Ren Yaohua's voice was not loud, but her words carried immense weight. Ren Yaoying's face immediately changed color, her originally pale cheeks flushing red with a mix of shame and anger, tears welling up uncontrollably.
"You—"
Qiu Hong, seated not far away, glanced in their direction. Ren Yaohua did not even spare Ren Yaoying a look, as if the mere sight of her would soil her own eyes.
Ren Yaoying took several deep breaths, trying to appear composed, but she could not hold back her tears. In the end, she rose abruptly and left the gathering.
Since they had kept their voices low earlier, only a few young ladies from the Ren Family nearby could hear them. Ren Yaoying’s departure did not attract much attention; most assumed she had gone to freshen up or change clothes.
Ren Yaoyin said with concern, "She left like that. Should we send someone to follow her?"
Ren Yaohua replied casually, "As you just saw, she complained that my maid was clumsy and didn’t want her assistance. If you’re worried, you can send someone to follow her."
Ren Yaoyin glanced at the "clumsy" maid Ren Yaohua had mentioned.
The maid, who was deftly serving tea and water to Ren Yaoqi, froze mid-action: "..."
Ren Yaoyin sighed and instructed her own maid to go after Ren Yaoying.
Several other young ladies took the stage afterward, but with Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin having set such a high standard earlier, the performances that followed did not garner much attention.
As noon approached, the Old Princess Consort remarked that it was getting late, and the Princess Consort suggested everyone break for lunch, with the competition resuming in the afternoon. The young ladies then dispersed.
Ren Yaoqi headed to the Moon Embracing Pavilion, parting ways with Ren Yaohua and the others.
After the young ladies had left, the young gentlemen from prominent families on the other side of the peach grove also began to disperse.
Many were still reminiscing about the faint, silhouetted figures they had glimpsed from across the grove.
Qiu Yun, the eldest son of the Qiu Family, walked alongside a few close classmates, playfully fanning himself with a folding fan as he teased the young man beside him: "Gu Junnan, did you catch a glimpse of your fiancée just now?"
Gu Junnan’s delicate face flushed crimson, and he stomped his foot in agitation, pointing at Qiu Yun: "Y-You’re t-talking nonsense! I-I don’t have..."
Before he could finish, the others burst into laughter.
Someone chimed in, "Yingjun, I saw you secretly writing a poem for your fiancée earlier. Something like, ‘Troubled by the storm between your fingers, placing ice and fire in my heart, I cannot sit or stand in peace.’ It’s rare not to hear you recite it."
Another round of hearty laughter followed.
Someone noticed something amiss: "Huh? I recall your fiancée is the young lady from the Zhou Family, Zhou Wen’s sister. I don’t think it was her turn to perform yet, was it? Zhou Wen, what do you say... Hmm? Where’s Zhou Wen? He was just here."
"Maybe he left already. But Gu Junnan... who was that poem for?"
Gu Junnan instinctively tightened his sleeves, puffing out his cheeks as he quickened his pace: "W-What does it m-matter to you!"
The others exchanged knowing glances.
That poem was clearly about the one playing the zither...
A brief silence fell before someone cleared their throat lightly: "I’d heard some rumors about the Commandery Princess before, but today proved that rumors should never be taken lightly."
Another added, "That was my first time hearing the legendary ‘Song of Sorrowful Wind.’ Truly a masterpiece—its melody lingers for days."
"Much of that credit goes to the skill of that young lady from the Ren Family."Qiu Yun listened leisurely with a smile as these young masters from noble families chattered away behind others' backs. Though he had initiated the topic, he didn't say much himself.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted as he noticed two people emerging from the peach grove and heading toward another path. He paused in his steps, thought for a moment, then bid farewell to his companions and quickly followed them.
After Xiao Jinglin's performance, Yun Wenting spotted Xiao Jingxi and couldn't help but feel surprised. Although he had sent someone to invite him earlier, he hadn't expected Xiao Jingxi to actually come. Yun Wenting usually got along quite well with Xiao Jingxi, so he took the initiative to greet him.
Xiao Jingxi appeared gentle and refined on the surface, but he was actually not easy to approach. However, today, Second Young Master Xiao seemed to be in a rather good mood. Yun Wenting was even able to chat with him over tea, discussing all sorts of topics.
Second Young Master Xiao's reputation for extraordinary talent was not unfounded. He could respond to almost anything you brought up, provided he was willing to spend the time to do so.
Finally, as they walked along the path, seeing the atmosphere was still pleasant, Yun Wenting brought up the matter of Yun Wenfang, once again apologizing on behalf of his younger brother to Xiao Jingxi and Xiao Jinglin.
"I had someone confine him to the villa outside the city yesterday. He won't be released until his marriage is settled in a few days," Yun Wenting said in a casual tone.
Xiao Jingxi joked, "Aren't you afraid Old Madam Ren will be heartbroken?"
Yun Wenting smiled wryly, "This was Grandmother's idea. Zishu has always been willful, and she's afraid that once he learns about the engagement, he'll scare the young lady away." It wasn't as if Yun Wenfang hadn't done something like this before.
Xiao Jingxi smiled faintly but offered no comment.
Yun Wenting continued proactively, "Grandmother and Mother both favor the Jiang Family's Eighth Miss. After the Thousand Gold Banquet concludes, they plan to seek the Princess Consort's opinion."
Just then, voices could be heard not far away. The two looked over and saw Qiu Yun approaching, though he had been stopped by Xiao Jingxi's guards. As Princess Xiao had said, her second brother had many rules.
Xiao Jingxi glanced at his attendant Tong He, who stepped forward to escort Qiu Yun over.
Yun Wenting smiled and asked, "Jinyuan, what brings you here?"
Qiu Yun bowed to Xiao Jingxi, then replied with a smile, "I haven't seen Zishu since yesterday, so I came to ask. What happened to him? Is he unwell?"
Qiu Yun was extremely close to Yun Wenfang and knew a bit about his little schemes, so he was quite surprised that Yun Wenfang hadn't shown up today.
Yun Wenting said, "There were some family matters for him to attend to. He left yesterday."
What family matters would the Yun Family entrust to Yun Wenfang, who never took anything seriously, instead of Yun Wenting? Qiu Yun rolled his eyes but swallowed his question.
At that moment, a servant from the Yun Family hurried over. Seeing him, Yun Wenting excused himself from Xiao Jingxi and walked over to meet him.
The servant looked somewhat anxious, but his voice was kept low. Xiao Jingxi and Qiu Yun, standing nearby, could only catch a few words at the beginning, such as "Second Young Master" and "villa."
Yun Wenting listened calmly, then dismissed the servant before returning. "Tingzhen, Jinyuan, there are still some matters to attend to at the villa. I must take my leave now."Xiao Jingxi knew it must be Yun Wenfang causing trouble again. He smiled and nodded, and Qiu Yun didn’t ask further.
Yun Wenting left with the servant boy, and after he departed, Qiu Yun also took his leave.
When everyone returned to the peach grove in the afternoon, neither the Old Princess Consort nor Xiao Wei and her daughter had come. Most of the young ladies from the more prominent families in Yanbei had already made their appearances in the morning, so the Old Princess Consort’s attendance for only half a day was not considered impolite. This was also why the young ladies of the Ren Family were excited about their competition order being placed earlier—those who performed first would receive more attention.
Ren Yaoyin was taken aback when Wu Yiyu stopped her on her way to the washroom.
“Miss Wu, what is this about?”
Wu Yiyu wore a cold expression as she looked down at Ren Yaoyin. “After returning yesterday, I inquired about you. I heard that Eldest Master Yun once saved you, and you’ve met him a few times since.”
Ren Yaoyin’s smile faltered for a moment before her expression also turned cold. Suppressing her indignation, she said, “Miss Wu, what do you mean by this? I have never met any unrelated man in private. The few times I encountered Eldest Master Yun were merely coincidences in full view of everyone! How dare you speak in a way that tarnishes my reputation!”
Wu Yiyu, however, was not swayed in the slightest. She curled her lips into a cold, disdainful smile. “Don’t put on airs in front of me! Reputation? How much is your reputation worth in silver?”
As she spoke, Wu Yiyu pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her sleeve and flung it at Ren Yaoyin’s face. Ren Yaoyin instinctively caught it and was about to flare up, but she froze when she saw the contents of the paper.
Ren Yaoyin naturally recognized this paper—it was the poem “Butterflies in Love with Flowers” she had composed publicly that morning. Knowing her calligraphy and painting were no match for Ren Yaoqi’s, she had put extra effort into poetry and song lyrics. Indeed, the poem she composed today had earned praise from several ladies, and even the Princess Consort had complimented her twice.
Wu Yiyu watched coldly as Ren Yaoyin slowly smoothed out the paper, sneering, “What’s the matter? Nothing to say?”
Ren Yaoyin replied coldly, “What does Miss Wu want me to say?”
Wu Yiyu stepped closer, leaning in to whisper slowly into Ren Yaoyin’s ear, “Don’t think I don’t know. Yun Wenting once wrote a poem lamenting the rarity of a kindred spirit, and every line of your ‘Butterflies in Love with Flowers’ is a response to his poem. What are you trying to do? Express your admiration through such means?”
Wu Yiyu’s voice was low and icy, sending a shiver down Ren Yaoyin’s spine as if a venomous snake were hissing in her ear. Her face instantly paled. “You…”
Ren Yaoyin didn’t know how Wu Yiyu had learned about Yun Wenting’s poem. She had discovered it last year in Yunyang City when she borrowed a book from Yun Qiuchen—the poem was tucked inside.
Familiar with Yun Wenting’s handwriting, she recognized it immediately. Later, Ren Yaoyin subtly probed Yun Qiuchen, who was unaware of the paper tucked inside the book. It seemed Yun Wenting had casually placed it there after composing it one day, though it was unclear how the book ended up with Yun Qiuchen and was later lent to her.For a celebrated talent like Eldest Master Yun, who enjoyed immense fame and widespread admiration throughout Yanbei, each new work would circulate immediately for public appreciation. Yun Qiuchen was intimately familiar with all of Yun Wenting’s poetry and recalled that this particular piece had never been circulated publicly.
Thus, Ren Yaoyin regarded it as an unexpected bond between herself and Yun Wenting.
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