After marrying the fierce god, her handsome young husband was pampered to the extreme.

The main hall of the Xu residence.

Xu Shao's forehead was covered in cold sweat. "This humble official greets Your Highness."

He's been having the worst luck lately. Not only has he been demoted three ranks, but a servant in his household has also died under mysterious circumstances. He doesn't know who he offended.

"Let...that Lian come out and answer." Yin Cheng thought for a long time but couldn't remember the person's name.

Lin Nian said, "I would like to trouble Lord Xu to send someone to inform you that your master is my cousin, and I would like to see him."

Xu Shaojin quickly sent someone to the inner quarters, "Go and summon the master."

After the servant left, he personally brewed tea to entertain him.

"I wonder why Your Highness summoned my wife for questioning?" Xu Shaojin asked cautiously.

Yin Cheng shut him down with a single sentence.

"Don't ask questions you shouldn't."

"Yes, yes, yes." Xu Shaojin had finally made it into the cabinet, but was suddenly demoted. He suspected that he had offended someone.

Now it seems more like the husband in the family offended someone...

Upon realizing this, Xu Shaojin suddenly understood.

Yes, that must be it.

He served as an official for many years and always maintained a "good guy" image, offending very few people.

His second wife was fond of extravagance and showing off. Since she had a cousin of such high status as Prince Cheng, there was no reason why she had never heard him mention it.

The only possibility is that they don't get along.

He then recalled a colleague's suggestion that he might have offended someone of great importance...

The more Xu Shaojin thought about it, the more terrified he became.

When Lü Xiaolian arrived, a hint of jealousy immediately appeared in her eyes upon seeing Lin Nian.

He thought he had hidden it well, but little did he know that Lin Nian had already seen everything.

Lin Nian winked at the man.

Yin Cheng understood.

He stood up. "Lord Xu, please come with me."

"Yes……"

Xu Shaojin felt a wave of dizziness, as if he could no longer see his future in the officialdom.

Yin Cheng suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Hey, Lord Xu."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"Do you think your servants might take advantage of my absence to offend Your Majesty?" Yin Cheng asked casually.

Xu Shaojin understood immediately and dismissed the servants.

Yin Cheng smiled and strode away from the main hall.

Xu Shaojin wiped his sweat as he followed behind Cheng Wang.

The huge main hall was suddenly left with only two young men.

"Nian-ge'er, what brings you here today to see your cousin?" Lü Xiaolian greeted Lin Nian with a warm smile and took his hand.

Lin Nian frowned, about to break free, but then remembered the purpose of her visit today.

He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Cousin, I came to see you today because I suddenly remembered something and there's something I don't understand, so I wanted to ask you about it."

"Sit down and talk, sit down and talk," Lü Xiaolian said, adopting the demeanor of a good older brother. "What does Nian-ge'er want to ask?"

"When my maternal grandfather passed away and our family returned to Huzhou, I remember my cousin was walking behind us?"

Lu Xiaolian's eyes darted around several times, but he still couldn't figure out what Lin Nian was up to. He said, "Why did you suddenly ask about this, Nian-ge'er?"

"A little curious," Lin Nian said, looking at him. "I heard you came to my house back then."

"Is that so?" Lü Xiaolian thought hard for a moment, then said with annoyance, "Oh dear, Nian-ge'er, look at your cousin's memory."

He innocently replied, "I truly don't remember ever going to your house back then."

Lin Nian said expressionlessly, "Really? But I heard from the servants in the manor that you not only went there, but also went to my elder brother's courtyard."

A crack appeared in Lü Xiaolian's expression; he panicked for a moment, but quickly regained his composure.

"Nian-ge'er, you must have remembered it wrong..."

Lin Nian said, "Something very valuable has gone missing from my older brother's room, so I came to ask my cousin if you've seen it?"

He calmly sipped his tea, pondering how to pry open Lü Xiaolian's mouth.

Lü Xiaolian gripped the armrest of the chair. "Nian-ge'er is joking. It's a bit... absurd to only now be looking for something that disappeared fifteen years ago."

"It's nothing valuable, just some letters." Lin Nian tilted her head. "Cousin, you really haven't seen them?"

"I've never seen it before..."

"What was my cousin doing in my older brother's room?"

Lu Xiaolian's smile vanished. "Lin Nian, what exactly do you mean?"

"Cousin, I'm not going to beat around the bush with you anymore." Lin Nian looked at him and said with a half-smile, "I know everything you've done."

"What a joke! What did I do?"

"There are many... like forging my older brother's handwriting to write a letter... and things like that," Lin Nian said. "Cousin, if I remember correctly, you and your stepfather are both masters of handwriting imitation, right?"

Lü Xiaolian reacted as if her sore spot had been hit, "What nonsense are you spouting? What letter? I've never heard of it!"

"Cousin, don't be so quick to deny it. If I didn't have evidence, how could I dare to confront you?"

Lin Nian chuckled, "You really don't remember impersonating my older brother to write a letter of farewell to Brother Qingheng?"

"Haha, as expected of someone who married into the Cheng Prince's family, you speak to me with much more confidence now."

Lü Xiaolian laughed and said, "I didn't do that. I don't know anything about any severance agreement."

His eyes were blatantly defiant, as if to say: I just won't admit it, what can you do about it?

"With so many people coming and going in your household, it's impossible for you to be completely discreet."

"So what?" Lü Xiaolian completely tore away her pretense of friendliness. "Lin Nian, no, Prince Cheng, you're not trying to use your status to intimidate me, are you?"

"You've reminded me, cousin. Now you have to bow to me when you see me," Lin Nian said gently. "No need for kneeling, just give a light curtsy."

"What if I don't?"

"Then your husband is probably going to suffer a bit. After all, my husband is petty, and if I am bullied outside, he will definitely not stand idly by."

"You!" Lü Xiaolian sneered, "Is this still our young master Lin, who remains untainted by the mud? Didn't you always look down on relying on men? I think you're quite adept at it."

"You flatter me," Lin Nian said. "I thought you liked it this way, cousin."

Lü Xiaolian said, "Aren't you afraid I'll go around saying that Prince Cheng is abusing his power?"

"Cousin, I am no longer the child you pushed into the frozen lake and almost drowned."

Lin Nian lowered her eyes. "You can no longer threaten me."

Upon hearing about the frozen lake, Lü Xiaolian reacted even more strongly, shouting, "Shut up!"

Lin Nian's eyes moved slightly, a glint of light flashing in them.

"Yes, cousin, you've done our family a lot of harm," Lin Nian said. "I can understand why you're targeting me, but I don't understand why you repay kindness with enmity when my older brother has treated you quite well?"

"Yes, he's been good to me," Lü Xiaolian said through gritted teeth, "but he actually wants to marry someone else! How dare he!"

"How dare he marry Shen Qingheng!"

"Haha, he can't marry me," Lü Xiaolian laughed. "If I can't marry him, no one else can either."

Lin Nian sighed softly, looked up and said, "Big brother, come down."