The azure sky was cloudless, as clear and bright as jade before a craftsman's meticulous carving. The sun hung high in the sky, scattering dazzling light.
Although Li Shiyue and Xu Lingzi were smiling and welcoming, Fu Yunning found it irritating.
After exchanging greetings, Lady Changping sat down in her seat, looked around, and finally her gaze fell on Fu Yunning, who looked lost in thought beside her. A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes, but she didn't look at her and started chatting with the other women.
Passing through the artificial hill, the long corridor ended there, with a beautifully carved window. The banquet was almost over, and Old Madam Xu was feeling unwell, so she escorted Old Madam Xu back to Shousong Hall and was about to go find Xu Lingzi.
But then she heard faint voices coming from the other side of the window, and could vaguely make out the figures of a man and a woman. Li Shiyue stopped and listened for a while, unsure whether to go forward or retreat.
"Could my heart possibly lie? If someone were to see me, an unmarried woman, wouldn't my reputation be completely ruined?"
"The young master is the young marquis of Guangping Marquis's mansion. He only cares about his own pleasure and doesn't care about my life or death." The woman looked somewhat familiar. She was wearing a lotus-colored jacket and, as she spoke, she raised her hand to wipe away tears with her sleeve.
The young man had his back to Li Shiyue, so only his back could be seen, and his face could not be seen at all. The young woman seemed to still be angry, and she cried with tears streaming down her face: "My stepmother has always regarded me as a thorn in her side. If the young master does not come to visit, she is afraid that she will give me up to someone else."
"If my virginity were still intact, and my fate with the young master were not meant to be, I would not force it. But I..."
The woman in pink placed her hand on her lower abdomen, examining it closely but finding nothing amiss. However, her expression was panicked, and her voice grew even lower: "But I'm afraid I'm pregnant with the prince's child. How can I marry another man? Besides, my heart belongs only to the prince."
They are really bold. This is the Rongguo Duke's mansion, and these two dare to exchange gifts in private.
Li Shiyue dared not listen any longer. She lifted her skirt and looked at Chunling. The two of them walked quietly, even holding their breath, for fear of making a noise and disturbing the two inside.
After walking a distance, Li Shiyue looked back anxiously, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was around.
Chunling patted her chest as if she was still shaken, with a hint of reproach: "How could someone be doing this in broad daylight..." Before she could finish saying the words "pulling and tugging," she saw a figure coming out from around the corner and immediately swallowed her words.
She coughed twice to remind Li Shiyue that someone was coming.
Li Shiyue looked up and met Xu Yunci's gaze. His expression was calm, as if he had been waiting there for a while. This area was the only way to get from Shousong Hall to the Flower Hall. Perhaps feeling guilty, when she met Xu Yunci's gaze, Li Shiyue subconsciously glanced at the end of the long corridor she had just seen.
"What's wrong? You're walking very fast."
Xu Yunci followed her gaze and saw that from this angle, only a corner of the green corridor could be seen; the rest would require walking a long way to reach.
That side is Shousong Hall. If something had happened to Shousong Hall, Li Shiyue wouldn't be so calm. So something else must have happened.
Xu Yunci didn't rush to ask any more questions. His hand, which was behind his back, slowly stroked the pattern on the thumb ring. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes and scrutinize Li Shiyue.
Her delicate handwriting is just like my little cousin herself; she may look fragile at first glance, but she is actually resilient and refuses to be looked down upon in the slightest.
But she wasn't one to put on a brave face; she knew when to back down and wouldn't be foolish enough to abandon herself.
Li Shiyue withdrew her gaze, and as soon as she looked up, she met Xu Yunci's deep gaze, instinctively wanting to look away. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that Xu Yunci's gaze contained many emotions she couldn't understand.
It seems that since some time ago, Xu Yunci's gaze towards her has changed from the pure feeling of looking at cousins at the beginning. Now it feels as if she is something that is already in his grasp, or as if she has been targeted by a wild beast.
This feeling was very unsettling. Li Shiyue avoided his gaze, and as if that wasn't enough, she took a half step back, widening the distance between them.
"What are you doing here, cousin?"
Xu Yunci saw her actions; it was obvious she was avoiding him. This thought made Xu Yunci feel a surge of irritation, especially as a beam of scorching sunlight shone down onto the open space.
"Sixth Sister was looking for you. She said you brought Grandmother back, so I came to wait for you."
Xu Yunci's expression showed no change in joy or anger, but the gentleness in his unmistakable phoenix eyes was gradually replaced by an unreadable gaze.
His hands, which were behind his back, gradually clenched into fists, then relaxed, and he looked away, no longer staring at Li Shiyue's face.
There was really nothing to say. Just as Li Shiyue was about to leave, she passed by Xu Yunci and heard him say, "You know about your father's matter."
Li Shiyue stopped in her tracks, lowered her eyes, and softly replied, "Okay, I understand."
"Are you blaming me, or do you have anything to ask me?" Xu Yunci's figure was not large, and the two of them were in a straight line. Xu Yunci only needed to turn around to face Li Shiyue's profile.
The distance was indeed quite close, but the unique fragrance of the young woman wafted to his nose, and Xu Yunci, who was about to move, suddenly stopped. He actually hesitated.
Xu Yunci also found it unbelievable. What was even more unbelievable to him was that while he was hesitating, Li Shiyue had already taken several steps back from him, maintaining the same safe distance as before.
The younger cousin was wary; this was a good thing, but why couldn't he be happy?
Xu Yunci raised his hand and scratched his forehead with his fingers. The sunlight made him dizzy, and he didn't even know what to do with his hands.
“There’s nothing to ask.” Li Shiyue answered slowly and deliberately, as if worried that Xu Yunci wouldn’t believe her. She looked up at Xu Yunci with a serious expression.
Xu Yunci swallowed the words he was about to say, completely at a loss for words. For the first time, bewilderment appeared on his face; the dignified Prince Xu was at a loss for what to do.
“I said there’s nothing to ask. Father’s current situation is the price he paid for his own greed, and it has nothing to do with anyone else.”
"If he hadn't been tempted, even if those people had left the silver in the Li family's house, he could have produced evidence with his cousin's help and escaped unscathed, instead of ending up like this."
"Even with my cousin's secret help, leaving the capital in disgrace is the best way for Father to save his life."
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