Zhou Chaofang led Xu Rou all the way upstairs toward the private room. Along the way, she kept her voice low as she instructed Xu Rou, “This is a hard-won opportunity, so you must perform well. I know you like Lord Qi, but don’t just fix your eyes on him as soon as you enter. There are still a few elders inside.”
Sweeping her gaze over the delicate face beside her, Zhou Chaofang thought for a moment before adding, “But don’t be too reserved either. That Lord Qi has a naturally cold temperament—he surely wouldn’t like those lifeless, wooden beauties with no charm.”
Xu Rou obediently nodded, her voice soft and sweet as she replied, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ve remembered everything.”
As she spoke, her beautiful eyes couldn’t help but glance toward the second-floor private room. The closer they got, the clearer the voices inside became. Even though she hadn’t heard the familiar male voice yet, her fair face, already tinged with a pink hue, flushed with an uncontrollable shyness.
She was about to see Qi Yubai soon.
Her heart suddenly pounded rapidly, yet her steps felt light, as if she were walking on clouds.
Ever since she first met Qi Yubai at Baoguo Temple, she had never been able to forget him.
Thus, she had persistently refused to marry anyone else, pestering her parents and elder brother to help her find a way. Fortunately, her parents also approved of this match. However, Qi Yubai was known for his aloofness and dislike of social gatherings. No matter how many invitations her family sent, they had never managed to get him to visit even once.
She didn’t even know… if he still remembered her.
Her heart felt like a little rabbit, thumping wildly.
It wasn’t until Zhou Chaofang lightly patted the back of her hand that Xu Rou quickly withdrew her gaze and obediently stood by her side, not daring to look around.
Inside the room, the three elderly madams were still conversing, while Qi Yubai—
He had no idea about Zhou Chaofang and Xu Rou’s intentions. When they arrived, he was still peeling pine nuts for Lanyin. A small mountain of pine nut kernels had already piled up in front of him. When he heard voices greeting from outside, he merely lifted his gaze lazily.
Until his eyes met Xu Rou’s.
Something flickered in his mind, and the originally serene and indifferent expression on his face finally changed.
Xu Rou hadn’t expected Qi Yubai to be sitting directly facing the door. She had merely wanted to sneak a glance at where he was sitting, yet instead, their eyes met directly.
Locked onto those deep, dark eyes, Xu Rou’s breath caught, and her heartbeat quickened even further. Blushing, she lowered her gaze, suddenly feeling flustered when following Zhou Chaofang inside to greet the elders.
Fortunately, the elderly ladies in the room were not ones to make things difficult for others, so they didn’t say much.
Zhou Chaofang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After pulling Xu Rou to sit down, she didn’t immediately bring up her true purpose for coming. Instead, she chatted with the elderly madams, something she was always skilled at. She could find common ground with anyone—one moment complimenting Elder Madam Feng’s grandson, the next praising Elder Madam Ji’s exquisite attire, and then mentioning how Elder Madam Qi looked so radiant that she didn’t seem like a grandmother at all.
While she spoke, Xu Rou did not participate in the conversation.
Even though she had promised her sister-in-law earlier, now that she was truly facing Qi Yubai, her eyes couldn’t help but drift toward him again.
Seeing him peeling pine nuts, with a pile accumulating in front of him yet never eating any, she was curious but didn’t dare to ask. Instead, when a servant came to serve tea, she quietly instructed them. When the servant returned with another box of pine nuts, she finally mustered the courage to take the plate of pine nuts and place it in front of Qi Yubai.
The elderly madams were still chatting and hadn’t noticed her movements, but Zhou Chaofang did. Her eyelid twitched slightly, though she chose not to say anything.
Qi Yubai, naturally, noticed something being placed in front of him. His hand paused momentarily before he finally lifted his eyes. However, his face remained as cold and distant as ever. His thin lips moved slightly as he uttered an emotionless, “Thank you.”
But before Xu Rou could respond, he had already lowered his gaze again, as if he wasn’t in a particularly good mood.
He stared at the pile of pine nuts in front of him for a while without touching them. Instead, he took out a small pouch and carefully placed all the pine nuts he had peeled earlier into it.
Xu Rou was not disheartened by this. Qi Yubai’s cold nature was well-known, and she wasn’t naïve enough to think that a plate of pine nuts could move him.
She just didn’t know—what was he planning to do with that pouch of pine nuts? Was he keeping them for himself, or…
Suddenly, her sleeve was tugged lightly.
Xu Rou snapped back to her senses and saw her sister-in-law giving her a warning look. Only then did she belatedly realize that she had been staring at Qi Yubai for too long.
Her face flushed red once more.
She obediently sat beside Zhou Chaofang, not daring to look in Qi Yubai’s direction again.
After several rounds of conversation and two cups of tea, Zhou Chaofang, seeing that the atmosphere was just right, finally brought up her true intention.
“Some time ago, I heard from my husband that His Majesty holds Lord Qi in high regard. For someone of Lord Qi’s age to have attained such a position, it is truly admirable. I wonder what kind of woman in the future could possibly be a match for him.”
She directed these words toward Elder Madam Qi.
The noble families always spoke in half-veiled terms. Even though her purpose today was to act as a matchmaker for Xu Rou and Qi Yubai, she couldn’t be too direct. A deal that was too eagerly pursued was no deal at all. Moreover, everyone present was intelligent enough—hearing her words, they should already understand her intent.
And indeed—
Upon hearing this, Elder Madam Qi couldn’t help but glance at the delicate and well-mannered young girl sitting beside Zhou Chaofang. She hadn’t paid much attention before, but now she noticed that the girl’s face was flushed, and her eyes carried an unmistakable admiration. Anyone who wasn’t blind would understand the reason for her demeanor.
Had this been in the past, Elder Madam Qi would have been pleased and might have even held the girl’s hand for a few kind words. However, her heart already had a preferred granddaughter-in-law, and more importantly, it was someone her grandson had chosen himself. Just as she was about to find an excuse to tactfully brush off the matter and let the Xu family know that the Qi family had no such intentions, she heard Qi Yubai—who had been silent the entire time—speak:
“I appreciate Madam Xu’s concern, but I already have someone in my heart.”
This short sentence struck the hearts of the Xu sisters-in-law like a bolt of thunder.
Not only was Xu Rou stunned, but even Zhou Chaofang froze. She stared blankly at Qi Yubai, only regaining her composure when she met his cold and indifferent phoenix eyes.
Her heart was filled with shock, but she quickly averted her gaze. Just as she was about to smile and offer a congratulatory remark to smooth over the situation, the girl beside her suddenly stood up, her face pale—
“Impossible!”
“Rou’er!” Zhou Chaofang quickly grabbed Xu Rou’s hand. Seeing her sister-in-law’s red-rimmed eyes staring dazedly at Qi Yubai, while the smiles on the faces of the three elderly madams had faded, she felt a splitting headache. She couldn’t help but inwardly blame her sister-in-law for her lack of tact.
Whether Qi Yubai truly had someone in his heart or was simply saying so to reject them, one thing was clear—he had no interest in Xu Rou. If they had simply let the matter slide, it would have been over. But this foolish girl…
Bitterness filled Zhou Chaofang’s mouth, but she couldn’t say anything outright in this setting. She could only force a smile and say, “This girl has heard too many stories about Lord Qi and holds him in such high regard that she sees him as an immortal. That’s why she was so shocked.”
As she spoke, she squeezed Xu Rou’s hand firmly, pulling her back into her seat. She then quickly followed up with a few more words, struggling to restore the atmosphere to a more natural state. But after this embarrassment, she no longer had the face to stay any longer.
Not only had the matchmaking attempt failed, but Xu Rou’s dazed expression made Zhou Chaofang worry that she might cause an even greater scene. How could she dare to linger?
Just as she was about to take her leave, Elder Madam Qi, seated beside her, spoke gently, “My grandson does indeed have someone in his heart, though the other party has yet to accept him, so we haven’t made it public. Your young lady is lovely—I like her very much. When she gets married in the future, be sure to send an invitation to our family. If I am free, I will certainly attend.”
Zhou Chaofang was a smart woman and immediately understood the hidden meaning in Elder Madam Qi’s words.
She was telling them to keep today’s matter quiet. Naturally, she would also keep Xu Rou’s moment of indiscretion under wraps…
Though Zhou Chaofang was still shocked by Qi Yubai’s supposed love interest—who in the world could reject such a man?—the most important thing now was to protect Xu Rou’s reputation. If word of this incident got out, what respectable family would still be willing to marry her?
The Xu family had only one daughter—Xu Rou.
Raised with endless love and care, Zhou Chaofang helped her not just because of her mother-in-law and husband’s instructions, but because she genuinely adored this little sister-in-law.
Fearing that she might have trouble finding a good marriage prospect in the future, Zhou Chaofang quickly smiled and agreed, even adding a polite remark, “I shall congratulate Lord Qi in advance, wishing you an early union with a fine wife.”
Seeing Qi Yubai’s expression finally soften as he gave a slight nod, Zhou Chaofang grew even more curious about the person he had set his heart on. Without sparing a glance at Xu Rou’s expression, she pulled her along and rose to take their leave.
After they departed, silence lingered in the room.
Elder Madam Qi was worried that her grandson might be upset with Lanyin, just as she was about to say something, Elder Madam Feng, sitting across from her, was the first to speak.
“Jingyuan’s beloved… is it Lanyin?”
The room was filled only with their own people, so Elder Madam Feng did not bother to hide her words, though her voice was hushed and tinged with surprise.
“Eh?” Elder Madam Ji was caught off guard. She had been in the middle of eating, and upon hearing this, she paused, puzzled. “Isn’t Lanyin your adopted granddaughter? How did she become Xiaoyuan’s beloved?”
But the moment Elder Madam Feng shot her a look, she suddenly realized and pointed at Elder Madam Qi, exclaiming, “Zhou Caiwei, you’re up to no good!”
“Shoo, shoo, shoo.” Elder Madam Qi couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. Just as she was about to speak to Qi Yubai, she saw the young man beside her suddenly stand up. She froze and immediately asked, “Where are you going?”
Qi Yubai made no effort to conceal his intent and answered directly, “I’m going downstairs for a moment.”
Everyone present knew who was downstairs. Elder Madams Feng and Ji remained silent, while Elder Madam Qi, suddenly anxious, grabbed his hand.
“Don’t be upset with Lanyin. She doesn’t know your feelings, and besides, when others ask for her help, could she possibly refuse?”
She didn’t merely not know his feelings—she was deliberately pushing him toward someone else.
He had thought that after his words earlier, she would finally understand his heart. But from the looks of it, his little hedgehog was still as stubborn as ever.
Qi Yubai clenched the pouch filled with pine nut kernels in his hand. His thin lips pressed downward, but after a brief pause, he lowered his gaze and reassured her, “Don’t worry, I won’t be upset with her. I’m just going to give her these pine nuts.”
It was only then that Elder Madam Qi noticed the pouch in his hand. She relaxed slightly and let go, replying with an “Oh” before saying, “Then go ahead.”
Qi Yubai nodded, acknowledged Elder Madams Feng and Ji, and then strode out the door.
—
Downstairs.
Lanyin was speaking with Shopkeeper Sun.
Business at the shop was good today—not only had they sold plenty of ready-made garments, but they had also taken on numerous orders for household servants’ clothing. Shopkeeper Sun was so pleased that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had deepened, but Lanyin was somewhat absent-minded.