"Let's go!" Xu Heming did not notice the displeasure on Li Zhiwei's face.

Nor did he sense the sudden distance she had put between them.

"Your Highness, why don't you go with Second Miss Cheng? I will head back first. After everything that happened today, I am quite tired," Li Zhiwei said, keeping her head lowered and deliberately standing a little further away from Xu Heming.

Only then did Xu Heming realize Li Zhiwei's unusual behavior towards him.

"Did you... misunderstand something?" Xu Heming asked softly, looking at Li Zhiwei.

He was a bit confused inwardly. Where had he misspoken?

Wasn't she just happily buying clothes for him?

Why the sudden change in attitude?

Thinking it over, the only reason could be Cheng Qingli's appearance.

Could it be that Li Zhiwei misunderstood his relationship with Cheng Qingli?

At this thought, Xu Heming grew a bit anxious and hastily added, "I have no special relationship with that Second Miss Cheng."

Li Zhiwei was taken aback for a moment, then pretended not to care as she said, "Your Highness does not need to explain anything to me. If Your Highness truly has a girl you like, I will definitely support you."

Li Zhiwei thought to herself, if she could not escape the fate of marriage, it would be better to make things clear with Xu Heming in advance. By marrying him, she could help him fulfill his wishes, but she would not entrust her feelings to him.

Her original intention was simply to ensure the safety of her parents.

And it remained the same now!

Back then, she didn't want to marry into the Marquis of Ru'an's estate because she didn't want to follow the disastrous path of her previous life and cause her parents to die tragically.

Now, if the Prince of An truly had a girl he fancied, she would naturally be willing to step aside, as long as her parents were safe.

"What are you thinking about?" Xu Heming stared intently at Li Zhiwei, wondering what went through her mind all day.

Didn't she say herself that she wanted to run a business?

Since Cheng Qingli could manage Qingyu Pavilion so well, she surely had many good methods.

However, he actually didn't like her teasing nature just now either.

"That Qingyu Pavilion is Cheng Qingli's property. I originally thought that if you two could cooperate, you would definitely integrate into the capital much faster," Xu Heming sighed and explained.

"She has someone she loves, and it's not me!" Xu Heming clarified further.

Li Zhiwei paused for a moment; she hadn't expected Xu Heming to explain all this to her.

Then, she felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that Xu Heming had guessed all her thoughts.

However, she hadn't expected that Qingyu Pavilion belonged to that girl. This made Li Zhiwei feel a bit of admiration for Cheng Qingli.

If that was the case, cooperating with her wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Do you still want to go see her now? If you want to, I will take you. If you don't want to, we won't go," Xu Heming said gently, looking at Li Zhiwei.

After all, compared to Li Zhiwei being unhappy, Xu Heming felt that making money wasn't an absolute necessity.

In any case, the Prince's estate could easily afford to support Li Zhiwei.

Xu Heming had no idea that the dowry in Li Zhiwei's hands was already several times the wealth of the Prince of An's estate.

She simply wanted to build a career that could better prove her worth.

Rather than relying on her wealthy father, or having people in the future refer to her merely as "that merchant's daughter who married the Prince of An."

Just like her father, who was now in the Ministry of Revenue, reviving many of the imperial court's businesses to prove himself.

"Shall I escort you back then?" Xu Heming asked cautiously, seeing Li Zhiwei's silence and assuming she didn't want to go.

"You can go back if you want. I want to go see Second Miss Cheng," Li Zhiwei snapped out of her daze and said somewhat bashfully.

"Let's go then. I'll escort you there. I still have to go into the palace to report to the Emperor later." Xu Heming had also reflected on himself just now; perhaps because Second Miss Cheng was, after all, a young woman, he should maintain some distance.

"Didn't you say you weren't in a hurry?" Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming in confusion.

"I am. I've already sent someone to call Qinghua and Qingyue over. Once they arrive, I'll head into the palace. Second Miss Cheng's behavior is somewhat different from the noble ladies of prestigious families. If you find you don't like it, just leave." Thinking of Cheng Qingli's teasing nature, Xu Heming was worried that Li Zhiwei might be pranked. That was why he had wanted to accompany her earlier.

Li Zhiwei glanced at Xu Heming, wondering if he really had urgent business.

"Next time, if I do something wrong or something you don't like, you can tell me directly," Xu Heming added softly.

"I've never had much contact with women. Sometimes, I might not consider your feelings. Remind me next time," Xu Heming supplemented.

"I don't believe that, Your Highness. What about you and the late Princess..." As soon as Li Zhiwei said it, she felt it was inappropriate to bring up the late Princess, who had already passed away.

"Madam Zhou and I were married by the orders of our parents and the words of matchmakers. I went to war just days after our wedding. By the time I returned, she was gone, leaving only Qingshi behind. I feel guilty toward her, and I am grateful to her for bearing Qingshi for me." Xu Heming remained silent for a moment before speaking about his past with Madam Zhou.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up the late Princess." Li Zhiwei felt a bit remorseful; she had spoken too quickly.

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

If Xu Heming were petty, he might even think that she, a merchant's daughter, was just being narrow-minded.

"You don't need to apologize to me. It's an undeniable fact that I married Madam Zhou, and it's a fact that I have Xu Qingshi. If you mind these things, I can't change them. It's just that, from now on, it will be you," Xu Heming said uncomfortably.

"You're right. From now on, you have me." Li Zhiwei suddenly smiled, feeling relieved.

"Second Miss Cheng loves to tease people, especially children. The Third Prince runs away the moment he sees her. Qingshi is good friends with the Third Prince and hears about it often, so he is terrified of Second Miss Cheng from the bottom of his heart. However, Second Miss Cheng means no harm; she just likes to mess with them." Xu Heming explained why Xu Qingshi was so resistant to Cheng Qingli.

"Second Miss Cheng pinched Qingshi's face red just now, and as his father, you didn't even stop her." Thinking of this, Li Zhiwei felt dissatisfied with Xu Heming's earlier behavior.

After all, Xu Qingshi was her biological son.

"My mistake. I'll pay attention next time." Xu Heming rubbed his nose awkwardly. Earlier, he had thought that Xu Qingshi was a little man, and a few pinches on the face wouldn't hurt.

So he hadn't stopped her.

Xu Heming escorted Li Zhiwei to the ground floor of Qingyu Pavilion, where Qinghua and Qingyue happened to be waiting.

"Go on up!" Xu Heming had no intention of going upstairs, speaking to Li Zhiwei with a hint of reluctance.

"Are you really not going?" Li Zhiwei felt that Xu Heming was just pretending to have business in the palace because he thought she would mind.

"I'm not going. You go ahead. If anything happens, have Qinghua come find me." Xu Heming shook his head, gesturing for Li Zhiwei to go up.

Seeing that Xu Heming truly wasn't going, Li Zhiwei didn't hesitate and walked straight into Qingyu Pavilion.

"Li Zhiwei, why is it you?"