Chapter 321: Robbery

Si Yuzhu shook her head, her voice clear and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate: "It's not a long wait, I just arrived. Please go first, cousin."

"There is an order of seniority. Since you are calling her 'cousin,' it is appropriate for her to be addressed first."

Si Yuzhu didn't say anything more. With Li Ying's help, she lifted her skirt and stepped onto the stairs, bowing as she entered the carriage.

Even without words, their every move reveals the refined upbringing and cultural heritage of this century-old family.

Yuan Siyin, adhering to the principle that one should learn from fine traditions and emphasize participation, decided to try imitating the example.

But reality often doesn't go as planned.

She swept up her cumbersome skirt and strode forward, boldly lifting the curtain like a passing robber.

This was the closest she ever came to committing a crime.

The word "robbery" was almost out of her mouth, but she swallowed it back.

The golden sheen has side effects.

After the two were seated, the coachman pulled the reins, and the carriage slowly began to move. Ziyuan and Liying walked hand in hand on either side of the carriage.

"Thank you very much, cousin, for accompanying me to the banquet today."

Si Yuzhu lowered the curtain, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to her: "A cup of tea to express my small token of appreciation."

"Cousin, you're too kind. Since it's for the sake of the Si and Yuan families, I certainly won't refuse."

Si Yuzhu was surprised that she hadn't just acted on a whim, but actually understood the meaning. She pursed her lips and said with a hint of surprise, "It seems that my cousin is not as rumored."

"Rumors are always meant for the majority of people to hear."

Yuan Siyin accepted the teacup, thanked him, and took a sip while leaning against the cushion: "Although I don't care what others think of me, it's unacceptable to harm the people around me."

Upon hearing this, Si Yuzhu truly began to look at her with new respect.

Although I don't know how those rumors about her came about, after having such a heart-to-heart talk with her today, putting aside her character and conduct for the moment, I suddenly realized that someone who has been undefeated by rumors must have a different mindset than ordinary people.

The two didn't actually have much to talk about. To put it bluntly, they were just trying to maintain the reputation of their respective families, and had nothing else to do with each other. So they just sat quietly and took a nap.

About an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the Wang family's villa. While still sitting in the carriage, people could hear a great deal of noise and praise outside.

Yuan Siyin lifted the curtain with her fingertips and looked out. She saw a garden full of peach blossoms, with dozens of peach branches peeking out from the top of the wall. When the wind blew, the slender green leaves swayed slightly, and peach blossoms fell all over the ground, which was quite a beautiful sight.

"Even just from the top of the wall, one can glimpse a third of spring's beauty; if one were to enter the other courtyard, the colors would surely be even more vibrant."

Si Yuzhu was sitting opposite her, and looking out, she naturally saw it too.

"There are too many people outside, unlike the Yuan residence. I'll go down first."

After Yuan Siyin finished speaking, she got off the carriage, then turned around and reached out to help Li Ying help Si Yuzhu down.

The suburbs were unusually lively today, perhaps because the Wang family had invited many young masters and ladies from prominent families, and even the local people couldn't resist coming over to join in the fun.

After all, only people of noble status could enter this courtyard; as for them, they could only look at the walls at most.

Many young masters and ladies who had arrived late following behind the Yuan family's carriage also got off and walked to the front. When they saw that there was an unfamiliar woman in green beside Yuan Siyin, they immediately began to whisper among themselves.

"Who is that person next to Yuan Siyin? He looks very unfamiliar."

"You're out of touch with this news. I heard it's that cousin from the Si family. She used to live in Jiangnan, but somehow she suddenly came to the capital."