Seeing Xu Yunci looking over, Chunling coughed and cleared her throat: "Miss said that tonight is the fifteenth, and the full moon should be extremely beautiful."
After saying that, she glanced at Chang Shun, who was still stunned, bowed, and walked out.
She didn't wait for the people behind her to catch up; she almost ran to the back courtyard and looked at Li Shiyue, who was leaning against the porch: "Miss!"
Li Shiyue looked up, not even having a good look at Chunling's delighted expression, and looked past Chunling at the person walking quickly behind her.
She stood up, and he stopped on the veranda. Night had fallen, and all was quiet. Li Shiyue spoke first, calling out, "Cousin."
Xu Yunci snapped out of his daze, coughed twice with a fist in front of him. He hadn't thought of anything when he chased after them, but now his mind was completely blank.
Seeing his reddened earlobes, Li Shiyue couldn't help but smile as she walked to the corridor. She held a silk-embroidered fan in her hand, but it couldn't hide the smile in her eyes.
"Today is the fifteenth of the lunar month, and the moon is very round."
Xu Yunci swallowed hard. He wasn't stupid. His little cousin's gaze towards him at the polo field during the day was different. If he didn't understand, he wouldn't have rushed over so quickly.
The unique fragrance of the woman wafted before him, making his nose tingle. Xu Yunci restrained himself from raising his hands and shifted his gaze away from her face.
“My cousin asked me earlier if I had thought it through, and I’m here today to tell him.”
Li Shiyue raised her head, as if she had mustered up her courage, and said softly, "I agree to be your cousin."
The woman's voice was as gentle as the bright moon in the sky. Xu Yunci felt his feet were so light that it was almost unreal. He came back to his senses when he saw Yang Shi, who had been sitting in the room for who knows how long.
He was both overjoyed and surprised. What could be happier than his beloved agreeing to marry him? And what could be more surprising than his mother's disapproval of the relationship?
Yang noticed the rare change in Xu Yunci's expression. She sighed inwardly, and before Xu Yunci could speak, gave him a quiet look: "So you know how to come back, huh?"
Since they were all in the same palace, they couldn't possibly escape Yang's eyes.
“Mother, it was I who went to find Yan Yan.”
Xu Yunci took two steps forward and squatted down beside Yang Shi, just like when he was a child. The sincerity in his eyes stunned Yang Shi for a moment.
Madam Yang sighed: "Are you really sure? You've set your sights on her?"
Xu Yunci smiled, like a child who had received a beloved possession; the longing in his eyes was something rarely seen on his face.
“Mother, I have thought it through. My bride can only be her.”
After a long while, Madam Yang withdrew her gaze without saying anything, though her feelings were somewhat complicated.
“Mother, you like Yan Yan very much, don’t you? If you feel that she is not the right choice for the matriarch of the Xu family, Yan Yan is so smart. She has only been learning household management from you for a short time, and she did a great job organizing the banquet.”
"Besides, Steward Wang delivered a letter and thought it was a good idea. With Mother around, if there's anything we don't understand in the future, Mother can just teach us."
Xu Yunci held Yang's hand and said with a light laugh, "I have always taken the family you and Father talked about as my responsibility. But after meeting Yan Yan, I always wanted to leave a place in my heart for her. At first, I didn't understand what I was thinking, but later I realized that I like her."
"I want to be with Yan Yan, just like my father loves my mother, for decades to come."
Madam Yang looked at him intently, but ultimately could not prevail, and nodded: "In that case, I will mention it to your grandmother when we return to the capital."
She grabbed Xu Yunci's wrist and said, "However, you are a respectable young man. If you ever regret this in the future, I hope you will remember what I said today. If you ever have any unpleasant words with Yan Yan in the future, calm down and think about the determination you expressed to me today."
It wasn't that she didn't side with her eldest son; after all, she was a mother and naturally understood the heart of Madam Xu in heaven. If Xu Yunci caused Li Shiyue to suffer injustice, the Rongguo Duke's Mansion would become the sinner, so it was better to say some things in advance.
Xu Yunci knew what Yang was worried about, and he grasped Yang's hand in return: "Don't worry, with you and Father here, your son won't do anything foolish."
They spent quite a while at the imperial palace, and after confirming their feelings for each other, they both refrained from making a big fuss about it. They also planned to ask Madam Xu's opinion after returning to the capital before making a final decision.
However, the subtle atmosphere between the two made Xu Lingzi realize that something was wrong.
When they returned to the capital, it was already mid-May. When Madam Xu saw the whole family return, she was overjoyed.
"Yan Yan has also prepared something for you, Er Lang, why don't you help Yan Yan prepare it?"
As Yang spoke, she looked at the two of them, her meaning clear: she had something she needed to say in private. What else could it be but the marriage?
Li Shiyue stood up first, her cheeks flushed, and she walked out quickly with her head down. Xu Yunci glanced at Madam Yang and the old Madam Xu who were looking over, then followed her.
Everything was piled up in Chengyu Pavilion, and it hadn't been tidied up yet, but the things prepared for Old Madam Xu were placed outside.
There was no rush to return to Shousong Hall; if they hadn't finished speaking, it would be even more awkward than if she had caught them. Besides, Xu Yunci was sitting on the wooden couch, leisurely drinking tea, showing no intention of getting up at all.
"I've acquired a piece of thousand-year-old blood jade. Do you want a bracelet, jewelry, or perhaps have it crafted into a jade pendant?"
Xu Yunci lightly glanced at the pattern on the teacup with his index finger. When he spoke, he looked up at Li Shiyue. Perhaps because he spoke suddenly, a hint of panic appeared on her beautiful face, which she quickly concealed.
"All is well."
Li Shiyue pursed her lips, looked up to meet Xu Yunci's gaze, and unconsciously her cheeks grew even hotter: "Let's make a pair of jade pendants."
Xu Yunci's pupils dilated for a moment, and he quickly lowered his head, unable to hide the upturned corners of his mouth: "Okay."
Judging from the size of the blood jade, there should be enough left to make a pair of earrings. The girl's soft, white earlobes rarely wore elaborate earrings; they were mostly decorated with pale magnolia-colored earrings.
Since a new necklace is needed, new clothes and jewelry are also necessary. Xu Yunci looked at the pattern on the teacup in her hand, and many common patterns came to mind, but none of them seemed quite suitable for her little cousin.
Li Shiyue was unaware that Xu Yunci was already preparing something completely new for her from head to toe.
Thinking of the pair of hairpins in the jewelry, it was common to give hairpins as a betrothal gift when a bride was being married. However, from that day on, whenever Xu Yunci saw a beautiful hairpin, she would have Chang Shun send it to her.
Although she hadn't been at the imperial palace for long, her jewelry collection grew steadily, to the point that she hadn't worn the same piece twice in the past six months.
Even though I say that, I'm actually happy inside.
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