Chapter 22 She had never heard that Prince Su was mute...
Jiang Yue didn't even need to find a reason. Bie Zhi herself didn't have time to go looking for Ji Ran anymore. She went out for six days in a row and didn't find a chance to get close to Xu Wen Che. She could only quietly follow him around and protect him.
On the seventh day, she didn't even have a chance to go out.
At dawn and dusk, the Qin family, with its bright lights, bustled about once again.
Qin Wan arrived at Biezhi's courtyard early with a group of servants. The once quiet and boundless courtyard suddenly became bustling with activity. Biezhi had never seen such a scene before. She stared blankly as the makeup artist did her makeup and dressing. What seemed like a simple makeup and dressing took nearly half an hour.
When they sat in the back, even Biezhi, who felt like a puppet being manipulated, couldn't sit still.
She looked through the mirror at the makeup artist who was holding a hairpin and occasionally comparing it to her work, and couldn't help but ask, "How much longer?"
"Don't be impatient, young lady." The makeup artist lowered her eyes and changed a hairpin. Looking at the girl in the mirror with her slightly puffed-out face, her made-up face was as white as jade, and her round almond eyes were watery, full of pitiful charm. She said, "It will be over in about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."
Biezhi's eyes widened slightly: "Would you like another cup of tea?"
Hearing the girl's slightly helpless yet charming voice, Qin Wan, who was outside the bedroom instructing the servants to check the front yard again, turned around and smiled, "Bear with it a little longer. Today is your big day, so don't let your guard down."
Bie Zhi's lips trembled slightly.
She didn't understand why the Qin family was going to such lengths to announce the fake girl's birth.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Biezhi sighed deeply and pouted, "Alright."
Logically speaking, even if Qin Wan and Qin Xiao were unaware of their true identities, the Qin family couple would certainly know, and their decision to hold the banquet with the highest standards must have been for a specific purpose.
However, ever since she learned that the Qin family was going to hold a banquet to announce their arrival, Biezhi didn't ask any questions. Just as the Qin family never questioned her mission, she wouldn't get too involved in the Qin family's affairs either. Each of them had their own needs and desires.
Nearly two cups of tea's time passed before Biezhi was finally able to leave the courtyard.
Therefore, it was her big day, so she waited at the door with the Qin couple to welcome the guests who came to the banquet.
One carriage after another came to and from the gate of the Qin residence, the sound of the wheels rolling over the stones never ceasing. Biezhi stood obediently beside Madam Qin, listening to her introduce the various noble ladies from different families who had come to the banquet with their daughters.
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A gentle breeze blew by, and the bells hanging in front of the carriage jingled.
The crisp, melodious sound dispelled the surrounding noise. Biezhi subconsciously lifted her eyelids and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the license plates hanging under the two carriages swaying and fluttering with the sound of bells.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Madam Qin's eyes suddenly curved into a smile, which seemed much more genuine than before, and she knew that the newcomer had a close relationship with the Qin family.
Madam Qin stepped forward to greet them, glancing back as she said, "The lady who has come before us is Madam Su. She and the Qin family have been friends for generations, and their ancestors were close friends who walked hand in hand. Su Ci, the second son of the Su family, and my two children—" She paused slightly, then changed her address, "have known your brother and sister since childhood and have a very good relationship with them. If you ever need the Su family's help in the future, you can let us know."
Biezhi nodded knowingly.
She had heard of Su Ci's name before.
At the age of eighteen, he passed the imperial examination with top honors in all three categories. In the same year, he entered the court as an official. When the late emperor was alive, he served as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. The following year, he was promoted to a reader in the Hanlin Academy and served by the side of the young emperor, who was still a prince at the time. Less than half a year later, he was promoted to a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy. The following year, after Prince Su came to power, he entered the cabinet and is now an important minister of the court.
His smooth and unimpeded official career was widely known among ordinary people, and there were even rumors that he was the reincarnation of the Wenchang Emperor. When Biezhi was investigating Qin Xiao, she also learned about Su Ci from the side, and his relationship with Prince Su seemed to be even closer.
However, Su Ci did not come with Madam Su.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Madam Qin asked about Su Ci's whereabouts, "Why didn't he come with us today?"
"He'll be here soon," Madam Su said with a smile. She turned to look at the obedient girl standing beside her, her smile deepening slightly. "I've never heard you mention her before. Our Biezhi is so well-behaved and charming; she's so endearing."
Madam Qin smiled and nodded in agreement.
She hadn't expected that one of the top assassins in Xianyun Tower would be so cute and clever, like a vibrant forsythia, undaunted by the cold and unaffected by the local climate.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly rang out in the bustling street. The crowd under the eaves turned to look, and the moment they saw the tall figure riding a horse and whipping it, they all turned to face the newcomer and bowed in greeting.
Fu Huaiqing dismounted and looked directly at the girl who was bowing with her eyes lowered. He glanced at Jiang Yue, who then told everyone to stand up.
The man walked up the stairs in quick strides, his flowing robes billowing in the wind. For a moment, he didn't seem like the high-ranking Prince Su, but rather like a spirited young man.
Even though she thought he was a bit fierce, Biezhi still thought he was handsome, and that she couldn't find a man among all the men she had met who could compare to him.
It's a pity, he's just a bit too fierce.
When he's not speaking, his sharp and cold expression makes people hesitate to approach him.
Biezhi paused in thought.
She suddenly realized that she seemed to have never heard Prince Su's voice before...
I've never heard of it even once.
Although they only met twice, and their interactions were more or less frequent on both occasions, she had never heard him speak.
He even said he had no problem with her!
If he had no objections, how could he have remained completely silent, without even a nod or a hum?
She'd never heard that Prince Su was mute...
Biezhi raised her eyes and looked in the direction of Prince Su with a strange feeling. As she raised her eyes slightly, she met the depths of the man's dark and unfathomable pupils.
Suddenly, a strange, tingling sensation swept through her limbs, causing her eyelashes to flutter and her eyes to droop.
She suddenly realized that her idea was absolutely correct; when she looked for a husband in the future, she should still choose a handsome man to keep in her home.
Even if he's fierce-looking, he's a handsome young man with a fierce look, not an ugly man with a strange appearance and a fierce demeanor.
Qin Peibai, accompanied by his wife and Biezhi, stepped forward.
Jiang Yue, who was standing beside Fu Huaiqing, stopped Qin Peibai from bowing again. His gaze swept over Biezhi, whose thoughts were wandering, and he took the box handed to him by the guard and presented it, saying, "His Highness has come to congratulate you on finding your second daughter."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Qin Peibai took the box and handed it to Biezhi beside him, whispering, "You must thank Your Highness."
Having crammed on the etiquette of aristocratic families, Biezhi naturally understood this point. She slightly bent her knees, but before she could speak, a folding fan pressed against her palm and lifted it slightly, interrupting her movement.
The guests who had deliberately slowed their pace and lingered outside noticed this and their expressions changed slightly.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to marvel at the deep relationship between the Qin family and Prince Su, or to envy the fact that the second daughter of the Qin family had caught Prince Su's eye, which was why he acted so casually in front of everyone.
He was clearly telling everyone present that he recognized the identity of the second daughter of the Qin family.
All was quiet. Biezhi blinked and cautiously raised her eyelids to look at the composed man. Their eyes met for a long time, but he did not speak.
Biezhi was completely bewildered and couldn't figure out what was going on.
Fu Huaiqing slowly closed his folding fan without saying a word.
Biezhi: "..."
If it weren't for hearing about Prince Su's deeds, Biezhi would have truly thought he was just a little mute.
The little mute who pretends to be profound and deaf.
It's practically a carbon copy of Ji Ran; one can't hear and the other doesn't speak, but Ji Ran really can't hear, while Prince Su is just pretending to be mute.
Qin Peibai was also confused about the situation. He caught a glimpse of Jiang Yue's expression out of the corner of his eye, understood, and stepped aside to make way, saying, "Your Highness, this way please."
Fu Huaiqing glanced at the slightly surprised girl, his face expressionless, and walked towards the main hall.
Jiang Yue followed behind him, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his master's steps had paused slightly. He stopped as well, looking at him with a puzzled expression. The next moment, he heard his master's thoughtful voice in his ear.
"Go and see if there's any way to change the voice," Fu Huaiqing said.
Jiang Yue was taken aback: "Yi Sheng?"
Where can he find it?
Fu Huaiqing glanced at him indifferently.
Jiang Yue coughed lightly: "I'll go right away."
In Xianyun Tower, apart from Ling Feng and others who knew that the person in charge of Xianyun Tower was Prince Su, everyone else was kept in the dark and had no idea about the relationship between Xianyun Tower and Prince Su. Bie Zhi was one of them.
She had never met the person in charge of Xianyun Tower, but his voice was imprinted in her heart.
If Fu Huaiqing were to speak even a brief "hmm" in front of her at this moment, she would immediately realize that Prince Su was her master.
Naturally, Biezhi would pack her bags and flee the capital overnight.
Therefore, Fu Huaiqing could not speak rashly unless absolutely necessary, but if he did not speak, how could he alleviate her impression of him?
A subtle hint of melancholy flashed in Fu Huaiqing's eyes.
Biezhi, who was still greeting the guests, was completely unaware of this. She followed Madam Qin, sometimes going forward to greet the guests, sometimes leading them across the threshold, and sometimes walking under the eaves to wait for the next group of guests.
After about an hour, the traffic at the Qin residence gate gradually subsided.
Seeing the deserted street, Biezhi, who had been standing there for a long time, subconsciously pulled her back, only realizing halfway through that she was now the second daughter of the Qin family, and silently withdrew her arm that had been suspended in mid-air.
She looked away, about to ask what to do next, when she noticed Qin Peibai's slightly serious expression, his eyes fixed on the south side of Ning'an Street.
Bie Zhi lowered her slightly parted lips and looked at them thoughtfully.
At this moment, the stone-paved road, which had been quiet for a long time, once again echoed with the sound of tire tracks. Qin Peibai immediately looked up and saw the slowly approaching carriage, and the sternness on his face softened a little.
Biezhi raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze.
The carriage stopped at the foot of the Qin residence. After a short while, a man of similar age to Qin Peibai lifted the curtain and came out. After getting off the carriage, his steps quickened slightly, and he said with a smile, "I was late because of some business at home. Please forgive me, Lord Qin."
"You're too kind, Lord Zhang," Qin Peibai said with a smile, stepping aside to let him pass. "The banquet hasn't started yet, it's not too late."
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Lord Qin," Zhang Yan said politely again.
A subtle scrutiny flashed across Bie Zhi's eyes, clearly indicating that the relationship between the two was not exactly harmonious, and could even be described as estranged. However, the fact that Qin Peibai had been waiting for so long meant that the newcomer was obviously no ordinary person.
When Zhang Yan glanced at her, Bie Zhi lowered her gaze and pretended to be obedient.
Their eyes met, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
Zhang Yan, who had clearly seen the girl's face, was stunned for a moment, his pupils contracted slightly. He subconsciously glanced at Madam Qin, who was smiling without saying a word, and then at the smiling girl.
They look so alike, so incredibly alike...
The girl in front of him looked exactly like that man.
The image from the depths of his memory suddenly flooded his mind, and Zhang Yan's brow twitched, but his smile remained unchanged: "This is the Second Miss?"
"Yes." Qin Peibai smiled and glanced at the other branches behind him.
“I heard that the Second Miss had been stranded in a foreign land before,” Zhang Yan said, glancing at another branch. “She was far from the capital, so it was not easy to find her.”
Qin Peibai sensed the probing in his words, smiled, and said, "Huishui Town is indeed quite far from the capital."
“Huishui Town—” Zhang Yan’s eyes shifted slightly as he said, “It’s also a place that nurtures people. I still want to congratulate Lord Qin on finding his second daughter, which is what he wanted.”
Qin Peibai burst out laughing: "Lord Zhang, please come inside."
Then, the two walked towards the mansion one after the other.
Biezhi looked at the two figures in front of him. He could tell from their words that their official rank was far below Qin Peibai's, but Qin Peibai seemed to be trying to win them over.
She frowned and glanced at Madam Qin, who was also lagging behind.
After a moment's thought, Bie Zhi realized that the Qin family had indeed helped her, and she didn't want to see them step into a pit of fire.
She lowered her voice slightly and said, "This person is most likely not right."
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