"Did Fifth Cousin just come from Grandaunt's courtyard?" Qiu Yun asked with an elegant yet somewhat distant smile.
The Qiu Family was an old aristocratic clan in Yanbei. Qiu Yun's grandfather's branch was now the main lineage of the Qiu Family. Although Qiu Yun ranked third among his generation, his father was the eldest legitimate son of the Qiu Family patriarch, and he himself was the only son of the main branch—truly a blue-blooded heir.
Thus, whether in the Qiu Family or the Ren Family, Qiu Yun was a figure surrounded by admiration and praise, highly esteemed among his peers.
Ren Yaoqi had disliked Qiu Yun in her previous life. In public, he presented himself as an elegant noble gentleman, but behind others' backs, he would stand aside, smiling as he watched Yun Wenfang find amusement at her expense, while he himself kept watch.
For Yun Wenfang, she harbored a hatred so deep she wished she could stomp on him. For Qiu Yun, it was a disdainful disgust, unwilling to associate with him.
"Yes, Third Cousin. Grandmother will surely be delighted to know you've come," Ren Yaoqi replied with a smile, her tone calm and composed. Her smile was more perfect than his, her demeanor more proper.
After saying this, she lowered her head and stepped aside politely, allowing them to pass first.
Qiu Yun seemed somewhat surprised as he glanced at her.
Yun Wenfang, standing beside him, chuckled softly and draped an arm over Qiu Yun's shoulder, leaning slightly as he looked at Ren Yaoqi with a teasing gaze. "Jinyuan, is this the eccentric cousin you mentioned before? She doesn’t seem like it."
His demeanor was less that of a noble scion and more like a carefree libertine. Fortunately, he was young and handsome, so he didn’t come across as too unpleasant.
Qiu Yun awkwardly cleared his throat, covering his mouth with a fist. "Zishu, you’ve remembered it wrong. That’s what Yuanhui said about his cousin."
Yun Wenfang glanced teasingly at Qiu Yun before turning his gaze back to Ren Yaoqi, curious to see if she would get angry as Qiu Yun had suggested. Instead, he found her standing there with her head bowed, posture unchanged, not even lifting her eyes, as if she hadn’t heard his teasing at all.
Her attitude was polite yet distant, making them seem somewhat frivolous in comparison.
Yun Wenfang raised an eyebrow slightly. For some reason, Ren Yaoqi’s expression made him feel deeply uncomfortable.
Although this was their first meeting and Ren Yaoqi had done nothing wrong, he simply felt displeased.
Perhaps, as Ren Yaoqi had thought, some people were simply incompatible from the start.
He turned to Qiu Yun and winked. "Since we’ve run into your cousin, we don’t need him to lead the way anymore, right?" He was referring to Yang Cheng, the outer courtyard steward who had brought them in.
Yun Wenfang had always been someone who acted on his whims in the Yun Family, and even now, in someone else’s territory, he hadn’t realized the need to restrain himself.
Steward Yang Cheng glanced at Ren Yaoqi, then at Qiu Yun, before lowering his head obediently, indicating he was merely a servant who would follow his masters’ arrangements.
Seeing the smile on Yun Wenfang’s face, Qiu Yun knew his friend’s mischievous streak was acting up again and couldn’t help feeling helpless. The two were classmates, and Qiu Yun understood Yun Wenfang well enough to know that once he decided to cause trouble, not even ten oxen could pull him back.
But… he glanced at Ren Yaoqi. For some reason, he felt that Fifth Cousin seemed different today than before.Ren Yaoqi finally looked up, her expression unchanged as she nodded to Yang Cheng. "Steward Yang, you may return. Since I have encountered the guests, it is only proper for me to lead them to pay respects to the elders."
She now understood that some people could not be confronted head-on; instead, they needed to be handled with care.
She had no intention of making enemies with Yun Wenfang and Qiu Yun. These two were merely unrelated individuals, not worth expending too much effort or thought on. She had far too many things to do.
Yang Cheng, who had never wanted to get involved in disputes among the masters, breathed a sigh of relief at this and bowed before taking his leave. In any case, Glory and Splendor Courtyard had already been notified in advance, so there would be no breach of etiquette.
Ren Yaoqi then nodded to Qiu Yun before turning to lead the two of them toward Glory and Splendor Courtyard.
Seeing her so accommodating, Qiu Yun felt it would be inappropriate to trouble her further and instead began discussing with Yun Wenfang the scenic spots around White Crane Town worth visiting.
Ren Yaoqi walked unhurriedly with her head lowered, not interjecting. Yun Wenfang, however, kept glancing at her from time to time. His frequent and unabashed stares even caught Qiu Yun’s attention.
Qiu Yun subtly signaled with his eyes, asking what was going on. Yun Wenfang merely stroked his chin, blinked, and smiled without a word.
"Ahem, what have you been busy with lately, cousin?" Qiu Yun, feeling helpless, struck up a conversation with Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi replied softly, "The same as my sisters—doing needlework, chatting, and talking."
"Doesn’t Fifth Cousin enjoy reading, writing, and painting?" Qiu Yun asked with a gentle smile.
Ren Yaoqi smiled faintly. "Just a pastime when I’m bored. It can’t compare to the serious studies of you and my brothers."
"You can paint too?" Yun Wenfang interjected leisurely. "Paint one for me tomorrow so I can take a look."
His tone was rather presumptuous, but Ren Yaoqi didn’t want to argue with him. She simply smiled and didn’t respond.
Instead, Qiu Yun clapped his hands together, smiling as he glanced between the two. "Brother Zishu’s painting skills are indeed quite good. However... as for my fifth cousin here, I dare not speak for other things, but when it comes to painting... Zishu, you might not be her match."
Ren Yaoqi frowned slightly.
Sure enough, Yun Wenfang’s next words were, "Then I truly must see for myself."
Fortunately, Glory and Splendor Courtyard wasn’t far, and soon Ren Yaoqi led them there.
Old Madam Ren had likely already received word earlier and knew Yun Wenfang’s true identity, so her attitude toward him was particularly affectionate when she saw him.
After bringing them to the courtyard, Ren Yaoqi bowed and took her leave.
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