Mrs. Wang was surrounded by people as she went to look at the dowries displayed in the courtyard, unable to suppress the smile on her face. When she saw Zhao Erlang come in soaking wet with snow, she hurriedly scolded, "Why don’t you go and change your clothes to entertain the guests?"

Seeing Zhao Zheng and Zhao Rong following behind him, she quickly said, "You all should go too. We’ll need your help at the house today."

Zhao Hanzhang’s wedding was scheduled for tomorrow, but with so many friends and family coming today to contribute to the dowry, the family was hosting a feast, so they needed Zhao Erlang and others to help entertain the guests.

The Zhao Family’s place was bustling with excitement, whereas the Fu Family’s side was quite a bit quieter.

Fu Tinghan went out early to check the warehouse just outside the city, inspecting the salt that had just been transported from Qingzhou and Guangzhou. He held the official documents and rode home, but upon hearing the liveliness at the Zhao Family, he halted his horse and glanced that way.

Fu An immediately nudged his horse forward and said, "My lord, it looks like the Zhao Family is adding to the dowry today."

He sighed, "Today was supposed to be the day when you would deliver the betrothal gifts, but since Third Lady changed the wedding customs, you can’t go over there anymore."

Fu Tinghan, who initially didn’t mind, suddenly had a strong urge to see Zhao Hanzhang, and this urgent desire left him dazed for a moment.

Fu Tinghan asked, "As her colleague, am I not supposed to go over and add to the dowry when she gets married?"

Fu An: ...My lord, wake up, she’s getting married to you.

Not to mention you didn’t deliver the betrothal gifts today. Even if you did, under the old customs, the couple still couldn’t meet.

But Fu Tinghan was not someone to be easily dissuaded.

He kicked his horse a little, saying, "Let’s go, we’re going to add to her dowry."

Fu An hurriedly tried to persuade him from behind, "My lord, my lord, everything has been packed as betrothal gifts, what will you use to add to the dowry?"

"It’s not that urgent. Didn’t my father give me an inkstone and a set of brushes yesterday? Get them, we’re going to add to the dowry."

Fu An was nearly in tears, "My lord, you just said last night the brushes were made exceptionally well and were perfect for your drawings, and now you’re giving them to the Third Lady?"

Fu Tinghan glanced back at him, and Fu An could only obey obediently.

When they passed by a deserted neighbor’s house, Shi Hongtu, who had been silently tagging along, suddenly sped up and positioned himself beside Fu Tinghan, softly saying, "Chief of Staff, be careful!"

Fu Tinghan looked up in confusion, only to hear some rustling sounds from beyond the wall. Then, amidst the group’s vigilance, four hands appeared on the wall, and two heads slowly popped up. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Two boys, around twelve or thirteen years old, climbed onto the wall, not turning back but instead reaching inside to pull up three people, two of whom were girls.

The five of them were all of similar age.

Fu Tinghan silently looked up at them.

The five youths, carrying two large bundles, were just about to turn to face outward when they were startled to see the people below and almost fell off the wall.

They let out a gasp, barely avoiding a tumble, and upon discovering Fu Tinghan, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and immediately explained, "My lord, I—this garden—it’s uninhabited."

Fu Tinghan asked, "Just because no one lives there, does that mean you can enter? What’s in your bundles?"

The five youths lowered their heads in disappointment; one opened a bundle but seemed reluctant, so he only peeked, hesitating and not letting Fu Tinghan see inside. "It’s just some flower branches, petals, nothing of value."

Fu Tinghan: "In this weather, what flowers could be in the garden?"

The youths dodged the question, but the one holding the bundle got nudged by the companion next to him, causing him to lose his balance, and the bundle slipped from his hand. Pink and red plum blossoms fell toward Fu Tinghan’s head, and he caught a handful in a daze, silently watching the boy.

The boy, too, sat on the wall, silently watching him, and then dumped the remaining half-bundle into Fu Tinghan’s arms, along with the rest of the group, quickly sliding down the wall like rabbits and running away.

Shi Hongtu was about to give chase, but Fu Tinghan stopped him, "No need. They look like students from the school. Kids being playful, it’s not worth making a fuss about it lest we scare them."

But we can mention it to Zhao Cheng, and perhaps schools nationwide should conduct a moral education course — even vacant houses shouldn’t be entered at will.

Fu Tinghan handed the half-bundle of plum blossoms to Fu An. After pondering for a while but unable to think of their use, he straightforwardly said, "Take them back to the Princess; maybe she’ll find them useful."

Fu An agreed with a smile.

He was about to brush off the blossoms fallen on himself and his horse, but looking down at them again, he felt it was a pity, so he packed them into his sleeves, including several short branches, which he also gathered.

Fu Tinghan returned to fetch the inkstone and brushes, and after some thought, he took today’s official documents along as well.

He told Shi Hongtu, "Just the three of us will be fine. Tell the other trusted aides to stay home; too many people will be inconvenient."

Shi Hongtu: ...Will it be inconvenient for sneaking in?

Fu Tinghan was his superior after all, so Shi Hongtu immediately agreed.

At this time, there were many people going in and out of the Zhao Family, so the three of them blended in without drawing attention. The guards at the gate saw them but Fu Tinghan was too familiar a figure to them and not in their threat profile, so they didn’t immediately sense anything wrong.

By the time they realized Fu Tinghan shouldn’t be there, only the sight of his back remained in their peripheral vision.

The two guards hesitated, considering he might have urgent official business.

Besides, there were people guarding the second gate. If it was inappropriate, they would turn Fu Tinghan away.

People at the second gate might refuse Fu Tinghan, but those inside wouldn’t.

With Zhao Hanzhang’s permission, people at the second gate let Fu Tinghan in.

Fu Tinghan handed the dowry gifts to Fu An to deliver, then proceeded inside with documents in one hand and several small plum branches in the other.

Inside, Wang Hufeng was chatting with Zhao Hanzhang, and she looked up when she noticed the door being pushed open, spotting Fu Tinghan entering excitedly.

Upon seeing her, his smile slightly retracted, and as he tried to perform a salutation, he realized he was holding flower branches. In his flustered rush, Wang Hufeng stood up smiling, bowed to Zhao Hanzhang, and then withdrew.

Fu Tinghan stepped aside to let her leave, taking a deep breath once they were alone.

Zhao Hanzhang looked curiously at the branches in his hand, asking, "Where did you get the plum blossoms?"

Surely, he didn’t come specifically to deliver plum blossoms?

Fu Tinghan handed the flowers to her, "On the way here, I came across some mischievous students who snuck into an abandoned garden to pick plum blossoms. They were scared, and all the plum blossoms they picked fell on me. I thought they were beautiful, so I gathered some for you. Not just branches, but lots of petals too."

Today he was wearing an official robe with wide sleeves, layered with inner sleeves and pockets. Fu Tinghan lifted a corner of his sleeve and spilled the petals out, cascading down toward Zhao Hanzhang, landing all over her head and face.

Zhao Hanzhang sat cross-legged on the wooden couch, staring at him in surprise. A petal floated gently between her brows, and as Fu Tinghan gazed at her, he was struck by her beauty. Before he realized it, he bent down and kissed her forehead.

The fragrance of plum blossoms grew stronger, intoxicating the senses.

Fu Tinghan straightened up, gently removing the red plum petal from her brows, clenching it into his fist.

Zhao Hanzhang gazed fixedly at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, and she reached up, tugging him down by his collar, and softly bit his lip...

Fu Tinghan paused, his loosely clenched hand naturally encircling her lower back. He knelt on one knee, leaning forward to press down on her...

As Wang Hufeng exited the room and was about to leave the courtyard, she couldn’t help but glance back, catching a glimpse of the intertwined shadows inside the room.