Chapter 34. Yao Yao is really clinging to He An a little too much...
After the imperial examination, Madam Song brought up the matter of marriage several times, both openly and subtly, and this time she brought it up in the open.
When Granny Chang arrived, Yuhe was in the pavilion talking with the young man in purple robes.
He had a handsome face, though he was a stranger to the public. But judging from his clothes and his elegant demeanor, he must be someone of high status and wealth.
Yu He'an nodded, asked Granny Chang to wait for him in the pavilion for a moment, and personally escorted the young man in purple robes out of the mansion.
Half an hour later, Yu He'an returned.
Granny Chang bowed and said with a smile, "Young master, the old lady said that she was not satisfied with the betrothal letters last time, and that you can take a look at others. Today, the old lady has collected the name cards of all eligible young ladies in Bianjing City. Please go to Hexiang Courtyard to take a look."
Yu He stood ramrod straight, without uttering a word, his gaze fixed on the opposite side.
It's still there.
His brow twitched.
Following Yu He'an's gaze, Granny Chang looked back and glanced at Yu He'an's expression.
Chu Minglang helped Yu Tan through the fragrant path. When their figures were occasionally obscured by the artificial hills and they couldn't see what they were doing, Yu He'an's brows would furrow slightly until they could see clearly again.
Chu Minglang broke off a tender willow twig and gently waved it in front of Yu Tan.
In Lingnan, willow branches are used to cleanse the air in spring and are often given to one's beloved to express feelings.
Chu Minglang chuckled and handed over the willow branch. Yu Tan hesitated for a moment, then accepted it.
Yu He'an clenched his fists in his sleeves and pursed his lips.
Yu Tan has been confused since childhood, so she certainly doesn't understand the meaning of receiving willow branches.
"Madam and Young Master Chu are truly a perfect match, yet Madam was so reluctant to marry you just a few days ago... I suppose it was just girlish sentimentality." Granny Chang, hands behind her back, continued to add fuel to the fire. "The Old Madam's intention is that the marriage should be settled soon, if Young Master..."
Where is Yuhe An now?
"Oh...my lord!" Granny Chang exclaimed in surprise.
*
Chu Minglang talked for a long time about the scenery of Lingnan and invited Yu Tan to stay for a while next year, but she did not reply after waiting for a long time.
"Vast and distant."
Yu Tan gazed at the opposite side of the lake, unable to hear a word Chu Minglang was saying.
She wanted to pull Chu Minglang behind the artificial hill so they wouldn't be seen.
She reached out her hand but then pulled it back. Something was wrong.
Why did she hide?
"Yaoyao." His tone was already tinged with impatience.
"What's wrong?" She turned to look at Chu Minglang. "Are you leaving? Let's go back then, I want to go back too."
Despite her bright and exquisite appearance, one might initially perceive her as clever and cunning, but in reality, she is often a bit naive in person.
Even though she was ignoring him, he couldn't get angry at all.
It was as if being seen by her and receiving a reply from her would be the greatest fortune.
"I don't want to go..."
She only wanted to use Chu Minglang as a shield from the marriage; she had no intention of accepting any promises and pushing herself into a hopeless situation.
She secretly peeked across the lake to make sure Yu He'an and the purple-robed gentleman were talking. A moment later, Yu He'an went to see the purple-robed gentleman off, and she was relieved to no longer have to worry about being discovered.
Following Yu Tan's gaze, Chu Minglang unsurprisingly spotted Yu He'an, and his smile faltered.
Yu Tan finally returned to normal only after Yu He'an had completely disappeared from sight.
"Brother He'an, the young man beside you seems to be the Fifth Prince?"
She shook her head. The Fifth Prince, Chu Yunce, always claimed to be ill and rarely went out; she had never seen him before.
"Could it be that the Fifth Prince is the one standing up for the Marquis's residence this time?"
She was taken aback, but quickly realized that Chu Minglang was referring to the teams vying for the throne.
In recent years, the emperor's health has been deteriorating, which has aroused the thoughts of the court officials.
The eldest prince is kind and humble, and treats people with sincerity. He is trusted by the emperor and respected by his subjects.
The third prince is deep and reserved, with a very deep mind. His mother, Consort Gao, is the most favored concubine in the palace.
The Fifth Prince claimed to be ill and stayed outside the palace, rarely venturing out. It was rumored that the Emperor once considered removing the title of Fifth Prince and entrusting him to a collateral branch of the imperial family, where he would live a life of leisure.
The Marquis's family has always aspired to be loyal and upright officials. They did not participate in the struggle for the throne in the previous generation, but this time…
She bit her lower lip; in the story she knew, she didn't know which prince ascended the throne.
“My brother won’t get involved in these things.”
But why did Yu He'an get promoted so quickly?
“The Marquis’s mansion has never been involved, but this time I’m more focused on the eldest prince.” Chu Minglang chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Since ancient times, the eldest son has been the heir.”
The current emperor is the eldest son of the emperor.
She was taken aback. Chu Minglang had his eye on it and was going to participate. The Chu family had fallen into decline because of this, and he was planning to get back up from where he had fallen.
"Don't mention these things to me again..."
Yu He'an had returned to the pavilion, and Granny Chang was standing beside him. Even if she couldn't hear him, she could roughly understand what they were saying.
Yu He'an's marriage.
She had just seen the birth charts of eligible young ladies from prominent families at Hexiang Courtyard; she would soon have a sister-in-law.
She was a little sad that she might not be able to sneak into Fengxu Courtyard for a nap anymore.
Chu Minglang talked for a long time about interesting things in Miao territory, but no one responded to him. He turned his head and saw that Yu Tan's gaze had already flown to the other side of the lake.
He followed Yu Tan's gaze and indeed saw Yu He'an. That strange feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart again.
As long as Yu He is there, Yu Tan cannot see anyone else.
Is this how ordinary siblings are?
He had several half-sisters who lived in the backyard. They would quarrel over trivial matters such as hairpins and jewelry. He was not close to them. He would prepare small gifts for them during festivals, but none of his half-sisters were as attached to him as he was.
"Yaoyao, you're really being too clingy to Brother He'an." Chu Minglang's gentle tone was tinged with displeasure.
"He's my brother, why can't I be close to him?" She was a little unhappy. Unconsciously, she tugged at the leaves on the willow branch. Her fingertips were scratched by the thorns on the branch, and a stinging pain shot through her fingertips. A bead of blood appeared on her fair fingertips.
Chu Minglang realized his slip of the tongue and gently explained, "I was just lamenting that I'm not as close to my younger sister at home as I am to her."
"It's just my brother and me in the mansion. We've been together since we were little. What's wrong with that?" She was genuinely annoyed. She threw down the willow branch, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"Yaoyao, why are you still angry?" Chu Minglang quickly got up and then noticed that Yu Tan's fingertip was bleeding, and blood droplets were stuck on her sleeve.
The crimson stain against the lotus root pink was extremely jarring, and he only realized it now.
"What you're saying is strange..." She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the anger in her eyes.
She didn't want people to misunderstand her relationship with Yu He'an, as it would ruin her reputation in the future, and she didn't want to involve him.
Chu Minglang paused, smiled gently, took her hand, and pressed a plain white handkerchief to her fingertips, dabbing the handkerchief with his fingertip to stop the bleeding. "It's my fault."
Bloodstains soaked through the plain white silk handkerchief.
She was too close to Chu Minglang and could clearly smell the incense on him, a sweet floral scent mixed with sandalwood.
She disliked it and wanted to break free, but the plot made her get closer and closer until she leaned on Chu Minglang's shoulder.
She looked like she had suffered all kinds of grievances and was crying on Chu Minglang's shoulder.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Granny Chang leading Yuhe'an to Hexiang Courtyard. The lakeside corridor was not far from the rockery, and if she glanced in this direction, she would definitely be able to see it.
She recalled Yu He'an's anger last time.
She was afraid of being seen, but at the same time, she hoped that Yu He'an would come quickly and interrupt the scene.
As the tall figure drew closer, her heart pounded faster and faster, almost leaping out of her throat.
The scales in her heart began to tip; she wanted Yu He'an to come over, even if she got scolded.
However, Yu He'an passed by the lake without noticing anything unusual and headed towards Hexiang Courtyard.
Her heart, which had been clenching just moments before, finally settled back into its stomach; she was somewhat disappointed.
Yu He'an and Old Madam Song were both satisfied with Chu Minglang. Even if they were seen, they would not help her deal with Ji Yushang as they would with her.
Fortunately, Chu Minglang was from a prominent family, so he simply helped her stop the bleeding in a proper manner and did not do anything out of line.
Chu Minglang felt that Yu Tan was unusually obedient today, letting him press her fingertips.
Yu Tan's fingertips were soft and cool. After pressing for half an hour, the bleeding finally stopped.
Chu Minglang sighed softly, "Yaoyao, there is no young man in the world as outstanding as Brother He'an. You grew up with him, and I am often afraid that I am not worthy of your attention."
She leaned on Chu Minglang's shoulder and whispered, "He's just my brother, how could you think like that?"
Chu Minglang was overwhelmed with emotion. Since he first met Yu Tan, he had never felt so close to her.
The moon in the sky appears as if it were reflected in the water, and he seems to be able to scoop it up by bending down.
As the plot unfolded, Yu Tan nudged Chu Minglang to make him let go, and out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the moon-white hem of a robe behind the artificial hill.
"Yaoyao." Chu Minglang noticed that she was lost in thought and called out softly.
This was the second time; she assumed Yuhe was by her side.
Yu Tan frowned, wondering what had been going on lately.
“It’s nothing, I just…” She took a half step back.
Chu Minglang smiled and said considerately, "I've heard about that merchant harassing you. I blame myself for not being in Bianjing before, causing you unnecessary trouble and even making you averse to contact with men..."
Yu Tan pursed her lips. She had rejected Chu Minglang many times, which she believed was due to the shadow left on her by Ji Yushang.
She was more afraid of the unknown plot, afraid of getting caught up in it and being dragged into the abyss.
From the information she already knew, she even gleaned that she would fall in love with Chu Minglang in the future.
She couldn't understand it. Despite meeting him repeatedly, she felt no attraction whatsoever to the man before her. The blushing and racing heart described in the storybooks were nowhere to be found in her.
She rubbed her fingertips against the handkerchief, lying nonchalantly, "I was frightened by Ji Yushang... I... you're too close to me, I feel scared... could you please move away from me... let me calm down."
Chu Minglang took a half step back. "Yaoyao, I won't force you to do anything. If you're unwilling, I'm willing to take it slowly."
"Hmm." Yu Tan put away her timid expression and looked as if she completely trusted Chu Minglang.
Chu Minglang took another half step back.
"Minglang, I've recently started learning how to do business, and I'll be looking at the accounts later."
"Yaoyao, go ahead and get busy. Don't forget the spring banquet tomorrow, it's a promise."
"I remember." Yu Tan nodded in agreement, lifted her skirt, and descended the artificial hill.
As Chu Minglang watched the slender figure walk further and further away, he suddenly felt a deep emptiness in his heart.
It was as if he were merely holding up the moon's reflection in the water, while the moon in the sky still shone on everyone else.
He took out another handkerchief and looked at it. On the plain handkerchief, there was a poorly embroidered twin flower.
They almost got caught in front of Yu Tan; it's time to send them back to Lingnan.
Author's Note: Thank you MiMao for the nutrient solution.
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