Chapter 613: Chapter 613: Considerate and Sensible “Don’t call it bullying,” he said indulgently as he grazed her nose. Leng Yu Yan sniffed and blinked, asking blankly, “Then what do you call it?” He coaxed, “It’s just being close and intimate.” As for the degree and distance, that was uncertain. Leng Yu Yan couldn’t help but feel panicked: “Why do I feel like I’ve fallen into a trap?” Ye Yiheng immediately became serious, “How could that be?” He patted her back gently as if soothing a baby: “There, there, go to sleep now.” Knowing he harbored mischievous thoughts, Leng Yu Yan muttered, “But I can’t rest easy.” “Just think, we have hugged already, touching a few times won’t take any flesh off.” She covered her face: “You’ve finally admitted it.” “I was only making a comparison,” Ye Yiheng sighed, and then seized her hand to press it against his chest, “Feel my heartbeat, I’m not lying.” Feeling the steady and strong heartbeat from his chest, Leng Yu Yan frowned involuntarily; this man was always calm and untroubled, possessing an incredibly strong mind. A mere heartbeat couldn’t prove anything. Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly heard him say, “Look, your hand is on my chest, and I don’t feel at a loss either.” “How can that be compared?” she couldn’t help but kick him. Ye Yiheng hugged her again: “Alright, alright, time to sleep.” If this continued, his restraint would collapse completely. “Don’t move your hands and feet anymore.” His response was casual, waving a hand, and the room immediately darkened. The next day in the afternoon, Ye Yiheng and Leng Yu Yan finished their lunch and were drinking tea and playing chess in the outer room. “If you play well this game, come back with me to the Eastern Palace.” “For what?” Leng Yu Yan asked. “There are still things needed in the bedroom; go and see, and get them according to your preferences.” “That’s a good idea,” she agreed. If she was to live in the Eastern Palace in the future, it was important that she live comfortably. It was at this moment that Mo Chen rushed in. “Your Highness, Commandery Princess, the Hidden Guard sent to teach martial arts to Young Master Leng Xuan has returned with news that the Second Household of Marquis Ningyuan’s Mansion has been expelled,” he reported. Leng Yu Yan put down her teacup and asked with furrowed brows, “When did this happen?” Mo Chen replied, “It was the very night of the imperial complaint; Second Young Master Lai and his family packed up overnight and only moved out their belongings the next morning.” “Where are they now?” “They went to the estate the late Madam left to the Second Lady,” he paused, then continued, “Furthermore, most of the servants formerly serving the Second Household were unwilling to follow them, and now they only have a maid and a servant by their side.” Leng Yu Yan said in a deep voice, “If they don’t wish to follow, they don’t have to. Those people were originally spies for Mrs. Feng and the old crone implanted in our branch of the family.” Ye Yiheng spoke up, “Then select a few people to send over to serve.” “There’s no need for that, as there are already servants at the estate,” Leng Yu Yan said. “Besides, my uncle and aunt enjoy doing many things themselves; it’s just that I need to send some things over.” She decided to send over some silver notes, so if her uncle and aunt wished to hire some serving staff, they could make their own decisions. However, with such an incident happening at her uncle’s household, she needed to visit as soon as possible. She thus said to Ye Yiheng, “Your Highness, shall I visit the Eastern Palace tomorrow instead?” Ye Yiheng replied in a light tone, “Let’s do this: I shall accompany you to the estate and then we can return to the Eastern Palace together.” The two immediately left the Prince Mansion and boarded the horse carriage, heading straight for the estate. The estate was located south of the city area, and it took more than an hour of fast travel to reach. When they arrived, the courtyard within the estate was still cluttered with various items, obviously not yet tidied. Leng Yu Yan looked around. The surrounding land, once verdant with vegetable patches, was now overgrown with weeds. This inevitably made her wonder if the old women who had been sent to the estate previously hadn’t been doing their jobs diligently. Hearing the commotion, Qinxian, who was engrossed in washing clothes, looked up and saw the Eastern Palace Carriage stopping outside the estate. She hurriedly swished her hands in the basin and then dried them on her apron. She bent her knees briefly in greeting to Ye Yiheng and Leng Yu Yan before scurrying into the house. As she ran, she shouted, “Lady, the Crown Prince and the Commandery Princess have arrived!” The excitement in her voice was undeniable. Ms. He, who was picking vegetables in the back kitchen, heard this and hurriedly washed her hands, coming out joyously. “Why did the Crown Prince and the Commandery Princess come here?” she asked. “Auntie, why are there only the two of you in this estate?” Leng Yu Yan asked directly. “Your uncle has gone to his official duties; Xuan’er and Jiajia have both gone to the academy. Because the way to the city center is far, we let the servants wait in the city with the horse carriage. So, it’s just the two of us left,” Ms. He explained somewhat sheepishly. “What about the original servants of the estate?” “Yesterday Leng Zongfa came with people and chased all of them away,” Ms. He said with indignation, “they said that those servants had also been receiving monthly salary from the public funds.” Suddenly, she laughed, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Our family is here, living steadily!” “Your Highness, Commandery Princess, please come inside and take a seat!” Ms. He welcomed them happily. Leng Yu Yan felt a complex mix of feelings. She grabbed hold of Qinxian, “Tell me honestly, why didn’t the servants of the estate follow?” “The Marquis said that if we servants wanted to follow Second Young Master and Second Lady, we’d have to return all the monthly salary we’ve received since joining the mansion. When we were driven out, only a maid and Xiaodong returned theirs. In this estate, the old women refused to return theirs, claiming they had families to take care of, so the only ones left to serve are the maid and Xiaodong. Besides, those old women never did take good care of this place. It’s better off without them,” Qinxian said with tearful eyes, “Second Young Master serves as an honest official, and Second Lady wanted to keep a few people who were to her liking, but where would they find the silver?” Ms. He laughed awkwardly, “Yu Yan, you mustn’t listen to Qinxian’s talk. How could your aunt not have money?” Leng Yu Yan raised her hand, and Miao Zhu, who followed behind her, immediately placed a stack of silver notes in her palm. Feeling the thickness of the silver notes in her hand, Leng Yu Yan stuffed them into Ms. He’s hand, “Uncle is a man of integrity, and now that you have moved back to the city, he will certainly not agree. The estate looks quite good; with a little bit of tidying up the surrounding vegetable fields, this place is indeed a tranquil and secluded spot.” “This…” Ms. He, looking at the thick stack of silver notes in her hand, one of which was worth one hundred taels, said, “We can’t possibly accept so much money!” “If Aunt still considers Yu Yan her niece…” Leng Yu Yan bent Ms. He’s fingers, “then please take this money with peace of mind, as if it were your niece showing her respect!” “Plus, the monthly salary that Qinxian and Xiaodong returned needs to be compensated for, right? If the estate is short-handed, why not look for a few trustworthy people nearby to help out? Life will surely get better.” At these words, Ms. He suddenly teared up, “When your mother was alive, she treated me and your uncle . Now you treat us the same way, treating Xuan’er and Jiajia like your own siblings. You child, how can you be so understanding and so considerate?” Leng Yu Yan was about to speak when suddenly the sound of a horse carriage came from outside the estate. The driver Xiaodong, raising his voice, shouted, “Lady, it’s not good! The Mountain Master said that starting from noon today, the young mistress has disappeared! Someone said they saw the young mistress being kidnapped.”