Still being in the mourning period, despite the New Year having just passed, Du Feixue wore plain clothes throughout. She was crying with tears streaming down her face, disheveled hair sticking to her cheeks, looking quite pitiful.

Zhu Yàn’s drunkenness completely sobered up. He inconspicuously stepped back several paces and asked with a smile: “Did cousin come to find me for something? I just returned after drinking and was preparing to bathe—”

Du Feixue rushed toward him: “Cousin Brother—”

Zhu Yàn, who had been prepared, dodged to one side. Du Feixue lunged at empty air, stumbled forward with unsteady steps, and nearly fell.

Of course, Zhu Yàn couldn’t just watch Du Feixue fall badly, so he reached out to steady her.

Du Feixue lifted her head and wiped her tears with her sleeve: “Cousin Brother, you still care about me, don’t you?”

Zhu Yàn released his hand, sighed, and spoke very seriously: “Cousin Feixue, of course I care about you, just as Yán cares about you. We both regard you as a younger sister…”

Du Feixue shook her head: “Cousin Yàn, I don’t want you to regard me as a younger sister—”

Zhu Yàn smiled: “Cousin Feixue, have you ever considered that if you weren’t our cousin, how could you live here? You hold the status of a young lady of the Zhu family’s extended relatives, so naturally I regard you as a younger sister.”

Though Zhu Yàn spoke gently, his meaning was crystal clear: if Du Feixue were a girl from an unrelated family, where would she have the qualification to be treated as a younger sister?

Du Feixue blinked, tears falling in strings: “Cousin Brother…”

Please, couldn’t you not get engaged? Wait another two years or so – I’ll work hard to become the kind of person you’d like…

Du Feixue cried out these words in her heart but didn’t voice them aloud.

She wasn’t foolish to that extent. Cousin Yàn’s marriage was already an unchangeable matter.

She just felt unwilling to accept it.

She had been fond of Cousin Yàn since childhood. All her expectations were related to Cousin Yàn. She carefully treasured him in the tip of her heart, keeping this sweet yet bitter secret so close that she was unwilling to mention it even to her closest Cousin, Jiǎo, fearing that if others saw Cousin Yàn’s goodness, her chances of marrying him in the future would become even smaller.

But why was it that after she had hoped for so long and waited for so long, someone else could effortlessly achieve her dream without doing anything?

This was truly unfair!

Zhu Yàn silently watched Du Feixue cry soundlessly. When he saw she had cried enough, he sighed softly and gently advised, “Cousin, go back to your room. Don’t let Grandmother know and worry her.”

Du Feixue lowered her head, staring at her toes: “Cousin Yàn, do you have feelings for Miss Su?”

Zhu Yàn didn’t answer.

Du Feixue suddenly raised her head, a glimmer appearing in her eyes: “Cousin Brother, you don’t like her, do you?”

Zhu Yàn chuckled: “This question – Cousin Brother temporarily can’t answer you.”

Du Feixue showed a confused expression.

Knowing that not speaking clearly would be bad for everyone in the future, Zhu Yàn patiently explained: “Miss Su and I have never spent time together privately, so naturally there’s no question of liking or not liking. However, I believe we can get along well in the future. As long as she’s a good young lady, I will come to like her.”

“Would you like any girl who became your wife?” Du Feixue very much disliked Zhu Yàn’s way of speaking.

Zhu Yàn smiled: “Not necessarily, but since she would be my wife, why not try my best?”

Du Feixue opened her mouth, gazing at Zhu Yàn’s gentle, smiling yet calm and unruffled eyes. Her heart grew cold, and she covered her face, turned around, and ran away.

After a long while, a servant quietly approached and called out: “Young Master—”

Zhu Yàn glanced at the servant indifferently and instructed: “Today’s matter must not be spread around.”

“Young Master, rest assured. This servant understands.”

“You may go.”

After the servant withdrew, Zhu Yàn casually took a book from the shelf, sat down, and slowly began reading through it.

Du Feixue returned to her quarters, buried her face in her pillow for a good cry, then sat before her dressing mirror looking at herself with eyes swollen red as peaches. After staring blankly for a while, she sent someone to Prince Rui’s residence to deliver a letter to Li Jiǎo.

Ever since Li Jiǎo entered the gates of Prince Rui’s residence, her mood had grown more anxious with each passing day.

She had originally thought Prince Rui had fallen in love with her at first sight, but now it wasn’t the case. So many days had passed, and Prince Rui hadn’t touched her at all.

In the beginning, Prince Rui would still visit her room. She had been reserved for a few days until she realized something was wrong and deliberately became more proactive. Unexpectedly, from then on, Prince Rui wouldn’t even enter her door!

Li Jiǎo walked through Prince Rui’s residence garden, which was as large as the entire Li residence. When she saw maids and servants whispering among themselves, she felt they were mocking her.

Feeling vexed and agitated, she returned to her room and sat glumly at her desk. She picked up a romance novel she had been reading halfway through and glanced at a few pages, but couldn’t absorb any of it.

“Miss, Miss Du from Marquis Taining’s residence has sent you a letter.”

Li Jiǎo glared at Xing’er: “How many times have I told you not to call me ‘Miss’ anymore? What would others think if they heard?”

Xing’er quickly apologized.

“Never mind. Bring Miss Du’s letter.”

Li Jiǎo opened Du Feixue’s letter and read it. Her face remained completely calm, showing no extra emotions, but inwardly, she chuckled softly.

This cousin, who had always acted superior before her, like a daughter of heaven, also had such helpless moments.

After all, what girl without a mother isn’t pitiful?

Du Feixue had liked Young Master Zhu since childhood. Although Old Madam of Marquis Taining had never revealed any intention of strengthening family ties through marriage, she hadn’t stopped the younger generation’s interactions either. If her aunt Lady Zhu were still alive and had pleaded tearfully before Old Madam of Marquis Taining, Du Feixue might not have been without a chance to marry into her maternal family.

Unfortunately, once Lady Zhu died, a granddaughter’s status was still a degree removed from that of a biological daughter. Old Madam of Marquis Taining had more considerations.

Once a person’s rationality overrode their emotions, how could they fail to see clearly that Du Feixue was not a suitable candidate for the position of heir’s wife?

Li Jiǎo didn’t write a letter but directly sent Xing’er to Marquis Taining’s residence to relay a message.

“Miss Du, our miss says that living in the prince’s residence now isn’t as convenient as when she was at her natal home. She’ll find a way to invite you over to visit after your period of intensive mourning ends.” Xing’er conveyed Li Jiǎo’s meaning while secretly shaking her head.

Miss Du’s birth mother had only passed away in the twelfth lunar month of last year. Even a servant like her knew one should wear hemp mourning clothes, eat plain food, and not go out to see people. How could Miss Du not care about this?

“I understand.” Du Feixue said listlessly and sent Xing’er away.

Within a few days, Qiao Zhao received an invitation.

Emperor Mingkang was heartbroken over Jiang Tang’s death and had no mind for mundane affairs, ordering Prince Rui and Prince Mu to jointly receive the Xijiang envoys.

Prince Rui and Prince Mu hadn’t been able to see Emperor Mingkang’s face for years and had almost forgotten what their imperial father looked like. Having such a rare opportunity to show their faces before their imperial father, how could they not put their best effort into it? Therefore, this banquet was extraordinarily grand, with invitations extended to almost all the prominent figures and noble ladies in the capital.

Qiao Zhao glanced at the exquisitely printed invitation and set it aside, smiling as she said to Shao Mingyuan: “Since they’ve invited so many people, one more won’t make a difference, and one less won’t matter either. I won’t join in this commotion.”

Shao Mingyuan naturally wouldn’t force Qiao Zhao. Following the principle of wives leading and husbands following, he said: “If you’re not going, then I’ll decline as well.”

He had never been fond of attending these singing, dancing, and merrymaking banquets anyway.