She quietly instructed her maid to fetch a slice of ginseng for her. Placing it under her tongue, she mustered her strength and entered the palace.
As she had anticipated, she encountered the Lou family right at the palace gates!
The Yun Family held only the title of marquis, a rank that still hung in the balance;
In contrast, the Lou family inherited the title of prince, their status far surpassing that of the Yun Family. Thus, when the Yun family members saw the people from Prince Su's Manor, no matter how unwilling they were, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and step forward to pay their respects.
Bai Yanling caught sight of Ju Yue across the way and couldn't help but gasp softly.
Ju Yue stood tall and slender, radiant and strikingly beautiful.
It seemed that in just one night, her beauty had reached new heights.
Standing there, she resembled a vibrant young poplar tree.
Faced with such breathtaking beauty, Bai Yanling's heart raced uncontrollably.
She nervously observed her husband's reaction.
In her mind, she repeatedly reassured herself:
No, it can't be! Cousin is not that shallow. No matter how beautiful Ju Yue is, what does it matter? Cousin won't be fooled by her appearance!
Yun Feiyang naturally noticed Ju Yue as well, and a flicker of admiration flashed in his eyes.
In comparison, Bai Yanling beside him appeared plain and unremarkable, making it difficult for him to appreciate her.
Yun Feiyang clenched his fists, an overwhelming sense of weariness washing over him.
From the very beginning, his intention to marry Ju Yue had been impure—he wanted to use her as a stepping stone for advancement.
After becoming engaged to the Ju family, his friends, whether serious or joking, mocked him for being lustful, which left him deeply uncomfortable.
As a result, he could never bring himself to like Ju Yue. He vented all his frustrations and failures onto her, deliberately neglecting and suppressing her.
His despicable mindset was nothing more than that of a weakling who had achieved nothing, bullying someone even weaker than himself to gain a twisted sense of satisfaction.
To his surprise, Ju Yue actually fought back!
She stood tall, smiling indifferently, saying she would strike the Dengwen Drum and set off a Blood Firework for the entire capital.
At that moment, Yun Feiyang admitted, he was deeply moved.
In Ju Yue, he saw a courage he himself lacked.
Especially after what happened this morning.
His wife had chosen not to stand by his side but instead helped his mother suppress him, forcing him to drink that bowl of humiliating soup!
This made Ju Yue's qualities seem all the more precious.
Yun Feiyang couldn't help but wonder: if he had married Ju Yue, would she have stood by his side and firmly defended him?
She probably would, right?
As he thought this, his gaze drifted uncontrollably toward that girl.
The greatest regret in life is having once had the chance to obtain something…
Lou Buqi, taking advantage of his wide sleeves for cover, tightly grasped his wife's hand and pulled her close to him.
Holding her firmly.
Afraid she might run away!
Facing the "ex-husband," Lou Buqi couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt deep down.
The more guilty he felt, the fiercer his expression became.
Narrowing his eyes dangerously, he shot a cold, sharp glare to intimidate his opponent.
Yun Feiyang's eyelids twitched. He took a heavy breath and mustered the courage to glare back.
But his intimidating gaze was no match for Lou Buqi's.
Under the vast sky and boundless wilderness, who wins the staring contest? Lou Buqi triumphed over Yun Feiyang.
Bai Yanling's heart trembled violently.
She didn't want her cousin's attention to be stolen by Ju Yue, nor did she want him distracted because of her.
Biting her lip, she swayed slightly and let out a soft cry: "Ah!"
This sound snapped Yun Feiyang back to his senses.
He dejectedly lowered his gaze, then turned to look at Bai Yanling.
Distractedly, he asked, "What's wrong, Yan'er?"
Bai Yanling gently placed her hand on Yun Feiyang's arm, a delicate blush perfectly coloring her cheeks.
Yet she bit her lip and remained silent.
Her hand lightly stroked her waist, the hint unmistakable.
In Yun Feiyang's mind, the sweet and intimate scene from last night, when they had lain entwined like mandarin ducks, involuntarily surfaced, softening the expression in his eyes.
A sense of guilt toward Bai Yanling welled up within him.
Forget it, his cousin was the one who would accompany him through life. She was the one he should be responsible for and care about.
Thinking this, his voice softened by three degrees: "Is it serious? Bear with it a little longer. When we return, I'll massage it for you."
Bai Yanling smiled shyly, looking at Yun Feiyang with gratitude and admiration.
She knew Yun Feiyang loved it most when she admired him.
Whenever she looked at him like this, no matter what request she made, Yun Feiyang would agree.
Seeing how easily she had recaptured Yun Feiyang's attention, Bai Yanling felt immensely proud.
She couldn't help but cast a triumphant glance toward Ju Yue.
Hmph! No matter how beautiful you are, I can still easily capture my cousin's heart!
Ju Yue witnessed the entire scene, her mind filled with admiration for Bai Yanling's acting skills.
Truly, dogs meet and lick each other affectionately, while you meet and deceive and perform!
Suddenly, Ju Yue's face was cupped by a pair of warm, large hands, forcefully turning it back.
Lou Buqi said discontentedly, "Why are you looking at Bai Yanling? Is she more attractive than me?"
The Marquis's Wife, having held back for a full day and night, finally seized the opportunity to strike back.
She immediately said, "Young Master Lou, forgive this old woman for speaking out of turn, but placing too much emphasis on appearance is not a good habit. You must know that inner beauty is true beauty."
"No matter how splendid the exterior decoration, if the inside is empty, it's still just an embroidered pillow stuffed with straw. Don't you agree, Shiziye?"
Ju Yue didn't like hearing this.
Just as she was about to retort, Princess Su pulled her back, shielding her behind herself: "Adults are speaking. Children shouldn't interrupt."
Defying elders would harm a child's reputation.
Especially now, at the entrance of the imperial palace.
So, she would handle this matter herself.
Princess Su said leisurely, "This princess remembers that last year, on the Marquis's Wife's birthday, a large longevity peach was placed right in the center of the main hall, visible to every guest as soon as they entered."
The Yun Family members all frowned in unison.
Why bring up the longevity peach? What does that have to do with anything?
Princess Su continued, "That longevity peach was painted a lovely pink, quite beautiful."
"This princess dares to ask the Yun Madam: since you don't pursue beauty, why bother coloring the longevity peach?"
"You could have just presented the dough in its natural color. After all, the inner beauty of celebrating longevity is what matters—no need to care about appearance. Isn't that right, Madam?"
The Marquis's Wife: "…"