The fourth branch's residence was located in the north, and it was also the closest of all the fourth branch's residences to the old lady's Shousong Hall.

In spring, green leaves have already sprouted, and some impatient ones have even scraped their brand-new green leaves onto the branches, making a rustling sound in the evening breeze.

A full moon hung high in the night sky, its light filtering through the treetops and falling onto her shoulder. Although Xu Lingqing was young, the tranquility on her face added a touch of composure to her appearance.

She walked slowly beside Zhou Shi, saying, "Mother, you still don't believe what your daughter says?"

Zhou glanced at the young girl out of the corner of her eye and said in a low voice, "I believe it, how could I not believe it?"

“The Xu family is about to undergo a major change. Grandmother dotes on my cousin so much. When she gets married, won’t she have to offer her the same things as my eldest sister?” Xu Lingqing recalled the scene in Shousong Hall just now. She was envious of how important a cousin from another family was to her grandmother.

Fortunately, she has a calm temperament; if she got impatient, she would be no different from the one in the west courtyard.

Xu Lingqing raised the handkerchief in her hand to cover the sneer at the corner of her mouth. But the one in the west courtyard was brainless; she was different.

"If you ask me, my fifth brother is of marriageable age anyway, so why not take advantage of his proximity? With my cousin around, my fifth brother will have no trouble showing off in front of my second brother."

"Moreover, my cousin goes to my aunt's house every day to learn how to manage the household affairs. She's also very easy to talk to. I really like this kind of sister-in-law."

As she spoke, Xu Lingqing sighed, "My brother is such a blockhead. I have good intentions, but there's no way to make my cousin think about him more."

If Li Shiyue could become her daughter-in-law, Zhou Shi would be overjoyed. Not to mention how much the old lady valued her, the things in the storeroom alone would be enough to live on for several generations.

Zhou put her hands together, her face full of worry: "This matter can't be rushed. Don't make it too obvious. Our cousin is very clever."

She didn't believe that everything before was just a coincidence. Xu Yunbo had stumbled upon her on his own, but Xu Yunyang was different. There were Xu Lingzi and Xu Yunci in succession. She suspected that Li Shiyue was playing some role in the middle.

I'm afraid the young lady in front of me isn't as delicate as she appears.

Xu Lingqing didn't take it to heart, but he hadn't seen that idiot in the west courtyard much lately, and life was extremely boring.

After leaving Shousong Hall, Li Shiyue did not rush back. Instead, she took Chunling for a leisurely stroll under the moonlight.

Her steps were light and slow, and the bright moonlight fell on her cheeks, making them appear pure and flawless, like a newly born piece of Hetian jade, something to be longed for.

Chunling followed behind, and she could sense the girl's emotional changes. For example, right now, the girl's silence meant she was unhappy. Whenever the girl was unhappy, she didn't like staying indoors and preferred to take walks outside.

It's been like this since she was little. On the night the old lady passed away, the girl sat in the back courtyard of the Earl's mansion all night.

He neither eats nor drinks; he just sits there blankly.

"Young lady, is Aunt Shu really trustworthy?"

Li Shiyue lowered her eyes: "No one is kind to you for no reason, and Aunt Shu is no exception."

Take the Xu family for example. If she weren't her mother's daughter, how could the Xu family have become her refuge? If it weren't for her mother, how could the officials, who should have been unrelated to her, have protected her?

Ultimately, Aunt Shu came today to do someone a favor, whatever the reason, it's enough that she remembers it. After all, with Xu Yunci around, even the Earl of Yunyang can't bypass the Xu family.

Li Shiyue stopped in the corridor, placed her hands in front of her, looked up at the moon, and couldn't help but reveal a hint of sadness in her eyes.

She hadn't dreamt of her mother in a long time. Although her aunt only gave her a little of the warmth that belonged to her mother, she was already very content.

If her aunt had been less petty, her life wouldn't have been so easy.

“No matter what the Lord says, the Second Young Master is, after all, of the same blood as you, Miss. If he is truly successful, he will be a pillar of support for you in the future.” Chunling stood to one side, holding her cloak.

"Even if you can't rely on anyone else, you still have your servant, Miss. I'll stay by your side. When the mistress bought me, she said that I should follow you closely. Wherever you are, I'll be there."

"As long as you make me more chestnut cakes, I will do whatever you ask."

Chunling, with a round face, smiled and leaned closer: "Just don't look down on me, Miss. I need to be well-fed to have the energy to work for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chunling saw the person who had come and hurriedly stood up straight, no longer the laughing and joking person she had been just moments before.

Li Shiyue turned her head and met those clear, cold phoenix eyes. Her breath hitched for a moment, and she lowered her head to call out, "Cousin."

Xu Yunci's expression was aloof and calm, as if he wasn't the one secretly watching from the shadows. With his hands behind his back, he took out a gold hairpin from his sleeve and handed it to Li Shiyue.

Why would you give someone a hairpin out of the blue?

Li Shiyue looked at Xu Yunci with a puzzled expression, but did not take it.

The exchange of jade hairpins between men and women is truly misunderstood.

Xu Yunci said calmly, "This was sent by the Prince of Yan to apologize to you."

"The Prince of Yan?" Li Shiyue looked puzzled. After thinking for a long time, she finally remembered who the Prince of Yan was. He was the frivolous person she had met at the polo match.

She still didn't accept it, her gaze fixed on the gold hairpin. Why would the Prince of Yan give her a gold hairpin? They were not related, and it would only cause misunderstandings.

Xu Yunci stared at her, not missing a single change in her expression, and took it all in. He still asked, "When did you become involved with the Prince of Yan?"

Li Shiyue shook her head: "This is the first time I've seen a polo match. I went to change my clothes and passed by the corridor of the side room. I met a young man. I was about to leave, but he saw me first."

"When asked my name, I refused to tell him until later I learned that he was the Prince of Yan."

On that day, the polo match was played with Prince Yan and Princess Chunhui's team.

Xu Yunci understood immediately; so that's what happened. Looking at the gold hairpin in her hand, she suddenly felt it was a bit of a nuisance, and patiently said, "The people from the Prince of Yan's mansion said they were apologizing to you, saying that the Prince of Yan had dirtied your dress."

The confusion in Li Shiyue's eyes became even more obvious: "It's normal for your dress to get dirty when playing polo."

When playing polo, the field is covered with green grass, so how could the polo ball not kick up dust?

As for getting the dress dirty, it's really unnecessary to send such a precious item as an apology.

"I'll have someone send this back. Don't accept other people's things." Xu Yunci tossed the gold hairpin to Chang Shun behind him. The latter understood and took the hairpin away in the blink of an eye, disappearing with the item.

Li Shiyue's eyes showed displeasure, and her impression of the Prince of Yan worsened: "Thank you, cousin."

She had no intention of accepting it in the first place, but for some reason, Xu Yunci's agitated mood gradually calmed down. His gaze fell on Li Shiyue's face, and Xu Yunci suddenly felt a lump in his throat.