"Not at all. You're the one looking absolutely radiant today. It's blinding!"
"Hmph, we haven't seen each other for a few days, and you've learned to tease people with such nonsense!"
Feng Qingyue had a fair complexion. Her elegant nose and cherry lips added a touch of delicate charm to her features. While she might not be considered a breathtaking beauty, her raven hair was so lustrous it could reflect light. It was rumored that her tresses rivaled the legendary long hair of Wei Zifu.
Liang Wan merely looked at her and smiled. "Weren't we supposed to meet at the pier? Why didn't you show up? You made me wait for so long."
"Oh, don't even mention it. I was just about to go find you, but something came up at the last minute. I had to send someone to let you know. Did the message not reach you?" Speaking of this, her expression suddenly turned serious. "You probably don't know yet, but your Cui Xiaolang fell into the water!"
As she spoke, she grabbed Liang Wan's hand and tried to pull her toward the Little Bamboo Pavilion.
Liang Wan lowered her center of gravity but was still dragged forward. Just as they stepped out of the small courtyard, she broke free from Feng Qingyue's grasp and stopped in her tracks.
The person in front of her also halted, turning back to look at her in total bewilderment. "What's wrong?"
Liang Wan smiled and shook her head. "The banquet is about to start. We should head back to our seats first and go later."
Feng Qingyue froze. "Don't you hate these kinds of banquets the most? In previous years, you always dragged me away to sneak out halfway through. Besides, he nearly drowned and lost his life. Aren't you worried? Aren't you two—"
"We are not!"
Liang Wan hastily interrupted. A wave of disgust washed over her. If possible, she never wanted to have the slightest connection with that man ever again.
Seeing her reddened eyes and rapid breathing, Feng Qingyue was caught slightly off guard. "What's the matter with you?"
Liang Wan lowered her head and calmed her emotions before looking up to explain. "No, what I mean is, we can just wait until the banquet is halfway through before going to see him today, right?
"You don't know this, but my mother grounded me. If my aunt hadn't vouched for me, I wouldn't have been able to come out at all. If I disappear before the banquet even begins, she will definitely tattle on me when she gets back!"
Feng Qingyue thought for a moment. "Alright then, I'll take you to see him later."
Liang Wan nodded with a smile. The two of them changed direction and headed toward the Waterside Pavilion.
"By the way, why did you come to the kitchen?"
Liang Wan tilted her head and glanced at the stalks of Qingzhu lining the path. The drizzle had stopped at some point, and the damp air carried the fresh scent of bamboo leaves. She loved the smell of living things.
"I wanted to prepare some hangover tea."
Unexpectedly, the person beside her paused, stopping on the stone steps behind her. "I heard that you have a rather intimate relationship with the Grand Commandant. Is it true?"
An intimate relationship? Liang Wan looked down at the stone steps beneath her feet, unable to suppress the corners of her lips from curling upward. Just one meeting, and it had already been exaggerated into an intimate relationship? It seemed that life in Jinye City had been dreadfully dull lately; otherwise, rumors wouldn't have spread so outrageously in just a few short days.
Seeing her remain silent, Feng Qingyue's heart skipped a beat. Was this a tacit admission? She stepped in front of her, furrowing her brows. "It looks like all those rumors are true, then? You actually met him secretly at night? Awan, are you out of your mind?"
Liang Wan looked into those watery eyes across from her, which were brimming with worry and tension. She had to admit, Qing Yue truly seemed to care about her.
"So, Cui Hao falling into the water wasn't an accident, but because you abandoned him?"
Liang Wan remained silent, merely recalling the gentle person in her memory who had now lost all composure.
"He almost died because of you, yet you feel no guilt at all and are over here brewing hangover tea for another man? Liang Wan, how did you become like this? That's a human life!"
Liang Wan raised the corners of her lips slightly. "Since you've already heard, I won't hide it from you. Before I met the Grand Commandant, I mistakenly took sympathy for affection. That was my mistake."
"So you truly like someone else now? But your family—"
"But my family is hell-bent on forcing me into the Sikong Mansion, aren't they?"
Feng Qingyue was left speechless.
"So, what are you worried about? No one can change my fate of entering the Sikong Mansion, and I won't use this matter to put the Grand Commandant in a difficult position." At this point, Liang Wan's shoulders slumped, and her expression turned somewhat desolate. "You also know that my days left in my family's estate are numbered. But I don't care. As long as I can be with the Grand Commandant, even if it's meeting in secret, I'm willing. I'll cherish whatever time we can spend happily together!"
"Aren't you afraid the people from the Sikong Mansion will find out?"
Feng Qingyue was utterly astonished. The person standing before her felt like a stranger. Awan had always been bold in the past, but how could she have completely abandoned all sense of propriety and shame now?
Liang Wan ignored the surprise in her eyes and looked around before speaking in a mysterious tone. "He's just a wretched old man. How could he ever make me as happy as the Grand Commandant does?"
"A—Awan, you... have you and he already—"
Feng Qingyue was instantly petrified, covering her mouth as she froze in place.
Liang Wan's face flushed. She nodded with bashful eyes, then slowly rolled up her sleeve, revealing the flawless, unblemished white skin underneath.
Feng Qingyue stared at her clean, mark-free arm. It took her a long while before she stammered, "But... if your mother and the others find out, not to mention the people from the Sikong Mansion, they won't spare you! You'll lose your life!"
Liang Wan rolled down her sleeve and patted her chest with a dazzling smile. "Don't worry, I have my own ways to get away with it."
"But—"
Feng Qingyue tried to ask more, but Liang Wan grabbed her and sprinted straight toward the Waterside Pavilion. Their brisk footsteps rustled through the grove, startling a flock of sparrows that took flight into the sky. FLAP FLAP FLAP. Soon, their voices faded into the distance.
Behind a white wall, a figure stepped forward with measured strides. He wore a white robe and a gauzy crown, his eyes dark and terrifying.
"My Lord, it seems the spread of those rumors was her deliberate doing. Do you need your subordinate to—" The attendant behind him looked up, only to meet that chilling gaze. Terrified, he violently lowered his head, not daring to utter another syllable.
Lu Xiu narrowed his eyes, his face as cold as frost. The attendant bowed and withdrew silently.
At the banquet, graceful songs and dances filled the air as cups of wine were passed around. A tall, elegant figure stood at the front of the hall, drunkenly composing poetry.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Liang Wan and Feng Qingyue nonchalantly slipped inside while everyone was engrossed in the merriment.
They had barely taken their seats when someone teased, "Everyone knows that the Third Lady of the Liang family can perform the Palm Dance. You come to Yulin Garden every year, so why don't you perform it for me once?"
It was Princess Lanling. After several rounds of wine, her eyes were hazy; she was clearly somewhat intoxicated.
As soon as she spoke, quite a few people echoed her request. It was unclear what their motives were—perhaps to curry favor with the powerful, perhaps out of genuine interest, or perhaps just to watch a good show.
Liang Wan quickly cast a glance at a certain seat. If he had been there, she wouldn't have minded dancing a piece. But since he wasn't, why should she waste the effort?
She stood up and relaxed her delicate shoulders, naturally exuding a sense of frailty. Covering her lips, she coughed softly twice.
"Please forgive me, Your Highness. It is not that I am unwilling, but I have yet to recover from a recent chill, and my breathing is poor. If I were to force myself to dance, entertaining everyone would be one thing, but I fear I might spoil everyone's mood for drinking."
Princess Lanling had only mentioned it on a whim. Seeing her delicate and frail appearance, she didn't press the matter. "In that case, let it be."
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness." Liang Wan lowered her eyes, appearing immensely grateful, and prepared to sit down.
"You're just going to let it go?"