Chapter 30 The Gathering

Chapter 30 The Gathering

The bustling environment seemed to instantly quiet down as Liang Yun stepped in.

Even the cicadas outside the window could be heard clearly.

Ying Shi, peering through the crowd of female relatives, could only see Liang Yun's back.

His posture was straight and upright, like a towering green mountain.

The men entered one by one.

Liang Zhi followed his father Liang Ting, entering one after the other, along with two previously unseen Cui family nephews.

Duke Mu's second son, Liang Ting, was in his forties and currently serving as a secretary in the imperial court. The Liang family's children were trained in both martial arts and literature from a young age. Liang Zhi was tall and sturdy, while his father, Liang Ting, was slender with a lean face. Wearing a dark blue robe, he entered and respectfully greeted the elderly lady.

The two Cui family nephews, dressed in wide-sleeved robes, were tall and dignified.

The elderly lady hadn't seen these two grandnephews in many years. Seeing Cui Da, she asked, "I heard your wife had a daughter last month? Your mother kept it quiet; I wouldn't have known if she hadn't mentioned it."

Hearing this, Cui Da blushed and nodded.

Lady Cui pretended to be modest, "It's just a girl, no need to trouble you, dear aunt. If it were a grandson, we would have told you. But she's fair and well-behaved, weighing eight pounds."

The elderly lady smiled, eager to hold a great-grandchild. Even a granddaughter would be a joy.

"First the flower, then the fruit. What more could you want?" She glanced at Liang Yun and Liang Zhi.

Liang Zhi quickly lowered his eyes under the elderly lady's gaze, while Liang Yun seemed oblivious.

Miss Cui Eleven surrounded Liang Yun. Despite his cold demeanor, she showed no fear. Charming and sweet-tongued, she engaged Liang Yun in conversation without ignoring Liang Zhi, asking both cousins questions.

When Liang Yun showed no interest in playing chess, she wasn't upset.

She smiled and said, "Second cousin knows my childhood name is Yan Yan, and Ninth Sister's is Bao Zhu. But does Big Cousin know?"

Liang Yun, focused on his teacup, said indifferently, "I'm older, so I know your elder brothers better."

Though he said familiar, it wasn't exactly true.

The Cui and Liang families lived over five hundred miles apart, mostly exchanging gifts and greetings during festivals. Later, several Cui cousins became court officials, and they grew closer.

As for the female cousins, he barely remembered them.

These two cousins seemed very young to him, and he saw them as juniors...

Miss Cui Eleven continued, "I remember several cousins. They say Big Cousin is like a wooden stake, Second Cousin has a bad temper..."

This caused everyone to burst into laughter.

The elderly lady turned and smiled, "You've just come from court, so you must be hungry. It's getting late, let's set up the meal so the family can eat early."

With that, the bustle in the outer hall came to an end.

Everyone stood up and walked around the screen to the main hall.

In the main hall, jade bead curtains were already drawn, and two rows of tables were set up.

The corridors on both sides were brightly lit, with cloud-robed maids holding wine cups and towels standing on one side.

Golden wine vessels and jade cups, clusters of candied fruits, and high-tiered sticky sweets decorated the table, along with various wines, rice wine, and beautifully arranged fruits, all arranged amidst the admiration of famous flowers.

After three rounds of toasts, the sky gradually darkened.

The men were engaged in lively discussions and toasts at the banquet, while the women chatted among themselves.

Ying Shi couldn't stand the oppressive atmosphere inside and, taking advantage of being unnoticed in a corner, went outside alone to get some fresh air. She walked along the deserted corridor, heading to a secluded spot, planning to wait quietly until the banquet was almost over before returning.

Unexpectedly, as she stood alone in the corridor, she soon heard an argument behind her.

It was Lady Cui, who had come all the way from Boling, thinking she had found a secluded spot, berating Miss Cui Jiu.

"Your eldest cousin is so rarely seen, and when it's your turn to speak, you can't even match half of your sister's wit! Why do you stand there like a statue, watching others talk? Why don't you start a conversation with your eldest cousin? How do you expect to marry into the Duke's household like this?"

"What can I do? Eleventh sister is naturally prettier! How could men not like her? Besides, didn't you say earlier that she's not as steady or as well-suited as I am, and that Grandaunt would never let her become the eldest cousin's wife? She was just there as a formality! Now you're blaming me again!" Miss Cui Jiu's voice was muffled, likely due to the dignity of her family, and today's humiliation was the most disgraceful thing she had ever done.

Lady Cui, furious, began hitting Miss Cui Jiu's arm, "You fool! If your eleventh sister catches the Duke's eye, do you think your grandaunt could stop it? When she steps over you, will you be happy?"

Ying Shi watched as the two seemed to argue more fiercely, sighing at her own misfortune to always encounter such situations.

She quickly changed her path and found an even more secluded pavilion, pushing the door open and stepping inside without hesitation.

Unexpectedly, upon opening the door, she saw a familiar figure sitting behind a sandalwood table under the dim wall lamp.

Liang Yun knelt beside the wall lamp, resting his head on his hand, his eyes slightly lowered, the candlelight behind him unable to illuminate his deep gaze.

Ying Shi could only see his straight and tall nose and forehead.

His hair was very black, almost blending into the ink color.

Under the dim wall lamp, Liang Yun, who seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, slightly opened his eyes and lazily looked towards her.

Ying Shi could already smell the alcohol on him before she got close—his usually cold eyes were completely different today, looking at her with an indescribable haze.

Even... Ying Shi seemed to see a subtle hint of desire in them...

Was Liang Yun... drunk?

Ying Shi was startled by her own thoughts, feeling uneasy and stepping back, her thin shoulders pressing against the cold door behind her.

She was scared.

Scared of him like this in the deep night.

She turned to open the door and leave, but suddenly heard a low, hoarse voice from behind, a sound that seemed to vibrate from the man's throat.

"Is the banquet over?"

Ying Shi quickly shook her head, "No, I just came out for some fresh air..."

She saw Liang Yun close his eyes again, his throat producing a hoarse "Hmm," and then there was no further conversation.

Ying Shi felt the atmosphere between them was strange, making her very uncomfortable.

They had been alone together before, but it had never made her feel as uneasy as today.

Perhaps he was really drunk, completely drunk!

Ying Shi was still a distance away from him but could already smell the alcohol on him.

It was very strange. If everyone had a different temperature, then Liang Yun must be cold, aloof, and indifferent. Ying Shi always felt that men with such a temperament were not the type to drink.

He seemed to be of a different kind compared to the rough, burly men Ying Shi had seen, who would turn red in the face, their necks bulging and voices booming after getting drunk.

The women’s tables likely had light wine, but the men’s tables were not so, and they loved toasting and pressuring each other to drink, one cup after another. Back and forth, many ended up heavily drunk.

Ying Shi was thinking this when she suddenly saw Liang Yun open his eyes again, and those eyes seemed more alert.

In an instant, he got up to leave, planning to leave the space to her.

Unexpectedly, Ying Shi was a step faster than him. She said, "Brother, you’re drunk, stay here. I’ll go out instead."

With that, she turned to leave, but before she could push the door open, she felt a warm sensation at the tip of her nose, as if something had slipped down.

Ying Shi reached out to touch it, and a warm, vivid red smear appeared on the back of her hand, such a striking color.

She was very afraid of blood. The moment she saw that color, she nearly went limp. Fortunately, she used the last bit of her rationality to control her weak body, leaning on the doorframe and slowly crouching down.

Yes, that's right. When she had a nosebleed as a child, Gui Niang said to tilt her head upward, and the bleeding would stop.

Ying Shi remembered and hurriedly tilted her head back high.

But not only was this of no use, it also caused the nosebleed to trickle down her slender throat and spread throughout her mouth.

In an instant, the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, every corner of it.

Ying Shi was so frightened that her lips slightly parted, her face full of panic, and she frantically searched for her handkerchief.

But Liang Yun had suddenly sobered up, his wide sleeves fluttering as he strode towards her.

He faced her, crouching down slowly, mirroring her posture.

He was tall and broad, so even though Ying Shi was right in front of him, he still seemed to be looking down at her.

Under the warm, dim light, her strikingly delicate and alluring features—his gaze shifted from her dark, bright eyes to her pink lips and teeth, her slightly parted lips, between her pearly teeth, lightly smeared with traces of blood.

"What's wrong with you..." Liang Yun's expression gradually turned cold, and without waiting for her answer, he continued to question her, "What did you just eat?"

Judging by his serious tone, he clearly suspected that Ying Shi had been poisoned.

Ying Shi quickly shook her head and whispered an explanation, "That..."

"Don't speak, I'll call someone over." His voice was tense, and he was about to stand up.

Ying Shi's fingertips quickly grasped his sleeve, and in a moment of carelessness, the uncoagulated blood on the back of her hand smeared onto his moon-white sleeve.

A crimson stain slowly spread out around it, like a red bean, causing his heart to tremble violently.

Ying Shi opened her lips in confusion, those lips stained with specks of scarlet, making her even more radiant.

"I'm fine..."

Her voice was soft, gentle and delicate, with a subtle hint of peach blossom scent between her lips and teeth, "Perhaps it's just a bit overheated..."