Wang Qinghua couldn't help but find his younger brother’s letter amusing, utterly perplexed by what his sibling was thinking. The entire household was pinning their hopes on him making a notable splash in this year’s local examinations; how could he possibly bring up matchmaking now to distract him?

With that thought, Wang Qinghua decided not to share Chen’s letter with the family. Instead, he penned a reply to Wang Qingchen himself, explaining that with the provincial examination imminent, the family would not be proactively arranging a match for him. However, if Wang Qingchen himself had someone in mind, he could mention it first, allowing the family to approach a matchmaker for an initial consultation.

On the other side, Wang Qingchen had been anxiously awaiting a reply since sending his letter. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before he received a letter from his older brother, Wang Qinghua. Reading Qinghua’s words, Wang Qingchen finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness; the family hadn’t made any moves yet. If they had arranged a wife for him at this juncture, he truly wouldn't have been able to handle it.

Thus, with his mind settled, Wang Qingchen dove back into the monumental task of preparing for the local examinations.

While Wang Qingchen was at ease, Fu Lan in the capital was anything but calm; he was deeply agitated. Although Fu Lan had resolved to sever ties with Xia Wanyu, and his current actions clearly demonstrated this, he simply could not ignore the lingering ache of regret and loss in his heart.

Xia Wanyu had provided Fu Lan with spiritual satisfaction, making him feel important and significant, and she constantly offered him solace. These factors ensured Xia Wanyu occupied a supremely vital position in Fu Lan’s estimation. Fu Lan contemplated his engagement to Xia Wan Ting, the legitimate daughter of the Xia estate, and the high hopes his family held for his performance in the upcoming provincial exam—all of which conflicted directly with his feelings for Xia Wanyu. Setting aside the fact that he was already betrothed to Xia Wan Ting, even without the engagement, his family would never approve of him marrying a concubine-born daughter. Yet, the truth was, he currently favored Xia Wanyu over Xia Wan Ting. Could he truly stand by and watch the woman he loved marry someone else?

The mere thought of Xia Wanyu marrying another man made Fu Lan deeply unhappy. He did not want her to belong to anyone but himself, but her status destined them to be apart!

Fu Lan was caught between regretting ever engaging with Xia Wanyu and being grateful that he had, otherwise, he would have missed out on such a wonderful girl. Ah, if only Xia Wanyu were the legitimate daughter!

As this thought flashed through Fu Lan’s mind, he nearly jumped up in excitement. Yes, it was simple enough—as long as Xia Wanyu was recognized as the legitimate daughter! As for his betrothal to Xia Wan Ting, the marriage contract merely specified the legitimate daughter of the Xia family; it never named anyone specifically! If Xia Wanyu could somehow become the legitimate daughter, then with two legitimate daughters in the Xia household, they could simply swap the intended brides, couldn't they? How she could become a legitimate daughter was even simpler: the Xia family only needed to register Xia Wanyu under Madam Xia’s name.

Growing happier as he elaborated the plan, Fu Lan suddenly struck upon a snag: What if Madam Xia refused? After all, Xia Wanyu’s status as a legitimate daughter depended entirely on her approval. Perhaps he should speak to Xia Wen Tao first? They had always been close; surely Wen Tao would understand and offer his assistance!

The more Fu Lan considered it, the more viable the scheme seemed. He resolved to act immediately. Taking advantage of his father’s absence from the manor, he snuck out and headed straight for the Xia estate to find Xia Wen Tao.

Xia Wen Tao was quite surprised by Fu Lan’s visit. He had assumed Fu Lan should be at home studying. Had he come because he missed his sister?

“Oh my, I heard your father has locked you up at home to study! How did you manage to sneak out today?” Xia Wen Tao teased.

“Don’t even mention it. You know my father’s temperament; he has immense hopes for my performance in this provincial exam, so he’s been watching me closely these past few days. I truly didn't want to defy my father’s wishes, but I have something critically important to discuss with you, which is why I slipped out today,” Fu Lan admitted somewhat sheepishly.

Hearing this, Xia Wen Tao assumed Fu Lan was simply missing his sister, Xia Wan Ting, and dropped the teasing. “Go on, what is it that you needed to see me about?”

“Uh, well, it’s like this. Wen Tao, I recall you have two younger sisters, correct?” Fu Lan inquired.

Xia Wen Tao paused for a beat. He had not anticipated Fu Lan asking about this, and his expression stiffened slightly. “Why are you asking about that?”

“Hehe, actually, I wanted to say, even though the eldest young lady of your house is concubine-born, she is still your blood sister, isn't she?” Fu Lan said softly, carefully watching Xia Wen Tao’s expression.

“What exactly are you trying to say? I’m getting more confused the more you speak,” Xia Wen Tao asked, his face clouding over.

“I—I mean to say, since they are both your sisters, it shouldn’t make much difference which one marries me, right?” Fu Lan offered with a placating smile.

“What did you say?” Xia Wen Tao exclaimed in shock; he wondered if he had misheard.

Having finally broached the subject, Fu Lan found the rest of his explanation surprisingly less difficult. He rushed on, “What I mean is, the marriage contract between our two houses specified the legitimate daughter of the Xia family, but it didn't specify which sister by name, did it? If you simply register your eldest young lady under your mother’s name, she can then be considered a legitimate daughter. Then, if I change my betrothal to your eldest daughter, it wouldn't have much impact on the second daughter, would it?”

Upon hearing this, a towering rage instantly filled Xia Wen Tao. He stared intensely at Fu Lan. He had initially thought Fu Lan had decent character—perhaps not very strong-willed, but his marrying his sister would still bring benefits, wouldn't it? He never imagined hearing such words from Fu Lan today: to swap his marriage for the concubine-born sister?

Xia Wen Tao struggled to contain the temper that threatened to erupt, fearful that if he lost control, he might violently beat Fu Lan. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Fu Lan, I don’t quite understand what you are proposing. Are you saying you want to marry my concubine-born sister?” He asked, trying to keep his tone level. “Why on earth would you suddenly want to marry my concubine-born sister? Is there something wrong with my sister?”

“No, no, nothing is wrong with your sister, it’s just… it’s just that I’ve developed feelings for the eldest young lady of your household,” Fu Lan explained.

“Is that so? I find that strange. My concubine-born sister usually stays within the estate. How could you possibly develop feelings for her?” Xia Wen Tao pressed.

Fu Lan found Xia Wen Tao’s question difficult to answer. He couldn't very well confess to clandestine meetings, could he?

Seeing Fu Lan’s troubled demeanor, Xia Wen Tao began to guess at some of the reasons. If Xia Wanyu was kept within the estate, how could Fu Lan have encountered her unless she herself sought him out? It seemed his own household was implicated in this mess.

At this moment, Xia Wen Tao was simultaneously furious at Fu Lan’s fickleness and indignant that his own concubine-born sister dared to scheme against the marriage arranged for his legitimate sister.

“Are you unaware that my concubine-born sister is already engaged?” Xia Wen Tao challenged, glaring at Fu Lan.

“I know that. I was thinking that the marriage agreements could be swapped. The Juren candidate would then marry a legitimate daughter and likely wouldn’t object. If that fails, we can simply break the engagement; that minor scholar wouldn't dare cause a fuss over a mere Juren,” Fu Lan said dismissively.

Seeing how utterly obtuse Fu Lan was, Xia Wen Tao grew even angrier. Fu Lan, for his selfish desires, was prepared to disregard the reputation of the Xia estate entirely, all while facing no personal repercussions. Wen Tao now wondered how his own family had ever thought highly of this man. Would his sister truly be happy marrying someone like this?

“Enough. Let me ask you this: are these words yours alone, or do they represent your family’s wishes?” Xia Wen Tao asked, suppressing his anger.

“Th-this is just my own idea. I was planning to speak to my family, but you know my father’s temper; if he found out, I’d be ruined. I thought since we are good friends, and since I want to change the betrothal to your concubine-born sister—who is still your sister, after all—you would surely help me come up with a good plan, wouldn't you?” Fu Lan pleaded earnestly.

Xia Wen Tao felt so angry he almost laughed. If his own father would be enraged by this, why would he assume that hearing it would leave him calm?

“Do you know the consequences of what you are proposing?” Xia Wen Tao asked.

“I do, which is why I came to you! You're usually very discerning. You absolutely must help me this time, as it involves your own sister!” Fu Lan urged.

“My sister? Forget it. You should leave now. Let me think this over,” Xia Wen Tao said, ushering him out.

“Very well. I shouldn't stay out too long, or my father will notice,” Fu Lan said. After giving a final reminder, he bid farewell and departed.

Once Fu Lan was gone, Xia Wen Tao could no longer control his temper. He violently hurled the teacup he had just used onto the floor. After smashing the cup, still feeling unsatisfied, Xia Wen Tao walked over to the chair Fu Lan had been sitting in, lifted it, and smashed it violently onto the ground.

The young servant outside the room had remained calm when he first heard the teacup shatter, but the loud crash of the chair finally broke his composure. He rushed in, “Young Master…”

Hearing the sound, Xia Wen Tao turned and glared fiercely at the servant, startling the boy so badly that cold sweat instantly broke out. Finally, Xia Wen Tao took a deep, measured breath. “Take this chair and burn it. Then call someone to clean up this mess.”

With that, Xia Wen Tao strode out, leaving the servant nearly collapsing on the spot.

Xia Wen Tao suspected his concubine-born sister was deeply involved in this matter, but since it was difficult for him to handle directly, he decided he should consult his mother first.

Thus, Xia Wen Tao quickly headed toward his mother’s courtyard. (To be continued.)