“Greetings, Xiao Wangye.”
After the initial surprise, Jiang Qingrou quickly led her two daughters in a salute.
Zhao E curtsied, smiling as she looked at Zhou Yu, but did not speak.
“Has Xiao Wangye come to fetch Hua’er to go to the main hall together?” Jiang Qingrou gazed at Zhou Yu, her expression indescribably dignified and magnanimous.
“Indeed.” Zhou Yu gave a slight nod, not letting his eyes wander.
“Hua’er, hurry and go with Xiao Wangye.” Jiang Qingrou took Zhao Yuehua’s hand.
Zhou Yu turned and walked out, never once glancing at Zhao E from beginning to end.
“Wait.” Zhao E gave a light flick of the round fan in her hand.
“Eldest Miss.” Jiang Qingrou spoke with a smile: “This is our own family matter, to be discussed behind closed doors. There’s no need for you to keep Xiao Wangye here, is there?”
Zhao E ignored her, stepped forward two paces, and looked at Zhou Yu with a smile, her tone delicate and soft: “I have always heard that Xiao Wangye is upright and impartial, and handles matters according to justice.
I would like to ask Xiao Wangye to bear witness for me, if I may?”
“Bear witness to what?” Zhou Yu looked at her, his eyes indifferent.
“The day before yesterday at the entrance of Huixian Jiulou, was it she who pushed me first?” Zhao E raised the round fan in her hand and pointed at Zhao Ruxiu.
“Yes.” Zhou Yu gave a slight nod.
“Then does Xiao Wangye know how her wrist was injured?” Zhao E’s apricot eyes curved, as she pressed on with her question.
That day at the clinic, Zhao Yuehua had said herself that Zhao Ruxiu had fallen while playing polo.
Zhao Yuehua prided herself as a proper young lady of a distinguished family, and would rarely go to the polo grounds unless invited by Zhou Yu.
From this, one could infer that when Zhao Ruxiu injured her wrist, Zhou Yu should have been present.
Sure enough, the next moment Zhou Yu said in a calm tone: “The horse was startled, she fell from it, and injured her wrist.”
“Xiao Wangye is indeed just and incorruptible. Thank you, Xiao Wangye.” Zhao E’s brows and eyes curved, and she looked at Jiang Qingrou: “Did Mother hear that? Younger Sister’s hand injury has nothing to do with me.”
“It was Mother who misunderstood you.” Jiang Qingrou forced a tug at the corner of her lips.
“If there is nothing else, I will take my leave first.” Zhao E did not wish to say more.
“Wait.” Jiang Qingrou called out to stop her.
“Does Mother have something else?” Zhao E turned around.
“A few days ago, Xiao Wangye came to our home for Nacai.” Jiang Qingrou stepped forward and said with a smile: “Although you are already married, you are still Hua’er’s eldest sister. When she chooses a husband, she should also heed your advice.
Look, how is Xiao Wangye? Is he a good match for Hua’er?”
Zhao Yuehua stood behind and to the side of Zhou Yu. Hearing this, she felt both sweet and shy, and her small face instantly flushed red.
“Xiao Wangye, naturally, is extremely good.” Zhao E raised her round fan and lightly rested it against her chin, laughing softly and casually: “After all, he himself has a huge advantage.”
She glanced at Zhou Yu, the smile in her apricot eyes very intriguing.
Zhou Yu acted as if he had not heard, turned around and walked out with a blank expression, but his ears turned red in an instant.
“Zhao E?”
Just as Zhou Yu went out, a head peeked in from the doorway, a pair of pitch-black phoenix eyes round and bright, quite lively.
“Miss Ye has come.” Jiang Qingrou greeted with a smile.
Ye Ruoling paid her no attention, only looking at Zhao E.
“Mother, I will take my leave first.” Zhao E curtsied toward Jiang Qingrou, and without waiting for her response, withdrew.
“A-E, come quickly!” Ye Ruoling lowered her voice, pulled Zhao E, and walked quickly to the corner of the covered corridor.
“Slow down a bit.” Rarely did a hint of helplessness appear between Zhao E’s picturesque brows and eyes.
Ye Ruoling was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Chu’s household, the current Empress Dowager’s grandniece, and also her only close friend from childhood to adulthood.
“You won’t believe it—I just got to the entrance and happened to catch sight of Zhou Yu.” Ye Ruoling gripped her hand excitedly, practically crushing it. “Seeing him up close today, I realized how handsome he is! Better looking than any young entertainer I’ve ever seen. A’E, you’ve hit the jackpot!”
“Let go, you’re going to pinch me to death!” Zhao E slapped her hand.
“Sorry.” Ye Ruoling grinned sheepishly and let go, rubbing her hands together. “I got too excited for a moment.”
Zhao E rubbed the nail marks on her hand. “Look at you, acting like you’ve never seen anything worthwhile. Is today the first time you’ve laid eyes on him?”
“It’s not like I ever got a close look before, is it?” Ye Ruoling chuckled.
“You like him?” Zhao E raised a delicate brow. “For the sake of saving my life, how about I let you—”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Ye Ruoling clapped a hand over her lips. “I’m not the type to use a favor to demand repayment. Besides, I’m a proper young lady of a respectable family—how could I carry on with a man before marriage?”
Her mother and Zhao E’s mother were close childhood friends.
She was one of the few people who knew about Zhao E’s mistreatment, and her mother doted on Zhao E as well.
Back then, her mother often brought her to the Jinyang Prince’s Residence. While the adults talked, she would pretend to play around, but in truth she was secretly slipping things to Zhao E.
Once, when Zhao E was gravely ill and barely breathing, she crawled through a dog hole at night to bring her herbal medicine, saving Zhao E’s life.
Their friendship had slowly accumulated over time like that.
“What are you thinking about? I said I’d introduce you. Besides, what kind of proper young lady acts like you?” Zhao E scoffed.
Though Ye Ruoling was a girl, she was a typical spoiled rich kid. Relying on her elders’ doting, she spent her days cockfighting and dog-racing, loitering in brothels and entertainment houses, and never mended her ways despite repeated scoldings.
“Who says a proper young lady has to be so rigid?” Ye Ruoling clung to her arm and retorted.
“Let’s go in. The banquet will start soon.” Zhao E let her hold on and headed toward the main hall’s entrance.
“A’E.” Ye Ruoling leaned close to her ear and teased, “That Zhou Yu looks so cold and icy—he must be terribly boring in bed, no?”
“Don’t worry.” Zhao E curved her lips. “He’s passionate as fire.”
“Is that so?” Ye Ruoling burst out laughing, winking and nudging. “You really can’t tell. Well? Is he a brute?”
Zhao E was amused into a laugh and crooked a finger at her.
Ye Ruoling thought she was actually going to say something and immediately stopped laughing, leaning in close.
“Guess!” Zhao E pinched her ear.
“You’re awful!” Ye Ruoling swatted her hand away. “With our friendship, you can’t even tell me?”
“Is this something a proper young lady should be hearing?” Zhao E eyed her sidelong.
Ye Ruoling giggled. “Actually, a proper young lady can hear a little.”
As the two chatted and stepped through the hall doors, a clear voice came from behind them: “Miss.”
Zhao E and Ye Ruoling turned around together and saw a young man dressed in blue robes, slender and upright, with a refined and elegant face, radiating scholarly grace—clearly a man of letters at a glance.
“What do you want?” Ye Ruoling said irritably.
She recognized this young man. His name was Meng Ziqi.
Meng Ziqi gazed at Zhao E, forgetting his original purpose for coming.
In that instant, everything in the world seemed to cease to exist, leaving only the young woman before his eyes.
Her fair, translucent little face lifted slightly, her moist apricot eyes shimmering with rippling light as they met the glow, the outer corners tilting up faintly, the corners of her lips curving gently. Two utterly different temperaments—innocent charm and graceful poise—merged perfectly in her, and the autumn breeze seemed to cloak her in a faint halo.
His heart pounded uncontrollably.
“Is something the matter?”
Zhao E frowned slightly and asked.
Meng Ziqi snapped back to his senses, and his handsome face instantly flushed bright red. He lowered his eyes, not daring to look again. “I… I, I pre… presume to intrude, to intrude upon you… two young ladies…”
Zhao E glanced at him. A rather handsome young man, yet he was a stutterer—what a pity.
“What’s the matter? Aren’t you usually quite sharp-tongued?” Ye Ruoling spoke without courtesy. “Now your upper lip doesn’t recognize your lower lip?”
“What are you doing?” Zhao E gave her a light tug.
She didn’t want to make enemies everywhere. Why bother making things difficult for a little stutterer for no reason?
“He’s Meng Ziqi.” Ye Ruoling leaned close and told her quietly.
Hearing this, Zhao E sized up Meng Ziqi again. So this was the Meng Ziqi who had once written a poem mocking her?