Cui Yaoning smiled in response and took a seat.
Cui Hao, being rather impulsive, had been waiting impatiently. Seeing his sister and Cui Yaoning arrive, he asked, “Is everyone here? If so, let’s go.”
Zheng Qingling snapped out of his reverie, about to confirm, when a servant from the Zheng residence spoke up, “Young Master, the Sixth Miss is still missing.”
Zheng Qingling frowned slightly, recalling a delicate image of the sixth young lady. He hadn’t left a deep impression of her, only remembering that she had worn a white silk gown that day and looked exceptionally graceful.
There were only four young ladies in the manor, each beautiful, but the Ninth Miss was undeniably the most striking. After seeing her once, her image had completely occupied his mind, leaving little room for anyone else.
Shaking off his distraction, Zheng Qingling sent someone to inquire about the situation.
At that moment, Cui Xiuxiu’s head maid entered, bowed politely, and said, “This servant is Zhuxiang, from the Sixth Miss’s side. The Sixth Miss is feeling unwell, so she asked me to inform Young Master Zheng that you and the other masters may go ahead.”
Zheng Qingling found it odd. The Sixth Miss had agreed yesterday, why was she suddenly unwell today? What a coincidence.
Although doubts filled his mind, he knew it wasn’t the time to question it, so he simply said, “I understand,” and dismissed Zhuxiang.
Cui Hao put down his tea and stood. “Is everyone here now?”
Zheng Qingling nodded.
The group stepped outside to find a carriage adorned with the Cui family emblem waiting, along with servants leading several tall horses.
Zheng Qingling glanced at everyone’s expressions and became more puzzled.
If he remembered correctly, His Cousin Cui Hao was supposed to be the Sixth Miss’s brother. Why hadn’t he even asked about his sister when he heard she was unwell?
The others remained calm, seemingly unaffected. Only the seventh young lady appeared to flash a cold smile, which disappeared almost immediately, so fast that he wasn’t sure if he had seen it at all.
Putting aside his doubts, Zheng Qingling mounted his horse with agility.
He wore a maroon round-neck robe, his long hair tied with a crown, looking both dashing and striking to the young ladies.
Cui Zhan nodded subtly in approval. Aside from being slightly reckless, Zheng Qingling was indeed far superior to Pei Yu in many ways.
Since only three girls were going, no second carriage had been arranged. Once inside, Cui Wan took the initiative to speak. “Ninth Sister, I have no feelings for Young Master Zheng.”
Cui Yaoning paused, then smiled. “Why are you telling me this, Eighth Sister?”
Her phoenix eyes curved elegantly upward, her expression a mix of pride and delicacy, like a poised, beautiful cat.
Cui Wan glanced at her cautiously.
She wasn’t particularly close to this cousin from the main branch. She only knew that all the elders in the mansion doted on her, making her the most spoiled and domineering of them all, even Seventh Sister couldn’t easily rival her.
Biting her lip, she started to explain, then hesitated, feeling a little annoyed. “I misspoke, please don’t take it to heart, Ninth Sister.”
Though Cui Yaoning wasn’t engaged to Zheng Qingling, Cui Wan’s words sounded as if she were tacitly acknowledging a relationship, no wonder Ninth Sister had reacted as she did.
Taking a deep breath and clenching her handkerchief, Cui Wan explained softly, “My mother has arranged a marriage for me. I found out that he will be going to the White Horse Temple in the suburbs today, and I wanted to take this opportunity to see him.”
Cui Yaoning looked at her in surprise.
She hadn’t expected her cautious eighth sister to take such a bold step.
Once the words were out, Cui Wan felt more confident and continued, “If I rush into marriage without meeting him, I’ll always feel I’ll regret it. Seeing him today will at least give me peace of mind.”
At the very least, she would know what her future husband looked like.
Cui Wan knew her actions were a bit daring. If she hadn’t been worried that her seventh sister might think she was trying to compete with her Ninth Sister for the young master, she probably wouldn’t have said anything.
Cui Xuan deliberately tried to intimidate her. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Mother and Grandmother if you say this in front of me?”
She guessed that neither her grandmother nor mother knew why Cui Wan had come to admire the flowers.
If Cui Wan hadn’t mentioned it, probably no one would have thought anything of it, because she usually looked so intimidating that everyone assumed she was timid and obedient.
Cui Wan’s face turned pale, her palms became sweaty, and she pursed her lips, forcing calm as she said, “I believe that Seventh Sister isn’t that kind of person.”
Cui Xuan was taken aback.
Cui Wan lowered her voice and explained, “Everyone says that Seventh Sister and Ninth Sister are bad-tempered and domineering, but you’ve never bullied me all these years.”
She trusted what she had experienced over idle talk.
Cui Xuan patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about this. Since you call me ‘sister,’ how could I not help you?”
Cui Wan smiled sincerely. “Thank you, Seventh Sister.”
Cui Xuan rarely spent time with her half-sister, and found the interaction refreshing, so she looked at her with a friendlier gaze.
If Eighth Sister behaved herself, she wasn’t necessarily intolerable as a younger sister.
Cui Yaoning pondered for a moment, then quietly asked, “Who is Eighth Sister going to marry?”
Cui Wan blushed and said shyly, “He is the second son of the second branch of the Li family.”
He was said to belong to a branch of the prestigious Zhao County Li family. Whether it was true or not she didn’t know and didn’t care, she was already satisfied to be marrying a legitimate son.
At least her children wouldn’t be considered illegitimate in the future.
Cui Yaoning frowned. She wasn’t close to her eighth sister and didn’t remember her husband’s full name, but she suspected his surname wasn’t Li.
After thinking for a moment, she understood.
Perhaps it was because her grandmother had returned from Chang’an that day and given a different answer than in her previous life. From that moment, everything had begun to develop in an unpredictable direction.
Cui Yaoning exhaled, relieved, hoping that her eighth sister’s husband would be a good one.
After all, it was because of her that Eighth Sister’s marriage had changed, what if the man turned out to be a bad person?
Her heart filled with unease.
After a moment, Cui Yaoning spoke, “Eighth Sister, we’ll accompany you. It won’t seem strange for several girls to go together.”
If Cui Wan went alone, people might misunderstand and think she was having an affair. Her reputation would be ruined, and the Li family would likely no longer want her as their daughter-in-law.
Cui Wan understood immediately and glanced at her, remembering her kindness.
On the road to Baima Temple in the suburbs, there was a peach grove. Although it was only February, the peach blossoms at the foot of the mountain were in full bloom, creating a stunning view from afar.
At the foot of the mountain, many carriages belonging to young noblemen and ladies were already parked.
Baima Temple was a popular place of worship, attracting many visitors each day. Clever vendors had set up stalls selling sweet soups, snacks, flowers, poems, and other goods, creating a lively atmosphere.
Cui Yaoning and the others wear their veils and were helped down from the carriage by their maids.
Cui Zhan and the others had arrived earlier. They handed their horses over to servants to be led to the stables and fed, then waited at a stall.
Zheng Qingling, the tallest of the young men, dressed in maroon, looked very handsome and distinguished. Several bold noble ladies approached, smiling, and invited them to join in sightseeing.
Zheng Qingling glanced behind them, and when he saw her, his eyes lit up. “Sorry, we already have plans.”