"Master Hou has returned to the mansion!"

  The gatekeeper habitually came forward to take over the reins, bowing his body to welcome Xie Xu's shift.

  A young servant flashed out from the doorway and reported: "Master Hou, Madam has prepared wine and dishes in the Chao Lu courtyard, please go over for dinner."

  Xie Xuan's feet paused for a moment, and his eyes flashed with a hint of confusion: "Madam... what are your orders?"

  The little servant hastily nodded. Xie Xun's heart suddenly opened up with a wave of joy. Without saying another word, he strode quickly towards the direction of the Weeping Flower Gate.

  Tonight, Qin Miao specially had the dinner table placed in front of the small window in the outer room. When you raise your head, you can see the moon, and when you turn around, it's the fragrance of flowers. As soon as Xie Lin entered the courtyard, he saw through the small window a beautiful woman with a pale complexion leaning against the windowsill, lost in thought. The beauty was like jade, delicate and charming, with a hint of laziness in her lowered eyelids. Such a beautiful scene made his throat dry, and he couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

  Qin Miao was indeed a bit drowsy, but when she heard the sound of someone calling from under the eaves, she woke up. She didn't go to the door to greet them as usual, instead turning around to tidy up her skirt which had become slightly disheveled from dozing off.

  Xie Xuan changed into official attire and automatically sat down across from her. The dinner consisted of four dishes, one soup, and a small snack, with the special addition of a jug of wine.

  "Good autumn dew white, want some?" Qin Miaosu's slender hands grasped the small wine jug and poured a drink. Seeing Xie Yan hadn't moved, she casually picked up her cup and brought it to her nose for a light sniff. "Fragrant as always, good wine..."

  "Wouldn't you like a cup? This is the only one I managed to snatch from Old Chen, and it's the best in Pingyang City." Looking at the fragrant and mellow Autumn Dew White, Qin Miao smiled faintly, with an almost imperceptible hint of resonance in her eyes. "Later on, there won't be any more."

  "Why not? If you want a drink, just buy one." Xie Yan looked at the wine in her cup in confusion.

  Qin Miao shook her head: "Old Man Chen is leaving, he's going to leave Pingyang, and there won't be any more Autumn Dew White in the future."

  "This is a melancholic remark, but the next second he sighed boredly and said: 'Come on, today you and I can taste this last pot of Autumn Dew White, we are indeed fortunate people. Cheers!'"

  The cups met in mid-air with a faint clink, and both of them drained their drinks without hesitation.

  One cup was not enough, and Qin Miao drank three or four cups in a row before she felt her body warm up and relax completely.

  Xie Yan quietly accompanied her, worried that she was upset, abstaining from wine and tempering her emotions, occasionally serving her dishes and advising her not to rush to drink.

  Qin Miao gave him a cold stare: "What's gotten into you today? You're being so nice to me. You're not usually this enthusiastic and proactive."

  Xie Xuan's chopsticks, which were about to pick up a dish, paused for a moment, and she had originally intended to put it in her bowl, but ultimately changed direction and sent it to her own bowl.

  "What's wrong with you, just because I said one sentence, you're so petty." Qin Miao reached into Xie Yun's bowl and directly snatched the bean sprout dish back to her own bowl. "It was mine to begin with, how can it not come back?"

  The sudden movement made Xie Yan very unaccustomed, but the guy opposite him had a proud smile on his face, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised as he gazed at himself. It had been a long, long time since he had seen Qin Miao like this, that Qin Miao who used to often make moves that made her unhappy, just like the move just now, if it were when she first entered the mansion, he would probably have directly spoken out to teach her a lesson. But now, such a Qin Miao suddenly came back, and he found it very cute, very playful, and very heart-moving.

  "Ah Nuan?"

  This was the third time this man had called her by her nickname, and all three times had occurred within a short span of just a few days. She inexplicably felt a skipped beat in her heart, and wanted to hear him call her that again with such familiarity.

  "Huh?" Qin Miao looked up at him.

  "Sorry."

  Xie Yan deliberated repeatedly, and finally spoke out. He indeed owed her an apology, at least in the fire scene, he was the first to abandon her, even if he later thought of rushing in to save her. But what's done is done.

  As soon as the words were spoken, both of them felt the air become heavy and silent for a long time. Xie Lin lowered her head to eat, tightly grasping her sleeves with tension, even her palms were slightly sweating.

  "Xie Xuan, have you ever liked me?"

  Thought of no longer entanglement, just leave. But Qin Miao still had a greedy heart, suddenly gave herself a mouthful of wine, after all, can not bypass this problem that has been spinning around her for many days.

  Xie Xuan didn't expect that while waiting for her to accept his apology, Qin Miao threw such a question at him.

  Do you like it?

  He looked at Qin Miao opposite him, narrowing his eyes as he stared at himself, thinking for a long time: "I don't dislike you." Although at first, he was a bit disgusted.

  At this moment, Qin Miao finally felt that she could completely let go. It can be seen that he had thought for a long time, and this was a responsible answer after careful consideration. As it turned out, she had thought too much, the scene at the fire had explained everything, but she still wanted to hear it from his own mouth.

  "Thank you for telling me so honestly." Qin Miao calmly poured another cup of wine for Xie Xuan.

  Xie Xuan happily clinked glasses, subconsciously thinking that Qin Miao had forgiven him. With a thought in mind, his expression changed naturally, and Xie Xuan's face broke into a genuine smile, his slightly intoxicated eyes shining with a soft glow, exuding an enchanting aura that captivated all who beheld him.

  Qin Miao knew he was outstandingly handsome, and had once been attracted to such an extraordinary appearance himself. However, he had never seen a face as radiant as this one, and for a moment, he forgot to breathe. Alas, Qin Anuan was indeed shallow, no wonder she swallowed the bitter fruit of unrequited love.

  "Xie Xuan, remember to smile more often. You look very handsome when you do." Qin Miao gazed at the beautiful young man in front of her, and although his eyes had never been on her before, with their parting imminent, she couldn't help but secretly hope to get a few more glances at him, to etch them firmly in her memory.

  Xie Xun's skin was as thin as a girl's, and even after joining the army as a young man, he couldn't be toughened into a rugged man. Qin Miao's gentle teasing made his face flush and his heart skip a beat, his neck almost burning up. He awkwardly turned away, not letting her see his unusual reaction, pretending to appreciate the moonlight outside the window.

  The room fell silent again, with no one continuing the conversation. Qin Miao gazed at his invincible profile, and a strong sense of reluctance surged up in her heart. But as soon as she thought of the Qin family, she could only suppress this reluctance ruthlessly.

  Xie Xuan felt that such comfort was good, plain as water, but filled his heart to the brim, no longer empty. He thought that if he continued to be with Qin Miao like this, it wouldn't be a bad life. As long as he started from today, he would live a good life with her, and such peaceful years would always belong to him.

  Thinking of this, he smiled again. But Qin Miao's next words poured a bucket of cold water on him.

  "Xie Xuan, there's something I don't know if I should tell you or not." Qin Miao put down the cup in his hand and looked in his direction. "I think your house should have its own people, whether it's to serve you or for...offspring. I think Xingzhi is quite good, she's been following you since childhood, her temperament is relatively calm, and her body is healthy. If you think it's feasible, I'll go ask about her intentions."

  Xie Yun suddenly turned around from one side, looking at her incredulously.

  "Don't look at me like that. I know you want to take advantage of Na Xiangxiang. But Xie Yun, this woman you really can't touch again. Believe me, her mind is too wild."

  Xie Yan couldn't believe it, just a moment ago she was still peacefully spending time with her own age's gentle woman, the next moment she had to let herself take a concubine. What's going on? Has she gone crazy? Didn't she adore him, how could she be so generous and push him into another woman's bed?!

  With a loud crash, Qin Miao saw Xie Yan push the table and stand up, his fists clenched tightly in his hands, as if he was about to erupt at any moment.

  "Qin Miao, I don't need your kindness!"

  Xie Xuan walked for a long time, and Qin Miao still felt like she was in a fog. After a while, she sighed against the half jug of autumn dew, it seemed that saying more was also useless for people with deep emotional roots.

  She wasn't being kind-hearted; she just couldn't bear it.