Chapter 103: Chapter 90, Familiar_l
“Xiao Yeyang, you have no idea how fast I made the carriage go just to see you, I was almost bounced to death,” Daohua said, while walking towards the front yard and speaking to Xiao Yeyang.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yeyang’s lips curved slightly, “It’s so hot today, why didn’t you stay at home instead of going to the manor? You made me wait for a long time.”
Daohua: “Well, I didn’t know you were coming. Usually, I’m at home. By the way, isn’t your home in Beijing? Why haven’t you gone back yet?”
Xiao Yeyang’s expression became slightly reserved, “I don’t want to go back.”
Daohua glanced at him, “Then how did you end up at my house?”
Xiao Yeyang looked at Daohua sidelong and raised an eyebrow, “Why, you don’t welcome me?”
Daohua smiled, “I told you, I’m very happy that you could come. Last time I saw you, you left before we could exchange a few words. This time we should have a good catch-up.”
After hearing this, Xiao Yeyang’s expression improved significantly. His gaze frequently fell upon the lively, energetic Daohua walking beside him, whose presence seemed to have lightened his previously gloomy mood considerably.
Daohua turned her head towards Xiao Yeyang, “By the way, how long are you staying? Grandmother heard that you were coming and insisted on coming back with me, but her health really can’t handle the shaking. So, I told her to take the carriage back slowly. If you don’t leave today, you’ll be able to see her tonight.”
At these words, the ears of the people following behind all perked up.
Xiao Yeyang shook the fan in his hand but did not reply immediately.
Daohua looked at him, somewhat speechless. The guy was being haughty again. When she first met him, he was starving yet refused to eat without being repeatedly invited.
Daohua reassessed the person beside her. It’s true what they say: clothes make the man. Back when he and they wore beggars’ rags, fleeing together, now he had transformed into a nobleman in their house.
Pity, his temperament had become even more arrogant.
Back when they did not know how prestigious his status was, ordering him around and being casual was fine, but now… Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the line of people following respectfully behind.
Alright, she would need to be more delicate.
However, this degree… she would have to ponder it over. She couldn’t be too obsequious and ingratiating, but being amicably cooperative and conceding when appropriate was possible.
Xiao Yeyang, not hearing Daohua’s response, turned his head and saw her eyes whirling around. He snapped his folding fan shut with a ‘bang’ and tapped on Daohua’s forehead, “What are you thinking about now?”
Daohua, covering her forehead, looked at Xiao Yeyang with wide eyes, not expecting him to suddenly do that, “Why did you hit me? It hurts, you know?”
Seeing Daohua stare at him with an accusing face, Xiao Yeyang sheepishly covered half his face with the folding fan.
He always tapped them like this, and he never heard them complain about it hurting.
This girl was just too delicate. What was the problem if he tapped her a bit? He didn’t hit her that hard.
Daohua rubbed her forehead and looked at Xiao Yeyang with a dangerous gaze. Seeing him looking quite guilty, she snatched the folding fan from his hand, “I’ll hold this fan for you, so you don’t have the chance to hit people when your hand itches.”
Having said this, she ‘whooshed’ the fan open and started to fan herself.
She really was dying of heat from the journey back from the manor.
When Xiao Yeyang saw that his fan was taken, he thought about taking it back, but noticing Daohua’s red cheeks and sweaty forehead, clearly overheated, he swallowed back his words.
Defu, following behind, was a bit anxious seeing Miss Yan from the Yan Family take away the fan awarded to the Little Prince by Prince Rui. He knew that this particular fan was a creation of the master Qi and there were only a few in the Imperial Palace. But remembering how his master had even given away the Qilin Jade Pendant gifted by the emperor, he decided to keep quiet.
Dong Yuanxuan was aware of the fan’s origins. He glanced at Daohua, who was absorbed in fanning herself, and then at the Little Prince, who had not said a word, and his eyes flickered with thought.
Zhou Chengye, who had seen many fine things himself, recognized the value of the folding fan. However, comparing it to the familiarity between Miss Yan of the Yan Family and the Little Prince, it seemed unimportant.
Soon, the group had arrived again in the main living room of the front yard.
Yan Zhigao, seeing his eldest daughter and the Little Prince chatting and laughing away, felt considerably relieved. As the only adult present in the room filled with the younger generation, it was inappropriate for him to linger. He turned to Xiao Yeyang with a smile and said, “Little Prince, there are still matters to attend to at the Governor’s Office, so I must take my leave.”
Xiao Yeyang nodded, “Please, Uncle Yan, proceed as you need.”
The former ‘Lord Yan’ was now ‘Uncle Yan’…
Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye quickly exchanged a glance.
When Yan Zhigao heard the way Xiao Yeyang addressed him, he was delighted. This demonstrated the Little Prince’s willingness to grow closer to the Yan Family. He then instructed Daohua and Yan Wenxiu, “Daohua, Wenxiu, please be good hosts to the Little Prince, and to Masters Dong and Zhou.”
Daohua and Yan Wenxiu nodded in agreement.
Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye also bowed and presented polite smiles as Yan Zhigao departed.
Noble young masters were always impeccable in their manners before others, leaving no room for criticism.
After Yan Zhigao had left, Daohua turned to the group with a smile. She looked around and then said to Xiao Yeyang, “What about it? Won’t you introduce your friends to me?”
As soon as she spoke, both Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye promptly stood up.
None of them dared to claim they were friends of the Little Prince.
Zhou Chengye especially, since it was his first encounter with Xiao Yeyang today.
Yan Wenxiu noticed their discomfort and quickly stepped forward with a smile to introduce himself.
Although these people had arrived early, with Xiao Yeyang having kept a stern face, they hadn’t had a proper chance to get acquainted.
After the introductions were done, Daohua looked at Zhou Chengye with a smile, “So you are Jingwan’s older brother?”
Zhou Chengye nodded and replied with a smile, “Yes, big sister Yan. Jingwan often mentions you. I was fortunate enough to try one of your rice dumplings during Dragon Boat Festival, and it was extraordinarily delicious.”
Daohua said, “If you like them, I will send some more next year.” After that, looking at Xiao Yeyang, she added, “Thirsty, right? Let me tell you, I went to the manor this time to check on my watermelons to see if they were ripe yet. You’ve come at just the right time, I brought back a few, and I’ll have someone cut one for you to try right away.”
Xiao Yeyang replied indifferently, “Watermelon, eh? I’ve had it before, and it wasn’t anything special.”
In Zhongzhou Prefecture, watermelons were cultivated but rarely, usually only available to the affluent, seldom seen by the common folk.
Daohua retorted, “Do you think mine are just like the rest? If you don’t want it, don’t eat it later.”
Xiao Yeyang said, “Isn’t it meant to be served to me? Why wouldn’t I eat it? Is this how you treat your guests?”
Daohua immediately countered, “Who has guests that disrespect their host’s offerings like you do?”
Their back-and-forth banter left those around breaking out in a cold sweat. During this, Yan Wenxiu sent numerous glances to Daohua, but sadly, they all went unnoticed.
Only Wentao remained relatively calm. After all, when they first met, it had been just like this—with one being overly critical and the other completely unyielding.
“I’ll let you see today what the king of watermelons is like!”
Daohua spoke to Wentao, and with a smile, Wentao went out. In no time, he returned carrying a green watermelon over a foot long.
“Why is this watermelon so huge?”
Xiao Yeyang, someone who believed he had seen his fair share of the finer things, was now standing with widened eyes. The watermelons he had tried before were probably not even half the size of this one.
Daohua said proudly, “It’s not just about the size; the taste is what’s crucial. Third brother, cut it open and show them our family’s watermelon.”
Wentao smiled, “All right..”