White Moonlight

After finally getting himself ready, he pulled out a pearl-white satin robe from the original owner's wardrobe. The robe had a dark green trim around the hem and was embroidered with delicate bamboo leaf patterns on the lining. It made him look straight and gave him a refined and noble air, but without being flashy.

Madam Zhang's birthday banquet was held in the front hall of Yunyin Hall. Today, Yunyin Hall was brightly decorated inside and out, with festive red silk hanging at the main entrance. Even the usually quiet courtyard was warmed by a row of red lanterns, creating a lively atmosphere. According to the novel, Madam Zhang always preferred quiet, so this elaborate display was clearly not her idea; it was more likely a adherence to the old customs of the family mansion—everything that should be there had to be there.

As soon as You Jiale stepped across the threshold of the front hall, a small commotion arose at the entrance of the main hall. Several servants whispered in hushed tones, "Mr. Zhang's distinguished guest has arrived; it is Young Master Pei of the Pei family."

Xiao You subconsciously turned her head and saw that person standing at the gate.

Tsk, he looks quite respectable. His light gray suit and white shirt are impeccable, understated yet captivating. To use those saccharine words from books, like "gentle and refined as jade," wouldn't be an exaggeration at all.

Pei Zhiyuan.

The "white moonlight" in the book is Ben Guang, who is Zhang Xiande's childhood friend.

Soon, someone eagerly came out and led Pei Zhiyuan inside, but unfortunately, Xiao You just happened to be standing right in the middle of this only way...

The moment Pei Zhiyuan saw You Jiale, his face instantly darkened, turning so black it looked like two ounces of soot could be scraped off the bottom of a pot.

The atmosphere was incredibly tense. Xiao You knew that pretending to be dead wouldn't work, so she forced a smile and greeted Pei Zhiyuan, "Young Master Pei, hello. I've heard so much about you. The boss is waiting for you." She was trying to appear calm and collected despite being completely overwhelmed.

Those who were sharp-eared and had heard the romantic rumors between Assistant You and Boss Zhang had expressions that could easily be described as a Sichuan opera face-changing act—the upper half of their faces said "This is going to be good," while the lower half said "I don't want to get into trouble."

Xiao You stood to one side, quietly taking half a step back, thinking to herself: You guys should hurry up and leave, don't delay things here.

Pei Zhiyuan was about to say something when he heard a familiar voice call out, "Zhiyuan!"

Two energetic-looking boys walked over enthusiastically. Without a doubt, these two were Shen Ruyi and Chi Ye. They were old acquaintances—in the book, they were Cupids who tirelessly tried to bring together Zhang Xiande and his beloved Bai Yueguang.

At this moment, Xiao You's thoughts drifted a bit, and he quickly tried to recall any details he hadn't considered in this fake "battlefield." Sure enough, with the dazzling appearance of Chi Ye, this heavyweight "troublemaker," those "suspected ambiguous relationships" that were only circulating in secret were now truly "confirmed."

Xiao You felt like he wanted to just disappear on the spot. What sins had he committed to deserve all this mess?

After Comrade Troublemaker's enthusiastic outpouring, Pei Zhiyuan's expression became increasingly complicated, clearly confirming his own thoughts.

"Assistant You, it's been a long time," Chi Ye said, his mouth dripping with sarcasm. "I heard you accidentally fell off the mountain a few days ago? It's only been a few days, and you're already rushing to Xian De's side. What's wrong? You know Zhi Yuan is coming back, and you're getting anxious, aren't you?" Chi Ye felt he was on a moral high ground, pointing fingers at You Jiale with undisguised contempt. "That's right, the real deal is back, of course you're going to panic, after all, you're just a worthless piece of trash."

To put it simply, the character of Ikeno in the book is a person with an emotionally expressive personality who will rant and rave about anyone he doesn't like.

Since there's no way to clear this up, we might as well stir things up completely. You Jiale's lips curled into a slightly wicked smile as she deliberately asked, "May I ask who you are? Your words suggest you're quite interested in our boss's affairs? What, you've fallen for him too?"

Chino was utterly shocked that this person would dare to say such things so blatantly. He was speechless for a moment, his face turning red with embarrassment: "Who's as shameless as you! Don't take yourself too seriously!"

You Jiale spread her hands innocently: "I didn't really take myself too seriously, but whether the boss needs me or not isn't up to me. What can I do?"

Pei Zhiyuan watched from the side, his gaze suddenly becoming somewhat dazed. He felt that the personality of Assistant You before him was vastly different from what the rumors described. Pei Zhiyuan was not one to easily reveal his emotions; the more he cared about something, the more indifferent his expression became. He had carefully observed today's meeting, intending to understand his opponent and proceed cautiously. Next, he needed to find a way to stay at Yunyin Hall and spend every day with Zhang Xiande. At that point, Assistant You's attitude would be a piece of cake, nothing to fear.

Today's scene left everyone present utterly stunned by Assistant You's unexpected "You Xiaole" personality. A servant quickly stepped forward and cautiously reminded him, "Young master, the boss is waiting for some distinguished guests in the main hall. Please follow me."

As Chi Ye followed, he muttered in Pei Zhiyuan's ear, "I really don't know what kind of bewitching potion he's given Xiande. We've tried to persuade him so many times. There are plenty of capable assistants out there, why does he have to choose this one who looks like a vixen? He probably used some underhanded tricks to bewitch Xiande..."

You Jiale rolled her eyes behind her, thinking to herself, "They're so loud even though they're so far away, do they think I'm deaf? I can hear them clearly with both ears!"

Oh my, these people's ability to gossip behind people's backs is truly hereditary! I rolled my eyes several times in my heart, but I still had to put on a brave face. After all, I've already worn the clothes, so I can't really stoop to their level. But keeping this anger inside is really, really unpleasant.

Back when he hadn't transmigrated, he was a typical straight man. Who would have thought that the moment he opened his eyes, he would become "Assistant You," someone others described as someone who rose to power through his looks and body? And what's with this "androgynous face"? He looked in the mirror eight hundred times and still couldn't see where he looked like a woman!

The group of people were whispering amongst themselves, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for him to hear.

Listen to this nonsense! A fire was rising in You Jiale's heart.

Having been a straight man his whole life, he was truly doomed by his face! Xiao You groaned inwardly, but he also knew that if he remained silent, these people might come up with even more outrageous stories. He took a deep breath, his fair face expressionless, only a hint of helplessness and determination flashing in his eyes.

He walked unhurriedly to the group of people who were gossiping together, cleared his throat, and began to speak. His voice was not loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Excuse me, everyone," he said, his tone tinged with a barely perceptible weariness, but more so with an undeniable seriousness, "Don't rush to extract juice from rotten gossip and feed it to others. Information without verification is garbage; don't treat it as headline news and spread it around. I'm fine with saying this, after all, the innocent are innocent, and a clear conscience fears no accusation. But I think it's none of your business to judge how Mr. Zhang conducts himself, who his acquaintances are, or who his spouse is. As people who care about Mr. Zhang, I hope you won't be too concerned about his private life; please focus more on his career. Mr. Zhang works tirelessly for the company; instead of wasting your time here speculating and making him a laughingstock, you should think about how to help him with his work."

Those who had been chattering earlier were all honored guests at the Zhang residence today, and none of them were fools, so naturally they didn't dare to be too presumptuous on the host's turf. Besides, one of the main characters in this drama had spoken, and the other was nowhere to be seen, so the gossip had lost its flavor. They exchanged glances and slowly dispersed.

Watching the group of people disappear, You Jiale couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "I knew it, saying 'the innocent are innocent' would only embolden you. Sigh..." These days, people can say whatever they want, and silencing them is harder than climbing to heaven! He rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling utterly exhausted.