Su Yueqing didn’t say another word. She grabbed the plate with the remaining pancake, turned around with a sharp huff, and marched out of the smoky kitchen.

Wenzhe didn’t say anything either. He just quietly followed right behind her, keeping a steady pace.

Su Yueqing walked quickly, making sure to maintain a strict distance between them. Her tiny feet stomped against the stone paths of the dark estate, her crimson inner robes fluttering under the heavy coat he had given her.

[Stupid, annoying, thick-headed block of wood,] she cursed violently in her mind, taking a massive, angry bite of the pancake as she walked.

[He thinks he’s so smart. He thinks he can just cook a decent pancake and make me forget that he’s supposed to be my executioner! Just wait, Master Xi. I will find a way to make you absolutely despise me. I will be the worst villainess this world has ever seen. I’ll make you wish you never met me!]

Walking a few steps behind her, Wenzhe listened to her furious internal rant. He couldn’t help but shake his head. It was truly fascinating how a woman could look so fierce on the outside while thinking such ridiculous things on the inside.

Before long, they reached the doors of her quarters in the Northern Courtyard. The maids were nowhere to be seen, having already hurried inside to fix the room as instructed.

Su Yueqing stopped at the threshold and turned around, giving him one last, warning glare. "Don’t even think about coming inside."

Wenzhe stopped a few paces away, his hands folded behind his back. His expression became calm and serious again, though his eyes were much softer than before.

"I won’t," Wenzhe said quietly. He looked at her messy hair, her red cheeks, and the way she held the pancake plate like a treasure. "Go inside and sleep properly. The night is cold."

Su Yueqing raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to leave.

Wenzhe cleared his throat, a small glint of mischief returning to his dark eyes. "Consider our meeting adjourned for tonight. As for our marriage vows... we will consummate it another day."

Su Yueqing’s eyes went completely wide. Before she could even find her voice to scream at him, Wenzhe turned around, his dark robes swirling gracefully as he walked away into the night, leaving her standing there utterly stunned.

"No matter how horny I am, I’ll never sleep with you, Wenzhe!"

Su Yueqing yelled at his retreating back, her face burning hot with embarrassment.

With that final, furious shout, she turned right around, slammed the heavy wooden doors shut with a loud *BANG*, and headed back inside her room, locking the world out.

Outside, Wenzhe stopped walking for a quick second. Her loud, blunt words echoed through the quiet courtyard. He blinked in shock, a deep flush creeping up his own neck as he shook his head with a helpless, amused sigh, before continuing his walk back to his own quarters.

....

Meanwhile, inside the grand and peaceful estate of the Prime Minister, a completely different atmosphere hung in the air.

Young Master Zi sat at his wide wooden desk, the soft light of several oil lamps illuminating his calm, handsome face. He held a delicate brush in his hand, moving it with perfect grace across a piece of crisp white paper as he practiced his calligraphy.

Outside his doors, a maid’s soft voice broke the quiet night. "Young Master, Madame Zi has arrived."

Young Master Zi didn’t lift his eyes from his work right away, carefully finishing the stroke of a character before speaking. "Let her in."

The heavy doors slid open, and Madame Zi walked inside. She carried a small, beautifully decorated tray holding a bowl of fresh, neatly cut fruits. She looked at her son with a proud, gentle smile. Even at midnight, her son was hardworking, studying and refining his skills.

"Mother," he greeted her smoothly. He set his brush down on its rest and stood up, bowing respectfully to her.

Madame Zi set the tray down on the edge of his desk. She stepped closer, leaning down to press a soft, loving kiss against the side of his forehead. "You work too hard, my son. You must rest your eyes."

"I am nearly finished, Mother. Thank you for the fruits," he replied, his voice calm and polite as he sat back down.

Madame Zi didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she began walking slowly around his room, her sharp eyes looking through his bookshelves and neatly arranged scrolls. She acted casual, but her mind was clearly on something else.

Finally, she walked back over to his desk to strike up a conversation. Her voice dropped to a quieter, more serious tone.

"Have you heard anything from the Xi family recently?" Madame Zi asked, looking closely at his expression. "Specifically... concerning Miss Xi Lanyin?"

Madame Zi watched her son carefully, a small, knowing smile on her lips. "Lanyin is such a beautiful and talented girl. I am sure you have noticed her as well."

Young Master Zi remained completely quiet. His handsome face showed no emotion, and he smoothly picked up his brush again, dipping it in the dark ink as if he hadn’t heard a word. He acted totally indifferent, but Madame Zi knew her son better than anyone. She knew exactly how he looked when he was interested in something, even when he pretended not to care.

To make this work and get a real reaction out of him, she knew she had to push a little harder.

"Her mother spoke to me earlier today," Madame Zi continued, watching his hand closely. "She told me how Lanyin has already started getting a lot of marriage proposals from different reputable families. She is very popular right now."

Young Master Zi’s hand hovered over the paper for a tiny fraction of a second, but he still didn’t say anything.

"In fact," Madame Zi added, striking the final blow with a sigh, "her mother even asked me for advice on which family she should choose from. It seems they want to settle her marriage very soon."

Hearing this, Young Master Zi slowly set his brush back down on the porcelain rest. The calm indifference on his face finally cracked, and his dark eyes lifted to meet his mother’s gaze.

"Well in that case mother.. I won’t mind if you recommended me!"