The sudden appearance of Xia Wentao also caught Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng quite by surprise. The two had been wavering over whether or not to call on Xia Wentao, but now that he was outside, there was no need for hesitation.

Wang Qingchen looked at the visibly excited Xia Wentao and spoke a little sheepishly, "Heh heh, we arrived a few days ago. We had originally intended to visit you as soon as we settled in, but since we just got here, we had to spend days finding lodging and getting a feel for things around here. It's only today that we've found some free time."

Xia Wentao, who had been delighted moments before, was now quite astonished by Wang Qingchen's words. "What? You've been here for days already? Is that true? I specifically instructed the servants at home to keep an eye on the city gates every day, expecting that the moment you arrived, you’d come straight to my place. Yet, no one ever came to inform me you had reached the capital! What have those rascals been doing?"

Xia Wentao went on, sounding rather displeased, "And you two are something else, too! Do you even consider me a friend? Didn’t my last letter explicitly state that you should come stay at my house once you arrived? It’s one thing for you to come secretly, but to wait until you’ve already secured your own accommodations before coming to see me!"

Xia Wentao's gentle chiding left them both feeling awkward and unsure how to react. The truth was, they had come to the capital precisely for the Metropolitan Examination. Not only was the exam itself lengthy, but they still had to wait for the results afterward. Furthermore, they had arrived many days early. If they were to stay at Xia Wentao’s home, how long would that be? For just a few days, given their friendship, staying there would be acceptable. But this period spanned quite a while; how could they presume upon Xia Wentao's generosity for so long? Besides, seeing the sheer stature of the Xia household now, they were overwhelmingly relieved they hadn't planned to stay here earlier!

Hearing Xia Wentao's complaint, Wang Qingchen chuckled lightly, "You needn't blame your servants. The fact is, when we arrived in the capital that day, it was already nearing dusk. We hadn't planned on finding a place to stay; we just checked into an inn immediately. So, it’s quite understandable that your servants didn’t spot us. Please don't fault them."

Although Wang Qingchen explained why Xia Wentao's servants hadn't seen them, he deliberately skirted the reason why they hadn't stayed at Xia Wentao's house. Of course, even without Wang Qingchen mentioning it, Xia Wentao understood perfectly well in his heart. Then again, Xia Wentao also chose not to voice this understanding. Some things are better left tacitly acknowledged between friends; stating them aloud changes the delicate flavor of the situation.

Thus, after hearing Wang Qingchen’s explanation, Xia Wentao didn’t press the matter further. He quickly ushered the two inside; after all, standing at the threshold was no way to conduct a reunion.

Before they went in, however, Xia Wentao stepped aside and instructed the young attendant who had been preparing to accompany him out, "I won't be attending today’s gathering. Go tell them I have important guests to attend to, and I will apologize to them another day."

The attendant, having received the instruction, quickly prepared to apologize to the friends Xia Wentao had arranged to meet. But before leaving, the young man took a careful look at Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng, quickly memorizing their features in his mind. These were individuals the young master held in very high regard; he needed to pay extra attention to them.

Meanwhile, Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng remained unaware of Xia Wentao’s private exchange with his attendant. They certainly did not know that Xia Wentao had canceled a prior engagement with several friends just to entertain them. If they had known, they would likely have been filled with self-reproach.

Upon entering the Xia Manor, Xia Wentao accepted the gifts Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng had brought, handed them to the attendant, and then led the pair to his study, instructing the household staff to bring tea immediately.

Having witnessed the master’s treatment of the guests, the servants dared not be remiss and diligently attended to every detail.

Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng felt slightly more at ease after the initial stiffness of entering such an imposing residence. Perhaps the study’s more confined space, with only the three of them present, eliminated any feeling of being crowded or constrained.

Xia Wentao seemed to perceive their shift in comfort. Without drawing attention to it, he began recounting events that had transpired back in the county town. As the conversation flowed, the atmosphere in the study warmed considerably, allowing Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng to treat Xia Wentao with their usual, relaxed familiarity.

It was only then that Xia Wentao brought up the matter of having them pay respects to his parents.

This suggestion caused Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng to hesitate once more. Had Xia Wentao’s family background been ordinary, paying a courtesy call to his parents while visiting a friend would have been perfectly normal. The abnormality now stemmed entirely from the Xia family's prominence. Given what they could see, Xia Wentao’s father must hold a significant official post. Under such circumstances, visiting them—wouldn't it carry the taint of sycophancy?

Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng exchanged a quick glance, unable to make a decision. Xia Wentao, who had just proposed the idea, saw the discomfort etched on their faces and instantly realized his suggestion was quite ill-judged. He had merely been thinking of having his family meet the potential husband for his younger sister—especially since, at present, Zhao Cheng’s future prospects looked very bright. This thought had prompted the suggestion. However, now that the idea was out in the open, it was awkward for him to retract it immediately.

There’s no turning back once the arrow has been loosed. Xia Wentao could only reassure them, "Don't worry about it. It will just be a casual greeting. I was simply thinking that since I made friends with you two while visiting my maternal uncle, I wanted my family to meet you—there are no other intentions behind it."

Xia Wentao spoke with such sincerity that Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng hesitated only briefly before agreeing.

Seeing their consent, Xia Wentao was instantly delighted. He immediately dispatched a servant to inform Master Xia and Madam Xia of their impending visit. Naturally, Xia Wentao also instructed the servant to specify which of the two was being considered as the prospective son-in-law.

The servant, having received the orders, hurried off to the main quarters. Before leaving, however, he spared one last thoughtful look at the potential suitor for the Second Miss. This man was on the verge of skyrocketing to prosperity, about to become a son-in-law of their esteemed household!

Wang Qingchen, oblivious to all this behind-the-scenes maneuvering, continued to stroll through the Xia Manor with Xia Wentao, taking in the sights. Xia Wentao pointed out various features of the residence—who lived in which wing, the history of the family artifacts, even how many years the massive tree nearby had stood. This casual, domestic style of conversation greatly eased the tension for Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng. It seemed that paying respects to Master and Madam Xia would indeed be no more formal than visiting elders in general, without any hidden agenda.

Because the three were walking and talking slowly, the attendant sent to give notice had long since arrived at Madam Xia’s chambers. Coincidentally, Master Xia was there as well, discussing with his wife the appropriate size for Xia Wanyu’s dowry.

Madam Xia, for her part, did not care overly much about the amount; after all, no matter how generous a dowry a concubine-born daughter received, it would never surpass that of her own legitimate daughter. The larger Xia Wanyu’s dowry, the more ample her own daughter’s dowry would ultimately be.

As the couple was deliberating, a maid entered to announce that the young master's attendant was present.

The couple exchanged a glance, both puzzled as to why their son would send an attendant at this hour. However, rather than speculating, they quickly ordered the servant to be brought in.

After hearing the attendant’s report, the couple froze. Madam Xia was slightly better composed, as she had heard hints of this matter from her son previously. But even with some prior preparation, she could not have anticipated her son’s impulsive nature—he speaks of something today, and today he brings the people over for them to meet!

If Madam Xia was surprised, Master Xia, who hadn't heard a whisper of the matter, was even more so. Upon hearing the attendant’s words, he was utterly stunned. Had he misheard? His son had selected a potential husband for his sister, and he was bringing the person over to meet them shortly? Master Xia was momentarily at a loss for an appropriate facial expression.

However, Master Xia recovered his composure quickly. Once grounded, he immediately turned to his wife and asked, "What is this all about?"

Madam Xia, also unprepared for her son’s haste, sighed and recounted the entire story—where her son had met this person, the condition of his family, and his own personal merits.

Consequently, before Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng even arrived, Master Xia had already formed a preliminary impression of Wang Qingchen and decided how he would greet the two visitors.

Once Madam Xia and Master Xia signaled they were ready, the attendant rushed back to inform Xia Wentao and his guests that they were waiting. Upon receiving the message, Xia Wentao quickly hastened his pace, leading Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng forward. By the time Xia Wentao finally brought the two guests to Madam Xia's quarters, Master and Madam Xia had already taken their positions, ready to properly assess just how exceptional this prospective son-in-law their son had chosen truly was, and whether he was indeed worthy of their daughter.

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