On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, everyone from the main branch of the Jiang family was going to watch the dragon boat races.
Jiang Yao had come early to Jiang Fu’s quarters to show off her newly made dress.
“I really envy you, sister. On such a hot day, you get to stay at home, unlike me—I still have to go cheer for the Crown Prince and the others.”
She held her handkerchief delicately with a raised pinky, fanning it gently by her cheek, her smugness evident at the corners of her mouth. “Ah, this weather is just too hot. We must leave soon, or we won’t get a good spot. You’ll have to watch the house today, sister… Oh, and since it’s a holiday, Mother has already given the servants the day off. You’ll have to manage your own lunch today.”
“Oh.”
Jiang Fu kept her head down, fiddling with the sachet in her hands, not even glancing at Jiang Yao. She only offered a dismissive reply at the end, which infuriated Jiang Yao.
“Hmph! I know you want to go, but as a parentless orphan, you’d only embarrass yourself if you did. Just stay home quietly. After the Dragon Boat Festival, Father and Mother will arrange a marriage for you.”
Jiang Yao couldn’t stand Jiang Fu’s indifferent, desireless demeanor. The second branch relied on the main branch to survive, so why didn’t Jiang Fu flatter her or grovel at her feet?
She would tear off this hypocrite’s mask sooner or later!
Only when she heard about the arranged marriage did Jiang Fu’s eyes flicker. Knowing Madam Yan as she did, the main branch would never find her a good match.
Jiang Fu clenched her fists tightly.
“Miss, what should we do? Will the First Madam really marry you off to just anyone? Should we go beg Old Madam to intervene on your behalf?”
As soon as Jiang Yao left, Bai Xing couldn’t sit still.
They both knew how important a woman’s marriage was, especially since her young mistress had already suffered enough in the first half of her life. She couldn’t be allowed to step into another pit of fire in the second half.
“That damned Xiao family, why did they have to break off the engagement? Even if they didn’t like you, Miss, they could’ve just married you in and left you be. Why humiliate you like this?”
Bai Xing’s eyes reddened as she thought about it, feeling more and more sorry for her young mistress.
Jiang Fu forced a faint smile, her hands still clenched. “It might not be that bad. If Aunt really forces me to marry, I’ll just cut my hair and become a nun. Enough of this—where’s Sister Yun’s invitation? Let’s head out too.”
“It’s right here. Mama Cao is already waiting.”
“Mm.”
Shortly after the Jiang family’s main branch carriage departed, another carriage quickly drove out from the back gate.
……
Xiao Yuzhang had originally wanted to participate in the dragon boat races today, but Xiao Jing thought he was too frail and kicked him off the team.
Xiao Yuzhang had been sulking for several days.
“It’s just as well you’re not participating, Young Master. It’s so hot today—if you were to suffer heatstroke, how awful would that be? Third Master was just looking out for you.”
The servant kept trying to console him with a flattering smile. Xiao Yuzhang snorted coldly, “I’m not afraid of heatstroke. Even the Young Crown Prince is joining in, and I’m so much older than him. How could I have the face to just watch from the shore? Third Uncle still treats me like a child.”
“That’s just Third Master caring for you.”
“Hmph.”
With the servant’s coaxing, Xiao Yuzhang’s anger had already subsided somewhat.
Of course, he knew Xiao Jing doted on him. In the Xiao family, aside from his parents and grandmother, Third Uncle cared for him the most.
As Xiao Yuzhang walked toward Yujing Tower, he happened to bump into a carriage coming from the opposite direction.
“Which family are you from? Don’t you know how to watch the road? If you’d hit my young master, I’d have dragged you straight to the magistrate!”
The servant stood with hands on hips, angrily scolding the coachman.
Being from the same social circles, Mama Cao immediately recognized them as members of the Xiao family. She hurriedly lifted the carriage curtain and stepped down.
“My apologies, Young Master Xiao, the street was too crowded, and the servants couldn’t rein in the horses.”
“Young Master Xiao? Miss, is that the Xiao family?”
The voices from outside drifted in, and Bai Xing’s eyes widened instantly as she whispered to Jiang Fu.
It must be him. Which other Xiao family in the capital would make the Xu family’s stewardess tread so carefully?
Bai Xing gritted her teeth in frustration. “Why didn’t the carriage just run him over!”
Xiao Yuzhang wasn’t one to make things difficult. With the Xu family having produced an Empress, every household in the capital would show him respect. After Stewardess Cao apologized, Xiao Yuzhang dismissed his servant.
“Fine, just be more careful next time.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
The conflict didn’t stir up much of a fuss, but the entrance to Yujing Tower was clogged with carriages. Jiang Fu and her maid had already alighted at the corner, while Stewardess Cao went to instruct the coachman. The two of them followed the crowd, moving slowly forward.
Xiao Yuzhang disliked being surrounded by a group of women and lingered outside, unwilling to go upstairs.
As noon approached, the sun grew increasingly intense. He felt so hot that his vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought he had seen a celestial maiden.
“Gou Dan, pinch me quick, see if I’m dreaming… Ouch! You really did pinch me!”
Xiao Yuzhang clutched his arm, nearly jumping from the pain.
His servant was good in every way, except for being a bit dim-witted.
Still, he was now fully awake.
Jiang Fu walked through the crowd with Bai Xing’s support. Her skin was exceptionally fair, and today she wore a pomegranate-red wide-sleeved fairy dress, her hair styled in a flying fairy bun adorned with a golden hairpin. As she moved, she resembled an immortal descending to the mortal realm.
Xiao Yuzhang stared, dumbstruck, and couldn’t help but stride toward her.
“Which family’s young lady are you?”
The path was suddenly blocked, and Jiang Fu looked up.
She had just heard this voice inside the carriage and naturally knew the identity of the man before her.
She tightened her grip on Bai Xing’s wrist, her heart not without resentment.
“You’re ugly.”
The young girl’s voice was soft and sweet, like the honeyed pastries she had for breakfast, yet her words were like a gentle knife, repeatedly stabbing at his heart.
Xiao Yuzhang stood there, mouth agape in disbelief. “You… what did you say?”
He was ugly?
Surely the little fairy maiden had misspoken?
Jiang Fu had no patience to deal with him. She pulled Bai Xing along and walked around him, leaving behind words that wounded Xiao Yuzhang even more.
“So not only are you ugly, but your ears don’t work either!”
“Pfft!”
Gou Dan couldn’t hold back a laugh. Seeing his master’s murderous glare, he quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
“Young Master… I, I didn’t mean to.”
If he could have held it in, he wouldn’t have dared laugh at the young master even with a hundred times the courage.
It was just that the young girl was so bold it startled him. He wondered which family’s daughter she was, daring to tease his master.
What the servant was curious about was exactly what Xiao Yuzhang wanted to ask. He wasn’t angered by Jiang Fu calling him ugly; instead, he found her quite amusing, different from all those other flashy and pretentious women.
Truly the little fairy maiden he had set his eyes on!
“Go and find out which family that young lady belongs to. My mother has been pushing me to marry—well, here comes her daughter-in-law.”
Xiao Yuzhang felt elated, already imagining how many children they would have after marriage and even thinking of names for them.
He and the little fairy maiden were both so good-looking; their children would surely be beautiful and adorable.
Xiao Yuzhang wore a lovestruck expression, completely oblivious to the strange looks from those around him.
In the end, it was a young lady from a minor official’s family who couldn’t hold back and told him.
“Young Master Xiao, I recognize that young lady. She is the fourth daughter of the Jiang family.”
“Fourth Miss of the Jiang family? Which Jiang family?”
Xiao Yuzhang thought for a moment but couldn’t recall which Jiang family it was.
The truth was, the reputation that had reached his ears about Jiang Fu was that she was unsightly in appearance, so Xiao Yuzhang hadn’t considered her at all.
The expression on the young official’s daughter’s face was indescribable, and she somewhat regretted reminding him.
“Which other Jiang family could it be? It’s the Fourth Miss Jiang who broke off the engagement with you.”
Xiao Yuzhang: “…”