Feng Jiu’er’s lips curved up, her eyes bending into a pair of perfect crescent moons.

This expression made her impossible not to dote on.

“Ahem!”

Just as Di Wu Ya leaned in, Jian Yi coughed loudly.

Feng Jiu’er turned to glance at Jian Yi, who was busy sipping tea, then turned her head back and pushed at Di Wu Ya’s palm.

“Long Yi, do you like Xinyue?”

“Jiu’er.” Gong Xinyue’s face drained of color at Feng Jiu’er’s words.

Having never dealt with men before, she felt she didn’t understand romance, and thought she wasn’t yet qualified to speak of love.

“You…”

“Hey! What’s there to be shy about?” Feng Jiu’er raised her brows. “If not Long Yi, maybe Long Er, Long San, Long Si.”

“Xinyue, you’re good-looking, kind, and capable — plenty of the brothers have been asking me about you.”

“But of course, I want to consider who you like.”

Gong Xinyue frowned and shook her head repeatedly, signaling Feng Jiu’er to stop talking nonsense.

As if many people had really been asking! She thought Jiu’er was just making things up.

But Feng Jiu’er acted as if she hadn’t noticed Gong Xinyue’s hints at all, and once she started talking, she wouldn’t stop.

“Long Yi, what do you think? If you weren’t the Prince’s right-hand man, I wouldn’t bother asking you.”

“Besides, you’re not young anymore. Even Yu Jingfeng has someone now — don’t you ever think about it?”

Long Yi sat to the right of Gong Xinyue, while Feng Jiu’er’s table was to Gong Xinyue’s left.

At that moment, Long Yi happened to be looking in Feng Jiu’er’s direction, which also let him see Gong Xinyue.

He drew his gaze back, glanced at the top of Gong Xinyue’s head, and pressed his lips together.

“Xinyue, what do you think of me?”

Feng Jiu’er hadn’t expected Long Yi to be so unexpectedly direct — he wasn’t like Yu Jingfeng, who was usually more reserved.

Gong Xinyue was also startled by Long Yi.

Her body stiffened; she wanted to turn away but couldn’t manage it.

“You’re very good!” Gong Xinyue finally squeezed out a few words.

“Then it’s settled — we can try getting to know each other.” Long Yi’s voice drifted down from behind and above Gong Xinyue.

Gong Xinyue grew even more flustered. Her lips parted slightly, but not a single word came out.

Feng Jiu’er looked between the two of them and frowned.

“Long Yi, courting someone like this is a bit irresponsible, don’t you think? What kind of response do you think would be appropriate from Xinyue?”

“Should she agree? If she agrees this easily, will you cherish her? If she refuses, she might worry about missing out on a good match.”

Di Wu Ya, watching the woman in front of him chattering on endlessly, drew in his long arm and pulled her into his embrace.

But Feng Jiu’er acted as if nothing had happened, continuing to complain about Long Yi’s recklessness.

“Long Yi, tell me yourself — if you were in Xinyue’s position, how would you answer?”

“She only has a little bit of a good impression of you, and you’re already talking about dating? Is it really that simple?”

“Jiu’er.” Gong Xinyue waved her hand gently. “What good impression? Don’t… talk nonsense.”

“No good impression?” Feng Jiu’er’s brow furrowed. “If there’s no good impression, then it means you don’t like him.”

“If you don’t like him, what are you hesitating for? Just refuse him directly.”

“That’s not it,” Gong Xinyue waved her hand again.

“If that’s not it, then there is a good impression.” Feng Jiu’er raised her eyes to look at Long Yi behind Gong Xinyue.

“Long Yi, did you hear that? Xinyue does have a bit of a good impression of you, but she won’t easily trust a man so quickly.”

“If you’re truly sincere, then show your sincerity and move her heart.”

“Only once you’ve moved her can you have a chance to bring her home, understand?”

“Mm, I understand.” Long Yi nodded and poured a cup of tea for Gong Xinyue.

“Xinyue, don’t be nervous. I’m not asking for an answer right now — what I mean is, we could spend some time together and see.”

Gong Xinyue turned back, took the cup, and lowered her head to take a sip.

“Mm, the same way we’ve always interacted is fine.”

She pressed her lips together, raised her eyes to meet Long Yi’s gaze, and lowered her voice.

“You don’t need to take Jiu’er’s words to heart. She’s just like that — she’d love nothing more than to marry all of us off, so she has fewer of us to look after.”

“Gong Xinyue, are you the worm in my stomach? How did you guess what I was thinking so easily?” Feng Jiu’er said with a smile.

When Gong Xinyue turned back around again, the panic from before was gone from her expression.

This Jiu’er — did she not know her well enough by now? Never mind! It was all out of good intentions; she wouldn’t hold it against her.

“I’m not as foolish as my sister — just wait, you’ll be feeding me for another eight or ten years.” Gong Xinyue raised her cup toward Feng Jiu’er.

Feng Jiu’er shook her head and nestled into Di Wu Ya’s embrace.

“Eight or ten years — can Long Yi wait that long?”

She raised her eyes to meet Di Wu Ya’s gaze, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. “Your Highness, what do you think?”

Di Wu Ya leaned down and pressed his lips to Feng Jiu’er’s forehead.

Seeing this, Gong Xinyue immediately looked away, her face flushing an unmistakable red.

“Alright, let’s stop here for now.” Xiao Yingtao, having eaten her fill, wiped her mouth.

“Next up, we still have the competition — don’t forget the main event.”

The young women who had been gathered together eating meat all stood up and began tidying up with the maidservants.

The manservants carried away the tables and chairs, clearing the space in the middle once more.

“Next is the martial contest — the groom’s side gets to set the challenge.” Xiao Yingtao, having returned to her seat, was sipping tea.

She set down her teacup and looked toward the head table.

There, the groom was feeding his bride peeled grapes. She blinked and looked away.

“Looks like the groom doesn’t have time for this — one of you brothers should set the challenge.”

“Right now it’s one win, one loss. If you win this round, you’ll not only get to take today’s bride away, but you can also take along all these beautiful sisters of hers.”

“So?” Xiao Yingtao glanced around. “Who’s going to set the challenge?”

“I will.” Long Shiyi stood up.

“Maybe not?” Long Qi was the first to shake his head. “If you lose, what are the rest of us supposed to do?”

“Xiao Tian, do you want to come along and have some fun with us?”

“Of course I do.” Xiao Tian looked at Long Qi and nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

“Mm.” Long Qi nodded and looked at Long Shiyi again.

“Long Shiyi, better not — we’ve got plenty of talent here, why don’t you sit down and eat something instead.”

“Isn’t it my sister competing?” Gong Xing’er raised her eyes to look at Xiao Yingtao.

Xiao Yingtao nodded and turned to glance at Gong Xinyue.

Gong Xinyue stood and gave everyone a slight nod. “Please go easy on me!”

“It’s fine.” Gong Xing’er took hold of Long Shiyi’s hand. “My sister is no match for Eleventh Brother — we’ll definitely win.”

“Xing’er, who do you say will definitely win?” Duan Liuyang, beside Gong Xing’er, pressed her lips together and asked.

“Eleventh Brother, of course.” Gong Xing’er blinked her star-bright eyes in response.

“I’ll take the brothers’ side.” Long Yi stood up.

Long Shiyi looked at Long Yi and waved a hand. “Alright, go ahead.”

Several of the brothers let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t that they doubted Long Shiyi’s martial skill — it was simply that they felt he wasn’t very reliable.

Long Shiyi looked at everyone and frowned. “Am I really that unreliable?”