Around noon, He Lianchen came to the Peach Blossom Garden to meet Feng Tianyi. He joined the devil and the two little buns for lunch before he was left alone with Feng Tianyi to discuss the things he came for privately at the patio where they could still see the Tang twins.

  "You've been staying here for weeks now. Are you sure you don't regret moving here, Tianyi?" he asked, his eyes glancing around the place, noticing the camera's installed at the patio and the guards the empress added to secure her home.

  "You still haven't felt like a prisoner yet? She still hasn't given up on trying to check your background," he added.

  He Lianchen disapproved of Feng Tianyi's decision in getting involved and familiar with Tang Moyu. It would be troublesome to make the empress an enemy in the future once she found out the truth about Qin Jiran's identity.

  While he and Song Fengyan were able to block the information about Qin Jiran being Feng Tianyi from the investigators the empress hired to check Qin Jiran's background, they wouldn't be able to stop her from being wary of him.

  "No, I don't mind. Let her do what she wants," Feng Tianyi answered, his ears picking up the sound of Little Star's laughter as she watched cartoons on television with her twin brother. The little buns' company was enough for him to forget his worries whenever they were with him.

  As for their mother, it was only natural for her to be wary of him. After all, he was a stranger she allowed to step not only in her own home, but also in the lives of her children. She just made a ridiculous notion by keeping a stranger in her backyard that she couldn't truly put her trust into.

  That was why he understood why Auntie must be near whenever the twins were with him. Tang Moyu was aware of what he was doing within the guest house and to whom he had spoken to that day. Feng Tianyi was aware that he was being monitored by the empress and had him under surveillance.

  Even the new household helpers she hired to help him keep the place clean and tidy weren't simple people. He Lianchen was right when he implied that Tang Moyu was keeping him as a prisoner and not as an esteemed guest in her household.

  However, he could never blame her for that. It would be extremely foolish of her if she decided to lower her guard totally, regardless of the deal she made with him.

  He Lianchen shook his head. Feng Tianyi might have not realized yet, but he was already smitten with the empress, something he found unusual since Tang Moyu was the last woman he thought would want to be with the devil if she knew who he was.

  He left an hour later leaving the devil with the little buns once again. However, it didn't take long and Li Meili came to the guest house to see the Tang twins.

  "Hello, my darling little buns. Auntie Mei is here with your favorite." She lifted a box of cake with one hand to get the twins' attention which was effective. She then handed the cake to Auntie Lu who brought it to the kitchen to cut it for the twins to eat, leaving Li Meili to talk with Feng Tianyi.

  "Mr. Qin, it's been a while. How are you faring here with Moyu and her twins?" she asked curiously. Her best friend had never allowed any man to get this close to her and her children aside from Qin Jiran.

  "Good. Xiao Bao and Little Star are good hosts I must say. They kept me company as much as they could."

  "And Moyu?" she questioned.

  Feng Tianyi couldn't help but frown at that. Did Li Meili know something?

  "I actually haven't seen her nor talked to her these days. I think she's being wary of me," he admitted. "Miss Li, do you think she's avoiding me? Have I done something wrong to upset her?" he asked.

  Since Li Meili was really close to the empress, treating each other like sisters, Feng Tianyi thought that she might know the reasons behind Tang Moyu's actions.

  Li Meili gave him a sly smile, something she always sported. Of course, she knew why Tang Moyu was giving him a cold shoulder. Aside from being wary of him, the empress had too little experience dealing with men, so how could she know how to talk to Qin Jiran without making it awkward between them?

  "I think Mr. Qin is worrying too much. Moyu is really occupied with work; she barely had time to rest," she reminded him.

  "I see." Feng Tianyi nodded. He hadn't thought that he might be overthinking things between him and the empress.

  "Also, the fact is that my Moyu didn't have many interactions with men, so she might find it awkward to talk to you. Although we have that kind of annoying male friend in Young Master Jiang, Moyu doesn't have enough male friends she could rely on," Li Meili added

  That surprised Feng Tianyi. Aside from being his half-brother's ex-fiancee, wasn't the empress popular with men? He had never thought that Tang Moyu had a shy side like this.

  "So Mr. Qin, are you interested in being her friend?" Li Meili flashed him a mischievous smile which Feng Tianyi failed to notice as his mind was preoccupied once again by the aloof empress who'd been avoiding him these days.

  "Why not? Seeing that I might be living with them for some time, I don't see why Miss Tang and I shouldn't get along," he replied.

  Li Meili hid her grin behind her hand and hummed. How could she let this chance slip and not set her best friend up with this handsome fella? Seeing that Qin Jiran was also interested in Tang Moyu, she only needed to give these two a good push.