“Why are you looking at my room? There’s nothing in there.”
No naughty stuff, no goodies… probably.
Wait, could it be that Huangfu Wenqing lacks an excuse to break off the engagement, so she’s scheming to search his room for something scandalous? Then she could claim his character isn’t upright enough and call off the wedding with perfect justification?
Yeah, that makes sense. The daughters of great clans really do have that kind of cunning.
Those who just screech, “How dare you hit me? Even my dad never hits me!” are nothing but shrews. They can’t hold a candle to true high-society ladies.
Eye-opening.
“Young Master Yan Zhen?”
“Oh, Miss Wenqing, you’re welcome to visit my room if you’d like. But fair warning—there’s nothing fun inside. You might end up disappointed.”
Yan Zhen’s expression remained perfectly composed, while Huangfu Wenqing maintained her refined poise as a noble lady.
“That’s fine. I just want a quiet place to sit for a bit.”
Then why not the back garden!
The back garden has great scenery and a pleasant atmosphere. She could stay as long as she wanted. No, she insists on going to my room. There must be an ulterior motive.
Yan Zhen felt like he’d seen right through Huangfu Wenqing’s intentions.
“W-Well then, this way, please.”
“Mm, alright.”
Yan Zhen had just taken a step forward when Huangfu Wenqing extended her slender jade hand toward him. Her long sleeve slipped back with the motion, revealing a glimpse of her fair wrist and the ice crystal bracelet adorning it.
What did that mean? Was she asking for money?
He had none. He was dirt poor.
Yan Zhen tilted his head.
“What’s this?”
“Aren’t you going to hold my hand?”
Huangfu Wenqing tilted her head too, asking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Why should I hold your hand? You’re not some little girl!
Suddenly, another flash of insight struck Yan Zhen.
This must be some kind of high-society etiquette!
When showing a girl around your home, you hold her hand to display your gentlemanly grace or something like that.
Close call. He’d almost slipped out of his “noble young master” persona. After all, he was the City Lord’s heir now—not some commoner.
“My apologies for the rudeness.”
Yan Zhen straightened his expression and solemnly took Huangfu Wenqing’s hand. It felt like grasping a piece of warm jade—smooth and supple.
The moment their hands touched, Huangfu Wenqing’s heart skipped a beat. Her little ears, hidden amid her hair, flushed hot and red in an instant.
Though she’d been the one to suggest holding hands, she hadn’t anticipated the effect would be this intense. Joy bubbled up inside her, and she had to fight the urge to let a sweet smile break across her face.
In her previous life, Yan Zhen had never been this gentle with her… not before she fell for him, nor after. In his heart, she’d always ranked far below her own master.
Their one and only moment of intimacy had been when Yan Zhen scooped her up in a princess carry to rescue her from a vicious beast in the forbidden zone. It had lasted only as long as the fight.
She’d dreamed of that scene countless times, waking each time to bathe and change clothes.
Huangfu Wenqing struggled to contain her delight, keeping an elegant, faint smile on her face as she followed Yan Zhen toward the small courtyard where he lived.
Just as he’d said, there was nothing noteworthy about the place.
As the City Lord’s heir, his residence was simply a bit more spacious than those of his peers, with fancier decor and pricier furniture. To a noble child, such things were utterly ordinary.
Yan Zhen held Huangfu Wenqing’s hand as they crossed the secluded courtyard and pushed open the door to his room.
“Here we are,” Yan Zhen said, taking the initiative to explain. “The study is on the left, the bedroom on the right.”
Huangfu Wenqing quietly took in the room’s layout, as if committing every detail of Yan Zhen’s life to memory.
This was the place he’d lived for fifteen years, filled everywhere with his scent.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if drawing the very essence of “Yan Zhen” into her body.
“Miss Wenqing, are you alright?”
“It’s nothing. I walked a bit too fast and got out of breath.”
“Uh…”
According to the novel’s details, Huangfu Wenqing was a five-star mystic practitioner right now. She wouldn’t tire from running several kilometers.
Yan Zhen was at a loss for words but didn’t call her out on it.
Suddenly, he realized he was still holding her hand and quickly let go.
Strangely, when he released her, Huangfu Wenqing did not.
The Huangfu family’s eldest miss gripped his hand quite naturally, peering this way and that around the room like a country bumpkin touring a grand mansion, curious about everything.
Yan Zhen’s suspicions grew.
She really is hunting for his “naughty items,” that’s why she’s inspecting every corner so meticulously—more thorough than a kid detective!
But he truly didn’t collect any erotic drawings or steamy novels. After all, Yan Zhen had always been close with his cousin Yan Meng’er, thick as thieves. Why would he need paper waifus?
What a blunder!
If only he’d gone out yesterday and bought some erotic drawings and romance novels to plant as evidence for Huangfu Wenqing to “find,” advancing the plot smoothly.
What now? If she doesn’t find any dirt, does she have another trick up her sleeve?
In the tiny study, Huangfu Wenqing stubbornly held Yan Zhen’s hand while they looked around for a full quarter-hour, long enough to make anyone yawn.
“Yawn~”
She actually yawned—but it was Huangfu Wenqing, not him.
A dainty little yawn, her hand delicately covering her mouth, the gesture restrained and graceful. A true lady of high society.
“Sorry, I’m a bit tired,” Huangfu Wenqing said with a soft smile. “Young Master Yan Zhen, could I rest here for a while?”
What was she playing at now? Yan Zhen didn’t quite get it, but he nodded anyway.
“Of course. If you don’t mind, feel free to use my bed.”
“Then thank you, Young Master Yan Zhen.”
Her demeanor was impeccable. Then she led him by the hand toward the bed on the right side of the room.
Still not letting go? How long did she plan to hold on? Yan Zhen was utterly baffled—until yet another flash of insight hit him!
Bed, hand-holding, resting… put it together, and the conclusion was clear: she wanted him to make a mistake!
In other words, the honey trap!
Luring him to her room, dropping hints, tempting him to act.
The moment he laid a hand on her—oh ho, game over. The five-star mystic practitioner Huangfu Wenqing would flip the script, subdue him, and drag him before the elders, proclaiming him no gentleman and demanding to break the engagement!
So this was the scheming mind of a noble lady? Sneaky, but I like it!
They reached the bedside.
Huangfu Wenqing sat on the bed as casually as if it were her own home. She finally released his hand—but then said:
“Young Master Yan Zhen, you must be tired too. Why don’t you sit down with me?”
She patted the spot beside her.
According to his persona, Yan Zhen should blush and refuse. But he calmly played along, sitting down next to Huangfu Wenqing without missing a beat.
The instant he sat, Huangfu Wenqing seized his hand again.
Here comes the hint.
No rush. Let’s play along!
“Young Master Yan Zhen—no, we shouldn’t be so formal. May I call you Yan Zhen? And you can call me Wenqing.”
“Sure, Wenqing~”
Those two words made Huangfu Wenqing’s heart clench.
In her previous life, he’d never called her “Wenqing.” It had always been “Huangfu” this or “Miss Huangfu” that—stiff and distant.
Rebirth really was the best!
She bit her lip and broached the topic.
“Yan Zhen, what do you think about our engagement?”
