The wedding banquet gradually dispersed, and the lively Yuhua Pavilion finally returned to its usual state.

Ji Yinshu wanted to wait for Jingrong to return to Zhuxi Garden together, so she arranged for someone to send Wei Yi back first.

But her emotions remained unsettled for a long time!

She stood dazed at the main entrance, lost in thought.

“Miss Ji?” A rough, resonant voice came from behind her.

She turned toward the sound.

It was Third Master.

“Third Master?”

Tang Father walked over with powerful strides. The gaze that fell upon her had lost some of its fierceness and gained some warmth.

This was completely incompatible with his imposing physique!

He expressed his gratitude: “Miss Ji, you helped quite a bit with A’Si’s wedding this time. Thank you.”

“She and I are friends. I wouldn’t call it helping. I’m also happy for her that she and Muruo could finally become husband and wife.”

Sincere!

Third Master smiled, then began examining her thoughtfully and asked, “I heard from A’Si that you’re from Jinjiang?”

She nodded.

“Who else is in your family?”

This…

She didn’t know how to answer, so she simply said, “A few sisters and brothers remain in the family, but we rarely keep in contact.”

“Why not?”

“Every family has its own difficult scriptures to recite.”

“Oh.” Third Master asked again, “Is your mother also gone?”

“She died when I was born.”

“How old are you?”

“Nearly nineteen!”

Uh!

Third Master’s eyes tightened with a trace of excitement. Within that excitement was mixed some sorrow, but she forcefully concealed her emotions and didn’t continue questioning further. Her pair of eyes stuck to Ji Yinshu as if glued there.

That kind of gaze made Ji Yinshu very uncomfortable.

She asked, “Third Master, why are you staring at me like this? Is there something wrong with me?”

He didn’t find his staring behavior awkward. Instead, he said, “To be honest, it’s because you resemble an old acquaintance of mine, so I almost mistook you for her.”

“Is that so? Is that person very important to Third Master?”

At this question, Third Master’s eyes filled with memories. “Yes, indeed a very important old acquaintance. It’s just that many years ago, something happened and she and I became separated. After that, we never saw each other again. A few days ago when I saw you, Miss Ji, I felt your eyes were very similar to hers!”

No wonder he stared at her like that in the alley before.

She almost thought he was an old lecher.

Awkward!

Ji Yinshu was completely drawn into his story and followed up with questions: “Why did you become separated?”

“Miss Ji, do you know what happened twenty years ago?”

“Twenty years ago?”

That was exactly the year before she was born, and also the first year that Great Lin’s Emperor Qizhen ascended the throne.

That year?

She pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered, “That year was when the new Huyi Emperor established his reign era. I heard that when the Huyi King took power, it caused all of Huyi to descend into chaos with countless casualties. Many Huyi people fled as refugees to Great Lin. Could it be that Third Master and your acquaintance…?”

“That’s right. I’m actually from Huyi.” Third Master was quite frank about it and continued, “At the time when Huyi was in war and chaos, she and I fled together to Great Lin, but midway we were scattered by a group of soldiers. I later went to Houliao and settled down there, but her whereabouts became unknown. I searched for more than ten years without any news. I suppose… she may have already died.”

What a tragic story!

Ji Yinshu didn’t know how to comfort him and could only say, “If she didn’t die, fate will bring you together again.”

“Yes, fate will bring us together again.”

As if there were hidden meanings in those words!

Third Master’s gaze upon her became even more intense.

Ji Yinshu felt somewhat embarrassed and simply looked away.

Just then—

“Crash~” came a sound.

The sound of porcelain smashing on the ground came from the courtyard.

The two looked toward the sound and walked into the courtyard together.

In the courtyard.

A clumsy young servant had just knocked over a bowl and dish and was bending down to clean it up.

The other young servants were cleaning up things on the tables, busy and sweating profusely, with no time to attend to the person who had broken something.

Suddenly someone asked: “Where did Master go? Why haven’t we seen him come over to toast?”

Another person said, “That’s right. Today is Master’s great joyous day, yet he doesn’t come out to toast. Just now I heard several gentlemen discussing Master, saying he’s putting on airs.”

“Master would never put on airs.”

“But where did he go?”

“Don’t know!”

Everyone was puzzled—where had he gone?

A young servant who had just come from the kitchen carrying a tray said, “Master is drinking with Prince Rong.”

What?

“If Master were in the bridal chamber that would be one thing, but why did he run off to drink with Prince Rong?”

Strange!

Bromance.

Everyone began discussing in whispers.

Things like their master liking men!

Things like having an affair with Prince Rong!

Things like…

All sorts of nonsense!

As a result, Third Master, who had walked over, heard it all.

He stepped forward and kicked one young servant hard on the buttocks.

And scolded: “Spouting nonsense—I’ll slaughter you.”

The young servant rubbed his aching bottom and frowned. “Third Master, I was wrong.”

“Hurry up and finish cleaning. If you keep running your mouths, I’ll take you all to Houliao and use you as live targets for archery practice.”

“We won’t dare again, we won’t dare.”

Everyone hurried to clean up, not daring to say more.

However—

Could it be that Muruo was still drinking with Jingrong?

In the bridal chamber!

Muruo swayed as he entered, his entire body crashing into the door panel.

His shoulder hurt!

Tang Si sat properly on the bed, her vision containing only the red veil before her eyes. After hearing the sound, her heart pounded rapidly.

Her hands gripped tightly.

Muruo closed the door and walked over. He hazily looked at Tang Si sitting on the bed in her red wedding dress.

Then—

He bowed.

“Greetings, wife.”

His head nearly touched the ground.

Tang Si bit her lip, laughing inwardly, and replied with a deliberately gentle voice, “Husband needn’t be so polite.”

Clearly gentle words, yet coming from her mouth, they sounded sarcastic.

She didn’t dare move carelessly, waiting for the person before her to lift her red veil.

But—

A long time passed.

There was still no movement!

She tried to see clearly through the veil and could only vaguely make out one foot.

No, two feet stretched out on the ground.

In an instant, she yanked off the veil on her head, and what she saw was actually a drunkard who was completely intoxicated.

Sprawled on the ground.

Beside his hand was still a wine bottle, the wine from the bottle spilling all over the floor.

“Jingrong, drink, come, drink…” Muruo shifted his body, speaking incoherently.

“Drink, drink, drink—at such an important moment you’re still drinking.” Tang Si was so angry she was fuming, hands on her hips. She stretched out her foot and kicked him forcefully, shouting loudly, “Bastard!”

Muruo was completely unconscious.

He was even snoring.

Tang Si wouldn’t let it go. She grabbed his collar and forcefully dragged him onto the large bed.

“Even if you’re drunk, this lady will still devour you.”

She pounced onto the bed!

The drunkard’s clothes were swiftly stripped off, not a single piece remaining.

Tang Si was like a very hungry little leopard in the forest, smiling wickedly.

She leaned down, and the two figures merged together. The red gauze curtains gradually fell…