Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

Xia Muning slowly climbed onto Zhong Tian's back.

Zhongtian was extremely strong, so carrying Xia Muning on his back wasn't too difficult for him.

This was the first time Xia Muning had been so close to a woman. Her hair brushed against his face, and his warm breath reached her ears. Their chests and backs were pressed tightly together.

The road was long and quiet. Neither of them were talkative, but Xia Muning felt at ease.

As dawn broke, we finally arrived at the Xia residence.

Xia Muning's heart pounded wildly. He didn't know what kind of situation he would encounter upon entering the Xia family mansion, or what kind of harsh treatment he would face.

There was no one on the street. Following the directions Xia Muning pointed out, Zhongtian arrived at a side door: "This is the path where the servants of the house conduct their private transactions."

The Xia family was a large and powerful family, employing more than 200 servants. They needed to maintain their livelihoods, including food, clothing, shelter, and social interactions with relatives and friends. Therefore, they secretly opened a small door between the east and west main gates.

The steward had told him this before, asking if he had blocked the road. He hesitated for a moment, but today he was given a way out.

No! This might be a dead end. Could it be that the robbers were able to enter the Xia residence without any hindrance by entering from here?

Who informed us of this? Who is the inside man?

Zhongtian escorted him to this small gate, set him down, and instructed her, "Young Master Xia, please remember this!"

“You weren’t kidnapped by robbers yesterday. Shiqin just drank too much and had a fit of hysteria. It was your birthday yesterday, and you were in a good mood last night. After the guests left, you played the zither in the glass room all night. Even the people outside could hear it. Do you remember…”

Xia Muning nodded: "...I remember."

"Good over there."

Nakata then turned to leave.

"Madam Zhong, please wait here and come with me into the manor. My mother will surely reward you handsomely!"

Zhong Tian smiled and said, "Young Master Xia played the zither all night yesterday. Where would there be any robbers? So naturally, there was no benefactor. Young Master Xia, the so-called savior does not exist. Do you understand?"

"…Um."

Xia Muning gently gathered her robes and solemnly performed a deep bow.

Nakata waved his hand and left.

Xia Muning watched her figure slowly disappear before turning around and entering the Xia residence.

Once he entered the Xia family mansion, he became the noble, unyielding eldest son of the Xia family, a man who would not tolerate being bullied.

...

"Our young master Yu wishes to invite young master Xia to a summer banquet. We urge young master Xia to grace us with his presence."

Yu Yijin's attendant, Chunzhi, stood respectfully in front and presented an invitation to Shishu, while Yu Yijin stood behind her with a polite smile.

Shi Shu's expression remained unchanged. The tear stains at the corners of his eyes had been subtly concealed by rouge, so no flaw was revealed. He took the instrument and said politely, "Young Master Yu, it's like this. Our young master played the zither all night yesterday and was a little tired. He just rested!"

Yu Yijin's smile carried a hint of concern: "That's unfortunate. Some rumors were circulating yesterday, and they were quite malicious."

The maid's smile vanished: "Nonsense! Young Master Yu is about to marry into the Xia family, and you still need to spread such rumors? Our young master..."

“Servant in charge of writing.”

Upon hearing that familiar voice, Shi Shu almost burst into tears.

Xia Muning stood there, and Yu Yijin looked at him. His clothes were intact, and his face was precious, but there were some dark circles under his eyes, which was normal, after all, he had been playing the piano all night.

She was about to marry into the Xia family. The eldest and third branches of the family had always been at odds. If Xia Muning had really been kidnapped by bandits last night, his reputation would be ruined. So why was he so arrogant?

His gaze fell on Xia Muning's hands, his expression hardened, and he affectionately grasped Xia Muning's hand, saying warmly, "My little brother's hands are indeed delicate. You played the piano all night yesterday, and your hands are still as white and tender as ever."

Xia Muning did not dodge, but instead stretched out her fingers to examine them closely. They were slender as jade, with fair skin at the base.

“My brother brought me some ointment from the palace. It’s very effective. Young Master Yu, would you like a bottle?”

"...No need, no need."

Knowing that he would not achieve his goal today, Yu Yijin changed his expression and warmly took Xia Muning's hand: "Brother, you haven't slept all night. Get some rest. I'm hosting a banquet at my residence tonight and will send a carriage over. Please come over for a chat."

Xia Muning removed her hand.

"Brother Yu is about to marry into the Xia family. Be careful. I heard from my third uncle that he is going to take a concubine for my sister. I heard that she is already pregnant."

Yu Yijin had no time to watch Xia Muning's antics right now; no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he couldn't conceal the hatred on his face.

He squeezed the silk handkerchief in his hand hard, and said with a grim expression, "Brother, rest well. I'll be leaving now."

"Wait!"

Xia Muning approached Yu Yijin: "I know what you're thinking, but I advise you to keep your thoughts to yourself. If you dare to be so presumptuous again, I won't mind if you enter the family with an extra concubine's daughter, and I'll have an extra sister."

Yu Yijin took a few steps back.

His expression darkened further, and he apologized in a low voice, "I will apologize for this offense."

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

This threat, though blunt, was effective. Many young noblemen wanted to see him make a fool of himself, and if he didn't use swift and decisive measures, the rumors outside would spread like wildfire.

Watching Yu Yijin leave, exhaustion slowly crept over him. He said softly, "Shishu, keep the important invitations, and decline the rest. Do it the same as usual."

"Yes!"

"Come with me and explain what happened."

"Yes!"

Back in the house, sitting in the familiar room, Xia Muning finally felt a weight lift from her chest.

He rubbed his aching head: "Tell me what happened?"

Shi Shu knelt down: "Last night, after you were kidnapped, Shi Qin was locked in the cell, and the head of the family and the matriarch began to mobilize people to search for you."

"Are they all from the manor?"

"Yes! And Magistrate Yu as well."

No wonder, Yu Yijin must have heard the rumors from his father.

Xia Muning pinched her brow bone: "Go on."

"Yesterday, Madam Zhong asked someone to give me a brilliant plan, instructing me to find someone who resembles you, young master, to impersonate you, saying that she would definitely bring you back before dawn."

Who are you looking for?

“Your teacher played in the glass room all night last night. He taught you, so naturally the music resonates with you. If you weren’t well-versed in this art, you wouldn’t have been able to detect the flaws.”

"Well done!" Xia Muning nodded.

"I gave my master 20 taels of gold as a token of appreciation for his hard work. He came from the palace, so he naturally understood what I meant."

"Yes!"

Shi Shu looked up and glanced at Xia Muning's expression: "Madam Zhong is a good person..."

"…I know."

"After Miss Biao returns, have him come to me." Those four audacious thieves should have already been brought back.

"Yes!"

"Go and tell my father that I'm back."

"Yes!"

Shi Shu memorized each item and then said, "My lord must be getting impatient. I'll tell him right away."

When Shi Shu left, the flowers on the table had wilted a bit overnight. He remembered the young master's instructions and prepared to take them out and throw them away.

But the moment his hand touched the flower, the young master's rebuke rang out: "What are you doing! Put it down!"