Soft words and warm embrace dispel weariness, a courtyard of wind and moon brings complete peace.

Lord Wuwei Mansion was lit bright as day. Rows of corridor lanterns cast the estate's four-zhang-high walls in an even grander, more imposing light. The luminous pearls set among the upturned eaves and interlocking brackets gave off a soft, warm glow, tempering that solemn grandeur with the warmth of a homecoming everywhere.

The vermilion gates stood open. The evening breeze swept in, carrying the faint fragrance of osmanthus from the courtyard and mingling with the aroma of food drifting from within, refreshing the heart and spirit.

The moment they stepped inside, laughter as clear as silver bells came from the far end of the winding corridor, drawing nearer and scattering the stillness of the deep night.

Two half-grown girls came running toward them, chasing and playing with each other, their flying skirts stirring up soft gusts of wind.

The girl in front wore a pomegranate-red flower-scattered ruqun. Her brows and eyes held a natural air of nobility and lively charm, while the jeweled flower at her temple trembled lightly as she ran. Beneath her brimming vitality lurked a touch of impish mischief.

The girl chasing after her wore a moon-white soft satin dress. Her smile was gentle and clear, her lips red and teeth white, her features as exquisitely carved as jade. Her brows radiated warmth and quiet refinement, and shallow dimples appeared in her cheeks as she ran.

They were Han Zhuohua and little Nian He.

Clearly, the two girls had been living extremely comfortably in this mansion. Little Nian He in particular had lost the slight gauntness she once possessed; her cheeks had grown plump with baby fat and bloomed with a healthy rosy glow.

Her skin had been nurtured until it was like the finest green jade—smooth, translucent, and lustrous.

It was obvious that Duan Yu and