"Of course I like it."
Xu Yunci's joy was undisguised, especially when he looked at the sachet in his hand. It had a very light fragrance, and he realized that his little cousin seemed to really like magnolias.
The sachet was decorated with silvery-white stamens and a few pale yellow spots. Without hesitation, I hung the sachet on my waist.
In the past, he would have found it troublesome, but things are different now. The jade pendants at his waist are a pair, and the other one had already been sent to Chengyu Pavilion.
Li Shiyue had heard some rumors in the manor these past few days and originally had a lot to say, but when she saw Xu Yunci, his attitude was very clear, so it seemed that she didn't necessarily have to say anything.
"How long will you be able to rest at the manor this time? You won't be leaving again soon, will you?"
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Xu Yunci felt more happy than anything else. She told the truth, "It's all taken care of. I could have taken a break for a while, but there are still some things I want to do myself."
Li Shiyue, unsuspecting, said, "Do we really need to be so busy? My grandmother has been worried about us these past few days. This morning she even saw ants moving house, and Granny Chang said that a heavy rain is coming."
After saying that, she looked up and saw the smile in Xu Yunci's eyes. She heard a soft laugh from his deep voice: "I don't want to leave these things to others. I want to do them myself. It is my way of showing my love by personally preparing the betrothal gifts for my bride."
Li Shiyue was startled, then realized what he was talking about. She lowered her head but couldn't hide her earlobes, which were red to the point of bleeding.
Xu Yunci sighed softly, looking at her pair of fair and delicate fingers, he felt a sudden surge of nervousness, his throat went dry, and he licked his lips.
He reached out and took Li Shiyue's hand in his own. The woman's hand was soft and well-maintained, and it felt like a freshly peeled egg. Although it was smooth, he dared not move it at all.
Just holding hands seemed to require Xu Yunci to muster up a great deal of courage, unlike when he first dealt with trivial matters in the capital.
"Don't believe the rumors in the manor. I had Changshun tell you before I returned that I would come to see you as soon as I got back. Please don't be angry with me because of those unfounded rumors, okay?"
Xu Yunci rarely spoke so much to others, but today he not only did it voluntarily, but also carefully observed Li Shiyue's expression after he finished speaking.
Li Shiyue looked up, his heart gradually filled with strange emotions. The care in his eyes was not fear, but the feeling of cherishing something he loved.
"I'm not angry, not now."
She wasn't an irrational person; she knew Xu Yunci better than most people what kind of person he was.
He hasn't appeared at the Duke's mansion for the past few days, so how could it be true that he has a close relationship with the newly arrived Miss Wei?
However, it's not that I wasn't angry at all; it's just that as time passed, I calmed down and my rationality naturally followed. After a little thought, I could probably guess a few of my thoughts.
Having not witnessed it firsthand, she was unwilling to assume the worst about others. To her surprise, Xu Yunci, though not at home, hadn't missed a single detail of the matter; in fact, he came to see her immediately after resolving the issues outside.
"You've seen your aunt now, so it's time for me to go see her too and continue learning accounting."
Xu Yunci shook her head and stood up with her: "I haven't seen Mother yet, I'll go with you. Grandmother and Mother have been missing you these past few days while I've been away from home."
It just so happens that there are some matters concerning Qin Ying, a commoner. After being stripped of his title as Prince of Yan, he should also talk to Old Madam Xu about these matters.
Perhaps out of habit, he was taught more by the Duke of Rongguo in many of his actions, but he always wanted to hear what Old Madam Xu thought.
Yang was not surprised at all that the two of them had come together. She watched as Chunling placed the account book in front of her, a copy that Li Shiyue had copied down.
"Yan Yan, you've come at just the right time. I've just acquired two bolts of fabric. Go and see if you find any that suit your taste."
Li Shiyue nodded and followed her to the back. As soon as she disappeared, the smile on Yang's face vanished instantly. Staring at her eldest son, whom she hadn't seen for several days, she coldly said, "Kneel down."
Such an attitude was rare for Xu Yunci since he became sensible, let alone when he proposed to Li Shiyue.
"If your son makes a mistake, Mother, please discipline him as you see fit, but don't get upset and hurt yourself."
Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Yunci lifted his robe and knelt down, his humble attitude calming Yang Shi down considerably.
But that didn't mean Madam Yang wasn't angry. She glanced behind her and her tone was a little better than before: "You are wrong. I'm asking you, are the rumors circulating in the manor these past few days true or false?"
"Of course it's fake."
Xu Yunci raised his eyes and met Yang's scrutinizing gaze without flinching: "As you know, Mother, I haven't been at home these past few days. The things that Chun Jinxuan sent were just handkerchiefs and sachets, personal items. Miss Wei is of marriageable age, and I am already engaged, so it's really inconvenient for me to accept them."
"So Changshun made his own decision and did not accept a single needle or thread from Chunjinxuan, not to mention that his son had too close a relationship with the Wei family's daughter. Apart from the day the Wei family's daughter entered the mansion in front of his grandmother, his son had never seen the Wei family's daughter at all."
Madam Yang knew what kind of person her eldest son was, but the rumors circulating in the mansion were so detailed and seemingly based on firsthand accounts of Xu Yunci and Chun Jinxuan's intimate encounter.
At first, she didn't think Li Shiyue was a good match for the eldest son's bride, but the Duke of Rongguo, Xu Lingyu, and the old lady Xu all thought it was a good match. She didn't need to play the role of a vicious mother-in-law and make things difficult for the children. Moreover, Li Shiyue was learning to manage the accounts in front of her, and she gradually agreed to the marriage.
She couldn't put her mind at ease until she heard her eldest son's clear answer, especially after hearing that he went to Chengyu Pavilion as soon as he returned home. She was worried that since both children were taciturn, they might have unpleasantness because of those rumors and ruin their relationship for no reason.
Actually, they weren't far apart, and Li Shiyue could hear everything that was said in front of her.
However, seeing the two of them come together, Madam Yang was already relieved, and hearing her eldest son say this made her even more at ease.
However, it seems that the young lady from Chun Jin Xuan is not as simple as she appears.
Madam Yang sneered. "You're really something. You've got your hands on the eldest branch of the family. The abacus beads are practically jumping into her face. If you still don't understand these little tricks, how can you live up to your years of experience managing the inner quarters?"
"You said it yourself, you asked for this marriage. If you do anything shameful, don't blame me for not giving birth to a scoundrel like you."
Li Shiyue looked at the brocade in front of her; it was a very precious Shu brocade, different from ordinary feather satin. She understood what Yang's plan meant, and only after hearing Yang's words of concern for Xu Yunci did she leave.
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