Afterwards, he shook the light green bundle behind him, matching the color of her clothing today.

Guo Hao raised his sword-like eyebrows and added, "We know you prefer peace and dislike being disturbed. We’ve come this time by order of the Old State Preceptor to assist you, Senior Brother, and we hope you’ll let us stay by your side to help."

His appearance leaned towards the honest type, trying to speak as sincerely as possible, hoping to fool Senior Brother Shen’s discerning eyes.

As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, two probing gazes fixed on him, seemingly inspecting him from head to toe.

Under the somber and icy gaze of his senior brother, Guo Hao broke into a cold sweat but kept a nonchalant appearance, stubbornly enduring.

For a moment, he wanted to confess the truth: it wasn’t the Old State Preceptor who sent them; it was him, Peng Ran, and their senior sister who wanted to follow Senior Brother Shen. However, fearing that their brother preferred solitude and wouldn’t wish them near, they fabricated a lie.

The Old State Preceptor often traveled and wasn’t always on Dragon Tiger Mountain. Even if they wrote to inquire, they might not get a reply.

The three chose this reason~

However, using the Old State Preceptor as an excuse was futile with Shen Chen. After pondering for a moment, he refused: "I just took the autumn exams yesterday, and there’s nothing I need help with. You should go your own way."

Ling Que, with a furrowed brow, hurriedly objected: "Brother Chen, I’m not leaving. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be. I’ll rent a house next to the Ye Mansion, and when you go out, I’ll go out. I’ve come out this time to venture and strive with you. I heard you want to go into business, and I can help you."

His tone remained calm: "No need."

Beside them, the mother and daughter of the Ye Family exchanged glances, speechless.

Both had the same question in mind: is Xiao Chen (Little Traitor) going into business? Isn’t he supposed to take the civil service path...

Unbeknownst to them, Shen Chen wanted to have both, pursuing scholarly achievements while secretly venturing into business in the Capital, dabbling in industries like timber, restaurants, and textiles.

At this time, Lanhua Pavilion served as an intelligence hub, gradually expanding. It would become the largest intelligence center in the Daqing Dynasty. As long as you spent enough money, it could help you discover whatever you wanted to know.

Their matters of entanglement were beyond the concern of the mother and daughter, who sipped tea and cracked melon seeds while watching the drama unfold.

Ye Zhi, afraid of damaging her gourd-like teeth, preferred shelling the seeds before eating. Her mother had heard her younger daughter speak of "melon seed teeth" and how eating too many would damage her front teeth, so she too adopted the habit of shelling them before eating.

After all, her youngest daughter spoke with such seriousness.

Peng Ran cast a glance at Guo Hao, blaming him for his unconvincing argument. With a raised eyebrow, he signaled, "Watch me." "Senior Brother, my admiration for you is like the towering mountains, and I walk the path of righteousness. Master Pei once said you would accomplish great things. Please allow me to stay by your side and follow you. I can endure hardships. If you have any tasks, please instruct me, just as you do with Qin Yin."

Qin Yin was also a disciple of Dragon Tiger Mountain, volunteering to be Shen Chen’s subordinate and serve him.

The three of them came up with this idea after encountering him during an external training. He was very tight-lipped, not revealing Shen Chen’s business endeavors. They secretly followed him to the Furong Building, observing quietly for several days, and then sought out the shopkeeper for information, getting just a hint of news.

The first thing they did after their training ended was rush to the Capital without rest.

On this side, upon hearing Qin Yin’s name, Ye Zhi was stunned. How could he keep it from her?

Excitedly, she stood up, approached him, and inquired, "Xiao Chen, what’s the matter with Qin Yin? When did you meet him? Tell me?"