In order to et the Ye girl his grandson presumably likes, he even troubled the Yan Family, but it ended up being a wasted effort.
Thinking of this, Prince Ping was furious: "Since Miss Ye didn’t co, why did you show up? The real deal didn’t co, and yet the extras did—absolutely ridiculous."
With that, he flung his sleeves and left.
Wentao felt a headache coming on. The old prince’s temper had grown increasingly irritable. So words really didn’t need to be said aloud; how humiliating for others!
As he looked at the Weng Madam and her two daughters, who were left in an awkward position, Wentao was at a loss as to what to do when Zhou Jingwan arrived, supporting Madam Li.
"Aunt!"
Madam Li nodded slightly and imdiately instructed Wentao to go after Prince Ping.
Seeing Madam Li approaching, Weng Madam finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly led her two daughters to greet her: "Greetings to the Old Madam."
Madam Li smiled and waved off their formalities: "Madam Weng, please don’t take offense. Truth be told, our family has a long-standing connection with General Ye. After hearing about the misfortune that befell the Ye Family, we simply wanted to et Miss Ye. We did not expect her absence, which inevitably caused so surprise."
Afterwards, Madam Li spoke to Madam Weng in a courteous yet tactful manner to ease the awkwardness. Once the tension subsided, she went on to chat with other won present.
Among the ladies gathered at the Yan Family residence, none of them were strangers to the intricacies of life in the inner court. Many inwardly scorned Madam Weng for being so foolish and oblivious. During the plum blossom viewing that followed, not a single person approached the Weng family trio.
Madam Weng and her daughters, sitting stiffly, watched as everyone else laughed and chatted rrily. They longed to join in but couldn’t find an opportunity. Though they were physically close, it felt as if an insurmountable chasm separated them.
Madam Weng deeply regretted her actions. She had been too naive. She thought that using Ye Yueying’s care for the Old Madam as an excuse would allow everyone to gloss over things tacitly. Who could have imagined that, because Ye Yueying hadn’t arrived, the Yan Family would outright ignore them?
If she had known earlier, she would have brought Ye Yueying along. Even if her two daughters didn’t shine as bright with Ye Yueying present, it would still be better than enduring the cold shoulder they now faced.
...
"Xi-ge, can you slow down a bit?"
At the palace gates, Xiao Moxi mounted his horse in one swift motion as Wu Yutang chased after him.
Once he caught up to Xiao Moxi, Wu Yutang teased him in a playful tone, "Did the old prince really not tell you that the Yan Family’s flower-viewing gathering was ant to et Miss Ye?"
Xiao Moxi shot him a sidelong glance. If he had known, would he still have been lingering in the palace at this mont?
Thinking about Ye Yueying’s cool and aloof nature, Xiao Moxi lashed his whip and sped up.
This is just grandfather ddling recklessly. Xiao Moxi hadn’t even figured out how to et Miss Ye himself, and this sudden interference had thrown him completely off balance.
"Whoa~"
Riding down West Gate Street, Xiao Moxi abruptly reined in his horse as his gaze fell on a blue-clad figure walking into a temple not far ahead.
"Why aren’t you moving?" Wu Yutang looked at Xiao Moxi in confusion.
Xiao Moxi glanced at him, then dismounted, tossing the reins into Wu Yutang’s hands before striding towards the temple.
...
Inside the temple.
Ye Yueying first accompanied Weng Old Madam to the central hall to burn incense, then donated so alms money.
When Weng Old Madam noticed a fortune-teller sitting by the main hall entrance, she had an idea and smiled as she looked at Ye Yueying. "Yingying, I see that the temple’s scenery is quite lovely. Why don’t you take a stroll?"
Ye Yueying shook her head. "I’d rather stay here with Grandmother."
Weng Old Madam patted her hand. "I’ve walked enough and need to rest. You go on; you’ve been cooped up in the courtyard keeping company these past days. You must be bored."
Ye Yueying studied the Old Madam’s expression, realizing that she was deliberately trying to send her away. Smiling, she stepped aside to the corner of the hall and watched as Weng Old Madam approached the fortune-teller’s stall, shaking her head slightly in amusent.
"Let’s go. The red plum blossoms in this temple are in full bloom; we should take a look."
By the ti Xiao Moxi found Ye Yueying in the temple, she was standing before a blooming red plum tree, gently holding a single blossom and gazing at it in deep thought.
When Wu Yutang, who had followed him, saw Xiao Moxi frozen in place, he was about to pat him on the shoulder when his eyes fell on the enchanting scene—just like a lady straight out of a Red Plum Beauty painting.
Wu Yutang exclaid in wonder, "Xi-ge, you’re about to have a stroke of luck in love. Even at a temple, you’ve encountered such a stunning beauty."
The noise startled Ye Yueying, who turned to see Xiao Moxi and Wu Yutang not far away, her face showing a trace of surprise she couldn’t hide.
When Xiao Moxi saw that Ye Yueying had noticed them, he glared at Wu Yutang, then stepped forward with a smile. "Miss Ye, long ti no see!"
Ye Yueying lowered her gaze to calm her suddenly racing heart. She waited until the two n had approached before lifting her head to greet them, giving a small curtsy. "Master Xiao, Master Wu."
Before Xiao Moxi could respond, Wu Yutang exclaid in surprise. He walked in circles around Ye Yueying, his face full of obvious doubt. "Miss Ye? You’re the ’Brother Ye’ we knew?"
Being scrutinized this way made Ye Yueying slightly uncomfortable. Fortunately, Xiao Moxi grabbed Wu Yutang by the arm and silenced him with a stern look.
Once Wu Yutang was certain that Ye Yueying was indeed the Brother Ye they had known in Liaodong, he marveled over and over. "Brother Ye... no, Miss Ye! I must say, your disguise in Liaodong was incredibly convincing. If Xi-ge weren’t here, I wouldn’t have recognized you at all."
Ye Yueying remained silent. Her fair complexion had been deliberately darkened with powder to pass as a man during her ti in Liaodong, and it had evidently been effective.
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