Chapter 163: Good-for-Nothing

"Even if I wanted to give you more, I couldn't, and this is already enough." Yun Yanyi's eyes were filled with smiles, the corners of his lips curving upward. Compared to Su Liluo's resentful mood, his spirits were vastly superior.

"..." Su Liluo was so angry she was left speechless. Turning her back to him, she refused to grant him even a single glance.

Yun Yanyi was not angered in the least. He softly said, "It is getting late, so I shall not disturb Miss Su's peaceful slumber." Provided she could actually sleep after recalling such a marvelous transaction, Yun Yanyi's face broke into a thoroughly contented smile as he stepped out of the Prime Minister's estate, causing the biting cold wind to linger and sweep past him a few extra times.

With all movement ceasing behind her, Su Liluo slowly turned her head and, finding the room empty, let out a sigh of relief. Seated at the table, she gulped down a cup of cold tea, yet the fiery irritation in her heart not only failed to extinguish but instead seemed to flare even higher. She muttered under her breath, "Yun Yanyi, you petty, stingless man! Those were all my savings. And now, thanks to him sweeping it all away, I'm back to square one overnight. Why am I so terribly unlucky?"

Su Liluo's mouth kept running continuously, as if relentless scolding might somehow summon her silver back to her. Along the way back, Yun Yanyi sneezed several times, prompting Leng Feng to ask with concern, "Has Your Highness caught a chill? Perhaps we should return and have a physician take a proper look?"

"There is no need. Someone furious is cursing me right now. Considering the silver, I shall temporarily not hold it against her." Yun Yanyi's lips curved. Leng Feng's mouth twitched slightly, and he hurriedly lowered his head, pretending he had seen nothing.

After carefully putting away the banknotes, Yun Yanyi thought back to the intimate moment he had shared with Su Liluo, and the carnal desire that had previously subsided reared its head once more. Beads of hot sweat dotted his forehead, and finding himself unable to suppress the urge this time, he was forced to call out in a low voice, "Leng Feng, have someone carry a few barrels of cold water inside."

"Uh, this subordinate obeys." Though Leng Feng was entirely baffled by the request, he did not drag his feet. Soon, several footmen carrying barrels of water stood outside the door, and Leng Feng knocked on the bedchamber entrance. "Your Highness, the water has been prepared."

"Bring it in and pour it into the bathing tub." Yun Yanyi sat upon the bedstead, the curtains around the bed draped downward, obscuring his expression from Leng Feng's view.

"Does Your Highness wish to bathe? This subordinate will have someone fetch a few more barrels of hot water." Leng Feng turned, intending to instruct the footmen to bring heated water instead, but was halted by Yun Yanyi's hoarse voice.

"No need. You lot just pour the water and withdraw first." Yun Yanyi's tone was somewhat unstable. Puzzled, Leng Feng looked at the silhouette upon the bed and, seeing that the attendants had already emptied the water into the tub, gestured for them to retreat quietly. The last man closed the door behind them.

Once everyone had cleared out, Yun Yanyi stiffly made his way toward the bathing tub behind the folding screen. Shedding his garments, he began pouring the cold water over himself, only then feeling the inner fire gradually extinguish.

Half an hour later, having changed into a moon-white casual robe, he called out in a low voice, "Leng Feng."

"This subordinate is here. What are Your Highness's instructions?" Leng Feng swiftly entered the room, keeping his head bowed.

"Come in." Opening the door, he found Yun Yanyi standing by the window, the ends of his hair still slightly damp from his recent bath.

Yun Yanyi turned his head to stare directly at him, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Leng Feng, am I perhaps too concerned with matters regarding Su Liluo?"

"Has Your Highness only just realized? From this subordinate's perspective, you treat Miss Su's affairs as if they were your own. The moment the slightest ripple stirs on her end, Your Highness is immediately aware of it. In the past, which young lady has ever received such preferential treatment from you?" Once Leng Feng opened the floodgates, he found it difficult to stem the flow, but upon noticing Yun Yanyi's darkening expression, he promptly clamped his mouth shut.

"No wonder. I understand now. You may withdraw first." Yun Yanyi turned his gaze toward the desolate night scenery. He had finally found the answer to why he had wished to marry her in the first place, and murmured under his breath, "Since I've finally encountered someone so amusing, life would be dreadfully dull if I failed to make her my wife."

Having made up his mind, Yun Yanyi felt everything before him grow clear and bright. However, the memory of his previous marriage proposal being rejected surfaced once more—the Prime Minister's reluctance, and his Imperial Brother's ambiguous phrasing hinting at refusal. This piqued his curiosity; could there be some hidden secret behind Su Liluo?

"Leng Feng." Having waited on standby outside the door all this while, Leng Feng heard the summons and could not help muttering inwardly, *Your Highness treats Miss Su truly differently; every time her affairs come up, this subordinate ends up running errands back and forth.*

"This subordinate is here. What are Your Highness's instructions?" Wearing a stern expression, Leng Feng lowered his head to await orders.

"Go and investigate whether there is any secret hidden behind Su Liluo's failed marriage, and why the Emperor is unwilling to let me propose to her. Viewed in this light, it truly seems rather strange. After the Crown Prince called off the engagement, Su Liluo has unexpectedly been left entirely unattended. Send men to investigate thoroughly." Yun Yanyi's interest was thoroughly piqued; it seemed there was a vast and complex story underlying all of this.

Upon hearing the command, Leng Feng executed a pivot and retreated, his figure flashing and vanishing several yards away in an instant.

Left entirely to herself, Su Liluo had argued and cursed until her throat felt dry. After gulping down several cups of tea and having her maidservant lay out the bed, she had initially assumed she would toss and turn in insomnia. Yet, the next time she opened her eyes, daylight had already broken. Her mind still somewhat muddled, she recalled the chaotic, nonsensical dreams she had suffered through the night before and felt a strong urge to slap herself across the face. *How could you dream of him? He is your sworn enemy! How could you possibly dream of him? So spineless...*

"Has Milady awakened?" Liuzhu and Liuying called out from outside the door, holding washing utensils.

"Mm, I'm awake. Come in." She hurriedly composed her expression, unwilling to let her maids detect anything amiss. Seated before the dressing table, she watched as Liuying applied rouge to her lips. The vibrant, scarlet hue caused a blush to bloom across her own cheeks. As Liuying raised a hand to carefully trace and refine the shape, Su Liluo waved her away, saying, "I'll do it myself."

Causing her own soft lips, she remembered how Yun Yanyi had seized them and kissed her over and over again, sending a fresh wave of crimson rushing to her face. This frightened the two maids into anxiously asking, "Whatever is the matter with Milady? Why is your face so red? Could it be that this servant applied too much rouge just now?"

"How is that possible? I haven't even put on the rouge yet." Liuying held an unopened box of rouge in her hand, causing Liuzhu to flush scarlet in embarrassment. "Then why is Milady's face even redder than if she were wearing rouge?"

Curious, the two maids stared fixedly at Su Liluo's face. She hurriedly adjusted her expression. "What nonsense are you uttering? Hurry up and go prepare breakfast. Since I'm not going out today anyway, there's no need for makeup." Snatching the box of rouge from Liuying's hands, she placed it back on the dressing table, wiped her bright red lips with a handkerchief, and thoroughly scrubbed away every trace of the lip tint.

"What's wrong with Milady?" The two maids muttered softly behind her back. Today, Su Liluo was acting profoundly abnormal.

"Liuzhu, Liuying, I'm hungry." This declaration instantly proved effective. The pair behind her dared not whisper any further and swiftly hurried out the door. Dismissing them allowed Su Liluo to finally breathe a sigh of relief as she twisted her handkerchief into a crumpled knot. *How utterly spineless of me. We merely kissed, what is the big deal anyway?*

Recalling how sleeping over with men in the past had never been considered a major event, she wondered if staying in this era for too long had somehow made her ideology conservative.

Catching the fragrant aroma of food wafting in, her spirits revived instantly. Setting aside the chaotic thoughts running through her mind, she dedicated herself entirely to enjoying her meal.

Peace had reigned within the Prime Minister's estate for several days. The gatekeepers had failed to catch sight of a single graceful, swaying figure over the past few days, prompting them to ask each other in puzzlement, "Has the Eldest Miss not been going out lately?"

"She really hasn't gone out? I was just thinking the same thing—has the Eldest Miss turned over a new leaf these past few days? In the past, she had to step out every single day without fail, yet there hasn't been the slightest peep of movement recently," a footman asked suspiciously.

"Who knows? Perhaps the business at Xuexiu Residence no longer requires her personal attention." None of them could make heads or tails of it.

Confined to her quarters, Su Liluo held a brush in one hand and a piece of pear in the other, frowning as she contemplated something. Suddenly, the worry in her brow vanished, and popping the pear into her mouth, her brush moved with divine inspiration, sweeping across the paper with a rapid rustling sound.

Yun Yanyi had felt that something was amiss over the past few days. Catching sight of Leng Feng, he asked in a deep voice, "Still no news of Su Liluo?"

"None. It seems Miss Su has remained cooped up inside her room the entire time and has not stepped out once." Leng Feng also felt she must have undergone a sudden transformation; previously, she was someone utterly incapable of staying put, yet now she sat demurely indoors—no wonder he felt as though something vital was missing.