Chapter 32 Ripples Begin (10) The domineering nature deep within him begins to flourish. ...

Zhi Rou didn't know how to respond. With her long eyelashes raised, she made up a lie: "Brother Pei likes Cuju (ancient Chinese football), so I came with him to watch."

After hearing this, Song Qiyu glanced indifferently at the tall figure behind her, and Pei Cheng quickly lowered her head.

Song Qiyu didn't say anything, but naturally straightened his clothes and said, "Oh, it's over, let's go back to the manor."

As he worked, he glanced at her face, as if to say he wanted to go back with her.

Zhi Rou was somewhat surprised and reluctant, but since he was her brother, she had no choice but to start walking and follow him off the field.

After the match, Song Qiyu's side emerged victorious. Some of the surrounding youths cheered and shouted, while others left disappointed. Many more women, holding peach blossoms, crowded together, but seeing him and Song Zhirou side by side, they were hesitant to approach.

It seemed that approaching her at this moment would damage their precious self-esteem, and their eyes rolled around on her, casting long shadows of resentment.

Zhi Rou scanned their expressions and stared at the back of Song Qiyu's head, pondering.

Was she being used by her older brother? Was he using her as a shield?

When they reached the carriage, Song Qiyu stopped, turned around to look at her, and wanted to tell her to get on first.

Zhi Rou had no choice but to instruct Pei Cheng to first go to Qiyun Garden to say goodbye to his master, and then go to the Yining Marquis's residence to inquire about Wei Yuanzhan's affairs.

Once inside the carriage, a table was placed inside. Zhi Rou chose a seat near the back and her gaze fell on Song Qi Yu's robes.

He tidied himself up briefly, picked up the water pouch placed on the table, tilted his head back slightly, and ignored the water on his collar until he finished drinking it before wiping his lips with the back of his hand.

Zhi Rou kept looking at him. He followed her gaze and looked down at the already deflated leather pot in his hand. His eyebrows couldn't help but rise.

"I didn't expect to be riding in the same carriage with my fourth sister today. I didn't bring any extra water. Are you thirsty?" He turned to the servant outside and instructed, "Take Yunping Lane."

Zhi Rou paused for a moment, then quickly came to her senses: "No need, big brother. I'm not thirsty, let's go straight back to the manor."

Song Qiyu did not change his mind, so the carriage naturally continued towards Yunping Lane.

Zhi Rou pursed her lips and remained seated.

She had looked at her older brother earlier because he was always efficient and meticulous in his appearance, but his current unruly demeanor was quite different from his usual self.

"Didn't you go to Qiyun Garden today?" Song Qiyu suddenly asked.

Zhi Rou replied, "I went. My hand is a little sprained, so I shouldn't practice too much. My master told me to go again tomorrow."

Song Qiyu then glanced at her two hands.

How did you get hurt?

"...thinking about things."

What could possibly hurt you? Song Qiyu glanced at her for a moment, noticing that her eyes and brows drooped, and her eyelashes obscured the expression in her eyes. Just looking at that face, there was a hint of melancholy.

He had heard about the fight between Wei Yuanzhan and He Tingzhou. Given Wei Yuanzhan's temperament, he wasn't surprised at all.

Song Qiyu looked away and, in a calm tone, casually mentioned to her, "Before the age of eight, Prince Wei spent most of his time in the capital. The Empress treated him with affection, and others, out of consideration for His Highness, would never dare to slight him."

Zhi Rou was surprised to hear Wei Yuanzhan's words from her older brother. After hearing them, her restless heart finally calmed down.

She raised half her smiling face and said, "Thank you, big brother."

Song Qiyu gazed indifferently out of the car window: "It's not worth it."

Before long, the carriage swayed more and more slowly, and finally stopped next to a teahouse. The servant went in and ordered a pot of tea, which was quickly brought over and placed on the table.

The tea set was ordinary, but the tea was very fragrant.

Zhi Rou took a couple of sips and noticed a Cuju (ancient Chinese football) pattern on the tray. For some reason, she blurted out, "Big brother, I can play Cuju too."

Song Qiyu gave her a strange look, and then remembered her childhood.

It was probably the year she first came to the manor, after she had just left the Danyu Garden, when she suddenly called out to him from behind, asking in her clear, crisp voice if he could take her out of the manor.

He ignored her, so she continued, saying she wanted to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football) with him.

How did he respond at that time?

He didn't remember. But at that time, he always felt that Aunt Lin and her daughter should remain hidden in the Song residence, making no moves and certainly not bothering him.

It's been so long, and my childhood feelings have quietly changed. I feel a pang of nostalgia for my naive thoughts back then, and unconsciously, a smile tugs at my lips.

Zhi Rou smiled and said, "The uncles in the alley taught me. They are very skilled."

As she spoke, a flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, and she thought of Xiao'e again. Why hadn't she sent a single letter in all these years?

Song Qiyu couldn't guess what Zhi Rou was thinking, but judging from her tone of voice... did she want to go back to Jiangnan?

The thought sprouted from the bottom of his heart, startling him for a moment. His eyebrows furrowed, and he lowered his voice.

"Did anyone make you suffer?"

Zhi Rou was taken aback, as if she had never considered this aspect before, and was somewhat bewildered when he suddenly asked her the question.

After a moment, she shook her head at Song Qiyu and stopped talking.

The journey back to the Song residence was not short. Dusk was approaching, and when Zhi Rou got out of the carriage, lanterns had already been hung under the eaves.

Song Qiyu returned to her room to bathe and change before going to her mother's place to pay her respects. Zhi Rou left early and they didn't meet again.

As she strolled back into the courtyard, Pei Cheng came to report: "Fourth Miss, Prince Wei asked me to pass on a message to you."

Pei Cheng's voice was very young, as if he were imitating Prince Wei. He grinned at Zhi Rou, a smile that held a hint of smugness.

"A trivial skill, not worth worrying about."

It refers to the actions of the He family.

Zhi Rou smiled gently, tidied herself up, and happily went to Xixiang Garden.

Wei Yuanzhan relayed his conversation with His Highness the Crown Prince in the palace that morning to his mother. Wei Mingying was also present.

His gaze darted back and forth between the two women, wanting to know the truth about his sister's marriage.

Xu Yueqing sat on the couch, her eyes slightly dark, as if she was trying to figure out what was going on in the palace.

Compared to her seriousness, Wei Mingying's relaxed demeanor seemed quite inappropriate.

She smiled, still wearing her dance clothes, her flowing sleeves cascading down to her knees, her beauty as stunning as Chang'e.

"With His Highness the Crown Prince's words, I feel at ease." She shook her sleeve, turned her hand out, picked up a piece of jujube cake, and put it in her mouth, unhurriedly.

Wei Yuanzhan and Xu Yueqing looked at her and saw her wipe her lips and say casually, "Mother, I have someone I love."

His words stunned them all.

Xu Yueqing was even more astounded; a subtle change gradually appeared on her beautiful face, and she had no choice but to ask, "Which family's young master is it?"

Wei Mingying didn't reveal the details, but her words were almost blunt: "My mother looks down on business families."

She paused, then laughed again: "That's why I don't plan to get married. I especially don't want to go to that tomb-like place, the palace. Since Your Highness the Crown Prince thinks the same way, how can I let you down?"

"you……"

Xu Yueqing was speechless for a long time. Her most beloved daughter dared to disobey her like this.

"Is this how you talk to me?" After a long while, Lady Hou's face turned pale, clearly she was extremely angry.

Wei Mingying did not want to argue with her, so she got up and took her leave.

Since hearing those outrageous words, Wei Yuanzhan's brow had remained furrowed.

Wei Mingying's decision not to participate in the imperial concubine selection was a real relief to him. He couldn't bear to see his sister "detained" in a place like the palace, but who was this sweetheart she mentioned?

With these thoughts in mind, Wei Yuanzhan did not linger any longer and said softly to Lady Hou, "Sister is confused, Mother, please don't take it to heart. I'll go after her."

Outside, the shadows of flowers swayed in the breeze. The girl walked quickly, and soon she was on the long corridor. Hearing footsteps approaching behind her, she walked even faster until a force pulled her to a stop.

Wei Yuanzhan knew his men well and held back his efforts.

Wei Mingying had no chance to fight back. To be honest, he had captured her years ago without any effort.

Unable to leave, she could only watch as he lowered his face slightly, his tone questioning: "Who is the person my sister has her eye on?"

"Mind your own business." Wei Mingying struggled twice. "Let go."

Wei Yuanzhan was as resolute as a rock, while Wei Mingying closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again, her gaze softening slightly.

She said, "I won't suffer any losses, don't worry."

Wei Yuanzhan's temperament dictates that once he sets his sights on something, he must see a result. No matter how she tried to coax him, he only had one question: "Who is it?"

"What's the point of telling you? Why don't you tell your mother too?"

Wei Yuanzhan sneered: "He even has to hide his name, is he even a man?"

"Don't go too far."

Wei Mingying deeply resented this feeling of being controlled. Did her younger brother even dare to discipline her now?

“Wei Yuanzhan, I’ll say it again,” she called him by his full name, “Let go.”

The servant's voice came from not far away. Wei Yuanzhan was silent for a moment, then released her.

Wei Mingying forcefully smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, raising her eyebrows and staring at him for a long time. He had grown up; the domineering nature in his bones had begun to take root, and he had also developed a kind of coldness that was unfamiliar to others.

Perhaps it is the unknown that makes people wary. When Wei Mingying saw him glancing at her, she turned her face away, her tone implying reconciliation.

"I'll tell you later, okay?"

Wei Yuanzhan disliked waiting.

He stopped pressing the matter and returned to Zhuoyun Courtyard expressionlessly. He was exhausted from having to apologize to the He family tomorrow.

From that day on, Lan Ye and Chang Huai had an additional important task on their shoulders: to keep an eye on all the merchant families who had connections with the Marquis's mansion.

The next day, when Wei Yuanzhan entered the family school, he saw Sheng Xingyun and his expression suddenly turned sour. But then he thought again and realized that Sheng Xingyun didn't have the guts.

Sheng Xingyun didn't even dare to look her sister in the eye, so how could she possibly have any ideas about her?

Even so, Sheng Xingyun was still affected by someone's actions. He tried to talk to Wei Yuanzhan several times, but the responses he received were indifferent, as if he didn't want to talk to him.

Sheng Xingyun felt wronged and went to find Zhi Rou, interrupting her conversation with Song Qizhang: "Do you know what happened to Yuan Zhan? I offended him?"

Zhi Rou glanced at him but didn't notice anything unusual. She had chatted with him for a while when he arrived that morning, and everything seemed normal.

Even watching his unrestrained laughter inexplicably reminded her of what her father had said.

That kind of sharpness, however, doesn't work on her. It also depends on the person.

Only those of high rank are qualified to show their talents.

Zhi Rou said to Sheng Xingyun, "I'll ask around for you this afternoon." Without further ado, she arranged the writing implements, and the next moment, Old Master Du entered.

After school ended in the afternoon, Zhi Rou glanced at Wei Yuanzhan.

Changhuai and his group moved very quickly, tidying up in no time and about to step out the door.

Zhi Rou chased after them, calling out to Wei Yuanzhan, "Wait a minute."

She usually changed her clothes before going to Qiyun Garden. Wei Yuanzhan was used to it and would always go first. But today, as if remembering something, he stopped, turned around, and said to her, "I'm going somewhere else. You go first."

Zhi Rou's expression hardened: "Where are you going?"

He smiled, his features reflected in the sunlight; his appearance was truly striking.

"As Her Majesty the Empress commands, proceed to the He family..."

The last two words subtly hint at something playful.

"apologize."