Chapter 119 Your brother will never come back.
Even after Yu Dajia's figure disappeared, Bai Yue still did not look away.
"Bai Yue, what's wrong?" Lin Sui asked, noticing that Bai Yue was staring intently at the departing Yu family.
Bai Yue shook her head, suppressing the inexplicable feeling in her heart, and looked away: "It's okay, I'll take you to see my grandfather's greenhouse. He never lets anyone in normally."
“Okay,” Achan replied casually.
Shuiyun Flower House is located in the northwest corner of the garden, and there are guards outside the door, which shows that Prince Ying'an really cares about this place.
Upon seeing Bai Yue arrive, the guards at the door did not ask any questions and simply opened the door to let them in.
The greenhouse was large, with three tiers of shelves built along three walls, each tier filled with chrysanthemums. Some were orange-red, with flower heads as big as a face, resembling the tail feathers of a phoenix. Others had delicate petals of varying lengths, like exploding fireworks.
Even people who don't usually have much interest in flowers and plants will linger here.
Seeing that Achan had been staring at a pot of flowers for a long time, Bai Yue said generously, "Tell me which one you like, and I'll have a maid move it to my courtyard later. You can take it with you when you leave."
"Isn't this a bad idea?" Achan hesitated.
"Oh, don't worry about such a small thing, it's not a bad thing."
Seeing that Achan refused to speak, she pointed to the flower pot that Achan had been looking at the longest and said to the maid, "Move this one away."
Then he looked at Lin Sui.
Lin Sui shook her head: "Don't look at me, I don't want to."
"Alright." Bai Yue didn't insist, then pointed to two more potted plants and said, "These two need to be moved too."
After the maids took the flowers, she said, "Alright, take these flowers to my courtyard. Be careful on the way, lest your grandfather and father see them."
"Yes." The three maids responded in unison, then carried the flowerpots away.
The guards at the gate hesitated, wanting to say something but not daring to let them put the flowerpots down.
After everyone left, Bai Yue took the initiative to move the remaining flower pots and fill the gaps left by the three pots that had been moved. Then she clapped her hands and said, "All done."
Ah Chan's lips twitched. How many times had she stolen it to be so skilled?
I suddenly regretted not strongly refusing the gift earlier; I felt like I had become an accomplice.
The three of them had just finished touring the flower room when they saw a maid from the Prince's mansion hurrying towards them.
Seeing them, he finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Miss, the banquet at Huanchun Garden is about to begin, and the young master's wife and eldest daughter are looking for you everywhere."
"Okay, we'll be right there."
Bai Yue agreed and led A Chan and Lin Sui towards Huanchun Garden.
Huanchun Garden is right across from the stage. When we arrived, Achan only paid attention to the stage and didn't notice the other side.
By this time, many tables had been set up, and the invited guests had all taken their seats.
The tables for female guests and male guests were arranged on the left and right sides, separated by several flower stands filled with flowers. This arrangement was both polite and elegant.
Bai Yue did not lead them to sit with the female guests, but instead led them to a table near the main table.
Several young women were already seated at the table. One of them looked somewhat like Bai Yue, but was clearly older and had her hair up. She must be the eldest daughter the maid had mentioned, Bai Yue's older sister.
Bai Yue gestured for A Chan and Lin Sui to sit down, while she herself sat down next to her older sister, Bai Ke.
Bai Ke took the damp cloth from the maid and let her wipe her hands, then asked, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you around."
"Go steal Grandpa's flowers."
Bai Ke glared at her and whispered, "Have you cleaned up the marks in the greenhouse? We don't want Grandfather to find out."
"Oh, I know. I've also moved that 'Lonely Beauty' pot that you liked for you. Remember to come back and pick it up when you leave." She was very loyal; her sister helped her deal with the guests, and she helped her sister steal flowers from her grandfather.
"As expected of my sister." The two sisters finished dividing the spoils in just a few words.
Ah Chan listened from the side and found the two sisters quite interesting.
After waiting a while longer, the masters of the Prince's Mansion finally arrived.
Prince Ying'an and his heir walked in front, while the heir's wife and Princess Xin'an supported the princess. The princess's daughter walked behind, her hand held by a maid. The little girl looked listless and somewhat dispirited.
The princess seemed to be unwell, but in good spirits. She was talking to the Lady of Xin'an beside her, and her expression was very gentle.
As they passed by their table, Bai Ke and Bai Yue greeted the Princess in unison, which drew Princess Ying'an's attention.
She glanced at everyone else at the table with a scrutinizing look, her brows furrowing noticeably as she looked at Achan and Lin Sui.
Finally, his gaze fell on Bai Yue: "Why haven't I seen Yue'er all this time?"
The Crown Prince's wife smiled apologetically and said, "Yue'er went to play with her two friends. Please forgive her, Mother."
Princess Ying'an glanced at the Crown Prince's wife: "It's because you're so careless that she's allowed to break the rules like this. Look at her, she'll do anything..."
Before she could finish speaking, Princess Xin'an interrupted her: "Mother, there are so many people here, everyone is waiting for you to take a seat."
The princess glared at Bai Yue with displeasure, but ultimately refrained from finishing her sentence for her daughter's sake.
Ah Chan naturally understood that the princess was clearly not happy that she and Lin Sui were here.
Seeing how gentle the princess was to the county princess, I thought she was an easy person to get along with. I didn't expect her to be so mean. In front of so many people, she didn't even think about saving face for her granddaughter.
Bai Yue seemed to be used to it. Her expression didn't change at all. She waited for her grandparents to sit down before pulling A Chan and the others to sit down as well.
Soon, the servants of the Prince's mansion served various dishes, and the sound of gongs and drums rang out from the stage.
Watching a ghost play during the daytime lacks a certain atmosphere, but it's novel, and watching the stage while eating makes it quite enjoyable.
Halfway through the banquet, Yu Dajia finally took the stage.
As soon as she opened her mouth, she drew cheers from the guests below the stage. Today, the ghost mask of Master Yu was not as frightening as the one I had seen before, but it was as vivid as the last time I saw it, and it did not look like a stiff mask.
Bai Yue stared intently at the stage without blinking, then leaned close to A Chan and asked, "How was the face of this Lady Yu painted? It looks so real!"
"Miss Bai, you've really stumped me. Perhaps it's one of Master Yu's unique secrets?" Although this was the second time Ah Chan had seen Master Yu's performance, she still couldn't discern the secret behind the ghost mask.
Bai Yue was genuinely curious and couldn't help but ask, "After the banquet, we can ask that Miss Yu, but I don't know if she'll tell us."
After the play ended, many guests cheered, and even Princess Ying'an, who had previously been dismissive of ghost plays, nodded repeatedly.
After everyone had left the stage, she said to Prince Ying'an, who was sitting to the side, "Your Highness, it's rare that you didn't fool me. This actor sang really well and deserves a reward."
Prince Ying'an stroked his beard with a hint of smugness and beckoned to the maidservant serving him to come forward: "Didn't you hear what the princess said? Hurry up and deliver the reward."
Just as the maid was about to go over, Princess Ying'an stopped her again: "Wait, let's call that actor over. That ghost mask looked very special. Let her come and tell me about it."
"Yes." The maid acknowledged the order and left, returning shortly afterward with Yu Dajia, who had just removed her makeup.
Without the ghost mask, Yu Dajia's face looked too ordinary. The princess only glanced at him and said, "Your appearance is really ordinary. You would have been better off with the ghost mask."
Because Achan and the others' table was not far from the main table, she clearly heard what Princess Ying'an said and couldn't help but turn her head.
Everyone at the main table remained calm, clearly accustomed to Princess Ying'an's speaking style.
Upon hearing these words, Yu Dajia remained calm and bowed slightly to Princess Ying'an, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."
"I wouldn't call it giving pointers, but I'm really curious how you managed to stick that ghost mask on your face and make it look so lifelike?"
"That ghost mask was specially made, fitting my face perfectly. It was glued on, and after years of practice, it became as lifelike as my real face."
"I see." After her detailed explanation, Princess Ying'an seemed to lose interest again.
Just then, a servant from the Prince's mansion brought over a man dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe.
Before the Princess of Xin'an could move, Bao'er, who was sitting beside her, rushed over and called out, "Father!"
The visitor was none other than Xu Zecheng, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.
Xu Zecheng had just caught his daughter when he heard the princess scold, "Bao'er, why aren't you back sitting down? How can you be so ill-mannered?"
Bao'er pouted and slowly moved back to the table.
The princess seemed to disapprove of her petty manner and said, "This child, I don't know who she takes after, she's so petty. When Che'er was her age, she was already very sensible."
The Che'er she mentioned was her grandson who had disappeared years ago. Now, only the princess in the manor occasionally mentions him, while everyone else is afraid of upsetting Princess Xin'an and no longer brings it up.
“Mother, Bao’er is still young,” Princess Xin’an said.
"What do you mean 'still young'? This child's personality doesn't resemble yours, nor does he resemble his son-in-law, and he doesn't even look like anyone in our family."
A hint of impatience flashed in Princess Xin'an's eyes as she looked at Xu Zecheng, who had sat down next to her.
Xu Zecheng said with a smile, "Mother is right to teach Bao'er. I will definitely teach her more in the future."
Prince Ying'an chimed in, "Alright, it's only because Xin'an isn't in good health that he doesn't have much time to teach Bao'er. Why are you always saying these useless things and spoiling everyone's fun?"
Princess Xin'an's face flashed with regret after the prince's words. She used the serving chopsticks to pick up a shrimp and put it into the bowl of the county princess of Xin'an: "This shrimp was sent from Yuncheng. Your father knew you liked it, so he specially saved it for you."
The princess softened her tone first, and the atmosphere at the main table relaxed.
Princess Xin'an smiled and said, "Thank you, Father. Thank you, Mother."
"We're family, no need to be so polite."
Princess Xin'an didn't touch her chopsticks. Instead, Xu Zecheng picked up a shrimp, peeled it for her, and then put it back in her bowl.
Prince Ying'an chuckled and teased, "I've heard people say that Minister Xu of the Ministry of Personnel and his wife are a perfect couple. Today, I've seen it for myself."
"Sister-in-law, you should keep an eye on my brother!" Princess Xin'an said coquettishly, while the Crown Prince's wife smiled without saying a word.
The family was so happy that they completely forgot about the Yu family standing to the side.
Yu Dajia looked at the people at the table, and the strange light in his eyes gradually disappeared into his dark gaze.
She watched as the Princess of Xin'an put the peeled shrimp into her mouth, and Xu Zecheng next to her picked up another one and continued to peel it for her.
She had always been curious about the taste of shrimp, but she had never been able to eat it since she was a child, and would get a rash every time she ate it.
Her mother always thought she was faking illness and argued with her several times. When her brother came to visit her while she was sick, he even said that this dish would never be seen on the table again.
They're all scammers.
Princess Xin'an seemed to notice someone watching her. She looked up and saw it was Lady Yu, and finally remembered that there was someone watching her.
"Mother, there are other people around."
Reminded by her, Princess Ying'an turned her attention back to Yu Dajia. She casually instructed, "Alright, stop standing here. You did a good job. Take your reward and leave."
Yu Dajia took the tray covered with a red cloth from the maid and bowed again: "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness and Your Highness."
She picked up the tray and turned around.
Behind her, Xu Zecheng raised his wine cup and toasted the prince and the heir apparent. She heard the Prince of Ying'an calling him "my worthy son-in-law" repeatedly, and the heir apparent calling her "my sister."
She walked away step by step, until her eyes were filled with lifelessness.
Ah Chan had been watching the main table the whole time, so she naturally noticed the change in Yu Dajia's expression.
Although it wasn't very obvious, she could sense that Yu Dajia's aura was quite obscure.
However, considering the princess's rather rude attitude just now, Yu Dajia's behavior is actually quite normal.
The ghost show on stage finally came to an end, and the guests below, having finished their meal, began to leave one by one.
The prince and princess left first, while the heir apparent and his wife sat beside them. However, the princess of Xin'an County did not leave and was feeding her daughter.
Xu Zecheng sat for only a short while before walking over to the men's table to talk to someone.
Ah Chan and Lin Sui were actually quite full. After watching the play and admiring the flowers, she felt a little sleepy and wanted to say goodbye and leave.
Bai Yue still remembered the flowers from earlier and insisted on taking her to get them, so she went with Lin Sui and Bai Yue, leaving two maids to inform the coachman to prepare the carriage.
After taking the flowers, Bai Yue originally intended to see them out, but Bai Ke happened to arrive, so she had her maid escort A Chan and Lin Sui out.
Before the maid could lead them out of the backyard, they were stopped by a nanny. The nanny had a stern expression and seemed to have something to say. The maid was a little embarrassed, so Achan said, "Miss, please go ahead. We know the way out."
A hint of apology flashed across the maid's face. She curtsied to them and hurried toward the old woman.
Achan and Lin Sui exchanged a glance and walked outside.
The Prince's mansion was quite large. The two walked for a while, then followed the corridor out of the archway and saw a bamboo forest. Opposite the bamboo forest was a piled-up artificial mountain.
The two hadn't gone far when they suddenly heard voices not far away. Judging from the voices, it seemed to be Princess Xin'an and Bao'er.
Bao'er seemed to be sobbing: "Mother, Grandmother said again that I'm not as good as my brother. After you find my brother, will you not want Bao'er anymore?"
Princess Xin'an said gently, "How could that be? My only child is Bao'er."
"But what about my brother?"
“Your brother…” Princess Xin’an said softly, “He will never come back.”
The last sentence was spoken very softly, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
Bao'er, however, asked with a look of surprise, "Really? Brother won't come back?"
"Of course it's true."
Hearing this conversation, Achan tugged at Lin Sui, and the two of them quickly slipped behind the artificial hill before being discovered.
They quietly walked to the other side of the artificial hill and peeked out. Princess Xin'an had already walked over and seemed unaware, still holding Bao'er and coaxing her.
But Achan noticed that a figure had silently emerged from the bamboo forest; it was Yu Dajia.
At this moment, her expression appeared particularly ferocious, and she was holding a dagger in her hand, seemingly aimed at Princess Xin'an.
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