A few days later, Prince Yu's Manor received a rare guest, Princess Xihua. She came alone, bringing only a few servants, saying she was here to see Ling Qiyan for fun.

Ling Qiyan was lounging on a chaise lounge in the shade of a tree in the courtyard, listening to music and drinking tea. Uninterested in getting up to greet his guest, he squinted his eyes and pointed casually, motioning for the little princess to sit wherever she liked.

Princess Xihua sat down nonchalantly. She and Ling Qiyan had grown up together before the Empress Dowager and were used to messing around, so they didn't bother with empty formalities. She calmly ordered someone to peel grapes for her.

Ling Qiyan asked her lazily, "What wind blew you here today? There's nothing good in my manor for you to ruin."

Princess Xihua scoffed at him. "Big Cousin, you're so stingy. I've only just walked in, and you're already worrying that I'll covet the good things in your manor."

"Aren't you? Then what did you come for?" Ling Qiyan raised an eyebrow at her.

The little princess's eyes darted around. She grinned and leaned closer to Ling Qiyan. Frowning, Ling Qiyan raised the fan in his hand to block her. "Men and women must maintain their distance. Stay away from this Prince."

"Stop pretending to be a gentleman," Princess Xihua muttered under her breath, then put on a fawning smile. "So, um, I heard that you recently took in a scholar from the Imperial Academy as a retainer in your manor, Big Cousin?"

So she had come for Wen Ying. It wasn't the good things in his manor she coveted, but his person.

"What if I did?" Ling Qiyan said expressionlessly.

"Is he here today? The Imperial Academy is on farming leave, so he should be in the manor, right? Can you call him out for me to see?"

Ling Qiyan didn't want to deal with her. "You're an unmarried young lady, running to this Prince's manor to look at a man. Do you think that's appropriate? If I tell my aunt later, you can figure out the consequences yourself."

"Then I'll tell Grandmother that you're playing with men in your manor!"

Ling Qiyan: "..."

Fine. Although the Empress Dowager doted on him, if she knew he had brought someone back to his manor, she would inevitably drag him into the palace for a lecture, which he didn't want to deal with.

"You can look, but only look. Don't get any other ideas."

Ling Qiyan tossed out these words and called for Jiang Lin to send someone to summon Wen Ying.

A quarter of an hour later, Wen Ying arrived at the main courtyard. Seemingly not expecting another person to be present, he stood to one side without a word.

Princess Xihua was speaking animatedly to Ling Qiyan about recent events outside. On the Summer Solstice two days ago, the Crown Prince, Ling Qiyu, had gone to the Altar of Earth to perform a sacrifice on behalf of the Emperor. Unexpectedly, halfway through the ceremony, two ferocious-looking mad dogs charged out, running amok and throwing the sacrificial site into utter chaos. Ling Qiyu was scared out of his wits and fell on his bottom, losing all his dignity as the Crown Prince.

The little princess laughed as she spoke, her words full of schadenfreude. She knew Ling Qiyan was on bad terms with the Crown Prince, and she also disliked that bully of a Crown Prince who had always picked on them when they were children. She was more than happy to share his misfortune with Ling Qiyan.

Ling Qiyan sipped his tea calmly, not the least bit surprised. "Is that so? The Second has been afraid of dogs since he was little. Was he scared into any real harm?"

"In any case, the sacrificial ceremony was not completed."

To perform a sacrifice on behalf of the Son of Heaven, only to have it ruined by two vicious dogs—once this news got out, Ling Qiyu would lose all face and dignity.

Ling Qiyan smiled. "Then it just serves him right. Wicked people will be tormented by wicked dogs."

The little princess clapped her hands. "That's true!"

Wen Ying waited quietly until they finished speaking before stepping forward to pay his respects.

Princess Xihua's gaze turned to him. Seeing his eyes as bright as stars and his face as fine as jade, even though she was prepared, she still blushed slightly upon seeing him this close.

Ling Qiyan glanced at the mesmerized princess with a faint smile. "Is he handsome?"

The little princess snapped back to her senses, her face bright red. After all, she was a girl. No matter how casual she was, being caught staring blankly at a man was quite embarrassing.

Glancing again at the handsome and aloof Wen Ying, her heart pounded. Unwilling to give up, she lowered her voice and asked Ling Qiyan, "Big Cousin, is this person really a retainer in your manor?"

"Of course he is."

"Just a retainer?"

Ling Qiyan said, amused, "What else?"

"Then... I heard he is the Minor Triple First Scholar from Jizhou, and he will participate in the provincial examination this autumn. Couldn't he very well pass the spring examination next year?"

Ling Qiyan knew what the girl was scheming. Right now, Wen Ying was just a poor scholar, not worthy of her. But if he could pass the spring examination next year and become a Jinshi, perhaps even ranking in the first class, what would be wrong with a princess marrying down?

Moreover, Wen Ying was only sixteen and was already a rare Minor Triple First Scholar. His results in the subsequent major examinations would surely not be poor. He might even become the Zhuangyuan!

At this thought, Ling Qiyan felt inexplicably displeased.

Wen Ying kept his head lowered, and it was unclear if he had heard what the two cousins were saying.

"What do you want?" Ling Qiyan asked with a smile, but there was a hint of coldness in it that the little princess, lost in the first stirrings of love, did not notice.

"Big Cousin, can I come to your manor to play often from now on?"

The little princess pleaded with Ling Qiyan with expectant eyes. Ling Qiyan refused without hesitation. "No. This Prince already said that men and women must maintain their distance. If you come a few more times, gossip will start to spread outside."

The customs of the Great Cheng Dynasty were relatively open, and the separation between men and women was not strict. Thus, young ladies and madams from various manors could watch events like polo, and some even participated in the matches themselves. However, that was in public. For an unmarried man and woman to meet privately in a manor, if word got out, it would inevitably invite gossip.

In truth, Ling Qiyan didn't care about that at all. He just wanted to get her to leave quickly.

Princess Xihua pushed his arm irritably, dropping the act. "Dream on. This Princess wouldn't marry you even if I married anyone else. Mother would be the first to disagree."

Ling Qiyan reminded her with a grin, "The feeling is mutual. But Grandmother would be very happy to see us get together. If any nasty rumors were to really spread outside, Her Ladyship might just decree a marriage by force. For both our sakes, you should come to this Prince's manor less often to join the fun. Please, leave."

Ling Qiyan had already started trying to drive her away. Princess Xihua looked at Wen Ying again, a little reluctant to leave, until someone came in from outside to report that the Eldest Princess had sent someone to call her back.

Thus, she had no choice but to stand up. Glaring at Ling Qiyan one last time, she told him, "If my mother doesn't agree, Grandmother can't force me to be betrothed to you. However, when I went to the palace yesterday, Grandmother did say she was going to select a consort for you again. You'd better think it over yourself."

After speaking, the little princess left with a flourish. When she passed by Wen Ying, she paused to glance at him sideways. Wen Ying remained unmoved, his eyes still lowered.

After she had gone some distance, a maidservant from the princess's manor returned, handing a scented sachet to Wen Ying and saying haughtily, "A reward for you from the Princess."

Wen Ying didn't take it, so the maidservant simply stuffed the sachet into his hand before leaving again.

The courtyard finally quieted down. Ling Qiyan propped up his feet and looked at Wen Ying with a smirk, saying sourly, "You've got quite the charm, boy. Your skill at attracting bees and luring butterflies is not bad at all. This Prince's male cousin has taken a fancy to you, and now my female cousin has too. Tell me, what makes you so special?"

Wen Ying walked forward, knelt down beside Ling Qiyan, and began to massage his calves.

After a couple of squeezes on his calves, Ling Qiyan's body went half-limp, and his tone softened. He pinched Wen Ying's chin with two fingers, examining his face from left to right. "Tell me, how did you get a face like this? How could it be so perfect?"

Wen Ying said lightly, "Your Highness is better looking."

The smile on Ling Qiyan's lips froze for a moment. More teasing words came to his lips but he swallowed them back, released his hand, and fell back onto the chaise lounge.

As Wen Ying massaged his legs, he glanced up at him and asked, "The accident during the Crown Prince's sacrifice, was it arranged by Your Highness?"

Ling Qiyan closed his eyes and grunted twice.

"Is Your Highness not afraid of being found out?"

"If this Prince dares to do it, I naturally won't leave any evidence behind," Ling Qiyan said, glancing at him again. "What? Worried about this Prince?"

Before Wen Ying could speak, Ling Qiyan cut him off with a flick of his fingers. "Enough. I know you're about to say that this Prince is your patron, and if I have bad luck, you will too. Shut up."

Wen Ying said no more and continued to massage Ling Qiyan's legs with meticulous, patient movements.

Ling Qiyan asked him, "Has your foot healed?"

"Thank you for your care, Your Highness. It has healed."

Ling Qiyan recalled that the boy was indeed not limping when he entered just now, so he couldn't be bothered to ask further.

He closed his eyes again. Feeling comfortable from the massage, he occasionally let out a short moan, the sound sticky and cloying.

Wen Ying listened absent-mindedly, the pressure of his hands unconsciously increasing.

After a moment, he asked Ling Qiyan in a low voice, "Is Your Highness getting married?"

"I don't know. Maybe," Ling Qiyan answered casually, with an air of indifference.

"That little princess from just now, why does Your Highness dislike her?"

Ling Qiyan snorted. "Why should this Prince like a brat I grew up wetting the bed with?"

"Her Majesty the Empress Dowager wants to match you two, but Elder Princess Huaying is unwilling?"

"My aunt is naturally unwilling. She looks down on a profligate like this Prince. Besides, you should have heard people say it, right? This Prince is a jinx to his wives." Ling Qiyan said this nonchalantly, as if talking about someone else.

Wen Ying frowned slightly.

He had indeed heard it mentioned. His Highness, Prince Yu, was betrothed at the age of fourteen. His fiancée was the legitimate daughter of a certain marquis's manor, but half a month before the wedding, the young lady caught a cold and died. Half a year later, the Empress Dowager betrothed him to the daughter of a second-rank official. Less than three months after the imperial edict was issued, his fiancée fell into her family's lotus pond and drowned.

After that, the rumor that Ling Qiyan was a jinx to his wives spread until it was known by all. Now, even if the Empress Dowager wanted to arrange another marriage for him, she had to think twice.

Ling Qiyan didn't care. He hadn't wanted to marry so soon anyway, otherwise the unspeakable secret concerning his body would become a problem.

Ling Qiyan looked at Wen Ying with a grin. "What? Are you scared? This Prince is a jinx to his wives, not to you. Or could it be that you want to be this Prince's wife?"

As he spoke, his hand improperly landed on Wen Ying's chest and began to grope, pinching and kneading. Wen Ying, his face cold, grabbed his hand and forcefully threw it off.

Ling Qiyan was stunned. Anger flared in his heart, and he raised his hand to slap Wen Ying. But as his hand descended, he met Wen Ying's stubborn, deep black eyes. His gaze then swept over the man's fair and handsome face, and he paused.

Forget it... he had a soft spot for beautiful things.

Such a beautiful, flower-like face. It would be a shame to ruin it.

Ling Qiyan resentfully withdrew his hand, ground his teeth, and cursed, "You really don't know what's good for you."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your tolerance in not holding this against this student." Wen Ying bowed his head, yielding and thanking him.

Ling Qiyan felt a little more pleased and held out his hand. "Where's the scented sachet that brat Xi Hua gave you?"

Wen Ying handed the sachet to him without the slightest regret.

Ling Qiyan tossed it aside casually. "Stay away from her in the future."