, my sister must have something to discuss with you, so I won't disturb you any longer. I'll be leaving now."

Shen Nanxun disliked Luo Haitang, but Luo Haitang insisted on getting close to her. She didn't want to get involved and just wanted to go back to Kangning Pavilion to prepare for the opening and think about how to make more money.

"Sister, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I came to see Young Master Shen to deliver a painting. Since we've run into you, why don't you take a look at my painting together?"

"Nanxun, please help me."

Luo Haitang smiled and asked Shen Nanxun to help her carry the scroll.

"Miss Luo, please ask Miss Huamei for help." Shen Nanxun put her hands, which had been hanging down, behind her back.

Luo Haitang was momentarily displeased, but then forced a smile and slowly unfurled the scroll with Huamei.

"Sister, is this the painting that was bought at a high price at the Hidden Moon Pavilion?" Luo Qingyan asked, feigning surprise.

Upon hearing Luo Qingyan mention a large sum of money, Luo Haitang became interested: "My dear sister, that's not a large sum, just two thousand taels. I wonder if Young Master Shen would be interested?"

Luo Haitang blushed slightly, her face flushing with shyness.

"Such a valuable painting is beyond my ability to accept. Please take it back, Miss Luo." Shen Nanxun said seriously, turning away from Luo Haitang's painting.

Luo Haitang appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly she was seething with rage. Shen Nanxun wouldn't accept anything she offered. She had gone so far as to use the betrothal gifts Ye Hui had given to Luo Qingyan to snatch this painting from Yanyue Tower, wondering if the gifts she had given him before were too cheap and that Shen Nanxun, who came from a prestigious family, wouldn't even appreciate them. But to her surprise, he was still ungrateful.

No matter how powerful the Shen family is in Jiangnan, they wouldn't be so arrogant as to look down on such a valuable painting.

"Young Master Shen, I saved you that day not for anything in return, but because I admire your talent, I thought of giving you a painting."

Luo Haitang suppressed the anger in her eyes and tried her best to speak gently.

Shen Nanxun sighed softly. Anyone with eyes could see what Luo Haitang meant: although she had saved his life, marriage could not be forced.

"Thank you for saving my life, Miss Xie Luo. Please don't come again." Shen Nanxun turned and left. Luo Haitang had come to the Imperial Academy to find him several times, but he wouldn't come. She would just stand at the door and tell everyone she met that she was his savior.

Now everyone at the Imperial College knows this.

He came here today to make things clear to Luo Haitang that there is no possibility between them and that she should not come looking for him again.

"Feed," Luo Haitang called softly, reaching out her hand.

Shen Nanxun did not stop, but as he passed Luo Qingyan, a gust of wind blew, causing the sachet on Luo Qingyan's body to flutter.

Honeysuckle? Shen Nanxun's eyes suddenly caught sight of a golden honeysuckle flower. His heart skipped a beat, and he stopped in his tracks, turning back to look at Luo Qingyan's sachet: "Miss Luo, is this sachet yours?"

Luo Qingyan was puzzled, picked up the sachet at her waist, and smiled, "Young Master Shen, of course it's mine, I made it myself."

Shen Nanxun lowered his eyes, a look of surprise flashing in them. He had fallen into the water and lost consciousness. When he woke up, there was a sachet embroidered with honeysuckle beside him. He had thought it was dropped by Luo Haitang that day.

But Luo Haitang said it wasn't hers.

"It's nothing."

Shen Nanxun left quickly. He needed to find the sachet and ask Luo Qingyan if it was hers.

Both sachets are embroidered with honeysuckle, it seems.

"Sister, we're leaving now." Luo Qingyan pushed Pei Shiyuan away.

Luo Haitang seemed not to hear, still gazing in the direction where Shen Nanxun had disappeared.

Luo Qingyan's tattered sachet was not even a fraction as beautiful as her painting, yet Shen Nanxun stared at it intently.

That vixen is so seductive; I should have never let her see Shen Nanxun.

No, she had to go to the pleasure boat to discuss a solution with her mother. Ever since Luo Qingyan went to the Duke's mansion, nothing good had happened to her, and now it was even affecting her relationship with Shen Nanxun.

If it weren't for Luo Qingyan, that vixen, standing here alluringly today, Shen Nanxun wouldn't have rejected her painting.

"Hmph! I won't let you get away with this. Luo Qingyan, you've always been inferior to me, and you'll always be trampled under my feet." Luo Haitang tugged at her handkerchief and left in a huff.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage.

"Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?" Luo Qingyan carefully examined Pei Shiyuan's face, which was gloomy and somber.

"Yuan Qing, go straight back to the manor." Pei Shiyuan ignored Luo Qingyan.

Shen Nanxun didn't like expensive paintings, but instead set his sights on the sachet on Luo Qingyan's body.

"Embroider ten sachets for me later."

"Like this?" Luo Qingyan held up her sachet.

"Yes." Pei Shiyuan's voice was clear and cold, yet also seemed excited. He was panting heavily, his strong chest rising and falling slightly.

"Young Master, what do you need so many sachets for?" Luo Qingyan asked curiously.

"Since you seem to have plenty of free time, give it to me tomorrow." Pei Shiyuan said, looking out the carriage curtain and ignoring Luo Qingyan.