Her voice suddenly stopped, followed by a pair of siblings coming towards her: "Third brother, slow down, I can't keep up."
Li Shiyue's smile gradually faded as she looked at Xu Yunyang and Xu Lingwan, the brother and sister who had also noticed her stop.
It seemed like she hadn't seen the brother and sister for a long time, and even Xu Lingwan had just been released from confinement. But now that they had met, there was no reason not to greet them, especially since they were face to face, at a distance that was impossible to avoid.
"Third cousin, tenth cousin."
Li Shiyue's voice was soft. She looked down at her feet and stepped aside to let others pass.
Xu Lingwan was wearing a rare light blue short shirt today, and her hair was styled in a double bun with a brocade ribbon tied around her head.
She hadn't seen Li Shiyue for a long time. Thinking back to their conversation at the ancestral hall before the New Year, the slight blush on Li Shiyue's cheeks from her haste made her appear more like a shy young woman. Her clever features, which she remembered, now seemed much more pleasing to the eye, if one didn't look elsewhere.
"Cousin." Xu Lingwan called out, tugging at Xu Yunyang's sleeve to hide herself completely. She peeked out with her eyes, looking at Li Shiyue as if Li Shiyue was about to do something to her.
Xu Yunyang didn't notice his younger sister's unusual behavior. He hadn't seen her for months, and now that they met by chance, her skin seemed even whiter and smoother than before.
Beside the artificial hill is a lake, its surface bathed in sunlight, turning a clear emerald green that reflects the hill and willow branches.
The woman before me was wearing the most ordinary light-colored jacket for spring, and she lowered her head slightly, revealing a section of her slender white neck.
Li Shiyue noticed the intense gaze from the person in front of her, smiled, stepped aside to make way, and continued walking forward with Lian Dong.
Her figure gradually disappeared into the corridor ahead. Xu Yunyang was so engrossed in watching her that Xu Lingwan reached out and interrupted his thoughts.
"You came from the main courtyard, right?"
Xu Lingwan's voice carried a hint of cautious probing. She turned around to tell her brother to leave, but instead saw him staring blankly at his cousin's back.
The infatuation in her eyes was just like that of a young woman seeing her brothers.
"Third brother, you don't still want to marry my cousin, do you? I don't want her to be my sister-in-law. Besides, she's just pretty. Mother wants a bride from a noble family who can help your career."
"Besides, my cousin has no interest in you. Even if she has some money, if she upsets my grandmother and second brother again, my mother will be angry."
Recalling Liu's temper, Xu Lingwan couldn't help but tremble slightly. When her mother was gentle, she was truly as tender as water; when she was angry, the entire west courtyard would shake violently.
However, she was quite lucky; she became a county princess after just one polo match. A hint of envy flashed in Xu Lingwan's eyes. If she could have a title of county princess, she would be in the limelight.
Xu Yunyang said nothing, his gaze fixed intently on the long corridor, where not a single person had been seen. If he wasn't mistaken, the maid behind Li Shiyue was holding an exquisite wooden box, the contents of which were unknown, and the direction it was pointing seemed to be towards the front yard.
Songyuan was Xu Yunci's residence in the front courtyard. Looking through the garden gate, one could see lush greenery everywhere. A row of cypress trees was planted along the walls on both sides of the gate. On the verdant ground underfoot, gray stone steps of the same size were laid out in a staggered manner, extending all the way to the corridor.
A young maid who came out of the house was taken aback, but then smiled and came forward: "I didn't know you had come, Miss. Is there something important to tell you?"
Her name was Taoyue, and she and another maid, Xingyue, were assigned to serve Xu Yunci. Madam Yang originally intended to select the two as concubines, but Xu Yunci had no such intention and treated them as ordinary maids.
Tao Yue had very beautiful eyes. She smiled and looked at Li Shiyue: "The young master is in the study. If Miss Tao needs anything, I will go and tell Young Master Chang."
They were never allowed to interfere in the young master's personal affairs; these were always the responsibility of the Chang brothers.
Li Shiyue smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
After Taoyue left, Xingyue led her into the main room, a small reception hall. The hall was open on all sides, and a few gentle breezes drifted in, bringing a touch of coolness.
The flower hall was not large. In the brown, openwork niche directly opposite the entrance, there were several jade vases, each containing a few beautifully blooming hibiscus flowers.
There are four rosewood chairs on both sides. Tao Yue came with Chang Shun.
"Miss, I'm so sorry. The young master is not at home. If you have any instructions, please tell me. I will relay them to you when he returns."
Li Shiyue smiled and said, "It's nothing. I promised to embroider a sachet for my cousin, but it's been a while. Please forgive me."
“I just came from my aunt’s house. My sixth cousin’s flowers are peonies, my seventh cousin’s are apricot blossoms, and this one I chose is an orchid pattern. I didn’t know what everyone liked, so I just took the liberty of choosing a few. I’ll trouble you to tell my cousin.”
On the ivory-colored brocade, the orchids are embroidered with lifelike detail, the stitches fine and smooth. Even just placing it in the wooden box, one can already faintly smell its delicate fragrance.
Chang Shun replied, "Yes, I understand."
He held it in his arms, intending to take it to Xu Yunci's study later. He dared not keep it a secret, after all, the young master cared a lot about his cousin, and he did not want to be punished by the young master by counting flower petals.
Having done what she needed to do, Li Shiyue naturally didn't want to linger. Until she left Songyuan with her maid...
"This is Miss Xingyue. She's so beautiful and speaks so softly. She doesn't put on airs at all." Xingyue had been ill and had only returned to take care of her these past few days.
Chang Shun, holding the wooden box in his arms, gave it a warning look: "You are not allowed to talk about the master."
Xingyue stuck out her tongue and hid behind Taoyue, her gaze still fixed on the doorway. If the future mistress was like this, could she share her delicious food with her?
Songyuan is in a very good location in the front yard. The maids in the back house can pass through the second gate. She also obtained the consent of Old Madam Xu and Madam Yang to come from the main yard. That way, if anyone asks, it will not be considered a violation of the rules.
“My cousin Chunhui has been spoiled since childhood, and I never expected that she would do such a thing. That’s why I’m here today with such generous gifts to apologize to Miss Yan Yan.”
"That day was truly terrifying. I was just casually praising Miss Yan Yan's excellent polo skills. Who knew that my cousin Chun Hui would get so angry and insist on having a match with Miss Yan Yan? It's all my fault for being so talkative."
"Fortunately, the young master arrived in time; had he been any later, the consequences would have been far more severe. Just thinking about that scene is truly terrifying. He should have come to apologize that very day..."
My cousin Chunhui was confined to Qingliang Palace, and my aunt, anxious, also collapsed. My body is weak and frail; I was startled and only just arrived today. I hope Miss Yanyan will be magnanimous.”
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