Qi Xuan Pavilion was a mess.
Only an hour ago, it had been a perfectly elegant guest courtyard.
Now broken tiles covered the stone path, several sections of the roof were damaged, and two wooden beams beneath the eaves had been knocked crooked.
Even one of the decorative lanterns was hanging sideways.
A few servants stood around the courtyard, staring at the damage without knowing where to begin.
Guan Zhongjin looked even more distressed than they did.
He stood in the middle of the courtyard with an abacus in his hands, staring from the broken roof to the damaged beams and then to the shattered tiles on the ground.
His face grew worse with every new thing he noticed.
“No.
Absolutely not.” Everyone looked at him.
“Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost?” Guan Zhongjin pointed at the roof.
“The tiles have to be replaced, those beams need repairing, and that lantern—” He stopped and stared at it.
“That was custom-made.” Shen Mo’an quietly looked away.
Since he was responsible for most of the damage, staying silent seemed like a good idea.
Guan Zhongjin lowered his head and began working the beads of his abacus.
After calculating for a while, his fingers stopped.
He stared at the number.
Then he looked up.
“Move Qinglan.” Shen Mo’an immediately turned toward him.
“What?” “She can’t stay here while this place is being repaired.” Guan Zhongjin gestured at the damaged pavilion.
“Move her to Xuanlin Pavilion.” Shen Mo’an frowned.
“Xuanlin Pavilion?” “Yanzhou’s courtyard.” “No.” The answer came so quickly that Guan Zhongjin raised an eyebrow.
“Why not?” “Because I said so.” “And who destroyed this roof?” Shen Mo’an fell silent.
Guan Zhongjin pointed at the broken tiles around them.
“You did.” “Most of it,” Shen Mo’an muttered.
“What?” “Nothing.” Guan Zhongjin nodded in satisfaction.
“Besides, they’re engaged.
This works out perfectly.
Qinglan needs somewhere to stay, Yanzhou has plenty of room, and the two of them can spend some time together.
They can talk, get to know each other, maybe even—” “Stop.” Guan Zhongjin looked at Shen Mo’an’s face and decided not to finish that sentence.
Shen Mo’an clearly hated the idea, but there wasn’t much he could say.
His sister had been perfectly comfortable in Qi Xuan Pavilion until he climbed onto the roof that morning and started fighting Bai Yanzhou.
Now the roof needed repairs, and it was his fault.
For once, even Shen Mo’an couldn’t find a reasonable excuse to object.
Then he saw Bai Yanzhou walking toward Shen Qinglan.
His eyes narrowed at once.
“What are you doing?” Bai Yanzhou didn’t answer.
He stopped in front of Shen Qinglan.
She looked up at him.
“What?” Instead of explaining, he put one arm around her waist.
Shen Qinglan stiffened.
“What are you—” Before she could finish, Bai Yanzhou slipped his other arm beneath her knees and lifted her from the ground.
Shen Qinglan stared at him.
Several maids gasped.
Guan Zhongjin nearly dropped his abacus, while Shen Yuxing and Bai Zhongchuan both looked over in surprise.
Shen Mo’an’s reaction was much less restrained.
“Bai Yanzhou.” The way he said the name made it sound like a threat.
Bai Yanzhou finally looked at him.
He was still holding Shen Qinglan securely in his arms, and although his expression remained calm, there was something in his eyes that made Shen Mo’an’s face darken even further.
He was doing it on purpose.
“Bai Yanzhou!” Shen Mo’an started toward them, but Shen Yuxing caught his arm.
“Mo’an.” “Father, let go.” “No.” “But he—” “You’re the one who broke the roof.” Shen Mo’an had nothing to say to that.
Bai Yanzhou’s mouth curved slightly.
Shen Mo’an saw it.
That only made things worse.
Then Bai Yanzhou lowered his head and pressed a brief kiss to Shen Qinglan’s forehead.
The courtyard went silent.
Shen Qinglan stared at him.
For a second, she wasn’t sure she had understood what had just happened.
Then her face grew hot.
“What are you doing?” Bai Yanzhou looked perfectly calm.
Only the faint amusement in his eyes gave him away.
Shen Qinglan followed his gaze toward her brother.
Shen Mo’an had gone completely still.
His expression changed several times before finally settling somewhere between disbelief and fury.
That was when Shen Qinglan understood.
Bai Yanzhou was provoking him.
And it was working.
Very well.
She looked back at Bai Yanzhou.
This man really knew how to make her brother angry.
Knowing that didn’t make the situation any less embarrassing, though.
Her face was still burning, and she shifted in his arms, intending to get down.
Bai Yanzhou tightened his hold just enough to steady her.
He was careful with her injured arm, keeping it away from any pressure.
Shen Qinglan noticed.
Despite everything happening around them, he was carrying her carefully enough that she didn’t have to worry about her injury at all.
She relaxed without meaning to.
Then she caught herself.
There was no reason to read too much into it.
He was only doing this to annoy Shen Mo’an.
And if he wanted to put on a show, perhaps she could make use of it.
The engagement had already given her an idea.
As long as everyone accepted Bai Yanzhou as her fiancé, she would have a perfectly reasonable excuse to spend time with him.
That alone might make it easier to get away from her father and brother’s constant protection.
Eventually, she might even find an opportunity to leave Baining Town and search for her biological parents.
Thinking about that helped settle her embarrassment.
Fine.
She could play along.
Bai Yanzhou had already turned toward the courtyard entrance.
Still carrying her, he began walking toward Xuanlin Pavilion.
“Wait.” Shen Qinglan looked at him.
“You’re really carrying me there?” “You have an injured arm.” “My legs are fine.” “I know.” “Then put me down.” “No.” Shen Qinglan stared at him.
Bai Yanzhou kept walking.
Behind them, Guan Zhongjin finally found his voice.
“What happened to him?” He looked at Bai Zhongchuan in disbelief.
“Did he eat something strange last night?” Bai Zhongchuan didn’t answer immediately.
He was still watching his son carry Shen Qinglan away.
After a moment, he said, “Perhaps this is his way of saying he doesn’t object to the engagement.” Shen Yuxing looked just as stunned.
“Are young people always this bold now?” Bai Zhongchuan glanced at him.
He had no answer.
Hidden beneath the eaves, Bai Yanzhou’s shadow guards were having an even harder time understanding what they had just witnessed.
Their master had never shown much interest in women.
Yet this morning, he had not only carried one away in front of everyone, he had kissed her forehead while doing it.
The guards exchanged a look.
Neither dared say a word.
Then Shen Mo’an finally recovered.
“BAI YANZHOU!” His roar echoed through the courtyard.
Bai Yanzhou didn’t even turn around.
Shen Qinglan, on the other hand, closed her eyes.
Her face was still warm.
It was only an act.
She knew that.
Bai Yanzhou had done it to provoke her brother, while she was going along with it because the engagement might help with her own plans.
There was nothing else to it.
At least, that was what she told herself.
Unfortunately, the memory of that brief kiss on her forehead refused to disappear quite so easily.