Murong Ye was unconcerned.

"If she has that much time on her hands, let her do it."

In his eyes, Ye Chutang was making a fuss over nothing.

She was just a girl, after all. When her younger siblings were small, it was understandable that she had to step up and handle things.

But now they were back in the Capital City, living a good life. They should just live peacefully. Why go looking for trouble?

Whether the grave was in the suburb of the capital or in Qingzhou, what difference did it make?

Hearing him say this, Ye Shixian’s unease subsided slightly.

’I must be getting paranoid. Whatever Ye Chutang does, I assume she has ulterior motives.’

’She’s probably just trying to show off her filial piety and use the opportunity to trample on my father, implicitly criticizing him for the hasty burial back then.’

’But with Father already exiled to Tongbei, this little scheme of hers is nothing in comparison.’

Murong Ye watched her look down pitifully, the rims of her eyes and the tip of her nose flushed red. He pulled her closer, his hand irresistibly stroking the small of her slender back.

Ye Shixian’s heart pounded. She instinctively wanted to break free, but she forcefully suppressed the thought as soon as it crossed her mind.

’Right now, Murong Ye is the only one I can rely on. I have to hold on to this lifeline, no matter what!’

Suppressing her discomfort, Ye Shixian changed the subject, asking with feigned worry:

"Mr. Murong, you’ve helped me so much this time. Does Lord Murong know about it?"

Of course, this was a pointless question. Murong Yang was old and cunning; how could Murong Ye possibly do all this right under his nose without him noticing?

She only asked to distract Murong Ye.

Sure enough, her words doused the fire that had just been kindled in Murong Ye.

He frowned, his mind in turmoil.

His father had probably seen his persistence and finally relented, but not without a stern warning: without his permission, Ye Shixian was not to set a single foot inside the Murong Family’s gates.

Naturally, he couldn’t tell her this directly.

Murong Ye said, "He knows. But don’t worry, I will protect you."

Ye Shixian’s face filled with remorse.

"Mr. Murong, please don’t get angry with Lord Murong because of me. I..."

The more she spoke, the more annoyed he became.

Murong Ye lost his amorous mood. He released her and said:

"I know what I’m doing, so you don’t need to worry too much. It’s getting late today; I should head back. I have to return to the Imperial College tomorrow. After that, I’ll come see you every ten-day break."

His father had kept him confined at home for quite some time. If he didn’t return to his classes at the Imperial College, it would be hard to justify.

Ye Shixian felt a wave of relief and obediently agreed.

Murong Ye gave a few more instructions before finally turning to leave.

...

「Dingbei Marquis Mansion.」

"My lord, Grand Scholar Chen is here to visit."

Shen Yanchuan raised his eyebrows. "A rare guest indeed."

Yun Cheng smiled. "Isn’t he just?"

Chen Songshi was a recluse who rarely went out. For him to visit unannounced was truly a rare occurrence.

Shen Yanchuan’s eyelashes lowered slightly as countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but he couldn’t figure out why Chen Songshi would come today.

"Show Mr. Chen to the study."

As soon as Shen Yanchuan entered the room, he saw Chen Songshi standing with his hands behind his back, admiring a piece of calligraphy on the wall.

"Mr. Chen."

Chen Songshi turned around. He was nearly sixty, with an unkempt appearance, but he was full of vigor.

He waved his hand.

"No need for formalities. This is your mansion, so make yourself at home."

Shen Yanchuan: "..."

Yun Cheng, clearly accustomed to the man’s ways, kept his eyes lowered and presented a jar of aged wine before quietly excusing himself.

Chen Songshi was a wine aficionado. Tea was optional, but wine was an absolute must.

However, Chen Songshi merely glanced at it before looking away.

Shen Yanchuan noticed this and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What matter brings you all the way here today?"

Chen Songshi and Duke Dingbei, Shen Youyan, were close friends who had bonded over wine. Thus, he was far more casual and at ease here than anyone else.

It was just that Shen Youyan had given up drinking after his wife passed away. But that didn’t affect Chen Songshi; whenever he wanted a drink, he would just come over and drink by himself, without asking Shen Youyan to join him.

Later, when Shen Youyan was permanently stationed at the Northern Border, Chen Songshi’s visits became less frequent, but their friendship remained as strong as ever.

When Shen Yanchuan saw him, he also greeted him with the respect due to an elder.

Chen Songshi pointed at the painting on the wall. "This old man recalls that this isn’t what used to hang here."

’Of course not.’

What hung there before was one of his own paintings.

’It’s just that... he had already given it away as a favor.’

Shen Yanchuan paused. "It isn’t. Why do you suddenly ask?"

Chen Songshi said, "Let’s replace it."

Shen Yanchuan was taken aback. "You mean..."

Chen Songshi raised a hand. "I’ll give you another one. Bring me a brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone!"

Shen Yanchuan: "..."

Although he didn’t know the reason for Chen Songshi’s actions, Shen Yanchuan didn’t ask. He walked straight over and began to grind the ink for him.

Chen Songshi was a master of painting. Many people coveted one of his works but could never obtain one; they were priceless and highly sought after.

This was because of Chen Songshi’s eccentric temper. He only ever gave his calligraphy and paintings to people he chose. For those he looked down upon, he would rather tear the work to shreds on the spot than let them have it.

Chen Songshi lifted his brush and put it to paper, utterly focused.

Shen Yanchuan watched for a while. As the outlines on the paper became clearer, he felt a faint sense of familiarity.

He narrowed his eyes slightly.

’This seems to be...’

While he was pondering, Chen Songshi finished the final stroke. An ink wash painting, full of meaning and vividly capturing the spirit of its subject, was complete.

The faint scent of ink still lingered in the air.

Shen Yanchuan paused, then asked, "If I’m not mistaken, what you’ve painted is..."

"Purple Cloud Peak."

Chen Songshi put down his brush with satisfaction and turned his head to ask,

"What do you think?"

Shen Yanchuan nodded. "You are a master of painting. Naturally, it is excellent."

Chen Songshi was even more pleased.

"Feiyun Temple on Purple Cloud Peak... it’s been a long time since I’ve been."

If Shen Yanchuan still didn’t understand what he was getting at, it would be absurd. But now that he did understand, he found the situation even more absurd.

A name surfaced in his mind.

The next moment, he heard that very name from Chen Songshi’s lips.

"That girl from the Ye Family, Ye Chutang... she’s been at Feiyun Temple recently, hasn’t she?"

Shen Yanchuan put the painting down. "Yes."

After a moment’s hesitation, he voiced the question on his mind. "You know her as well?"

Chen Songshi shook his head. "Don’t know her."

’Then why on earth bring her up out of the blue?’

Chen Songshi immediately added, "But it’s enough that you know her."

A smile suddenly appeared on his face, and his tone became much more eager.

"You should know that she’s the one who opened Yunlai Tavern, right?"

Shen Yanchuan felt he now understood why Chen Songshi had come today and insisted on painting here.

Just as he expected—

"Her tavern’s signature Snow Drink is crisp and fragrant, smooth on the palate but burns like fire as it goes down, capturing the essence of a blazing fire in the midst of heavy snow. It’s truly one of a kind! A pity it’s limited each day, and they don’t allow takeout."

As Chen Songshi spoke, he couldn’t help but smack his lips, still reminiscing about the wine’s aroma from that day.

He shot Shen Yanchuan a knowing look.

"You two are very close. She must have given you some in private, right?"