After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Just then, a woman's charming laughter drifted up from the open window into the lobby downstairs.

"...Speaking of which, the most admired person in the capital is none other than Young Master Xuheng of the Prime Minister's residence," a clear female voice said, tinged with longing.

"Indeed!" another voice immediately chimed in. "I heard that his fiancée, to whom he was betrothed since childhood, was lost in the floods that swept south a few years ago, and her fate remains unknown. The Prime Minister wanted to find him another wife, but he resolutely refused, vowing to find his fiancée no matter what. He's so devoted!"

"If I could marry a husband as devoted as Young Master Xuheng, I would gladly shorten my lifespan by ten years!"

The casual conversation among a few young women was nothing out of the ordinary.

But then, someone abruptly changed the subject and mentioned another name.

"If you ask me, while Young Master Xuheng is good, he's too unrealistic. In reality, the young master Xie from the Yongning Marquis's mansion is the true chosen one. He excels in both literary and martial arts, and his family background and appearance are impeccable."

"Come on," the first voice scoffed. "Prince Xie is good, but he's like snow on the Tianshan Mountains, like the moon hanging high in the sky. He's beautiful, but he's too cold. He could freeze a person to death! You dare to marry him, but I certainly don't."

"That's true. I heard that he's very picky about even the maids who serve him. Ordinary women probably wouldn't catch his eye."

Hearing this, Afu's hand holding the chopsticks tightened slightly. She subconsciously glanced at Xie Xun beside her out of the corner of her eye.

He remained calm and composed, leisurely sipping his tea as if the gossip downstairs had nothing to do with him.

"You're all wrong about that." A smug voice interjected, lowered but still loud enough for those around to hear, "How could someone like Prince Xie be truly detached from worldly desires? He's not cold; he just hasn't met someone who can warm his heart yet."

"What do you mean by that, sister? Is there some inside story we don't know?"

"Of course!" The voice grew even more smug. "Have you all forgotten about the Princess's annulment of the engagement a while back? That Princess Qinghe is such a remarkable person; she was almost married, but she was turned away. Do you really think it was because their horoscopes didn't match?"

"Isn't that right?"

"Silly sister, that's just polite talk! I've heard the real reason is that Prince Xie... has been keeping a mistress in a golden house for a long time!"

"Huh?!" A collective gasp filled the air.

"My cousin's aunt's daughter-in-law works in the Marquis's mansion. She said that the Heir Apparent Xie keeps a concubine who is as beautiful as a fairy in his courtyard, and he cherishes her like the most precious thing! For this concubine, he even gave up his future heir apparent's wife and publicly humiliated the Princess of Qinghe, which angered the Princess's mansion, and they took the initiative to break off the engagement!"

"Really? A mere maidservant has such great abilities?"

"Of course it's true! Everyone says that maid is a vixen, with the power to bewitch and bewitch, she's got our cold-faced young master completely bewitched! Now, the entire Marquis's mansion knows that maid is the young master's apple, and no one can touch her!"

Rumors, like poisoned arrows, pierced through the window and accurately entered the private room, word by word.

Afu's face suddenly drained of all color.

She felt a chill run through her body, as if she had been stripped naked in public and thrown into the freezing snow. The foul language and vile speculations were like countless hands, dragging her into the mire.

She is finished.

She became the laughingstock of the entire capital, a lowly maid who rose to power through seductive tricks.

Xie Yun slammed her chopsticks on the table with a "bang" and was about to get up.

Wei Changsheng quickly grabbed her and shook his head at her.

The entire private room was deathly silent.

Afu slowly and stiffly raised her head and looked at the man beside her.

Xie Xun slowly put down his teacup, the bottom of the cup hitting the table with a very soft "tap".

His face remained expressionless, but his unfathomable black eyes seemed to freeze into a vast glacier, foreshadowing an impending storm.

Xie Xun's face turned ashen, more so than ever before.

"This is outrageous!" Xie Yun finally couldn't hold back, her pretty face flushed red, and she was about to get up and go downstairs to argue.

"Yun'er." Wei Changsheng's steady voice rang out. He reached out and firmly placed his wife's hand on the table, then gently shook his head at her.

He advised in a low voice, "Arguing with a bunch of gossipy women will only make things worse and ruin the reputation of the Marquis's mansion."

Xie Yunqi's chest heaved with anger, but she knew her husband was right. She could only sit back down angrily, glaring downstairs, wishing she could poke holes in those who were talking nonsense with her eyes.

The atmosphere in the private room was extremely awkward.

Afu lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt above her knees. She could feel that cold gaze falling on her.

These rumors are extremely damaging to the reputation of the Marquis's mansion.

"It's nothing but shady tricks." A cold, emotionless voice rang out from above.

Afu trembled violently and slowly raised her head.

Xie Xun was looking at her. In his deep black eyes, there was no trouble or disdain as she had expected, only a bottomless, icy pool.

Was he talking to her?

Afu was somewhat uncertain.

Xie Xun looked away, as if he were simply stating a routine official matter, "It should be the work of the Princess's residence."

He offered no comfort or explanation; he simply told her, in the most straightforward way, where the root of the problem lay and how he would handle it.

She knew that he was handling this matter primarily to protect the reputation of the Yongning Marquis's mansion and herself. She was merely the one who was passively drawn into the storm.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say "Thank you, Your Highness," but it felt like her throat was blocked with cotton, and she couldn't utter a single word.

The meal ended hastily in an eerie silence. Afu didn't know how she finished eating; she only remembered that Xie Xun put another piece of fish in her bowl, saying the same two words again: "Eat more."

She ate mechanically, finding it tasteless.

A few days later, preparations for the opening of Banxianju were nearing completion.

To acquire some unique tableware for her shop, Afu, wearing a veil, went alone to the busiest market outside the Xiangguo Temple in the capital.

The vendors here are a mixed bag, and you can find all sorts of strange and unusual things. If you're patient, you can always find some unexpected gems.

Afu stopped in front of a stall selling old porcelain and was carefully selecting several antique-style teacups when her peripheral vision was drawn to something on a stall next to her.

He was a skinny man who looked somewhat furtive. His stall displayed several imitations of jade and copper coins from the previous dynasty. When he saw her looking over, he winked and pulled a cloth bag from his pocket, mysteriously unfolding a corner of it.

Inside were several well-made official seals.