Chapter 54

Xiao Yi turned around right away.

The little girl already ran into the threshold guiltily, blending in among the female guests on the west side of the hall.

His face darkened.

Sure enough, he wasted the candy Song Shining gave and the little girl was angry for her sweetheart…

That’s great!

“Young Master Xiao.”

A charming female voice suddenly sounded.

Two young girls walked over holding hands. It was Nan Yan and Xia residence’s daughter Xia Qingqing.

Xia Qingqing looked at Xiao Yi shyly.

Since she witnessed his elegant manner during the Spring Flower Festival, she had been obsessed with him.

Xiao Yi was handsome, young, and promising. Not only was he backed by the Nan residence, but he also had a bright future ahead. He really was a husband tailored by God for her!

Marrying him might even make her an official’s wife in the future!

She politely bowed to Xiao Yi, “My mother praised Young Master Xiao for being young and talented. Today she purposely brought me along to toast to you. Qingqing wishes Young Master Xiao a bright future ahead!

Xiao Yi was too lazy to entertain her.

He walked past them without any expression and headed straight to the male member’s section.

But Xia Qingqing felt that he was very masculine.

She entered the west hall and tugged Nan Yan’s sleeve excitedly, “Yan’er, Young Master Xiao just looked at me, ahh he must have noticed my peerless beauty!”

Nan Yan smiled lightly, “My Second Brother is already at the age of talking about marriage. Sister Qingqing, did you ask your mother to talk about a marriage proposal?”

“Of course! My mother also likes him very much and plans to mention it to your Grandmother in the afternoon. I think we should know the results by today!”

Nan Yan held her hand affectionately, “Sister Qingqing is both talented and beautiful. This marriage will definitely be negotiated smoothly. I am waiting and hoping for you to be my Second Sister-In-Law!”

She smiled and her sight landed not far away.

Nan Baoyi was talking to a few girls of the same age.

She wore a light yellow dress with a gold round necklace that had a pendant that symbolized longevity. Her little face was fair, tender, and beautiful, her eyebrows curved in a cute way.

She watched quietly, her expression gradually turned cold.

Nan Baoyi was really lucky, actually catching sight of him when Xiao Yi was still a nobody.

And even provided him help when he needed.

From today onwards, if Xiao Yi had meteoric success in his career then Nan Baoyi would have another leverage.

This was not something she could tolerate.

So she must let Xiao Yi marry Xia Qingqing.

After all, Xia Qingqing was her good friend. No matter how high Xiao Yi’s position was in the future, he would be forced to love Xia Qingqing, he would be forced to take care of her, the mistress’ daughter.

She curled her lips and smiled weirdly.

Nan Baoyi was carrying a box of Guandong candy and generously distributed it to her friends.

As if she noticed something, she suddenly raised her head and looked in the direction of the beaded curtains. Nan Yan smiled gently at her.

She raised her brow and bit the candy cube in her mouth.

Why does she feel like Nan Yan was up to something?

Like she was coming up with some indecent ideas…

She was on guard throughout the banquet, ready to overcome any tricks. Besides the powerful minister not having a pleasant face, the banquet went on smoothly.

Seeing that the banquet was finally over, she relaxed and drank two cups of fruit wine.

She was not good at drinking and the alcohol immediately went to her head. She hugged the wine gourd, “Zhuzhu, let’s go catch some pandas okay?”

Nan Baozhu was also drunk as she clapped her hands, “Yes, yes! Let’s go catch some pandas and raise it in the residence!”

The two of them cast their maids away and walked through the corridor together.

Before reaching the bamboo forests where the pandas were, she saw bamboo screens in the annex in front were swaying. Someone was discussing something there.

Nan Baoyi lifted her finger to her lips, “Shhh…”

The two girls hid behind the window like a thief.

Through the amber window screens, they saw Grandmother sitting on a chair having tea with Madam Xia.

Madam Xia smiled, “Xiao Yi is young and promising and my Lord admires him very much. Speaking of which, he is of the age to get married, right?”

“Yes.” Old Madam gently touched the tea cover. “He is a capable person, no one can predict he could become an official of which rank in the future. So this marriage thing is hard to say.”

“What is hard to say? Once he entered bureaucracy, he should marry a daughter from a wealthy family, it will be easier to use the money to pave ways in bureaucracy.”

Old Madam slowly took a sip of tea.

She glanced at Madam Xia’s urgency and smiled, “Xiao Yi is not my biological grandson. I’m afraid of setting him up with the wrong marriage and he would resent me. To put it awkwardly, if in the future he becomes an officer of the first rank and I chose a merchant’s daughter for him as a wife, not only will his colleagues look down on him, a wife like that would not be able to help him in bureaucracy.”

Madam Xia flipped her handkerchief and smirked, “So from what you are saying, you are planning to find him a wife from an official’s family? Old Madam, don’t blame me for speaking so bluntly, Xiao Yi is ultimately still only an adoptive son with an unknown background, isn’t he?

“Moreover, not everyone can enter the courts in Shengjing. How many scholars have studied until their hair turned white and still could not become an official in the capital city? How capable is Xiao Yi to be able to sit on the position of an officer of the first rank?

“My daughter Qingqing is both talented and beautiful and we both know each other’s families very well. Such a good marriage can’t be easily found. Old Madam, think about it carefully. If you miss this opportunity, it won’t be there for long!”

Behind the window.

Nan Baozhu’s eyes grew very wide, “So weird, is this a marriage discussion or war? Madam Xia is too fierce like she was about to eat someone…”

Nan Baoyi sobered up.

She already noticed Nan Yan’s weird expression, turned out it was this plan.

Xia Qingqing was not an easy person to handle. If Second Brother marries her and he gains power in the future, the Xia family and Nan Yan would be the ones rising to the top.

Besides, how could a person like Xia Qingqing be worthy of her family’s powerful minister?

She had to tell the powerful minister!

She had to stop him from marrying Xia Qingqing!

She said anxiously, “Zhuzhu, I’m not going to catch pandas! I have something to do, I’ll leave first!”

“No! They said that pandas are chubby and super cute, I’ve been here for so long and I haven’t seen ―”

Nan Baoyi said sincerely, “Zhuzhu, you can take a look into the mirror and can almost appreciate the chubbiness of the pandas, why do you need to see it with your own eyes?”

“Look into the mirror?” Nan Baozhu paused and stomped when she finally realized, “Nan Jiaojiao, how dare you call me fat!”

Nan Baoyi already ran away without a trace.

Halfway up a mountain.

A quiet and quaint building was built here.

The grass was growing on the steps and moss growing on the wall. The front and back were lined up and it was luminous and exquisite.

Nan Baoyi knew that scholars nowadays liked to study, play the zither and meditate in the building here. Xiao Yi liked the quietness, he should be here.

She walked until she reached the building.

Behind the circular window, a young man in white robes sat upright and still, reading a book.

A little ray of sunshine penetrated the patterned window and into the building. The young man was handsome, his phoenix-like eyes deep in thoughts with his long slender fingers on the pages, like a fine brushwork painting.

Nan Baoyi was afraid of disturbing him and made him dislike her so she lay on the windowsill and planned to wait for him to tell him about the marriage when he was tired.

Soon after, she was thirsty.

She picked up the wine gourd and took a few mouthfuls. The drunkenness came back to her head.

She drowsily plucked a peach blossom.

Xiao Yi already noticed the movement outside.

Looking up, the little girl was holding a peach blossom branch and gesturing to put it on her temple. She felt that it was not beautiful enough and she gave up.

She clumsily climbed in through the circular window and suddenly sat next to him.

She earnestly lifted the peach blossom, “Second Brother, you are prettier. I will put the flower on for you…”

The little girl actually called him pretty…

Xiao Yi was in a good mood but his expression remained cold. He allowed Nan Baoyi to attach the peach blossom to his hair bun.

After attaching the flower, the little girl laid obediently on his shoulders.

She was soft and light, emitting a clear aroma of the bayberry wine when she breathed.

Because she was drunk, her eyelashes were moist and the corner of her eye was red, more vivid than a peach blossom.

She seemed to notice his sight and she raised her head in a daze.

The round face was extremely cute and lovable.

But when he thought of how close she was with Song Shining, Xiao Yi was very uncomfortable, like he just drank a bottle of old vinegar.

He wore the flower, retracted his gaze, and said indifferently, “Why are you looking for me?”

“Why…”

Nan Baoyi scratched her head.

Yes, why was she looking for Xiao Yi?