Bai Yu raised her lips slightly but said nothing.
Bai Weiwei, who had just left her seat, looked away and silently clenched her fist.
After Qin Ji played a few pieces, the lunch banquet was almost over, and Madam Qin suggested taking everyone to see the hollyhocks.
"A hollyhock feast! How can we have a hollyhock feast without admiring hollyhocks? The sun is shining brightly right now, it's the perfect time to enjoy the flowers," Madam Qin said with a smile.
A lady chimed in, "That's right! The hollyhocks by Li Lake are growing beautifully these days. It's the Dragon Boat Festival, and there's a dragon boat race on Li Lake today. Let's go check it out and join in the fun!"
"Good idea."
"Dragon boat racing sounds interesting."
While agreeing with them, everyone kept glancing at the young master's wife's expression.
Bai Yu smiled and said, "Since everyone is so interested, how can I spoil the fun? I watched a dragon boat race on Li Lake when I was a child. Twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye. I don't know how the dragon boat races are conducted on Li Lake now. Let's go and take a look."
Seeing that the young master's wife had no objections and was even quite happy, Madam Qin immediately ordered a carriage to be prepared, and the group set off for Li Lake.
With many pedestrians on the road, the carriage moved slowly.
When many wives and daughters of officials travel together, the area naturally needs to be cleared.
Fortunately, there is a teahouse by the Li Lake, built right on the lakeside, with a rooftop terrace offering a superb view of the entire lake area.
Madam Qin had reserved the entire rooftop and terrace well in advance, and when she arrived at the teahouse, the servants had already prepared hot tea and snacks.
The little boy Xia Ning was holding remained quiet. At this time, some people in the teahouse had not yet arrived. Gu Ziqi looked around but did not see the pretty young lady he had met at the lunch banquet earlier.
Gu Ziqi frowned and pouted unhappily.
A four-year-old boy with black hair tied in a bun, playful and adorable.
Her eyebrows, like distant mountains, exude a heroic spirit; her eyes, like black gemstones, are bright and clear; her nose is upturned, her lips are red, and her skin is fair.
His furrowed brow was enough to make people laugh.
Bai Yu gently pulled her son close and asked him, "Ziqi, what's wrong?"
Xia Ning asked in confusion, "Ziqi was quiet the whole way, nothing happened."
Gu Ziqi hugged his mother, asking shyly, "Mother, I want that older sister~"
Which older sister?
Just then, Bai Weiwei walked over and heard those words.
The only people Gu Ziqi knew in this place, besides his mother, the young master's wife, and Xia Ning who had been taking care of him these past few days, were his cousin.
Bai Weiwei had never left Beijing. These past few days, she had been playing too much with Yu Siting and had neglected to spend time with Gu Ziqi.
Therefore, Bai Weiwei naturally assumed that Gu Ziqi was talking about her.
Bai Weiwei gracefully stepped over, squatted down, and touched Gu Ziqi's temples: "Ziqi, are you looking for your cousin? Your cousin has neglected you recently, I'm so sorry."
Yu Siting stood to the side, smiling and looking extremely envious: "Ziqi and Weiwei have such a good relationship, they really are a family."
Gu Ziqi blinked, avoiding her hand, and slowly shook her head, her expression unchanged: "It's not my cousin."
Bai Weiwei froze.
Yu Siting was also embarrassed.
Xia Ning couldn't help but turn her head away and secretly smile.
Bai Weiwei forced a smile, stood up, and tried to save face: "Ziqi, are you angry with your cousin? Don't be angry, Ziqi. Your cousin will stay with you for the next few days, okay?"
"don't want."
Gu Ziqi turned around and hugged Bai Yu, burying his face in his dear mother's body.
Bai Weiwei froze again.
Bai Yu didn't know what was wrong with her son; he suddenly became a little temperamental.
She wasn't surprised by Gu Ziqi's coldness. Gu Ziqi had never liked playing with this cousin since he was little. When he was a child, he would be quiet and well-behaved no matter who held him. But when he was in Bai Weiwei's arms, he would struggle to run to the ground.
When Gu Ziqi was born, Bai Weiwei was sick, so he didn't see his cousin until his first birthday. At the time, everyone joked that Ziqi was upset because Bai Weiwei, as his cousin, couldn't come to see him right away.
As Gu Ziqi grew older, he remained indifferent to everyone except his family. He neither particularly liked nor disliked anyone.
Gu Ziqi had been sensible since childhood and had almost never been so disrespectful to others.
Bai Yu smiled at Bai Weiwei and patted Gu Ziqi reassuringly: "Perhaps Ziqi is a little sleepy because he didn't have time to take a nap today. Weiwei, why don't you take Siting over there for some snacks? I'll coax him for a while."
Bai Weiwei lowered her head and said, "Yes, Aunt."
Bai Weiwei took small steps and walked to the other side, while behind her, Bai Yu's soft voice coaxing Gu Ziqi could be faintly heard.
Yu Siting asked, puzzled, "What's going on? Weiwei, didn't you say that Gu Ziqi is closest to you, her cousin, and ignores everyone else?"
Bai Weiwei gave her a cold glance, but Yu Siting didn't even look at her. She sat down, picked up a piece of mung bean cake, and continued to mutter, "Why does it feel like he's closer to Xia Ning?"
Bai Weiwei glanced back at Gu Ziqi, who was still unhappy, then sat down next to her and chuckled, "Cousin, have you forgotten? Aunt said Ziqi didn't take a nap today. Four-year-olds need a lot of sleep, especially in early summer. Plus, I have indeed neglected him these past few days, so it's normal for Ziqi to be upset."
Yu Siting suddenly realized: "Is that so?"
"Um."
Bai Weiwei maintained her smile, and apart from the mung bean cake that had been pinched and dented, there was no other sign of abnormality.
Bai Yu coaxed Gu Ziqi a few times and asked him if he wanted to take a nap. Xia Ning also said that she could skip watching the dragon boat race and stay with Gu Ziqi for a short rest.
Gu Ziqi slowly shook her head and obediently put her hand back into Xia Ning's hand: "Ziqi won't sleep, she'll wait for her sister."
Bai Yu could only instruct Xia Ning to keep a close eye on things.
As soon as Xia Ning agreed, Gu Ziqi, who had been quiet just moments before, sprang into action and dashed towards the stairwell.
"Ziqi!"
Gu Ziqi, like a wild horse let loose, hid by the stairwell, her little hands nervously gripping the wooden railing, peering through the gaps at the person coming in.
Lili was taken aback for a moment, then smiled at him.
Yang, who was walking ahead, glanced at the child who had suddenly appeared and exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the young master of the young master's wife's family? I didn't see him clearly from a distance just now, but he is quite adorable."
Lili nodded in agreement: "Yes, very proper."
Gu Ziqi blinked and shyly buried her head a little deeper into the fence.
Lili chuckled, making Gu Ziqi even more shy.
"Ziqi!"
Bai Yu and Xia Ning caught up and saw Gu Ziqi strangely hiding inside the fence, laughing at the floor.
Xia Ning, Bai Yu: ?
"Lady of the Heir Apparent".
As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Yu noticed the mother and daughter bowing to her. Immediately, Bai Yu forgot about her son and stepped forward to help Yang up, saying, "Madam Shen, there's no need for such formalities."
Yang was flattered. Bai Yu then affectionately helped Lili up, saying with delight, "Lili, you little dumpling, you've grown into a young lady now, but you're still as adorable as you were when you were a child!"
Lili smiled, her two dimples appearing and disappearing at the corners of her mouth: "Madam Bai, how have you been? How have you been in the capital?"
"Great! I'm eating well and sleeping even better!"
“Lili can also see that Madam is even more radiant and beautiful than she was five years ago.”
Yang was somewhat out of the loop.
ah?
Could this be another benefactor that Lili has met?
Gu Ziqi carefully examined the hand of the pretty young lady being held by his mother. His mother was his mother, and what was his mother's was his. His mother and this young lady seemed to have a good relationship, so it was probably because they also had a good relationship.
He wants to hug his sister, right?
Gu Ziqi twisted her fingers shyly, then, as if she had nothing to lose, she hopped a couple of times to Lili and hugged her tightly.
Lili was taken aback. No one knows a son better than his mother. Baiyu, seeing her own son's actions, immediately understood which sister he had been clamoring for earlier.
“Look at me, I forgot to introduce you.” Bai Yu naturally took Yang’s hand, the two of them like sisters. “Madam Shen, there’s no need to introduce Ningning, you should know her. This is my son, Gu Ziqi.”
Gu Ziqi?
Lili chuckled to herself, thinking, "She really is a child of the same generation as Brother Ziyi."
Ms. Yang has accepted the fact that her daughter has quietly made acquaintance with another big shot, and her earlier restraint has subsided considerably.
“Yes, Ningning met Lili by chance before, and the two children get along very well.” Madam Yang then looked at Gu Ziqi, who was holding her daughter tightly, and praised, “Like a young man with a jade pendant, the little master is clever and lovable. My Lili is the youngest in the family and has always wanted a younger brother or sister. Now it’s perfect.”
Yang's words were comprehensive, showing both the relaxation and closeness that came from knowing Lili, yet also a degree of politeness due to their lack of familiarity.
The only slight shortcoming is the last sentence.
The two families are of vastly different social standing, and the idea of calling someone "younger brother" or "younger sister" seems to outsiders like an overblown attempt to establish a connection.
In reality, Madam Yang was merely testing how much of the young master's wife's affection for Lili was genuine and how much was feigned.
If it's true, the young master's wife certainly won't mind; if it's false, even if the young master's wife is unhappy, she has ways to smooth things over with words.
The ladies who were standing a little closer to Yang Shi, upon hearing what she said, instinctively moved a few steps away, afraid that the young master's wife would be angry.
What a joke! Trying to associate yourself with royalty? If they get angry and investigate, you could lose ten heads.
Madam Qin and Madam Yang had a good relationship. She hesitated to say something, but to her surprise, the young master's wife was not angry at all, but rather very happy.
"Great! I like Lili a lot too." Bai Yu asked Gu Ziqi, "Ziqi, do you like Sister Lili?"
Lili looked down at him. The child's big, watery eyes were full of sincerity. He said shyly yet boldly, "I like it."
Lili couldn't help but laugh; the little embryo was just too adorable.
Seeing Lili smile, Gu Ziqi gripped her hand even tighter, smiling shyly.
Bai Yu smiled especially happily. Gu Ziqi was indifferent to others, but he was so special to Lili, whom he was meeting for the first time. Perhaps he also knew what happened when she was pregnant with him.
At the time, she was very fond of Lili, this pretty little dumpling. Her son had also benefited from Lili's kindness, so what was wrong with being close to her?
Mrs. Yang breathed a sigh of relief and secretly felt relieved.
Five years ago, Lili asked Gu Ziyi to give her a sachet, which she always carried with her. Whenever she smelled the herbal scent in the sachet, Baiyu felt as if Lili was by her side.
Sometimes Bai Yu herself wondered why she was so close to a child she had only met once.
Bai Yu smiled but didn't rush to talk to Li Li and catch up.
“Madam Shen, shall we go over there and have a chat?” Bai Yu smiled and glanced at the children. “Let the children play by themselves for a while, let’s not hold them back.”
After thinking it over, Madam Yang figured that with Huang Ying by her side and being one of their own, nothing bad would happen.
"good."
Bai Yu was very pleased and immediately instructed her personal maid, Cui Hong, to lead the children to the outdoor terrace.
Yuan Yu Siting was so surprised that she couldn't even eat the mung bean cake anymore, and the tea in her cup went completely cold: "...What? Shen Lili knows your aunt?"
Bai Weiwei's eyes were practically going to ache from looking at that spot, and the feeling she had finally managed to suppress intensified again.
Bai Weiwei's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she lowered her head in disappointment: "My aunt never told me this. I didn't know that Miss Shen and my aunt knew each other. If I had known earlier, I would have taken better care of her."
Yu Siting comforted her, "Weiwei, why are you so upset? You know her, that's all. She's so arrogant, she doesn't need you to take care of her."
"Um."
Bai Weiwei responded softly, feeling both annoyed and relieved at the same time.
Aunt and Shen Lili know each other, which means that Shen Lili is even less likely to be related to the lost eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Otherwise, Aunt would have taken her back long ago. How could she have let the Fu family's flesh and blood go outside?
Bai Weiwei glanced coldly at the terrace, her gaze settling on Gu Ziqi's hand, which was tightly clutching Lili's dress, and her expression darkened.
Cuihong led the group to the outdoor terrace, where several armed guards stood around. These guards were brought from the manor by Baiyu and were very skilled.
Cuihong first gave the guards a thorough explanation: "Miss Xia and Miss Shen are going to take the young master to play here, so you must be very careful and make sure nothing goes wrong."
"yes!"
Cuihong nodded, then returned and bowed slightly: "You two ladies can rest assured here. These men are all first-class guards from the Marquis's residence. They are quite skilled, so there is no need to worry."
Xia Ning and Li Li said in unison, "Thank you for your help."
Cuihong smiled and bowed slightly, glancing at Lili again. Lili returned the smile and said generously, "Sister Cuihong."
Cuihong was pleasantly surprised: "Miss Chen still remembers me?"
"How could I not remember? Although Lili was young at the time, she was very clever!"
Cuihong couldn't help but laugh.
Xia Ning asked curiously, "I was just about to ask, Lili, did you know the young master's wife before?"
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