Chapter 769: Do You Only Like These?

Chapter 769: Do You Only Like These Things?

Qing Shuang saw Yu Yonggui’s stunned expression and thought for a moment before saying seriously, "Was that too sudden? Don’t worry, I didn't just decide this on a whim. I’ve thought it through."

Xingxing silently wondered—had Qing Shuang really thought it through? Qing Shuang had only seemed lost in thought for a short while, less time than it takes half an incense stick to burn!

Was this really the result of careful consideration?

Xingxing pondered this deeply.

Seeing that Yu Yonggui still stood there dumbstruck, Qing Shuang clenched her fists to summon her courage.

Yu Yonggui remained utterly silent, and her unease grew visibly. Her already fair complexion turned even paler.

"You’ve been very kind to me... After I marry you, I’ll treat you well too," Qing Shuang summoned every last ounce of courage.

She thought—if she had misread the situation, if Yu Yonggui didn’t actually want to marry her, then after helping the princess this time, she would run far away and never appear before him again.

Xingxing was getting anxious!

Fourth Brother, you’re usually so sharp—why are you standing there like a dumbstruck fool at such a critical moment?!

Say something already!

Yu Yonggui finally seemed to come back to himself. His voice came out rough as he said, "...But I haven’t treated you well."

Qing Shuang frowned, displeased. "How have you not treated me well?"

"I almost killed you."

"As if I didn’t almost kill you too," Qing Shuang countered reasonably. "We’re even. Besides, later I went to your home to recover from my injuries. And not long ago, when I was poisoned, you and the princess saved me."

Yu Yonggui was rendered speechless. He stared at Qing Shuang for a long moment before asking, "...So, is it because of this debt of gratitude that you’re willing to marry me?"

A desperate hope flickered in Yu Yonggui’s eyes, as if he was waiting for her to say something.

Qing Shuang shook her head. "Of course not."

His eyes lit up like a thousand stars.

Qing Shuang then placed the ruby hair ornament on the table. "And this. I really like this hair ornament. And the pastries—I like those too."

Unable to hold back any longer, Yu Yonggui blurted out, "Do you only like these things? ...What about me?"

Qing Shuang's breath caught at first, but then she understood what he meant.

She had intended to answer him straightforwardly with a simple "I like you," just as she had answered Xingxing earlier. But for some reason, looking at Yu Yonggui’s face, her own face flamed scarlet. That bold, unhesitating "I like you" seemed to ignite in her chest, the heat of it threatened to consume her whole being.

She was aflame with heat all over!

Qing Shuang even wondered if she had come down with a fever!

She dared not meet Yu Yonggui’s gaze anymore!

Yu Yonggui watched as the normally cool and collected girl’s entire face flushed red. His own face flushed in sympathetic embarrassment, and he, too, found his tongue tied itself in knots.

...

Xingxing fell silent.

Although she didn't know what was happening, she had a feeling she shouldn't be there right now and should leave instead.

Xingxing made a quick decision: "I just remembered I left something outside. I'll be right back."

With that, she headed straight for the door—opening it, stepping out, and closing it behind her in one swift move!

She didn’t forget to instruct the guards stationed at her courtyard entrance: "Don’t let anyone in this courtyard, no matter who it is, understand?"

The guards were all brought by Xingxing and were loyal only to her. They responded in unison, looking every bit the dependable guards.

Xingxing nodded in satisfaction, clasped her hands behind her back, and went to relax at a nearby pavilion.

By the time she returned, Yu Yonggui had already left.

Qing Shuang sat quietly, lost in thought.

Xingxing’s stomach dropped. She cautiously moved closer to Qing Shuang, unsure of the current situation.

Qing Shuang shifted her gaze to Xingxing, looking troubled. "My lady..."

Xingxing let out a nervous "Ah" and grew tense herself. "Sister Qing Shuang..."

Qing Shuang sighed, her expression still troubled. "Your fourth brother said he’d take me to see his mother after we return."

"!!!" Xingxing appeared calm on the surface, but inside, she was nearly jumping for joy.

Unless something went wrong, Sister Qing Shuang was about to become her fourth brother’s wife!

Unlike Xingxing’s grinning from ear to ear, Qing Shuang seemed rather worried.

After laughing for a while, Xingxing noticed this and plopped down affectionately beside Qing Shuang. "Sister Qing Shuang, why do you look so concerned? Don’t worry, my Second Aunt is very kind."

Qing Shuang had met Bai Xiaofeng while recovering at the Yu residence.

She knew Bai Xiaofeng was warm and blunt and not difficult to get along with.

But the problem was...

"...Didn’t I almost kill your fourth brother before?" Qing Shuang sighed. "Wasn’t your Second Aunt furious with the killer back then?"

Unable to help herself, Qing Shuang sighed again.

If she had known things would turn out like this, she would’ve pulled her strike that day.

Xingxing let out an "Ah" and thought for a moment. "It’s really not a problem. My Second Aunt was really worried about Fourth Brother’s marriage prospects before. If she finds out he’s landed someone as beautiful as you, Sister Qing Shuang, she wouldn’t care even if you’d nearly killed him—hell, if you wanted to give him a whack now, she’d probably hand you the rope herself."

Qing Shuang blinked in disbelief. "Really?"

"Okay, maybe that’s a tiny bit exaggerated," Xingxing held her thumb and forefinger an inch apart to demonstrate, "but it’s pretty close! In any case, Sister Qing Shuang, you really don’t need to worry at all!"

With Xingxing’s reassurance, Qing Shuang’s shoulders loosened and she began quietly wiping down her blade.

Watching Qing Shuang lower her head to clean her long sword, Xingxing couldn’t help but marvel to herself.

Her fourth brother had truly hit the jackpot.

Such a beautiful and skilled warrior!

Just some pastries and a hairpin, and he managed to charm her into becoming his wife!

She couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy at his good fortune!

...

The next day, just as Xingxing finished her breakfast, a servant girl came to announce that Miss Luo had arrived.

Xingxing exchanged a glance with Qing Shuang.

The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Xingxing spoke up, "Please invite Miss Luo in."

Led by the maid, Luo Qingrou entered the room with graceful steps.

Today, she wore a pale blue gauze dress with a Shu brocade sash cinched at her slender waist, accentuating her delicate figure and full bust.

Even Xingxing couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.

After entering, Luo Qingrou lowered her head shyly, her face flushed. "Yesterday, I was drunk. Though I drank sobering tonic afterward, I still behaved improperly. This morning, when I fully sobered up and recalled my behavior, I felt so embarrassed I couldn’t sit still. That’s why I hurried over to apologize to you, My Lady..."

As she spoke, Luo Qingrou raised her crimson face and murmured, "My Lady..."

Xingxing smiled. "Miss Luo, there’s no need to be so cautious. We already said yesterday that it was fine."

Luo Qingrou’s eyes brimmed with gratitude. "My Lady is so kind."

Xingxing chuckled but said nothing more.

Xingxing's plans for the day was a trip to Yuting Mountain outside the city for sightseeing.

Among the rolling mountains outside Anjiang City, Yuting Mountain stood like a graceful maiden nestled among the peaks, hence its name, "Jade Maiden Mountain."

Moreover, at some point, folklore had it that unmarried girls who climbed Yuting Mountain would grow up graceful and find a good marriage. As a result, it was quite popular among the maidens of Anjiang.

When unmarried maidens gathered for outings, nine out of ten times, they chose Yuting Mountain.

Since Xingxing had come under the guise of "sightseeing," Yuting Mountain naturally became the first stop on her itinerary after arriving in Anjiang.

Among the three young ladies Xingxing had selected as companions, aside from Luo Qingrou, who had arrived early at her courtyard, one was the Scribe's daughter, Qiu Yuansang, aged sixteen and already promised in marriage—she was just waiting for her fiancé to pass the imperial exams next year before marrying.

The third was An Zhenzhen, the daughter of a prominent local noble family.

With these three lovely young ladies accompanying Xingxing in the carriage, the carriage seemed to glow with their presence.

In truth, back when Xingxing went by Feng Yongyong, she had once met Qiu Yuansang, the Scribe's daughter. Back then, the Magistrate's wife, Madam Luo, had hosted a banquet and invited "Feng Yongyong" to visit. At the time, Scribe's Wife Jiang had brought her daughter Qiu Yuansang along as company.

Back then, Qiu Yuansang had been rather cool toward Xingxing—not outright ignoring her, but certainly not with any warmth.

Now, however, Qiu Yuansang seemed like a completely different person. She was witty and humorous, keeping the conversation lively with her clever remarks. Even Xingxing couldn’t help but laugh several times.

The carriage was filled with laughter throughout the journey.

An Zhenzhen, meanwhile, was half a year younger than Xingxing, all innocence and simplicity.

Luo Qingrou, on the other hand, tended to Xingxing with quiet, thoughtful care—far more meticulous than Qing Shuang, the makeshift lady's maid. If not for Xingxing’s sharp eye, she might not even have noticed Luo Qingrou’s quiet ministrations.

However, once Xingxing noticed and her gaze lingered on Luo Qingrou, Qiu Yuansang naturally took notice too.

Qiu Yuansang covered her lips with a hand and chuckled, "Sister Luo drank in the princess's stead yesterday, and today she’s taking such meticulous care of her. It’s clear her devotion to the princess is genuine."

Though the words were kind, there was a subtle sarcasm to them that couldn’t be ignored.

Luo Qingrou, however, seemed oblivious. She smiled bashfully and said, "Sister Qiu, don’t tease me. I drank too much yesterday and made a spectacle of myself. Were it not for the princess’s grace, I wouldn’t have the face to see any of you today."

As she spoke, she cast another grateful glance at Xingxing.

"The princess has been so good to me, and I feel I ought to show my gratitude somehow," Luo Qingrou said, her cheeks flushing with shyness. "But I truly have nothing remarkable to offer—unlike Sister Qiu, who’s sharp-tongued and clever, or Sister An, who’s so innocent and sweet. All I can do is attend to the princess in small ways."

Hearing this, Qiu Yuansang couldn’t very well say more. She smiled and picked up the teapot from the carriage’s small table, pouring Luo Qingrou a cup. "Oh, Sister Luo, you flatter me too much. Here, have some tea to wet your whistle."

With that, the subject was closed.

Xingxing said nothing, instead parting the carriage curtain to glance outside. "…The scenery of Yuting Mountain is quite unlike anything I’ve passed along the way."

Qiu Yuansang smiled and explained, "The princess has a keen eye. Yuting Mountain’s unusual formation, riddled with gullies, creates a distinctive landscape. The trees here include not only local varieties but also some from the northern marches and even the southern jungles. This mix makes it quite unlike other mountains."

Xingxing nodded with a smile.

They stopped by a stream along the way for a short rest.

As a princess, Xingxing might have wanted to dangle her feet in the water, but since neither Luo Qingrou, Qiu Yuansang, nor even the youngest, An Zhenzhen, showed any interest in doing so, she decided against it—for fear of standing out. Instead, she simply crouched by the stream with the others, dabbling her fingers in the water.

Just as they were about to leave, the sound of approaching hooves and boisterous young voices echoed from the nearby mountain path. A group of riders was passing by.

Noticing Xingxing’s slight pause at the noise, Qiu Yuansang leaned in to explain, "That must be the Green Mountain Poetry Society. They often gather in scenic spots to compose verses. If I recall correctly, they were supposed to meet at the summit of Luoshen Mountain these days. They must be passing through."

Xingxing nodded.

However, as their carriage continued uphill toward Yuting Mountain’s peak, the same group of young men doubled back. The sound of hooves grew louder, suggesting they intended to overtake the carriage and head for the summit as well.

Qiu Yuansang gave a startled "Oh?" and turned to Xingxing. "Princess, wait a moment. Let me ask where they’re headed."

She lifted the carriage curtain and called out to a familiar face among the riders, "Young Master Ning!"

The young man pulled up his horse and approached. "Ah, isn’t this Second Miss Qiu? Are you also heading to Yuting Mountain’s peak?"

Qiu Yuansang smiled. "Yes. What about you? I thought you were going to Luoshen Mountain?"

"Ah, don’t ask," Young Master Ning sighed. "We went there, but recent heavy rains swelled the streams to flooding. The only path to Luoshen Mountain’s summit was washed out completely. Since we were already out, we decided to come here instead."

He paused, then added hesitantly, "Ah, Second Miss Qiu, if you’re also going… might we be intruding?"

Young Master Ning was clearly perceptive. The carriage was far beyond what Qiu Yuansang’s standing would warrant—meaning a far loftier personage must be inside.

And who else in Anjiang City these days could be so esteemed?

The realization struck him immediately.

Princess Fusui must be in the carriage!

Hence his cautious question: Would their presence be an issue?

Qiu Yuansang, of course, wasn’t at liberty to decide.

"One moment," she said, lowering the curtain and turning to Xingxing. Under her breath, she asked, "Princess, what do you think?"

An Zhenzhen pouted. "Honestly! We chose Yuting Mountain first! They can pick another mountain. Their poetry gatherings are so noisy—let’s not let them ruin our trip."