The latter was focused on You Fangying and had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with her. Once everyone had arrived, they gathered in twos and threes to enjoy tea and admire chrysanthemums.
Chu Yuan's gaze never left Jiang Xuening. She only stayed for a short while before quietly leaving with her maid and heading towards the backyard.
Chu Yuan knew she was going to see You Fangying, so she didn't say anything.
If they can't find anyone for a while, they'll naturally come back.
But no sooner had Jiang Xuening left than the gatekeeper shouted again, "The heir of the Marquis of Yongyi, the Prince of Linzhi, has arrived!"
The sudden arrival of these two prominent young men from prestigious families caused a great stir.
Almost all the young ladies who were chatting, drinking tea, or admiring flowers couldn't help but stand up abruptly, and they all looked at You Yue with ambiguous and envious eyes.
Today, the You family is the host, and everyone else is a guest. Yan Ling and Shen Jie are probably here for You Yue.
Some people were even more outspoken, jeering, "You Yue, when did you become so familiar with the Crown Prince and the Prince of Linzhi? This is clearly a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet that only young ladies would be interested in, yet they've come all the way here?"
Chu Yuan listened without commenting. Was it this kind of misleading talk that made the original owner of this body lose face?
"I apologize for making this a laughing matter. I am not familiar with the Crown Prince or the Prince of Linzhi. Their presence here is not out of respect for me."
"I'm afraid one of the sisters secretly invited the Crown Prince and the Prince of Linzhi over, but was too embarrassed to say so?"
These words, delivered with a mix of playful banter and gentle reproach, not only resolved the misunderstanding and awkwardness but also pleased the ladies present, making their hearts flutter and preventing them from focusing on him.
Chu Yuan turned around, lowered her eyes and smiled gently, like a shy May peach blossom.
Yan Ling, a figure as radiant as the blazing sun, dressed in brocade robes and exuding extraordinary elegance, strode forward. He intended to bypass Chu Yuan and go directly to find Jiang Xue Ning, but upon catching sight of Chu Yuan's altered appearance, he couldn't help but pause slightly.
Half a step behind him, Chen Jie, with a handsome face and a refined gentlemanly demeanor, stared intently at Chu Yuan with undisguised amazement in his eyes.
"You Yue greets the Crown Prince and Prince Linzhi. Your presence is an honor to the You family." Chu Yuan bowed slowly, keeping her eyes downcast and not looking at the two of them, appearing reserved and serene.
But the two of them seemed to have already anticipated what kind of charm she would have when she raised her eyes.
...
As the autumn wind began to rise, it swept past a purple chrysanthemum beside her, and moon-like petals fell, landing right on the strands of hair between her forehead.
At the same time, those lowered eyes slowly lifted up.
The girl had a beautiful face, eyebrows like chrysanthemum petals, a nose like a hanging gall bladder, and lips that were slightly pursed and naturally red. Her skin was as white as snow, but none of these could compare to her eyes that were as clear and bright as autumn water.
Clear and bright, sparkling like stars.
But unlike the others, she didn't look up to them with the infatuation and expectation of a lovesick girl. Instead, she carried a faint sense of aloofness and world-weariness, adding a touch of cold elegance.
"You Yue, does she look like this?" It was a barely audible sound of surprise from Shen Jie.
The subordinate tugged at the back of Yan Ling's robe, but couldn't take his eyes off Chu Yuan's face. Her dazed expression made her seem even more blank than the young ladies behind her.
Yan Ling was also stunned, clearly surprised that You Yue, the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Qingyuan, who had never attracted his attention before, had grown up to be so beautiful.
His fingertips rested on the sides of his robe, and he couldn't resist the urge to remove the flower petal from Chu Yuan's forehead.
Just then, Jiang Xuening couldn't find You Fangying in the backyard. Suspicious, she turned back to the front yard and saw Yan Ling and Shen Jie chasing after her. She called out from afar, "Yan Ling, what are you doing here?"
Yanling then came to her senses.
Withdrawing his gaze from Chu Yuan, the young man strode past her with his head held high.
Grabbing Jiang Xuening's arm and pulling her aside, her voice tinged with anger and resentment, she said, "I invited you to see the lanterns, but you refused. Instead, you came here to attend some chrysanthemum appreciation banquet? What kind of dilapidated household is this Qingyuan Marquis's Mansion? Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"
Chu Yuan didn't hear Jiang Xue Ning's reply, because Chen Jie had already walked towards her and bowed, "I'm sorry, Miss You, we came without sending invitations beforehand. Are we disturbing your flower viewing?"
Chu Yuan pursed her lips, not because of Chen Jie's words, but because of Yan Ling's mocking remark about her being a "fallen wretch".
Yes, the Qingyuan Marquis's Mansion has a good reputation but no real power.
His status was even lower than that of the heroine's father, Jiang Boyou, the Vice Minister of Revenue, a high-ranking official of the third rank in the imperial court, who was loyal, righteous, and incorruptible.
Even though Jiang Xuening was cold-hearted and heartless in her previous life, earning the infamy of being a demon queen, Jiang Boyou was not implicated because he had saved the life of the imperial tutor Xie Wei.
Compared to the Jiang family, the Qingyuan Earl's Mansion is no match, let alone the other five companions who are about to enter the palace.
This made Chu Yuan feel a sense of crisis. She naturally raised her eyes and smiled at Chen Jie, "Your Highness is too kind. We were just having some fun in our spare time. We are all happy that you two could come."
He turned around and asked, "Does everyone agree or disagree?"
The group of beautiful young ladies naturally nodded vigorously. The bolder ones even invited Shen Jie, saying, "Your Highness has come at the right time. We were just having a poetry and painting competition in the garden. Each of you sisters has your own strengths. Why don't Your Highness and the Heir Apparent help judge it together? It would be a relief for us."
Chen Jie exuded an air of nobility and gentle elegance, making one feel as if a spring breeze was blowing in their face.
Everyone in the capital knows that he is the easiest person to talk to.
He is different from Yan Ling's youthful arrogance, Xie Wei's unapproachable nature, and Xue Ye's domineering and incompetent nature.
Therefore, they dared to invite Shen Jie, but dared not say it in front of Yan Ling.
Chu Yuan's gaze also fell on Shen Jie's face at this moment, but unlike them, her face was not flushed with happiness or shy and timid. Instead, it was slightly tinged with pity.
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