A young lady?

Qin Wenyuan’s heart stirred as he asked the server: “Was that young lady a regular customer?”

The server shook his head: “That young lady was an unfamiliar face.”

“A new customer, yet you have a deep impression?”

The server chuckled: “That young lady was extremely beautiful.”

“Can you describe that young lady’s appearance?” Before the server could hesitate, Qin Wenyuan set down another piece of broken silver.

The server immediately cast hesitation to the back of his mind and carefully described: “That young lady had very fair skin, an oval face, and when she smiled, her eyes were like crescent moons…”

Qin Wenyuan listened patiently, silently taking note.

“Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. This is a reward for you.” Qin Wenyuan left a corner of silver and rose to leave the teahouse.

Standing on the main street again, Qin Wenyuan expressionlessly watched the passing pedestrians.

Those people’s faces were very blurred in his eyes, but deeply engraved in his mind was the image of the young lady the teahouse server had described.

“Young Master, where are you going?” Seeing Qin Wenyuan suddenly lift his foot to walk in a direction, the young servant asked.

“Just walking around.” Qin Wenyuan said casually.

A young lady who came alone to the teahouse to drink tea on the lively day of the Top Scholar’s parade through the streets, drinking tea in a private room whose window directly faced the bookshop entrance.

This made Qin Wenyuan unable to help but suspect this young lady was suspicious.

Because he hadn’t been able to inquire any useful information over the past several days, it even made him more willing to believe this young lady was the clue.

His close friend’s spirit in heaven giving him a hint.

“Young Master—”

Qin Wenyuan came back to his senses, only then discovering he had unknowingly walked to the vicinity of the Earl of Huai’an’s household.

“Qingyan.”

“Young Master, your command.”

Qin Wenyuan walked a few steps in the direction opposite to the Earl of Huai’an’s household, asking as he walked: “Have you ever seen the eldest young lady of the Earl of Huai’an’s household?”

The young servant was startled, somewhat confused: “This humble one has never seen her.”

“How could one get to see her…” Qin Wenyuan murmured.

Rather than asking the young servant, these words were more like talking to himself.

The young servant was a loyal one. Although he felt his young master’s thoughts were somewhat strange, he still replied: “Perhaps at some banquets there might be opportunities to see her, or pay attention to when the eldest young lady of the Earl of Huai’an’s household goes out—”

Qin Wenyuan abruptly stopped.

“Young Master?”

Qin Wenyuan nodded approvingly: “Not bad. Miss Chen will eventually go out.”

Chen Yi would naturally go out.

Having encountered such a vexing matter, two close friends invited her to go play in the outskirts to ease her mood.

“Chen Yi, it’s wonderful that you could come out.” The young lady speaking was named Zhu Jiayu, from the Earl of Yichun’s household.

The other young lady had family status comparable to the two, surnamed Tao, with the single given name Qing.

Chen Yi smiled: “Just because I broke off the betrothal means I can’t go out?”

“No, I was worried you wouldn’t be in the mood to go out.” Seeing her friend’s complexion was still good, Zhu Jiayu’s tone became relaxed.

“My mood is quite good.” Chen Yi’s brows and eyes were relaxed, her manner of speaking carrying a bit more composure than usual. “I was just thinking of discussing with you both—for going out to play today, I’d like to invite Second Miss Lin.”

“Lin Hao from the General’s household?” Tao Qing’s face revealed surprise.

Zhu Jiayu was also somewhat puzzled: “Chen Yi, since when have you and Second Miss Lin been on such good terms?”

“Perhaps it’s fate.”

Zhu Jiayu gently pushed her: “How did you become so mysterious?”

“Don’t you two believe in this matter of fate between people? Some people bring joy at first sight, some people bring disgust at first sight.” Chen Yi linked arms with her two close friends. “Second Miss Lin is an especially good person. If you spend time with her, you’ll definitely come to like her.”

“Since you’ve said so, then we’ll try spending time together.”

Seeing her two close friends didn’t object, Chen Yi sent an accompanying maid to the General’s household to pass the message, while the three of them each got into blue-curtained carriages and headed for the outskirts.

Lin Hao received the message just as she was preparing to go shopping with her mother and elder sister.

“Mother, a friend invited me to go on an outing.”

Lin Shi immediately became curious: “What friend?”

“Just young ladies from a few noble households, whom I met at the County Princess’s birthday banquet that time.”

Lin Shi felt relieved and even urged: “Then hurry and pack your things to go. Don’t keep them waiting long.”

On the road to the silver shop, Lin Shi was both happy and emotional: “Your younger sister has also made good friends.”

Lin Chan was also happy for Lin Hao: “Second Sister treats people sincerely. In the future, she’ll make even more friends.”

While Lin Hao was on the road to the outskirts, the three including Chen Yi had already arrived.

The sky was azure blue, white clouds leisurely drifting. On the grassy ground thick cushions were laid out, with green gauze curtains hung up.

The three sat together, eating snacks and chatting idly.

“Second Miss Lin will probably take a while longer to arrive. Sitting is boring—let’s fly kites.” Zhu Jiayu suggested.

Tao Qing was somewhat hesitant: “A’Yu, you even brought kites, but isn’t this season not quite suitable for flying kites?”

People of the time were particular about flying kites in spring, whereas now it was already mid-summer.

Zhu Jiayu had a more lively temperament and said indifferently: “There’s no one else here. Besides, even if someone sees us, flying kites doesn’t violate any laws. Chen Yi, what do you say?”

Chen Yi smiled: “If A’Yu wants to fly kites, then let’s fly them. What does it matter if it doesn’t bother others?”

“You see, even Chen Yi says so.” Zhu Jiayu went smiling to fetch the kites.

Tao Qing turned her head to look at Chen Yi.

“What is it?” Chen Yi asked with a smile.

“I just feel…” Tao Qing shook her head. “I can’t quite say.”

Her friend had changed somewhat, and this kind of change seemed to make spending time together feel more comfortable.

“Chen Yi, Qing’er, come quickly!” Zhu Jiayu called out while running and holding the kite.

Chen Yi reached out to pull Tao Qing up, and the two ran toward Zhu Jiayu together.

Not far away, a corner of blue clothing hem showing, Qin Wenyuan stood quietly behind a tree, his gaze heavily pursuing the three laughing young ladies.

He now already knew that the young lady wearing the lotus-pink dress and jacket was the eldest young lady of the Earl of Huai’an’s household, Chen Yi.

She had a beautiful appearance and fair skin, but it differed from what the teahouse server had described.

Beyond disappointment, Qin Wenyuan’s chest was filled with rage.

His close friend’s bones were not yet cold, yet the woman who had broken the betrothal with him was this happy, even displaying more outward joy than those young ladies from good families he usually saw, without a trace of gloom from breaking off the betrothal.

Qin Wenyuan’s hand gripping the tree trunk clenched into a fist, his eyes blazing with fire.

On the official road, the regular sound of turning carriage wheels drew closer and closer. Qin Wenyuan heard the movement and glanced over.

A small blue-curtained carriage stopped by the roadside, and a round-faced maid jumped down.

The round-faced maid turned sideways and extended her hand, supporting a green-skirted young lady down from the carriage.

The master and servant pair walked toward the three young ladies running on the grassy ground.

Qin Wenyuan stared intently at the green-skirted young lady.

Outstanding beauty, fair skin…

“A’Hao, you’ve come.” Chen Yi saw Lin Hao and quickly walked over to greet her.

Lin Hao smiled gently: “Sorry for coming late. You’re flying kites, I see.”

Qin Wenyuan’s eyes suddenly contracted.

When she smiled, her eyes were like crescent moons!

It was her—the young lady who watched the spectacle from the teahouse across from the bookshop was her!

Qin Wenyuan stared at the backs of Lin Hao and Chen Yi walking arm-in-arm side by side, his face covered with dark clouds, but in his heart it was as if light had dispersed the fog, becoming clear and bright.

So it turned out the green-dressed young lady and Miss Chen were friends.