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"No," Yun Kexin said with a smile, shaking her head lightly. After a brief pause, she added, "But thank you, Young Lord."
"Yun Kexin," Feng Yinxiao sat down beside her, gazing at her with eyes full of compassion. "There are many things you may not wish to share, and I do not blame you. However, I hope that from now on, you will consider me your most trusted friend. If you have any concerns, please tell me, alright?"
Yun Kexin nodded with a faint smile. "Alright, as long as it's something I can share with Young Lord."
Feng Yinxiao felt a sudden sense of relief and brightness in his heart. "Let's hurry over; they might be ready and waiting for us already."
Yun Kexin followed Feng Yinxiao to the deck of the ship, enjoying the scenery and chatting until the boat finally docked. They saw her brother, sister, Brother-in-law, and several maidservants who were all busy with their tasks.
"Young Lord, Yun Kexin, you're back," Yun Ke was the first to notice the two disembarking from the ship. He stood up with a smile and walked over. "Did you have fun?"
"How could we not have fun?" Shanyue chimed in unexpectedly from behind them. "Just look at how happy Young Lord and Sister are."
Feng Yinxiao blushed slightly and lowered his gaze, quietly standing beside Yun Kexin. However, she raised her eyebrows in mock anger and said sharply, "Shanyue, I haven't settled today's matter with you yet. How dare you 'plot against' me? We'll settle this later."
Shanyue was startled and hurriedly ran forward to take Yun Kexin's hands, pleading, "Seventh Sister, I was wrong! But I truly didn't mean to plot against you; I just hoped Sister would be happier."
"We'll settle this later!" Yun Kexin pouted. "But first, how's the barbecue coming along?"
"Just waiting for Sister to arrive," Shanying also ran over. "Young Lord, since you like barbecues, we've prepared all the ingredients and skewered them for you to teach us when you return."
Yun Kexin smiled slightly and said, "Young Lord is exaggerating; I just found some fun for myself since there wasn't much to do."
"Regardless," Yun Ke took Yun Kexin's hand and smiled. "We are all ready. Seventh Sister should show us what you've got! Don't worry; we won't make you do it all alone. There’s also Fourth Sister, Heir Apparent, and three maidservants to help out; you won't be too tired."
"Look at my brother; it's not that I'm afraid of getting tired—I'm just worried that if I don't cook well enough, you'll laugh at me," Yun Kexin defended herself.
"Who dares to laugh at you, I'll take it up with them," Feng Yinxiao suddenly interjected.
Yun Kexin made a cute expression, pretending to be angry by frowning and pouting at Feng Yinxiao, which made everyone laugh.
"Hey, can you all stop chatting?" Wei Qing urged from a nearby rock by the riverbank, clearly dissatisfied. "Let's wait until we're done..."
Yun Kexin truly took on the role of a "teacher," squatting in front of the barbecue grill, cooking while reminding Yun Yan about techniques, controlling the heat, and how to apply the seasonings, speaking animatedly and non-stop.
Feng Yinxiao quietly stayed by her side, captivated by her words. She thought to herself that Yun Kexin really was someone who could "manage both the hall and the kitchen." She wondered how good her cooking skills were. Just thinking about possibly tasting her dishes in the future made her feel delighted. Occasionally, she would hand Yun Kexin water to drink or wipe her sweat, doing everything she could to be attentive, which made others envious.
Soon, while Yun Kexin grilled meat dishes, Yun Yan helped her out. Shanling and Shining grilled the vegetables, while Shan Yue arranged the cooked ingredients neatly. Their roles were clear, and the barbecue was completed quickly.
Everyone sat together on the ground. Yun Kexin noticed three maidservants standing not far behind them and waved them over.
"Shanling, Shining, Shan Yue, come sit with us! Why are you just standing there?"
Shanling nodded and smiled, saying, "The master is the master; we are just servants. How can we sit together?"
Shining added, "Right, we can't break the rules. We'll stand here; if you need anything, just call us."
Yun Kexin thought for a moment and said, "It's not about breaking the rules; it's just that outside now, everyone is more casual. Plus, if you sit closer to me, you can help me serve food and pour water."
Yun Ke smiled and said, "Just come over; you know Seventh Sister treats her servants very well."
The three maidservants exchanged glances before moving closer to find some space to sit down. However, they still felt a bit restrained and listened quietly for instructions.
"Seventh Sister, I heard Heir Apparent that you also went fishing with him today," Yun Kexin smiled, pointing at the plate of roasted fish in the center, "is it these?"
Yun Kexin blushed, "No way, Brother-in-law is joking. These, and these," she said, gesturing over the seafood on the cloth, "except for the vegetarian dishes we brought, all of these were caught by Boatman."
Everyone recognized that Yun Kexin was referring to Wei Qing and burst into laughter.
"Boatman is just Boatman, what's the big deal?" Wei Qing replied lightly with a smile, showing some defiance. "I even learned from Lord Zheng to go out to sea for adventures; I will take Yun Yan along then—" He paused and turned to Yun Yan with a smile, "Right, Wife?"
"Of course, Consort, I will follow you wherever you go," Yun Yan replied shyly with a nod and a smile.
Yun Kexin glanced at Fourth Sister and Brother-in-law, her eyes filled with envy: what a happy couple! At first, she worried that Wei Qing did not truly intend to marry Fourth Sister and would make her unhappy, but unexpectedly, this "accidental" pairing turned out to be a great match.
"Yun Kexin, when you grow up a bit more, I will take you to travel the world," Feng Yinxiao said, seemingly unwilling to fall behind in expressing his feelings. "Wherever you want to go, I will take you there." His tone was not as carefree as Wei Qing's but carried a promise of unwavering commitment.
Yun Kexin felt shy and quickly lowered her head. She reached for the roasted fish that Yun Ke had wanted to eat earlier and handed it to him, saying, "Brother, here you go. It's a bit hot."
"Thank you, Seventh Sister, then I won't be polite," Yun Ke said as he took it eagerly and began to enjoy it. What pleased him most was Feng Yinxiao's words; he thought to himself that he really hadn't misjudged him.
"Wife, what do you want to eat? I'll have the maid serve it for you," Wei Qing turned his face away and smiled at Yun Yan.
"Shrimp skewers!" Yun Yan replied with a smile. "This is Seventh Sister's specialty."
Feng Yinxiao's heart stirred. He had been watching closely; Seventh Sister was particularly skilled at making this seafood dish, and it smelled so good that he was drooling just from the scent. He wanted to be the first to taste the shrimp skewers but was unexpectedly beaten to it by Yun Yan.
"Shanling, bring some shrimp skewers for Fourth Sister; this dish is closer to you," Wei Qing instructed.
Shanling followed suit and brought a plate to Yun Yan, serving her several skewers.
"Mm, they smell so good and are so crispy, they're delicious," Yun Yan praised while eating. "Sister Seven's cooking is really great. When will Fourth Sister learn from you and make Shrimp Skewers for her husband at home?"
Feng Yinxiao smiled and couldn't help but take a skewer to bite into. Her dark eyes sparkled, and she sighed lightly, saying, "Yun Kexin, your cooking is truly better than what we have in the kitchen of the Duke's Residence."
Yun Kexin laughed at Feng Yinxiao's exaggeration, but Shan Yue chimed in, "Sister, the Young Lord is right. The chef at the Duke of Yan's Residence is indeed skilled; he is famous in the capital. With the Young Lord saying this, your cooking must be exceptionally good."
"If it's good or not, you can just taste it," Yun Kexin smiled and instructed the seated Shining, "Shining, please serve a skewer of meat to Shan Yue. She loves to eat."
Upon hearing this, Shan Yue instantly stopped smiling. She glanced at Yun Kexin, nearly in tears: no master had ever treated them as kindly as Yun Kexin. Although they were in a master-servant relationship, Seventh Sister rarely used this to her advantage. She was strict but considerate enough to know what her close servant liked to eat, which truly caught her off guard.
"Shan Yue, what's wrong?" Yun Kexin asked as she handed a skewer of grilled meat to Shan Yue. "Are you not feeling well?"
"No," Shan Yue sniffed, raised her eyes, and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Seventh Sister."
Among those present, aside from Shanling and Shining, only Feng Yinxiao understood Shan Yue's feelings at that moment: although he had not personally experienced the life of a servant in the Duke of Yan's Residence, he had witnessed scenes where masters punished and scolded their servants. Perhaps he had grown numb to it over time; it was Yun Kexin who awakened the softest part of his heart.
"Shanling, Shining, you should eat too. Why are you dazed?" Yun Kexin noticed the two maids staring blankly at her and asked with a smile, "What’s wrong? Did going out make you silly?"
Only then did they come back to their senses. Shanling replied seriously, "That's not how it works; our master eats first. That's our principle."
"This is my order!" Yun Kexin said with narrowed pupils, exuding authority. Then her tone softened a bit, "But since we're outside today, let's enjoy ourselves a little. It's fine not to overstep boundaries, but don't be too rigid."
"That's what my sister taught me!" Shanling noticed Yun Kexin's anger, which made her less restrained than usual. "I will do everything as instructed."
Seeing this, Feng Yinxiao became increasingly satisfied with the performance of the three maidservants, feeling a bit more at ease.
Thus, a circle of masters and servants sat together enjoying good food and drinks, rarely having such a leisurely time. Moreover, anything that Yun Kexin personally grilled was quickly snatched away, while Feng Yinxiao held back his cravings and gave what should have belonged to him to Yun Kexin.
While they were out enjoying themselves, Madam Chen from Tong Mansion came to Duke of E State Mansion's Second House to visit the Yue Clan. The two had been close friends since childhood. Later, after Chen Family married Tong Ye, they maintained their good relationship.
"Yue Ziyun, you really look younger as you age," Chen Family said enviously as she looked at Yue Clan, who had given birth several times yet remained unaffected in appearance and figure. "Unlike me, I only had one son and look how I turned out." She self-deprecatingly pointed at her slightly plump figure.
"Meiyue (Chen Family's close friend), you are truly blessed; I envy you," Yue Clan said with a gentle smile as she walked with Chen Family in the Southern Courtyard's corridor. "Your husband is healthy and so esteemed, and your son is intelligent; he will surely become a pillar of the nation in the future."
"What pillar of the nation? My precious son is giving me so much worry," Chen Family shook her head and sighed.
"What happened?" Yue Clan paused in surprise, turning to her. "Zhichen, although I've only met him once, I could still sense that this child is gentle-natured, sensible, and self-aware—"
"For Seventh Sister Yun Kexin!" Chen Family glanced at Yue Clan and stated directly.
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