Qin Jian took another gulp before pouring the contents of the wine pot onto the ground, then left the courtyard in the fading sunlight.

For a moment, Qin Sheng felt that her brother’s figure seemed somewhat lonely.

Of course, she knew that the deceased person had once been her father’s student and her brother’s best friend.

Qin Jian’s willingness to burn offerings for that person on Qingming probably meant that he had let go of the resentment in his heart.

Even after Qin Jian’s figure disappeared from sight, Qin Sheng emerged from behind the flower bed, burning the offerings for Shen Chan alongside the remaining ones.

She said, “This is for Ah Chan.”

As the fire consumed the offerings, the paper ashes scattered in the evening breeze.

Qin Sheng closed her eyes and felt the wind, as if giving a light hug to her old friend.

Qin Sheng suddenly felt a bit sad, but she also knew that for her friend, death brought an end to suffering.

That body, belonging to the mortal world, had trapped her for too long.

The emotions brought by the Qingming memorial ceremony made Qin Sheng view many things differently.

When someone came to propose marriage again, she finally didn’t outright refuse but expressed that everything would be decided by Lady Qin and remembered by Qin Jian.

Lady Qin, seeing Qin Sheng suddenly become even more dejected than Qin Jian, became worried again.

She said that there was no rush for marriage proposals and feared that Qin Sheng would become depressed staying at home alone, so she suggested that Qin Sheng go to a poetry gathering to relax.

Coincidentally, Pei Wenyao also received an invitation.

Qin Sheng went with her, having someone to accompany her.

During the carriage ride, Pei Wenyao looked at Qin Sheng’s face, which seemed to have seen through the world, and remembered the rumors she had heard.

She asked, “Did the Xu family send someone to propose marriage to your house?”

Qin Sheng nodded.

For some reason, Pei Wenyao’s expression became somewhat strange. “Have you met the eldest son of the Xu family?”

Qin Sheng replied, “No.”

The lady who came to propose marriage praised the Xu family’s eldest son sky-high.

Seeing Pei Wenyao hesitating to speak, Qin Sheng couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Wenyao was always shrewd in these matters.

She immediately said, “The Xu family’s behavior is not proper. It is rumored that they spread the news through the matchmaker they hired, saying that those who came to propose marriage to the Qin family before were all rejected by your mother.

This time, when the Xu family came, your mother didn’t outright refuse. It’s likely that she’s considering the Xu family.”

Pei Wenyao had seen the eldest son of the Xu family, and although he didn’t resemble Xie Huan in appearance, he had a similar temperament.

Before, she had thought that Qin Sheng had relaxed her stance because she had met the Xu family’s eldest son.

Now it seemed that the Xu family was trying to establish a relationship with the Qin family.

Seeing that Lady Qin had left room for negotiation, they were probably afraid that others would come to propose marriage as well.

So they spread the news through the matchmaker, letting others know that the Qin family had a favorable candidate for a son-in-law, in order to prevent further unwelcome proposals.

Even if the Qin family blamed them, the Xu family could blame the matchmaker for leaking the information.

By then, Lady Qin would have to recognize the Xu family to save Qin Sheng’s face.

Qin Sheng’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment, then smoothed out. “Let them say what they want. As long as my Qin family doesn’t agree, they’ll be the ones to make a fool of themselves in the end.”

Pei Wenyao, who had been somewhat indignant, laughed again after hearing Qin Sheng’s words. “You’re right. Anyone with eyes can see that the Xu family is eager to climb up the social ladder. If it were any other girl, they might worry about their reputation, but what does your Qin family have to fear?”

Even if the Queen defended her family’s honor, let alone if Qin Jian found any fault with Xu Shangshu, it would be enough to cause trouble for the Xu family.

The news from Pei Wenyao didn’t dampen Qin Sheng’s spirits much.

However, with her newfound identity as the Queen’s younger sister, appearing in such gatherings inevitably led to flattery from others.

Qin Sheng was not good at dealing with such situations, so after meeting the hosts, she quickly found a secluded spot to hide.

Pei Wenyao was supposed to accompany her, but she met a few childhood friends and was pulled into conversation.

Qin Sheng, on the other hand, sat quietly at the poetry gathering.

When Pei Wenyao returned, Qin Sheng lifted her head, intending to talk to her.

However, everyone around the banquet table was applauding and smiling at her.

Thinking she might have been eating ungracefully, Qin Sheng quickly adjusted her posture and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

But Pei Wenyao’s expression darkened. “The one who just recited the poem is the eldest son of the Xu family.”

At the poetry gathering, the seating for men and women was separate, with a lotus pond in between.

Qin Sheng looked towards the men’s side and saw a young man in Confucian robes, standing tall and graceful like a bamboo.

He bowed to the audience before sitting down with a slight awkwardness and a self-deprecating smile when he noticed her gaze.

For a moment, Qin Sheng was distracted.

She indeed saw a shadow of someone in him.

Pei Wenyao nudged her with her elbow. “Snap out of it!”

Qin Sheng lowered her head, her lips curved up, but with a hint of bitterness. “I know.”

The deliberate attempt to forget those days had been stirred up again.

Qin Sheng felt suffocated in her heart.

She said, “I’ve had too much tea. I’ll go to the restroom.”

Pei Wenyao wasn’t too reassured. “Should I come with you?”

Qin Sheng shook her head. “I have a maid with me. It’ll be fine.”

Pei Wenyao could see that she wanted to be alone for a while, so she didn’t insist.

Qin Sheng just wanted to take a walk outside to clear her mind.

There were several pear trees in the courtyard, which bloomed very late.

Qin Sheng saw them and looked up for a while, then said to the maid accompanying her, “No wonder they say snow on withered branches resembles pear blossoms. These pear blossoms on the trees look like they’ve been through a heavy snowfall.”

A refined voice came from behind her, “Do they resemble the snow in Beiting or the snow in Bianjing?”

Qin Sheng froze, unbelieving, and turned to see a young man in a dark blue Confucian robe not far away.

She stared blankly for a moment before calling out, “El… Eldest Young Master?”

The face was still familiar from memory, but he was no longer smiling.

Xie Huan said, “Could I have a word with Miss Qin?”

If it had been anyone else, Qin Sheng would have been too scared, but the person in front of her was a gentleman.

She said to her maid, who had followed her, “Amber, wait for me at the intersection.”

The maid was a servant girl from the Qin family and didn’t know Xie Huan.

She hesitated, “But Miss…”

Qin Sheng said, “The Eldest Young Master and his family once showed kindness to me. They won’t harm me.”

The maid looked at Xie Huan, who indeed appeared gentle and refined, and obediently retreated.

Under the pear blossom tree, only Qin Sheng and Xie Huan remained.

The initial surprise had passed, and Qin Sheng felt an inexplicable nervousness rise in her heart.

Qin Sheng made an effort to compose herself and smiled, asking, “When did the Eldest Young Master arrive in Bianjing?”

Xie Huan looked at her and replied, “Not long ago.”

His demeanor was cold, and Qin Sheng thought it was understandable since she had previously refused the gifts sent by the Xie family.

Although she felt a bit sad, her smile faded a bit as well.

Politely, she asked, “Does the Eldest Young Master have urgent matters to attend to upon his return?”

Xie Huan replied, “Yes.”

Qin Sheng speculated that the urgent matter that brought him back to the capital must be related to the Xie family. “If there’s anything the Qin family can help with, please feel free to ask, Eldest Young Master.”

Suddenly, Xie Huan asked, “I heard you’re about to be engaged?”

Engagement was a nonexistent matter, but denying it now would seem like an attempt to keep the connection alive.

Qin Sheng nodded and said, “Marriage is decided by my mother and elder brother.”

With that, they fell into a prolonged silence, interrupted only by the wind, which caused the pear blossoms to flutter and fall.

After a while, Qin Sheng turned to Xie Huan and said with a courteous bow, “I’ve been away for a while, and Princess Pei is still waiting for me. I should take my leave.”

As she passed by Xie Huan, he suddenly grabbed her wrist with great force.

Xie Huan said, “Instead of marrying someone else, would you marry me?”

Qin Sheng’s eyes widened in astonishment.

Xie Huan turned to face her, his dark eyes fixed on her. “I’ve already submitted a request to His Majesty and the Queen Mother to return to the capital. If you like Bianjing, I can stay in Bianjing.”

As he spoke, tears welled up in Qin Sheng’s eyes. “I’m not worth the Eldest Young Master going to such lengths for me…”

Xie Huan didn’t loosen his grip on her wrist. “Whether you’re worth it or not, I decide.”

With his other hand, he wiped away her tears. “What others can do for you, I can do, and what others can’t, I can also do. Will you marry me?”

Tears flowed uncontrollably from Qin Sheng’s eyes.

What had previously stopped her from pursuing this relationship was the distance of a thousand miles.

But now that he had traversed that distance and stood before her, what was there that she couldn’t take this final step for?

Qin Sheng nodded with tears in her eyes.

Xie Huan’s lips finally relaxed a bit.

He looked at her face, which was like a pear blossom in the rain, and felt the same restlessness that had arisen when he first heard she was about to be engaged to someone else.

When their lips touched, he realized that he was acting recklessly.

But his mind was overwhelmed by the exhilaration of overpowering rationality.

Thankfully, he had made it in time.

The request to return to the capital hadn’t been approved yet, but he had already received news that the gifts sent from the Xie Mansion to the Qin family had been returned.

He had also heard rumors about various families proposing marriage to the Qin family.

He was afraid that the Qin family had already found a suitable son-in-law among them.

He couldn’t afford to delay for even a moment.

He rushed back to the capital, and as soon as he arrived, he learned about her impending engagement to the son of Xu Shangshu.

At that moment, he felt as if his heart had been burnt to ashes.

This kiss was so sudden that even Xie Huan himself was dumbfounded.

Afraid of scaring Qin Sheng, he withdrew immediately. “I’ve already sent a matchmaker to the Qin family. If your mother and brother agree, I’ll choose an auspicious day to propose.”

Qin Sheng stood there dumbfounded, as if in a daze.

She didn’t hear what Xie Huan said.

She had always thought that Xie Huan was gentle and easygoing.

Today, she realized that he was no less domineering than Xie Chi when he wanted something.