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Yun Kexin lowered her head, took Yun Xiao's hand, and smiled, "Alright, from now on, Seventh Sister will take Xiaoxiao wherever she goes, okay?"
"Okay, Seventh Sister is the best," Yun Xiao said happily as she walked over to Yun Kexin.
Yun Ran was filled with jealousy; why was everyone surrounding Yun Kexin, even the children clinging to her?!
Feng Yinxiao, with sharp eyes, immediately noticed Yun Ran's pale face and envious expression, feeling a sudden pang of concern: Does Seventh Sister know about her half-sister's hatred for her?
"Heir Apparent, Seventh Sister, Eldest Sister," Feng Yinxiao retracted his momentary worry and addressed those present, "This lord promised Lord Yun before dusk to escort you all back. It has been some time since we left; it is time to return to the manor."
"Thank you," Fu Yihang said with a cold expression, then rolled his eyes and said, "It is still early, and there are maids and a nursemaid with us. This Heir Apparent can take my cousins back on my own; there's no need to trouble Young Lord."
"You, audacious!" Ma Minghao, Feng Yinxiao's attendant, felt anger rising in his heart. He glared fiercely and shouted.
Feng Yinxiao, however, calmly raised a hand to stop his subordinate from taking further action. He smiled generously and said, "Heir Apparent, this lord does not insist on accompanying you; I only promised Lord Yun that I would personally see you back. I hope you can understand."
Fu Yihang suddenly turned around; his gentle and pure face seemed shrouded in a layer of dark mist, unclear.
"Do as you wish!" Fu Yihang said before sweeping away.
Yun Kexin found Fu Yihang truly baffling; he really took his title of Heir Apparent seriously and would throw tantrums at the slightest provocation? How big was his ego! She realized that in her past life, she had understood too little about Fu Yihang's character. She couldn't imagine how much more of his true self would be revealed if things continued this way. Once a person fell into emotions, they truly became blind, seeing nothing but the positives.
Feng Yinxiao did not take Fu Yihang's recklessness to heart at all; it seemed he didn’t care. He smiled lightly at Yun Kexin and said, "Yun Kexin, let's go."
Yun Kexin nodded and smiled back, "Alright."
With that, she took one of Yun Xiao's hands and set off on their way, followed by the maidservants and nursemaid along with attendants.
On the way, Feng Yinxiao even helped carry Yun Xiao for a while since young children have limited stamina and cannot walk continuously. If it weren't for Feng Yinxiao's age suggesting otherwise, Yun Kexin might have mistakenly thought he had married and had children already; he seemed so knowledgeable about these matters that she secretly chuckled in admiration.
Fu Yihang sulked and refused to walk with them, keeping his distance while stopping every few steps to look back. Yun Kexin felt exhausted just watching him.
Back at Han Wangfu, only then did they realize that Princess Li Yuyong of Prince Jin's Residence had arrived and was waiting in the hall. Fu Yueze sighed in relief upon seeing them return, while Wang Ling's displeasure was evident on her face. Fu Lianyin appeared to be enjoying the show. As soon as Fu Yihang stepped through the threshold, Wang Ling kept giving him subtle hints with her eyes. He had indeed seen Li Yurong, the Princess, but he was in a bad mood and didn't want to engage with her. Noticing Fu Yueze's stern gaze, he reluctantly approached and greeted her awkwardly:
"Greetings, Princess!"
Yun Kexin also looked at the Princess: she had her hair styled in double buns, adorned with crimson rose decorations on her dress, and wore a blue skirt with white flowers. Her almond-shaped eyes and rosy cheeks were complemented by red lips and white teeth, showing a few more strands of beauty than two or three years ago. However, her demeanor remained as haughty as before, perhaps due to the sense of superiority that came with being part of the royal family.
Li Yuyong sat motionless in her chair and turned to glance at Fu Yihang, saying, "Where have you been? Why didn’t you call for me?"
Fu Yihang was put off by Li Yuyong's arrogant attitude, as if everything revolved around her.
"I didn’t go anywhere," Fu Yihang replied respectfully despite his inner displeasure. "I just went hiking with a few cousins."
"Which cousins?" Li Yuyong pressed on.
Fu Yihang frowned; was this an interrogation? He turned slightly and pointed to the few people still standing at the door:
"The Princess has met them: Seventh Sister Yun Kexin and Fifth Sister Yun Ran."
When Li Yuyong followed Fu Yihang's gesture and saw Feng Yinxiao, she suddenly stood up from her chair and exclaimed, "Young Lord, what are you doing here?"
Everyone was taken aback, but Feng Yinxiao stepped forward a few paces, nodding politely with a faint smile.
"Qingyuan Marquis Feng Yinxiao greets Princess Li Yurong. How are the Jin Wang and the Wangfei?"
Li Yuyong returned the courtesy with a smile: "My father and mother are well. If it weren't for Qingyuan Marquis's exceptional skills and bravery during the hunting event a few years ago, His Majesty, the Crown Prince, and even my father might—"
"Princess overpraises me," Feng Yinxiao interjected, perhaps weary of hearing such compliments. Before she could finish, he continued, "This marquis merely fulfilled his duty as a subject. I believe that if I had not been present that day, there would have been other loyal and brave individuals willing to protect."
"You are truly humble, Young Lord," Li Yuyong smiled back, understanding that Feng Yinxiao did not wish to dwell on that matter. She paused without pressing further and cast a glance at Yun Ran with disdain as she had done years ago before fixing her gaze on Yun Kexin and said blandly, "It has been years since we last met; Seventh Young Lady has become even more beautiful."
Yun Kexin did not expect that the first thing Li Yuyong would say to her after many years was this, leaving her both amused and bewildered. She thought he might question her about how things were with Fu Yihang.
"The Princess is truly beautiful, like a flower emerging from clear water," Yun Kexin naturally returned the compliment with a smile, saying, "Please send my regards to Jin Wang and the Princess."
"You're quite the conversationalist," Li Yuyong lifted his chin, recalling that Feng Yinxiao had just been walking beside Yun Kexin, and guessed they might know each other. He smiled and asked, "Do you know Young Lord?"
"Sort of," Yun Kexin replied with an easy smile, "just like I know the Princess."
Li Yuyong raised the corners of his mouth but said nothing more. He merely nodded in acknowledgment to Feng Yinxiao before returning to his original position.
Yun Kexin noticed that Li Yurong, the Princess, was indeed proud but not unkind, which was a relief.
"Look at me, too busy listening to you all," Fu Yueze said apologetically as he patted his forehead. "I almost neglected the Young Lord. Please have a seat."
Feng Yinxiao felt that since he had already seen Yun Kexin and confirmed she was safe, having spent some time "alone" with her to convey his thoughts, there was no need to linger any longer. Otherwise, if Yun Yang and Han Wang noticed he was there for reasons other than official business and it reached the Emperor's ears, it could lead to trouble. So he politely delayed his departure:
"Thank you, Prince," Feng Yinxiao said calmly. "An old friend has returned and prepared food and drink at my humble abode, waiting for me to visit. I must take my leave now."
Yun Yang, sitting in the back, was taken aback. This Young Lord was quite strange; other officials and nobles would want everyone to know they were present at an event, but he seemed to avoid attention as much as possible. Perhaps it was due to his youth and lack of social skills.
Fu Yueze, Wang Ling, and Fu Lianyin also harbored some suspicions about Feng Yinxiao's intentions but had no evidence to support their doubts, so they remained silent in tacit agreement.
"Since the Young Lord has made plans with an old friend, I will not disturb you," Fu Yueze said with a polite smile. "However, I hope you remember to visit my residence after catching up with your old friend. I will host a banquet in your honor."
"Yes, Prince. I bid you farewell," Feng Yinxiao replied with a slight nod and a calm smile in return. He then turned to the others and said, "I look forward to seeing you all again!" He strode confidently toward the exit.
Feng Yinxiao's departure lifted the subtle tension in the air. Fu Lianyin stepped forward and pulled Yun Xiao into an embrace, asking with a smile, "Did you have fun today, Xiao Er?"
"Yes," Yun Xiao blinked at Fu Lianyin and replied with a grin, "Seventh Sister is doing well..."
Instead of her usual demeanor, Fu Lianyin would have frowned, but having decided to "make amends" for the "rift" between Yun Yang and Yun Kexin, Yun Xiao became her unspoken weapon. She gently stroked Yun Xiao's soft hair and smiled warmly, but when she spoke, there was always a hint of incitement and encouragement:
"Yes, Seventh Sister is great, even better than Mother, isn't she? Then let's stay a little longer at Uncle and Aunt's house, so that Sister Yun Kexin can keep Xiao Er company, okay?"
Yun Kexin felt a surge of anger: Fu Lianyin was truly insidious. Just when she wanted to discuss Yun Yang's return to the capital, Fu Lianyin pulled this stunt. Did she really think Yun Xiao was all-powerful? Even her own family had to be exploited; such behavior was typical of Fu Lianyin! But since she liked to "work hard" on the children, there would be a time when I would make her suffer greatly through them!
As she thought this, Yun Kexin calmed down and was about to smile and coax Yun Xiao when Li Yuyong suddenly said:
"Seventh Sister, when are you returning to the capital? I heard from Father that there will be a Martial Scholar Selection on the eighth of next month. I've been pestering Father and Mother to take me to the capital; aren't you going back to take a look?"
Fu Lianyin's heart sank: she knew this news. Her Second Brother Fu Yueheng had sent word from the capital to Fan City at the beginning of the month, informing the Fu Family Member about this year's Martial Champion competition date—he was returning to the capital not only to accept his appointment as Crown Prince's Grand Tutor but also to preside over the Martial Champion assessment. However, her "wish" remained unfulfilled, so she had blocked the news from the Yun Family.
If this information had been "leaked" by Feng Yinxiao to Yun Kexin and brought up by her, Fu Lianyin could have deflected it somewhat. But since it was brought up by Princess Li Yuyong, it was entirely different. She dared not raise any objections that might imply conspiracy and could only watch as things gradually came to light before Yun Yang.
"Martial Scholar Selection?!" Yun Yang sat up straight as if enlightened. After pondering for a moment, he sighed repeatedly, "Right, right! I remember now; it seems Nephew Yun Ke is also going to participate." He quickly looked at Yun Kexin. "Kexin, let's prepare; we’ll return to the capital tomorrow."
"Isn't it on the eighth of next month? It's only the twenty-eighth today; we still have over ten days," Wang Ling interjected calmly. She actually hoped that the Yun Family would leave soon to avoid hindering the interactions between Han Wangfu and Jin Wang's family. However, since matters were already out in the open, it was polite to feign reluctance and express courtesy as if trying to keep guests around for dinner. "Lord Yun is in such a hurry? It’s not easy for my sister to come back to Fan City for a visit..."
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