Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The carriage suddenly stopped. Luo Yi’er held onto the corner of the curtain, feeling her heart racing like thunder. She raised her hand to her forehead, her eyes flashing with annoyance. If she had known she would run into him, she wouldn’t have agreed to let Prince Wen escort her.

After a moment of silence, she finally lifted the curtain, revealing her face, which was as beautiful as a lotus flower.

Outside, the snow was melting, and the midday sun shone brightly, casting a uniform glow over everyone.

Luo Yi’er looked up at the man’s profile, bathed in the golden sunlight, and saw the faint coldness in his expression as he gazed at her with indifference.

The sunlight suddenly stung her eyes, causing them to water. He was usually gentle with her, but now he seemed cold. The curtain was only partially lifted, but her beautiful eyes were fully exposed. As tears welled up in her eyes, the two men standing not far away felt a chill run through them.

The man’s brow furrowed deeply, and he rode his horse closer to her carriage. The curtain was lifted, and she heard the sound of the horse’s hooves stopping nearby. She trembled slightly, her eyelashes getting wet.

The man seemed to sigh and took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe away the tears. His voice was filled with helplessness and tenderness: “Why do your eyes get red again?”

He loved the way she looked at him with her slightly reddened face, it brought him a hard-to-describe joy. But he didn’t like seeing her eyes well up with tears.

Years ago, he had been afraid she wouldn’t want this marriage, so he had fled the capital in a difficult situation. Now that he was back, he didn’t want her to feel any discomfort.

Luo Yi’er’s fingers, which were holding the curtain, relaxed. She shook her head subconsciously and lowered her voice, “The sunlight outside is a bit too strong, it’s hurting my eyes.”

The man raised his hand and lifted the curtain further, looking at the girl’s lowered head. He frowned slightly and asked, “Are you going out of the city?”

“Yes,” Luo Yi’er replied softly. She finally composed herself and looked up at him with her clear face. In the sunlight, her eyes sparkled like stars. She then added, “I ran into Prince Wen at the Jewel Pavilion.”

Although he didn’t ask, she paused slightly before telling him. As soon as she finished speaking, the man’s eyebrows dipped slightly, hiding the faint smile in his eyes. He put away the damp handkerchief: “I know.”

His little girl was always polite, so it was only a coincidence that she met Prince Wen.

“Why are you coming from outside the city?” Luo Yi’er asked, holding the handkerchief tightly without showing any emotion.

At that moment, the sunlight was strong, casting a slanting glow. She suddenly frowned, and the man beside her shifted his position, blocking the light for her.

He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her cheek. She instinctively gripped the curtain tightly, and her cheeks flushed.

He looked down at the girl’s dark hair, his eyes carrying a hint of a smile. He didn’t answer her question but instead spoke softly about his feelings when he entered the city: “I just felt uncomfortable seeing him ride alongside you.”

The gentle touch of his fingers on her cheek sent shivers down her spine. His voice was low and soothing, filled with tenderness: “It’s not your fault, don’t be upset.”

The warmth of his breath against her ear, combined with the hint of laughter, made her feel a strange sensation. Luo Yi’er’s cheeks grew hotter, and the flush spread down to her neck. The man in front of her had a deep gaze.

He suddenly straightened up and spoke in a low tone, “Go quickly and come back soon. Don’t stay outside the city for too long.”

He paused, and the woman in front of him looked up at him. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with a soft light that made his heart flutter.

His voice grew even softer, filled with affection and longing. “I’ll come to visit you at the Marquis’s mansion in a few days.”

Luo Yi’er knew he would come for the Old Madam’s birthday celebration in three days. Her eyes turned pink, and she lowered her head, her voice barely audible: “Okay.”

Because of their delay, a crowd had gathered at the city gate. However, due to their special identities, the guards didn’t dare to disturb them.

Fang Jinling frowned as he watched the scene unfold. He let down the curtain, covering the woman’s flushed face.

Fang Jinyu stood not far away, watching the scene with a growing coolness in his eyes. He didn’t say a word and didn’t approach, remaining in his place.

Fang Jinling rode his horse back a few steps and stopped about five steps away from Fang Jinyu. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were deep and cold.

He didn’t care what Fang Jinyu thought, but he could sense that Fang Jinyu’s interest in the girl was too obvious.

It made him feel a bit chilly inside. His face grew even more expressionless as he said coldly, “Since Prince Wen has nothing to do, why don’t you follow me to the palace?”

Fang Jinyu smiled gently, his expression warm and approachable. There was a hint of similarity between his smile and Luo Yi’er’s usual demeanor. The man’s eyes grew even cooler as Fang Jinyu replied, “That would be great.”

Fang Jinyu glanced at the carriage, which remained still, and smiled slightly.

The sound of horse hooves grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared. Luo Yi’er finally relaxed her grip on the handkerchief. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and said softly, “Let’s go.”

The carriage finally started moving, heading towards Mingjing Temple.

After she had finished arranging the Buddhist scriptures in the temple, she instructed the servants to fetch Lady Qiu.

When Lady Qiu arrived, her face was filled with fear and flattery. She spoke in a low tone, “Third Miss, greetings. Why are you here?”

Luo Yi’er glanced at her briefly without saying a word. She then got into the carriage, and a soft voice came from inside: “Let’s head back to the mansion.”

She was still a bit confused when a servant said impatiently, “Lady Qiu, hurry up and get into the carriage. We can’t keep the Third Miss waiting.”

That’s when she saw that behind the luxurious carriage, there was another carriage following. She immediately understood what the servant meant.

When she turned around, she saw that her maid had already packed her belongings and arrived. Without asking any questions, she quickly got into the carriage.

She had stayed at Mingjing Temple for over four months, and after being accustomed to the luxurious life at the Marquis’s mansion, she found the temple life very difficult. Now that she had the opportunity to return to the mansion, she was afraid of missing it if she was slow.

The group of people finally arrived at the mansion before sunset. Luo Yi’er brought Lady Qiu to the mansion and then didn’t bother with her anymore. She sent a maid to inform Madam Chu at Fang Yun Hall and then returned to Yunxia Courtyard.

There was already hot water prepared in Yunxia Courtyard. After washing up and having dinner, she lay down on the soft couch, playing with a chessboard absent-mindedly.

Her fingers, as white as onion skin, held a white jade chess piece, and the black and white pieces were arranged in a complex pattern.

Pansi wasn’t good at chess and could tell that her mistress wasn’t focused on the game. She thought about the scene at the city gate that day and felt a bit worried. She didn’t know why, but the atmosphere had seemed strange and unsettling.

What surprised her even more was that her mistress seemed to have feelings for the Prince of Jing.

She glanced at her mistress, who was leaning against the window, bathed in the soft moonlight. Her face was like jade, and the moonlight gave her an ethereal glow, like a goddess.

Pansi was momentarily distracted, thinking that a woman as beautiful as her mistress should have many admirers. She remembered how the Prince of Wen had never forgotten her mistress’s birthday, and how the King of Jing had risked his life to save her from the fire.

Just then, the woman by the window turned her head and smiled at her, her eyes filled with warmth. Pansi snapped back to reality, smiled slightly, and thought that her mistress was such a good person that she deserved someone worthy of her.

The preparations for the Old Madam’s birthday had been going on for a while. On the day of the celebration, Madam Chu had even hired an opera troupe to perform in the small garden. The front hall was set up with a banquet, and the maids were busy serving dishes, decorations, tea, wine, and delicacies.

Luo Yi’er was woken up by Pansi early in the morning. She had gone to bed early the night before and was relatively refreshed.

After washing up and changing into her clothes, she headed to Fang Yun Hall. Along the way, she saw the servants’ faces filled with joyful smiles, like it was New Year’s.

Luo Yi’er smiled slightly, knowing that for these servants, this was indeed a happy occasion. Although it was busier than usual, the masters would surely be generous on this day, and they would receive more silver. That’s what they were looking forward to.

When she arrived at Fang Yun Hall, Madam Chu was already waiting for her. They were going to Cirong Hall to pay their respects together. After that, Madam Chu would be busy in the front courtyard, receiving guests. As the direct daughter of the mansion, Luo Yi’er would also be occupied.

The Marquis and the two young masters had taken the day off. After paying their respects, they would join the guests in the front courtyard.

Perhaps because of the festive atmosphere, the Old  Madam looked in excellent spirits today. After Luo Yi’er and Madam Chu paid their respects and sat down, Luo Yi’er glanced at Luo Qian, who was already seated beside the Old Madam. Luo Qian’s eyes sparkled slightly.

Luo Qian had been visiting Cirong Hall frequently lately, and the people there seemed to treat her like one of their own.

As Luo Yi’er thought this, she saw a maid come in with tea. Luo Qian took the tea and handed it to the Old Madam, chatting with her warmly. The stewardess, Guan-momo, was also smiling, and the atmosphere seemed harmonious.

The maid even bowed respectfully to Luo Qian, forgetting that the tea for the Marquis’s wife and legitimate daughter had not been served yet.

Luo Yi’er’s eyebrows arched slightly, unnoticeably. She smiled faintly, thinking that the people in Cirong Hall, under the Old Madam’s protection, seemed to have forgotten who the real masters of the mansion were.

After a while, a teacup was finally placed on the table to Luo Yi’er’s right. The fragrance of tea wafted through the air, and she glanced at it. It was Bi Luo Chun, a high-quality tea. The person who brewed the tea was careful, leaving no residue.

However…

The maid standing beside Luo Yi’er, Pansi, frowned. Her miss loved tea, but she never liked Bi Luo Chun. What was going on with the people in Cirong Hall? They had chosen the one tea that her mistress didn’t like out of all the famous teas in the mansion.

Pansi had never encountered such a situation in the mansion before. She felt a bit dissatisfied and looked at Luo Yi’er.

Luo Yi’er glanced briefly at the teacup and then looked away, her smile unchanged. Her eyes seemed even softer and more charming.

Pansi felt a chill for no reason and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look again.