Old Bai's narrow victory in front of others was undoubtedly a great success. After all, Old Bai had studied those two books very thoroughly. At the very least, he had memorized everything in them.
No matter who asked him a question, Old Man Bai could answer immediately without the slightest hesitation.
As for any so-called literary talent, Old Man Bai said that it was completely unnecessary; everything came from the tacit understanding between men, and there was nothing else.
Ning Ye, on the other hand, did not go out after returning to the Su residence. He waited until sunset, just as the sun was about to set, when the person he was waiting for finally arrived.
Ning Ye, accompanied by Xiao Qing, was also surprised when he saw the person who had arrived. "Miss Yingyue, I didn't expect you to come in person!"
Hua Yingyue smiled radiantly. Today, she was still stunningly beautiful, wearing a bright red dress embroidered with fine gold thread, almost in the same style as her previous outfit, but the red dress made her stand out even more.
“Young Master Ning, if I had come for nothing, you probably wouldn’t even have been able to get into the gates of that wealthy family. Today is the Prefect’s Plum Blossom Banquet. Without me, you’d probably have a hard time getting in.”
Ning Ye suddenly laughed and said, "So that's how it is. I thought Miss Yingyue had really ruined her connections, but I didn't expect she just wanted to take me in to freeload?"
Hua Yingyue rolled her eyes at Ning Ye and said, "Young Master Ning, if I didn't introduce you, you wouldn't even be able to meet the prefect. Aren't you satisfied yet?"
"Alright, whatever Miss Yingyue says, that's fine. But there's only one carriage. Does that mean I should travel with Miss Yingyue?"
Hua Yingyue's eyes held a hint of amusement. "What, is Young Master Ning afraid of some unpleasant rumors spreading? Even I don't care, why would Young Master Ning care?"
It seems rather inappropriate for an unmarried woman to ride in a carriage with another man, yet Hua Yingyue appears somewhat eager to try it out.
Ning Ye couldn't quite understand what was going on with this person. He didn't believe that his appearance or personal charm were so great that he could easily make this woman throw herself into his arms.
Xiaoqing then spoke up, "I'm so sorry, Miss Yingyue, but I think my young master won't be sharing a carriage with you. We have our own carriages."
Just then, the carriage that Su Wenyuan had prepared for Ning Ye arrived at the door. Ning Ye boarded his own carriage without hesitation. He was joking, of course. If he really got into Hua Yingyue's carriage, who knows what kind of tattling Xiao Qing would do when they got back?
Hua Yingyue's carriage led the way, while Ning Ye's carriage followed slowly behind.
Even at night, Cangzhou City remains bustling with noise. It seems that it won't quiet down until very late.
The prefect's residence was not in the center of Cangzhou City, but rather in a place further north. Naturally, it was the best location, far surpassing any other place.
The Prefect's Plum Blossom Banquet was not something anyone could attend at will. Not many of the Prefect's men could actually enter this mountain, but they all came with their families, as such a good opportunity for socializing was rare.
When Hua Yingyue's unique carriage came to a stop, the eyes of some people who were still preparing to enter were involuntarily drawn to it. Unfortunately, they couldn't look for long, as their wives were glaring at them fiercely. If they stared for too long, they would be asking for death.
Even so, some young people were already mesmerized, and many only reluctantly moved on after being urged by their families.
Ning Ye stepped down from the carriage and, upon seeing this scene, couldn't help but laugh, "Miss Yingyue, it seems that whether coming with you this time is a blessing or a curse for me is hard to say."
Hua Yingyue feigned ignorance and said, "Young Master Ning, I was only trying to help you out of kindness. What do you mean by that? Would I possibly harm you?"
Ning Ye pointed to the young men in the distance, "I haven't even entered the door yet, and I've already been targeted. I bet if these people saw me going in with you, they'd hate me to death."
"I'm so sorry, Young Master Ning, but I've always been so eye-catching. If I were to wear a veil, wouldn't it be a waste of my beautiful face?"
"People say that women take pride in their beauty, but it is rare to see someone as unabashed as Miss Yingyue. It would be better to be more humble in the meantime."
Hua Yingyue shook her head and said, "Young Master Nian, I am neither a lady from a prominent family nor from a prestigious clan. If I can't even use this face, then I am truly useless."
As she said this, a fleeting look of melancholy flashed in Hua Yingyue's eyes. Though it was brief, Ning Ye still noticed it.
Ning Ye remained unmoved. He had heard from Su Wenyuan that Chunmanlou had been open for a long time, and that this Miss Hua Yingyue had been the manager for nearly ten years.
If this woman were as pitiful as she appeared, she would have been eaten alive in that kind of place long ago, leaving not even bones behind. Everything she did was just a facade.
The beauty is indeed captivating, but overly vibrant flowers are certainly deadly.
As a prefect, he naturally knew the importance of keeping a low profile. This mansion seemed unremarkable, but Ning Ye had an extremely discerning eye. Even the wood used for the gate was no ordinary wood.
Once you enter the gate, you won't see anything luxurious, but everything here is probably very valuable.
The screen wall at the entrance was already quite large, and the paintings carved on it were exquisite. It was clearly painted by a very famous poet.
As for today's banquet, the reason it's a plum blossom banquet is naturally because this Zhihu user loves plum blossoms so much that he has planted them all over his house, making it seem as if he were outside the city.
This shows just how enormous this mansion is; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a villa in the city.
Because it was night, at least two lanterns were placed next to each plum tree for illumination. Looking around, the place was already brightly lit. Ordinary people probably wouldn't even be willing to light candles, but at this moment, all of this seemed particularly ordinary.
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