Had it been someone else, Shen Zhiyi would have acted by now.

But Xiao Huaian held a high status, and although he was a playboy, he wasn’t like Ning Yunling, who was a foolish beauty. He wasn’t someone who easily suffered losses, and few could set him up.

Shen Zhiyi was soft-tempered but afraid of the hard, so she would secretly curse, but she wouldn’t go so far as to be blatantly defiant in front of him.

She remained expressionless, "The Heir is right."

"When will you return the fan?"

Xiao Huaian was just about to speak.

Shen Zhiyi thought about how much blood splattered on many officials standing at the execution ground, feeling it was ominous, so she took action first.

"Forget it, Heir, just throw it away directly."

She didn’t even plan to pay attention to Xiao Huaian, she put down the curtain and told the coachman to set off.

Xiao Huaian watched as the carriage wheels rolled away.

No wonder...

Wei Zhao told him to talk less.

The coachman drove leisurely along the official road, but soon, he noticed something was amiss.

"Miss."

She addressed the person in the carriage.

"Heir Xiao is following us."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyi frowned.

She was reluctant to pay attention, but after some time, she lifted the curtain again to look outside.

Xiao Huaian was sitting on horseback, and this time he didn’t say anything displeasing: "The outskirts are not like Shangjing City, there are all kinds of people, and the security isn’t good. You have too few people with you; I happen to be free today and decided to accompany you to ensure your safety."

Shen Zhiyi: ???

She looked Xiao Huaian up and down.

As if he knows martial arts.

Who didn’t know about the Xiao Family’s son, who couldn’t lift a hand or carry on a shoulder?

Shen Zhiyi lay by the small window: "I see."

Xiao Huaian, like her, wanted to seek love.

But he wanted to save face and deliberately said he was accompanying her.

Xiao Huaian, readying himself to recommend at the right time, was caught off guard when Shen Zhiyi said, "You get it?"

He hadn’t even said a word yet.

Was it so obvious?

Xiao Huaian tried to find signs of rejection on Shen Zhiyi’s face.

There were none.

"Are you sure you understand?"

Shen Zhiyi sat back in her seat as the carriage moved forward, the ornament in the girl’s hair swayed lightly: "Isn’t this about discussing marriage?"

Xiao Huaian tightened his grip on the reins and took a deep breath: "Yes."

"Although you often go to brothels and have quite a few romantic companions, the Marquis Zhongyong Mansion always needs to add a new bride. Your family must be urging you too."

Shen Zhiyi sighed: "I understand you; my family is urging me too."

Xiao Huaian retracted the playful smile at the corner of his mouth, looking at her, his eyes sincere: "My family can’t control me; it’s my own thought."

He spoke earnestly: "I do go to brothels often, but it’s only for drinking. I book a courtesan, but it’s just for show; I don’t know if you believe it or not."

Xiao Huaian looked eagerly at her expression: "I have many shortcomings, but I know what I want to do."

Shen Zhiyi nodded, indicating she understood.

Thinking that Xiao Huaian had been so forthcoming, she decided to reciprocate.

"I don’t have a good reputation either, especially since I was rejected once."

Xiao Huaian said: "That’s because Chu Liulang has no taste."

!!!

This really hit Shen Zhiyi right in the heart.

She opened her heart.

"Exactly!"

"Everyone says I give a hard time to many girls, which I admit. My family isn’t prominent, and I do rely on my aunt being an imperial concubine to bully some."

"But if they insist on coming to me to be humiliated, isn’t it their fault?"

Xiao Huaian agreed: "Yes. You wouldn’t randomly make things difficult for innocent people."

"My words are harsh, I admit that too."

"Just be yourself; why flatter others?"

Shen Zhiyi suddenly found Xiao Huaian very pleasing to the eye!

She started to complain: "Nowadays, there are not many decent men who propose marriage. My father criticizes me for being too picky, but I just want to marry a good man, is that wrong?"

Xiao Huaian: "You girls all like well-educated men. Admittedly, I didn’t do well in my exams back then, but..."

Once he started speaking, the rest wasn’t so hard.

"Perhaps the timing wasn’t right; maybe it was too abrupt, but my feelings weren’t just a passing fancy."

"Shen Zhiyi, I’m actually not that bad."

Shen Zhiyi nodded earnestly: "I can see that."

Xiao Huaian’s gaze was firmly fixed on Shen Zhiyi.

"Then you could consider me."

Shen Zhiyi: "I agreed."

Xiao Huaian was prepared for rejection.

Xiao Huaian: ??

"Re...really?"

Shen Zhiyi: "What’s so real or fake about this?"

"You’re not married, I’m not married, making a pair isn’t bad."

Xiao Huaian’s Adam’s apple bobbed forcefully, his heart pounding like a drum.

Shen Zhiyi said lightly: "Aren’t we just pairing up to go to Changdu Temple together?"

"I don’t have that many rules; I once drank with Ning Yunling years ago."

She sighed: "Xiao Huaian, you actually can speak like a human."

"But your reputation is quite terrible. Now that you want to turn over a new leaf, I’m afraid no one will believe it."

"I can tell you really want to get married more than I do. For the sake of our pleasant chat earlier, wait, let you be first to pray."

"No need."

Xiao Huaian’s face darkened.

He really believed in Shen Zhiyi’s nonsense.

What does she understand!

After their conversation ended, Shen Zhiyi sat back down; her expression wasn’t much better than Xiao Huaian’s.

In fact, she was a bit alarmed.

She picked up some tea to drink.

"Miss, it’s cold, let me brew another pot," the maid said.

Shen Zhiyi didn’t seem to hear, swallowing the cold water directly to sober up a bit.

Xiao Huaian was really out of his mind!

At first, she really thought Xiao Huaian was there to seek love, but then, what Xiao Huaian said, and the way he looked at her, she wasn’t that slow.

Shen Zhiyi was not as calm as before, feeling quite uneasy.

Thinking of her father’s usual ways, if he knew Xiao Huaian had intentions for her, he would immediately arrange a marriage without a word.

But...

What Xiao Huaian said just now, Shen Zhiyi didn’t believe a word of it.

Changed ways?

The last thing she believed was a prodigal turning over a new leaf.

Wasn’t it well known that money spent on Xiao Huaian over the years was in gambling dens or brothels?

The Marquis Zhongyong’s house is high, but Shen Zhiyi wasn’t about to foolishly aspire to reach so high.

Changdu Temple was already bustling with incense but now was crowded with people at the foot of the mountain.

By the tall trees at the side, a Daoist sat.

Bao Pu, wearing a Daoist robe, his stall was simple, just a wooden table, with some old, worn-out classics, talismans, Five Thunder Eight Diagram Coins, and turtle shells on it.

There was a long line in front of him.

They were all there for him.

Having just arrived in the Capital, he set up his stall here, divining from day to night.

After becoming famous, to make it seem rare and precious, he started picking fated individuals from the crowd, gradually reducing it to three readings a day.

After all, his real goal wasn’t fortune-telling. It was to wait for someone to take the bait.

As he did usually, Bao Pu picked the last fated person and put away his fortune-telling flag.

Those who weren’t chosen sighed and reluctantly watched as the old man selected sat opposite Bao Pu.

The old man, with dark skin, nervously rubbed his hands.

"Daoist, I... I want to find my missing grandson."

He hurriedly took out his grandson’s birth date and the ten taels of silver for the fortune-teller’s fee.

But Bao Pu, rare for him, didn’t accept it and pushed it back.

"I can’t tell."