Could Young Master Xu perhaps be suffering from some hidden ailment?

Ning Junruo longed to leave as early as anyone could.

Yet she knew all too well that breaking out of her current predicament would be immensely difficult, and she dared not harbor extravagant hopes of parting the clouds to see the moonlight.

Just like today, a single word from the Princess Consort and the Prince was enough to trap her tightly within the manor.

If they could place her under house arrest today, they could take her life tomorrow.

Ning Junruo sighed softly. Even though she had taken in those four maidservants, leaving the Prince's Manor remained an urgent and pressing matter.

In her past life, Junyuan had written letters praising Xu Mingyi to the high heavens, describing him as a man of formidable martial arts, completely indifferent to women and uninterested in men, a truly admirable gentleman of upright character.

It was said that many young ladies in the capital had taken the initiative to show him favor, and even Princess Lianxi had once extended an olive branch to him, yet he had coldly rejected them all.

Although she had never laid eyes on Master Xu, the people of Liangzhou all spoke of him as a man as handsome as jade trees in the wind, a true dragon and phoenix among men.

How could a young lord who excelled in both scholarly and martial arts, and was in the very prime of his life, remain completely indifferent to both women and men?

Ning Junruo could not make sense of it, and in a previous letter, she had even teased, "Could Master Xu possibly have some hidden affliction?"

Junyuan had replied that it was utterly impossible, mentioning that he had once asked Master Xu if he had anyone in his heart.

Master Xu had smiled, and Junyuan noted that it was the first time he had ever seen him smile with such radiant warmth.

Under the bright moonlight, his clear eyes seemed to ripple with starlight, as if he were reminiscing about something beautiful, or perhaps mourning a shattered dream...

She still remembered how he had looked toward that pale moon and said, "What my virtuous brother says is true. I indeed have someone in my heart, but to me, she is like the moon and stars in the sky—so utterly out of reach."

Hearing him speak of matters of the heart for the very first time, Ning Junyuan had been deeply shaken.

"In Junyuan's heart, Brother Xu is like a star in the heavens. If I may be so bold as to say something unfilial, even Princess Lianxi might not be worthy of Brother Xu's talent and appearance. I can scarcely imagine what kind of woman exists in this world who could make Brother Xu regard her as his shining moon. Who might this young lady be?"

Xu Mingyi did not answer. Instead, he stared fixedly into his eyes for a long moment before finally uttering something rather baffling.

"Your eyes really are quite alike."

Utterly bewildered, Ning Junyuan had repeatedly pressed him to explain what those words meant, but Xu Mingyi refused to say another word.

In her past life, Junyuan had asked her in his letters what that sentence could possibly mean.

Ning Junruo had pondered it for a long time without finding an answer, and had simply replied in her letter:

"Either your eyes look very much like that young lady's, or he was merely speaking off the cuff. Do not take it to heart."

Hearing Xu Mingyi's passionate confession this time around, Ning Junruo finally understood the true meaning of those words.

Her parents had shared a deep and devoted affection; her father had never taken concubines nor kept maids for warm beds, and all four children bearing her father's name were born of her mother.

The two older brothers bore facial features that strongly resembled their father, while only she and Junyuan looked remarkably like their mother, especially their eyes, which were carved from the very same mold.

Thinking of the Goddess Temple, Ning Junruo suddenly recalled the events of the previous year.

That spring, when her mother fell ill, she went to the Goddess Temple to pray for her recovery. To demonstrate her sincerity, she wore plain, unadorned garments and walked up the mountain on foot, mingling with the crowd.

Who could have foreseen that she would step on a patch of moss and nearly take a disastrous tumble, had it not been for a man nearby who caught her with lightning speed and steady hands?

Always strictly observant of propriety, she had not dared to cast a single glance at the man from beginning to end, simply offering a smiling curtsy to thank him for his timely rescue.

Recalling that man's slightly magnetic voice, Ning Junruo was suddenly struck by a startling realization: Master Xu was none other than the man who had caught her outside the Goddess Temple!

As it turned out, their bond of fate had been forged as early as her past life.

No wonder...

No wonder she had trusted him so implicitly.

He had remarked that her trust in Guan Muren was truly enviable.

Little did he know, had she not already known that Xu Mingyi possessed martial arts skills, would she have so readily agreed to a private meeting with Guan Muren?

Rather than saying she trusted Guan Muren, it was far truer to say she believed in Xu Mingyi.

Just as everyone proclaimed, Master Xu was dashing and debonair, truly a dragon and phoenix among men.

For such a handsome man, accomplished in both letters and martial arts, to have made repeated gentle advances toward her—how could Ning Junruo, as a normal woman, fail to be stirred?

Previously, constrained by her own status, she had constantly forced herself to suppress those feelings.

At this moment, recalling all the events of her past life, she could no longer maintain her composure, nor could she face him with a straight face.

Stammering a few hurried words, Ning Junruo fled in complete disarray.

With Xiao Yunjiji's thousand taels of silver and Consort Dowager Xu's personal testimony, the Yunmeng Pavilion and the Prince Liang's Manor had barely managed to return to their usual orderly state.

Beneath the surface, however, anxiety gripped everyone's hearts, especially when they thought of how the servants of Yilan Residence had been cleared out and how the Princess Consort had almost been placed under house arrest.

Even Xiao Yunjiji began to worry: Would the people of Xiaoxiang Pavilion be withdrawn? Would the Prince use house arrest to force her into handing over the silver?

Upon learning that the Princess Consort was willing to fork over ten thousand taels of silver to relieve the manor's financial woes, the Consort Dowager was overjoyed.

"As the saying goes, a loud drum requires a heavy blow. If this palace hadn't sent people to surround Yilan Residence, would she have obediently fallen in line? I was previously worried we wouldn't have the funds to host the full-month banquet; with this silver, once the banquet is held, our crisis will be completely resolved."

Zhao Shenxing was equally delighted. "Your son was thinking the exact same thing."

Just as the two of them were rejoicing, a gate servant hurried in to report that the Princess Consort had returned, accompanied by two guests, and requested the Consort Dowager and the Prince to come to the main hall to receive them.

Had the silver been borrowed so quickly?

Zhao Shenxing asked happily, "Do you recognize either of those two?"

"This humble servant only recognizes Manager Yuan," the servant replied, bowing with cupped hands. "That elderly gentleman has never visited the manor before, so I do not know him."

"That old man is surely another member of the Ning family, probably here to act as a witness. Let us go out and take a look," the Consort Dowager said cheerfully.

The moment they stepped into the main hall, however, the two of them were dumbstruck. That old man was no member of the Ning family at all!

After a momentary pause, Zhao Shenxing had no choice but to offer a reluctant, cupped-hand salute. "So it is Master Li. To what do we owe the honor of your visit to the manor today?"

Li Tailai had always looked down upon this notorious Zhao Shenxing.

尽管两人在京城早已相识 (Although they were old acquaintances from the capital), this was nevertheless his very first visit to the Prince Liang's Manor.

Consort Dowager Xu also managed an awkward smile. "It has been quite a while, yet Master Li appears more vigorous and spirited than ever."

"You flatter me, Consort Dowager!"

Li Tailai rose, cupping his hands in a bow. "I apologize for calling uninvited, and I trust Your Grace will forgive my intrusion."

"Please, take a seat and speak," the Consort Dowager said, waving her hand after settling into her chair. "May I ask the purpose of Master Li's visit?"

Once everyone had taken their seats, Ning Junruo spoke up. "I am the one who invited Master Li here. Previously, the Prince and I signed an IOU for ten thousand taels of silver. However, finding myself unable to scrape together such a large sum on short notice, I thought of the righteous and magnanimous Lord Li. Upon hearing of my distress over the silver, Lord Li did not hesitate for a second to produce a ten-thousand-tael banknote.

Since this silver was provided by Master Li, naturally the IOU must bear Master Li's name. Fortunately, the previous IOU had not yet been signed with any creditor's name, so I have brought everyone together today so you may witness Master Li signing his name to the document."

Speechless with fury, Zhao Shenxing felt utterly crushed!

To have it proclaimed right in front of outsiders that he had written an IOU to borrow silver was humiliating enough.

The silver had clearly been borrowed from her—how on earth had it suddenly turned into a loan from Master Li?

Confound you, wretched woman!

How dare you play a trick on this Prince!

So enraged was Zhao Shenxing that he nearly vomited a mouthful of blood.