Jiang Yan certainly did not recognize her; the last time he had seen Bai Zhuji was four years ago. Moreover, everyone knew that Bai Zhuji had been foolish for many years, but the girl he had just seen was anything but foolish.
Jiang Chong looked at his son with a complex expression, unsure of what to think. He accepted the invitation card without saying a word.
Thus, Jiang Yan entertained guests for two hours without seeing Fourth Miss Bai arrive. His mood was excellent, and he even hummed a little tune on his way to change clothes.
“Yan’er.” As he passed through the corridor, someone called out to him.
He turned around and, upon seeing the figure by the pond, ran over with a smile. “Uncle!”
Jiang Xuanjin, draped in a cloak, had not fully recovered from his illness but was back to his former self. His ink-colored eyes swept over Jiang Yan’s face, and he frowned slightly. “Fourth Miss Bai hasn’t come?”
Jiang Yan immediately straightened his back and replied, “Nephew truly delivered the invitation card, Uncle. If you don’t believe me, you can go to the Bai residence to verify.”
No matter when it was sent, it had been delivered!
After looking at him for a moment, Jiang Xuanjin waved his sleeve. “The ceremony is about to begin; you should go change.”
“Understood!” Jiang Yan responded and turned to run.
Jiang Xuanjin stared at the rippling surface of the pond, lost in thought.
He had anticipated that the Bai family might not bring her along, which was why he had asked Jiang Yan to deliver the invitation personally. He hadn’t expected it to turn out this way. If she didn’t come, then the marriage between her and Yan’er would truly be in jeopardy.
Well, a girl like Bai Zhuji was not a suitable choice for a daughter-in-law anyway. He was only trying to fulfill the wishes of his deceased sister-in-law. Since that couldn’t be accomplished, then so be it.
With this thought, he felt a bit lighter in his heart.
Relaxing his furrowed brow, Jiang Xuanjin turned to head toward the front courtyard. However, just as he turned, a gust of wind rushed toward him.
“Finally caught you!” A familiar scent enveloped him. The newcomer was quite bold, bypassing the nearby attendants and, without hesitation, wrapped her arms around his waist, speaking in a sticky, affectionate tone. “I miss you to death!”
His face darkened. Jiang Xuanjin raised his hand and pushed her away. “Impudent!”
Li Huaiyu stepped back a couple of paces, completely ignoring his resistance. She looked up at him, her smile so wide that her eyebrows nearly disappeared. “It’s been two days since we last met. Did you miss me or not?”
Jiang Xuanjin regarded her coldly.
“Oh, I was just checking in on you. Why are you so quick to anger?” Huaiyu blinked her eyes and twirled in front of him, grinning. “How do I look?”
Only then did Jiang Xuanjin notice how different she was from before. Not only was she adorned with expensive jewelry, but this dress…
As his gaze fell on the patterns on her skirt, Jiang Xuanjin’s expression darkened. “Peony.”
“Hmm?” Li Huaiyu raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze down. “What about the peony? This design is the finest Peony Yaochi Spring Dawn, the best of the best!”
Jiang Xuanjin frowned, his expression quite peculiar. After a long silence, he finally said, “It’s truly ugly.”
Her face fell. Huaiyu replied, “I searched for ages to find you, just hoping to hear you say it looks good. Why are you so unlikable!”
The person in front of her sneered. “If I’m unlikable, then don’t like me.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he nearly bit his tongue.
He was truly losing his mind. After only a few days of dealing with her, how had he become so shameless? What kind of nonsense was he spouting about liking or disliking?
But Huaiyu only laughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve as she giggled, her eyes full of teasing. “I won’t! I’m determined to stick to you!”
Grinding his teeth, Jiang Xuanjin turned and walked away without looking back.
“Hey, hey!” Huaiyu hurried after him. “Where are you going?”
“If I’m not mistaken, this is the Jiang family’s rear courtyard,” the person in front said angrily. “Even if the guest is welcome, entering uninvited is still rude.”
Rubbing her ears, Huaiyu replied, “I’ve been rude more than once or twice; haven’t you gotten used to it yet?”
“…”
As they walked further, they passed through the moon gate and reached the front courtyard, where the sounds of merriment could be faintly heard. Jiang Xuanjin stopped and glanced back coldly. “Go away.”
Huaiyu looked at him innocently. “You’re here; where do you want me to go?”
“Wherever you like, just don’t follow me.”
After all, she was still Yan’er’s nominal fiancée. If people saw her clinging to him like this, what would they think?
Huaiyu pouted, looking pitiful. “The Jiang residence is so big; if I wander around, I’ll get lost. If I can’t find my way back, will you come to rescue me?”
“Dream on!” Jiang Xuanjin waved his sleeve and stepped out of the moon gate.
Li Huaiyu stood still, her watery eyes hiding their sparkle the moment he turned away. Once he had completely disappeared outside the moon gate, she let out a sigh of relief and immediately turned to head back to the rear courtyard.
Today was indeed the most relaxed time for the guards in the Jiang residence. With so many people in the front courtyard, the servants were all busy helping out, and aside from a few guards by the moon gates, there was hardly anyone else in the back courtyard.
So, she crouched down and, following the direction Lu Jingxing had pointed out earlier, twisted and turned until she found Jiang Xuanjin’s quarters. After glancing at the guards at the door, Huaiyu patiently took a detour and quietly climbed over the wall to sneak in.
As the sun rose high, the Jiang residence was bustling with activity. Many people were standing and sitting in the front courtyard, all engaged in friendly conversation.
Lu Jingxing smiled as he sent off the twentieth person who had come to curry favor with him, casually glancing toward the main hall.
Jiang Xuanjin was dressed in a deep turquoise brocade robe, with silver threads embroidered in a subtle pattern. From a distance, it resembled a flying crane, and upon closer inspection, it revealed clusters of vibrant silver bamboo, truly exquisite.
However, in stark contrast to his attire, the person known as the Purple Sun Lord was quite dull and uninteresting. No matter who approached him with conversation, he maintained a calm, expressionless face, nodding slightly as a form of politeness. Even when the renowned Miss Qi, known as the first beauty of the capital, approached to pay her respects, he didn’t spare her a glance.
Lu Jingxing began to suspect that this man might have some hidden ailment.
Just then, Li Huaiyu returned.
She walked up to his side, smiling gracefully, then gritted her teeth and whispered, “Damn it, the guards at that place are stricter than the ones at my palace back in the day!”
She had thought the guards outside were lax and that she could sneak in to investigate, but as soon as she got close to Jiang Xuanjin’s quarters, the hidden guards were alerted, causing her to flee in a panic, nearly falling flat on her face.
It was truly infuriating!
Lu Jingxing chuckled and handed her a cup of tea. “What’s the rush? There’s still plenty of time.”
After taking a sip of the tea he offered, Huaiyu casually glanced up and happened to meet Jiang Xuanjin’s gaze.
As their eyes locked, she immediately flashed him a radiant smile—hey, hey, hey!
Jiang Xuanjin’s face, which had been smiling faintly, stiffened. He glanced at her with evident disdain and turned his head away.
“Hey?” Lu Jingxing noticed and exclaimed in surprise, “So this person can show other expressions!”
What other expressions? Hearing this, Huaiyu raised her sleeve to cover her face and said, “I can make him so angry that he turns a brilliant shade of purple. Do you want to see?”