Chapter 400: Chapter 376, Breaking Through_1
In the Jiao Pavilion in front of the lotus pond, Defu, with several servants, had already set up the tea and snacks. This time, they also prepared a barbecue grill. Seeing Daohua and others approaching, he scurried over.
“Miss Yan, I have prepared everything for the barbecue. Could you please check to see if anything is missing?”
Daohua was still feeling uneasy about being embraced by Xiao Yeyang in front of everyone earlier, so as soon as she saw Defu approaching, she immediately followed him to the barbecue grill.
Meanwhile, Wang Manman, along with the maids of Dong Yuanyao and Su Shiyu, had moved the mooncakes and osmanthus wine that the three young ladies had prepared off the horse cart and placed them on the stone table inside the Jiao Pavilion.
Seeing the table piled high with food, Yan Wenkai swallowed his saliva, rubbed his hands excitedly and said, “Today we are really in for a treat.” With that, he handed a bottle of osmanthus wine to each of the fellows, including Xiao Yeyang and Dong Yuanxuan.
“Go on, try it. The wine is pretty good.”
Seeing Su Shiyu standing to the side, he put down the wine jar, picked up a plate and selected a few types of mooncakes, then briskly brought them over to her: “Sister Su, these are my favorite mooncakes. You should try them too.”
Su Shiyu was silent for a moment, looking at the mooncakes and then at the bright-eyed Yan Wenkai. She hesitated for a moment before slowly reaching out her hand.
Yan Wenkai, thinking she was too slow, grabbed Su Shiyu’s hand and placed the plate in it, showing his white teeth with a smile, “Eat up. Look at you, you’re too thin.”
After that, without waiting for a response from Su Shiyu, he picked up his wine bottle and went off to drink with Su Hongxin and Yan Wentao.
Su Shiyu, holding the mooncakes, stood still, her gaze naturally following Yan Wenkai as he spoke loudly and laughed heartily. Despite herself, her lips curled up into a smile.
In the Jiao Pavilion, it was the voices of Yan Wenkai and Su Hongxin that were the loudest.
Dong Yuanxuan and Yan Wentao sat close together, sipping their wine and whispering to each other.
Xiao Yeyang, on the other hand, leaned against a pavilion pillar, drinking wine and smiling as he watched Daohua at the barbecue grill, occasionally turning his head to join in the conversation with Yan Wenkai and the others.
For a moment, the pavilion was exceptionally harmonious and lively.
“Why are you here? Where’s Sister Su?”
At the barbecue grill, Daohua was grilling skewers of meat and was slightly surprised to see Dong Yuanyao approach.
Dong Yuanyao jerked her head toward the pavilion and said, “She’s in the pavilion. I called for her just now, but she ignored me. I looked carefully and realized she was daydreaming. I wanted a piece of mooncake from her plate, but she actually refused.”
On hearing this, Daohua immediately laughed, “Sister Su doesn’t seem like the food-guarding type, does she?”
Dong Yuanyao pouted, “Who knows what’s gotten into her today. She’s acting strange.” Looking at Daohua intently, she asked, “What’s really going on between you and the Little Prince?”
Daohua responded vaguely, “Nothing much, what happened just now was an unexpected incident.”
“An unexpected incident?” Dong Yuanyao looked skeptical, “I saw it with my own eyes just now. The Little Prince was so worried about you. While he was scolding you for not being careful, he was also worried about hurting your dignity with harsh words. Such careful concern, and you still say it’s nothing?”
Daohua defensively argued, “I’ve always been on good terms with him. If you had fallen off a horse, he would have done the same for you.”
Dong Yuanyao curled her lip, “You’re just making excuses. I’ve known the Little Prince for more than a day. Last time, when I was sparring with your brother, he didn’t hold back and threw me off. The Little Prince was standing right there, and you know what he did?”
“Instead of stepping forward to catch me, he actually stepped back, as if he was afraid I’d crash into him. You have no idea, it almost infuriated me to death.”
Hearing this, Daohua didn’t know what to say and awkwardly replied, “That Xiao Yeyang really lacks chivalry.”
Yet inside, she felt a subtle thrill. When she became aware of this sentiment, she quickly suppressed it.
After a moment of silence, Dong Yuanyao said softly, “The Little Prince… he’s actually quite a decent person. It’s just that his status is extremely unusual, and he’s involved in many complex issues. If you have any romantic feelings for him, you must be prepared to face all sorts of challenges.”
Upon hearing this, Daohua became anxious, “I really don’t have…”
Dong Yuanyao cut her off, “Whether you do or don’t, you need to figure it out for yourself. Matters of the heart, even I can’t figure them out clearly, and I have no right to dictate what you should do.”
“But still, as your sister, I hope you can find true happiness. Some things may be unpleasant to hear, but I think I should still tell you.”
“Do you think the Little Prince can make his own decisions regarding his marriage?”
“You’ve already met the Jiang Family; they wouldn’t dare to spread rumors about Jiang Wanying and the Little Prince being childhood sweethearts in Zhongzhou without the support of the Empress Dowager in the palace.”
“Aside from the Empress Dowager, the Little Prince also has the Emperor and Prince behind him. What are their intentions? You know, marriages within the Imperial Family are always driven by interests first and foremost.”
“That’s right, there’s also the Little Prince’s mother, and the Guo Family of the Duke Residence, who surely have their own thoughts about the Little Prince’s marriage.”
“With all these complex relationships, do you think you can handle it?”
Daohua listened silently, absentmindedly turning the skewers in her hand, so much so that they burned without her noticing.
Dong Yuanyao continued, “Let’s not talk about what happened in the past years, just the recent times. The Little Prince was eager to install glazed tiles and windows for you and even personally drew pictures for you; just two days ago, he sent over ten sets of valuable glazed items.”
“With all these things he’s done, you don’t still think he merely sees you as just a friend, do you?”
Daohua, feeling somewhat agitated, put down the skewer in her hand, walked over to the side, picked up the osmanthus wine, and took a big swig straight from the bottle.
Hadn’t she noticed Xiao Yeyang’s feelings for her?
Of course, she had sensed them, but she had intentionally or unintentionally ignored them.
From the very beginning, she knew the gap between her and Xiao Yeyang and thus never considered the possibility of romantic affection.
But as Xiao Yeyang’s behavior toward her grew increasingly intimate, on one hand, she knew she should keep her distance, but on the other, she found herself enjoying his attentiveness, always giving him chances to get close.
Was it vanity at play?
Or had she also developed other feelings for him?
A trace of bewilderment crossed Daohua’s face.
Now, she was starting to feel confused about her own feelings.
Daohua turned to look at Xiao Yeyang in the Jiao Pavilion, and just then, he also looked towards her.
After a moment of eye contact, Daohua quickly averted her gaze with a frown.
Did she like that guy?
The answer was undoubtedly yes, only, she did not know if this could be considered romantic affection. All she knew was that he was good to her, and she should also be good to him.
So annoying!
Daohua took another big gulp of osmanthus wine.
Seeing her like this, Dong Yuanyao thought for a moment and said, “If you’re not interested in the Little Prince, it’s best to keep your distance from him. You know, with the supreme rule of the emperor, if the Little Prince really falls deeply in love with you, you won’t be able to escape.”
“But your status… you understand what I mean, right?”
Daohua furrowed her brow and, after being silent for a while, nodded.
She understood that with her family background, she could only marry Xiao Yeyang as a concubine.
Inside the pavilion, Xiao Yeyang noticed Daohua drinking from the bottle one gulp after another, and his brows immediately furrowed. He put down his wine bottle and walked straight over.
“What are you doing? Who drinks like that? Be careful not to drink too much.” Finishing his words, he reached out and took the wine bottle from Daohua’s hand.
Daohua saw it was Xiao Yeyang, glared at him, and said, “Mind your own business.” After speaking, she sidestepped and walked away.
Xiao Yeyang looked at Dong Yuanyao, “What did you say to her?”
Dong Yuanyao: “What could I say?” After speaking, she quickly ran off.