Glory

"Sister, won't you come too?" Ye Yayin pleaded softly.

Ye Yaming looked toward Old Mrs. Ye and explained with slight helplessness, "I don't want to listen to others ask me about matrilocal marriage."

After all, the original host had loved attending such banquets. She needed a reasonable excuse for her current reluctance to participate.

Old Mrs. Ye had never intended to force her anyway. Upon hearing this, she said, "If you don't want to go, there's no need to force yourself."

To be honest, the thought of having to repeatedly explain herself when various family matriarchs and ladies brought up the topic was already irritating enough.

Two days later, she attended Old Mrs. Wang's birthday banquet with her two granddaughters and Tao Shi. Upon their return, Ye Yayin reported, "Sister, Yang Shu asked why you didn't come. She said she'd like to invite you to go shopping tomorrow."

Ye Yaming frowned, "What did you tell her?"

"I said you haven't been feeling well these past few days, and I couldn't accept the shopping invitation on your behalf," Ye Yayin replied.

Ye Yaming reached out and gently pinched her sister's fair, smooth, still slightly chubby cheek, "Well said."

Seeing that Ye Yaming had finished speaking and returned to reading her book without further comment, Ye Yayin couldn't help asking, "Sister, aren't you going to send a maid to the Yang residence with a reply?"

"No," Ye Yaming said, "If I don't respond, she should understand what I mean."

She explained to Ye Yayin the business conflicts between the Ye and Yang families, adding, "Yang Shu and I met at various banquets and gradually became friends. Our families never interfered with our friendship. But now we're older, and we each have to consider our own family's interests. Recently, Yang Shu tried to sound me out about marrying her brother Yang Tai. Her intentions weren't purely for my benefit—"

She detailed the Yang family's motives to Ye Yayin.

Normally, because Ye Yayin was young and female, the family never discussed such matters with her. In Ye Yaming's view, this was wrong.

After all, Ye Yayin had her own social circle. Being completely uninformed made her vulnerable to manipulation or framing at social events. Ye Yayin listened with wide-eyed astonishment.

"You're old enough now to understand family matters. When you attend banquets, you need to recognize why some people are kind to you while others are not. Kindness doesn't necessarily mean they like you—there might be ulterior motives," Ye Yaming patiently instructed her.

"Mm, I understand," Ye Yayin nodded earnestly.

"Come talk to me if anything troubles you, and visit me often," Ye Yaming added.

"Mm, mm."

Despite enjoying her leisurely life at home, too much stillness bred restlessness. Ye Yaming couldn't remain secluded forever. A few days later, she invited Ye Yaqing and Ye Yayin to go shopping together.

Shortly after they settled in a jewelry shop, a young man and woman ascended from the lower floor.

"Yaming, you're here for jewelry too? What a coincidence!" Yang Shu hurried over, lifting her skirts.

Ye Yaming glanced at Yang Tai, who was smiling at her, then at the delighted Yang Shu, and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, what a coincidence," she replied with a smile.

Yang Shu looked between Yang Tai and the three Ye sisters, then cooed to her brother, "Brother, I want to browse jewelry with Yaming and her sisters."

Yang Tai gazed at her fondly, "Alright, you look."

Yang Shu turned back to Ye Yaming, "You don't mind my brother tagging along, do you? He lost a bet to me a couple days ago and promised to accompany me all day today and pay for everything."

What could Ye Yaming say? Only, "I don't mind."

Whether the Yang siblings had come here intentionally or by chance, she had no desire to associate with the Yang family.The collaboration between the Yang family and Meng Chengwei might be hidden from others, but it couldn't escape the notice of the Ye family. Such people could only be mortal enemies of the Ye family.

At her signal, Ye Yaqing and Ye Yayin each picked out a piece of jewelry, and the three sisters prepared to leave.

"It's been so long since you've come out to socialize. You didn't even attend Old Madam Wang's birthday banquet. Now that we've finally run into you, you're leaving after just a few words. Yaming, do you have some issue with me?" Yang Shu protested.

Ye Yaming didn't know whether today's encounter with the Yang siblings was a genuine coincidence or a deliberate arrangement, nor did she know if they were scheming about her marriage prospects. But she truly had no desire to associate with the Yang family.

Her smile faded as she said, "Yang Shu, there are some things I hadn't planned to say.

I thought when I declined your invitation to visit your home without sending an explanation or apology, you would understand my meaning. But it seems you still don't grasp it." She continued more firmly, "Since that's the case, let me be perfectly clear. Ever since my family encountered difficulties and your father went to our tea house to mock my grandfather, I've believed we should no longer associate. As a daughter of the Ye family, if I were to smile and call you 'sister' after my grandfather suffered your father's insults, I would be unfilial. The mere courtesy I've shown you here in public is the extent of my upbringing."

With that, she turned to the stunned Ye Yaqing and Ye Yayin, saying "Let's go," and led the way downstairs.

The two quickly followed.

Yang Shu was left speechless by Ye Yaming's words. When she finally collected herself, she found Ye Yaming's figure already blocked by Ye Yaqing, who was walking last.

She turned to look at her brother and saw Yang Tai's expression had turned grim.

She stammered, "Brother, what should we do?"

The siblings had indeed come specifically for Ye Yaming today.

No matter how strict the Ye family's management was, it wasn't an impenetrable fortress. During the previous tense situation, the Ye family had restricted servants from leaving the residence freely. Now that Meng Chengwei had been exiled, the Ye family had returned to normal operations.

With so many servants coming and going from the Ye residence, as long as enough money was offered, there were always greedy servants willing to sell information.

During this time, the Yang family had discovered that the Osmanthus Tea was actually created by Ye Yaming. Previously, everyone coveted this tea-making recipe but didn't know how to obtain it, especially since without osmanthus flowers available, Ye Yaming had stopped making the tea. Even if they bribed servants, they couldn't steal the Osmanthus Tea recipe.

Then heaven helped—Ye Yaming had her engagement broken by Song Yifeng.

Yang Hong immediately slapped his thigh and decided that Yang Tai should marry Ye Yaming.

If they could bring Ye Yaming into the Yang family, wouldn't the Osmanthus Tea recipe naturally become Yang family property? Furthermore, the most skilled tea maker in the Ye family was Ye Hongsheng—perhaps he had developed the Osmanthus Tea and taught it to his daughter. Once Ye Yaming married in, they could have her consult her family, and the Ye family's tea-making methods would naturally transfer to the Yang family.

This was why Yang Shu had visited to test the waters and repeatedly tried to arrange meetings with Ye Yaming—so Yang Tai could appear and win her heart with sweet words.

They never expected Ye Yaming to react this way.

After the three Ye sisters boarded their carriage, Ye Yaqing lifted the curtain and glanced back at the jewelry store. Seeing that the Yang siblings hadn't pursued them and the carriage was smoothly departing, she finally relaxed.

"Third sister," she began, carefully choosing her words, "actually, if you didn't want to go with her, you could have just made an excuse. Was it necessary to speak so harshly? There were still shopkeepers and clerks in that jewelry store. What if this gets spread around..."