Tang Xiaobai was stumped by this question.

"Second Miss?" he urged.

Tang Xiaobai coughed lightly and said, "Those are ranked by the young girls waiting to be married, I’m not waiting to be married, so I can’t rank them."

The wheels rolled on in silence.

"Uh... what do you mean by Wenren Jia?" Tang Xiaobai tried to change the topic. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

After a while, he replied, "He knows the origin of the fake seal, but doesn’t trust us to bring down the mastermind."

Tang Xiaobai responded with an "um", which was about what she expected.

It seems this mastermind holds significant power...

"Second Miss—" suddenly, he called out to her.

"Hmm?" Tang Xiaobai was deep in thought and responded absentmindedly.

"Last time, Second Miss said she’d carve a seal for me."

"Ah?" Tang Xiaobai’s mind went blank for a moment before she remembered, "Oh right, right..."

"Is it done?"

"Uh... not yet..." Tang Xiaobai quickly recalled when this happened, "I... uh, am not very skilled; I need to study it a bit more..."

There was a rustling outside the carriage, and suddenly a hand lifted the curtain, reaching in and holding a small brocade bag in its palm.

Tang Xiaobai picked it up and squeezed it, thinking that this was not good.

"Do you like it?" Li Mu asked.

Tang Xiaobai hurriedly opened it and took it out; sure enough, it was a seal.

The body of the seal was carved with clouds surrounding the moon, and the knob was a—

Snake!

Tang Xiaobai almost dropped it!

"Why carve a snake?" she swallowed and asked.

There was a pause outside, "Isn’t the Second Miss’s zodiac a snake?"

Tang Xiaobai: "..."

Does having the snake zodiac mean I have to be paired with snakes?

The hand reached in again, palm open, empty.

Tang Xiaobai: "?"

"I’ll carve you another one."

"Uh... that’s not necessary—" before she finished speaking, he glanced back and then took the seal away.

Tang Xiaobai grasped at thin air, not knowing what to say.

"It won’t take long," Li Mu said.

Well then...

Tang Xiaobai withdrew her hand and asked, "Aren’t you very busy these past few months? How do you have time to play with this?"

He’s been investigating cases, wrongfully accused, attending summons from all sides, accompanying her to school; how does he still have the leisure to learn seal carving?

She had even forgotten about it due to her own busyness.

"There’s no time, it’s not play—" as he spoke, the carriage entered Duke Yan Mansion and steadily stopped; he lifted the curtain, his gaze deep and gentle, "For what one wishes to do, one will always find the time."

Tang Xiaobai blushed with guilt and, holding his hand, jumped down from the carriage.

As she alighted, she saw Tang Ziqian riding in and asked, "Why are you back so late?"

"Went to the West Market." Tang Xiaobai replied, recalling meeting Princess Runan at the West Market.

Tang Ziqian glanced around and frowned: "Where’s that girl who goes to school with you?"

Why is it just the Crown Prince with his little sister? Aren’t they sticking too closely?

"Something came up, so Cheng Zi went back first," Tang Xiaobai said.

The origin of the seal might involve some dangerous secrets, so she didn’t let Cheng Zi follow.

Tang Ziqian looked at his petite, child-like sister and then at the mature, composed Crown Prince, furrowing his eyebrows even more tightly, beckoning Tang Xiaobai: "Come with me for a moment!"

Tang Xiaobai had things to discuss with her brother too, so she hurried to catch up.

Tang Ziqian walked in front, entered his courtyard, and was about to speak, but saw Li Mu silently following behind.

"Who said you could come along?" Tang Ziqian said irritably.

Li Mu gave him a calm glance and turned into a side room.

"Ah Xiao lives here..." Tang Xiaobai gently reminded.

Why is brother being so clueless today?

Tang Ziqian patted his forehead: "Come in with me!"

Once in the room, Tang Ziqian asked, "What do you think of the Crown Prince?"

Tang Xiaobai was startled, why ask about the Crown Prince all of a sudden?

Nonetheless, she pondered seriously and said solemnly: "I haven’t interacted much with the Crown Prince, but he’s quite considerate towards me, maybe out of respect for Duke Yan Mansion. From the candle stand incident, although young, he acts decisively. But being a child who has been confined, we should guard against him developing a suspicious and narrow-minded disposition."

Tang Ziqian suddenly regretted not letting the Crown Prince follow along.

Covering his mouth to suppress his laughter, he coughed and asked, "You haven’t interacted much with the Crown Prince... cough... how many times have you interacted with him?"

Tang Xiaobai counted on her fingers: "Dragon Boat Festival the year before last, inexplicably taken to the Crown Prince Mansion... Winter Solstice the year before last, which was when the Crown Prince smashed the candle stand... then that’s it; a few other times I glanced from afar and didn’t even meet him."

Tang Ziqian almost burst out laughing.

Doesn’t the little sister know that the one at home is the Crown Prince? Why does the Crown Prince think she knows?

"Why is brother suddenly asking this?" Tang Xiaobai was puzzled.

Tang Ziqian laughed: "You’re about the same age as the Crown Prince; I’m afraid he has an eye on you."

Tang Xiaobai pondered for a moment and said, "The Crown Prince is a bit young... If our family needs me to marry off, they’d find someone older."

Since she enjoyed the benefits of Duke Yan Mansion, when she grows up, marrying for the family is no big deal, and she trusts the family would not choose too poorly for her.

Her natural response caught Tang Ziqian by surprise, as he curiously asked: "How much older?"

"Above twenty, I’d say!"

Tang Ziqian wanted to laugh again.

Above twenty—indeed, the Crown Prince is quite young.

Thinking of the Crown Prince being rejected by his little sister, Tang Ziqian couldn’t hold back and laughed twice more, patting her head: "Our family doesn’t need you to marry off, but you’re still young; when you grow up, tell brother if you fancy anyone!"

Tang Xiaobai nodded, she hadn’t thought about it much either.

At her current age, anyone interested in her would be a weirdo!

Uh... Little Ancestor doesn’t count; he’s still a child, just purely fond of her.

"Does brother have any other instructions?" Tang Xiaobai noticed his expression was no longer solemn as when they first entered, and wondered.

It didn’t seem like he said anything important; was some strange knot in his heart resolved so easily?

Tang Ziqian laughed: "Not much, it’s just that the Qin Family’s case is almost settled; soon they should announce the Qin Family’s vindication, and then Ah Xiao should move out of Duke Yan Mansion; I see you’re close to him, afraid you’d be reluctant to part."

Tang Xiaobai nodded: "Of course I’d be reluctant, but there’s no choice; he was bound to leave Duke Yan Mansion eventually; it just happens to be a bit earlier now."

Tang Ziqian glanced at the Crown Prince who had already come out, and laughed heartily: "That’s right, Ah Xiao is bound to leave eventually, haha... You’re so sensible for your age, brother is relieved!"

Tang Xiaobai saw that he seemed to have finished speaking, and felt it was her turn.

So she straightened her expression and said: "Brother, I’m still young, but you’re not that young anymore—"

Tang Ziqian stopped smiling: "What do you mean?"

Isn’t he in his prime?