Chapter 42 Attending the Banquet [VIP]
Chapter Summary: How could I leave you alone in an empty room?
"Xu Luchuan, you lecherous scoundrel!" In a moment of desperation, Liu Shiyu punched Xu Luchuan in the chest.
Seeing this, Xu Luchuan clenched her fist, narrowed his eyes, and smiled, "You lecher? I just wanted to see how you'd make me look bad. How did that make me a lecher? Ah, Liu Shiyu, you wouldn't happen to be thinking of..."
"I...I...I don't want to talk to you anymore!" Upon hearing this, Liu Shiyu withdrew her hand from his grasp, quickly turned around, and left Xu Luchuan's side, heading towards the courtyard gate.
Xu Luchuan followed closely behind Liu Shiyu, and after they stepped through the gate together, he inadvertently took her hand.
But this time, no matter how much Liu Shiyu struggled, she was unable to break free.
"Alright, don't be angry. How about I go to the east of the city to buy you some osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root?" Xu Luchuan shamelessly intertwined his fingers with hers, while Liu Shiyu pouted and said nothing.
"Today, Zheng Luo and his group came to the Court of Justice to ambush me, insisting that I go to their elegant gathering. They said they were afraid I would be upset because of Liu Qinglan's refusal to marry me. If I hadn't agreed to attend the Cold Mountain Banquet, I probably wouldn't be able to get away right now."
As Xu Luchuan spoke, he secretly glanced at Liu Shiyu's expression and, seeing that it was normal, continued, "Ayu, do you know about this Cold Mountain Banquet? I heard it was hosted by the three counties of the Guangcheng Prince's Mansion. If we're talking about it, these three princesses should be your...cousins?"
Unexpectedly, Xu Luchuan's change of topic had an effect. Liu Shiyu actually put aside what had just happened and began to seriously consider: "The Cold Mountain Banquet? The Prince of Guangcheng? The Third Princess?"
Liu Shiyu felt that the name "Cold Mountain Banquet" sounded familiar. After thinking for a long time, she finally remembered something.
"You mean the banquet that Shuangshuang holds every winter solstice?" Liu Shiyu and Xu Luchuan walked side by side. Xu Luchuan nodded upon hearing this. "That should be it."
“I remember Shuangshuang invited me every year, but I’ve never liked these noisy gatherings; I find them boring. So I always turned them down with various excuses. In the last two years, Shuangshuang hasn’t invited me at all.”
Because Liu Shiyu disliked crowds and was not good at socializing, she rarely interacted with members of the imperial family and aristocratic clans. Over time, she drifted further and further away from them.
The word "friend" has since faded from my memory.
Xu Luchuan sensed the desolation in her words; he understood that she had already sacrificed too much. Therefore, he would not let her be alone for the rest of her life. He stopped and gently grasped Liu Shiyu's shoulder, saying, "In that case, I won't go to the Cold Mountain Banquet. I'll come to the Princess's residence to keep you company on the Winter Solstice."
"Why? Didn't we already agree?" Liu Shiyu looked up at Xu Luchuan, his firmness making her feel incredibly at ease.
"You want me to enjoy myself with them all on the Winter Solstice while you're left alone in an empty room? I can't do that. I'll decline this banquet." Xu Luchuan smiled and rubbed her shoulder.
As soon as she finished speaking, a warm feeling welled up in her heart. Liu Shiyu reached out and gently cupped Xu Luchuan's face, smiling brightly, "Since you've made a promise, don't go back on it. Everyone is so kind; how can you refuse? Go ahead with peace of mind. It just so happens that Wei Jingshan is returning to the capital to report for duty on the winter solstice, so I'm afraid I'll be quite busy. I definitely won't be alone in my room."
Upon hearing Wei Jingshan's name, Xu Luchuan instantly became jealous and immediately said, "Wei Jingshan is coming back? So, you mean you'll be with him all winter solstice? What about me?"
Liu Shiyu sensed the sarcasm in his words, but pretended to be nonchalant and said jokingly, "You're going to the Cold Mountain Banquet! I heard that there are many young ladies from prominent families in Jinling City at that banquet. A handsome young man like you will surely not be lonely."
Upon hearing this, Xu Luchuan frowned, and in retaliation, he cupped Liu Shiyu's face and kissed her without saying a word.
"I don't care about noble ladies or high-society women in the capital. I don't want anything, I just want you."
As soon as Xu Luchuan finished speaking, Liu Shiyu's cheeks flushed crimson in the candlelight of the corridor. The heat rising from her forehead swayed and faded into the distance with the lamplight. Although this wasn't the first time they had kissed like this, she still felt the same flutter in her heart as if it were the first time.
She stood there, stunned, as Xu Luchuan gently brushed a stray hair from her ear.
Xu Luchuan looked at the person in front of him tenderly and said softly, "Then let's do this: I'll go to the banquet during the day, and you go to hear his report. When we get home in the evening, I'll buy you some osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root."
"Okay, let's try to get home as soon as possible." Liu Shiyu let go of Xu Luchuan's arms and hugged him.
Bathed in moonlight, the two smiled at each other and embraced tightly.
…
The winter solstice is the first day of rest and recuperation.
Now that Xu Luchuan had Liu Shiyu's approval, he could focus on the Cold Mountain Banquet that they insisted he attend. However, from the moment he woke up, Xu Luchuan's mind wasn't on the banquet at all. He was preoccupied with how to get away as soon as possible so that he could buy the osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root before Liu Shiyu returned home.
At the beginning of the hour of Si (9-11 AM), Xu Luchuan casually put on a jade hairpin, changed into a sky-blue brocade robe with crane patterns, and left Jihanzhai.
Yet his handsome features remained undiminished. Along the way, the maids and servants in the mansion greeted him warmly, calling him "Second Young Master."
Xu Luchuan remained unmoved, coldly walking through the winding corridors towards the gate of the mansion.
As Xu Luchuan happened to pass by the front yard, he unexpectedly stumbled upon Xu Luwei and Xu Qinguo debating the principles of benevolence. Seeing these two, spending their days discussing such dry and tedious moral matters, Xu Luchuan couldn't help but want to escape.
However, if he wanted to go out, this front yard was the only way. So he had no choice but to bite the bullet and go to meet it.
Xu Luchuan stopped abruptly, cupped his hands, and asked, "Father, elder brother."
Xu Luwei was about to respond when he heard Xu Luchuan greet him. But then he remembered that Xu Qinguo hadn't spoken yet, so he swallowed the "Erlang" he was about to say. He then looked at Xu Qinguo, who was sitting on the stone bench without saying a word, and casually picked up the cup of tea in front of him.
Seeing this, Xu Luchuan looked at Xu Luwei, then at Xu Qinguo, and asked, "Father."
Since the Liu family rejected the Xu family's marriage proposal half a month ago, Xu Qinguo was angry with Xu Luchuan, but there was nothing he could do. He seemed to think that the Liu family's refusal was reasonable, after all, it was his son who was not up to par, and if it were him, he would definitely not have agreed to the marriage either.
However, Xu Luchuan could be said to have turned misfortune into blessing.
Xu Qinguo had intended to find him other marriage partners, but the matter had caused a great stir throughout the city, and rumors were flying everywhere in Jinling, with one outrageous story after another about Xu Luchuan. Under such circumstances, which family would be willing to marry the second son of the Xu family at this time? Everyone kept their distance.
Therefore, Xu Qinguo had no choice but to put the matter aside for the time being. He only hoped that the storm would pass as soon as possible so that Xu Luchuan's marriage could be settled soon.
Xu Qinguo slowly put down his teacup, looked Xu Luchuan up and down, and then slowly said sternly, "On your day off, where are you going to fool around again? You're always so carefree and undisciplined. Can't you be as proactive and ambitious as your elder brother?"
Xu Luchuan was already used to Xu Qinguo's reprimands and belittling. He just sneered and replied, "Father is joking. How many people in the world are like my elder brother? I am going to the Hanshan Banquet at the Guangcheng Prince's Mansion today, so I will not disturb your and my elder brother's enjoyment."
"Son, go ahead."
Before Xu Luchuan could even lift his foot after speaking, Xu Qinguo stopped him, saying, "Wait. What Cold Mountain Banquet?"
Seeing this, Xu Luwei quickly spoke up to help Xu Luchuan out of the predicament, saying, "Father, you don't know this Cold Mountain Banquet was created by Princess Ningzhen. The banquet is as its name suggests. It is a gathering for young talents and ladies from prominent families in Jinling to make friends."
"Erlang, it's not a bad thing to attend more of these elegant banquets. If Erlang can make friends with some prominent figures in Jinling at the banquet, it might even ease Father's resentment."
Xu Lu's words were loaded with meaning, which was exactly what Xu Qinguo wanted to hear.
Xu Qinguo relented after hearing his advice: "If that's the case, then go ahead. Just remember not to bring shame to the Xu family."
"Father, rest assured, elder brother, I'll be going now." Xu Luchuan sighed helplessly, but still respectfully bowed to Xu Qinguo. Seeing that he wasn't in high spirits, Xu Luwei quickly waved his hand, "Go on, don't delay. Since it's a day off, relax and have fun."
Xu Luchuan smiled upon hearing this and turned to leave.
As Xu Luchuan stepped out of the Xu family's gate, he was about to call for his servant to harness the horse when he saw Zheng Luo and Xia Xubin already waiting outside the gate for quite some time.
Xia Xubin, seeing Xu Luchuan, called out excitedly, "Brother Luchuan!"
Xu Luchuan strode down the steps and asked, "Brother Zheng, Brother Xia, what are you doing here?"
"Of course we're here to catch... to take you to the banquet." Xia Xubin said, stepping forward and putting his arm around Xu Luchuan's neck, laughing loudly. "I thought you were going to break your promise again."
"How could I? I can't go back on my word."
Xu Luchuan didn't even believe himself when he said this; this was no longer the time for him to speak righteously and sternly in front of Liu Shiyu.
Seeing this, Zheng Luo patted Xia Xubin on the shoulder and urged, "Alright, it's getting late. You should set off now, don't be late, the others should have arrived by now."
"Us? What about you, Brother Zheng?" Xu Luchuan asked, puzzled. Xia Xubin immediately chimed in, "He has a beautiful wife at home. How can he be as carefree as we are? If he dares to go, wouldn't your Commandant Bai give Zheng Luo a good beating? Alright, alright, don't worry about him. We should go."
Xia Xubin made his point clear, and Xu Luchuan said no more, only clasping his hands in a fist salute: "Then, Brother Zheng, farewell."
Zheng Luo smiled and waved, watching the two of them get into the carriage. Xu Luchuan and Xia Xubin then headed towards the Guangcheng Prince's Mansion.
About half an hour later, the carriage stopped outside the Prince's Mansion as scheduled, and a steady stream of people arrived for the banquet. Each of them seemed to be of great importance. Xu Luchuan and Xia Xubin had just alighted from their carriage when a familiar carriage slowly pulled up behind them.
Xu Luchuan looked back and saw the same light gauze curtains in the cold wind, just like he had seen at Qingyuntai that day.
Xia Xubin followed his gaze and, upon recognizing the person in the carriage, exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Lu Chuan, look! Isn't that Liu Qinglan?"
Xia Xubin's commotion startled those passing by on their way to the banquet, drawing everyone's attention. Xu Luchuan sighed in exasperation, rubbing his forehead in silence.
Do you need to tell me? I saw it! I saw it with both eyes!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com