Chapter 28

Yueming was so shocked by Yunkai's words that she saw stars. She was so frightened that she lost her grip on the teapot and spilled the tea onto the floor, splashing her foot. She didn't bother to wipe it off or speak politely. The old woman in Kunming's house started to say, "What kind of weird bird is this?"

Yun Kai jumped far away for fear of being splashed by the tea, pointed at her with his fan and said, "Why are you so startled?"

Feng Xiaosai quickly stepped forward to take the teapot and called out to the maidservant outside to come in and mop the floor. Seeing her feet were wet, the maidservant quickly went to the basin rack to get a cloth, then returned and knelt beside her, ready to wipe her feet.

Yueming didn't have time to wipe her feet. She dodged the towel, stepped on the water stains, and walked to Yunkai. She grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Is what you just said true?"

Yun Kai closed his fan and separated her hands, saying, "Stop pulling and tugging. Wipe your feet first. Don't you think you're not sick enough?"

Yueming unyieldingly pulled his sleeves again: "It's so hot it will dry in a while, don't worry about it, tell me what happened first."

Yun Kai brushed the air away gently, teasing, "You're also a girl, and I heard you have servants at home, so why do you still live such a rough life?"

This person was really annoying. He knew she was anxious, but he still went around in circles. She held out her feet to the maid in frustration: "Wipe it, wipe it."

After the maid wiped her feet, she took the teapot from the table and went out to make more tea. Yueming raised her foot and shook it at Yunkai: "Can we talk now?"

The twilight reflected on the white feet, making them appear even whiter and more translucent. Unlike the Han, the Dai people, who traditionally have kept their daughters' feet hidden from view, Yun Xiang's custom was to remove shoes upon entering a house. Logically, he was accustomed to seeing women's feet. But today, Yue Ming's feet made him feel a little warm.

He turned his head away uncomfortably and fanned himself again. After suppressing his throbbing, he said to Yueming, "My father admires your father's talent very much. In order to win your father over, he wants to marry my third sister to your father."

Intermarriage? A common method used by large families. It not only establishes alliances but also strengthens the family. But Yueming never thought that his own father would be destined to become a prince consort.

Yueming pricked up her ears, waiting for the sequel, but he stopped abruptly there. She blinked, waiting for him to continue. Yunkai also blinked, indicating that she should imagine what happened next.

Yueming rolled her eyes twice, recalling the insults from the Third Madam and the recent troubles she had suffered, and said angrily: "The Third Madam looks down on my father? I don't even want to be related to her?" She had an expression as if the Third Madam didn't know how to recognize a piece of gold and jade.

Yunkai felt that the Third Madam and Yueming could actually become friends. Their thoughts were similar and highly unified, and they both looked down on this marriage.

Yun Kai poked his head and said, "Of course the Third Madam looks down on your father. Even though my Third Sister is a widow, she's still a daughter of Prime Minister Yun's family, so her status is clear. Your father is a doctor, to put it nicely, but in reality he's just a commoner, not even allowed to use gold. Besides, our Dai nobles have a long-standing rule not to marry commoners, and your father is a widower. The Third Madam is not wrong!"

Hearing that his father was worthless in the eyes of him and the third wife, he said indignantly: "The Qing Dynasty has been gone for many years, where did the nobles come from? Those old and young Manchus use their status to pawn their belongings, but they don't live as decently as the Hui people who slaughter cattle in Zhuji Street. Besides, what's wrong with my father? He also has status and position in Kunming City. He is knowledgeable, has a good temper, and is not bad looking. The third wife actually looks down on my father. That means his vision of men is not very good either?" After saying this, he found that the last sentence accidentally hurt Han Tusi, and looked at Yun Kai nervously.

Yun Kai didn't expect that Lan Yueming was a father-loving person. Her biological father was perfect from head to toe, even down to his nails. In order to protect her father, she even attacked Han Tusi.

Knowing that she had said this without meaning anything, Yun Kai did not intend to make a fuss about it. However, she could not remain in the mansion without respect for Han Tusi. He pointed at her with his fan and pretended to be displeased, saying, "Let's put aside the way Third Madam looks at men. You really need to give your mouth a good beating with a bamboo stick."

Yueming realized he had made a mistake and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that, and I didn't mean to disrespect Han Tusi."

Yun Kai lectured her, "The Third Madam can speak without restraint because she is the master. If you don't watch your words, you will bring trouble to your father."

Yueming knew he was right, but since it involved her own father, she still refused to accept it and said, "But Third Madam is also wrong! If you don't want to say it directly, then that's fine. Why are you throwing tantrums?"

Yun Kai smiled meaningfully: "Because she thinks you are easy to bully!"

She is not someone who is easy to bully. She didn't complain even though she was hungry. She secretly ran out to buy some food, but ended up running into Serlin and was scared to death.

Yueming sighed, "I thought your family was easy to get along with, so how come there's such a weirdo like the Third Wife?"

"Oh!" Yun Kai raised an eyebrow and said in surprise, "Do you think I'm easy to get along with? Then why did you avoid me some time ago? You wanted to turn around and run away when you saw me."

Yueming didn't feel comfortable admitting she held a grudge, so she ignored the conversation. She continued with a sigh, "I've traveled extensively with my father, so I've seen a lot of the world. But coming to your house, I feel I'm still young and inexperienced. I've never seen a concubine like the Third Madam. With her temper, she'll get mad at you if you say something wrong. If I can survive three scenes in a play, I'll be a failure."

Seeing such old-fashioned words coming out of such a young face, coupled with the last comment, Yun Kai couldn't hold it in anymore and laughed so hard that he fell backwards while waving his fan.

Yueming wanted to be angry, but Yunkai treated his serious summary as a joke. Yunkai was so happy. The setting sun streamed into the room, illuminating his smiling face. His high nose and beautiful eyes seemed even softer because of his laughter.

Fortunately, he doesn't wear a bun at home, otherwise it would have fallen to the ground with his smile. Yueming imagined him picking up buns from the ground and couldn't help laughing. While laughing, he picked up an egg cake from the plate and started to eat it.

Yun Kai wiped the tears from his eyes and poked Yue Ming's face with his finger: "You have a really amazing mouth. When you're sweet, my wife treats you like her own daughter. When you're vicious, you can curse people without using a single curse word. In your mouth, the Third Wife is just an idiot who only acts on impulse."

Yueming gnawed at the cake and said unconvincedly, "I really like Madam. Besides, I'm telling the truth. How can I try to coax Madam?"

Yun Kai teased her: "Since you like Madam, then let your father marry my third sister. Madam is the legal mother, and according to the rules, she is your father's legitimate mother-in-law."

Yueming felt that the Second Young Master was really taking advantage of her because she was ignorant. Even if Mrs. Yin was the legal mother, could Lan Yingde just ignore the Third Madam? Moreover, if Mrs. Yin really wanted to control the Third Madam, she would have been dealt with politely long ago with her current temper. If he married the Third Madam, both father and daughter would have to endure the Third Madam's anger, and she didn't want that.

She pouted and said, "No, the Third Lady is too annoying. Besides, there are so many famous ladies in Kunming who are interested in my father. Why did my father insist on marrying the Third Lady?"

He started defending her after just three words were wrong. He was just like the Third Wife, so they were meant to be a family. Yun Kai pouted and asked, "What do those famous ladies want from your father? Because he can treat illnesses?"

How could Yueming tolerate Yunkai speaking of Lan Yingde in such a tone? She clenched her fists and glared at Yunkai, not even bothering to eat the egg cake: "If you say that again, I will be angry."

Yun Kai said nonchalantly, "If you're angry, hit me! She also said that the Third Madam in the opera doesn't survive more than three turns, and doesn't know how to get back at someone when she's bullied. You won't survive more than three hours in the Third Madam's hands."

Yueming was sullen, wondering how she could possibly beat him. After a while, she said, "I was just forbearing after weighing the pros and cons. It wasn't that I was being bullied and didn't dare to fight back."

Yun Kai almost burst out laughing again. The fact that he could still flatter himself showed that he was not hopelessly stupid.