The main courtyard was some distance from Shousong Hall. Li Shiyue looked at the two people following her from the left and right, and for the first time, she actually had the idea of ​​leaving.

Xu Yunci, to her left, remained silent, his seemingly leisurely pace actually keeping pace with her every step, never falling behind. Xie Yizhi, on the other side, never stopped talking, recounting the local customs and culture he had encountered on his journey to the capital.

If it were Xu Lingzi, she might have been somewhat interested, as she had never heard of the places mentioned. Although Li Shiyue seemed to be listening, her mind was already on Xu Lingzi.

"Speaking of which, the scenery in the capital is quite different from the places I've been, probably because it's under the emperor's nose. Yan Yan, have you been there before? If I haven't, I really want to go and see it someday."

Xie Yizhi seemed oblivious to the fact that the two people weren't listening to him at all, continuing to talk to themselves with beaming expressions, clearly overjoyed.

"Cousin Xie, when you see Guo Shaoqing, you must tell her that my cousin loves these things the most, and she will be very grateful to you."

Li Shiyue glanced at Xu Yunci, then entered the main courtyard and went to Xu Lingzi's courtyard with practiced ease. At this hour, Madam Yang should be handling affairs in the flower hall, so the main courtyard was very quiet.

Xu Lingzi's courtyard was in an excellent location. As soon as you entered the courtyard, you could see her sitting inside the house, facing the round table at the entrance, on which were set out gorgeous red silk brocade.

With her hands, she sewed the embroidery threads across the brocade, creating intricate and neat patterns. Li Shiyue walked in quietly, gesturing to the maid beside her to be silent, and then watched silently.

The red silk brocade was pristine, adorned with auspicious dragon and phoenix designs, all embroidered by her own hands. From the initial "Little Sparrow" to the current "Phoenix Seeking Its Mate," it was clear that Xu Lingzi had put in a great deal of effort.

After finishing a stitch, Li Shiyue picked up the ball of thread and handed it over: "Embroidering like this every day must be exhausting."

"You're here." Xu Lingzi's eyes lit up. She put down her needlework, took Li Shiyue's hand, and sat down on the round stool beside her. She pulled over the part she had just embroidered and presented it to Li Shiyue.

"Take a look and see if the phoenix embroidered here is pretty enough."

"Phoenix Seeking its Mate" itself is a declaration of love. The style of this wedding dress was specially commissioned by Xu Lingyu from a palace embroiderer, who then ordered it to be sent out of the palace.

Every stitch on this wedding dress was embroidered by Xu Lingzi herself. Li Shiyue couldn't help but look at the already finished dress on the side, which was for Guo Xun to wear. She covered her mouth and smiled: "This is done. We should let Guo Shaoqing try it on first. If it doesn't fit, I'm afraid that according to my cousin's wishes, we'll have to take it back and sew it up carefully."

"Don't make fun of me. Wait until you get engaged next year, and then you'll see how much more effort you put in than I have." Xu Lingzi glared at Li Shiyue, though she was secretly overjoyed.

"I don't know why, even though it's right in front of me, it feels unreal. It feels like a dream. I only mentioned it once, and he felt the same way I did. He was even afraid that I would be wronged, so he gave me all his wealth."

"He also said that although he was raised by his uncle and aunt, his cousin was a troublemaker. If he offended anyone, I could do whatever I wanted with him. His uncle and aunt would not say a word. On the contrary, they would think that the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. I was born into the Rongguo Duke's Mansion and would bring glory to his family. They just told me not to make myself suffer."

"If his uncle or aunt makes me uncomfortable, I should tell him and let him handle it."

Although Xu Lingzi's face showed disdain as she spoke, as if she was blaming Guo Xun for meddling, the smile in her eyes betrayed her. After all, no one would refuse absolute favoritism.

Li Shiyue's gaze fell on the pair of "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix" wedding attire. The men's and women's wedding clothes were a set, so the patterns and designs on them were largely the same.

"Guo Shaoqing will treat my cousin well. If he dares to make you suffer, even I will not forgive him."

Even without thinking, Xu Lingzi isn't the kind of person who would give up her wealth just because she likes someone. If Guo Xun married her for profit, he wouldn't have to hand over all his assets to Xu Lingzi.

Xu Lingzi couldn't help but smile, but when she turned her head and saw Li Shiyue's absent-minded look, she waved her hand and watched the maid lead the others out, leaving only the two of them in the room.

"You seem distracted, but Grandmother wants to find you someone to marry."

Li Shiyue shook her head: "No, since last time, my grandmother has never mentioned finding a husband for me. It's just that I feel guilty whenever I see my grandmother's hesitant expression when she talks about it."

Xu Lingzi tilted her head and looked at her, pursing her lips as she said, "Actually, Grandmother is also worried about you. Although the customs of Dayong are open and the latest a woman can get married is nineteen, most of them get engaged at eighteen. Now that Mid-Autumn Festival has passed and the Double Ninth Festival has passed in the capital, it is basically winter. She is also worried that you will be eighteen next year and still not engaged."

"No wonder Grandmother is anxious, but with so many brothers, are you really not going to reconsider?"

"You're still thinking about it? You treat your cousins ​​like cabbages in a field, letting me pick and choose as I please," Li Shiyue sighed, looking melancholy.

It's easy to say, but it's about letting her choose someone she gets along with. However, Xu Yunyao's behavior was a slap in the face to Old Madam Xu. After that incident, Madam Zhou never mentioned it again, so it was naturally dropped.

As for Xu Yunxu, Old Madam Xu didn't want to rush to ask about him, as if Li Shiyue was unmarriageable and would lose face for nothing.

There's another layer to consider: Xu Yunci. If he has such intentions, and she continues to associate with Xu Yunxu, wouldn't she be caught in a dilemma between two brothers? Just thinking about this gave Li Shiyue an unbearable headache. This marriage was supposed to be her lifeline, but now it had become the most troublesome thing for her.

"However, it's impossible for you to marry far away. Even if it's not your own family, it has to be in the capital, and it would be best if your grandmother could see you often. Otherwise, she'll be worried about you every day, and that alone won't be good for her."

Xu Lingzi rested her chin on her hands and raised her eyebrows slightly: "Why don't you consider my second brother? He is, after all, the heir of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. Even if you're not after my second brother's good looks, you should also consider that he will inherit my father's position in the future. If you become his bride, you will be the wife of the heir of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion. That is a position that noble ladies in the capital would fight tooth and nail for, except for those in the palace."

"You're so carefree, taking advantage of your proximity to the water. You don't care at all. If you had put in any effort, I might have been able to attend your and your second brother's wedding by now."

"Shh-"

Li Shiyue blushed with shame and indignation, and reached out to cover Xu Lingzi's hand.