(This is the second update today—please keep voting! The book has been hovering at the very end of the rankings, which is quite alarming. We kindly ask everyone to help lift it up a bit—your support matters!) Han Li finally settled into a quiet room in the back quarters of the Mo Mansion. Mo Caiping, being considerate, didn't linger and quickly departed, returning home. Her sudden transformation into such a graceful and refined host surprised Han Li somewhat. Since he still wasn't certain about the attitudes of the people at the Mo Mansion toward himself—whether there were any potential threats—he hadn't truly fallen asleep all night, only dozing off briefly on the bed. By the time the next morning came, as Han Li was still half-asleep, a steady "thump! thump!" sound of knocking came from outside the door. "Could it be the little fairy has arrived?" Han Li furrowed his brow, then shook his head slightly. "Such a calm, even rhythm of knocking doesn't match Mo Caiping's usual style. Yet, how many people truly know where I live?" Han Li felt a bit puzzled, so he wiped his face with a handkerchief before opening the door. Outside stood a young man in his twenties with broad, prominent eyebrows. As soon as Han Li stepped out, the young man examined him from head to toe and then bowed warmly, greeting, "Are you Han Zhi? I'm Yan Ge—by calculation, I'm also your senior brother!" Han Li listened, paused slightly, then nodded in agreement, and together with the door closed behind them, he walked side by side with Yan Ge. Yan Ge was deeply interested in Han Li's affairs, asking numerous questions throughout the journey, and also showed great curiosity about the local customs and traditions of Yu Zhou, pressing for further details. When the two passed by the garden in the back courtyard, they unexpectedly encountered a pair of young men and women—exactly the ones Han Li had seen from afar yesterday, Mo Yu Zhu and Wu Jianming. The two were standing side by side in the garden, clearly in a romantic mood, which made Han Li feel rather uncomfortable, as though something precious belonging to him had been taken away. The couple on the other side evidently noticed Han Li and his companions, and thus approached them proactively. As they drew closer, Mo Yu Zhu glanced at Han Li only briefly, making no remark, while Wu Jianming looked at him with a somewhat puzzled expression. "Good morning, Yan-brother! This young man seems rather unfamiliar. Could you tell me which esteemed master's disciple he is?" Wu Jianming asked warmly. “….” Han Li had assumed that his younger brother, Yan, would step in to shield him and take over the conversation. Yet after waiting for a long time without hearing a single word from Yan, Han Li was left stunned. He turned to glance at Yan. To his surprise, Han Li found himself speechless. At that moment, Yan was completely absorbed, gazing in rapt attention at Miss Mo Yu Zhu, as if lost in a state of deep concentration—how could he possibly respond to Wu Jianming’s words! “My younger brother is a distant cousin of the third lady, and I’ve come at my parents’ request to pay my respects to her, hoping to secure a position under your patronage,” Han Li said, reluctantly turning to face Wu Jianming himself. He deliberately adopted an awkward, humble tone, bowing and speaking in a low, deferential manner. “Ah, I see,” Wu Jianming replied, only after hearing Han Li’s first sentence, and then completely lost interest in him. It's no wonder, for Han Li's appearance was quite unimpressive, lacking the typical traits of a martial artist—how could Lu's eldest son have failed to notice him? At this moment, Lu's son turned sharply, visibly displeased with Yan Ge's obvious and persistent admiration for the jade bead, his expression growing serious. After all, the beautiful woman beside him was his official fiancée. With Han Li now standing closer to the jade bead, Yan Ge's expressions were clearly visible to her. Frowning slightly and showing clear displeasure, she found Yan Ge's open admiration rather irritating. "Yan brother, if there's nothing urgent, I'll step down now," said Mu Yu Zhu, her lips slightly parted as she offered a cold, polite bow to Yan Ge, then gracefully moved away. Lu Jianming merely huffed once at Yan Ge, said nothing, and followed after her. Han Li watched the two figures gradually fade into the distance, a strange smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Then he turned back to look at Yan Shi, only to find the latter still staring straight ahead, motionless, as if frozen in place. Han Li sighed. What a devoted soul! Yet no matter how he looked at it, it seemed that the ink-maiden wasn't showing any real interest in him—perhaps she had grown weary of his persistent attentions. He gave Yan Ge a firm pat on the shoulder, sending a ripple through his frame and instantly dispelling his bewilderment. "I'm truly sorry to have embarrassed Han Shidi!" Yan Ge, now composed, blushed deeply, deeply ashamed of his momentary lapse. "No need to apologize," Han Li smiled gently. "A graceful lady, a noble suitor—this is simply what men are meant to do. There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Yan Ge listened to Han Li's words and did not feel any relief—instead, he smiled slightly, speaking slowly: "I must confess to Han brother, I've grown up with Yu Zhu since childhood. Though we may not have been childhood sweethearts in the traditional sense, we've shared a deep bond. Yet, unfortunately, Yu Zhu has always seen me only as a brotherly figure, with no deeper feelings. After she repeatedly declined my advances, I gradually came to accept that my hopes were simply to see her find a good husband and live a happy life. But now, every time I see Yu Zhu, I find myself utterly unable to hold back—unconsciously, I end up blushing and making awkward moments like this!" When he reached the last sentence, there was a touch of self-mockery in his tone. Upon hearing Yan Ge's words, Han Li remained silent and instead gazed at him with the kind of attentive, almost reverent gaze one might use for a rare antique—someone he had only read about in books and stories, but never imagined would have the privilege of seeing such a person in person. If the other person is telling the truth, then he must either admire his unwavering devotion or secretly curse his sheer foolishness! On the way ahead, Han Li deliberately shifted the conversation to other topics, helping to calm Yan Ge's mind and restore his composure. The two of them chatted and laughed their way to the small pavilion where Han Li had stayed the night before. There, the several wives of Mo Doctor were formally awaiting Han Li's arrival, ready to surprise him with something special.