“My Lord, Prince Hui has arrived.”

  “Invite the prince in.” Ling Jiu massaged her brow, a tired expression mounting itself on her face. She got up from the chair she was sitting in, heading towards the receiving hall of the estate.

  Prince Hui.. was a difficult person to be around. He was the sixth prince of the current reign, carefree; frivolous; and the full-blooded brother of the current crown prince. His identity was incredibly noble and most people would give way to him when he demanded something. Prince Hui was also a childhood pymate and cousin of Xiao Jiureng. His close retionship with the original body was more or less why he had visited the Jinyong Duke Residence multiple times in the past few months.

  From an objective standpoint, Prince Hui was a great connection to have, but Ling Jiu still really disliked interacting with him. The prince was…. simply put, the handsy type. Contrary to what many would expect a prince to behave like, Prince Hui paid little mind to strictly adhering to etiquette, especially around Ling Jiu. He would often throw his arm around Ling Jiu’s shoulders or smack her arm in public, ughing about this or that.

  This was not to say Ling Jiu had never had friends who she was especially close with back in modern times. It was quite the contrary. She was used to physical contact, but the times that Ling Jiu had met Prince Hui could be counted on one hand. That is to say— she barely knew him.

  And what she did know of him was from the history books that she was forced to read when she was younger and the few interactions they had together. All in all, they were practically glorified strangers so she was understandably uncomfortable around the very enthusiastic prince.

  From the history that Ling Jiu knew of in the future, Prince Hui would become the next emperor of Liang, but he wouldn’t live long. His cause of death is hotly debated among modern historians— either poison or illness.

  Approaching the receiving hall, Ling Jiu unconsciously straightened up. Prince Hui, Xiao Chenyu, was already seated.

  “Jiureng!” His smile was radiant.

  “Chenyu.” Ling Jiu sat down, “It’s been a while since your st visit.”

  If Xiao Chenyu minded Ling Jiu’s indifference, he didn’t show it in the slightest. It was an open secret that after falling into the ke that day, the duke had lost his memory— or so Ling Jiu cimed after she woke up from her slumber. It was easier for her to operate that way.

  “What can I say? I’ve been busy.” He ughed, “Is your head any better now?”

  “A little. It’s still like before.”

  Xiao Chenyu looked at her with undisguised pity. “Unfortunate. But let’s not dwell on these things.” The prince leaned back comfortably in his seat, picking up a teacup containing fresh brewed tea. He took a sip. “Xie Shen is back.”

  “Xie Shen?” Ling Jiu tried to recall who he was.

  “Xie Shen, the third young lord of Duke An’s manor. He’s my cousin from my mother’s side.”

  Oh, right. Xie Shen. Known for being particurly problematic, Xie Shen was the arrogant and whimsical kind of guy, the type to cause chaos wherever he went. After a scandal involving a noble house’s girl, he was given a sp on the wrist and sent away from the capital to the Xie cn’s ancestral home to avoid further embarrassment.

  Her family hadn’t dared to seek justice for her. Who told Xie Shen to be the Crown Prince’s and Sixth Prince’s cousin?

  In the end, the girl was the only one to actually suffer. With her purity tainted, she was expelled from her cn and posted up in a nunnery to live out the rest of her days.

  Two years had gone by since. A month or two ago, Ling Jiu had heard about the Xie cn recalling Xie Shen.

  “Oh.” She pinly stated, “The one the rumors are swirling around about?”

  “Yes. Sending him back to the ancestral home did nothing. He’s still as troublesome as ever.” Xiao Chenyu rubbed his brows, a rare expression of distress on his face. “He’s coming back this time because the Xie cn intends to find a marriage for him. They can’t just let their precious son be forever tainted by that scandal.”

  With undisguised disdain, Ling Jiu scoffed, “Which cn’s poor dy do they have their sights on?”

  “Originally, they wanted to reinforce familial ties by seeking a marriage with A’Xin, but with Xie Shen’s tainted reputation, Imperial Father will surely not permit the marriage. Imperial Mother has already warned the Xie cn about this.”

  “Then…?”