Glory

They dared to scheme against Ye Yaqing like this, surely because the Yang family had promised both families some benefits, relying on the fact that no one would ever know.

In that case, the Ye family had no pressure in capturing Qin Sheng. Once caught, he could be directly handed over to Ye Hongchang for interrogation, without Ye Yaming needing to worry about it.

Guan Ting had spent some time with Ye Yaming and Bai Rui by now and knew how reliable the two were in handling matters. She set her mind at ease and focused on keeping an eye on Ye Yaqing and the other person.

Ye Yaming said, "Let's move closer and listen to what they're saying."

Based on her speculation, if Yang Chuzhi had been meticulously plotting against Ye Yaqing with ill intentions, he would definitely try to probe for information about the Ye family today.

During their previous meetings, because of the frequent banquets held before the New Year, they had been able to see each other every day. But this time, with the New Year having passed, it had been almost half a month since they last met.

If Ye Yaqing had fallen in love, her affection and longing for Yang Chuzhi would have multiplied during this time apart.

As for Yang Chuzhi, after such a long time without meeting, he would surely ask questions to see if Ye Yaqing had let anything slip, and whether he remained safe in the eyes of the Ye family, so he could plan his next move.

Guan Ting naturally had no objections: "Alright. I'll go first. You can stay here."

With that, she moved forward quietly, leaping behind another cluster of trees in a few swift steps. Her movements were agile and silent.

After hiding herself, she was about to turn around and signal to Ye Yaming to reassure her, but the moment she turned, she nearly cried out in surprise.

Ye Yaming's face was right in front of her!

When had this girl arrived? She had followed behind her without her even noticing. Was her own martial arts too weak, or was Ye Yaming too strong, or perhaps... was she not even human?

Ye Yaming raised a finger to her lips, making a "shh" gesture.

Over there, Yang Chuzhi's words were already clearly audible to both of them: "...It was impolite of me. Let me introduce myself now. My home is at the eastern end of Xilin Street. You can ask around for the Yang Licentiate's family there. My family consists only of my parents and us three siblings. My elder sister is already married, and I have a younger brother who is thirteen this year, preparing to take the child scholar exam next year."

"Although our family's circumstances aren't as prosperous as yours in the Ye family, we still live comfortably without worrying about food or clothing. We own several hundred mu of farmland and a few shops, which is enough to support our studies and daily expenses."

Peering through the gaps in the trees, Ye Yaming studied this Yang Chuzhi for a moment. She noticed that while his features weren't as refined as those of Lu Guanyi, Qi Ji, or Ye Jiaxing, he was still fairly good-looking—at least his features were regular, and he carried the cultured, scholarly demeanor of an educated person.

Coupled with his smooth talking and poised demeanor, it was no wonder Ye Yaqing had fallen for him.

After finishing his self-introduction, Yang Chuzhi gave Ye Yaqing a gentle smile: "You're a reserved and proper young lady, so you've never asked me about these things before. Asking about them today—did your maid let something slip? Does your family know about me now?"

Ye Yaqing's face flushed crimson instantly, her eyes filled with the shame and annoyance of having her thoughts exposed. She had been sitting but suddenly stood up, looking as if she was about to utter a sharp retort and run away.

Yang Chuzhi quickly soothed her: "Miss Ye, I've admired you for a long time. If you don't mind, may I send someone to your home to propose marriage?"

Ye Yaqing was stunned. The next second, her face reddened again, but this time the annoyance was gone, replaced entirely by bashful shyness.Guan Ting was the same age as Ye Yaqing and also an unmarried young girl. Where would she have witnessed such a scene before? Her own face flushed crimson, her heart pounding like a drum, her eyes darting around nervously, she didn’t dare look in Ye Yaqing’s direction.

But Ye Yaming frowned deeply, her gaze fixed intently on the scene. She tugged at Guan Ting, signaling her to focus.

Seeing Ye Yaming’s furrowed brow and serious expression, Guan Ting felt deeply ashamed of her own unprofessionalism. She quickly composed herself, put on a stern face, and stared intently at Ye Yaqing.

Ye Yaqing and Yang Chuzhi were speaking there because there happened to be a stone table and several stone stools nearby. Initially, both were seated, but just moments earlier, Ye Yaqing had stood up, and Yang Chuzhi had also risen while confessing his feelings.

Now, seeing Ye Yaqing’s face flushed as red as blood, he took a step forward, as if intending to take her hand.

Ye Yaqing flusteredly retreated a few steps, hiding her hands behind her back. Biting her lip, she stammered, “You… don’t…”

“Alright, alright, I won’t move, I won’t move,” Yang Chuzhi quickly raised his hands in surrender.

Only then did Ye Yaqing calm down.

As she lowered her head to stare at her own shoes, Yang Chuzhi stealthily took another step forward. “Miss Ye, do you have anything to say in response to my words just now?”

Ye Yaqing’s heart swelled with sweetness.

She felt that all the setbacks she had faced over the years in marriage discussions were meant to lead her to this moment, to meet the person standing before her. This was fate’s finest arrangement for her.

She gently shook her head.

But worried that he might not see it or misunderstand her meaning, she mustered her courage and spoke, “I… Young Master, do you not mind that our family is of merchant status?”

“What does it matter if you’re from a merchant family? As long as one abides by the law and acts with kindness, it is a household that accumulates virtue. Moreover, you, Miss Ye, possess an orchid-like purity and a wise heart—gentle, virtuous, and the finest young lady in all the world…”

As he spoke, Yang Chuzhi took two more steps forward.

Although Ye Yaqing had, by chance, taken a liking to this Yang Chuzhi and was secretly dating him behind her family’s back, deep down she was still a well-behaved girl. She knew that before marriage, she should not engage in physical contact with a man.

This deeply ingrained upbringing made her retreat several steps again. Panicked, she said, “You… don’t come any closer. Just stand there and speak properly.”

“I can’t help it,” Yang Chuzhi said with a hint of grievance in his voice. “Do you know? It’s been sixteen days since we last saw each other. They say a day apart feels like three years—how many years would that make for us? I miss you terribly, so much that I can’t sleep at night. I wish I had wings so I could fly into the Ye family mansion to see you…”

While whispering these sweet nothings, he slowly took two more steps forward. Ye Yaqing had no choice but to retreat again.

The place where they stood was a viewing platform. The Chen family had paved a protruding area over the lake with stone slabs and installed railings along the water’s edge.

Earlier, Ye Yaqing had been sitting with her back to the lake. Now, after repeatedly stepping back, she was pressed against the railing.

“Quick, go over and save her!” Seeing the situation turning dangerous, Ye Yaming threw these words at Guan Ting and rushed forward.

Guan Ting was still somewhat confused.

For safety reasons, wealthy families like this inspected the lakeside railings every few days. Especially before hosting banquets, they would check multiple times to prevent accidents.

Even if Ye Yaqing leaned against the railing, she shouldn’t fall into the water, right?But after spending this time with Ye Yaming, Guan Ting had developed immense admiration for her. In her eyes, Ye Yaming was exceptionally intelligent, meticulous in her thinking, and possessed extraordinary talent when it came to learning martial arts—she was the person Guan Ting admired most, without exception.

Thus, even though her mind disagreed with Ye Yaming's viewpoint, her body instinctively followed Ye Yaming's instructions.