After the banquet ended, the guests departed one after another.
Not far from the courtyard is a side gate, which leads to the villa where Mr. Ye is temporarily staying.
Xin Jiuwei and others waited on the path leading to the side gate, which was the only way for Jueming to return to the other courtyard.
The weeping crabapple blossoms in the courtyard were in bloom. Xin Jiuwei looked up, seemingly lost in thought, but in reality, she was thinking about what Tong Jueming would say later and how to get closer to him discreetly.
Just as she was thinking this, she ran into Qi Huaiyu.
"Xin Jiuwei." Qi Huaiyu's expression was grim. "Did you call Jueming here?"
Xin Jiuwei glanced at him, her expression surprised. "How could a weak woman like me possibly persuade a master from Lingyin Temple to come?"
Qi Huaiyu sneered, "Then how come he happened to appear right when Mr. Ye was making his choice, and even chose that good-for-nothing Xin Yunzhou?"
"Qi Huaiyu, do you know what your biggest problem is?" Xin Jiuwei laughed. "You always think that everyone else is an idiot except for you. But even the wisest person can make a mistake. What are you anyway?"
Qi Huaiyu held back for a moment, then growled, "When are you going to stop making a scene? If you just focus on helping me and be a good wife behind me, I won't be the only one who benefits. What are you complaining about?"
Xin Jiuwei sneered inwardly, about to retort with a sarcastic remark, when a whiff of sandalwood fragrance suddenly wafted past her nose.
She was very sensitive to the scent and was already quite familiar with it.
The next moment, her body swayed, and her face showed a look of panic and anger, as if she dared not speak out.
"Are you determined to force me?"
Qi Huaiyu didn't notice her change and stepped forward, saying, "You're clearly forcing me! Why can't you just listen to me like before?"
Xin Jiuwei clutched her chest, her voice trembling, "I am a woman of the Xin family, so naturally I should support my brother and be happy for him. But my brother's victory over you is not something I can control. Can you please let me go?"
As she spoke, she swayed precariously, looking panicked and helpless.
Qi Huaiyu noticed something was wrong and stopped in his tracks, alert.
Just then, Xin Jiuwei seemed to see a savior and called out loudly to the person behind him, "Master Jueming!"
Qi Huaiyu quickly turned around and saw Jueming standing in the direction he had come from in the courtyard, having been there for who knows how long.
Qi Huaiyu barely managed to regain his composure. With Jueming present, he couldn't say anything to Xin Jiuwei. He bowed and hurriedly left.
"Master Jueming, I'm sorry you had to see this." Xin Jiuwei wiped her eyes and walked up to Jueming. "You came at just the right time, saving Jiuwei from dire straits. Jiuwei thanks you, Master."
Jueming held the Buddhist prayer beads in his hand, glanced at Xin Jiuwei, and said, "It just so happens that you are on this road."
“Master, we have met many times, so why don’t you call me by my name?” Xin Jiuwei said with a smile. “Whether it’s who arrives at the right time or not, it is because I am destined to meet you, Master.”
Jueming withdrew his gaze from Xin Jiuwei. "Since you have nothing else to do, I will take my leave."
Before Xin Jiuwei could speak, the white monk's robe swept past her, and Jueming was gone.
"How heartless," Xin Jiuwei muttered to herself.
Anyway, Jueming couldn't be rushed, so she turned around and went back to the courtyard to find her brother.
Xin Yunzhou ran into Xue Yingxue after the banquet, and the two were talking.
Xin Jiuwei stopped and hid behind a flower stand where neither of them could see her.
Xue Yingxue's voice was gentle: "Young Master Xin rarely shows up at poetry gatherings in the past. I was unaware of your outstanding talent. I, Yingxue, am truly blind."
In fact, Xin Yunzhou had met Xue Yingxue several times before, but she had never given him a second glance. Today, he had just defeated Qi Huaiyu and was in a good mood. When Xue Yingxue praised him like this, he immediately beamed with joy.
"Miss Xue, there's no need to say that. The past is the past."
Xue Yingxue smiled slightly: "I am relieved that you think so, young master. I am not the kind of person who flatters the powerful and belittles the weak. It is just that I was deeply moved after reading your article today."
Xin Yunzhou scratched his head and chuckled twice.
Xue Yingxue paused for a moment, then continued, "Since you, young master, also love reading, you must know that writing and discussing philosophy require like-minded people to exchange ideas. The two young ladies in your household rarely go out, so I wonder if they can share the same interests with you. It's truly sad for you that you have so much talent to offer."
Xin Yunzhou waved his hand and said, "There's no need to worry about that. Not to mention my elder sister is very knowledgeable, even my younger sister can chat with me. I'm not the kind of person who's sentimental about spring and autumn."
A hint of surprise flashed across Xue Yingxue's brows, but she was disdainful in her heart. Xin Xiyao was only being fawned over because of her status as the eldest daughter of the Xin family.
Xin Jiuwei is a vulgar noblewoman, so Xin Yunzhou is probably nothing special either.
But remembering that Xin Yunzhou had often argued with Xin Jiuwei because of Qi Huaiyu, Xue Yingxue said in an understanding tone, "Miss Xin used to hide next to Qi Huaiyu when she attended poetry gatherings. Such weak women are not literate and usually only chat about trivial things like cosmetics. How could they possibly chat with you, young master?"
To everyone's surprise, Xin Yunzhou, who had just been chuckling foolishly, suddenly turned serious.
"What do you mean by that? How did my sister offend you?"
Xue Yingxue's expression stiffened, and she said, "Did my words cause you to misunderstand, young master?"
She quickly revealed a hint of melancholy from her aloof expression, as if she felt very apologetic, a sight that would soften anyone's heart.
To everyone's surprise, Xin Yunzhou seemed completely blind, and only said angrily, "My sister is a young lady from a wealthy family, of course she can do whatever she wants. Besides, even if she doesn't say it usually, she has been taught to write by our father since she was a child. Who do you think you are, looking down on my sister!"
Xue Yingxue couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, "You..."
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