Zheng Qian took the stack of banknotes.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the Zheng household—and even the servants crowding nearby—she calmly turned and handed them back to Prince Ancheng.
In that instant, every gaze tightened.
Her voice was soft, almost gentle:
"I am still young and unmarried. Such a large sum is not convenient for me to keep. I'll trouble Your Highness to safeguard it for now—until the day I marry. I trust Your Highness to be upright and fair."
"Mei'er!" Marquis Jing'an stepped forward instinctively. "How can we trouble the prince further?"
He could keep the money for her.
Once, she had worshipped him, treated him like the sky itself. If he gave her even a hint of warmth now, surely she would be overjoyed.
Forcing a smile, he said, "Mei'er, it's such a large amount. Keeping it would inconvenience His Highness. You're putting him in a difficult position."
Zheng Qian smiled faintly.
"I did consider giving it to Father…"
The Marquis' breath hitched.
"But," she continued leisurely, "some of this money is Father's own wager. If you keep it, others may grow suspicious and tarnish your reputation for fairness. It's better to entrust it to His Highness."
Prince Ancheng understood perfectly what the Zheng family was thinking—and deliberately went against them.
"It's no trouble at all," he said with a smile. "Since Miss Zheng trusts me, I will keep it for you. When you marry, I shall personally return it."
Zheng Qian thanked him.
Around them, faces twisted—rage, frustration, near tears. Not a single expression remained composed.
Zheng Qian called out to her elder brother, who was still walking laps in the courtyard, drenched in sweat.
"Brother, let's head back. Don't overexert yourself."
Zheng Chi nodded.
The siblings turned and left together. Prince Ancheng quickly followed.
"Wait—let me take a closer look at that prosthetic."
The three of them walked off, leaving behind a hall in utter disarray.
The moment they stepped outside the courtyard—
Zheng Qian burst into laughter.
Bright, unrestrained laughter.
Prince Ancheng and Zheng Chi exchanged a glance, then couldn't help but smile as well.
After laughing her fill, Zheng Qian stretched out her hand.
"Your Highness, the banknotes."
"Oh? You don't need me to keep them after all?" he teased, already pulling them out and handing them over.
From the very beginning, he had seen through her plan.
Using him as a shield—nothing more.
Zheng Qian tucked the notes into her sleeve. In the next moment, her sleeve looked completely empty.
"I merely borrowed Your Highness's authority to suppress certain… troublesome spirits," she said lightly. "How could I truly trouble you? Besides, I still have use for this money."
Her engagement annulment fund was now secured.
Prince Ancheng's eyes lingered briefly on her sleeve, curiosity flickering—but he asked nothing.
"You've taken over forty thousand taels from them," he said. "They probably want you dead now. Miss Zheng, you should be careful in that household."
"It's fine," Zheng Qian replied calmly. "The money isn't actually on me. Even if they kill me, they won't get it. For now, they won't act rashly. Still, thank you for the reminder."
Behind them, Zheng Chi followed step by step, silent.
Prince Ancheng's attention shifted to him.
"That leg of yours… what exactly is it?"
"How is it possible?"
"There's nothing special," Zheng Qian said with a smile. "Just a prosthetic—made a bit more delicately."
Back in the West Courtyard, Zheng Chi removed the prosthetic and handed it over.
Prince Ancheng held it in both hands.
It weighed almost nothing.
Shock filled his eyes.
"So light? What material is this? Something this size shouldn't weigh so little."
"A treasure," Zheng Qian said simply.
He tested the joint—flexible, responsive, almost alive.
After a long pause, he asked, "Miss Zheng, do you have the method to make this? I'm willing to buy it. The price won't disappoint you."
Zheng Qian shook her head.
"Your Highness, there's no market for it. Few people survive injuries like my brother's. Even if they do, this costs tens of thousands of taels to make. Who could afford it? Even if you bought the method, it wouldn't be profitable."
Prince Ancheng fell silent.
For a moment, he realized—he had been dazzled.
After washing and changing, Zheng Chi reattached the prosthetic and walked a few steps—steady, practiced.
"You can walk normally now," Prince Ancheng said.
"With practice, even running won't be a problem," Zheng Qian added.
Before leaving, Prince Ancheng took the main gate this time.
After he was gone, Zheng Chi looked at Zheng Qian.
"Do I owe you money? You said this is worth tens of thousands."
"For others, yes," she said casually. "For you? Free. Even if it were worth gold beyond measure."
Zheng Chi froze.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then quietly:
"Send Yu Zhong to your side. You've offended everyone in this household. Be careful."
"Everyone in the Zheng family?" Zheng Qian tilted her head. "Brother… are we not part of this family?"
Zheng Chi fell silent.
Later, in her courtyard—
The moment Zheng Qian appeared, the maids nearly exploded with excitement.
"Young Miss!"
"You won!"
Laughter, tears, chaos.
Only then did the weight of it settle—
She had truly won.
Completely.
Utterly.
And beautifully.