Duan Mingxi stepped out of the marquisate’s gates, where the gatekeeper quickly bowed in greeting.
Acknowledging him with a slight nod, she stepped out to see Duan Wang descending from his carriage in dark robes.
“Greetings, Wangye,” Mingxi curtsied.
Xiao Muchen reached out to steady her arm. “Get in the carriage first,” he said, helping her up before following her in.
The two of them had just seated themselves in the carriage when it sped off.
Duan Mingxi turned her head toward Duan Wang. “Where is Wangye taking me?”
Duan Wang glanced at her pale face. “You already know, don’t you?”
Duan Mingxi was about to speak when Duan Wang continued, “Although there was a fire, it has already been extinguished. Only two servants were injured—you needn’t worry too much.”
“A fire? Where?” Mingxi was startled, quickly lifting the curtain to look outside. Realizing it was the road out of the city, her expression darkened. “Was it on the estate?”
“You didn’t know?” Duan Wang was momentarily stunned. From her pale expression earlier, he’d assumed she had heard the news.
Duan Mingxi shook her head and looked at Duan Wang. “How does Wangye know about the estate?”
Xiao Muchen replied calmly, “Did you not know when you purchased it? My estate happens to be right next door.”
Mingxi genuinely hadn’t known. She gave him a look. “The estate was bought by my grandfather. I wouldn’t be aware of the neighbors.”
Duan Wang narrowed his eyes at her. “Perhaps you didn’t know at first, but no one mentioned it to you afterward?”
Mingxi detected the underlying meaning in his words. Indeed, if the neighboring estate belonged to Duan Wang, her second uncle would likely have informed her. Yet, neither her uncle nor You Sanping had said anything.
She frowned slightly but quickly dismissed the thought. It wasn’t something worth bringing up specifically.
Maintaining her composure, she responded evenly, “The estate was purchased for my second uncle’s use. It has little to do with me.”
Xiao Muchen stared at her deeply, his lips tightening into silence.
Mingxi paid no attention to him. Her mind was preoccupied with the fire—was it accidental, or was it deliberate? Thinking back to how the Crown Prince had intercepted her purchase of the hot spring estate, her face darkened slightly.
The carriage fell into an eerie silence.
Xiao Muchen studied Mingxi. Whatever she was pondering, her expression betrayed her unease, a dark shadow cast across her features.
“Have you thought of something?” Duan Wang suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Mingxi blinked, momentarily startled. She looked up at him, her gaze briefly revealing a trace of confusion.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered why he was even sulking over this. It wasn’t a significant issue; he was simply overthinking it.
With that realization, his irritation dissipated.
Mingxi steadied her thoughts and replied, “Does Wangye know that I once had my eye on another estate, but it was snatched away by the Crown Prince?”
Xiao Muchen raised a brow. “I wasn’t aware. This happened?”
Duan Mingxi frowned. It was a long story, but she carefully explained it.
Xiao Muchen glanced at her again. “Why didn’t you tell me at the time?”
Their gazes met, and Mingxi instinctively answered, “It was my problem to handle. I didn’t want to trouble Wangye.”
Xiao Muchen: …
It felt like punching cotton—utterly frustrating and futile.
She was someone he had chosen, so he couldn’t treat her like everyone else.
Taking a deep breath, he repeated the thought to himself several times before finally calming down.
“When the Crown Prince gets involved, it’s no longer just your problem, Mingxi. Have you forgotten? You are my fiancée.”
Duan Mingxi had grown used to handling everything herself during her ten years at Duke Gao’s Manor. Hearing Duan Wang’s words now, she reminded herself that she was no longer her past self. Nodding slightly, she replied, “I understand. Next time, I will inform Wangye.”
Xiao Muchen’s expression eased. “Gao Zhan was involved?”
Mingxi nodded. “Yes.” Pausing for a moment, she let out a cold chuckle. “But Duke Gao’s Manor is currently short on silver. Gao Zhan wouldn’t have the funds to buy such an expensive estate. He must have purchased it for the Crown Prince.”
“How are you so certain that Duke Gao’s Manor is lacking money?”
Mingxi: …
It felt oddly familiar—she had just explained this to her close friends a few days ago.
And now she had to explain it all over again to her fiancé.
She remembered what Xiao Muchen had said earlier: they were in the same boat. Unless it was a matter of conflicting interests, information should be shared.
She had to remember this well. Duan Wang seemed to have a vengeful nature—being targeted by him would be no trivial matter.
Thus, Mingxi patiently explained the situation once more.
Xiao Muchen observed Mingxi, finding her unusually attentive to the affairs of the Duke Gao household. The fact that she even stumbled upon such matters, combined with the history of her arranged marriage discussions with the Gao family shortly after she was reunited with her family in the capital, made him uncomfortable.
Why did Gao Zhan seem to pop up everywhere?
“Do you suspect this matter was orchestrated by the Crown Prince?”
“I don’t know,” Mingxi replied honestly. “I’m not yet aware of the exact situation at the estate. I’ll need to investigate before drawing any conclusions. I just hope it’s my imagination running wild.” She had no desire to confront the Crown Prince at this stage.
For now, she was still building her strength. Having returned to life not long ago, her plans and arrangements required time to come to fruition.
“The fire broke out at the estate yesterday,” Duan Wang explained. “The steward of my estate immediately took people over to help extinguish the fire. However, he didn’t inquire about the cause of the fire and returned after assisting with the rescue.”
Mingxi looked at Xiao Muchen. “The steward must have acted on your prior instructions. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stepped in so decisively. If I were to thank you formally, it would seem distant and overly polite. I’ll remember this favor.”
Only then did a faint smile appear on Xiao Muchen’s face. “There’s no need for formalities between us.”
They were engaged now, set to marry next year. In a couple of years, they would be parents to their own children.
Once they had children and deeper ties between them, Xiao Muchen was confident that Duan Mingxi would no longer think about annulment.
From the moment he first saw her on Yuguan Mountain, stepping in to save Liu Yan, something stirred within him—a strong, inexplicable urge to bind her to him.
At first, he tried hard to suppress and detach himself from this irrational impulse. But after the Crown Prince made his move at Shangyang Palace, Xiao Muchen realized he couldn’t resist it anymore.
If he couldn’t have her, he absolutely couldn’t let Duan Mingxi fall into the hands of the Crown Prince.
This realization struck suddenly, but with each encounter, the feeling only deepened.
For someone like him, who neither understood nor cared about love and marriage, the idea of using marriage as a means to keep her by his side didn’t seem impossible.
Aside from the throne, this was the first time in his life that he felt so persistently drawn to someone.
The carriage came to a halt. Xiao Muchen was the first to step down, lifting the curtain and extending a hand toward her.
Duan Mingxi hesitated briefly but eventually placed her hand in his.
A faint smile played in his eyes as he helped her disembark.
