Chapter 57

Chapter 57

The South Garden of the Duke's Estate.

Ye Cheng, adorned in a jade-green, wide-sleeved robe and a gold-embroidered pleated skirt, sat poised before her dressing table as the matron of honor styled her hair. With a sudden, furious gesture, she flung down the rhinoceros-horn comb.

"What is she doing here? Knowing full well that today is my wedding day, a divorced woman like her dares to attend the banquet—isn’t she deliberately trying to bring me bad luck? I’ll go confront her right now!"

Ye Cheng gathered her skirt, intending to rush out, but her abrupt movement caused her hairpins to sway and her jade ornaments to chime.

Her personal maid, Qingjin, quickly stepped in front of her. "Miss, you mustn’t go! Today you are the bride—it’s inauspicious for outsiders to see you before the ceremony."

Hearing this, Ye Cheng hesitated. "Then what should we do? Just let her show up and vex me like this?"

"Fortunately, she is only observing among the guests and won’t enter the bridal chamber. She won’t interfere with your good fortune, Miss."

Only then did Ye Cheng relax slightly.

"Miss, let’s continue with your makeup. We mustn’t miss the auspicious hour," the matron of honor urged with a smile.

Ye Cheng’s temper subsided a little, and she returned to her seat. "I almost forgot the main event. Mother is truly something—why on earth did she send an invitation to her? Does she still think she’s the same Ye Shuang from three years ago?"

The memory of their encounter at the flower-viewing banquet still unsettled Ye Cheng.

"Madam merely wished to elevate your standing," Qingjin said, glancing at Ye Cheng through the mirror.

"Elevate my standing? She just wanted to vent her own frustrations. She’s always lived in others' shadows since she was young, so she thinks I must excel in everything, fearing I’ll fall behind. She even wanted my marriage to outshine others, but then Ye Shuang ended up marrying the Marquis of Yongding, who stands second only to the emperor—that drove her mad with anxiety."

"Speaking of this, it infuriates me. Originally, this marriage was meant for you, Miss, but Ye Shuang snatched it away! And in the end, she still ended up divorced," Qingjin said indignantly.

"It’s her own fault for being so useless. Such a good marriage, and she divorced in less than a year. If it weren’t for that, Mother wouldn’t even have approved of my current marriage!"

"But thankfully, your new husband is also quite remarkable. I heard he is highly favored by Prince Jing and was once the Marquis’s lieutenant. I’m sure you’ll be blessed with endless happiness, Miss!"

Ye Cheng fixed the comb in her hair, but there was no pride on her face. "I don’t really care. Mother used to despise Ye Shuang so much, yet in the end, she still had to rely on her connections to secure my future. The crumbs from her table are enough to outweigh years of our scheming. To me, saving face is the least important thing."

Qingjin quickly agreed and added a few more flattering remarks, which lifted Ye Cheng’s spirits. Soon, she remembered something else.

"Has Pei Shu arrived? Why hasn’t she come to see me in my room?"

Qingjin replied, "I haven’t seen Miss Pei yet."

Ye Cheng frowned. "She should have been here by now. Even Ye Shuang has arrived, but she’s still not here."

Qingjin speculated, "Perhaps something delayed her."

"I hope she doesn’t miss it," Ye Cheng murmured to herself.

The dressing table faced the window, and the scent of gardenia blossoms drifted in from time to time, rich and fragrant—a sign that early summer had arrived.

Since it was a daughter’s wedding, the main ceremony was held at the Liu residence, but Lady Xu, wanting to make a grand display, also arranged an elaborate farewell banquet at the Duke’s estate. To an outsider, it might have seemed as though they were hosting a son-in-law moving in.

Ye Shuang stood at the entrance of her former home, watching her father and stepmother fume with anger, secretly amused.

"You... you unfilial daughter!" Ye Hongyuan pointed a trembling finger at her, too furious to speak coherently.

"Father, what do you mean? It’s precisely because I care for you that I chose to return today. I thought there might not be any spare chambers in the mansion for me to stay, so I’ve been living outside these past few days. Now that my sister is getting married, the rooms must be vacant. I can move back in and keep you company. You’re getting older, Father, and if anything happens, I’ll be here to attend to you."

The onlookers, hearing that they had taken their daughter’s room, couldn’t help but mutter among themselves.

Lady Xu, embarrassed, pasted on a smile to cover her discomfort. "Child, mind your words!"

"Concubine Xu, are my old belongings still here? If they’re gone, I’ll have someone replace them."

"What did you call me?" Lady Xu’s voice turned shrill, sharp with agitation.

"...Oh, I forgot. You were once the concubine of this household, and I’m so used to addressing you that way. It’s hard to change the habit."

Lady Xu blinked her large eyes, watching Ye Shuang put on an act without batting an eyelid. She had been the principal wife for nearly twenty years—how could this be a matter of habit?

Ye Hongyuan’s face turned all the colors of the rainbow after hearing her words. He was about to lose his temper when he noticed the growing crowd of guests blocked at the entrance by Ye Shuang. If the commotion continued, half the street would come to watch the spectacle. He had no choice but to pacify the situation.

"Enough, this is a family matter. Let’s discuss it inside. No need to air our grievances in public."

Upon hearing that Ye Shuang was to be allowed inside, Lady Xu immediately objected, complaining, "My lord, this won’t do!"

"Did you not hear me? Let her in!"

Seeing Ye Hongyuan’s anger, Lady Xu dared not argue further. Though the thought of Ye Shuang moving back made her grind her teeth, today was Ye Cheng’s wedding day, and she couldn’t afford to make a scene.

It was the first time Ye Shuang had seen Lady Xu so flustered in her presence. She smirked to herself and said lightly, "Don’t worry, I was only pulling your leg. I have no intention of moving back."

Lady Xu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, which Ye Shuang noted with satisfaction.

She snorted coldly and resumed her usual haughty demeanor.

As Ye Shuang stepped forward to enter the mansion, Lady Xu, who should have made way for her, remembered that Ye Shuang was no longer the Marchioness of Yongding and held her ground.

Ye Shuang had anticipated this and did not yield. She stopped and cast a cold glance at Lady Xu.

The look carried a piercing coldness that Lady Xu had never seen before. A chill ran down her spine, and she instinctively took a step back.

A faint smile curled Ye Shuang’s lips, though it seemed more like a sneer than a smile.

As they passed each other, Lady Xu heard her whisper softly, "Remember, this is only the beginning."

Lady Xu was stunned. She looked up in panic and met a pair of icy eyes. An inexplicable fear stirred within her. The sudden surge of hatred in that gaze was so overwhelming that she instinctively wanted to avoid Ye Shuang’s stare.

Just as she was about to break under the pressure, Ye Shuang retracted the sharpness in her eyes, forced a perfunctory smile, and turned to enter.

For a long time, Lady Xu could not shake the image of that slender form from her mind. A sense of unease gnawed at her. The person who had arrived today was no longer the defenseless girl she had driven away years ago.

Ye Hongyuan finally cupped his hands and smiled apologetically at the guests. "Sorry about that family drama. Please, come in and enjoy the banquet."

Most of the guests were court dignitaries, skilled at smoothing over embarrassments and playing dumb. They acted as if nothing had happened, and went right back to offering congratulations and presents.

Among the crowd, a figure in navy blue stood for a long time. Xiao Lin had arrived early but had not stepped forward.

Xiao Yin, standing beside him, couldn’t help but ask, "Marquis, why didn’t you stand up for your wife?"

"The situation just now wasn't my place to intervene."

Xiao Lin’s expression carried a trace of concern.

Xiao Yin glanced at him several times, puzzled.

Xiao Lin’s gaze darkened as he let out a soft sigh. "At this point, I don’t even know what distance I should keep from her."

From nearby, someone snorted coldly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Stop kidding yourself. You just don’t want to offend others for her sake, and you’re quite good at making excuses for yourself."

Xiao Yin glanced past Xiao Lin and saw that the speaker was Pei Yu, dressed in a moon-white robe, who had also been invited today.

Xiao Lin had no intention of arguing with him but didn’t want to appear weak either. He turned to look at him and said, "If I recall correctly, Advisor Pei also arrived early. Why didn’t you step forward to play the hero and rescue the damsel?"

Pei Yu stammered, caught off guard, "I... I didn’t want her to face gossip." Then, catching himself, he added, "Why should I explain myself to you!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left to present his congratulatory gift.

Xiao Lin followed shortly after to offer his gift, and the two entered the residence one after the other.

As Ye Shuang entered the courtyard, the guests who had earlier gathered at the entrance quickly dispersed, gathering in small groups and pretending not to notice her. Yet, as she passed by, they all cast prying looks her way.

Ye Shuang pretended not to notice and made her way to the women’s seating area, casually taking a seat.

The women were whispering incessantly among themselves, discussing why Ye Shuang had come. Some didn’t even bother to hide their curiosity, talking openly in hushed tones in front of her and occasionally glancing in her direction.

Wen Xiang, seeing all this, was outraged for Ye Shuang. "These people are going too far. How can you not be angry, Miss?"

Ye Shuang smiled wryly and glanced toward the courtyard gate, where Pei Yu and Xiao Lin were entering one after the other.

"Since I decided to come today, I expected this. It doesn’t affect me anyway, so why should I care?"

As she spoke, Ye Shuang averted her eyes and casually turned around, picking up a handful of pine nuts from the table. She had no intention of eating them, merely fiddling with them absently.

"Miss, the Marquis has arrived, and Master Pei has also come in."

Ye Shuang responded with a quiet acknowledgment. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a moon-white robe and estimated that Pei Yu was approaching. She turned as if noticing him for the first time and greeted him.

Pei Yu nodded in return and gestured to indicate he was heading to the men’s seating area.

Ye Shuang nodded again.

She withdrew her gaze once more and continued toying with the pine nuts, seemingly becoming interested in the patterns on the tablecloth and lowering her head to study them intently.

It wasn’t until a navy-blue robe appeared beside the table and Wen Xiang curtsied to its owner that Ye Shuang finally looked up.

Sensing that the figure hadn’t moved away, Ye Shuang shifted her gaze, though not toward him but toward the fruits on the banquet table. She pointed to a plate of fruits in the distance and asked Wen Xiang, "Wen Xiang, is that plate over there candied carved fruits?"

Wen Xiang glanced uncertainly at Xiao Lin, who remained unfazed, then carefully examined the plate of candied fruits before replying to Ye Shuang, "Yes, Miss."

Since Ye Shuang was the only one at the table, Wen Xiang added, "Would you like some, Miss? I can bring it closer to you."

Before Ye Shuang could respond, a hand reached past Wen Xiang, picked up the plate of candied fruits, and placed it in front of Ye Shuang.

Without looking at him, Ye Shuang said, "Oh, I was just asking casually. I thought I might try some, but now I’ve suddenly lost my appetite. In fact, I feel a bit nauseated. Wen Xiang, please move it farther away for me."

Xiao Lin, still holding the edge of the plate, paused awkwardly, unsure whether to pick it up or set it down.

Wen Xiang took the plate from his hands and returned it to its original place.

Xiao Lin hovered uncertainly for a moment, seemingly wanting to say something, but just then, someone recognized him and called out from afar.

"Xiao Lin, come over here! That’s the women’s seating area. Your seat is here."

The voice was familiar—clearly Liu Zhiang’s "friendly" reminder.

Seeing Ye Shuang’s attitude, Xiao Lin finally made his way to the men’s seating area.

After he left, Ye Shuang raised her head and watched the navy-blue figure retreat into the distance. She narrowed her eyes slightly and finally allowed a faint, barely-there smile to curl her lips.

The wedding banquet would officially begin only after the bride departed. As the appointed time approached, most of the guests had taken their seats when Ye Cheng, dressed and ready, emerged and waited at the entrance.

However, the groom’s procession was running late. Ye Hongyuan had already sent two groups of people to the Liu residence to inquire, but there was no response. As the auspicious time was about to pass, Xu Shi was growing frantic, and the guests couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.

Ye Shuang hadn’t expected such a situation either and was equally puzzled. Some guests began to speculate quietly that the groom might be getting cold feet.

Ye Cheng, tired from standing, had taken a seat at an empty spot not far away and naturally overheard the discussions. Humiliated and furious, she tore off her veil and rushed over to Ye Shuang.

"Was it you?!"

Ye Shuang was startled. "What does this have to do with me?"

"It must be you! Even if it wasn’t your idea, you’re involved somehow. You were divorced, and now you come to my wedding to jinx my wedding! It must be because you’ve offended the wedding’s auspicious energy!"

As she spoke, Ye Cheng grabbed a small ceramic plate from the table and raised her hand to throw it at Ye Shuang.

A hand gripped her wrist tightly. Before Ye Cheng could react, Ye Shuang raised her other hand and slapped her cheek.