On the way, Fan Xian had arranged for Teng Zijing to be in the same carriage as him, so he didn't avoid him while speaking. He frowned and said, "It's too coincidental. I just arrived in the capital, and I shouldn't be getting into conflicts with anyone. But Si Zhe followed me around all day, and then during the conflict in the restaurant, the Prince Jing's son happened to be there. It's hard to explain these coincidences."

Teng Zijing smiled and said, "The young master might be a bit tyrannical, but he doesn't have any real bad intentions. The Second Madam would never entrust him with something like that."

He continued, "The Second Madam only has this one son, but he's no good at studying or martial arts. He just spends his days eating, drinking, and causing trouble. That's why the Second Madam looks down on her own son."

A bitter smile touched the corner of Fan Xian's lips. "Precisely because she knows her son is useless, that's why Madam Liu is so ruthless towards me... These mothers, they all seem very stubborn. Liu Shi... she wants everyone to think that the Fan family's illegitimate son is just an incompetent playboy."

Teng Zijing said, "Actually, you might not know this, but whenever the young master goes out, he always causes some trouble. So the Second Madam letting him follow you out doesn't require any planning. It will naturally drag you into conflict."

"You mean to say that as long as I go out with him and cause trouble, I will naturally become a playboy in the eyes of the world."

"Exactly." Teng Zijing smiled. "The Second Madam's idea is simple, but it seems to be effective."

Fan Xian laughed. "This Liu Shi is quite something... she actually thinks Si Zhe is a blot of ink, and it's better for everyone to be stained black together. Interesting, interesting."

"It's just unexpected that Prince Jing's son was also in the restaurant," Teng Zijing responded. "The way you handled it earlier was proper. Although your words seemed to offend some scholars, all scholars have some arrogance. People in the capital might think you are arrogant, but it is still much better than thinking you are an incompetent fool."

"Is creating public opinion really that important?" Fan Xian said with a smile. "Is the Fan family really such a desirable target? Is Liu Shi really so simple-minded that she seems like a naive woman?"

He looked at Teng Zijing and said, "These are all questions, but actually none of them are my problem."

Teng Zijing asked curiously, "Young Master, then what is your problem?"

Fan Xian wore a worried expression on his beautiful face. "My problem is that until today, I still don't know what my future wife looks like, and whether she is really dying."

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The carriage stopped at an alleyway to the side of Tianhe Avenue. Looking into the distance, the government offices of various departments were still open for business, with various buildings having flying eaves like phoenixes, pointing towards the sky. Far in the distance, a square, unremarkable building stood there, looking extremely dark.

Fan Xian didn't let Teng Zijing follow him. Although it seemed that the other party had already decided to bet his future on this young master, Fan Xian didn't consider himself Song Qili. He didn't have the ability to win people's hearts. After all, he was his father's close follower – so there were some things he wouldn't let him know.

After confirming the location of the Overwatch Council in front of a candied hawthorn stall, he bought one, biting it as he walked towards that place, his teeth aching so much that he almost cried out in satisfaction.

Passing a bookstore, he went inside, glancing around. He found that they were all classics and historical collections that he had read countless times. He beckoned the shop assistant over, lowered his voice, and asked, "Do you have 'Story of the Stone'?"

A strange smile appeared on the shop assistant's face, and he also answered in a very low voice, "Please follow me, sir."

Without much attempt to avoid people, in a small room next to the main hall, the shop assistant took out a set of books and handed it to Fan Xian. Fan Xian took it and saw that it was exactly the same version as the one he bought from that aunt earlier today. He nodded in satisfaction and paid the money.

"Keep the books here for now. Someone from the Fan Residence will come to pick them up later." He had already had his sister take the previous one back to the residence, and these few would be too heavy to carry around, so Fan Xian planned to have a servant from the residence come to pick them up later.

The shop assistant said with some difficulty, "Which Fan Residence are you referring to?"

"The Sian Nan Baron Residence." Fan Xian thought, could there be many Fan Residences? He really didn't know, the Fan clan was a large clan in the capital, and the Sian Nan Baron was just a branch family. It was only in the last ten years or so that they had risen to prominence because of the Old Madam, and had become the most famous family in the Fan clan.

The shop assistant responded respectfully, wrapped the books, and stored them at the counter.

Fan Xian casually asked how well the book was selling. After getting the answer, a malicious thought arose in his heart, and he cursed the pirate bookseller in his mind. Seeing that this customer didn't leave immediately after buying the book, the shop assistant had no choice but to maintain a smiling face and chat with him about some trivial matters.

In between these questions and answers, Fan Xian's ear tip twitched imperceptibly.

While smiling and talking to the shop assistant, he slowly circulated his true energy, and his hearing became more acute. He immediately found the sound he wanted to find in the quiet environment of the bookstore.

Two breathing sounds that were different from ordinary people.

The breathing sounds were extremely long and distant, obviously people with true energy. Fan Xian knew that these should be the people his father sent to protect or monitor him, and frowned.

Seeing that this customer suddenly frowned, the shop assistant thought that this beautiful young man was very beautiful even when frowning, but he assumed that he had said something wrong, and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

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Coming out from the back door of the bookstore, Fan Xian confirmed that the two followers behind him should have been successfully shaken off. He was a little smug, thinking that the things he learned from Fei Jie when he was young, apart from using poison, such as the ability to counter-track, finally came in handy.

Walking along the bluestone road of Tianhe Avenue with the crowd, looking at the buildings on both sides of the street, these buildings were antique, especially the buildings before the road on each side there is a gentle stream of water, if you want to from the road to those yamen to go, also need to step over the small wooden bridge above the stream.

The stream was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the shadows of the small bridge and the branches of the green trees on the road extending to the surface of the water, looking very quiet and beautiful. Occasionally, petals blown off by the wind from the peach blossoms in the distance floated on the water, slowly moving along.

He was walking by the side of the road, his eyes looking at the falling water under his feet, a comfortable smile on his lips. For the past few days since coming to the capital, he always had to think about some complex things, which was too different from his original intention of experiencing this life, and his brain was also a little tired. At this moment, being refreshed by the spring scenery of the capital, he immediately felt much better.

Arriving at the entrance of the Overwatch Council, looking at the building made of bluestone and gray rock, Fan Xian frowned, feeling that the government office was too ugly, and it was too incompatible with the surrounding antique buildings with flowing eaves and quiet walls—but when he thought of Fei Jie's really ugly face, he reluctantly admitted it. Sure enough, what kind of person goes with what kind of building.

Walking into the building, Fan Xian strangely discovered that the officials and "passersby" he passed by were all looking at him, or rather, looking at him with very strange eyes.

He carefully looked at himself to confirm that there was nothing on him that could attract other people's attention before raising his head—but the curious gazes around him still hadn't changed at all.