The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

Dali Temple?!

The big man's expression changed drastically.

The thugs behind him panicked and retreated.

"It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!" He quickly apologized with a smile. "I didn't know this was Jiang Shaoqing's relative... I'll be leaving now! I'll be leaving now!"

"Leave?" Jiang Jingchen sneered. "Threatening someone in the street, attempting to abduct a woman, and you think you can just walk away with a 'misunderstanding'? Ah Yu!"

"Here!" The black-clad youth responded and stepped forward with lightning speed, quickly pinning the scarred man and his men to the ground.

"Tie him up and send him to Shuntian Prefecture." After giving the order, Jiang Jingchen looked at Manager Wang, who was slumped on the ground.

"Take this with you too. Falsifying accounts and colluding with outsiders to embezzle the master's property is enough to put him in jail for several years."

"Alright!" Xie Yu quickly tied them up and even gagged them to prevent them from shouting.

After dealing with all that, Jiang Jingchen turned around and looked at Su Yaoyao again.

After seven or eight years apart, my timid little cousin from my memories has blossomed into a graceful young woman.

However, the tenacity and aloofness in his eyes were completely different from when he was a child.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his voice was a little hoarse: "Yaoyao, you... have suffered."

Su Yaoyao felt a lump in her throat.

It wasn't a question, nor a reproach, just a simple "You've suffered."

The grievances the original owner suffered over the years seemed to be gently unveiled at this moment.

"Cousin..." Her voice trembled slightly.

Jiang Jingchen stepped forward, wanting to pat her shoulder, but then hesitated, mindful of etiquette, his hand hovering in mid-air. In the end, he only whispered:

"It's alright now. With your cousin here, no one will dare to bully you."

Upon hearing this, Su Yaoyao forced herself not to shed tears.

Jiang Jingchen sighed, "Why didn't you tell the family about such a big matter as checking the accounts? If it weren't for Granny Lin sending someone to deliver a message, we wouldn't have known you came alone."

Su Yaoyao lowered her head: "I...I don't want to trouble my maternal grandfather and uncle."

"Don't talk nonsense." Jiang Jingchen's voice softened. "You're also a child of the Jiang family, you'll never be a burden."

Su Yaoyao looked up and met his sincere gaze.

"Okay." She nodded gently.

Jiang Jingchen smiled, a smile as warm as a spring breeze.

He stepped aside and introduced the young man in black behind him: "This is Xie Yu, the young general of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion. He happens to be off duty today, so he came with me."

Xie Yu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Hello, Sister Su! I've heard Brother Chen talk about you before, and seeing you today, it's true..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Jingchen kicked him: "What 'Sister Su'? Call her Miss Su."

"Ouch!" Xie Yu jumped back, not annoyed at all, and cupped his hands in a smile to Su Yaoyao, "Miss Su, please don't be offended, I'm just a quick-tongued person."

Su Yaoyao curtsied and said, "Thank you, Young General."

Xie Yu waved his hand, "Don't be so polite, just call me A-Yu." He looked Su Yaoyao up and down, his eyes open and honest.

"Miss Su has truly opened our eyes today. She remained calm and composed during the audit, the confrontation, and the danger. She is far superior to those delicate noble ladies."

Jiang Jingchen glanced at him. "Why are you talking so much today? She's my own sister, do you need to praise her?"

Then he turned to Su Yaoyao, his tone softening: "Yaoyao, these past years... it's been my neglect. Grandfather and Father have always thought of you, but you've always avoided seeing them..."

"It was my fault." Su Yaoyao lowered her eyelashes. "I was ignorant before, listened to slander, and distanced myself from my maternal grandparents' family."

"It's not your fault." Jiang Jingchen's voice softened even more. "You were so young then, and you lost your mother... It's the Jiang family that failed to protect you."

He paused, took something out of his pocket, and handed it to her.

It is a mutton fat jade pendant, carved with an exquisite ginger flower pattern.

"This is what my grandmother asked me to bring to you." Jiang Jingchen looked at her. "She said she couldn't put it on you herself when you came of age, and she's been thinking about it ever since."

Su Yaoyao took the jade pendant; it felt warm and smooth to the touch.

"How is Grandmother's health?"

"Alright, I always talk about you." Jiang Jingchen's eyes were smiling. "Last time I heard that you were wronged at the palace banquet and were so angry that you wanted to come to the Marquis's mansion to demand an explanation, but Father persuaded you to stay."

Su Yaoyao's eyes reddened again.

"Yaoyao." Jiang Jingchen finally raised his hand and gently patted her shoulder.

"Go back to the Grand Tutor's residence for a few days. Your grandmother misses you, and your father and mother miss you too."

He paused, then added:

"My aunt's courtyard has always been preserved. It's cleaned every day, and the magnolias in front of the window bloom every year."

Su Yaoyao gripped the jade pendant tightly and nodded emphatically:

"it is good."

Xie Yu, watching from the side, interjected, "That's wonderful! Miss Su, the old plum tree in the back garden of the Jiang residence will be in bloom soon; you'll be there just in time!"

Jiang Jingchen glanced at him: "Why are you even more enthusiastic than me?"

"I'm just happy for Grandma Jiang!" Xie Yu said with a grin, but his gaze involuntarily drifted to the string of Buddhist prayer beads on Su Yaoyao's wrist.

"But Miss Su, your prayer beads... they look familiar?"

Su Yaoyao subconsciously pulled her wrist back.

Jiang Jingchen noticed it too, and frowned slightly: "This is..."

"It was a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince," Su Yaoyao said frankly.

Jiang Jingchen and Xie Yu were both taken aback.

Xie Yu was the first to react, his eyes widening in disbelief: "The Crown Prince's prayer beads?! Those sandalwood prayer beads he never takes off?"

Su Yaoyao nodded.

Xie Yu gasped and looked at Jiang Jingchen.

Jiang Jingchen remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Yaoyao, His Highness the Crown Prince..."

"Cousin," Su Yaoyao interrupted him, raising her eyes with a clear and firm gaze, "I know what I'm doing."

Jiang Jingchen looked at her for a long time before finally sighing.

"Alright then." He rubbed his temples. "Go back to your residence and pack your things. I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

One more thing:

"As for Aunt Liu's side... give me the account book, and I'll check it for you."

Su Yaoyao felt a warmth in her heart: "Thank you, cousin."

Jiang Jingchen shook his head, his eyes filled with tenderness:

"Silly girl, why are you thanking your cousin?"

Su Yaoyao felt a warmth in her heart once again.

So this is what it feels like to have family backing you up...

She closed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips.

It seems that in this life... she is no longer alone.

Not far away, in a private room on the second floor of the teahouse.

Xiao Chenyuan stood by the window, taking in the entire scene that had just unfolded.

He watched Xie Yu flirt with her, watched Jiang Jingchen protect Su Yaoyao, watched her call him "cousin"...

The words spoken that day still echo in my ears.

"Cousin...they...didn't bring me any underwear..."

The teacup in my hand had gone cold without me even realizing it.

Ling Feng stood behind him and asked cautiously:

"Your Highness, shall we go back?"

Xiao Chenyuan was silent for a moment, then turned around:

"Return to the palace."

The sound was calm and even, yet Ling Feng could clearly see it—

His Highness twirled his fingers much faster than usual.