Chapter 155 A Chance Meeting, Annoying Marquess Mingguo
The banquet was held at the Rain Pavilion in the imperial garden. The Rain Pavilion was decorated differently from other places. There was an average-sized lake in the middle and there were two islands next to each other in the lake. At the closest point between the two islands, one could cross between the two with just a step. The slightly larger island was on the left and that was where the male guests were seated. The slightly smaller island was on the right where the female guests were seated.
For everyone’s enjoyment, the Emperor and his officials were seated by the lake. Those on the islands were all young people. They would not feel restrained by their fathers and would be able to have fun.
There were a few decorated pleasure boats that traveled between the islands and the lakeside, sending those on the shore to the islands. Because there were not many boats, there were men and women on the boats. The women would be sent to the island on the right first before the men were sent to the island on the left. Then, the boats would return to the shore to pick up other people.
Mo Xuetong and Luo Mingzhu arrived by the lake at the peak hour. Some of the ladies and gentlemen were huddled together because they wanted to go to the islands. They gathered together with familiarity. Some young ladies were there with their brothers, so it was not that inappropriate. The Emperor and officials had yet to arrive, so the seats by the lake were empty, and there were no parents to watch them. It was a very relaxed atmosphere. Some of the young ladies and gentlemen who were not in a hurry to go to the island gathered under the trees and chatted.
“Younger Sister Tong, look, there’s my brother. Let’s go there and talk to him.” Luo Mingzhu pointed at Luo Wenyou who was not far away with a smile. There were men and women in the group he was in.
The two arrived to find that Qin Yufeng, Qin Yuxuan, Luo Wenyou, You Yuecheng, and a few other noble ladies were there. The first person to approach them was Qin Yuxuan. His handsome eyes shone as he asked worriedly in a soft voice, “Tong’er, have you healed from your injuries? Do you still feel unwell?”
The two had not met since the incident at Qingliang Temple. He was asking worriedly about the injury she had sustained then.
“Many thanks, Cousin Xuan, for your concern. I have long healed from that minor injury.” Mo Xuetong smiled at him gently. Then, she curtsied to Qin Yufeng and Luo Wenyou who approached. The others followed them and everyone greeted each other.
Mo Xuetong only found out then, that the beautiful girl in pink was You Yuecheng’s younger sister, You Yue’e. The other beautiful girl in the blue dress was called Jiang Yu’er, and the pretty one was called Ai Xue.
Mo Xuetong’s gaze could not help but be drawn to Sima Heyan, who was standing right at the back. This was her first time seeing Sima Heyan since her rebirth. Sima Heyan was wearing a light purple silk dress. There was red embroidery on the edges of her collar and sleeves, making her look adorable.
Sima Heyan’s life was difficult in her past life. She became her brother’s stepping stone towards power. Sima Heyan still lived at home when Mo Xuetong first married into the Sima manor. However, the two did not have many interactions. Sima Heyan married a month after she married into the Sima manor. In this month, Mo Xuetong was a new wife and was cowardly. She was afraid of making mistakes and saying the wrong thing. Sima Heyan, on the other hand, was busy with her impending nuptials.
If one were to really look into it, they would found the two had only exchanged a few words. Even though Mo Xuetong could sense from their limited interactions that Sima Heyan did not like her, she did not get along well with her cousin Yun Yiqiu as well. Mo Xuetong recalled that Sima Heyan always looked down on others.
Mo Xuetong did not have any other feelings about her. She could only sigh and say with pity that Sima Heyan did not have any choice but to marry either. She had to be married after being plotted against by Sima Lingyun.
“Is this Third Miss Mo? You are indeed beautiful. My brother keeps mentioning you, and now that I’ve seen you, you are even more beautiful than he says.” Sima Heyan approached her from behind You Yue’e, holding on to Ai Xue as she sized Mo Xuetong up, her head cocked to the side curiously with a smile.
She had truly heard her elder brother mentioning the young ladies from the Mo family. In the past, her brother praised First Miss Mo, but when Third Miss Mo appeared in the capital, her elder brother started praising Third Miss Mo. What had caused such a huge change in her elder brother? Sima Heyan was really curious.
Mo Xuetong’s clothes today were very plain. Mo Huawen knew that she was still in her mourning period. He had already requested for her to attend the banquet, and it would be inappropriate for her to dress in bright colors. As such, he had especially told Auntie Qing to pick clothes that were elegant but plain.
Because her health had been well taken care of recently, while she had not matured much physically, she possessed the beauty of a young girl. On her porcelain face was a pair of large, clear eyes. Her long lashes fluttered under the light. Her pert nose and red, luscious lips seemed to glimmer. Her mesmerizing lip color complemented her innocent, and yet seductive appearance.
Even You Yuecheng, who had always hated Mo Xuetong, could not help but find his eyes shining at her sight. He turned around sharply as he tried to control his heart which had suddenly started to beat wildly. His lips tightened as he pursed them.
He had always hated Mo Xuetong. He felt that the girl was too fake and too vicious. He liked girls like Mo Xuemin, who was gentle and talented. He did not like girls who were so vicious that they would want to kill their Aunties and unborn sibling. Her eyes were still so clear and touched the depths of the hearts of those who looked into them despite having done something so vile. You Yuecheng felt a deep-seated dislike for her.
How dare a woman like this pretend to be so innocent in front of others! He could not help but frown.
The others did not notice You Yuecheng, but Mo Xuetong saw him clearly. The obvious disdain and hatred on You Yuecheng’s face did not affect her at all. Like how You Yuecheng felt towards her, Mo Xuetong did not like him at all. Ever since she heard the private conversation between him and Mo Xuemin, she started to despise him. Birds of the same feather flock together. He was a great liar, just like Mo Xuemin.
She did not wish to have anything to do with him.
“Younger sister Tong, there will be a lantern festival after the banquet. The palace organized a festival just like the markets outside. They will get some palace maids to pretend to be peddlers and even set up many booths. The Emperor and Empress even set up prizes. Let’s go take a look together after we return from the island. I heard that it is even more beautiful than the festivals at the markets.” Qin Yuxuan stood in front of Mo Xuetong, blocking her from looking at You Yuecheng.
Mo Xuetong found it hard to answer his invitation. They were not in Cloud City and she was no longer the orphaned daughter boarding at the Qins. There were too many rules to follow. It was already difficult for the two to meet, and if they were to agree to go to look at the lanterns together, it would be a little… If this had happened in Cloud City, it would not have mattered. As long as Mdm Qin agreed, Qin Yuxuan could take her to look at the lanterns at night.
But it was different here! She had to be careful with each step she took, especially with Mo Xuemin looking at her with predatory eyes. Even if she had not done anything wrong, Mo Xuemin would try to find fault with her. Furthermore, it was inappropriate for men and women to agree to meet.
“Second Cousin, are you being serious?” She had not said anything when another woman almost jumped with joy.
Mo Xuetong’s pupils contracted. She was the other Yu daughter!
“That’s right, we will be able to see the market in the palace later.” Qin Yufeng said with a smile. Then, he turned around to say to Mo Xuetong, “Younger Sister Tong, when you go to see the lanterns later, you can go and see the lamp lake. I heard that it is made of tens of thousands of colored lanterns and is stunning. There are all kinds of lanterns and as long as you answer the riddle correctly, you will be able to get one. Many people will go, and if you would like to go, please come with us!”
His words were spoken well and he had managed to find an excuse of Qin Yuxuan’s rashness. It made his invitation towards Mo Xuetong sound more like a chance meeting and not a secret meeting between man and woman. Mo Xuetong heaved a sigh of relief. She looked up with a smile at his gentle expression and said, “Cousin Xuan, Cousin Feng, cousin, we will go to guess the riddles and admire lanterns later. If we meet, you all have to help us. You mustn’t let your cousin go home with empty hands, right?”
Then, she winked playfully. The atmosphere relaxed immediately at the beautiful girl’s gentle smile.
“That’s set then. We will guess the lantern riddles together then.” Qin Yuxuan said with a smile. Even though he was rash, he was smart too. He realized that the reactions of the crowd were odd after what he said and he immediately reacted to it. However, he could not find a way to salvage the situation. He only relaxed when he heard his older brother help him out with a few words.
He had always been extroverted and they had all been young when they were in Cloud City. They did not pay attention to the etiquette between man and woman then. Mdm Qin doted on him and did not restrain him much, so he never paid attention to all that. However, it was different in the capital. Lord Qin had brought him to his study on the day he arrived in the capital and gave him a lecture. The main gist of it was that they were in the capital and that he had to follow rules, especially etiquette between men and women. His life might be ruined if he were the slightest bit careless… Qin Yuxuan left the study with his head lowered in defeat and he muttered to himself that he might as well stay in Cloud City where there were not so many rules and where it was freer.
He realized that what he said had brought trouble upon Mo Xuetong. Fortunately, his elder brother was intelligent and had managed to salvage the situation. He secretly gave Qin Yufeng a thumbs up and smiled brightly at him. He totally respected Qin Yufeng.
Qin Yufeng smiled at him gently and then shook his head, indicating that he had to be careful with what he said.
Qin Yuxuan nodded hurriedly.
A boat arrived just then and they boarded the boat. The little islands were not far from the shore, but in order to allow the passengers to better admire the scenery, the boat intentionally made a circle around the shore before reaching the island. This was also a more personalized touch arranged by the palace this time.
There was wind on the surface of the lake. The wind blew and lifted Mo Xuetong’s skirts. The wind blew right where she was standing as she stood behind the railings and thought about Mo Xuemin. Mo Xuemin really confused her. What exactly was she up to? Mo Xuetong could not guess what Mo Xuemin was thinking, but she felt a sense of impending danger. Mo Xuemin was too calm today.
“Third Miss Mo, who are you plotting against again? Who would think that the innocent fairy-like Third Miss Mo would be so unscrupulous when plotting against others? It is weird for a woman to be so vicious.” A cold, mocking voice could be heard. Mo Xuetong turned around to find that everyone around her had left, leaving behind only You Yuecheng. The others were walking towards the left, admiring a large, luxurious and beautiful boat that was approaching from the distance.
“I heard that Sir You is a famous nobleman in the capital. I heard that you are known to be a gentleman, young and talented. I wonder what you are doing now? Do you feel that meeting someone is truer than hearing about that person? I feel the same way.” Mo Xuetong swept her eyes over him lightly with a cold smile on her lips. You Yuecheng had plotted together with Mo Xuemin against her. It was impossible for them to become friends. Furthermore, she detested how sanctimoniously he was behaving.
She even felt that while Li Youmo might be rude, at least he was truer than You Yuecheng.
Meeting someone was truer than hearing about him. Was she implying that he was not as great as people imagined? He said that Mo Xuetong was a vicious schemer while Mo Xuetong said that he was impolite, fond of gossip, and shameless. How could You Yuecheng not be angry at that? He was a gentleman and was praised no matter where he went. When had he ever been mocked by a girl?
You Yuecheng was furious!
