Chapter 54: Something Seems Off About Them

Chapter 54: Something Seems Off About Them

"Hua San, the young master..."

Su Youyue repeated the name, then suddenly realized whom Xiao Feiyan had been referring to.

This Hua San was the epitome of an idealized love interest for many young ladies in the capital. Renowned for his exceptional talent and striking appearance from a young age, he also held a noble status as the legitimate son of Minister Hua. With his gentle and refined demeanor, it was no wonder he captured the hearts of countless maidens.

Young Master Hua San had a universal appeal, captivating ladies of all ages - from octogenarian grandmothers to girls as young as eleven or twelve.

Some betrothed young ladies, upon meeting Lord Hua San, would also exhibit great warmth, but their interactions were devoid of romantic implications; it was merely pure admiration and respect.

The reason Su Youyue failed to recall this Hua San was because in his previous life, before Hua Qingyun reached the age of maturity, he was quite renowned in Yanjing. However, after he came of age, he chose not to enter politics but instead embarked on a journey around the world.

It was not until a decade later that she heard of him again. Rumor had it that he had traveled extensively across the land for those ten years, penning a voluminous chronicle of the grand mountains and rivers. However, before she could even glimpse its contents, Lu Song returned with Kang Yun, seized the business from her grasp, and ultimately brought about her downfall...

She harbored a certain degree of admiration for Hua Qingyun, after all, the Grand Preceptor of the current dynasty ranks among the Three Excellencies, holding a position of great power and influence. Hua Qingyun himself is also exceptionally talented, capable of entering the court as an official either through his own merits or through his father's status, with a future that is boundless. Yet, he chose to forsake such a splendid life and instead embarked on a journey to travel throughout the country.

Undoubtedly, many women must have shown interest in him along the way, yet he reached the age of thirty without taking a wife or concubine, his life free of romantic entanglements or rumors of dalliances with women.

Su Youyue grew intrigued and nodded. "Sure, I'd like to see this Young Master Hua San too."

She was indeed curious, but she had long forgotten what Young Master Hua San looked like.

Upon hearing her eagerness to view the handsome man, Xie Yuan's gaze darkened.

In Su Youyue's mind, her wheelchair wouldn't be suitable for navigating the Meige Pavilion. She planned to take a look from the first floor; if she caught a glimpse, fine, but if not, it didn't matter.

As the two ladies hurried toward the Meige Pavilion with great excitement, Su Youyue strangely felt that her wheelchair was moving much slower than before.

What's wrong with Xie Yuan? Didn't he have enough breakfast?

Su Youyue glanced at Jin'er. "Jin'er, do you have any snacks on you?"

She dared not starve the Lord of Hell.

Jin'er was a food enthusiast and always carried some treats. She immediately nodded upon hearing Su Youyue. "I have osmanthus cakes."

Su Youyue nodded. "When we reach the Meige Pavilion, give the osmanthus cakes to Mister Xie and ask him to take a break nearby. You can push me around."

"Very well." Jin'er pondered for a moment. Her young miss must be worried about having to squeeze with the young ladies who would soon be flocking around Hua San, and it wouldn't be appropriate for Mister Xie, a man, to join them.

Xiao Feiyan looked at Xie Yuan quizzically upon hearing Su Youyue's address to him.

Why was Yue'er being so respectful towards this Xie Yuan? Could it be solely because he was sent by the Third Princess?

Startled by the man's dark expression, she quickly averted her gaze. No wonder Yue'er was so deferential to a son of a convicted traitor. He seemed rather intimidating, and Yue'er couldn't just dismiss him; instead, she had to treat him like a deity...

The man gazed down at the young maiden, his eyes shrouded in gloom.

She didn't like Lu Song anymore and was now considering another man? She had pretended to sleep to deceive him that day, but now she wasn't even bothering to put on an act for another man...

Su Youyue, facing away from the man, couldn't see his expression. After a moment's thought, she added, "Xie Yuan, you can have these pastries from Jin'er to stave off your hunger for now. Later, I'll ask Chunya to fetch you some food from the main banquet."

Xie Yuan's eyes flickered imperceptibly. Pausing for a moment, he asked, "Why do you want me to eat pastries?"

"Didn't you say you were hungry?" Su Youyue replied, turning her head in confusion.

The gloom in the man's eyes vanished the moment she finished speaking, replaced by a moment of confusion. "When did I say I was hungry?"

"Don't try to be tough. If you weren't hungry, how could you not even push the wheelchair?" Su Youyue pondered seriously for a moment, then her face filled with alarm as if she had just remembered something. "Did those wounds reopen?"

She was done for. She had forgotten to ask him about the scars from the whip marks on his body these past few days.

Although she was confident in the scar-healing properties of the Jade Dew Beauty Cream in her shop, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

After all, dealing with the formidable Devil Lord Xie Yuan was no small matter.

Xie Yuan suppressed his confusion, and his brows and eyes relaxed unconsciously. "I'm not hungry. The reason I was pushing slowly is because... I was afraid you'd find the ride bumpy."

Su Youyue blinked, feeling that his explanation... was rather feeble.

So she persisted. "You must be hungry or in pain."

"Really not." Xie Yuan realized that when she asked him to rest earlier, she genuinely meant it, and not as an excuse to get rid of him. He was in a great mood. "If Miss wants something to eat, I'll fetch it for you."

Su Youyue wasn't hungry at all. She was merely worried that Xie Yuan might be concealing any discomfort, silently holding a grudge against her.

If she wasn't hungry, could it be that the scar was hurting?

That wouldn't do. She had exhausted all her efforts to heal from the scarring of that whipping. How could she allow more scars to form?

She needed to find an opportunity to see what was beneath his clothes.

Su Youyue had lived nearly thirty years in her previous life and had even shared an intimate moment with Xie Yuan on their bed. Thus, she didn't realize anything wrong with her intentions.

She glanced at Xie Yuan's collar before retracting her gaze. "I'm not hungry."

Looking at the slightly dejected girl, Xie Yuan's demeanor softened with indulgence.

Xiao Feiyan was astonished as she watched from the side. Wait, why did Yue'er's atmosphere with this son of a traitor seem so peculiar?

Something felt off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. All she could do was rationalize: Although Yue'er had clashed with the Third Princess today, she would never dare to provoke her. Hence, Yue'er couldn't afford to bully Xie Yuan and had to treat him well instead.

However, something still felt off about Xie Yuan's attitude toward Yue'er.

Before she could ponder further, two young ladies suddenly dashed past her side. "Ahh! It's Mister Hua San! I saw Mister Hua San in person!"

Xiao Feiyan instantly perked up and hurriedly looked ahead.

They were still on the path to the Plum Pavilion, with a dense grove of plum trees in front of them. The snow-covered branches contrasted beautifully with the red blossoms, creating a captivating scene. Xiao Feiyan, being slightly ahead, immediately spotted the young nobleman who radiated an aura as pure as a clear wind after a rain. His appearance was exceptionally striking amidst a group of young gentlemen, making him stand out like a swan among chickens, drawing everyone's attention at first glance.

"Look, Yue'er, it's Lord Hua San," Xiao Feiyan exclaimed, tugging at Su Youyue's sleeve excitedly.

Somewhat dazed, Su Youyue turned to look forward. However, her wheelchair was suddenly redirected, and instead of the handsome Lord Hua San, she found herself facing the menacing Third Prince, Baili Ming.

"..."

Su Youyue regretted her decision. She shouldn't have taken this shortcut just to catch a glimpse of a handsome man.