Chapter 598: Not Disturbing, It’s Convenient

Chapter 598: No Interruptions, Just Relaxing

Otherwise, the Yu family was enjoying a rather pleasant time in the mountains.

The mountains were cool, and life moved at a leisurely pace. Their estate supplied fresh fruits, fish, and poultry—all homegrown and at their freshest.

Xingxing was having a blast playing in the mountains with the younger children.

Coincidentally, while Xingxing was leading her little brothers in climbing trees to pick fruit, she bumped into Lady Qing An and several other noble ladies.

The Prince of Ying also owned an estate nearby, and due to the scorching heat, Lady Qing An had invited a few friends to beat the heat there.

When the two groups met, Xingxing was balanced on a tree branch, reaching for a fruit.

Lady Qing An thought it was hilarious and watched for a while.

Though Lady Qing An said nothing, one of the noble ladies beside her recognized Xingxing and let out a soft "oh."

"Isn't that the Lady of Blessed Peace? Why is she behaving like a savage?"

"...So undignified."

These noble ladies seemed to believe that since Xingxing had been granted the title of Township Lady, she ought to maintain a certain decorum.

Catching the whispers, Xingxing glanced down.

She recognized Lady Qing An and, holding a fruit in her hand, greeted her warmly: "Lady Qing An, are you here to escape the heat too?"

Lady Qing An smiled back. "Fancy meeting you here, Township Lady."

Though she and Yu Yongliu had some complicated past, that was between them—Xingxing was a different matter altogether.

Lady Qing An found herself quite fond of Xingxing.

"Isn't it dangerous to climb so high, Township Lady?" Lady Qing An asked with concern.

Xingxing, holding a large, ripe wild fruit, slid down the tree, dusted off her skirt, and laughed. "Just be careful. I am an adult, after all."

She wiped the fruit with a handkerchief and offered it to Lady Qing An. "Would you like to try it, Lady Qing An?"

Lady Qing An examined the plump, red fruit curiously. "What kind of fruit is this?"

Xingxing replied, "It's a wild mountain fruit—mostly sweet with a hint of tartness. The flavor is excellent."

Intrigued, Lady Qing An was about to take a bite when one of her companions whispered a warning: "Lady Qing An, be careful. Who knows if these are even edible? And eating something straight from the tree, only wiped with a handkerchief—is that really proper?"

Lady Qing An brushed it aside. "It's fine. If others can eat it, so can I."

With that, she took a bite.

But just as the sweet, tangy juice filled her mouth, someone she'd been dying to see appeared at the end of the path—

Yu Yongliu.

Lady Qing An stopped chewing, stunned.

She must have looked ridiculous, because when Yu Yongliu caught sight of her, he too paused in surprise—

Princess Qing An hastily swallowed the bite of fruit in her mouth, almost choking.

"Third Brother!"

The little ones cheered, running joyfully toward Yu Yongliu.

Xu Ge'er latched onto Yu Yongliu's leg, and Yu Yongliu scooped him up with one arm before walking toward Xingxing and Princess Qing An.

Yu Yongliu was quite the celebrity in the capital, so naturally some of the noble ladies recognized him.

"Oh, isn’t that the newly appointed Top Scholar who scored top honors in all six imperial examinations?"

Someone whispered this, and the other noble ladies—even those who didn’t know Yu Yongliu—immediately perked up.

Watching the tall, handsome young man approach them while carrying a child in his arms, the noble ladies were practically buzzing with excitement, ready to throw decorum to the wind just to greet the newly crowned Top Scholar properly.

"Greetings, Princess," Yu Yongliu said politely to Princess Qing An.

At this moment, Princess Qing An wished she could hide the fruit behind her back.

What must he think of her now?

She didn't even know what to say to Yu Yongliu.

She could only freeze up, nodding stiffly without daring to utter another word.

Yu Yongliu, however, misunderstood, his eyes dimming with disappointment.

It seemed Princess Qing An truly disliked him.

No wonder—he'd been too forward that day, offending her.

Yu Yongliu fell silent for a moment, tongue-tied.

Xingxing glanced at Yu Yongliu, then at Princess Qing An, sensing the awkward tension between them.

At this point, one particularly bold young noblewoman stepped forward to speak: "...Lord Yu, my father is the Minister of Personnel. He often praises your scholarship at home, saying that if my younger brother had even half your knowledge, he would never have to worry again."

Yu Yongliu nodded courteously. "Minister Zhu flatters me too much."

Miss Zhu blushed but still found the courage to continue, "Lord Yu, are you also here in the mountains to escape the summer heat? If you have time, I’d like to bring my younger brother to visit you… to bask in your scholarly glow."

Princess Qing An’s expression shifted slightly as she looked from Miss Zhu to Yu Yongliu, her gaze unconsciously tense.

Yu Yongliu, however, politely declined: "Miss Zhu overestimates me. I am merely an ordinary scholar—what scholarly aura could I possess? If we speak of true literary brilliance, Minister Zhu’s renowned essay once astonished the literary world. That is the mark of genuine erudition."

Though disappointed, Miss Zhu did not press further, managing a weak smile before stepping back quietly.

Princess Qing An let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"Aunt got restless and made some ice cream. Would you like some?" Yu Yongliu asked Xingxing, his voice soft.

Before Xingxing could answer, Xu Ge'er, still hanging off Yu Yongliu, cheered excitedly, "Yes! Yes!"

Xingxing smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Aunt’s ice cream is the best—of course we’ll have some."

As Xingxing and Yu Yongliu were about to leave, Xingxing noticed Yu Yongliu’s uncomfortable expression and glanced at Princess Qing An. A thought struck her.

"Since fate brought us together," she suddenly asked Princess Qing An, "would you like to visit our estate? My aunt’s cooking is wonderful." Before Princess Qing An could react, she heard herself replying, "Yes."

When Qing An realized what had happened, her face turned slightly red.

The young noblewomen around her, however, wore expressions of quiet excitement.

Since the Lady of Blessed Peace had invited Qing An, she naturally hadn’t intended to leave them behind—they could all join in the fun.

They really wanted to go!

Qing An gave a soft cough, trying to recover her composure. “…Of course, I wonder if it’s convenient for your family? I assume Lord Yu is only here for his day off. Would that be too much of a disturbance?”

Before Xingxing could reply, Yu Yongliu gave a light cough and responded, “…Not at all. It’s perfectly convenient.”

Qing An herself didn’t realize just how her eyes lit up at that moment!