Zhong Wan’s lower body melted on its own.

“Perhaps it’s possible..” Yu She’s voice proved light to the extreme. “If I gather all the Buddhist monks and Daoist priests from inside and outside the capital at the?Imperial Ancestral Shrine.”

Zhong Wan fell into a daze. Call that many Buddhist monks and Daoist priests to do what?

“To have them kneel and recite sutras on the clock for?forty-nine days?will be a great service for them,” said Yu She, tone tranquil. “To pray the Heavens would appear, and let you have a child for me.”

The more Yu She spoke, the more emotional he grew. He muttered, “It’s hard to say whether such an unprecedented prayer in history could truly move the Heavens.”

Zhong Wan imagined the great spectacle and choked from fear. “Don’t, don’t joke around like this.”

“I have never joked with people before.” Yu She frowned. “If I say it, then I definitely will do it.”

Complaining in his heart, Zhong Wan finally gave in. “I shouldn’t have said those things. Don’t be impulsive.”

Yu She shot a glance at Zhong Wan and said with indifference, “Then don’t ask me such stupid things again. If I say I don’t want to leave behind descendants, then I don’t want to leave behind descendants.”

Since Zhong Wan’s provoking of Yu She had been fruitless, he grunted his acknowledgment in a well-behaved manner.

Yu She lay back down. “Go to sleep! Stop thinking about those perverted things all the time. Also..”

Frightened, Zhong Wan froze, before saying even more well-behavedly, “Also what?”

“Tonight.. don’t touch me,” said Yu She with a muffled voice, back facing him.

With no other alternative, Zhong Wan sounded his agreement.

The next day, after Zhong Wan had left, Steward Feng sensed that Yu She’s current expression was somewhat different from the past.

Just how different, Steward Feng was unable to clearly pinpoint. However, he found Yu She not as spiritless as in a few days prior.

Ever since Zhong Wan had left, he seemed even more distracted, standing before the desk for two hours.

“Heir..” As Steward Feng changed the refreshments on the table, he hinted with joy, “This time, we won’t let Young Master Zhong leave, right?”

Yu She lifted his head, hesitation in his eyes.

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“How many years has it been,” asked Yu She all of a sudden, head still lowered, “since Prince Ning met a mishap?”

After a moment of thought, Steward Feng counted his fingers. “Seven to eight years? Next year, it’ll be eight years.”

Yu She nodded. “It’ll be eight years, yet he still feels gratitude toward Prince Ning’s rearing and grace.”

He raised his head. Looked at Steward Feng. “If I die tomorrow, how many years will he endure?”

Distressed, Steward Feng asked, “Why is your honored self talking about this again? Can’t you not say you will die?!”

This time, Yu She did not sneer like he would have in the past. With his head lowered again, he stared at the brush in his hand, hesitating for a while before thinking aloud, “Yes, if I don’t die, then I could..”

Yu She recalled the events last night. Unable to stand the disturbance, he set down the brush, sat down on the chair, and frowned, relaxing with his eyes closed.

Steward Feng could discern that his heart was in a mess. But he didn’t dare to speak too much again. Still, he felt that Yu She’s concentrated su*cidal aura had weakened by many degrees.

As Steward Feng retreated, before he could take two steps, he heard Yu She smashing things inside the room. He stopped in his tracks. It seemed Yu She was cursing something. The corners of Steward Feng’s lips tilted upward. He attempted to stifle the smile.

“Steward Yan’s letter read that once Eldest Brother left the city walls, his spirit improved by a lot. Afterward, he ate no more than two servings of medicine before recovering immensely.” Xuan Congxin placed the letter on the desk. “Don’t worry.”

Absentminded, Zhong Wan had agreed without thinking.

Xuan Congxin said, “Tomorrow will be the?third seven-day set. Everyone must attend. I don’t understand the customs of the capital so I asked other people about it. They said that for the third seven-day set, the wake must last for one day and one night. If you’re unwell, don’t go.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Zhong Wan smiled. “How is that possible? If I don’t attend, who would accompany Xuan Yu?”

Xuan Congxin furrowed her brows. “How many days has it been? I’ve already recognized all the womenfolk in the capital. Can’t he kneel on his own?”

“You’ve recognized that many women?” asked Zhong Wan, astounded.

“That’s not the end of it. I even recognize all the imperial concubines,” she said, not caring the slightest. “There’s nothing else to do every day besides remembering this.”

Zhong Wan swept his gaze up and down Xuan Congxin. Said with regret, “It’s such a waste of talent to have you stay in Qian An.”

A smile graced her lips. “If you want to follow, then follow. Pay attention to yourself. If something happens, don’t force yourself to do anything in spite of adversity.”

Zhong Wan smiled. “Understood, Young Miss.”

Like Xuan Congxin had said, on the third seven-day set, there were more than double the amount of people in Xuan Jin’s estate than in the past. Inside and outside were the imperial clan members. Contrary to what one might expect, Lin Si and Xuan Jing arrived.

Lin Si had a young male servant pass along a paper ball to Zhong Wan. He opened it. Glanced at the contents.. Lin Si had asked him to avoid Xuan Jing.

Zhong Wan frowned. Why did he want him to avoid Xuan Jing so badly?

Ever since Zhong Wan had arrived at the capital, he did not encounter Xuan Jing. But he did see him. Zhong Wan himself did not feel ashamed meeting his old friend with his current status. So why should he avoid him?

Although he thought this, Zhong Wan nevertheless hid the paper ball in his chest pocket. He looked at Xuan Jing from afar, turned his body sideways to evade him. He moved around another servant, hiding behind him.

Heart in unease, Zhong Wan would glance at Xuan Jing from time to time. He thought,?Xuan Jing shouldn’t know anything, right?

That day, when Lin Si had arrived at Prince Qian An’s estate in search of Zhong Wan,? Zhong Wan had already instructed Lin Si not to inform Xuang Jing about Yu She’s matters.

Zhong Wan still hadn’t figured out an escape plan for Yu She. Before that point, the fewer people knew about Yu She’s background, the better.

Zhong Wan tried his best to mix with the crowd. However, Xuan Jing seemed to be deliberately searching for him. Every now and then, he would glance at the crowd of servants.

Zhong Wan had no other choice. He mixed in with the crowd of people taking care of the event, slipping into the inner courtyard.

He deliberately fell behind a few steps, increasing the distance between him and the other people. Fortunately, everyone was in a hurry and did not have the time or energy to care about him. After Zhong Wan had been able to get away, he headed for the outside, only for someone to pull him behind an artificial mountain as he was passing by.

Zhong Wan didn’t know whether to sigh in relief or feel more nervous.. It was Yu She.

Yu She leaned against the side of the artificial mountain. After pulling Zhong Wan over, he released his hold. He stared at Zhong Wan with a complicated gaze.

As he recalled the baffling act of sharing a bed last night, Zhong Wan still felt a bit embarrassed.

Yu She narrowed his eyes, seemingly at a loss. A short while later, he asked, “Why are you hiding?”

He naturally could not tell Yu She about Lin Si’s matters. Zhong Wan hesitated, trying to find an excuse and muddle through.

Yu She furrowed his brows. “Just now, you.. kept stealing glances at me. Why?”

Zhong Wan was rendered speechless.

He had been looking at Xuan Jing. Unfortunately, Xuan Jing stood next to Yu She.

Bracing himself, Zhong Wan said, “It’s nothing.”

“It’s nothing? The look in your eyes as you stared at me was..” Yu She paused, before continuing on in a vexed manner, “There are so many people around. Control yourself!”

Again, Zhong Wan was struck speechless. In this moment, if he said he had been glancing at Xuan Jing, one would fear Yu She would grow even more enraged.

After hesitating for a moment, Yu She said, “I’m not saying that you can’t look at me. But when there’s a lot of people around, you have to control it. Your expression is too obvious. Who wouldn’t be able to see the hints?”

For the third time, Zhong Wan couldn’t utter a word.

Yu She continued, “Where you.. searching for me for a long time?”

Zhong Wan was at a loss for words. Never had he expected Yu She to come to such an insignificant thing as a third seven-day set.

“What needs to be said has already been said. You ought to restrain yourself.”

Yu She turned around and left. The corners of Zhong Wan’s lips raised on their own accord, difficult to suppress. He could not help but lift his head and watch his back figure, only to see Yu She flip around all of a sudden and return.

This time, his expression was even more different.

For no reason, Zhong Wan felt slightly nervous.

“I won’t come every day. So don’t look for me every day like this.” A frown slid its way across Yu She’s mouth, as if he had strengthened his resolve. “Enough. From now on.. every ten days, you can stay overnight at my estate for one night. However, that’s the limit. Don’t hope for any more.”