"Heh, Junior Brother, congratulations, congratulations. I never expected that in such a short time since arriving in Yun Jing, you would already become nobility. Your Elder Brother is truly envious..." As soon as Qin Yunxiao stepped off the carriage, he approached Ye Jingyu with a face full of smiles. While walking, he cupped his hands in greeting, addressing Ye Jingyu affectionately as 'Junior Brother.' Anyone unaware of their history might genuinely assume they were close martial siblings...

Qin Yuting trailed behind Qin Yunxiao, her eyes fixed on Ye Jingyu, filled with longing, yet her face was drawn and weary...

"Qin Yunxiao, what exactly is your intention?" Ye Jingyu spoke coldly. He harbored an irreconcilable, mortal hatred for him and his father, Qin Yan, and certainly didn't believe their sudden cordiality was genuine, or that they wished to bury the hatchet...

"Heh, Junior Brother, why the harsh words? We are martial brothers. Today, since you have been promoted to Baron, it is only natural for your Elder Brother to come and offer congratulations. My father intended to come personally, but since rules must be observed, he sent my sister and me to extend our felicitations on his behalf..." Qin Yunxiao wore a faint, seemingly sincere and warm smile...

Yet, Ye Jingyu knew that deep down, Qin Yunxiao probably wished he could plunge a knife into him...

"Heh, I see. Thank you for your kind intentions, Elder Brother and Martial Uncle. This humble one will never forget the immense kindness and virtue bestowed upon me..." Although aware of their ill intentions, this was the day he officially became a Baron, and Ye Jingyu naturally couldn't afford an open confrontation. Thus, he allowed a slight smile to grace his lips and stepped forward to bow...

However, he heavily stressed the final four words—immense kindness and virtue—a reference the two understood perfectly well, hinting at the nature of that 'favor' and 'virtue'... They merely exchanged a knowing look without verbalizing it...

"Junior Brother Ye, congratulations..." At that moment, Qin Yuting, standing beside Qin Yunxiao, felt a sharp pang in her chest watching the false smiles exchanged between Ye Jingyu and her brother...

"Heh, thank you, Senior Sister Qin..." Ye Jingyu turned to look at her. Seeing the genuine emotion in Qin Yuting's eyes caused a slight ripple within him, though his expression remained unchanged. This girl, once petulant and spoiled enough to wish him dead over a mere jest, had now transformed into a melancholy young woman... Though he couldn't fathom her current thoughts, Ye Jingyu understood that his unresolvable feud with her father stood as an insurmountable barrier. It was best for him to maintain a distance from her...

Hearing Ye Jingyu’s polite, distant address, Qin Yuting’s heart ached even more acutely, as if a knife had been savagely driven into her breast...

However, she managed to force a faint smile onto her face and said nothing more...

Noticing his sister’s expression, Qin Yunxiao offered a brief, courteous exchange with Ye Jingyu, handed over the gift he brought, and then, rather abruptly, departed with his sister. Ye Jingyu certainly wouldn't stoop to forcing them to stay. Watching Qin Yunxiao’s carriage recede into the distance, Ye Jingyu’s eyes were clouded with confusion...

"Xiao Linzi, find a way to relay today's events to Zhuge Yishi and ask him to analyze what Qin Yan might be plotting?" After pondering fruitlessly for a long while, Ye Jingyu decided to delegate the problem to Zhuge Yishi...

"Understood, Young Master..." Lin Xiaoyi replied. The killing intent in his eyes burned even fiercer than Ye Jingyu's. Qin Yan was responsible for the destruction of the Ye family; many of the elders who watched him grow up were dead because of him. The grief in his heart was far heavier than that carried by Ye Jingyu, a soul transplanted from another world...

Aboard the Marquis of Baiyun’s carriage, Qin Yunxiao looked at the distant, thoughtful Qin Yuting, then suddenly extended his right hand and gently lifted her pear-blossom-like face...

Startled by Qin Yunxiao's sudden move, Qin Yuting nearly jumped up and immediately pulled her face free from his grip...

"Heh, still thinking about him?" Qin Yunxiao’s face held a faint, knowing smile...

"Thinking about whom?" Qin Yuting wore an expression of startled blankness...

"Heh, who else could it be?"

"Big Brother, what are you talking about? I don't understand," Qin Yuting replied with utter confusion...

"Yuting, you are my blood sister. Do you think I, your elder brother, wouldn't understand what crosses your mind? If you truly fancy that boy Ye Jingyu, just tell me. Your brother will certainly help arrange this marriage for you..." Qin Yunxiao smiled gently, adopting the tender air of a devoted older sibling...

"Big Brother..." Hearing Qin Yunxiao directly name the thought hidden in her heart, Qin Yuting’s face flushed with shock and shame, her pear-blossom cheeks rapidly turning scarlet...

"Heh, you are of marriageable age now; there’s nothing to be shy about. If you really like him, I will find a way to make him marry you..." Seeing his sister’s bashful coloring, Qin Yunxiao’s smile remained warm and gentle...

"But Big Brother, can he and I ever be together? Father nearly killed him, and his family died because of Father. He utterly despises us now. How could he possibly marry me?" Qin Yuting, believing her brother was genuinely looking out for her, voiced her deepest concerns...

"Didn't Father have no other choice back then? These last few days, you've been so sullen, and it has caused Father considerable distress. Recently, he often repented to me, saying that if making you happy required Ye Jingyu to kill him, he would accept it willingly..."

"Big Brother... Did Father really say that?" Qin Yuting looked at her brother, her face etched with disbelief...

"You have lived with Father for so many years; don't you know how he treats you?" Instead of answering directly, Qin Yunxiao countered with a question...

Qin Yuting paused. She recalled all the years of protection and deep affection Qin Yan had shown her—it was precisely because of that love that she enjoyed such a carefree childhood... She used to be so happy, until that incident occurred. Since that day, the image of Qin Yan as a loving father had fractured in her heart. But regardless, he was still her father...

Recalling those sweet moments, tiny tears welled up in Qin Yuting's eyes, and she gradually began to believe Qin Yunxiao’s words. The resentment she held toward Qin Yan slowly began to dissipate...

"Big Brother, I..." Qin Yuting started to speak, but Qin Yunxiao immediately cut her off...

"Don't worry. Father actually discerned your feelings long ago. However, you are the daughter of a Marquis; Ye Jingyu, with his former status, was entirely unworthy of you. But now that he is a Baron, who knows—he might even be ennobled further. That is why Father has already gone to petition His Majesty today to grant an imperial marriage decree for you..."

"Ah..." Hearing Qin Yunxiao’s words, Qin Yuting’s face froze in stunned disbelief. Her father had gone to the palace to request a marriage decree for her? This... this couldn't be real, could it?